The Feast of Unleavened Bread

December 13-16 (Ex. 12)
The Feast of Unleavened bread was the first holy day instituted by God for the new nation of Israel. He gave it to them as a memorial for when He killed all of the firstborn of the Egyptians (which included all the animals which belonged to the Egyptians. Obviously, the firstborn is significant because Jesus is designated the firstborn of all creation. We must understand all figurative language, even when used by God, breaks down somewhere. Mormons use this designation to suggest Jesus, like Satan, was a created being. Romans 8:29 tells us, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;” In Colossians 1:18 we read, He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. Taken together we can conclude correctly Jesus was not the firstborn in the sense that He wasn’t around until He was born in the manger. Mormon theology crumbles under the weight of simple logic if one uses all of scripture to explain the problem one encounters when he uses only those that support his distorted viewpoint. Colossians one makes it clear Paul’s reference in Romans means He was the firstborn to resurrect never to die again. In both places Paul was trying to explain His model for us as to the resurrection to eternal life. His resurrection from the dead defeated death for all time for those who choose life in Him.

God told Israel through His true prophet Moses, His act of taking all the firstborn of Egypt meant He had full and unhindered claim to all the firstborn of Israel from that day forward. The first Passover inaugurated the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12). The Passover consisted of thirteen critical rituals the Israelites were commanded to observe: 1: the Passover represented God’s authority to determine the plan for the redemption of man; 2. they were told they must consume all of the Passover lamb in one night. 3. They were told this holy day would be the beginning of months for them and were commanded to observe it every year on the fourteenth day of the month of Abib (13:4); 4. they were commanded to slay an unblemished lamb on the first day, sprinkle some of the blood on the mantel of the doorpost of their homes (12:7); 5. they were commanded to eat all of the Passover lamb in one night (12:8-10); 6. they were told this was to be a permanent ordinance (12:14); 7. they were commanded to remove all leaven from their homes for the entire week of the unleavened bread holy days (12:19); 8. they were commanded to remain in their homes from dusk to dawn (12:22); 9. they were told to eat unleavened bread for the entire seven days (12:15); 10. they were commanded to do no work on the first and the seventh day of these holy days (12:16); 11. they were told everyone, native and alien in their land who ate leavened bread during these holy days was to be cut off (banished) from the land (12:20); 12. they were told to use a bunch of Hyssop, dipped in the blood of the Passover lamb, to apply the blood to the doorposts of their homes (12:22). 13. And finally, they were told not a bone of the Passover lamb was to be broken.

It’s important for us to understand all biblical holy days were inaugurated by God to help us focus on particular aspects of His character, unlike things like the 4th of July, which we celebrate in the United States. Of course the Fourth is an important day for us because it represents something significant from our past, but holidays like that one should not be confused with, nor should they ever hold as dear a place in our hearts as God’s holy days. Personally, as already indicated, I think Christians would be well served to make it a point to observe all biblical holy days, if for no other reason than to understand the aspects of God’s character they reveal. With that in mind, let’s begin with suggesting the aspects of His character revealed in the holy days of the Passover.

First, the Passover lamb represented God’s authority to redeem man from his sin any way He wanted to do it. Of course, God could have chosen another way. Our problem, as created beings is we often conclude it is also our choice to decide how we are to be redeemed from our sins. We, like Satan, want to be like God, determining our own fate by our own devices. Of course, the only thing true about that philosophy is that it does indeed determine our fate. If we fail to follow God’s revealed plan for salvation, we are assured a place in hell for eternity. God told Israel, those who followed His plan precisely would escape His wrath, which He was about to pour out on the Egyptians. That same requirement applies to salvation today. His word declares there is one way, only one way, that no other way will do, that no one can be saved who does not, by faith, choose to accept His one and only provision for man’s sin in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, confess Him as Lord, believe God raised Him from the dead, confess personal sin, and die daily to the elemental things of the world. (Acts 4:12; 2:38; Rom. 10:9; I Jn. 1:9; Luke 9:23). It is a narrow way and most people are on the broad path. It is narrow gate and few enter there in. Neither Buddha nor Mohammed died for anyone’s sin. Hare Krishna and Mahatmas Gandhi are both spending their time right now awaiting the White Throne Judgment (God’s judgment for those who didn’t choose the narrow gate). Mother Teresa, in spite of the wonderful deeds she did, is waiting with the great multitudes in all of history who thought they could earn their place in the kingdom of God by accumulating more good deeds in this life than bad.

God’s plan is exclusive, unchangeable, unbending, without equal, and without exception. The gospel is a narrow, intolerant message of God’s plan for the redemption of man from both the sin of Adam (inherent sin) and his own personal sin. It is universal in that it is offered to men, women, boys, and girls from every nation and of every ethnic group on planet earth. It is specific in that only those who are the elect, predestined, effectually called, regenerated, granted faith and repentance, justified, definitively sanctified, adopted, and progressively sanctified will ever be glorified. Romans 3 makes it clear only those whom God, in His infinite and inexplicable wisdom, grace, and mercy regenerates will ever choose to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. And that’s the paradox that separates many a well meaning seeker from those who get found.

Second, the requirement for the Jews to eat all of the Passover lamb in one night represented the all sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary. He expressed it on the cross when He said, “It is finished.” (Jn. 19:30) The Passover lamb symbolized the final and ultimate payment for man’s condition, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) There are several things about the lamb that tell us about the nature of God, more specifically, God the Son. Lambs are not only attached to their mothers like superglue, they are incapable of surviving more than a few moments without the comfort and milk provided by their mothers. In John 15 Jesus uses the vine to characterize the same relationship. He said the branch cannot bear fruit apart from the vine. Lambs are meek. They are completely helpless. Jesus took it upon himself (voluntarily) to be that helpless, depending entirely on the Father to care for Him and instruct Him on His every move during His first coming to planet earth as the redeemer of mankind, God’s propitiation for his sin. It is crucial we understand this, because a failure to do so results in all kinds of false doctrine. It helps us understand why He could not use His power to turn rocks into bread or jump off the temple pinnacle in Matthew’s account of His trek into the wilderness for forty days. He had to demonstrate for all time the way we can all overcome temptations from the devil. Of course, if he had used his divine powers, he would not have been all man, thus disqualifying Him, according to God’s divine plan, to be an acceptable substitute, dying in our place for our sin.

Third, the command by God that this first Passover would from that day forward be the beginning months for Israel represented the new life one is granted when God regenerates his dead soul at new birth (II Cor. 5:17; Titus 2:5). It is the affirmation of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus that one must be born again if he is to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Fourteen hundred years before Jesus told it to Nicodemus the Jews celebrated the doctrine of the new birth.

Fourth, the Passover lamb’s being slain the first day looks to the church age when believers would be celebrating the first day of every week in honor of its Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ, whose empty grave was discovered on that day. It also pictured the union of the Jewish converts to the Gentile converts who would come together as one church under the common blood of the Savior of the world. Of course, the only problem with that is that the evidence indicates Meshiach arose on the even of the 7th day. The fact that His resurrection wasn't discovered until the morning of the first day has caused a great deal of confusion and deficient teaching on the subject. While I continue to believe there is nothing inherently wrong with traditional churches meeting on the first day to congregate and study His word, Jesus and the disciples all honored Shabbat as originally instructed in the Torah. If we carefully study the ancient teachings on the first day, we discover the first day of Passover during Jesus life was a Wednesday. Thus, if Yeshua was nailed to the cross at Calvary on Wednesday, He really was in the grave for three days and three night. Go figure.

Fifth, the seven days in which the feast was to be celebrated declares the completeness and perfection of our creator. We need to grasp this element of God’s nature to understand the picture of the seven Spirits of God who are before His throne in Revelation are not literally seven in number, but represent His omnipresence in the universe He created (Rev. 1:4). God the Father is Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s function as part of the Godhead is to fill the earth with His presence (Jn. 3:8), indwell believers (Jn. 14:20), empower them for ministry (Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:17), protect them from the evil one (Jn. 17:5), lead them into truth (Jn. 16:13), and prepare the hearts of God’s chosen to hear the gospel message (Heb. 1:14).

Sixth, leaven represents sin and/or false teaching throughout scripture. Israel’s removal of it for the entire week of Passover pictured the sinless life the Lamb of God would have to live to be an acceptable sacrifice for man’s sin. While it’s a theological truth we can understand with relative ease looking back and extrapolating all the historical biblical evidence to understand that, I seriously doubt it was so clear to those who first practiced it. Paul told both the Corinthians and the Galatians a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough (5:6; 5:9). Jesus told His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:6), a reference to their false teaching (16:11). Sadly, today's churches seem to have a great deal of leaven within them. And way too much of it comes from pulpits across this land.

Seventh, the Jews were commanded to remove all leaven from their homes for the entire week of the Passover. That act helped them and us to understand a little about God’s requirement for holiness. Jesus said it this way as recorded in John 15:19, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." Paul quotes Isaiah in II Corinthians 6:17 when he tells us, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” also alluding to Revelation 18:4. Historically, one of the major problems with men attempting to manifest this holiness of God is his propensity to measure what it means against other men’s behavior. Of course, that makes it relatively easy to become puffed up and proud of our holiness, which is the exact opposite of what God wants for us. Holiness is not about refusing to drink, smoke, or chew, and likewise, refusing to run with those who do. It’s about behaving in a way that is pleasing to God.

Holiness is about having a love for God that so consumes us that we passionately want others to meet this God we love so. It is best expressed in the famous love chapter, I Corinthians 13. It is unselfish and seeks the best for those around us more than we ever seek it for ourselves. It does not seek self-exaltation, is kind and gentle, is patient, it rejoices in truth, bears all things, and believes all things. It seems one could insert holiness in the place where I Corinthians uses the word love and one would get the idea. Holiness is part of progressive sanctification. It is the goal one can never completely reach in this life, yet we are commanded to live this life continually striving for it. Paul expresses it well in Philippians 3:14 when he says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Eighth, the Jews were commanded to remain in their homes all night, from dusk till dawn. During that time God went through the land of Egypt and killed all the firstborn of all Egyptians, including their livestock. This expresses God’s ability to distinguish between the righteous and the unrighteous when He pours out His judgment. It’s crucial we understand this element of His nature because entire theological doctrines are built on a misunderstanding of it. Two positions on the rapture of the church, for example are based on a misunderstanding of this part of God’s nature. One of the most outlandish but most declared reasons the pre and mid tribulation rapture theorist give for their position is that God has to remove us from this planet so we don’t experience His wrath. Of course, the first problem with that conclusion is a failure to understand the seal and trumpet judgments are overwhelmingly man’s fighting man for global position and authority. Very small time periods of those two judgments are supernatural interventions. That said, it is still clear God will supernaturally protect both Christians and Jews during the tribulation and this part of the Passover symbolizes that truth (see Revelation 7:3-8; cf. 12:13-17).

Ninth, the seven days they were to eat unleavened bread symbolizes for us the fact that during the entire seven days, seven years of the tribulation, those for whom the Passover lamb was sacrificed at Calvary will be on planet earth. It is one of the strongest proofs the church will remain on planet earth during the tribulation. The eighth and ninth elements of the Passover are inseparable in their application and understanding of this part of God’s nature. Passing over the homes with the blood sprinkled on their doorpost, makes it abundantly clear He will likewise pass over his church when He sees the Holy Spirit within them during the outpouring of His wrath during the tribulation. By itself, one might conclude we are stretching the possible meaning. When one also considers Noah and the flood, Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah, the picture begins taking on more meaning. Over and again, throughout history, God has made a distinction between His chosen people and the rest of the world. He has divinely shielded them from the outpouring of His wrath. They, on the other hand, have always endured persecution at the hands of the enemies of God. The devil and his band of miscreants have been harassing believers since the beginning of creation. It began in the Garden of Eden and continues today. The thought that God would remove them during the final seven years when the anti-Christ is seeking, more than any other time in the history of the world, to destroy them is pure and utter foolishness.

The tenth command to Israel regarding the Passover is incredibly rich with meaning. Together they represent the unification of the New Testament Church with the nation of Israel. Israel is the nation who is in a covenant relationship with God regarding the seventh day of rest. The church is in a covenant relationship with God regarding the first day of the week (the day of the discovery of Christ’s resurrection). Today, churches have chosen to celebrate its covenant relationship with Jesus by honoring, what they incorrectly believe was His resurrection day by meeting together on that day. This command to Israel pictured a time when the Gentiles would unite with Jews as the chosen and effectually called children of God 1400 years before it existed.

The eleventh element of the Passover celebration had to do with aliens in the land. That command pictures those in the church today who are not born-again. Two key instructions are appropriate for us to understand regarding aliens. First is that Israel was instructed to administer the same justice and use the same measurements for aliens in their land as they did for natives. Two things are important for us to understand about that first admonition: 1. these were not illegal aliens; 2. aliens were expected to obey all the same laws the native Israelis had to obey. Illegal aliens in the United States today, contrary to what some would be bible scholars would have us believe, are in no way a similar group of people. Second, this command pictures for us today those who are in the church who are not part of the church. For example, we have great multitudes in hundreds of churches (maybe thousands), who continue to live lifestyles that are unacceptable to God. It is not seemly to throw them out of the church, but it is just as unseemly to let them remain in the church without advising them their lifestyle is unacceptable if they wish to continue in the church (Matt. 18:15-18).

The final part of the eleventh element must not be missed, however. If the alien in the church refuses to respond to scriptural admonitions, he must, once the first three phases of Matthew 18 have failed, the offender be cut off from the people of God. It is crucial that person be turned over to the devil for the destruction of the flesh, that perhaps his soul might be preserved (I Cor. 5:5).

It is important the world not conclude a local resident whom everyone knows is a homosexual, for example, is a card carrying member of a particular local church. It’s a very difficult area of church discipline to administer without being thought callous, but it is an area the leadership of the church has the responsibility to teach and administer. That’s why the admonition in Matthew has four parts to it. It is meant to take a while to administer so the offending party has time to repent and be reconciled. It is biblical, as long as the alien in the church is not living a life of wanton pleasure, making a mockery of biblical standards he be allowed to remain in the church on the chance he will be convicted of his sin and repent and become part of God’s flock. Such people need to be watched carefully, lest they be experts at making it look like they are living moral lives, when in fact, they are seeking to grasp one or several of God’s sheep from the fold.

Another thing the Exodus depicted for us is the fact that there was a mixed multitude that went with Moses as Israel left Egypt. While this is not, strictly speaking, part of the feast of Unleavened Bread, it is in a real sense, directly connected. There’s only one verse that mentions it, so it’s easy to miss the point. It seems clear there were Egyptians who wanted, for one reason or another, to exit with the Israelis. There are any number of reasons they might have wanted to beat feet out of Egypt. Some may have been fugitives from justice. Certainly, some may have been truly desirous of being part of God’s people. It’s clear some were nothing more than rabble (Ex. 12:38; Num. 11:4), leeches who were seeking the easy life, escaping from the oppressive atmosphere the Pharaoh had established. In like manner, there are great multitudes who join with the church for reasons other than to worship and adore its Chief Shepherd. Some join it because they disdain the filth of the world, but do not necessarily disdain their own sin. Some join the church to establish good business contacts. Yes, it is true. Some people actually join the church because it puts them into contact with people who are often so naïve they trust anyone who is part of their local church. If they need work done that one of their members can do, they almost always choose to hire it done by that church member. The exodus warns us there are mixed multitudes in the church, not all of whom can be trusted with anything more valuable than a donut.

The twelfth command regarding the celebration of the Passover had to do with a small aromatic herb called hyssop. As already mentioned, even the hyssop dipped in the blood (Ex. 12:22) demonstrates God’s foreknowledge, His omniscience, by foreshadowing the event yet to come nearly 1400 years later at the cross when they dipped the hyssop into the sour wine and gave it to Jesus (John 19:29). That kind of meticulous attention to detail is not possible in the realm of human achievement. It demands we take note of the mighty God of Creation, fall on our knees before Him and cry out “Abba Father!”

In closing this chapter, I would like to address one more thought appropriate at this juncture. Those Jews who understand the majesty of the God they worship, are so careful to reverence Him they don’t even pronounce His name. They never spell His name out entirely in their literature. When they pray, they prostrate themselves, fall on their faces and listen for a significant period of time before they even dare speak. Though mosty have failed to accept Him as Messiah, they have a much more reverent and appropriate (in my humble opinion) understanding of the God of creation than most contemporary Gentile believers. It troubles me when I attend a local church today and the pastor asks everyone to stand for prayer. I suggest it would be much more appropriate to kneel and bow our heads in humility or even prostrate ourselves as do the pagan Muslims. It’s really troubling to me that Muslims pay greater homage to their false god than Christians do to the One true God. It seems to me standing and praying is a rather arrogant physical position to take while addressing the God of creation. I humbly suggest we might need to re-evaluate our attitudes. The story about the publican and the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 is problematic. The Pharisee was proud of his holiness, but the publican was so disgusted with his sinful state, he didn’t even dare look up. Verse 14 tells it all. The publican went away justified. The clear implication is the self-righteous Pharisee didn’t.

The thirteenth element of the Passover was a prophetic image. Anyone unimpressed with this truth need not apply for membership at any local church. More than fourteen hundred years before Jesus was crucified, God revealed an ever so small element of that crucifixion in intimate detail. The soldiers who attended the two criminals and the one supposed criminal (Jesus) had no clue they were fulfilling two ancient prophecies when they broke the legs of the two real criminals, but didn’t break Jesus’ legs. Then, as if that weren’t enough, one actually pierced His side with a spear fulfilling the second prophecy found in Zechariah 12:10.

This specific command of God that Israel observe regarding to the Passover lamb was probably a mystery to them, but we discover in at least two places God continuing to point out to His prophets that the Messiah of Israel, the Lamb of God who was to come into the world would not have any of His bones broken, though, as already indicated, both of the criminals who were crucified with Him had their legs broken (Zechariah 12:10; cf. Jn. 19:36,37 and Ps. 34:20);

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken.

Finally, and certainly one of the most significant things about this holy day is the fact that it represents God’s care for His chosen in the very midst of the outpouring of His wrath on unbelievers. Pharaoh was the quintessential representative of those of this world. His words, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice and let Israel go?”(Ex. 5:2) demonstrate the ignorance of the masses who are similarly saying to themselves, “Who is God that I should have to obey Him?” The time is soon coming when, like the Egyptians, those who have ignored God’s warnings will experience His devastating judgments on this planet (Rev. 6-11 and 16). Many will flee into caves and cry out to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Rev. 6:16, 17)

The Passover and Feast of unleavened Bread is a beautiful image, full of rich insights about the nature of God. So much is missed when we skim over the hundreds of bible references to it without carefully and specifically seeking to understand this first of the holy days instituted by God on His chosen people (which includes Gentile converts to Christ). In Exodus 12: 14, 17 and Leviticus 6:18, 22 Moses is told the Passover is supposed to be a permanent ordinance throughout their generations. Four times God told Israel through His intermediary Moses this was to be a permanent ordinance. It seems clear, even today, post Calvary centuries later, the Jews are supposed to be celebrating the Passover. Of course, orthodox Jews do celebrate a kind of Passover, but none I’m aware of are still practicing it as prescribe in scripture. The point is that God has instituted each and every one of these feasts for a purpose. Among the many reasons stands the simple yet sublime truth that celebrating them helps His all of us to yearly review the incredible and varied characteristics of our Creator God which are symbolized by them.

Every time Satan tries to convince me this whole “Jesus trip” is a myth, I remember the hundreds of detailed prophecies, that, unlike the ridiculous meaningless rantings of people like Nostradamus, are so detailed and specifically addressed to events hundreds of years into the future, that I just bow in worship to Jesus and tell the devil to be gone.

I'll close this chapter with a final observation, also mentioned earlier. I have no problem with Christians celebrating Christ-mas. I do have a significant problem with us celebrating it as do the pagans amongst whom we live. The Christmas tree with its bright lights is a pagan symbol. Santa Clauses, flying reindeer, magic trips down the chimney, wish lists, homemade cookies set out for the mysterious visitor, letters to the North Pole, toy presents to children, as well as outlandish, lavish gifts to adults only serve to perpetuate a pagan myth and make merchants wealthier in one month of the year than in the combined total of the other eleven. We have been lying to our children for centuries and it’s time we stopped. I firmly believe God is appalled at such foolishness. I think it’s time for true believers to unite under the common banner (image of the cross) and covenant not to promote such pagan foolishness any longer. It’s time we stopped trembling at the slightest threat of violence against us for proclaiming our undying love for and adherence to the commands of our Lord. It’s time to “man up” and not be ashamed of the gospel, “. . . for it is the power of God for salvation, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek,” (a Jewish reference to everyone not Jewish/Romans 1:16).

Where's Your Plane Heading?

December 12 (II Cor. 13:5)
John McArthur addressed the issue of salvation yesterday in a rather refreshing manner. He actually used the bible to prove there are great multitudes who are absolutely convinced they are going to the kingdom of God when they die who are, in actuality not. It reminded me of an analogy Todd Freil used several months ago about a lady who boarded a plane she was sure was bound for Toronto, Canada. The passenger next to her mentioned how much he was looking forward to his vacation in France. She told him he was on the wrong plane. He looked at his ticket and said, “No, this plane is going to France.” The steward overheard them and advised the lady she was on the wrong plane confirming the one she was on was going to Paris, France. Again, she told the steward he was wrong and insisted the plane she was on was going to Toronto, Canada. The steward looked at her ticket and advised her she would have to leave the plane because she had the wrong ticket. She refused just as the pilot came on the overhead speaker and said, “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen; this is your pilot speaking. We will be taxiing for take-off in approximately five minutes; please remain seated and fasten your seat belts. If all goes well, you should be having a late dinner in Paris.”

Like that lady, there are great multitudes who think they have their ticket for the kingdom of God who are on the wrong plane (road). They have believed any number of incorrect teachings on the topic of salvation, and as a result are absolutely certain, unshakably sure, they are bound for eternity in the kingdom of God, when in actuality, if they don’t respond correctly to the true gospel message, they are absolutely, certainly, unshakably, and surely bound for eternity in the kingdom of hell. This is a warning, not a treatise on salvation. I have written one and/or you can download John McArthur’s message from last week if you want to hear a presentation of the true gospel. It is literally a matter of life or death for all of us to pass the test Paul mentions in II Corinthians 13:5. Jesus tells a story on the topic in Matthew 22 about a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He invited a bunch of people who were too busy to attend. Then he sent his servants into the highways and byways to invite the common people. Finally he closed the door because the hall was full. While speaking to his guests he noticed a man there who wasn’t clothed properly (he had the wrong ticket). He had that person thrown out into the outer darkness, “in that place where there will be a weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It’s a powerful but simple analogy.

The king was God the Father; the Son was Jesus; the attendants at the wedding were the chosen of God, i.e., the church, the bride of Christ (see verse 14); and, the improperly clothed man represented the great multitudes who think they’re bound for the kingdom of God who are not. They’ve got the wrong ticket. I beseech you in the Name of Jesus to make sure of your calling. Get my book or go to John McArthur’s site at www.gty.org and listen to his two hour message. It’s a two or three part message in the full version. It is literally a matter of life and death. Your eternal destiny is determined by whether or not you have faith in the true gospel message not some cheap imitation. Tens of thousands of preachers who have been duly ordained by bible colleges and universities and liberal seminaries around the world are preaching a gospel foreign to scripture. And just about every one of them use a few verses from God’s word to convince their victims they are bound for heaven if they just receive Jesus, get baptized, buy one of their many items that guarantee holiness, and give a gift to their ministries. They make giving so easy no one in his right mind would take the chance their magic formula doesn’t work. Of course, if you are one of God’s elect, you will check the scriptures to see if they things they tell you are true. And that’s God’s word for us today.

General Comments about Feasts and Sacrifices

December 11 (Leviticus)
Just as one would expect, God began giving me ideas for this study last night while I slept. I awoke refreshed and anxious to come downstairs and begin. We are going to launch this study pointing out the different ways God uses numbers to declare something about His nature. If you’re like me, please don’t be concerned that I’m going to get really weird and try to calculate the day Jesus is going to return using those numbers. I have a dear friend who has read an apparently scholarly presentation on such gibberish who has tried unsuccessfully to convince me he can calculate accurately, within very few years the exact date of Jesus’ return (a series of obvious contradictions).


I read for years that one could calculate the precise, though not exact, age of the planet by adding the various genealogies together. I actually discovered it can be done with reasonable accuracy. I use the term reasonable accuracy for two reasons: 1. there are a few tiny time gaps I haven’t been able to fill yet using scripture; however, we can tie secular historical records, i.e., the reigns of Babylonian kings like Ahasuerus, to biblical history and get a close date from which to continue counting. One day I just decided I didn’t want to take anyone else’s word for it any longer, so I began adding up the years for myself as I read through the bible. I came up with a figure of about 6,150 years from creation to the year 2010. The Jewish calendar suggests it’s only been about 5700 years. Also, the research I did indicating slight differences are bound to occur just because the Jewish calendar and either of our Western Civilization calendars calculate time differently.

The reason this information will help us understand important things about God’s nature is that numbers, especially as they have to do with major topics like creation, Jewish holidays, and sacrifices, speak to several issues. The seven days of creation, which included six days of labor and one day of rest, represent the completeness of God. I don’t think that number is ever used in scripture without it intentionally being used to tell us something less obvious than is clearly understood by its common usage. This problem is at the very core of the deception used by those who suggest the six, twenty-four hour days of creation, could just as easily have been six eras of time. Those liberally inclined, wannabe theologians have two glaring problems: 1. they think they have to make the biblical record fit into the lying, deceiving, atheistic, evolutionists’ theories. 2. in doing so, they are denying the very essence of God, His omnipotence.

Of course, God could have taken seven periods of time instead of seven days to create the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, but He didn’t. To suggest Peter was speaking to this issue at all just demonstrates one’s complete lack of any disciplined approach to biblical hermeneutics (II Peter 3:8). I argued this issue for years with my father-in-law when I was just a budding child in the faith. He was an a-millenialist, which didn’t make him a heretic, just misguided. The clear context of Peter’s statement has nothing to do with defining the length of a day. Peter was addressing the teaching by the heretics of his day who were telling their listeners it was a waste of time to wait for Jesus to return, because He wasn’t coming back. They were the false teachers and false prophets who have infiltrated the church for nearly 2,000 years. Every gospel record, and every writer of New Testament books or letters warned us these people would infiltrate and remain in the church from time immemorial. Jesus addressed the issue first in Matthew 13:24-30.

The problem with even suggesting God didn’t actually create the heavens and earth and all its inhabitants in six twenty-four days is that it suggests God couldn’t have done that. It literally and blatantly denies His omnipotence. In doing so, it tells us much about the god these wannabe theologians worship. First, it tells us their god has to construct (create things) like man. Thus, they conclude, if it takes one hundred men using the finest technology and man-made machines, three years to construct a 100 story building, certainly no one could create the heavens and earth in six days. That’s utter foolishness on so many levels, I refuse to waste much more space on paper addressing it. I will point out the major flaw of such reasoning. It fails to understand that God does not build anything. He doesn’t go through the process of making a set of blue prints, getting permits, and seeking out the best company to do a job. God speaks things into existence. And because He’s both omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing), He does it, literally, faster than instant of time. It’s a concept almost too much for our finite brains; but God lives in eternity past, the present, and eternity future all at the same time. It’s extremely difficult to grasp the significance of a Being who is time transcendent; but the bible declares hundreds of times, He sees the beginning, the present, and the end (terms used only in a time locked universe) all at once.

Finally, lets address the use of “the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh day” in the creation account. If God would have actually created the earth in seven periods of time, He would have had Moses use that terminology rather than use a phrase that has always meant approximately a twenty-four hour period. Please don’t get excited about my use of “approximately.” There are tiny differences in the length of a day on the Jewish calendar, and should be on the Gregorian calendar. Both are dependent on extrapolating and coordinating existing data about the activities of three celestial bodies: 1. the time it takes the earth to circle the Sun (one year); 2. the time it takes for the moon to circle the earth (approximately thirty days); and 3. the time it takes the earth to rotate one full turn (twenty-four hours).

Hopefully, we have dispensed with any notion the earth was not created in six, twenty-four hour days. I have dealt thoroughly with the age of the earth and problems with Noah getting things like dinosaurs on the Ark in my study on Genesis, so I’m not going to address that here. Please contact me if you’re interested and request a copy of that study. I’ll send it to you free of charge. I believe I have thoroughly demonstrated it is not necessary to interpret any of the literal truths of scripture to accommodate atheists’ suggestions any of it is not trustworthy. The Bible is not a book of science or history, but it is always concurrent and in perfect alignment with any truly scientific or historical work of man. Any time it appears otherwise, we need to question the methods, motivation, ethics, and actual processes those doing it used for gathering their evidence, not God. Those who conclude the veracity of God’s word is subject to the finite thinking of what He created, are dumber than the rocks they claim to analyze.

As I consider the number seven, I recall having read about its use in scripture for nearly 4 decades, There are four significant uses of it: 1. The seven days of creation. I know the earth was created in six days, but I will avoid the clumsy attempt to explain my use of the phrase “seven days of creation,” anymore in this study. I believe God intended us to consider the day of rest (the Sabbath), part of the creative process; 2. the seven weeks of seven days each He had them count off from sowing of their seed to its harvest (aka the Feast of Weeks); 3. the seven days they were instructed to count from the first day of each feast to taking another Sabbath day of complete rest; and 4. the Year of Jubilee, 49 years (7 years X 7 years, aka seven weeks of years), when they were told to release all Jewish servants and return each one’s property. The Jews currently celebrate 27 Holy Days.* I am not going to make any attempt to deal with the ones not mentioned in scripture.

*(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_holiday#Purim_.E2.80.94_Festival_of_Lots)

There are only four mentioned in the Bible, other than the Sabbaths of course. They are referred to with different terms in different places, so it can be a little confusing. We need not be concerned. It is common in a culture to call holidays by different names. For example, some prefer to call Easter, spring break. Some call Thanksgiving, turkey day. Some call Christmas, the winter holiday. I’m actually unconcerned with such distinctions personally. It makes little difference to me if pagans choose not to acknowledge the true believer’s motive for celebrating Christ’s birth. Actually, I think tossing around a greeting like “Merry Christmas” can border on blasphemy, depending upon the heart of the one speaking it. One person sees visions of sugar plum fairies and overcharged credit cards when he says the words. One person imagines a bearded, white haired, pagan deity flying around the earth, dressed in a comical red suit with a ridiculous looking cap, magically descending chimneys, eating home-made cookies, and leaving just what his children wanted, taken from his magical list. And, one person imagines double digit profits in just 30 days of sales in his company’s fiscal year. I suggest it’s likely less than 1% of those using the phrase ever consider what it means to the born-again, God loving, evangelical, true believing follower of Christ. And I further suggest, we need not waste anymore time worrying about how any of them greet you at any of your local merchants. If you really want to be a witness, just say very loudly as you leave, “Have a blessed time celebrating the birth of the Messiah.” Trust me, that’ll make those within hearing stop and think. Maybe they’ll only stop and think for a fleeting moment, but they will stop and think.

Anyway, back to the four feasts mentioned in scripture. They are the Passover (aka Feast of Unleavened Bread), the Feast of Weeks (aka Feast of Harvest), the Feast of Booths (aka Feast of Tabernacles), and finally, the feast of Purim (Esther 9:22). The feast of Purim is sometimes referred to incorrectly as the fast of Esther (Esther 15-17). The two events are dependent on each other for meaning, but are definitively different. They all have the number seven or three imbedded in the pattern of how they are to be celebrated. Of course, the number three is also significant in divine revelation. I will be dividing this study by devoting a chapter to each of the feasts and a chapter to each significant number as it is related to the feasts. Finally, before we begin, allow me to assure any reader, I am not a numerologist. Like everything else in scripture, Satan has his own version of the truth. Numerology is the demonic theory that concludes every event in your life is somehow connected to numbers, beginning with the day you were born. It is practiced by witches, warlocks, seers, and mediums. It is in no way related to God’s use of numbers to tell us things about His nature. I can absolutely guarantee no one can calculate with any accuracy when Jesus is going to return using numbers. Even suggesting such foolishness means Jesus, the one and only divine Son of God didn’t know that.

Feasts Introduction

December 10 (Genesis 1)
I have studied God’s word intensely for nearly four decades now. I have read about the feasts and sacrifices literally hundreds of times and never felt inclined to get to know them intimately. I reasoned they were certainly meaningful to those who actually carried them out, namely the twelve tribes of Israel, but they were almost impossible to follow and certainly difficult to understand thoroughly nearly two thousand years after they ceased. Then, just the other day, I came to realize they will be reinstated during the millennial reign of Christ and there will be a very small contingency of church age saints who will be joining with a select group of the Levites reinstating those sacrifices and offerings. Of course they will not have any redeeming affect (they never did). They will simply be reminders of the cross of Calvary, just as the B.C. sacrifices pointed forward to Calvary. I’m not suggesting any of those sacrifices ever saved anyone. But those offering them according to prescribed sacrificial law offered them in faith, believing in a Messiah who would eventually come and pay for the sins of the world.

I won’t be using any scholarly works to assemble this information accept to gather information I know for a fact is not in scripture. For example, I have already begun consulting web sites to learn about the Jewish calendar. It is a crucial part of the overall scheme of things, and other than being able to discern the number of years since creation, that information is not found in scripture. The reason for using the method of study I use is to allow God to teach me from His word. I believe if it is important enough for us to understand it, He will illumine our minds so that we are able understand it. I have a great deal of regard for the work many before me have put into this kind of a task. I think I am uniquely qualified to do this particular biblical study for several reasons: First, I have walked with Jesus for nearly 40 years; Second, I have studied His word many hours a day for that entire time. There have been few days in that time I have failed to spend a significant amount of time to read and study it. Third, I have written extensively on over twenty-five bible topics already. Fourth, I have taught the Pentateuch twice, the Revelation many times, attended both secular and Christian universities taking, history, Greek, Hebrew, and two years of classes on apologetics. And finally, every day God speaks to me as I read His word and pray. I make no claim He has ever spoken to me orally, but He may as well have done so, because His voice has been as real and believable to me as if He had been standing in front of me.

Jesus declares in John the Holy Spirit, when He comes, will guide us into all truth. I believe, if this study is to be of any benefit to me as His child, it must be done as He speaks to me about the things I will be writing in it. I trust no one thinks I mean it will be inspired in any sense as His book is inspired. While I don’t adhere to the theory revelation is complete (Rev. 10), I am making no claim God is telling me to write the very words that will be in it. We know for a fact most of the prophets who wrote the inspired word of God also wrote things that were good stuff for the church to have, but they have not been preserved, for whatever reason, as the divinely, God breathed scriptures have (II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Pet. 1:20, 21).

I’m quite sure writing about these things over two thousand years removed from their implementation, will be a challenge. My Greek and Hebrew are non-existent any more since I have allowed them to rust in a closet of my mind for over thirty years. Therefore, I will be using six or seven of the major translations together and consulting some Hebrew scholars for meanings of some words. I trust my research will uncover a fresh and renewed understanding for me and any who take the time to read this study. teach me from His word. I believe if it is important enough for us to understand it, He will illumine our minds so that we are able understand it. I have a great deal of regard for the work many before me have put into this kind of a task. I think I am uniquely qualified to do this particular biblical study for several reasons: First, I have walked with Jesus for nearly 40 years; Second, I have studied His word many hours a day for that entire time. There have been few days in that time I have failed to spend a significant amount of time to read and study it. Third, I have written extensively on over twenty-five bible topics already. Fourth, I have taught the Pentateuch twice, the Revelation many times, attended both secular and Christian universities taking, history, Greek, Hebrew, and two years of classes on apologetics. And finally, every day God speaks to me as I read His word and pray. I make no claim He has ever spoken to me orally, but He may as well have done so, because His voice has been as real and believable to me as if He had been standing in front of me.

Jesus declares in John the Holy Spirit, when He comes, will guide us into all truth. I believe, if this study is to be of any benefit to me as His child, it must be done as He speaks to me about the things I will be writing in it. I trust no one thinks I mean it will be inspired in any sense as His book is inspired. While I don’t adhere to the theory revelation is complete (Rev. 10), I am making no claim God is telling me to write the very words that will be in it. We know for a fact most of the prophets who wrote the inspired word of God also wrote things that were good stuff for the church to have, but they have not been preserved, for whatever reason, as the divinely, God breathed scriptures have (II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Pet. 1:20, 21).

I’m quite sure writing about these things over two thousand years removed from their most recent implementation, will be a challenge. My Greek and Hebrew are non-existent any more since I have allowed them to rust in a closet of my mind for over thirty years. Therefore, I will be using six or seven of the major translations together and consulting some Hebrew scholars for meanings of some words. I trust my research will uncover a fresh and renewed understanding for me and any who take the time to read this study.

Join Us for One Thousand Years!

December 9 (Zechariah 14)
God’s word tells right after the 7 years and 45 days we call The Tribulation, Jesus will return to the earth and establish His throne in Jerusalem. Revelation 20 tells us He will throw the false prophet and the beast (aka anti-Christ) alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). Satan will be bound and thrown into the abyss (Rev. 20:1-3). He will be locked up there for one thousand years. All church age saints will take part in the first part of the first resurrection (Rev. 20:1-4). Jesus and those saints will rule the earth with a rod of iron. In other words, there will be no democracies or oligarchies anywhere (Ps. 2:9; Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). The entire earth will be one big theocracy. It will be the one world government under Christ's rule the anti-Christ is now trying to establish under his authority.


Zechariah 14 gives us a lot of detail about the kinds of things that will be going on during that reign. We are told in that section of God word the feasts will be restored. The glaring difference between these feast and the ones the Jews were observing in ancient times is that during the millennium all nations will be required to go to Jerusalem to celebrate those feasts. And, we’re told any nation or group of people who refuse to go up for those feasts will experience immediate withholding of rain. All the technological systems we currently have to do things like irrigation will be gone, so when the rain ceases during the millennium, the people involved will experience immediate crop loss and thirst for water. Without water, no nation can survive long. My best guess is those conditions will result in much unrest among those nations. Those who have their rain witheld will likely declare war on adjoining nations to get their water. Voila! the reason for ruling with a rod of iron.

I think the reason for this period where Jesus will actually visibly rule from Jerusalem is to show those who use the old line, “The devil made me do it,” he didn’t. When he is locked up and so many continue to rebel against the authority of our Creator it will be obvious man's propensity to sin wasn't entirely Satan's fault. Of course, many conservative theologians completely ignore the massive amounts of information contained in scripture about that millennial period; and some teach an a-millennial view (a misnomer). A-millennialists interpret all verses dealing with that period as imagery and is currently being fulfilled in the church age. Many a-millennialist have excellent theology until they get to that one issue. Most conservative theologians try to ignore the topic altogether because then they have to deal with those humans left on the earth after God’s final bowl judgments. There will obviously be people around the globe who will not be present at the battle of all battles, Armegeddon. Of course, it’s simple to determine their fate. They will be the people who refused to receive the mark of the beast. Revelation 19 makes it abundantly clear any who receive the mark will receive God's wrath. There will be people who don’t get converted during the seven years of tribulation. Many of them will actually help the saints escape the murderous rampage of the beast as he sets out to exterminate them. Jesus makes several interesting comments about that group in Matthew 10:41, 42,

“He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."

Zechariah 14 makes it clear there will be unsaved people living during the millennium. The feasts will be reinstated, as already indicated, thus animals will be sacrificed as a reminder of man's sinful state, not as having any ability to redeem anything anymore than they ever did. Prior to the church age, the sacrifices typified the coming sacrifice of the Lamb of God. During the millennium, they will point back to Calvary, reminding everyone of Christ’s payment for sin.

In closing today’s lesson, I confess my own misunderstanding about the importance of interpreting the sacrifices more thoroughly. I intend to begin an intense study of them soon. It seems a very elite group (meaning a very small contingency) of Christians will have the incredible opportunity to minister directly in the presence of the Lord Jesus during the millennium. They will not go out of His presence in the sense that they will actually be living in the Holy City and ministering with the Levites before His throne (Rev. 7:15, 16; 22:3-5). It seems logical one of the requirements for those in that group will be that they know the whys and wherefores of the feasts and the sacrifices. Of course, God could supernaturally imbed that knowledge into the minds of every one, but it seems to me, since He has already given that information in His written word, He is expecting us to know it before we come into His presence. If that’s true, I, of all people, have been terribly remiss as a child of God and teacher of His word. I intend to spend the next few months correcting that. I will what I learn daily in this blog to any interesting in know what I am learning. I challenge each of you to spend time each day reviewing the things I learn. I'm quite excited about the prospects of learning more thoroughly about the significance of those feasts. And I think the information I gather will be the material for my next book. May God bless you and keep you; may He make His face shine upon you, and grant you peace.

And He Ordered us to Preach

December 8 (Acts 10:42)
It forever amazes me the number who think preaching the gospel is optional equipment for disciples of Christ. Of course, one of the main problems is bad teaching on things like gifts of the Spirit. I wrote a book on that topic if anyone is interested in reading it. The bad teaching on the topic of evangelism goes something like this, God calls evangelists and professional, full time preachers to show people from His word what they have to do to be saved. Unfortunately that has bred apathy and incorrect behavior on the part of believers in His church universal. All one has to do is follow the biblical pattern to know it is each and every Christian’s responsibility to tell any who will listen what great things God has done for them. And of course that great thing is not a physical healing, though He still does that. The truly great thing He has done for each of us was to redeem us from the kingdom of hell and welcome us into His kingdom.

No one needs a theological degree to know how Jesus made our once dead souls alive. It truly is akin to having the light switched on in one’s heart. In Acts 16:14 Luke wrote it this way, “. . . and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” Paul had gone out to the river to pray supposing there would be people there to whom he could speak about Jesus. Strange thing; there were. The above verse refers to one of the ladies (Lydia), who was a worshiper of God. It troubles me that most who call themselves believers have never in their life shared that information with anyone else, other than possibly inviting someone to church. If you really became a believer at some point in your life, you know what it took for you to do that. That’s called your personal testimony. It includes the marvelous things Jesus has done for you. My younger brother led me to Jesus just that way. One of my favorite theologically profound truths goes like this, “I don’t know about that, but what I do know is, once I was blind; now I see.”

I believe when it gets right down to where the rubber meets the road, the reason so few witness to anyone in the course of their lives is they never made doing it their number one priority. A huge contingency of people I personally know actually think the way to qualify for eternity in the kingdom of God is to attend church, live a good life, tithe to the church, take care of the family, be a good husband or wife, and not murder anyone. Actually, the Catholic Church has a plan where its members can buy forgiveness. They call that satanic doctrine “indulgences.” It made them quite rich. I just had a rather heated debate with a young lady I once had as a student. She got pregnant in high school out of wedlock, which isn’t the point, but it is an indicator of her moral beliefs. She put some words from one of John Lennon’s songs on FB and hailed him as a wonderful musician who made such a marvelous impact on the world. She wrote, “May his music live forever.” I responded, “It won’t,” I also pointed out to her John Lennon was a drug addicted, polytheist, and reminded her one of his songs suggested we “imagine there is no heaven or hell.” I finally argued her time and energy would be better spent honoring someone who was, or is, actually honorable. I also pointed out to her that unless John Lennon repented before he was murdered, his is currently in Hades, awaiting his final judgment (Rev. 20), which will guarantee him a front row seat (figuratively speaking) in hell for eternity.

Her response was interesting. First she said she goes to church every week. She was a Catholic the last time I actually saw her. If that’s the basis for her salvation, she is to be pitied. Then she said she had the right to her own opinion and didn’t appreciate me suggesting she was going to hell for having an opinion. Of course, I never said any such thing, so it’s clear there was conviction by someone besides me involved, like maybe the Holy Spirit. Then, her mother and a few of her friends joined the exchange of words and attacked me for everything but loving her enough to tell her the truth. One other young lady (also raised as a Catholic) actually suggested she could believe what she wanted and she could teach her children whatever she wanted because it was “her” life and the children were “her” children. I’m tempted to write her back and point out her error (her children belong to God). Many young people are losing their children today in a variety of ways, and unfortunately most of them don’t make the connection.

My point for today is, I think, absolutely crucial for us to understand. If you love people enough to tell them they’re going to spend eternity in hell if they don’t repent of their sin, if you care enough to have them angry at you for speaking the truth, be forewarned, only those whom God has effectually called and regenerated will appreciate your intervention into, what they perceive as their own business, i.e., it’s none of yours. Many people will want to have nothing to do with you anymore. It’s nothing new. Jesus told us to move with the movers and leave the others to their own devices (Matt. 10:11-14). You can expect people to respond to the gospel in one of two ways: by counter attacking, using secular arguments, dodging the real issue, spouting words of wisdom from philosophers of this world, which is all they have with which to respond. Guess what, the religious experts in Jesus time did the same things. They hated his constant harassing them for their lies and false theological teachings. They even called him a bastard son. One used biting wit by suggesting he at least knew who his father was. Of course, the implication was Jesus, being conceived out of wedlock, was a bastard child. You can be absolutely sure if no one is offended by the gospel you preach, it isn't the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can also be sure if everyone loves you, you are not filled with Jesus' Spirit. Satan is alive and well on planet earth, and he is the first to recognize the presence of the Spirit of God if He is in you. He will quickly recognize your very presence is a threat to his kingdom. The gates of hell crumble when the gospel is preached. Also be forwarned, this generation has learned to call the gospel "hate speech." It's another one of Satan's cleverly devised plans to make us who proclaim it appear evil.

The second possible reaction you will witness when you preach the gospel is that the light will come on (regeneration), and your listener(s) will choose to follow Jesus. God's word assures us the over-whelming majority of people who hear it will reject the gospel. Jeus said, "The gate to the kingdom of God is narrow and few enter it." If you are not willing to deliver a message that most don’t want to hear, you don’t want to be a disciple of Jesus. We are ordered to go and preach to the people the message of repentance from sin. The true gospel will instantly bring dead souls alive (II Cor. 5:17), and it will make the demons of hell flee (James 4:7).

In closing, allow me to suggest you might indeed choose to be a little more diplomatic than I am. It’s my Achilles Heel. I have always been one to “tell it like it is,” which often makes people so angry at me they miss the point altogether. Actually, the direct approach served me well in prison ministries. It is also quite effective with any who know me because they watch me live what I proclaim; thus the proclamation is credible even if they don't wish to believe it. I am quite aware I'm too direct for some; and I’m working at being more diplomatic; but in the final analysis, I will not stand idly by and allow anyone to go to eternity in hell if I they give me the ever so slim opportunity to preach the gospel to them. And I urge any and all who read these daily lessons to take the order, as spoken in Acts 10:42, seriously. It was given to every single person who claims to be a part of His church. Personal witnessing to any who will listen is not optional. It is not an alternative lifestyle. It is an essential part of the daily life of anyone who claims to be a follower of “The King.” I quoted John 15 yesterday where Jesus insisted everyone who abides in the vine will bear fruit. Of course it doesn't take a rocket scientist to conclude you can't bear fruit if you never even water the garden (imagery for preaching the gospel). We must be about the business of going and preaching the gospel, making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20). It must be our number one priority. And that’s His word for us today.

How Sloppy is Your Faith?

December 8 (John 15)
As I read Leviticus and Numbers yesterday I couldn’t help but notice how meticulous God expected Israel’s worship of Him to be. They had to kill in a particular way and provide a particular kind of animal of a certain age. It had to be brought to a specific place, given to the priest, whose job it was to make sure it met all the requirements of the specific type of offering it was intended to be. He had to slaughter it exactly as prescribed, taking care to remove specific inner parts (all the fat, the lobe of the liver, the stomach, the blood), carefully sprinkle some of the blood on the front of the altar seven times, put some of it on the four corners of the altar (dedication offering), pour the rest of the blood on the ground at the side of the altar, and carefully cover the blood with dirt when finished. Then, depending what kind of sacrifice or offering it was, (there were about twelve different kinds), he either waved it, heaved it, burned it whole, or burned only the inner parts. He had to offer a particular grain offering with a particular meat offering, and an oil and wine offering. The part of the offering that belonged to the priest depended on the kind of offering being presented. Over and again God warned the priests to do everything exactly as He had commanded.

Every offering had a specific order in which things had to be done. If it was not offered exactly as God directed, the offering was not acceptable and the sinner had to bear his sin. He would not be forgiven for that sin, if it was indeed a sin offering; his freewill offering would not be accepted, and the priest would be guilty of sin for which two of them got instantly fried for ignoring these precise instructions (Leviticus 10). The Israelites were so afraid of God (and He commended them for their fear), they begged Moses to go up on the mountain, far away from them, to speak to Him and not force them to hear His is voice out of the cloud again. They literally believed they would all perish in an instant of time if they had to listen to His mighty voice from the midst of the burning cloud as He descended to speak with them at the foot of Mount Sinai.

There are two things I’d like for us to glean from today’s lesson: 1. I believe most of us take God way too lightly; 2. I believe our worship of Him is way too sloppy. And please understand, I am fully aware of my own propensity to do that. Regarding our first point, I have noticed most of my life, even before I got saved, people who call themselves Christians tend to be very non-chalant about what it means to actually be one. I literally tremble and look up to heaven quickly, expecting lightening to strike every time I hear someone call God the man upstairs. We all tend to engage in things each day that are clearly ungodly and counter productive. We join with fellow workers whose language is disgusting and in some cases downright blasphemous, listening to crude jokes and even laughing at them.

We tend to be rather flippant about the things we view on TV or listen to on radio. I’ve noticed lately even commercials are becoming too racy for my taste. I immediately turn off anything that shows more of a woman’s body than it’s healthy for a man to see. Even news anchors nowadays wear clothes that give leave little for the imagination. We apparently think anything that is animated is for children. Disney and most of the other cartoon whizzes present animated stories glorifying sorcery, magic, astrological reading, violence, and blatant disregard for all kinds of authority. I wearied of students, when I was a teacher, who told me they didn’t have to respect me until I earned it. God only knows where that ignorant philosophy came from. I think I’m going to throw up the next time I hear someone say they watch movies about witches and warlocks and they're Christians. We get such great pleasure watching violent sports like football, wrestling, and boxing; and we cheer and stomp frantically when someone is getting pummeled. Beloved, such things ought not be.

When we go to church, our children run in the isles, have to go to the bathroom two or three times during service, cry and talk so loud it’s a struggle to hear the sermon. Some actually come to meetings dressed like they’re on their way to the local tavern to get sloppy drunk. I’m certainly not advocating men need wear a tie and coat or that women need to wear fancy dresses. Far be it from me to suggest any such thing. And certainly if a man or woman off the street wanders into our midst in dirty, ragged clothes, we need to welcome them with open arms as would Jesus. However, I unless we are actually attending services on a beach somewhere, we need to wear dress moderately as indicated by Paul's words in I Tim. 2:9 and Peter's in I Peter 3:5 . Women most certainly should not be wearing mini-skirts, low cut blouses, blouses that ride up so skin can be seen if they have to bend over for any reason, or spaghetti strap tops. For that matter, I don’t think godly women should wear those kinds of clothing anywhere. Most church gatherings have someone to care for children who haven’t been taught or are too young to sit still and quietly while the church is meeting. Whether it is in a home or a large traditional building, it doesn’t allow for focused worship of our Lord when children are running wild.

In closing, I suggest it’s time we considered what kinds of things we can do in our personal and church lives to cause others to look at us and recognize that we are in Christ and He is in us. The way we dress, the words we speak, our personal demeanor, every aspect of our lives needs to be brought under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as He dwells within us. The best compliment one can pay me is to suggest I spend way much time acting like a holy roller. I know they're usually being caddy, but I find their comments quite reassuring, and consider them compliments. Some suggest I’m obsessed because I strive every moment of every day, avoiding even the appearance of evil, and preaching to anyone who’ll listen. I believe the reason the New Testament Church of the first century grew so rapidly is the same reason, though opposite in course, today’s church is dying on the vine. Jesus put it this way,

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.”

It’s words like those recorded in John 15 that make me tremble when I go more than a few days without speaking to someone about Jesus. If we are not bearing fruit (witnessing regularly), we need to recognize it’s because we are not abiding in the vine. Call it legalism if you like. That only indicates you don’t know what the term means. I tremble because I know God will bring someone several miles out of their scheduled path to cross mine if I’m just ready to speak boldly to them as I ought to speak about the coming kingdom of God and Jesus, His only Son. Even while retired, spending massive amounts of time writing and studying, God seldom fails to bring someone daily to my door or to my ear via the phone. And I’ve discovered, when I’m abiding in the vine, the opportunity always presents itself to tell them about Jesus. I tremble because I know witnessing is our way of telling our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we love Him above all else.

Of course, we could stand on corners every day, shouting out some semblance of a gospel for great multitudes and not be doing it out of love for God. We might just be crazy, stark raving, demon filled lunitics. But one thing I consider over and again almost daily is how Paul insisted we need to be striving for the upward goal of our high calling in Christ. It is the mark for which we are to be ever aiming. Two final thoughts will close this lesson for today: 1. If we are abiding in Christ, we will be bearing fruit; 2. If we aren’t bearing fruit, it's because we aren’t abiding in Christ. The truth couldn’t be simpler, and Matthew 28:18-20 wasn’t a suggestion. Oops! There goes another minute; now go and serve your Lord.

They Saw His Miracles, Yet . . .

December 7 (Numbers 13)
We read about a really puzzling event described in Numbers 13. Upon arriving at the entrance to the Promised Land, Moses sent out 12 spies, one member from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. I assume they were warriors, because he was sending them into a hostile land with little to defend themselves against some of the most ruthless people known on the planet at the time. For nearly five hundred years God had promised that land would eventually be the inheritance of Israel. He had made the promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob numerous times and had Moses record those encounters with God by their ancestors in the book of the law. What we now call the Pentateuch, i.e., Genesis-Deuteronomy was originally only one book.

When the twelve scouts returned, ten of them verified the land was all Moses claimed, but they also reported that the land’s inhabitants were too much for them to conquer. One group was literally giants. They were descendants of Anak, also called Nephilim (see also Gen. 6:4). The Nephilim were a puzzling group of giants in the days of Noah. Some think they were men who had evolved into giants through some kind of selective breeding (for lack of a better way to put it). Others suggest these were the fallen angels referred to in Jude 6 who abandoned their proper abode, intermarried with human women, and had children who turned out to be giants. I concur with this second view simply because of the words of Genesis 6:4, “. . . and also afterward.” The Nephilim before the flood would have all been killed in the flood. Apparently, fallen angels can give up their angelic status and intermarry with human women. At least they have done it at least twice historically if this view is correct. It seems the only explanation that would fit with the testimony of Numbers 13 is that after the flood, more fallen angels (aka Nephilim) intermarried with human women and bore children who were also giants. Thus they are called the descendants of Anak, aka Nephilim.

We know so little about the topic it really doesn’t do us a lot of good to speculate wildly about the myriad of implications these fallen angels might bring to the human problem of sin. I imagine it is significant, but I fear we will not learn any more about it until we see Jesus face to face. It is one of the mysteries God allows us know exists without explaining it to us fully. Of course, Hollywood producers have let their imaginations run wild producing hundreds of movies on the theme. That said, I personally prefer to operate in the realm of what we can discern from such things that teach us more about the nature of our God and His expectations for us. In the story as recorded in Numbers 13 we discover there were ten of Israelites finest who brought a bad report, who made the congregation afraid of the inhabitants of the Promised Land, while only two, Joshua and Caleb, encouraged the congregation to stop worrying about the size of the enemy and concentrate on the ability of their God make them conquerors.

What is so puzzling to me about this incident is that this group of 603,550 Israeli warriors had just seen God completely dismantle the most powerful military in the world, the Egyptians, kill every firstborn of every man and animal in Egypt, part the Red Sea, kill the entire Egyptian army for following them into that sea, bring water from a rock sufficient to satisfy the thirst of a contingent of probably 6 million people total, and water all of their livestock. He had turned one lake of bitter water into fresh water instantly, fed them miraculously with manna from heaven and pigeons who just fell from the sky and died right before their eyes three feet deep for a two mile circumference around their camp. They had already defeated one mighty army with zero casualties of their own. In spite of this myriad of reasons to know God would be with them and to know He was able to give them victory, they turned back from following at the mere suggestion of ten men who didn’t believe.

Imagine, if what I have been claiming for decades is true that there are tens of thousands of such men who have infiltrated the church and are now actually preaching in pulpits across America. Imagine the affect that would have on the rest of the congregations of God’s chosen people who have seen His miracles in their own lives time and again, yet, they cower in the presence of the Nephilim, afraid to contend for the faith, afraid to stand against the fiery missiles of the evil one. Then imagine there are actually some preachers standing in pulpits in America today who are finally teaching what I’ve been claiming for decades. Beloved, if you aren’t being persecuted for your faith, I suggest it’s only because you don’t make it a point to contended for the faith. If you experience no persecution, even in America, it’s only because you have chosen to remain quiet when you have had a chance to expose false teaching or confront any false teachers with the truth of scripture who are trying to lead entire congregations into the pits of hell.

I’ve been called everything but brother by well meaning but entirely misguided and ignorant people who truly believe they are the elect of God. I’ve been called a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a false brother, a liar, a deceiver, and a number of other things I wouldn’t repeat in public. Jesus made it clear and literally hundreds of verses attest to the fact that we are literally in a battle for the souls of men, women, boys, and girls, and the enemy is no longer outside the church. He has infiltrated thousands of churches around the world by now, and is preaching the same ungodly things from pulpits Satan has been preaching for 6,000 years of human history. And tragically, the church universal is so incredibly ignorant of what God’s word actually says, they have become easy targets for the devil's flaming missiles.

I’ll close with this one question that will make my point as well as anything I could conjure. Your answer to it will be a clear indication of your level of knowledge about the God of creation. Do you have any idea how many people God has killed in the 6,000 year history of man, for blasphemy alone (and all of them weren't in ancient times)? Think about that as you watch your friends and loved ones die without ever getting to hear an accurate presentation of the gospel. Think about that as you go to your job or shopping this holiday season and see great multitudes who are going to spend eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone who never got to hear you tell them about Jesus. Think about that, and ask yourself if you’re happy someone had the nerve to snatch you from the burning jaws of hell by telling you about God’s provision for your sin in His Son’s substitutionary death on the cross of Calvary. Finally, ask yourself why you seldom or maybe never have told anyone about God's Son, His perfect life, His sacrifice of Himself on the cross, taking upon Himself the sins of all mankind, and His resurrection. Could it be you're a goat and not a sheep? I pray you'll all have a blessed celebration this season contemplating the miraculous birth of that Son through a young unwed teenage virgin girl who lived two thousand short years ago in that Promised Land, because God finally gave it to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Go and serve your King.

Contend for the Faith!

December 6 (Jude 3, 4)
Several years ago when I was a cop in Arizona, I had the opportunity to listen to Christian radio for quite a few hours each day in my patrol car while on patrol. I was an elder of a local church and taught adult bible studies. It seemed strange at the time that on a regular basis, those radio preachers were preaching on the same topic God had placed on my heart. Over the years I have come to realize that is exactly how God works. When something is wrong in the midst of His church, and it’s a universal problem, He gives the same message to all of those He has called to teach His sheep. Of course, that doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out. It’s entirely logical that the God of the entire church would know if there was a problem that was almost universally wrong in it. This morning, while listening to Sirius 161, a preacher named Yussef was speaking about Jude 3, 4 saying what I have been beating to death for weeks now. It is a plague of staggering magnitude that within God’s church some have crept in and are distorting the gospel. It was happening when Jude wrote his letter, has been happening since that time, and is reaching epidemic proportion in these final days of the church. It is one of the signs we are in the final hours of church history that the church will become so liberal those who preach in it will claim godliness but by their works will be denying its power. Titus 1:6 tells us, “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.”

The problem is magnified because so few professing believers spend enough time studying God’s word themselves to recognize when these infiltrators of the church appear. The problem today is that the overwhelming majority of these wolves are the senior pastors of local churches. I suggest the very thing the church determined would help it escape that problem has now become her Achilles heel. Instead of local churches raising up new pastors and sending them out to start new churches (as was done in the first few centuries of the church), some geniuses decades ago decided the church needed to have professional clergy who got their training in a denominationally certified university. Voila! They have been and still are graduating and ordaining tens of thousands of preachers who have never read God’s word from cover to cover once. All one has to do is have the tuition and not screw up too badly for four years and he can graduate with honors and an ordination certificate from nearly any Christian university in the United States; and if he actually goes on to seminary, he can usually get a job making over $70,000 a year in most big city churches. Certainly if he takes a call from a Southern Baptist church he’ll just about be guaranteed a fine salary. That particular denomination has a salary schedule determined by the amount of education the pastor has. I recall several years ago in California, a PhD got about $30,000/year teaching in most public school systems. During that same period of time the Southern Baptist denomination required new preachers with PhDs get paid $33,000/year. Now, that’s what I call setting the example for the sheep to follow.

I know it to be true, but I think one day I’ll visit several Christian schools and find out how many of their students have ever read the bible from cover to cover. The speaker on the radio this morning indicated one research found that among those in the church less than 50% of them have ever read the bible at all. I watch television preachers on a regular basis stand before a congregation, raising their solid black four pound version of God’s word, sweating profusely from preaching so hard. And it’s incredibly obvious they never actually read it because they say things that aren’t in it, all the while insisting they’re words are divinely inspired truth. Allow me to tell you the quickest way to spot a phony. Jesus mentioned it numerous times in a variety of ways. As a matter of fact He once made a whip, cleaned out the temple in Jerusalem, and told those He drove out, "It is written, ' MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN."(Matt. 21:13) Take note; when a preacher claims he wants to give you a gift for a small donation to his ministry, he is a peddler of the word, not a preacher of it. He is turning God’s house into a robbers’ den. And when a preacher tries to convince you tithing is a New Testament ordinance, it is a clear indication he hasn’t a clue what the purpose and scheme for tithing was under Old Testament law. Of course the New Testament demands we be financial supporters to ministry. It declares in numerous places we are to support those in full time ministry and that takes money. The problem is the number in full time ministry who don't belong there in the first place. And that problem becomes staggering when those same unordained of God preachers have anything to say about where the money given to the church should be spent. Most importantly, tithe is not to be a standard for any New Testament giving. The complete lack of understanding on that basic topic is clear evidence for the failure of bible colleges and seminaries.

Ask any Mormon; if every member of local churches gave 10% of his income to those local churches, those churches would be among the wealthiest corporations in the world. Mormons demand their member be tithers. I know a protestant preacher who demands the same thing. Please allow me to digress for just a moment (though this actually is the whole point of today’s lesson). If your preacher knows God’s word he will probably feel quite uneasy about taking an offering each week. I liken such behavior to begging. And I also believe in a real sense, taking up an offering is very akin to turning his church into a robber's den. There are much more creative ways to enable church members to support the church’s ministry assuming (and it’s quite an assumption) the local church deserves our financial support in the first place. One day I’d like to accidently (on purpose) knock the offering plate to the ceiling as it passes in front of me. We’re told when we give not to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. How is that possible when everyone in the church (at least everyone behind you in church on a given day) can see whether or not you’re putting money in that disgusting thing we call the offering plate. One day I may actually get up the nerve to say quite loudly when the usher hands me the plate, “No thanks, I prefer to give to the needy.” I’ve also considered putting a note in one of those envelopes in the church pews saying, “April fools! Get a real job; it may not pay as much, but at least you won’t be misleading God’s sheep anymore.”

I’ve written a systematic 44 page treatise on the topic of Christian Stewardship if you’d like to understand the biblical reasons and pattern for given in this the church age. In it I include every single verse found in scripture that deals with the topic. I will close today’s lesson with two thoughts: 1. If true believers actually made it a priority to read their bibles, they would quickly leave most of today’s churches. I believe they’d exit post haste, disgusted with the lackluster, unbiblical, impotent, ungodly preaching that is going on in most contemporary churches. I further believe there would be a mass movement to restart home churches. Preachers like Allistaire Begg, John McArthur, Walter Martin (deceased), Adrian Rogers (deceased), and J. Vernon McGee (deceased), a pastor I once knew named Eddie Pate, and that Yussef guy would have or would have had (in the case of those deceased) so many people in their local congregations they wouldn’t be able to accommodate them all. They’d have to start meeting in homes because they wouldn’t be able to build a church building big or fast enough. Oh yeah, that’s how the church did it for the first four hundred years of its existent. I know there have to be more than those I have named, but in my 38 years as a follower of Christ I can’t name ten men I believe make it a priority to read the entire word of God from cover to cover on a regular basis. 2. Avoid bible reading programs like the bubonic plague. Begin your reading in Genesis 1 and read clear through to Revelation 22. I’ve been doing that for decades and can tell you it is the only way to understand it as God wrote it. I know it isn’t chronologically written, but any good study bible will explain the whys and wherefore of that. After you do that about ten times, it will begin making sense within its context. I know most don’t want to believe it, but unless you read massive amounts of scripture at one time, you won’t ever come to understand it in one lifetime. In Israel, the priests would read it to the Israelites four or five hours straight as they all sat around listening during every feast (there were a total of seven) they celebrated each year. Those feasts lasted one to three weeks and they sat for hours every day listening as the priests read. They had no choice because the average Israelite didn’t have their own personal copy of the Law of Moses. Most likely the reason so few ever read massive amounts of scripture today is our propensity to want to learn everything we know from things like television and/or computers. I personally believe unless you discipline yourself to read ten to twenty chapters each and every day, you’ll never have a good grasp of God’s word in its entirety; and it seems to me it should be the goal of every believer to have a good grasp of it. If you're a really poor reader, get a copy of it being read on CD and listen to it as you follow along in your on bible. Make sure to have the same version being read to you and your reading ability will improve drastically.

I fear a huge contengency of people in today’s churches are going to be sorely disappointed when and if they actually enter the eternal kingdom of God. I’ve been reading massive amounts of God’s word daily for 38 years and I’m still learning new things about Him each and every day. My own communication skill improved exponentially the more I read scripture. Unless I’m a slow learner, that means all of us should be doing the same. Finally, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to sneak into His church unnoticed and preach another gospel if God’s children actually searched the scriptures daily to see if the things they are teaching meet the test of scripture. I know it is the joy of my own life to preach to a group of men and women who actually read God's word themselves on a regular basis. When Jesus promised the sheep hear His voice (John 10), He presumed they would hear His voice because they would know His words; and that thing we call the Bible is filled with His words. And beloved, that’s His word for us today.

When Was I Saved?

December 5 (Eph. 1:4-11)
A major doctrinal issue most contemporary protestant churches ignore or deny is the doctrine of election and predestination. It seems inconceivable to me, though I certainly pray I’m wrong, anyone who denies the doctrine of elections and predestination is advocating a kind of works salvation. If that is true, and I see no way to deny it, Paul’s warning to the Galatians is appropriate here. “But even if an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed.” And the gospel Paul, Peter, James, Jude, and the writer of Hebrews and each of the the gospel records their writers record preaches as one of its most basic tenets election and predestination (Eph. 1:4-10; John 10; I Peter 1:1-2). Both Isaiah and Jeremiah realize they were called before they were even born (from their mother’s womb/Jeremiah 1:4, 5; Isaiah 49:1). Romans 9 insists before Jacob and Esau were even born, God had determined their lives plans and direction.


I’ve recently discovered, what I used to think wasn’t a good study tactic, is actually not too bad. Try this; begin reading scripture actually looking for indications and verses that speak about the elect, those chosen, the sheep and the goats. You’ll quickly discover there are literally hundreds of verses which make it abundantly clear unless God elects, predestines, regenerates, effectually calls, grants faith and repentance, justifies, definitively sanctifies, adopts, and progressively sanctifies, you, you will not spend eternity in His kingdom. One hasn’t got a snowball’s chance in hell of being part of the kingdom of God unless God has chosen him for that destination. I have also discovered if one thinks about those nine elements of true salvation while studying scripture, he’ll discover there is no theology that doesn’t fit into the definition of at least one of them; thus, you will have to conclude as I have that salvation, from beginning to end, is God’s work. He chose every single individual whom He will save before the foundation of the world, which goes quite comfortably with the teaching from Ezekiel 3 and 33, Paul’s comments in Ephesians 1 and Romans 9:21. He makes one piece of pottery for glory and another not for glory. And if you really think carefully about it, you’ll have to conclude any other theological position actually demands a works salvation. Even if I chose on my own to be faithful, that means I committed an act of works. It means for some reason I was worthy to be saved.

Finally, think about this; Paul had little interest in hearing the gospel when He was called to be an apostle to the gentiles in Acts 9. It was literally the last thing on his mind. He was determined to imprison Christians and see to it they got the maximum penalty the Jewish leaders could impose under Roman law. His conversion demonstrates as well as any his human will would have never chosen to follow Jesus. And that is the testimony of Romans 3:10-18. Romans 3 demands we believe no man, of his own volition, ever has or ever will choose to do good. All, every single person on the planet, minus 0 have, do, and always will reject God and the truth He has given us in His word.

Almost from the point of new birth in Christ, I believed my salvation was entirely His work. It wasn’t until the last four or five years however, that I really began understanding how central reformed theology, which insists we were predestined and elected before the foundation of the world, is if one is to understand huge doses of the rest of scripture. I am so sure it is absolutely crucial to salvation that I have determined not to attend any church that does not teach it. I do not believe any preacher who doesn’t teach it properly is worth the time it takes each week to listen to him preach. I have more recently discovered just how much it affects the rest of a preacher’s teaching.

In closing today’s lesson, I want to challenge each of you and myself, to strive to be more consistent and determined to set aside time each and every morning to be diligent to show ourselves approved unto God. I challenge each of us to be more disciplined when it comes to prayer and bible reading and study. I am providing several tools I believe will help us all do that. I am putting the bible on CD MP3 format in all of the modern translations one can download to their computers or any MP3 player (MP3 players are available for under $35 at Pamida); I am also putting each of my study guides on over twenty five major doctrinal issues on CD. I am making sure to put some verses for the day each and every day on my Face Book site. I am praying each day I have at least one chance a day to share the gospel with someone. I am praying for wisdom and boldness to be faithful to do that when the occasion presents itself. I covet your prayers for me and would be thrilled to put you on my prayer list to pray that same prayer for each of you. Just contact me by using the comments section below or email me at dspurkey@midrivers.com. I have believed for several years God wants to bring revival to America. I also believe it will start with a few faithful souls who will commit themselves to complete, unwavering, unbendable, sold our, God loving, evangelically minded, preaching of the gospel to any who will listen. I’m currently praying for one man who will join with me in my home town in that endeavor like Jesus sent out His disciples two by two. I have already gone into my neighborhood attempting to do it by myself. While God’s prophets usually stood entirely alone (and I am not a prophet), usually two or more working together, who are of one mind, are a more powerful ministry than one man working alone.

If you are reading this lesson, please join with me in praying daily and fervently for revival in America; and I believe for that to happen, we must also pray that Christians all across this land will renew their commitment to be faithful servants and stewards of the gospel message (I Cor. 4:1). And that’s God’s word for us today.

Is God Love?

December 4 (I John 4:8)
One of the most heinous mistakes we make as teachers of God’s word, at least in my humble opinion, is our horrendous use of the English language. Second only, of course, to our propensity to take a statement entirely out of context or without including its context. See what I mean. That sounds like I said the exact same thing using different words. Allow me to explain. To take something out of its contextual setting for the purpose of misleading others as to its true meaning is a disgusting act of folly. Failing to include the context often leads to an unintentional misunderstanding, but isn’t done for that purpose. If we were to conclude “love is God” for example, we would be idolaters. And to conclude from the context surrounding the phrase in I John 4:8 without consulting the thousands of other verses about the nature of God is an irresponsible example of really bad expositional teaching. It is taking the verse out of context in the worst sense.


God is an extremely complex being with more characteristics to His overall nature than I could begin to expose here. Certainly scripture makes it clear He is love, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control from just two verses (Gal. 5:212, 23). But we also discover, if we’re willing to do a little searching the scriptures, He is a God of great wrath, perfectly just, capable of immeasurable anger, all powerful, condemning, sarcastic, humorous, all knowing, intolerant, jealous, and unbendable when it comes to the solution to man’s state of sin. Most today who claim to be Jesus’ disciples think He demonstraes His love in everything He does. In a sense, that is actually true. However, what those same people often forget is that He demonstrated that love for Israel by destroying Egypt and Pharaoh and his entire army. In other words, even in His wrath He is demonstrating His perfect love. Of course, if you are on the wrong side of that love, you won’t be a happy camper.

So, while it is true that God is love, it is not true that God loves everyone. Just as God’s omnipresence means He is everywhere, it does not mean He is a rock. Sorry, bad analogy, since Jesus is figuratively referred to in scripture as “The Rock.” I’m relatively sure you still get the point. It is critical for our understanding of God that we realize He, unlike man, is a perfect harmony of all of His characteristics at one time. He never becomes angry unjustly. He is always righteously indignant when He becomes angry; unlike man, who often becomes violently angry about anything that is of the slightest irritation to him. God is perfectly just, which means every single being (man, woman, or child) on the planet will be condemned to eternity in hell who fails to submit himself to God’s only plan for man’s sin. I won’t attempt today to deal with the theological quagmire that suggests every child under the age of consent (I’m not sure where anyone got that term) will go to heaven if he dies before he reaches that age. Far better theological scholars than me preach that idea. I just don’t believe it has much support in scripture.

I heard a preacher once suggest most would want to have nothing to do with the God of creation if they really knew Him intimately. That’s kind of a weird statement, but there is biblical support for the idea. Jesus said to the crowds that were following Him to think about their reason for following Him in John 6:26, 27. At one point when the crowd was told the cost of following Him, many returned from doing so. I know I keep beating this dead horse to death, but it is of gigantic concern to me the number of people who call themselves followers of Christ, some claiming to have been such for decades, who think He has only one or two characteristic to which they cling for dear life. He is the God of love; He is patient and kind and gentle and good. But he is the Master Who demands his children be separate from the world around them. He demands His children give up everything to follow Him. He demands His children spend time each day talking with Him and getting their daily walking orders. I’m always puzzled how so many get up each morning just in time to get dressed, grab a bite, and run out the door for the car which they frantically drive to work. I don’t know how they think their day will be anything special when they haven’t even bothered to speak with their Father yet. I don’t understand how they think they’ll have their priorities straight when the only thing they have considered before they get to work is whether or not they are going to be on time.

I’m relatively sure God finds such lack of discipline in our lives both humorous and sad. I know without question He wants us to begin each and every day with a significant amount of time speaking with Him and listening to Him as He speaks to us. I know He is pleased, though I don’t think the timing for studying His word is as critical as a quiet time of prayer, if we start every day reading scripture until He tells us something new from it. For some a significant amount of time reading and study will be ½ hour. For others it might be two hours. For some, it will be four or five hours. The point is that everyone should ask themselves how believable a confession of love would be if their spouse got up, got dressed as fast as he/she could, ran to the dining room for a quick breakfast, and was out the door before he/she made any attempt to communicate anything significant to us or hear anything significant from us.

Tomorrow I’m going to spend some time writing about what it means to be diligent to show ourselves approved unto God. For today, I’ll close with this thought. Jesus, as our example, often went off to a quiet place to pray. Jesus, the King of kings, the Master of the universe, the one and only Son of God, the Lord of lords, found it essential to go off somewhere quiet on a regular basis to pray. I’d like to humbly suggest, if more of us did that, a whole lot more people would see those greater works than His we are supposed to be doing. And, of course, the greatest work of all is to reap the harvest of a lost soul. And that’s God’s word for us today.