The Virgin Birth

A short while back we started a series on the Creed by comparing the modern Hillsong version to the old Apostles Creed which I’ll repeat now;

On the left is the final verse of the Hillsong version where we sing we believe in the virgin birth.

On the right is the old Apostles Creed.

Parts in green compare favourably, parts in orange have a warning as we covered last time.

Today we are going to focus on number 3, the Virgin Birth. As mentioned last time, do not confuse the Virgin Birth of Jesus with the Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary which is quite frankly heresy.

The Virgin Birth is a foundational Bible message which is why it has come under such attack through the ages. You need to believe this message if you want your faith to stand strong otherwise you are in danger of falling away !

Fully Human, Fully Divine

The Virgin Birth is the only explanation for both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus and the reason that he alone can save us. Jesus was fully human and fully divine. God was his Father and Mary was his mother. 

⁃ Because Mary was his mother, there was a part of him that could be tempted, just like us, he was not immune. He had to wrestle with temptation just like we do. In the desert, he was able to overcome temptation because of the Word of God, fasting and prayer and the Holy Spirit who had come upon him at baptism and led him there.

⁃ Because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit he was the Son of God and fully divine. This is how we know that Jesus’s death on the Cross can save us, because God himself has paid the price for our sins.

At Christmas we repeat the story of Jesus’s birth every year. What a wonderful message it is. If this message doesn’t make you happy, nothing will !

I was so confident that we would have already listened to the story before I even spoke that I didn’t plan to read the entire passages from Matthew or Luke. Instead we’ll focus on the announcement by Gabriel concerning the Virgin Birth. People might say that back in those days the people did not have the science to know that a virgin birth was impossible but it is clear that Mary knew the facts of life. 

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. So the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God! Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.

Luke 1:26-35

Mary didn’t have the science but she knew Biology 101. 

Many people today are misinformed unlike Mary. Everyone has a father and a mother and nothing we write in law can change that. Likewise everyone is either male or female, that also cannot be changed.

Remember, everyone has an X chromosome but

• Female - XX
• Male - XY

Therefore being male, Jesus had the X and Y chromosome. Males always inherit their X chromosome from their mother and their Y chromosome from their father. So Jesus’s Y chromosome was from His father who is God.

But being God, did he have something different ?  We shall come to that later.

But we might find ourselves asking the same question as Mary - how can this be ? We also need to listen and believe the Angel. We need to receive the Christmas story like children who easily believe it. That’s why it is good to children tell us the Christmas story as we do here at PCC.

If you have trouble believing the Virgin Birth as recorded in the scripture, I want to give you 3 extra proofs to help you believe;

1. The Old Testament Prophecies
2. The Days of Noah
3. John’s testimony

Old Testament Prophecy

As we’ve heard last week, Isaiah prophesied the Virgin Birth about 600 BC.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel means God with us. Jesus is the Son of God. There is no other way that this could have come to happen than by the Virgin Birth.

However, the Lord himself promised the Virgin Birth in the Garden of Eden.

The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the cattle and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat all the days of your life. And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:14-15

Note the distinction between the Serpent’s offspring and Woman’s offspring. 

Do not be deceived, the Devil is your enemy.

The Lord doesn’t give the game away at this point but with hindsight we can see that the scripture is talking about Jesus who is both the Son of God and the offspring of Mary. Jesus is the Woman’s offspring who will crush the Serpent’s head.

This is describing the hostility that exists between God and the Devil which we can see in our world today. Whenever someone is hostile towards Jesus, you can easily tell who their father is. Likewise when someone loves Jesus, you can easily tell who their Father is.

The Days of Noah

Notice these verses from Genesis tell of the devil’s offspring. In fact, that describes all of our condition before we were saved, that is why we must be born again. However, it also prophesied wicked relations between the spirit world and our world. This is why we are to have nothing to do with idols or the occult. This happened for the first time in Genesis 6. 

When humankind began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose. So the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain in humankind indefinitely, since they are mortal. They will remain for 120 more years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days (and also after this) when the sons of God would sleep with the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children. They were the mighty heroes of old, the famous men.

Genesis 6:1-4

If anyone doubts this story, they should check the news because it is going on in the world today.

1. Woman who is in love with a ghost now wants to have babies with him - NZ Herald
2. Woman calls off wedding with ghost after he 'kept disappearing' - New York Post
3. Amanda Large Teague says she married and divorced a Haitian pirate ghost who inspired Jack Sparrow - The Washington Post

You might think this is just a reflection on the state of journalism today and is just plain ridiculous but there is a very serious side.

Jesus said 

For just like the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. And they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. It will be the same at the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:37-39

I do believe that because Jesus is tying together end times, the days of Noah and marriage that he is referring to the type of marriage we see in the days of Noah. In other words, something wicked and not the kind of marriage between man and woman that God blesses.

The Devil knew what God was saying when he cursed the Serpent. He knew that meant there would be a Holy Birth and that the Son of God would crush him. This is why he tried to corrupt the world in Noah’s time and why it brought God’s heaviest judgment. This also explains the actions of the Pharoah, of Goliath, of Haman and all the others in trying to wipe out the royal line. The Devil wanted to prevent the royal Holy Birth.  It shows that we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against evil principalities and powers, the Devil himself.

If we look at our world today, and we see people still worshipping idols, trying to gain power from the spiritual realm, seeking the fountain of youth we can easily believe the story of Noah is true. It is a negative proof but it does show that there can be relations with the spiritual realm proving a Virgin Birth is possible.

John’s Testimony

These days we can test a persons DNA by taking a blood sample. So if we want to test the DNA of Jesus, then we would want to examine the blood from his death. If we could test his blood, I’m sure we would find the XY chromosomes. But would we find something of the divine nature of Jesus ? I believe « Yes ! ».

John was at the crucifixion and he gave this testimony;

But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out immediately. And the person who saw it has testified (and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth), so that you also may believe. For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “ Not a bone of his will be broken.” And again another scripture says, “ They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

John 19:33-37

What John says is an accurate testimony and I quote;

Crucifixion typically resulted in death through one of two ways. The first way was hypovolemic shock. The prolonged rapid heartbeat resulting from hypovolemic shock can cause fluid to gather in the area around the heart. This is called pericardial effusion.

The second way death often occurred during crucifixion was due to asphyxiation. This simply means the person is unable to breathe in enough oxygen to survive. Crucifixion victims typically had to pull their weight up with their hands or wrists that were nailed to the crossbeam along with pushing up with the feet or ankles that had another nail through them. Over time, the ability to push up to breathe would end and oxygen flow would be restricted. This asphyxiation can also result in the buildup of fluid around the heart.

In either case, the account of John is quite accurate. The Roman executioners saw that the other two crucifixion victims were still alive and broke their legs so they would no longer be able to push themselves up to breathe, resulting in death within minutes. In the case of Jesus, they saw He had become unconscious and likely was already dead. To confirm, a spear was shoved into His side, likely under His ribs, that ruptured the pericardial sack, resulting in a flow of both blood and water.

But is John trying to convey something other than medical facts about Jesus’s death ? Much of the Gospel of John has themes of water. Baptism by immersion in water. Water into wine. Water at the Well. Streams of living water flowing from within a believer.

Water is essential to life (a person can only live without water for 3 days) and was there at the very beginning.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water.

Genesis 1:1-2

Water represents Spirit and Eternal Life in the Bible. 

We sing that song « There’s a river of life » based on what Jesus said as recorded in John’s Gospel. 

On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘ From within him  will flow rivers of living water.’” (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.)

John 7:37-39

This eternal life comes from God the Father. When we are born again, God becomes our father too. 

Later on John tied everything together by using water again in his testimony about Jesus;

For there are three that testify, the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three are in agreement.

1 John 5:7-8

The Spirit and the voice from heaven at his baptism was a witness (Spirit and Water) and the blood and water at the Cross were a witness. Both of these were events John personally witnessed. 

Some say this is a statement about the trinity but I think John is also giving evidence of the fully divine, fully human nature of Jesus - a proof of the virgin birth.

The personal testimony John gives in 1 John 5:7-8 is in the context of proving to his audience that Jesus is fully human to counter the false teaching of the Gnostics that denied God had come in the flesh. Gnostics were saying that Jesus was only Spirit, that God had not come in the flesh. This view is what John says is Antichrist. So when John gives testimony of seeing blood and water come out of Jesus side, he is giving testimony of the humanity of Jesus (the blood) and the divinity of Jesus (the water). This is what I believe is a proof of the Virgin Birth !

With all that in mind, read the story of the Virgin Birth of Jesus. I would also like to add that it is one of the greatest things in life to witness the birth of your child. I recommend every father should be at the birth of his child. 

God the Father was present at the birth of his Son.

This is a story of wonder. No evil thing can encroach at this moment in time. There is a host of angels, the forces of darkness are held back. There is sound of trumpets. A heavenly star. Animals are gathering, the Creation is watching. The Father is there in this holiest of moments and there is a great peace we can sense as we read the story trusting in the truth of it like children.

Creed

Not that long ago we were listening to a preacher who asked the question as to whether you could really be a Christian if you were also pro abortion and gay marriage. We know where the World stands on these issues but what about us in the Church. Do these 2 issues really matter or can they be put aside so we simply preach grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Is this what Paul meant when he said ; 

I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some. 

1 Corinthians 9:22b 

Well to answer that, when the religious leaders tried to trick Jesus with these kind of questions he would often respond with “what does the law say ?”. If the Church did that, the answers are easy. But today we are very sensitive to public opinion and we see modern churches compromising on these 2 issues.

But it got us to thinking about a bigger question. For example, we know Christians who really value social justice and want to build a bridge between the World and the Church by crossing over and supporting people where they are at. They speak about sin only as a last resort. Modernist Churches want to create an environment where everyone feels accepted and not judged. The hope is that the seeker will recognise all the benefits of being a Christian and to decide they want that too. What could be wrong with that ?

Fundamentalism is a dirty word these days. In fact having a conservative position on anything provokes hatred. We heard about one man who said he was congratulated for coming out as gay but later was vilified for coming out as a conservative. We have different types of Christians similar to the different types of Muslims. Where is the line ? How can you know if you really are a Christian ?

The Bible says; 

Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless, indeed, you fail the test! 

2 Corinthians 13:5

So we did this really interesting test of their beliefs and we did it by referencing the Apostle’s Creed. This is actually the Catholic version which is very well known. You can join with me if you like, there are 12 parts; 

1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, 
2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, 
3. who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, 
4. suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; 
5. he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; 
6. he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; 
7. from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. 
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit, 
9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, 
10. the forgiveness of sins, 
11. the resurrection of the body, 
12. and life everlasting. 

Amen

If you believe all of these things already, then I can retire.

Or can I ? Let’s look a bit deeper. We can compare to the Creed which we often sing at PCC. The Creed is written by Hillsong and it is everything a modern church represents. It has a lovely tune, warm and positive, inviting like their services. We will make a comparison to the old Catholic version. We know the Catholic style of church. Formal, designed to give you a sense of awe, ornate cold stone, dark with stained glass windows letting in the light, hard pews. The Catholic version of the creed reflects that style. 

These are simply observations of differences, most are minor. You’ll notice I’ve put some in green and some in orange. I’ll come back to the ones in orange later. 

In the 1st verse of the Hillsong version you will notice it said that Jesus is our Saviour whereas it is not stated in the Catholic version. Don’t stress about this because the very meaning of Jesus is Saviour.

I really like the clear statement about the Trinity though - three in one. All the persons in the Trinity are in the Catholic version but they are more spread out so people might not understand that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three in one. The Holy Spirit does not seem as personal in the Catholic version but more separated from the other 2 persons in the Godhead.

The second thing that’s good is mention of the name of Jesus connecting to resurrection because it shows the power of God to do miracles in Jesus’s name.

What I like in the Catholic version is that Jesus is called God’s only Son. Well John 3:16 says only begotten Son to distinguish a difference because as believers we have all been adopted into God’s family. It shows more of how precious Jesus is to God the Father to call him his only Son and helps us understand how much of a personal offense it was to God when Jesus was murdered.

I also like clear statements like resurrection of the body because some people think it is just a spiritual resurrection, yet we know Jesus was physically raised from the dead and that is our great hope also. I wouldn’t make issue out of not having that in the Hillsong version, it is a song after all.

In verse 2, I like how Jesus is called our Defender as well as our Judge. This is true and shows that He is for us. In the Catholic version he is Judge and there is forgiveness of sins but that means something different to Catholics. That means confessions to the priest, hail Mary’s, Rosary Beads and Purgatory first. It doesn’t tell us that God is with and for us as our Defender.

I do notice something missing in the Hillsong version though. It is perhaps a reflection of the positive message that the Modern Church likes to emphasise and a hesitancy to say anything negative.

The main thing being no mention of Death and Hell both of which are taboo subjects in our modern world. Descended into what - Darkness. Did he suffer from mental health issues, was he depressed about something ? The Catholic version expresses the belief in Hell, something the modern church doesn’t talk about. It’s such an important message. 

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14-15

We have churches preaching today that no one will go to Hell and even that there is no Hell. "Love Wins". In the Hillsong, Death and Hell are not mentioned at all. The end of Death is a positive thing but no one likes the thought of people being thrown into the Lake of Fire so they just don’t talk about it. The caution is that by not talking about it, they may be affirming the message that some theologians give that there is no Hell, that it is not a literal place.

Because it is a song I wouldn’t make an issue out of other differences like no mention of the third day, the 2 parts of the ascension - first out of Hell, then up into Heaven. It’s probably going to be understood by a non-believer singing the song that Jesus has risen from the dead and is now revealed as God and ruling from Heaven.

In the 3rd verse I like that we are called the holy church not the holy catholic Church as in the Catholic version. Even though it’s a small ‘c’ in the word catholic meaning universal, I do believe it deliberately teaches the view that the Catholic Church is the only true Church. That exclusivity is a sign of a cult not the true church of Jesus Christ.

There are some more problems with the Catholic version in the meaning behind the words.

Firstly the Virgin Mary. Why the big ‘V’ and not little ‘v’ in virgin ?

Let’s look at this and other hot topics. 

• Firstly, have you heard of the “The Immaculate Conception” which is a belief in the Catholic Church ? What do you think it means ? This is from the Catholic website;

It’s important to understand what the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is and what it is not. Some people think the term refers to Christ’s conception in Mary’s womb without the intervention of a human father; but that is the Virgin Birth. Others think the Immaculate Conception means Mary was conceived “by the power of the Holy Spirit,” in the way Jesus was, but that, too, is incorrect. The Immaculate Conception means that Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin or its stain—that’s what “immaculate” means: without stain. The essence of original sin consists in the deprivation of sanctifying grace, and its stain is a corrupt nature. Mary was preserved from these defects by God’s grace; from the first instant of her existence she was in the state of sanctifying grace and was free from the corrupt nature original sin brings.

So basically the immaculate conception is of Mary not Jesus ! That is not in the Bible and is heresy I’m afraid. Think about it, firstly it is giving Mary godlike status. Secondly it takes away from the humanity of Jesus and that therefore he would not have faced the same temptations as us.

But the Bible says; 

For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. 

Hebrews 4:15

• Secondly, the communion of saints. Once again from the Catholic website;

The communion of saints is the spiritual solidarity which binds together the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven in the organic unity of the same mystical body under Christ its head, and in a constant interchange of supernatural offices. The participants in that solidarity are called saints by reason of their destination and of their partaking of the fruits of the Redemption (I Cor., i, 2-Greek Text). The damned are thus excluded from the communion of saints. The living, even if they do not belong to the body of the true Church, share in it according to the measure of their union with Christ and with the soul of the Church. St. Thomas teaches (III, Q. viii, a. 4) that the angels, though not redeemed, enter the communion of saints because they come under Christ’s power and receive of His gratia capitis. The solidarity itself implies a variety of inter-relations: within the Church Militant, not only the participation in the same faith, sacraments, and government, but also a mutual exchange of examples, prayers, merits, and satisfactions; between the Church on earth on the one hand, and purgatory and heaven on the other, suffrages, invocation, inter-cession, veneration. These connotations belong here only in so far as they integrate the transcendent idea of spiritual solidarity between all the children of God.

Where to start with this ? 

1. Purgatory - where people go to pay for their sins before they can go to heaven. Purgatory is not in the Bible but even if it was - be reconciled to God now, don’t take it upon yourself 

Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!” God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. 

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

2. The living who do not belong to the true Church share in the communion of saints to the measure of their union with Christ ? That statement is an oxymoron. You can only be in the true Church if are in union with Christ ! 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up. 

John 15:5-6 

AND 

If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God. 

1 John 4:15 

3. Mutual exchange of prayers between Saints on Earth, Purgatory and Heaven ? Talking to the dead is what mediums do; 

“‘The person who turns to the spirits of the dead and familiar spirits to commit prostitution by going after them, I will set my face against that person and cut him off from the midst of his people. 

Leviticus 20:6

When my brother died I felt that in strange way there is now a very real connection between here and there. The Bible says; 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Hebrews 12:1-2

I do believe we get help from Heaven because of people who have gone there before us but there is a line that we are not to cross and praying to the saints is one of them. However the communion of saints certainly adds a greater meaning to when we have Communion !

There are 2 other very important things that you might observe are missing from the Creed - the authority of scripture and being born again.

• Thirdly,  The authority of the Word of God. 

The Church has not been strong enough on this point and today even some Christians are saying that certain parts of the Bible were only for the times they were in and that some key books like Jonah are just illustrations not real events. They forget that Jesus referred to these characters and events as real and that Jesus himself is the Word and therefore it is true.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it. 

John 1:1-5

AND

Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 

• Fourthly, you must be born again 

Jesus said to Nicodemus; 

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 

John 3:5-7 

There is a day when you are born again, it’s an actual date just like when you were born. Every Christian has 2 birthdays ! Next time someone asks you “When’s your birthday ?” tell them “Which one ?” and observe the confusion on their face if they’re not a Christian.

There has to be a date. Even C S Lewis said in his book Surprised by Joy;
“I was driven to Whipsnade one sunny morning. When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did. Yet I had not exactly spent the journey in thought. Nor in great emotion. “Emotional” is perhaps the last word we can apply to some of the most important events. It was more like when a man, after a long sleep, still lying motionless in bed, becomes aware that he is now awake.” 

There is my date. 12/06/77. It wasn’t even the day Arsenal won the Cup. It was right after Boys Brigade Parade and a fiery sermon by Gerard Marks at Papatoetoe Baptist Church. Maybe God is speaking to you today to confirm your faith by confessing your belief in Him from the heart for the first time. 
because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

Romans 10:9

If you do believe the Creed in your heart, then you are certainly born again. So I thought we could sing the Creed today and give you the opportunity !

The Sunday Horrors

When we were growing up, Dad was Youth Pastor at Papatoetoe Baptist Church. Sunday was a big day in our family. Church in the morning, Big League Soccer at 12pm, Sunday roast at 1pm usually with guests, Football down the Rec. or in the Church hall in the afternoon, Youth Group at 5.30pm, Evening Church at 7pm, Young Peoples Supper at 8.30pm, Radio with Pictures at 10pm followed by Dads favourite, the Sunday Horrors. There’s nothing like a good routine for feeling life is ok.

But what was that with the Sunday Horrors ? One of the movie genres that has had a lot of success at the Box Office is horror. Just when everything seems to be going well, the haunted music starts up, disaster strikes and people, prepared or not die. Do you ever get that nagging doubt that just when everything is going well, something terrible is about to happen ? Horror stories put a spotlight on our worst fears. Panic takes over as fear grows. Honestly we have seen that around the world in this Covid-19 pandemic. Again we saw long queues at the supermarkets and at the Auckland exit points this week when the sudden move to level 3 was announced.

But the sun comes up faithfully every morning. Great is thy faithfulness is the hymn from Lamentations 3:22-23 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

In just over 2 weeks it will be Spring, regardless of the Pandemic. The flowers on our magnolia are in full bloom already and the sunny day today is a reminder of the beautiful days of Summer to come. Communion is an anchor. Even when Jesus was facing the horrors of betrayal and death, it didn’t shake him from keeping calm and carrying on. He didn’t take his eyes off caring for his disciples and reminding them that he would be coming again. We have one big Son-rise to look forward to.

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, and after he had given thanks he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, every time you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Communion gives us peace. When fear starts to rise up, we can think of Jesus and what he did for us and we can feel peace instead. 

Faith Without Works

Today we’re going to look at a very famous passage from James 2, where James makes a point that seems to contradict what Paul taught about grace. If we are justified by faith, how can faith without works be dead ? Doesn’t that mean we have to do works to be saved ? 

Someone please count the number of times I have to use the word « but » today !

James was one of Jesus’s younger brothers, did James have an inside track on Jesus that we may have missed ?

My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and to the poor person, “You stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor”? If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? 

But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme the good name of the one you belong to? But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, “ You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators. For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “ Do not commit adultery,” also said, “ Do not murder .” Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law. 

Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom. For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. 

You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear. But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “ Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend . You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 

And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

James 2

A lot of what James wrote about in this chapter can be found in Leviticus 19, and the key verse in that chapter is 18 which says;

You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:18

Love your neighbour as yourself !

That’s easier said than done isn’t it ! In this interconnected global village, that seems harder than ever. Have you felt guilty at reading the latest disaster appeal in your daily news feed. Does anybody still think they are a good person ?

Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?” He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “ Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor  your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

Matthew 19:16-22

Let’s summarise those commandments Jesus mentions and put them into the order written in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5

5. Honour your father and mother (comes with a promise of long life)

6. Do not murder

7. Do not commit adultery

8. Do not steal

9. Do not give false testimony

10. Love your neighbour as yourself

You could assume that to « love your neighbour as yourself » equates to the 10th commandment;

“You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your neighbour.”

Exodus 20:17

Because if you love your neighbour you won’t be envious of him but rather feel happy for his success.

But you could also presume that « love your neighbour as yourself »  summarises commandments 5-10. 

Because if you love your neighbour you won’t even want to take anything from them - their life, their wife, their goods, or trust because you love them, are happy for their success and want to honour them.

To love your neighbour as you love yourself is called the 2nd greatest commandment and Jesus is quoting from Leviticus 19:18. You can look that up ! Of all the laws in Leviticus, Jesus picked that one as the 2nd greatest.

The really interesting thing is Jesus quotes the part of the law that relates to man, not God, in other words Commandments 5-10.

Remember it says that the LORD wrote the commandments on two tablets of stone. According to traditional teachings of Judaism in the Talmud, they were made of blue sapphire stone as a symbolic reminder of the sky, the heavens, and ultimately of God's throne.

Actually the LORD had to write them twice in stone because Moses had an anger problem and broke the first set when he went down the mountain to meet the people and saw what they were up to.

Today Moses would be sent to anger management or Yoga class to calm his emotions down.

But the Lord didn’t get upset with Moses over it. There is nothing wrong with righteous anger. It wouldn’t hurt for a few more fire and brimstone preachers in our world today, we are too nice.

Nevertheless, losing our rag and breaking things is costly. You’ll have to fix that hole in the wall when you’ve calmed down.

But

The Lord is compassionate and merciful; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love.

Psalm 103:8

The Lord said to Moses, “Cut out two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you smashed.

Exodus 34:1

The Lord made another set of tablets showing Moses how patient he is and how we have to persevere in preaching the Gospel message to others.

My guess is commandments 1-4 which relate to God were on the first tablet and 5-10 relating to man were on the second.

Now going back to our earlier story about the man who came to Jesus. If Commandments 1-4 relate to God, why didn’t Jesus remind the man of those do you think ?

Jesus didn’t quote those ones but he did ask the man to sell everything, give it to the poor and to come follow him. If the man had done that he would have fulfilled the 10 completely because he would’ve have loved the LORD with all his heart, soul strength and mind but he couldn’t do it. He loved money more than he loved the LORD, in other words more than he loved Jesus.

I have noticed that the main religions always only teach part of the law, not the whole law. They especially apply the laws relating to man, and diminish the ones related to God. Buddha didn’t teach us to love the Lord with all our heart, soul strength and mind. Mohammed taught us to fearfully obey but not love the Lord and kill the infidel. The Hindus taught us to embrace idols not forsake them. Only the Jews and the Seventh Day Adventist’s keep the Sabbath. Most people think they are a good person because they haven’t murdered someone, or committed adultery or stolen anything. They don’t see the need to love the LORD more than anything else just like the lawyer. 

We need to put that right first before any of the other things. That’s why we need grace because no one can do that. No one loves the LORD without an encounter with Jesus, the only one who is good. Once you meet Jesus, you’ll love the LORD ! Have you met him yet ?

And if you love the LORD, it’s going to change your world which is the base of what James was saying.

You will start to be like him

The Lord spoke to Moses: “Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, ‘You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Leviticus 19:1-2

You will see others differently

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female —for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:26-29

For Christians, social justice goes without saying. We shouldn’t have a problem with Black Lives Matter or Me Too or Equal Rights. Anyone who says the Bible teaches slavery does not understand the heart of the law - to love your neighbour as yourself.

But loving your neighbour doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to sin. The Church has the right to speak against sin, in fact the LORD commands us to and we are both loving our neighbour and looking after ourselves in doing so !

You must not go about as a slanderer among your people. You must not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake. I am the Lord. You must not hate your brother in your heart. You must surely reprove your fellow citizen so that you do not incur sin on account of him.

Leviticus 19:16-17

Of course we need to get the log out of our own eyes first. Judgement begins in the house of the LORD. But speaking out against sin is done in love 

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.

Galatians 6:1

What I’m about to say, I hope you can hear me. A friend once taught me about faith. He said what we truly believe is reflected by how we live. This is what James means when he says faith without works is dead. If we love our neighbour as ourselves, we will be concerned if they are in a poor state. And we will do what we are able to help them. Sometimes that is simply taking the time to pray for them, to counsel. But often that means action, even sacrifice. 

There is that very famous passage of scripture about Abraham’s faith.

The Lord took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars—if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.” Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord credited it as righteousness to him.

Genesis 15:5-6

That’s a relief isn’t it ! Paul showed us that we cannot be saved without faith, that is a foundation. We cannot work our way to heaven, we are all sinners, we cannot pay our debts.

Notice the word « credited » though. We have been credited with Christ’s righteousness which is sufficient to pay all our sins past, present and future, Amen.

But we know how credit works don’t we ! To use a modern analogy, suppose you go to the shop and you buy a big TV interest free. You sign the forms agreeing to pay the TV off over 36 months. You take the TV and you benefit from watching the movies and sport on the big screen. What will happen if you never pay a cent ?

What James is saying is that the faith Abraham had in believing God that he would have as many children as stars in the sky is the credit on his account but the payment was putting Isaac on the altar. If he hadn’t done that, would God still have been able to fulfil his promise to Abraham ?

Our faith is always tested to see if it’s real.

In worldly terms, the credit, the account must be paid to keep the goods. This is what James is saying. Faith without works is dead. 

But our accounts with the LORD are so much bigger aren’t they ? A TV I can afford but a lifetime of things I’ve done or said or thought that are wrong is a huge account that I can never pay. To illustrate our situation, Jesus said;

“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. As he began settling his accounts, a man who owed 10,000 talents was brought to him. 

(A talent was equivalent to a 6000 denarii and one denarius equal to a days wages, therefore...

10000 x 6000 days wages =

60,000,000 days wages

1 Year = 46 weeks of work x 5 days = 224 days.

Therefore his debt was 267,857 years of work !)

Because he was not able to repay it, the lord ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. Then the slave threw himself to the ground before him, saying, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’ The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt. After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ 

Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ 

But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place. Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Matthew 18:23-35

God doesn’t need your money to settle your account, there is no money in heaven. Jesus doesn’t need your money, he told the lawyer to sell everything he had and give it to the poor.  Heaven has a different currency.

What does the Lord really want ?

“How can we make up to you for what we’ve done?” you ask. “Shall we bow before the Lord with offerings of yearling calves?” Oh no! For if you offered him thousands of rams and ten thousands of rivers of olive oil—would that please him? Would he be satisfied? If you sacrificed your oldest child, would that make him glad? Then would he forgive your sins? Of course not! No, he has told you what he wants, and this is all it is: to be fair, just, merciful, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8

If that is how your life shows up in the light, then some higher laws take over 

For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment.

James 2:13

Mercy triumphs over judgment is a higher law and love is a higher law also

Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8

But how much fairness, justice, mercy, humility and Love. About 10,000 talents worth I’d say.

Work

Spot the difference...

Fishers of Men

Water to mine

Stones to bread

Law and Grace 

Love and Marriage / Horse and Carriage

Usually a person should keep on with the work he was doing when God called him. 

Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but of course, if you get a chance to be free, take it. If the Lord calls you, and you are a slave, remember that Christ has set you free from the awful power of sin; and if he has called you and you are free, remember that you are now a slave of Christ. You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him—be free now from all these earthly prides and fears. So, dear brothers, whatever situation a person is in when he becomes a Christian, let him stay there, for now the Lord is there to help him.

1 Corinthians 7:20-24

Calling of Matthew

As Jesus was going on down the road, he saw a tax collector, Matthew, sitting at a tax collection booth. “Come and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him, and Matthew jumped up and went along with him. Later, as Jesus and his disciples were eating dinner at Matthew’s house, there were many notorious swindlers there as guests! The Pharisees were indignant. “Why does your teacher associate with men like that?” “Because people who are well don’t need a doctor! It’s the sick people who do!” was Jesus’ reply. Then he added, “Now go away and learn the meaning of this verse of Scripture, ‘It isn’t your sacrifices and your gifts I want—I want you to be merciful.’ For I have come to urge sinners, not the self-righteous, back to God.”

Matthew 9:9-13

Jesus invited Matthew, the man of finance, the tax collector to be his disciple, his friend. Matthew was despised and no doubt a lonely man. Of all the likely candidates to be the group’s treasurer, it was Matthew. But the job was given to Judas. The Lord is gracious and kind, he didn’t make Matthew the treasurer. But would things have turned out better if Matthew had taken the job. He may have had doubts because of his past but Jesus had forgiven him. Paul’s point is correct - Usually a person should keep on with the work he was doing when God called him.

God had given each one of us gifts and talents to do certain 

things well. But in our jobs, sometimes we can get burdened with problems, stressed, worn out. Sometimes our bosses ask us to do something we don’t feel comfortable with. We don’t enjoy our work. So the chef doesn’t want to cook at home even though he is the best qualified. But someone else has to step up and that person may not necessarily be that great at it. The Lord loves them for being willing but he must get frustrated when he sees the one who he has gifted refusing!

However, neither does the Lord want us stressed to the maximum doing something that we are not gifted for. I had a friend in Youth Group who told us that God wanted him to be a rock star. Needless to say, it didn’t eventuate. Nothing wrong with our hopes and dreams but it has to be connected to reality.

The calling of Peter and Andrew, James and John

One day as Jesus was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew fishing with nets, for they were commercial fishermen. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me! And I will make you fishermen for the souls of men!” At once they left their nets and went along with him. A little farther up the beach, he saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat mending their nets. He called them too, and immediately they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went with him.

Mark 1:16-20

Here there was a connection. These men knew how to catch fish. Now they were to catch men. 

God has called you to be a missionary? Then take your gifts and talents with you and build your mission around that. When we were young our family used to go for our holidays to stay at a bach belong to a doctor and his family. He and his wife were overseas working doctors in Haiti where God had called them. But they kept their bach in New Zealand and generously allowed anyone to go and stay there free of charge. I used to love looking at the visitors book, it was such a great place to go for a holiday. So in fact the whole church benefitted from their mission work. Those in Haiti and those left behind in New Zealand. The connection was maintained.

Of course I am not saying to stay in a job if it is bad for you, if there is a more suitable alternative. If your health is suffering - physical or mental - and it lasts longer than a holiday can fix, then it may be time to change.

But there is purpose in persevering through suffering because it will build your character. Daniel had to persevere as administrator of Babylon when he was doing a great job, he was exactly where he was meant to be already.

Betrayal

The subject of John 18 is betrayal. Can you see yourself in the story ?

1. Judas was intent to hand Jesus over to the authorities, it is not clear why. Did he want to provoke a revolution ? Maybe he thought Jesus would use his power to overcome the Romans. Maybe he thought Peter and the other disciples would rise up and fight, Peter and the others had stated they were ready to die for him. Was Judas angry at Jesus for exposing his sin of being a thief when Mary had poured the jar of perfume over Jesus ? Was he so consumed with having money that he just wanted the 30 pieces of silver ? Certainly the love of money is the root of all evil. But the love of fame, of power, of influence in this world are also great temptations that lead to evil. These are the very things Satan tempted Jesus with in the desert and he offers them to us as well. As John said, do not love the world or anything in it (1 John 2:15)

2. Fight or flight ? When the enemy attacks and fear rises up inside us, will we run or stand. So often, we will run in an attempt to preserve our own life. The disciples all ran away and thus betrayed Jesus. I’m sure we can all remember times when we haven’t stood up and been counted to those we love, when we’ve backed down and run away. Jesus is faithful even if we are not. He protected them from harm even in that moment - he told the soldiers to let them go. It fulfilled prophecy. 

3. Jesus was first taken to Annas the father in law of Caiaphas the high priest. This indicates some sort of religious dynasty and who was really behind Jesus’s arrest that in the first instance they went to the father in law not the actual high priest. Caiaphas was probably in on the plot but he may not have been. At the same time, it could have been Caiaphas using Annas to rubber stamp the arrest. Have you ever felt like you’re a pawn pushing someone else’s agenda, betraying who you really are or want to be ? 

4. John was known to Caiaphas and got in the front door. He went in to support Jesus but honestly he had no impact on the proceedings. Despite our best intentions, we can fail to identify with Jesus when the chips are down. He didn’t outright deny Jesus like Peter did but nevertheless he didn’t speak up when he knew he could of. John would have had some regrets in that moment. It was a passive betrayal.

5. Peter lied, he actually denied knowing Jesus. Interestingly, John came to the gate and told the servant girl to let Peter in. When he walked in, Peter would have known it was important not to let on who he was otherwise he could be thrown out. He was already in the wrong head space the moment he was let in to a place he was not meant to be. Often we set ourselves up to betray. We are better off to avoid the place of temptation in the first place.

6. Pilate ignorantly betrayed Jesus, he claimed not to even know what truth was. He lied to himself, his wife had warned him that Jesus was a good man. Pilate condemned an innocent man to death, an unbelievable act of cowardice. We can never say we didn’t know. 

He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.

John 19:39

Did you know that aloe is used to relieve sunburn and heal wounds and that myrrh is used as an antiseptic in mouthwashes, gargles, and toothpastes. It is also used in some liniments and healing salves that may be applied to abrasions and other minor skin ailments. The Father used their offering to heal Jesus wounds in the tomb ! 

Promised Land

I prepared this as the last part of a 6 part series on Exodus I was doing when my brother died and so never got around to using it so it’s a little unfinished. I realised recently that I am too busy and need to stop, let go and listen to the Lord instead of rushing around in circles, getting nowhere.

The Lord said to Moses, “Lead these people you brought from Egypt to the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I said, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ I will send an Angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It is a land ‘flowing with milk and honey’; but I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn, unruly people, and I would be tempted to destroy you along the way.” 

When the people heard these stern words, they went into mourning and stripped themselves of their jewelry and ornaments. For the Lord had told Moses to tell them, “You are an unruly, stubborn people. If I were there among you for even a moment, I would exterminate you. Remove your jewelry and ornaments until I decide what to do with you.” So, after that, they wore no jewelry.

Exodus 33:1-6

God gave Moses the task to lead the people to the Promised Land but he wouldn’t travel amongst them because of their disobedience..

Israel went into mourning. When the people heard the stern message they were sorry and they repented with tears which was proved by them not wearing their jewellery. 

It is one thing to have God’s promise of salvation. God cannot lie, we will be saved if we believe the Gospel. But if we make disobedience a pattern of our lives, constantly falling into sin then we can lose God’s presence and that’s an awful way to journey through life going around in circles in the desert. 

However, what is worse than travelling around in circles is if we do not repent even once, we are sealing a worse fate. Because, nothing changed, we remained as an unbeliever, our life ended in ruins, and there could be no redemption. 

Please understand I am talking about the person with an unrepentant heart. They don’t battle against sin, they think that the Grace of God is like an insurance plan, a licence to do what they like with a guaranteed payout at the end.

As J John the UK evangelist says, some people think they can make an 11th hour confession to the priest and repent on their deathbed so they continue to live a life of sin. They finally realise their terrible error when they die at 10.30pm. They are already a finished work by the time the priest turns up. What I mean is, imagine your life as a tree which is to become a carving. Early on, the Artist can still change the shape of the wood but by the end the carving is formed and cannot be changed.

What will the people say when the story is over and the book is closed ? It doesn’t matter a lot what people will say. People remember good things about even the worst of people. But it only matters what God will say. 

The thief on the cross was saved at the last moment because he saw who Jesus was and repented. There was no time to put things right but there was still time to call out to Jesus to remember him. That is very different to the person who knows who Jesus is but won’t repent when they have the chance believing they can live their life and be saved later because God is gracious. 

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

Hebrews 3:7-19

I can’t see your heart today but the Lord can. Moses spoke to the Lord as his friend;

Moses talked there with the Lord and said to him, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people to the Promised Land,’ but you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You say you are my friend, and that I have found favor before you; please, if this is really so, guide me clearly along the way you want me to travel so that I will understand you and walk acceptably before you. For don’t forget that this nation is your people.” And the Lord replied, “I myself will go with you and give you success.”

Exodus 33:12-14

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled it. Moses was not able to enter because the cloud was standing there, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Whenever the cloud lifted and moved, the people of Israel journeyed onward, following it. But if the cloud stayed, they stayed until it moved. The cloud rested upon the Tabernacle during the daytime, and at night there was fire in the cloud so that all the people of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.

Exodus 40:34-38

So the Lord was with Moses but not amongst the people. Many people today look to the Pope or their Minister. Because that man is considered holy, they follow him without really experiencing God for themselves. They think you can only find God in Church. They don’t realise they can have a personal relationship with him just like Moses had.

Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. The Law will not get you there. Only the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the promise of God which cannot be changed. He is faithful, we are not.

Then Jesus shouted out again, dismissed his spirit, and died. And look! The curtain secluding the Holiest Place in the Temple was split apart from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and rocks broke, and tombs opened, and many godly men and women who had died came back to life again. After Jesus’ resurrection, they left the cemetery and went into Jerusalem, and appeared to many people there.

Matthew 27:50-53

Jesus death on the Cross made possible for us to have the kind of relationship that Moses had and also guaranteed our resurrection from the dead. That eternal life begins the moment you become a Christian. The curtain separating you from the Lord is torn away and you can go to Him. Before I was a Christian, death seemed like a wall of blackness. I couldn’t see anything but black beyond the wall. But now death is only a door to walk through to that place where Jesus is and where those who have gone to him before are now.

We are not in the Promised Land yet, we do live with that tension, but we have a glorious hope as Paul described;

But I am telling you this strange and wonderful secret: we shall not all die, but we shall all be given new bodies! It will all happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For there will be a trumpet blast from the sky, and all the Christians who have died will suddenly become alive, with new bodies that will never, never die; and then we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too. For our earthly bodies, the ones we have now that can die, must be transformed into heavenly bodies that cannot perish but will live forever. When this happens, then at last this Scripture will come true—“Death is swallowed up in victory.” O death, where then your victory? Where then your sting? For sin—the sting that causes death—will all be gone; and the law, which reveals our sins, will no longer be our judge. How we thank God for all of this! It is he who makes us victorious through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, my dear brothers, since future victory is sure, be strong and steady, always abounding in the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted as it would be if there were no resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Lord, today I want to put aside all these things I have to do, and all these things that are just a distraction and meet with you as Moses did - face to face. Thank you for these quiet moments, let me rest and listen to your voice !

The Global Government Election

The subject of today’s message is global government. In NZ we have an election in 2 months so we all have some decisions to make about who we’d like to run our country for the next 3 years. Later in November is the US election. How we vote perhaps more than ever before will determine our future world because not for a long time has there been such division in society of which is the right way to go. 

I was a bit worried to speak today. I spent the lockdown watching and reading a lot of media about end times and associated conspiracy theories. Many theories clearly do contain a lot of truth. Others, look way out there. But when you hear current and former world leaders like Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Scott Morrison saying that the only solution to fighting Covid-19 and for freedom is global government, you realise we are standing at the edge. There are open plans for global government, I don’t believe that people of influence necessarily know what they are doing though. We know we are not wrestling flesh and blood but dark principalities and powers.

I never could understand how the apocalyptic prophecies of Jesus and Paul could be true at the same time. How could the world be suffering disaster after disaster, be a chaotic mess and people be so deluded to be saying « peace and safety » as Paul prophesied ?

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

However this has now come true. If people are serious to think that having a vaccine and a microchip will keep the peace and make everyone safe they are indeed deluded.

Even though many of the events of our time indicate Jesus will be returning soon, nevertheless all of these things left me a little gloomy, which is why I wasn’t sure to speak today.

Jesus said to look up, watch and pray as the day of his return is getting  closer even at the doors. God’s government, the Kingdom of God has already started and is coming in great glory which is our great hope !

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more. And I saw the holy city—the new Jerusalem—descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”

Revelation 21:1-4

If you are troubled by what is going on in our world I want you to listen to this beautiful psalm. It is amazing to think that this is written hundreds of years before Jesus was even born. 

What fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that men should try to outwit God! For a summit conference of the nations has been called to plot against the Lord and his Messiah, Christ the King. “Come, let us break his chains,” they say, “and free ourselves from all this slavery to God.” But God in heaven merely laughs! He is amused by all their puny plans. And then in fierce fury he rebukes them and fills them with fear. For the Lord declares, “This is the King of my choice, and I have enthroned him in Jerusalem, my holy city.” 

His chosen one replies, “I will reveal the everlasting purposes of God, for the Lord has said to me, ‘You are my Son. This is your Coronation Day. Today I am giving you your glory.’” “Only ask and I will give you all the nations of the world. Rule them with an iron rod; smash them like clay pots!” O kings and rulers of the earth, listen while there is time. Serve the Lord with reverent fear; rejoice with trembling. Fall down before his Son and kiss his feet before his anger is roused and you perish. I am warning you—his wrath will soon begin. But oh, the joys of those who put their trust in him!

Psalm 2

That is such good news we can only marvel in wonder at the future. And yet it can be hard to believe that all will be well and God is in control when we are facing all kinds of difficulties and trials down here. We don’t escape the troubles of life just because we are Christians, in fact it can be even worse to be one of God’s people, as it is for Christians in China, or was for the Jews in Nazi Germany. 

If you remember the hit Boney M song from the 70’s, the lament

By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. We hung our harps Upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a foreign land?

Psalm 137:1-4

It is thought to have been written by Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, who is also thought to have written the book of Lamentations.

It was written during the 70 years of captivity in Babylon when everyone was gloomy throughout their lifetimes. We have been living in a pandemic crisis for just a few months and already we’re going crazy. Will life return to normal or will we remain in a form of captivity for a very long time ? We don’t know. 

How can we sing a song as captives in this strange land we are in ? How can we grow like trees by the Rivers of Babylon ? We are to wait on the Lord, maintain hope and remind ourselves of his goodness and faithfulness.

One of the great hymns is based on the Lamentations.

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord  is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

Lamentations 3:22-24

While we live through this great trial, we can remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness and that he will bring an end to all the governments of the world to replace with his son Jesus.

That’s all good and a comfort but we cannot isolate ourselves from the reality we are facing. It will be tough.

First of all we have to acknowledge the situation we are in. We can’t deny it is bad and we have to admit we can’t fix it. The right thing is to turn to the Lord. I think it’s fair to say that these last few years have seen one disaster after another not just in the world but in NZ. We have tried to fix each one but every time another one comes. We have done everything as a Nation but repent. 

When our government passed laws in opposition to God’s ways, people said « see the sky has not fallen in ». Are we ready to reconsider our position ? We are like the Pharaoh of old who feigned repentance for a while until God relented each one of the plagues. 

But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Revelation 9:20-21

Repentance is a missing word from much of Church messaging today. We have been presenting only the nice bits. The kindness but not the severity of our God. It’s because the Church is comfortable and our message is primarily pitched at believers. We are preaching to the converted. But the message to non-believers is different. They need to hear to escape the coming wrath of the Lord. But they won’t get that if we only tell them the blessings of being a Christian. It will sound like they can have their own life + Jesus. 

Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or to respond to any discipline.’

Jeremiah 17:23

For the Lord disciplines those he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

Proverbs 3:12

One week during the lockdown, in the midst of gloominess, I read Ephesians and I got a perspective on God’s government. As I read I remembered verses from Genesis and Colossians and how in the beginning God created an order of government starting from himself, he created order on every day

In Genesis 1

⁃ the sun to govern the day and the moon to govern the night

⁃ plants producing seed

⁃ man and woman to govern over nature

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.” God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:26-27

in Genesis 2, a second account is given in more detail about mankind specifically. it was pointed out to me that on every occasion it is the LORD God who acts, for example...

The LORD God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7

The LORD God planted an orchard in the east, in Eden; and there he placed the man he had formed.

Genesis 2:8

The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food. (Now the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of the orchard.)

Genesis 2:9

Etc

So the LORD God is above all the maker of everything but he places order in the creation so there is government at every level and peace. 

But then in Genesis 3 it opens with

Now the serpent was shrewder than any of the wild animals that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Is it really true that God said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?”

Genesis 3:1

See that ? The first time the serpent speaks he drops LORD off God’s name, and just calls him God.

Satan is a usurper. He himself wants to rule.

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground—mighty though you were against the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, “I will ascend to heaven and rule the angels. I will take the highest throne. I will preside on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.” But instead, you will be brought down to the pit of hell, down to its lowest depths.

Isaiah 14:12-15

Satan tempted Eve who with Adam had been given joint governance over the World to reject the LORD God, to make herself like God

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:2-5

Satan was tempting Eve to join him in his rebellion, his plan to ascend into the most High, to govern and rule.

That is the tragedy of Mankind. We chose the government of the Serpent over the government of The LORD God.

That is what brought The LORD God’s judgement, banishing us from his Kingdom (The Garden of Eden) into the World as we know it (The Kingdom of Satan who was also banished). We are all born under Satan’s government and there is only one escape, one way back and that is Jesus, which the mystery of the Gospel reveals is the LORD God himself which Colossians says;

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Colossians 1:15-20

This is the real election, the only one that matters. You need to decide who is telling the truth and can deliver on his promises. Which Ruler gets your vote for Global Government;

• Satan the incumbent ruler of the World you were born into because of Adam and Eve. He says «  Do as thou wilt » His one is easy, familiar and pleasant and he offers everything now.
• Jesus, the King of Heaven. He says « I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through me » His way is the narrow and difficult path, the future hope.

I reject the global government on offer at the moment because I see what it really means. It is man saying we can solve everything, we can find the answers apart from God. It keeps us in Satan’s Kingdom.

But there is a Global Government coming under the LORD Jesus Christ and that gets my vote. Tick that box !

The Great Divide

Not long before Jesus died he spoke a lot about his coming again and the dividing off of people one from another. The wise and foolish virgins. The 3 men given different amount talents to invest - 10/5/1. The sheep and the goats. 

In Matthew 24:40-42

Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left. There will be two women grinding grain with a mill; one will be taken and one left. “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

We can see division everywhere in our World today. Basically it comes down to this. Choose man’s solution for peace or choose Jesus. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Nations, Families, People are divided one from the other. But what is very troubling is the same division amongst Christians. Why is this ? Paul said;

I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:1-6

It is a red flag for a Christian to divide off and agree with the World rather than their brothers and sisters in Christ and especially rather than what the Bible says.

Don’t be like the World in how you treat Christ, treat everything about him like jewels.

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:32-43

Just like the first criminal, a lot of people just follow the crowd, the popular opinion, which mocked and belittled Jesus - they didn’t recognise the Son of God.

But the second man, also a criminal, sees something pure, far above himself that he wants and he humbly honours Jesus, he wants a relationship with the Son of God.

Choose wisely, you choose life when you choose Jesus.

Communion is a way to show we choose Jesus. This bread and wine just look ordinary but they represent everything that Jesus did for you and they are an invitation. Come with a heart of gratitude, he is the King not just of the Jews but of the whole world.

Hymn for the Last Night

I have spent the last 2 months watching and reading a lot of media about end times and associated conspiracy theories. Many theories clearly do contain a lot of truth *. Others, look way out there. There is an evil plan for this world, I don’t believe that people of influence necessarily know what they are doing though. We know we are not wrestling flesh and blood but dark principalities and powers.

But we don’t have to be troubled by all of this because we also know Jesus is on the throne.

Psalm 2:1-6 says 

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” 

There are certain things God puts in place at the beginning. Like the sun coming up every day and the moon at night, the seasons and the festivals, Communion is one of those things. And it is good we can rely on our God in this unstable time we are living in.

And while I was reading and thinking about sad laments and songs I remembered a verse from the Last Supper right after Jesus shared the bread and wine it says

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

Matthew 26:30

We’ve missed that part of Communion of singing together in church these last few weeks haven’t we ? We as a family have been humming along to the songs for online church but not singing out loud from the heart like we do in church together. No one has suddenly jumped up, burst into song, and led the family in karaoke. It’s just not the same. There is nothing like worshiping the Lord together. And thanks to the good old NZ Police, that is going to be very soon.

I wondered what hymn did they sing after that first communion ? At PCC we fairly regularly sing « The Old Rugged Cross » and «  Amazing Grace » but not too many others very often. These days we don’t learn many hymns, have we forgotten a part of our heritage ?

So what would you guess that hymn they sung at that Last Supper was ?

Well, there was a tradition at Passover to sing Psalms 113-118. Psalm 113-114 during the meal and Psalm 115-118 after. 

So I went and read them and you know what, they are a real medley of songs we already know. They help to remind us that in a time of crisis like we are in, like on the night of that Last Supper, though we may face our most difficult day tomorrow or even today, we don’t need to be afraid but trust in the Lord and remember his goodness.

The last Psalm in that sequence 118 starts and finishes with a reminder of this. I’m going to read not sing it haha... You may recognise some other lines in our modern day songs or even Miriam’s song from Exodus 15;

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 

(By the way, that last verse has special meaning for me in my French Bible because it calls the last group ses nouveaux fidèles - His new faithful - or Gentile converts in the Living Bible.)

I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.

The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord. The Lord has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord, Through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord , I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord . God is the Lord, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 118 

When we’ve messed up, when everything is going wrong, we all can remind ourselves Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Yes, even on the worst of days we can sing with Jesus. He is with us here in the midst of our troubles singing with is just like on the night before he died This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

* References 

1. The Good Club  
2. Event 201 
3. ID2020  
4. Scientific American Magazine (Invisible Ink Could Reveal whether Kids Have Been Vaccinated)
5. Wuhan Military Games  
6. WHO Pandemic Exercise Dec 2018 
7. World Economic Forum  
8. Rockefeller Foundation  

Comment

It is difficult for me to understand why we need to download a tracing app when the borders are closed and the only people who have been sick in NZ are the elderly and people already in poor health and 99% recover anyway. And if a vaccine is found I can see no point at all. If they open up the border it probably makes sense but will they do that before they find a vaccine ?