What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............
All the great religious leaders of history have one thing in common: they are dead. Only one man has risen from a grave never again to taste death. Jesus Christ died, was buried, remained in the grave for 3 days, then was raised to life again.
Jesus is unique. He is the only one proven to be the Son of God because God validated His Kingship and accepted His payment for our sins all with one incredible stroke: He raised Jesus from the dead!
Paul opens his letter to the Romans with this evidence about who Jesus is:
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which He had promised before by His prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Romans 1:1-4
Because Jesus Christ is very much alive, five things are true right now that wouldn’t be true if He were just another dead religious leader like Confucius, Mohammed or Buddha.
Because Jesus was raised from the dead and is alive…Prayers are answered, We can talk to Jesus 24/7
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Victory in Jesus is the ability to actually be able to choose the Spirit over the flesh, which we cannot do until we're born again. That's the victory the Bible is talking about had to preach a little bit. Now, this whole process of growing over time in consistently living and experiencing greater victory over the flesh is part of what the Bible calls sanctification. Sanctification is the term for the lifelong work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer to make them more like Jesus. And so as sanctification unfolds over time.
Even though our chart might look like this, the overall trend as we let the Holy Spirit do his work in us should be that we experience more victory in our lives over the flesh. That's what should happen over time. Now, again, I understand that sometimes that growth you're like, well, I got to get like a magnifying glass out and see. But it's there, it's there. I guarantee it.
If you belong to Jesus, he's doing his thing in you. And I also need to bust some myths about sanctification and about living in victory over the flesh. Do you know what doesn't advance your sanctification? You know what doesn't give you victory over the flesh? You know what is meaningless and doesn't help at all.
Let me share some things.
Age has nothing to do with your Sanctification age does not make it any easier to be righteous. Time passing on its own means one thing. You're getting older. That's it years spent abiding in Jesus, living in agreement with him, choosing the spirit over the flesh, that will sanctify you, that will grow you in Grace and wisdom. But it is a myth that age alone sanctifies you.
That it makes you more righteous or that it makes you wiser, just makes you older.
Second myth: 'You know what doesn't help with this? A degree from a Bible College or a seminary does not help. It's not like, "Here's your degree from seminary, Dr. Jeff Thompson. You also now get a ten-point bonus on your sanctification. 'Comes with the certificate." It doesn't work that way. You don't go, "Wow, that guy must be sanctified."
Look at that certificate on his wall. You know what else doesn't help? The title of pastor meaningless when it comes to your sanctification has nothing to do with it. What else doesn't help? Starting a Church doesn't make any difference.
What else doesn't help? Having a spiritual gift has nothing to do with your sanctification. We make this mistake in Church all the time. As Christians, we think that if someone ministers with a powerful gift, they must be righteous. They must be walking with Jesus.
It's not true. Romans 1129 tells us that gods gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.
Part of that equation is that when God gifts a person, he doesn't withdraw that gift if they don't walk away with him. Do you understand that? Every single artist on the charts on Spotify right now was gifted by God and God wasn't like, well, if you're not going to write songs about me, boom, now you suck at music. He didn't do that. Some of you might be like, I think he might have.
I mean, have you listened to what's on there?
But it doesn't work that way. All the gifts that God gives spiritual natural. He doesn't just take them away. If you decide to not use them for righteousness, he doesn't withdraw them. If the person isn't walking faithfully with him, he doesn't do that.
Some of you guys are getting nervous. Well, how the flip do we know, Jeff, if our pastor is walking with Jesus, we'll talk about it in a minute. But one more here. Being a nice person doesn't mean you're walking with Jesus. Being a nice person doesn't mean you're sanctified, doesn't mean you're yielding to the spirit.
I don't know if you've noticed this, but there are some nonchristians who are nice people. That's crazy, right? And I could go on and on and on, but here's what I want you to understand. Here's how I want to educate you as believers. Just because the pastor is old, just because he's been in Ministry for decades, just because he started a Church, just because he has some spiritual gifts, just because he comes across as a nice person, does not mean he is spiritually mature.
Walking with Jesus and consistently choosing the Spirit over the flesh. All those things I listed have nothing to do with sanctification, nothing to do with walking with Jesus. Write this down. The evidence of a person's walk with the Lord is who they are in their daily lives. It's who they are in their daily lives.
It is impossible to hide who you really are forever. It leaks out. And that reality confronts every believer with a dilemma. This is the dilemma. If I'm ever consistently walking in the flesh in any area of my life, do I want someone to notice?
Do I want them to confront me in Grace and truth? That's a heavy question, isn't it? That's a heavy question. And for far too many people, far too many Christians, the answer is no. No, I don't want people to know my issues.
I don't want to be called out, especially if it's by someone who's younger than me or a newer believer than me, or from a different socioeconomic background than me. Not as educated as me. I'd be embarrassed. I feel ashamed. I'll feel judged just by bringing up the subject.
But here's what I can tell you. I can tell you this with certainty. The Holy Spirit wants to grow every single one of us to the place where we care more about pleasing Jesus than we do about our reputation or our embarrassment or our ego or our pride. I can tell you with certainty the Holy Spirit is working right now to get all of us to the place where we love Jesus so much. We actually invite that kind of loving accountability into our lives because we care more about pleasing Jesus than anything else.
That is what the Holy Spirit is trying to do in my life and your life right now, because we all need it. Did you hear me on that? We all need it. If you think I don't, I've got it all together. Not only do you need it, you're also delusional.
So you're double whammy. Okay? None of us is going to achieve a final, decisive victory over the flesh until we receive our new bodies in the presence of Jesus. That's just the reality. We're going to battle the flesh for our whole lives.
We know this. We know this. We know this in the Word. So why do most of us try to pretend that we're not at war with the flesh every day? Ego, pride, insecurity, fear.
And the Lord wants to set us free from those things. Would you write this down? Every believer needs loving, Biblical accountability in their lives. Every believer needs loving, Biblical accountability in their lives. Here's the mind blowing thing, including pastors.
Including pastors. Why? Because they're human beings. Now, what is a tragedy in much of the global Church? I'm going to be absolutely real.
They're on different levels. They don't mingle. They're on different tiers here, maybe not even on a hierarchical chart, but in functional reality, they don't ever get down and be part of the Church body. They're always separated because they don't want to share in the home group. They don't want to be vulnerable.
They don't want to risk somebody in the Church asking them a question that they can't actually answer on the fly, or someone in the Church pointing out an issue with something they said or taught.
I had a guy in our home group I love to death. He's awesome. We're having a discussion. He made this great point, totally undid, a point I had just made. And he was like, sorry.
I was like, don't be sorry. Like, this is awesome. But that's the norm in Church. I think I'm right here. But can I say it to the pastor?
Because heaven forbid the congregation figure out a pastor doesn't know everything about everything. Heaven forbid the whole illusion will crumble if the congregation figures out the pastor is a human who struggles with human things like discouragement and temptation and fear and sin. Couldn't let that happen. And again, you take a step back and you think this is madness because nobody is actually buying this. When we think about it, like, really, what's the goal?
To sell the illusion that I have achieved a final victory over the flesh. It's not an issue for me anymore. That's why I'm a pastor and you're not like, this is the most absurd delusion. But in most churches, in most churches, this is the way it is. There's this separation because the pastor doesn't want to be known to that level as a human being.
Here's what I can tell you about Gospel City. When I use the word elders, it's a synonym for pastor. By the way, the elders at Gospel City will always be part of a home group. Always. Bj and I would both love to be a part of a home group one day where we're not even facilitating.
We just go as members of Gospel City Church, and that's the way it'll always be. Secondly, BJ taught on eldership extensively last year, so I'm not going to cover all that again. You can listen online if you'd like to do that. But I will point out the model of Church leadership in most churches has one pastor at the top as the top dog, the senior pastor. And usually they're accountable to some type of board because they'll go to a home group.
I'm not accountable to the people. I'm accountable to a special board because there's a registered charity in Canada, you have to have a legally constituted board. And in most churches, that board will meet several times a year for a few hours each time. And with unfortunate regularity, the people on those boards are often simply the biggest financial givers in the Church or the most influential business people. In some churches, the people on the board don't even attend that Church.
None of them, the pastor they know is ever. Let me put it this way. The pastor that the board knows is whoever the pastor presents themselves to be during those few hours in a few meetings a year. You can hide a lot of your issues when you only make guest appearances in front of a group of people. It's a very different story when you work with people, because the more you see people, the more you interact, the harder it is to hide who you truly are.
This is why marriage is hard, right? People actually figure out who you are. That's the problem with marriage, right? It's a very different story. When you work with people, you get to know them.
On an unrelated matter. Bonuses are due in a month. Share freely. It doesn't work well for the obvious reason that at least partially, their livelihood depends on them liking you. That's not a good recipe for genuine accountability.
So how can a pastor be accountable to Godly men that he works with but whose paychecks he doesn't sign? The answer is, as some of you will recall, biblical eldership, the only model of Church leadership we find in the New Testament. The model has a group of elders who oversee the Church together in unity, and they share equal authority. They will have different roles, but equal authority. They are vetted, biblically qualified Godly men who oversee the Church together and hold each other accountable because they know each other and they share vulnerably with each other.
And because they're working together, who each person is leaks out, the issues rise to the surface. If an elder is engaged in sin and won't repent when confronted by other elders, they can actually discipline him. They can suspend him. They can remove him from Ministry. They can fire him if they have to.
Whatever is needed. There's no unchecked authority in the Church that way. And as we talked about earlier, here's the catch. Godly men want it that way. They actually want it that way because Godly elders care more about pleasing Jesus than anything else, than holding on to authority, than getting to be the sole visionary of the Church.
And this is the model we're pursuing at Gospel City. Right now, we have two elders, BJ and me, but we're actively training and raising up people that we believe will be future elders. We're working on that right now. And BJ and I have invited each other to hold each other accountable. And we do we do share vulnerably.
We do have difficult conversations with each other in Grace and truth. And we both love it. Not because it's easy, but because it makes us more like Jesus and it makes our Church more like the Church Jesus wants it to be. And even though there's only two of us, Gospel City is already better protected than New Hope or God Rock ever was. That's the truth.
Because let me give you an example. If you realize I'm in unrepentant sin, you say, Jeff, I want to talk to you about it. I want to practice Matthew 18. And I'm like, take off. Eh?
So solid reference already. There's someone else you can go to. You can go to BJ and be like BJ. What the flip is going on with Jeff? He just told me to take off and I've got an issue here.
I tried to practice Matthew 18. If I won't listen to BJ, even right now, BJ has equal authority with me. He can go to our denomination and get them involved. Now, a lot of pastors, I need to say this in the defense of some pastors, they have no idea how biblical eldership functions. I didn't as little as five years ago.
But some pastors would never be open to it because the truth is they don't want that kind of loving biblical accountability in their lives. They don't want it. And I do want to turn that question back on each of us one more time. Do you want loving biblical accountability in your life? Are you inviting it?
So, BJ and I don't have to look at and be like, who actually wants loving accountability and who says, no, what in the world made you think I wanted that? So membership? Think about it if you haven't done it. Secondly, join a home group. There'll be starting up again in April.
Of course, BJ and I will be involved in them. It's the best way to form relationships in the Church. Sign the box on your connection card right now. Sign me up for home groups. But thirdly, and most importantly, here's the key.
You can be a member and join a home group doesn't do anything magical on its own. The third one is the key. You have to choose to be transparent. You have to choose. You might be a member.
You might attend a home group. But if you choose to never share, never open up to any other believers, ever. There's nothing anybody else can do. We're just not going to be in a home group and be like, I think you're lying. I'm calling your Bluff now.
You got something going on. Everybody stop. We're not doing anything else. We can wait all night, 45 minutes in silence. You're going to share.
You're going to share. If I ever do that, you can also be like, Jeff. You couldn't last 45 seconds waiting. Bj, you need to be more worried. He could wait it out as long as he can outweigh you, I guarantee it.
But you have to actually choose to say, I'm struggling in my marriage right now. I'm just not the husband I want to be. I'm not the wife I want to be. I don't know. I'm so angry.
Can you pray for me? You have to seek out a brother in a Church if you want to do that one on one. Instead, you have to actually choose to say, I'm battling temptation in this area, and I feel like I'm losing. Can you pray for me? I need help.
So ask again, are you pursuing loving biblical accountability in your life? Because how in the world you're going to say pastor should be doing this? You're not even interested in it either. But it's a dangerous sign, in my opinion, when a pastor doesn't want loving biblical accountability and builds a Church structure to support that desire. When you dig into the life of a pastor who's fallen into moral failure, you'll almost always find they didn't want this type of accountability in their life, and so they didn't let things get developed around them that would risk that actually happening.
They keep a distance from their congregation in practicality so write this down. Participation in a home group and biblical eldership provide additional layers of accountability for pastors participation in a home group. And biblical eldership provide additional layers of accountability for pastors because they at least create opportunities to be known by brothers and sisters in the congregation. And all these things that I'm sharing, none of this is foolproof. Just so you know, someone is determined to sin, they are going to find a way to do it.
There's no foolproof system, but each of these things can provide a layer of practical protection that can help any pastor or any Christian who says the war with the flesh is not an issue for them. We call that a red flag. That's a red flag. Hey, Pastor, I noticed you're doing this thing, and that seems like it could make it really easy to sin.
As you grow into maturity, not just age, not as you get older. As you grow into maturity in Christ, you become increasingly astounded by the goodness of God, but also by your own propensity towards sin. You see, growing in Christ likeness means seeing your own sinfulness with increasing clarity, resulting in increasing humility. And some of the evidence of that humility shows up in how you deal with your flesh. At this point in my walk with Jesus, I have a pretty good idea what my main issues are.
I have a pretty good idea of how I'm most likely to sin. And so hopefully over time, I become less defensive when a brother or sister confronts me about those issues. I often feel like I'm growing at a rate of about 1 mm per year. But I'm growing and I can see what the Lord is doing. It's clear what he's trying to do in my life.
Another way that humility shows up is in the practical steps we take the protections that we build into our life to make it harder for our flesh to win. In Romans 1313 through 14, look at your outlines. This is huge. Paul writes, Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in s*xual purity and promiscuity, not in quarreling and jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's the key.
And make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. Here's what that last phrase means. Don't prepare. Don't set aside supplies to help your flesh sin in the future. If you're on a diet because you want to lose weight, but every week you still go to Walmart and stock up on candy and cake, it's not going to work.
Why? Because you're making provision for the flesh. You're actually planning on failing to such a degree that you're setting aside supplies for that future failure that you're planning on having. I know this might be shocking for some to hear, but when you get married, attractive people don't magically stop being attractive. And I really, really hope that I haven't created tension for some people.
I hope there's no wives in the room that are squeezing their husband's arm right now saying, Is this true? Is this true? Isn't this crazy? So in my life, I have accountability software on every Internet device. I have access to every computer, every phone, every tablet.
And Charlene gets weekly reports of anything that might be concerning. Now, why do I do that? And again, I do that. Charlene doesn't do that. I do that because I don't want to fall into sin.
I don't want to. We all know what it's like to be in bondage to sin. And you know what? I hate it. I hate it because it makes me hate myself.
And it pulls me away from Jesus. And if there's anything I can do to lower the chances of that happening, I want to do it. I know that temptation is going to come and listen when it does. When it does. And even in some of these moments where it's like, oh, I'm going to do that, man, it is such a relief when I remember it's actually not even an option right now.
It's not even an option right now. Listen to me on this. I don't care if it's drugs, alcohol, porn, food, gambling, sex, whatever. If you're not willing to take radical, practical steps to change, you're still playing games. You're playing games.
I don't care how much you talk about wanting to change. I don't care how many life and positive affirming memes you post on social media. I don't even care how many times you break down crying and say, Pray for me. I'm so sorry. I'm repenting.
I've had more than one time when people say, Jeff, you're being legalistic, or other times where I can tell they're thinking it and they just haven't said it. And I work all the time on being a more gracious person, whether you believe that or not. And the Holy Spirit is working even harder on me. But here's the truth. I'm not legalistic.
I am just not into playing games. I'm just not into playing. Amen I'm not okay with believers playing make believe and ending that we can pick up fire, put it on our lap, and somehow not be burned. To paraphrase Parv 6/27, I care too much about people, too much about the Church, too much about the reputation of Jesus to turn a blind eye. And I know BJ feels the same way.
And if you're a member of Gospel City, we will not turn a blind eye. If you pick up fire and put it in your lap, we're going to say, what the flip are you doing? With fire in your lap? You're going to get burned. And here's the key.
We hope that you would do the same for us because you love us. Now, one more piece of advice in this area. Write this down. The time to build up your defenses is when there's a lull in the fighting. The time to build up your defenses is when there's a lull in the fighting.
Listen, when the enemy is charging at you, that's not the time to say, we better build a wall. It's too late. Take action. Build up some protections. Clean out the trash when there's a lull in the fighting.
In other words, act when you feel motivated. Don't come to Church. Get convicted by the Holy Spirit during the worship time. Cry and say, I'm done with that, Lord, and then go home and say, I will make those changes tomorrow. Don't do it.
Do it ASAP. Be ruthless in your battle against the flesh. Identify things in your life that are making provision for the flesh and deal with them as quickly as possible. Almost every pastor who falls into moral failure will have a track record of making provision for the flesh, making provision for the flesh, and it gets identified after the matter far too late. I think of David watching Bathsheba bathe herself from his patio the first time he saw her.
David who's the King should have grabbed somebody and said, Listen, build that woman a roof on her backyard. Heck, build her a whole another house. I don't care what you have to do. You just make sure when I come out on my patio, there's not a naked hot lady over there. Okay, done.
That's what he would he done. But David doesn't do that. He makes provision for the flesh by doing nothing. I am astounded how often pastor who fall into moral failure are surrounded by Christians who seem to have no discernment. I'm being very real here.
No discernment Christians who seem to genuinely believe the pastor when he says, I'm above temptation. I have ascended to a higher level of Holiness. Bless you, my child. Get out of my face.
No one is above temptation, and Jesus is the only one who has successfully resisted all temptation. Let me say that one more time. Jesus is the only one who has successfully resisted all temptation. Again, the ultimate issue is humility brought about by seeing our own sinfulness. Clearly, I'm not legalistic.
I'm just not in denial that I live in flesh that wants to sin. I'm not deluding myself. This is why BJ and I, we don't have our own personal bank accounts or credit cards. We have joint everything with our wives. It would be very, very difficult for me to get my hands on just $300 without Charlene finding out about it.
You better believe it. It's not about legalism or rules. It's about honoring God and protecting the relationships I care about most as much as I can from the destructive power of sin. This is why BJ and I won't ever meet with or counsel a woman alone in their home or in our home or in any closed office. If we meet one on one, it's going to be somewhere public, like a coffee shop.
And even doing that, we won't meet with or counsel the same woman on an ongoing basis. We'll bring in another woman to help or another pastor as well. Now, why is that? Let's talk about how affairs happen 99. 9% of the time.
Here's another shocking statement for those of you who are married. And this one really might take some of you by surprise. Your spouse is not the only person on Earth that you will have chemistry with. This is real. This is real.
A lot of people don't realize this, and that's what makes it so dangerous. But there are other people out there that your personality will just click with. And here's what can happen. People think nobody would ever be interested in me. People know I'm married.
People know I have kids. People know I'm a Christian. And so they don't build any protections into their life to guard against that scenario. And then one day they get into a conversation with someone, usually at work or somewhere they go regularly the gym and the personalities click. And the conversation is just just easy.
And that conversation leads to another conversation and another conversation. Somewhere in there, the conversation becomes increasingly vulnerable and intimate. And then the subject of marriages and relationships come up, and they both share their struggles and frustrations with their current partners. And here's what most people forget about men and women. Most people forget that if there's any type of physical attraction, an emotional connection will naturally progress toward a physical connection over repeated interactions if left unchecked.
I'll say that again. If there's any type of physical attraction and emotional connection will naturally progress toward a physical connection over repeated interactions if left unchecked. If there's no boundaries, no plan BJ. And I don't have safeguards because we're incapable of having a private conversation with any woman without losing control. That's not why it's there.
It's not like we close the door and just turn into raging hormonal animals. That's not the reality at all. Our safeguards are built for the possibility that one day we counsel someone whose personality we have chemistry with because this is real life, okay? This is reality. And if that happens, we want to be doing things in such a way that there's no chance of things going sideways and everybody is protected.
US, them, the Church, the reputation of Jesus. These protections are for that event. We pray it never happens. But it could. We're not delusional again.
We're not out here playing make believe, pretending this isn't how human beings are. Almost every time a pastor falls into moral failure, there were major warning signs. There were behavioral safeguards that should have been in place but weren't or were just disregarded. The people who could see something was wrong could simply be ignored. Why?
Because there's no plurality of elders, and most people didn't even notice anything was wrong because they believed the pastor when he said, oh, temptation is not an issue for me. I've been walking with the Lord so long. And one quick note on this issue. And Egalitarianism, if you were here when BJ talked about this a few weeks ago, you will recall that in the context of Church leadership, egalitarianism is the view that both men and women are called to be pastors in the Church. And you'll also recall here that at Gospel City, we are complementarian.
We believe that when you look at the Scriptures, God's design assigns men and women equal value, but different roles. And one of the roles that we believe is unique to men is eldership pastoring in the Church. Now, more churches than ever are egalitarian today. And for us, this is not essential doctrine. Like if we meet someone and they're a pastor of a Church and they're like, we're in egalitarian Church, we're not like, you are dead to me.
It's not that. Okay. This for us is not an essential piece of doctrine. We can have fellowship with our egalitarian brothers and sisters. But there's one practical aspect of this that can be dangerous.
It doesn't happen in every Church, but it happens in some egalitarian churches when it comes to safeguarding against moral failure. Because there can be this slightly feminist angle where female pastor will say, there's nothing a male pastor can do that a female pastor can't do. So if a male pastor can counsel a man alone, then a female pastor should be able to counsel a man alone. And if a man can meet with a man behind closed doors, then a female pastor should be able to meet with a man behind closed doors. And if that becomes Church policy, then it just becomes rational.
Well, you have to do it the other way, too. Then a male pastor should be able to meet with a woman behind closed doors. And this ignores the reality of how men and women are wired. You see, whatever your theology is, it has to work with observable reality. Right.
It's like when people say, you know, I just believe if you think positively, everything works out. What's the evidence against that observable reality. Right. And so you can't just create a piece of theology and say, this theology means that if I ever meet someone that I have chemistry with and I spend lots of time with them alone, and attraction will not develop because this is our doctrine doesn't work that way. Observable reality disproves that.
And so if that person is of the opposite sex and there's any physical attraction and play, repeated conversations and interactions can lead to something dangerous. And the danger can be even greater between male and female pastors who are working together in the same Church dealing with intimate issues on a near daily basis. And so whatever your belief is on this issue, if you're an egalitarian, your view and the way your Church operates better incorporate the reality of how men and women are wired. You can't just pretend that because this is our doctrine, men and women function differently in our Church on a biological level. No, they don't.
No, they don't. That would never happen to me. Not a strategy. By the way, we're all Christians here doesn't protect anyone from temptation, sin, and biological attraction. But too often in instances of moral failure, there are few or no safeguards to address these potential issues in egalitarian churches.
And as I said earlier, if someone's absolutely determined to sin, they'll find a way. And so what we hope for in that situation is a structure that will see the sin lovingly expediently biblically and transparently confronted and the Church body protected. So write this down. The final layer of protection I want to talk about is a biblically literate congregation and Church culture. A biblically literate congregation and Church culture.
And I know we got a lot today, but hang with me. This is important. You know, it is amazing. This is my observation of Church, not this Church, but the Church in general. It is amazing what you can get away with as a pastor when your people don't know the scriptures.
It is astonishing what you can get away with. If you want the most glaring example, just go look at what the Catholic Church did for 1000 years when they kept the Bible out of the hands of the common man by translating it into Latin, chaining it to the pulpit, and burning anyone who dared to try to read it on their own. Look at what they did simply because people didn't know the Bible. Firstly, a biblically literate congregation means the Church recognizes scripture as the authority over all of its members, including the pastor, including the elders. It's important because it means when we approach each other about an issue or a sin, we do so based on the scriptures.
It doesn't matter if you're a new believer or a seasoned Satan. It doesn't matter if you're 20 years older than me or 20 years younger than me. If you come to me and say, Jeff, I'm concerned about you because it is written and you share the word with me, I am required to listen humbly and openly because you're not approaching me on the basis of your authority. You're approaching me on the basis of the Word's authority, and I am as under the authority of the Word as you are. Bj is as well.
If you're ever in a Church where the pastor is dismissive when approached on the basis of the Word, be careful, be careful. I'm not saying they have to agree with you. Leave room for the fact you could be wrong, but they must take your concern seriously. And if scripture is black and white on an issue, they are not to ignore it. Now, that standard alone doesn't mean much, though.
If your Church is not teaching the Word of God, it's not really a layer of protection. If you say we're all under the authority of the Word of God, but also we're not really going to teach you the Word of God, people won't even know what's in the Word. It's a meaningless thing. Scripture is a layer of protection for a Church when it teaches its people expositionally. So that means verse by verse from the Word, even the difficult and awkward parts of Scripture with no personal agenda.
And when Scripture is taught well, people don't only learn the Word, they learn how to learn the Word, and people learn how to study it for themselves. And most importantly, they also learn that they can go to the Scriptures for answers and for clarity when they have a concern. There are so many issues with Church leaders that could be avoided if believers just knew that the Bible actually lists qualifications for an elder. Qualifications for a pastor. We don't have time to dig into it in this message, but if you want to read those qualifications for yourselves later, the reference is on your outline.
The people generally don't know how to go to the Word. They don't know how to compare it to their pastor's behavior and identify glaring issues. There are so many things I've heard and read about pastors doing and getting away with that have made me think I could never get away with that a Gospel city because too many of our people know the Word. They would see something as off, they would raise the issue, and they would be looking at the Bible in black and white, and if we didn't repent, they'd leave. It is a layer of protection to have a biblically literate congregation and Church culture.
Growing in spiritual maturity means your worldview the way you see the world becomes increasingly aligned with scripture. So when it comes to pastor and elders in the Church, the question is the same for me as it is for every other area of life. When it comes to pastors and elders, the question is, what does the Bible say? What does the Bible say? There's a lot I could say, but very quickly I'll highlight a few things you need to know.
Pastors do not have greater access to God than any other genuine Christian. When I pray, God doesn't go everybody else shut up. I got a pastor praying over here. Everything else is going to have to wait. I know your kid has cancer.
I don't care. I got a pastor on the line right now. God responds to my prayers for the same reason he responds to yours because I'm one of his kids. That's it. Paul says in Ephesians Four, there's one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope at your calling.
There's one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. You need to know that pastors do not serve as a bridge between you and God. You can go straight to God through Jesus. One Timothy says, there's one God and mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. Pastors and elders are meant to be a gift to the Church body.
Paul explains this as well. In Ephesians Four, he says, and he himself that's Jesus gave as gifts to the Church, some to be Apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and some teachers. Why did God give these people to the Church? Paul says, to equip the Saints for the work of Ministry, to build up the body of Christ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God's Son. Growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ's Fullness the goal of the pastor is not to be the visionary who's the visionary of the Church that's Jesus and the vision is called the Great Commission, St.
Matthew 2000 and 819 and 20. End of discussion. The purpose of all these gifts to the Church is to teach and disciple and encourage the Church body to grow into maturity with the goal of becoming more like the pastor. Oh, wait, no. The goal is to become more like Jesus.
He is the goal for the pastor and the parishioner alike. Paul goes on and says, Then we will no longer be little children tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning and cleverness and the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head Christ. From him the whole body fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.
You should find yourself growing in spiritual maturity. You should find yourself being sanctified, becoming more like Jesus. Nowhere in the Bible's description of a pastor does it say he needs to be funny. He needs to be entertaining. He needs to be able to spin a good yarn, needs to be able to make you feel good about yourself, tell you what you want to hear.
He needs to fit the physical appearance of what you think a pastor should look like. It's not in there. I'll wrap up with this BJ and I try to be very open about who we really are, and we both understand that some people will meet us, some people will see us and think they don't look very pastoral. They don't dress very pastor. They sort of joke around like normal people.
I don't see it in a Godly and honest way. We hope to lower your expectations for us. And if you know us, we hope it comes across that we consider ourselves members of gospel city first and elders second. This Church is our family, and our role in this family just happens to be as elders. That's how we get to serve our family for this season of our lives, and it's a joy to do so.
But we both hope that as you grow in your knowledge of the Word and your relationship with Jesus, that you reach the place where all of your hope is in Jesus and all of your faith is built upon Jesus. Because if any of your hope is in BJ or me, if any of your faith is based upon BJ or me, I promise you will be disappointed. I promise. Because no matter what, we will let you down at some point, probably more than once, we will not reach out at a time when you thought we should have. We will ask a question or say something that's offensive.
We'll make a decision you don't agree with. That will happen. That absolutely will happen. And if your faith is devastated, I don't know if I can believe in God. If your faith is devastated due to us, then it means your faith wasn't placed where it should be in Jesus.
Now listen, when a pastor or leader falls, it's okay to be disappointed in them. It's okay to be hurt. It's okay to grieve. But it's not okay to be disappointed in God because he has nothing to do with their failure. He has never failed you.
He never will. That's why he's God, and that's why we call Him Good, because he's the only one who's truly good. Put your faith in God if you've been hurt or disappointed by Church leadership that's but if there's bitterness or unforgiveness forgive. Let it go. Let it go.
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We thank Thee each morning for a new born day
Where we may work the fields of new mown hay
We thank Thee for the sunshine and the air that we breathe
Oh Lord, we thank Thee
Thank Thee for the rivers that run all day
Thank Thee for the little birds that sing along the way
Thank Thee for the trees and the deep blue sea
Oh Lord, we thank Thee
Oh yes, we thank Thee, Lord, for every flower that blooms
Birds that sing, fish that swim and the light of the moon
We thank Thee every day as we kneel and pray
That we were born with eyes to see these things
Thank Thee for the fields where the clover is grown
Thank Thee for the pastures where cattle may roam
Thank Thee for Thy love so pure and free
Oh Lord, we thank Thee
Oh yes, we thank Thee, Lord, for every flower that blooms
Birds that sing, fish that swim and the light of the moon
We thank Thee every day as we kneel and pray
That we were born with eyes to see these things[
Jim Reeves
One night a sleepy little boy knelt beside my bed
He smiled and looked into my eyes and this is what he said
Daddy my daddy you've taught me lots today
So daddy my daddy teach me how to pray
You brought me home a brand new kite showed me how to fly
And there ain't no wonder kid who's dad can knock a ball so high
I'd like to thank God for you but I don't know what to say
So daddy my daddy teach me how to pray
I'd had to turn and leave his room he began to cry
I didn't want my boy to know but so did I
His best pal forsaken him but what was there to say
For daddy yes daddy had forgotten how to pray
(Daddy my daddy teach me how to pray)
Source: LyricFind
If I have wounded some poor soul today,
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own willful way,
Dear Lord, forgive.
If I have uttered idle words in vain,
If I have turned aside from want or pain,
Lest I offend some other through the strain,
Dear Lord, forgive.
Forgive these sins I have confessed to Thee,
Forgive the secret sins I do not see,
Guide me, love me and my keeper be,
Dear Lord, forgive...
Jesus is our only mediator.
When you pray expect an answer it may not come in the time you would like it to be but be assured it will come. The important part is that you are in the expecting mode as often someone prays and then forgets about it and so may miss the answer.
Hudson Talor a famous preacher said; Lord that you will answer my prayer I know.
What fascinates me always is how you will answer.
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Virgin Mary
Chosen by God? Yes.
Favored by God? Yes.
Honorable? Yes.
Virtuous woman of character and integrity? Yes.
The only woman in the history of the world to give birth as a virgin? Yes.
Deserving to be celebrated during the Christmas season? Yes.
Worthy to be held in high esteem? Yes.
Worthy to be worshipped or prayed to? Nope.
Mary was highly favored by God but was never intended to be a mediator between us and God.
4 REASONS YOU SHOULD NOT PRAY TO MARY
1. THERE IS ONLY ONE MEDIATOR
1 Timothy 2:5 says, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
This confirms we don’t need a “go-between.” We don’t need a middle-man (or woman) beyond Christ.
When Jesus died, shed His blood, and was raised from the dead the need to have someone (e.g. high priest) represent us was ripped away just like the curtain that tore from top to bottom.
2. GOD ALONE SHOULD BE WORSHIPPED
Luke 4:8 says, Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
Praying to Mary and/or any living or deceased saints is an act of worship…which is reserved for God alone.
When Jesus prayed(Matthew 6:7-13) He began with, “Our Father in Heaven.” No where in Scripture is it suggested that we pray to Mary or any other deceased saints.
3. MARY WORSHIPPED JESUS AS GOD
In Acts 1 the disciples and about 120 believers were in an upper room waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit. Guess who was present with them? Mary.
What was she doing? Praying.
Acts 1:14 says, They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.
It’s important to note that the apostles weren’t praying to Mary as a go between. She was joined with them in prayer…to GOD.
4. MARY WAS A SINNER IN NEED OF A SAVIOR
According to Psalm 51:5 we are all born as sinners in need of a Savior, Mary included.
The Bible is about JESUS, after all Jesus is the Living Word (John 1:14). The Old Testament points to JESUS. The New Testament is about Jesus. The authors of the four Gospels saw JESUS as the central figure and only mention Mary in reference to JESUS. The word “Jesus” is mentioned 1,478 times in the New Testament. The word “Mary” is only mentioned 55 times and some of those are in reference to Mary Magdalene. Also, Jesus is referenced in 26 of 27 New Testament books.
I was discussing this with my friend Mike last night and he simply added, “She can’t hear you.” Good answer. Only God can hear all of our prayers as He is the only one omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
Mary was not even recognized in Scripture as a leader in the early Church. Peter is the one who stood up, addressed the crowd, and preached in Acts 1, not Mary.
JESUS is the only Way, Truth, and Life. No one can come to the Father, except through JESUS.
Let me end by saying this blog post is not to attack one’s belief system or even ridicule it for that matter. My purpose is to educate and communicate what Scripture teaches. After all, we have a responsibility as believers to weigh everything we believe and teach against the inerrant Word of God.
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Prof. Johan Malan, University of the North, South Africa
Petra, meaning “Rock” in Greek, is a deserted city south of the Dead Sea in Jordan. In antiquity it was known as Seir, metropolis of the Edomites. In later times, the Nabateans settled in the mountain stronghold of the dislodged Edomites and called their capital Petra. The city is situated in a rift valley which extends from the Kidron Valley in Jerusalem through the Dead Sea and further south. Indications are that an earthquake and volcanic activity occurred here, forming a big canyon with rocky ravines and steep cliffs. The remains of the spectacular city consist of temples, tombs and dwellings carved out of the sandstone cliffs. The only entrance to the city is through a narrow gorge almost two kilometres in length, which can easily be guarded and even blocked if necessary, thus rendering Petra a very safe refuge.
An impressive scene greets the traveller when the multi-coloured sandstone formations of the most famous ghost town in the world looms up before him. Added to this is the mystery of the city’s history as well as the expectation that, according to Revelation 12:6, it might serve as a refuge to a remnant in Israel when the Antichrist will order the worldwide genocide of Jews, lasting for the last 3½ years of the tribulation period. Despite the absolute desolation of Petra its role in history is not yet past.
South of the narrow gorge that offers access to Petra is a valley of between 1½ and 5 kilometres wide. About 3 kilometres south of the entrance to Petra is the Fountain of Moses (Ain Musa). During their journey through the wilderness Moses led the Israelites along this valley to the gates of Petra. From that point, they intended passing through Edom’s territory on their way to the Promised Land, but the hostile Edomites twice refused their request.
Jacob and Esau
The intense hostility between Israel and Edom originated in the history of Jacob and Esau, as Esau was the founding father of the Edomites. In Genesis 25, we read about the twins to whom Rebecca gave birth: “And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. Afterwards his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob… So the boys grew. And Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents… Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary. Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, Sell me your birthright as of this day. And Esau said, Look, I am about to die; so what profit shall this birthright be to me… So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright” (Gen. 25:25-34).
“So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom. And this is the genealogy of Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir” (Gen. 36:8-9). Esau indeed lived by his sword as Isaac had told him. He moved from Hebron to Seir, which was later called Petra, and also took possession of the whole region that was to become known as Edom. He first had to conquer the giants who lived there: “The Emim had dwelt there in times past, people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. They were also regarded as giants, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim. The Horites formerly dwelt in Seir, but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their place” (Deut. 2:10-12).
The only thing that we read to Esau’s credit in Genesis 32 and 33 is that he received Jacob and his followers friendly and allowed them safe passage to Canaan. But Esau is not mentioned among the Old Testament’s heroes of faith. Instead, we are warned against his profane conduct: “…looking diligently lest anyone should fall short of the grace of God… lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterwards, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears” (Heb. 12:15-17). Esau had exchanged his eternal inheritance for temporal gain and his life ended in wickedness.
Esau was called “Edom” and Jacob “Israel.” They both became founders of great nations.
Hostility of the Edomites
The Edomites were warlike, preferring to fight their neighbours rather than living in peace (Gen. 27:40; Deut. 2:12).
The Edomites were idolatrous (2 Chron. 25:14). Esau had a shallow faith and neither by precept or example did he lead his people to believe in God and seek His will. As a consequence, the Edomites forsook the God of Esau’s father, Isaac, and worshipped other gods. On the high places in Petra, the sacrificial altars are still preserved. The Edomite priests would take young virgins, burn them on the altars, and then scatter their ashes from the cliffs over the city.
The Edomites were proud and arrogant. Because of this, God would cast them down from their mountain fortress and make it as desolate place: “Your fierceness has deceived you, the pride of your heart, o you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill! Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there, says the Lord. Edom also shall be an astonishment; everyone who goes by it will be astonished and will hiss at all its plagues. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbouring cities, says the Lord, no one shall abide there, nor shall a son of man dwell in it” (Jer. 49:16-18).
The Edomites were vindictive and never missed an opportunity to torment Israel when they were unable to defend themselves. “Thus says the Lord God: Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them… I will lay my vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury” (Ezek. 25:12,14).
There is a long history of severe hostility between Esau’s descendants and Israel. During Israel’s journey through the wilderness they wished to pass through Edom’s territory: “Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. Thus says your brother Israel… now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border. Please let us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards… we will go along the King’s Highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory. Then Edom said to him, You shall not pass through my land, lest I came out against you with the sword… Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory” (Num. 20:14-21).
The Edomites continued to plague Israel. Four hundred years later, the Edomites were still fighting Israel. According to 1 Samuel 14, Saul led Israel against Moab, Ammon and Edom, and overcame them. After another two hundred years, during the reign of Jehoshaphat of Judah, the Moabites, Ammonites and the Edomites again joined forces in an effort to utterly destroy every Jew in the land. The combined armies, led by a force from Petra, camped on Mount Olivet with the intention of crossing over the Kidron Valley the next day and attacking Jerusalem.
The name “Jehoshaphat” in Hebrew means “God judged.” A Levite by the name of Jehaziel informed Jehoshaphat that because he had turned to God for help, the armies of Edom, Ammon and Moab would be destroyed in the Kidron Valley without the loss of a single man to Israel (2 Chron. 20:15-17). The enemy forces were seized with terror, panic-stricken from the Lord, and killed one another: “The people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another” (2 Chron. 20:23).
“When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewellery, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much” (2 Chron. 20:25).
The prophet Joel referred to the destruction of the enemies of Israel under the leadership of the Edomites from Petra during the reign of Jehoshaphat as a type, or example, of what will happen at the battle of Armageddon: “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations… Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:12,14).
Again, the enemy forces will kill one another: “And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet… It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbour, and raise his hand against his neighbour’s hand; Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together: gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance” (Zech. 14:12-14).
After their defeat in the time of Jehoshaphat, the Edomites recovered again and continued with their hostilities against Israel. According to Psalm 137, the inhabitants of Petra and Edom aided Babylon in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and even begged the Babylonians to level Jerusalem to its foundations so that it would never rise again. The psalmist says: “Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, who said, Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation!” (Ps. 137:7). During the Babylonian captivity, the Edomites continued to attack and rob the Jews who remained in Jerusalem and Judea.
The Edomites were later driven from Seir. The Nabateans then occupied Seir and called it Petra. During the time of the Greek Empire they survived two attacks against them, but during the Roman Empire they were conquered and became dispersed in the surrounding Arab world. Petra then became a deserted place that was, from generation to generation, not inhabited by people, but only by owls, crows and wild animals (Is. 34:5,10-15). This situation prevailed for many centuries, and the Edomites themselves never occupied Petra again.
Just prior to and during New Testament times, the Edomites still played a very subversive role in Israel.” Idumea” is the Greek version of the Hebrew name “Edom.” Since that time, the Edomites were also referred to as Idumeans. In 125 BC, the Idumeans were conquered by the Jews and many of them forced to be circumcised, thereby accepting the Jewish religion and becoming proselytes. Among them there were willing minions of the Roman Empire, who were prepared to assist the Romans in oppressing the Jews. The most prominent Idumean family was that of Herod the Great.
Herod became king over the Jewish territories after his father, Antipater, was killed in 43 BC. The Romans authorised his installation as king. Herod was a cruel man who even ordered the murder of some of his wives and children. In order to win the favour of the Jews he built the temple in Jerusalem, which was known as the temple of Herod. This wicked Edomite, Herod, ordered the death of all Jewish boys under the age of two years in an effort to kill Jesus. Matthew 2 relates the incident of the wise men from the east coming to pay tribute to the King of the Jews who would be born during those days. Herod was greatly disturbed by this news as he saw the birth of such a person as a threat to his own kingdom. That gave rise to his insane fury that was unleashed against the young Jewish boys in order to destroy their new king.
Herod Antipas, one of the successors of Herod the Great, had John the Baptist beheaded in prison. Pontius Pilate sent Jesus to Herod to take jurisdiction over the case in which Jesus was accused by the Jews. It was within this Edomite’s power to set Jesus free, but we read in Luke 23:11-12: “Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for before that day they had been at enmity between themselves.” Their friendship was based on their common betrayal of Jesus. Herod displayed the typical Edomitish spirit which induced many people to walk the way of sin and the despising of Israel and their God – the Holy One of Israel.
God’s choosing of Jacob and His rejection of Esau had nothing to do with predestination, but was based on His foreknowledge of what their descendants would do. “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? says the Lord. Yet Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness.” Esau and his people have decided for themselves not to serve the Lord.
In spite of the destiny of Edom and Israel as distinct peoples, individual members of these two nations still had the choice whether they would serve God or the devil. As for the chosen people, Israel, the Bible says: “But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness” (1 Cor. 10:5). During the time of the Messiah, most of the Jews betrayed and rejected Him to their own spiritual downfall and eternal ruin. In contrast with their reaction, there were quite a number of Edomites among the followers of Jesus as God shows no partiality: “But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan” (Mk. 3:7-8). Individuals are not accepted or rejected because of the decisions and deeds of their forefathers, but on the basis of their own faith in or rejection of the Lord Jesus. But the destiny of nations is to a great extent determined by the religious convictions, policies and actions of their leaders and governments. In cases of national apostasy, the faithful minority often suffers at the hands of the unfaithful majority and may even be persecuted by them.
Jacob, the lineage from which Jesus was born, obtained Esau’s birthright when he despised it. Among Esau’s descendants there were many vindictive enemies of Israel, and specifically also of Jesus Himself. Because of this, the Edomites brought the anger of God upon themselves. Many of them intermarried with the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham’s son with an Egyptian maid, and thus became assimilated among the other enemies of Israel. Today they are, as members of various Arab nations who descended from Esau and Ishmael, still engaged in wars and a relentless campaign of hatred against Israel.
God acted in righteousness when He gave the birthright of the unfaithful Esau to Jacob. Righteousness will also be done by using Edom’s deserted mountain fortress as a safe refuge for the fugitive Jews during the great tribulation. God destroyed Edom as an independent nation because of their idolatry and rebellion against Him. That is the reason why their safe fortress in the mountains became a ghost town. It is quite probable that here, in the deserted Negev desert close to modern Israel’s border, God will protect a remnant of Israel against the attacks of the Antichrist and his anti-Israeli forces.
End-time trouble for Israel
Israel’s expected flight to Petra during the second half of the tribulation period should be understood in the light of the fact that, in the end-time, great distress because of worldwide persecution will befall Israel and enfold them like a dark cloud. Daniel says: “At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered… It shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished… And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be 1290 days. Blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1335 days” (Dan. 12:1,7,11,12).
The prophet Daniel describes the last 70 year-weeks (490 prophetic years of 360 days each) that will pass in the history of Israel before they enter the time of everlasting righteousness (Dan. 9:24-27). Of this period, 69 year-weeks (483 years) have passed between the decree by Artaxerxes in the year 445 BC that Jerusalem was to be rebuilt (Neh. 2:1-8), and the death of Jesus on the cross in AD 32. Then the clock stopped ticking for Israel as a nation in the divine plan of God, and the time for the evangelisation of the non-Jewish world began. That meant that Israel would temporarily lose its position as a unique people and representative of God, and that all people on earth, including the dispersed Israelites, would be given the chance to accept the Lord Jesus as Messiah and enter the church and kingdom of God.
At the start of the 70th year-week of seven years, Israel will enter into a covenant with the false messiah (Antichrist). Daniel 9:27 reads: “Then he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.” The false messiah will be endowed with all of Satan’s powers of deception (Rev. 12:9; 13:2), and will use these powers to perform astounding “signs and lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9) to deceive Israel and the nations into concluding a covenant with him.
Halfway through the seven year period, Israel and the whole world will be shocked out of the false sense of peace that they have enjoyed for three and a half years: ...and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate; until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator (Dan. 9:27; Amplified Bible). “And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation” (Dan. 11:31). The true Messiah described this time of terror in His prophetic discourse:
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoever readeth, let him understand): then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains: let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: neither let him who is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe to those who are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved” (Mt. 24:15-22; KJV).
This flight is also described in Revelation 12, where Israel is likened to a married woman with child. This metaphor is different to that used for the church, which is portrayed as a betrothed virgin in 2 Corinthians 11:2, who will be the bride of Christ. Israel is described as a woman who was chosen by God and through whom His Son, Jesus Christ, was born in the flesh. In Isaiah 54:5, God says about her: “For your Maker is your Husband, the Lord of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.” Within this perspective, the following Scripture from Revelation 12 should be quite clear:
“Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars… And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns… And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born [Herod was used by Satan for this purpose when he ordered the killing of Jewish boys under the age of two – Mt. 2:16]. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and to His throne [The Ascension]. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there 1260 days [the future flight to Petra]” (Rev. 12:1-6).
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven: Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down… Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Rev. 12:7-12).
“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time [3½ years], from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth” (Rev. 12:13-16).
These ominous events will occur during the last 3½ years of the tribulation period, described as the great tribulation. This second part of the tribulation will last for 1260 days, constituting 42 prophetic months of 30 days each. It is also described as time, times and a half time, alluding to seasonal years, hence referring to a year, two years and half a year. That is exactly the same as 42 months or 1260 days. At the start of this period, Israel will withdraw from the Antichrist’s new world order because they will refuse to worship him as God.
In consequence, the Antichrist will try to annihilate all Jews, thereby necessitating their sudden flight from Jerusalem and surrounding Jewish territories. By divine intervention Israel will be protected from being overtaken and annihilated by the Antichrist and his satanic forces. An earthquake may occur in which a large crevasse is formed which will swallow or stop the pursuing ground forces of the Antichrist, which could be a parallel with the destruction of Pharaoh’s forces during Israel’s exodus from Egypt.
Zechariah refers to this time of great tribulation among the Jews, in which two-thirds of them will die and only a third will manage to escape to a safe refuge in the mountains – most likely Petra: “And it shall come to pass that in all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined… They will call on my Name and I will answer them. I will say, This is My people” (Zech. 13:8-9). During World War II, 60% of the Jews in Europe died, but in the coming great tribulation the death toll will even be higher. The coming tribulation will, therefore be the worst in all history – not only for Israel, but also for the unbelieving nations.
Why to Petra?
Although the Bible does not explicitly state that a remnant in Israel will escape to Petra, this possibility is strongly implied by historical events, circumstantial evidence, and a prophecy about Jordan’s position in the tribulation period. Jews who would flee by foot from Jerusalem to the mountains will, in the interest of their own safety, not go in the direction of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria or the Mediterranean Sea. The invading forces of the Antichrist will come from these directions, and be easily able to encompass and destroy fugitive Jews who might venture into these regions. They will also refrain from going east in the direction of Amman in Jordan, as this area has good access roads on which enemy forces will be able to move quickly in pursuit of the “rebels.” The only reasonably safe area to move into would be the mountains along the shores of the Dead Sea – the highest and most inaccessible mountains being south of the Dead Sea at Petra.
According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, groups of Jews fled to Edom and Petra during the Babylonian invasion of Judah in die sixth century BC, when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. When the Romans destroyed the city and the temple in 70 AD, many Jews fled to the mountains along the Dead Sea. A number of them made a futile last stand on a mountaintop at Masada. Others moved further to Bozrah and Petra south of the Dead Sea.
In the middle of the tribulation period when the Antichrist will declare himself to be God in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, the Jews In Israel will be in a weakened position. According to Daniel 9:27 and John 5:43, they will have concluded a covenant with the false messiah at the beginning of this seven year-period. In terms of this agreement they will either be disarmed or be asked to transfer their military forces and weapons to an international peacekeeping force. Furthermore, they will be persuaded to make room for the Palestinians by dividing their land. In exchange for these concessions, their safety will be guaranteed by the false messiah (Antichrist), and they will also be allowed to build their temple in Jerusalem. Being initially under the false impression that the Antichrist is the true Messiah, they will not hesitate to transfer all governmental control to him.
When Israel commit treason against the Antichrist as the self-declared God of this world in the middle of the tribulation period, they will have no military, humanitarian or logistical support of any nature. They will have to flee by foot, without food and other provisions for the journey, and with only the clothes on their bodies. Given these particular circumstances, it is evident that their destination could not be very far. Petra is about 220 kilometres southeast of Jerusalem. Although it will be a difficult journey, it is not too far for pedestrians. It should further be taken into account that the Lord will cleave the earth behind them, thus preventing the progress of the false messiah’s forces. This flight reminds strongly of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, when the forces of Pharaoh were cut off and destroyed at the Red Sea by the Lord. He then cared for His liberated people in the wilderness, which means that He will also fulfil the end-time fugitives’ needs of food and water. It is clearly stated that a remnant in Israel will be “nourished for a time and times and half a time” (Rev. 12:14).
It is quite possible that the end-time Jewish fugitives will pray the prayer of Psalm 60:9-12, “Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?… Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.”
The Battle of Armageddon;
When the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, returns at the end of the great tribulation, the battle of Armageddon will reach its peak. The Antichrist, the false prophet, the kings of the earth and their armies will be gathered together to make war against Jesus Christ and His heavenly army (Rev. 19:19). The antichristian armies will be deployed in various places in a concerted effort to obliterate the remaining Jews, and also to fight against their coming Messiah. According to Zechariah 12 and 14, many of them will be positioned in and around Jerusalem, as they will know that Jesus will set foot on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4). Joel 3 says that there will be a large concentration of troops in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, which is the Kidron Valley between the Old City and the Mount of Olives. Revelation 16:16 states that there will also be a great mustering of multi-national forces in the Valley of Megiddo in Northern Israel. Isaiah 63 says that the southern flank of the troops will reach Bozrah, south of the Dead Sea, before they will be stopped in their tracks. Bozrah is 40 kilometres southeast of the Dead Sea, about halfway between the Dead Sea and Petra. The southern divisions of the Antichrist’s forces will probably be on their way to destroy the remnant of Israel in their mountain fortress in Petra.
The remnant of Israel will be hated and utterly forsaken by all their former friends and allies, with the result that nobody will come to their rescue when the false messiah and his world powers will set out to destroy them. Their Messiah, Jesus Christ, will come to their salvation on the critical moment, and destroy their enemies. The southern vanguard of the enemy forces will be stopped only 40 kilometres from Petra. The enemies of God and of Israel will be killed with the sword that proceeds from the mouth of Him who sits on the horse. And all the birds will be filled with their flesh (Rev. 19:21). The Mount of Olives, where Jesus will first set foot, will cleave into two halves. This mountain will also offer a place of refuge to Jews who are pursued by their enemies: “Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, the king of Judah. Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You” (Zech. 14:5).
Immediately after the coming of the Messiah there will be a period of extended mourning in Israel, in which they will confess and forsake their sins with tears of true repentance. “In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem… And the land shall mourn, every family by itself… In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. It shall be in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered” (Zech. 12:11–13:2). The period of national mourning will probably last for 30 days, as was customary in Israel after the death of great leaders such Moses and Aaron (Num. 20:29; Deut. 34:8).
In his schedule of end-time events, Daniel also made provision for Israel’s mourning of 30 days after the coming of the Messiah at the end of the great tribulation, by adding it to the 1260 days of the second half of the tribulation period: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be 1290 days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to 1335 days” (Dan. 12:11-12).
The following sequence of events is evident from this scripture: From the time when the false messiah abolishes the sacrificial service and profanes the sanctuary by placing an image of himself in the Holy of holies, 1 260 days will elapse until the coming of the Messiah on the Mount of Olives (Dan. 9:27; Rev 13:5). During this time, a remnant in Israel will have fled to Petra. After a further thirty days of mourning, the spiritual reconciliation between the Messiah and the remnant of Israel will be completed. By then, 1 290 days will have elapsed since the false messiah’s self-deification in the temple.
Sources
Hutchings, N.W. 1983 : Petra in History and Prophecy. Oklahoma City: The Southwest Radio Church.
The miracle of the table cloth;
At Christmas time men and women everywhere gather in their churches to wonder anew at the greatest miracle the world has ever known. But the story I like best to recall was not a miracle — not exactly. It happened to a pastor who was very young but his church was very old.
Once long ago it had flourished. Famous men had preached from its pulpit and prayed before its altar. Rich and poor alike had worshipped there and built it beautifully. Now the good days had passed from the section of town where it stood. But the pastor and his young wife believed in their run-down church. They felt that with paint, hammer, and faith they could get it in shape. Together they went to work.
However late in December a severe storm whipped through the river valley and the worst blow fell on the little church — a huge chunk of rain-soaked plaster fell out of the inside wall just behind the altar. Sorrowfully the pastor and his wife swept away the mess but they couldn’t hide the ragged hole. The pastor looked at it and had to remind himself quickly, “Thy will be done!” But his wife wept, “Christmas is only two days away!”
That afternoon the dispirited couple attended an auction held for the benefit of a youth group. The auctioneer opened a box and shook out of its folds a handsome gold and ivory lace tablecloth. It was a magnificent item, nearly 15 feet long; but it, too, dated from a long vanished era. Who, today, had any use for such a thing?
There were a few halfhearted bids. Then the pastor was seized with what he thought was a great idea. He bid it in for $6.50. He carried the cloth back to the church and tacked it up on the wall behind the altar. It completely hid the hole! And the extraordinary beauty of its shimmering handwork cast a fine, holiday glow over the chancel. It was a great triumph. Happily he went back to preparing his Christmas sermon.
Just before noon on the day of Christmas Eve as the pastor was opening the church, he noticed a woman standing in the cold at the bus stop. “The bus won’t be here for 40 minutes!” he called and invited her into the church to get warm. She told him that she had come from the city that morning to be interviewed for a job as governess to the children of one of the wealthy families in town but she had been turned down. A war refugee, her English was imperfect.
Part two;
“It is mine!” she said. “It is my banquet cloth!” She lifted up a corner and showed the surprised pastor that there were initials monogrammed on it. “My husband had the cloth made especially for me in Brussels! There could not be another like it!”
For the next few minutes, the woman and the pastor talked excitedly together. She explained that she was Viennese, that she and her husband had opposed the Nazis and decided to leave the country. They were advised to go separately. Her husband put her on a train for Switzerland. They planned that he would join her as soon as he could arrange to ship their household goods across the border.
She never saw him again. Later she heard that he had died in a concentration camp.
“I have always felt that it was my fault—to leave without him,” she said. “Perhaps these years of wandering have been my punishment!”
The pastor tried to comfort her, urged her to take the cloth with her. She refused. Then she went away.
As the church began to fill on Christmas Eve, it was clear that the cloth was going to be a great success. It had been skillfully designed to look its best by candlelight.
After the service, the pastor stood at the doorway; many people told him that the church looked beautiful. One gentle-faced, middle-aged man—he was the local clock-and-watch repairman—looked rather puzzled.
“It is strange,” he said in his soft accent. “Many years ago, my wife—God rest her—and I owned such a cloth. In our home in Vienna, my wife put it on the table”—and here he smiled—“only when the bishop came to dinner!”
The pastor suddenly became very excited. He told the jeweler about the woman who had been in church earlier in the day.
The startled jeweler clutched the pastor’s arm. “Can it be? Does she live?”
Together the two got in touch with the family who had interviewed her. Then, in the pastor’s car, they started for the city. And as Christmas Day was born, this man and his wife—who had been separated through so many saddened Yuletides—were reunited.
To all who heard this story, the joyful purpose of the storm that had knocked a hole in the wall of the church was now quite clear. Of course, people said it was a miracle, but I think you will agree it was the season for it!
“The Gold & Ivory Tablecloth” ...part 3
Originally Published: November 13, 2012
Reader's Digest
Originally Published in Reader's Digest
The Great Pyramid is said to contain many prophecies.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2018
John Van Auken
Ancient Mysteries
The Great Pyramid in Egypt is the only surviving member of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.” The other six wonders were the Colossus of Rhodes, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis (Diana) at Ephesus, and the Lighthouse at Alexandria.
Even in the modern world of today, the Great Pyramid on the Giza Plateau is a marvel of design and engineering. Sir Flinders Petrie (1853-1942), an English archaeologist known as the “father of modern Egyptology” wrote: “The pavement, lower casing and entrance passage are exquisitely wrought; in fact, the means employed for placing and cementing the blocks of soft limestone, weighing a dozen or twenty tons each, with such hair-like joints, are almost inconceivable at present; and the accuracy of the leveling is marvelous. How in the casing of the Great Pyramid, they could fill with cement a vertical joint about 5 feet by 7 feet in area, and only an average one-fiftieth (1/50) part of an inch thick is a mystery. Yet this was the usual work over 13 acres of surface, with tens of thousands of casing stones, none less than a ton in weight.” (30, p. 213) W. Marsham Adams (1838-death date unknown), a British Egyptologist, fellow of Oxford’s New College, wrote: “It is absolutely unique. No other building, it may be safely averred, contains any structure bearing the least resemblance to the upper chambers.”(1, p. 34) Architect James Fergusson (1808-1886), the 1871 recipient of the gold medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects, wrote in his book The History of Architecture (published in 1855) that the Great Pyramid is “the most perfect and gigantic specimen of masonry that the world has yet seen. No one can possibly examine the interior of the Great Pyramid without being struck with astonishment at the wonderful mechanical skill displayed in its construction. The immense blocks of granite brought from Syene [Aswan, in southern Egypt], a distance of 500 miles, polished like glass, are so fitted that the joints can scarcely be detected. Nothing can be more wonderful than the extraordinary amount of knowledge displayed in the construction of the discharging chambers over the roof of the principal apartment, in the alignment of the sloping galleries, in the provision of the ventilating shafts, and in all the wonderful contrivances of the structure. Nothing more perfect, mechanically, has ever been erected since that time.” (18, p. 85)
There is no way to give all of the amazing features, mathematical wonders, and marvelous engineering feats of this pyramid without becoming overwhelmed. And there are plenty of books and Web sites that do this for you. But some of the more mysterious features should be noted here for they lend greater credence to the pyramid prophecy. First among the mind-stretching facts about this wonder is the extraordinary degree of precision found throughout it. The architects and builders were more than the theory of evolution would tolerate, given that everything old is primitive and we today are the apex of evolution. How could ancient primitives conceive of such a structure and then execute the building of it within tolerances that would be very difficult, if not impossible, to recreate today? We have already read the comments and the astonishment of some the experts who studied the edifice in the 1800s. Here are some of the most perplexing and mysterious features:
We have already read a bit about the precision with which the stones were cut and put together, but the cement used to hold these stones in place is unknown to scientifically oriented researchers. Even when our modern labs discovered the elements of the chemical composition of the cement, they were unable to duplicate it! How is this possible? From where did the ancient ones get this cement? How did they produce it, given their primitive conditions in comparison to ours? But wait, there’s more! In 1986 a French research team found sand in a hidden chamber behind the wall of the passageway to the Queen’s Chamber, and when they examined the sand, it was found not to be indigenous to Giza! From where did the ancient ones get this sand? And why would they hide it in a secret chamber? Are they trying to convey some strange message to us? Aren’t we the high point of evolution and science? These two discoveries add to the mystery and wonder of the Great Pyramid and the intentions of its ancient designers and builders.
The red granite coffin (or sarcophagus) in the King’s Chamber is too large to fit through the entrance to this chamber! Did these builders actually build this magnificent chamber around the coffin? If so, why? What purpose could justify adding so much difficulty to building the chamber? One might consider that they wanted to prevent the sarcophagus from ever being taken out of that chamber—but what a feat of engineering and manpower to build the massive chamber around the coffin. And what were they doing with this coffin that never contained a mummy and did not require a lid?
There is growing evidence that the ancient Egyptians could not build this pyramid. It’s true! Attempts have been made to prove that the pyramid could be constructed using known ancient Egyptian tools and methods. Egyptologist Dr. Mark Lehner made an attempt with a large group of people, but when the structure that he and his team built reached twenty feet high (six meters), they had to use a truck with a winch to get even the downsized stone blocks out of the quarry.
Excerpted from 2038: The Great Pyramid Timeline Prophecy.
As Mike Dash wrote for Smithsonian magazine in 2011, the reasons for the elaborate system of chambers and passageways, the most complex of any pyramid, remain unknown. The structure is the only one of its time built with tunnels high above ground level.
In 2017, researchers discovered another mysterious void in the pyramid. That chamber measures 98 feet long, and many questions about its purpose remain. Narrowing down what it wasn’t used for may be an easier task. For example, Mohamed Ismail, a spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, dismissed the idea that it could be any sort of hidden or forgotten burial chamber. “If there is another burial chamber, there would have been an entrance to it,” Ismail told Cassandra Santiago and Sarah El Sirgany of CNN in 2017.
Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, thinks that the newly discovered corridor likely helped distribute weight within the massive structure, per Reuters’ Aidan Lewis. After all, the pyramid was made with 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing an average of more than two tons.
I was very intrigued by his telling about the Great Pyramid.
I am now only able to find what he found in his book called;
"The Great Pyramid Prophecy in Stone"
The proplhecies are truly fascinating.