GOD'S FAVOR

When we speak of God's favor, we are not saying that God plays favorites!  Rather, we are talking about a person who chooses to live deliberately in such a way that is pleasing to God.  By exhibiting this faithfulness to God, He responds with favor in their lives - or, we might say, by blessing them!

God honors those who are intentionally faithful in living their lives in a way that is pleasing to Him!  

Do you want the favor and blessing of God in your life?  Live an honorable life heeding the scripture and regarding the principles and guidelines He has laid out so plainly for us in His Word!  

Joseph's storyline may be the best illustration of this in the Bible.

He is an innocent boy who is a bit too self-focused when his brothers fake his death and sell him to a group of traders heading for Egypt.  When they arrive, Joseph is sold to a man named Potiphar who oversees the Pharoah's household.  

As it turned out, GOD was with Joseph and things went very well with him.  He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master.  His master recognized that GOD was with him, saw that GOD was working for good in everything he did.  [Genesis 39:2-3  TM]

This is a picture of the favor of God!

Many are familiar with this story.  Potiphar's wife tries repeatedly to seduce Joseph, but he stands strong seeking to honor Potiphar and God!  Eventually, she grabs him by the coat and insists that he sleep with her.  He leaves his coat in her hand and runs from the house.  Jilted, she screams and claims that he tried to rape her.  Potiphar comes quickly and is naturally furious - believing his wife's report.  He places Joseph in the jail that holds the king's prisoners.  

But there in jail GOD was still with Joseph:  He reached out in kindness to him;  he put him on good terms with the head jailer.  The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners - he ended up managing the whole operation.  The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because GOD was with him;  whatever he did GOD made sure it worked out for the best.   [Genesis 39:21-23  TM]

Wouldn't you like to have that kind of favor working in your life?

Joseph's life is not the only example of God's favor;  there are many others.  When's the last time you read Psalm 1?

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow evil men’s advice, who do not hang around with sinners, scoffing at the things of God. But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely.

They are like trees along a riverbank bearing luscious fruit each season without fail. Their leaves shall never wither, and all they do shall prosper.

But for sinners, what a different story! They blow away like chaff before the wind. They are not safe on Judgment Day; they shall not stand among the godly.

For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men, but the paths of the godless lead to doom.   [TLB}

WHAT WILL OUR HEAVENLY BODY BE LIKE? - PART TWO

This is a really hard topic to just jump into;  there's so much background teaching that lays a foundation for exploring this topic.

For instance, do you realize that to some extent, we are already in heaven?  The Bible teaches that the 'ultimate heaven' will be a renewed earth!  That's right!  This earth will be purged by fire and the 'present heaven' will come down and all people of all time will TOGETHER enter the 'ultimate heaven' AT THE SAME TIME!

It may surprise you then, that this ultimate heaven will be a real, physical place where we will live forever in God's presence in our heavenly bodies.  That's likely different from what you've been taught and believed.  

So, simply acknowledge that a WHOLE LOT of teaching needs to be digested before you are likely to believe what I'm about to share.

But, here goes anyway.

A full understanding of what our heavenly body will be like is largely based on the following verses: 

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when He [Jesus' second coming] appears, we shall be like Him..."             [I John 3:2]

The Lord Jesus Christ...will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.  [Philippians 3:20-21]

I said in the first article that we are given lots of hints in the Bible about heaven.  I also quoted scripture that seems to encourage us to use our imagination and creativity to speculate about heaven.

This being the case, then, what do we know about Jesus' post-resurrection [heavenly] body?  

Fortunately for us, particularly John's and Luke's gospels give us a good amount of information to go on.  

So, what do we know about His resurrected body?

> In Luke 24:39 (NLT), Jesus said to His disciples, “I am not a ghost”.

> Jesus walked and talked and ate on Earth after His resurrection.  (Luke 24:13-35, 41) 

> He was capable of teaching and guiding His disciples after His resurrection.  (Luke 24:13-35)

> His voice and form was the same as it had been before He was crucified.  His body even bore the scars from His wounds!  (John 21:4-19)

> He apparently caught fish and cooked a meal in His resurrected body.  (John 21:4-19)

> He invited others to eat with Him.  (John 21:12)

> He breathed.  (John 20:22)

> His body could be touched.  (John 20:27)

> He had relationships:

            o  with His disciples (Acts 1:4-8)
            o  with Mary Magdalene (John 20:10-18)
            o  with Thomas (John 20:24-29)
            o  with Peter (John 21:15-22)

> He seemed to be able to just appear at certain times.  (John 20:19)      [It could be that some aspects of His resurrection body are unique because of His divine nature;  however, we’ll no doubt have some welcome surprises when we receive our new bodies!]

If you're thinking right now that I'm some kind of heretic teaching unfounded things, consider the major creeds of Christendom:

}   The Larger Westminster Catechism (1647) states:  “The self-same bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls forever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ.”

}    The Westminster Confession, one of the great creeds of the Christian faith, says, “All the dead shall be raised up, with the self-same bodies, and none other.” 

Think about funerals you may have attended where the family and friends accompanied their loved one to the burial site for the 'Committal Service'.  The pastor, at some point, reads:

Inasmuch as Almighty God, in His wise providence, has taken out of the world our deceased brother (sister, or child), we therefore commit this mortal body to the ground, looking for the general resurrection in the last day and the life of the world to come, through our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose second coming in glorious majesty to judge the world, the earth and the sea shall give up their dead;  and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in Him shall be changed, and made like unto His own glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.   

You see, we believe that at the appointed time, our loved one’s body will come together again, be resurrected, and be glorified for an eternal life in the 'ultimate Heaven'!

The implications of all this are fantastic:

• we'll have real, physical bodies that are recognizable.
• we'll enjoy relationships with others who believed and were saved to eternal life.
• we'll eat and enjoy fellowship - even preparing meals (if we like).
• for those interested, you’ll be able to go fishing.
• we'll be able to touch and be touched.

AND SO MUCH MORE...

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

If you were around during the 1980's, you might remember that there was a massive, ongoing discussion and emphasis on the topic of spiritual warfare.  Hundreds of books came out on the topic.  Some were great;  others were misguided and extreme.  Even novels were written to portray the presence of demonic oppression and possession.  Conferences were put together to unpack the essentials of this spiritual conundrum.  

I was leading the church through this era as a fairly young pastor.  It took discernment and wisdom to adhere to the truth and avoid the extremes.  Biblical authenticity was the standard that most of us tried to follow.

But, gradually the topic faded into the background while many of the books were shuffled to back shelves or given away (or thrown away).  A topic that had raged, diminished and has subtly disappeared from the scene.

So, are we to deduce that the issue of spiritual warfare has become null and void?  It's no longer an issue.  It was just one of many hot topics that have dominated the scene for a season of church life, like 

• speaking in tongues
• church growth movement
• praise and worship movement
• small group emphasis
• mega-church movement

It would seem so.

But notice that all of the above still have a place in the broad spectrum of the church today.  There are still churches where people speak in tongues.  Church growth principles are still true and effective when adhered to.  The praise and worship patterns have morphed significantly, but still abound.  Some churches are reemphasizing small groups.  Mega-churches have had to learn to adapt to COVID changes like all churches, but they still exist.

Spiritual warfare truths and principles - those that are based on God's Word - are also still valid and needed.  It is an issue that people deal with every day.  It can take forms as subtle as temptation to as extreme as murderous thoughts.  

Our spiritual enemy will take advantage of every weakness we manifest and exploit it for his destructive mechanisms.  We get no rest from his attempts to control and destroy us.  The more we yield to his manipulations, the more we are likely to continue to yield to them.  

This calls for a decisive, deliberate turning to God for protection, wisdom and moment-by-moment guidance.  The more we rely on God to lead us, the more we are likely to continue to lean on Him for direction and focus in our lives.

There's obviously SO MUCH MORE that could be said;  as indicated earlier, whole books have been written on this topic!  

The frequently used meme of an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other is a reasonable illustration of what we're all dealing with on a day-to-day basis.  For me, it's a daily struggle to make sure that the demon is whispering into my deaf ear!  :-)   You've got to find a way to mute his messages and respond only to the direction of God through His Holy Spirit.  

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,  [II Corinthians 10:3-5  ESV]

KING SAUL'S SAD STORY

This morning I'm captivated with Saul's story of becoming the first king of Israel as recorded in I Samuel 10.  

If you're familiar with this episode, Saul comes off as a bumbling fool who can't find his father's missing donkeys but who seemingly stumbles his way into being anointed king of Israel.  

One reads through these chapters wondering if God made a colossal misjudgment in choosing the wrong man for this monumental job.  

First, Saul can't fulfil the fairly simple assignment of finding his father's donkeys.  Then, he wanders into the town where the prophet Samuel lives - hoping to find an answer to his search.  Next, he winds up being the guest of honor at a feast.  Then, Samuel announces to him privately that he is to be the king of Israel.  On his way home, as predicted by Samuel, he falls into prophesying with a group of prophets.  

Meanwhile, Samuel calls all of Israel together to reveal their first king.  The tribe of Benjamin is chosen.  Saul's family is then chosen.  Kish's family is chosen with Saul being declared to be the new king.  But, where is he?  No one can find him!  After consulting God about Saul's whereabouts, he is found hiding in a pile of baggage and proclaimed king.  

Who's writing this story?  This is craziness.  What kind of leader is this guy going to be - even if he is taller than any other man in Israel?  Plus, immediately there are naysayers who believe this choice is a terrible one.  The only redeeming grace is that God aligned a few brave men behind Saul to support and aid him!  

Did Saul fail to step up to the responsibility God has placed before him?  Did low self-esteem trip him up and limit his capability?  Did his stubbornness and impatience sidetrack him?  It would seem so.  Yet God allowed him to continue as king for a long time – even after ordering Samuel to anoint David as king. Scholars and students alike have debated these issues for centuries.  

If nothing else, it shows us the purity of God's Word.  The faux paus and unrealized potential stories are not purged.  Even a dismal failure like Saul is recorded in lengthy chapters of this book of history.  The Bible doesn't hide the warts - it includes them for all to read and consider.    

To his credit, Saul did have a few victories.  His son, Jonathan, became David's best friend.  His daughter became David's first wife.  He proved himself to be a great fighter.  But he failed to follow and please God.  The most important thing!

WHAT WILL OUR HEAVENLY BODY BE LIKE?

 I've just taken three mornings to read through I Corinthians 15 in The Message Bible.  

A word about The Message Bible:  I know some don't like it.  I understand that.  As a pastor, I have some opinions about it - some favorable, others less so.  

This paraphrase by Eugene Peterson - who, by the way, was a teacher of Greek and Hebrew - is in the language of the 1990's.  It's common and earthy. 

Two things it has done that I appreciate:

1.  It has gotten people to read the Bible!

2.  It has helped us to understand difficult passages.

If, however, your intent is to study the Bible, then use a more trusted version like the New American Standard Version. 

I placed a post on Facebook yesterday about Isaiah 35 where the prophet speculates [under the inspiration of God] about Heaven.  My nephew and I have had a few back-and-forths about that post while I've been reading Paul's clarification about our heavenly bodies in I Corinthians 15.  

Some skeptic is sure to ask, “Show me how resurrection works. Give me a diagram; draw me a picture. What does this ‘resurrection body’ look like?” If you look at this question closely, you realize how absurd it is. There are no diagrams for this kind of thing. We do have a parallel experience in gardening. You plant a “dead” seed; soon there is a flourishing plant. There is no visual likeness between seed and plant. You could never guess what a tomato would look like by looking at a tomato seed. What we plant in the soil and what grows out of it don’t look anything alike. The dead body that we bury in the ground and the resurrection body that comes from it will be dramatically different.  [vs.35-38 TM]

I've probably read at least fifty books about Heaven.  Some are priceless while others are rubbish.  The scriptures say a lot more about Heaven than most of us realize.  Yet, specifics are harder to come by.  We are left to speculate, but that's okay to do.  I Corinthians 2:9 says:  (NASB)

Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.

Then I John 3:2 says:  (TM)

Who knows how we'll end up!  What we know is when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him - and in seeing him, become like him.

You see, the Bible is full of hints.  We have permission to play with those hints and speculate and wonder...

C. S. Lewis did just that!  He speculates about Heaven big time in his series of books, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA.  Others like his friend, J. R. R. Tolkein have done the same.  

In recent years we've had a flurry of books about supposed accounts of visiting Heaven during out-of-body experiences related to 'after death' experiences.  A few have been completely debunked.  I've read several of these.  In my humble opinion, they weigh an ounce while verses from the scripture weigh a ton!  

The more important matter here is one that I think is grossly missed by so many, in spite of the fact that Jesus said it repeatedly.  [John 11:26 NASB]

...everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.

 John 8:51 (NASB)

Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my word he shall never see death.

Paul talks about it later in I Corinthians 15:50-52 (TM):

But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I'll probably never fully understand.  We're not all going to die - but we are all going to be changed.  You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes - it's over.  On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death

What does this "going to be changed" imply?  I love speculating about what this will be like.  My nephew, Marshall, and I have been playing with it.  I know I've probably raised more questions than provided answers, but it's a topic worth thinking about.  

What seems clear is that what looks like death from our living end of things, is not really death.  Rather, a change has taken place!  That person who appears to us to be dead, has - if a believer - been transformed in a moment, the twinkling of an eye, to something NEW!  Something that is in some ways, like Jesus in His resurrected body!  [More about that to come...]

Keep in mind:  these glorious occurrences are only for those who believe.  The destination for those who did not believe is less desirable - certainly to be feared!  We must work while we still can to convince those who don't yet believe to change their hearts and embrace Jesus and His truth!  It's a matter of eternal consequence!

 

 

 

 

 

COWS CAN BE DIRECTED BY GOD

This story comes from I Samuel 6.

Israel went to battle with the Philistines.  The Philistines won and captured the Chest of God!

It caused them lots of problems;  so much grief that they decided to give it back to the Israelites. 

 

To appease the God of Israel the Philistines created five golden tumors, five golden rats and placed them - along with the Chest of God - on a brand-new cart pulled by two cows that had never been harnessed.  

Meanwhile, they locked the cows' calves in a barn.

The Philistine leaders set the cows/cart loose thinking that if the cows went toward Israel, then the God of Israel was indeed leading them.  

This test of God was unlikely to succeed since the cows would surely turn toward the barn where their calves would be bellowing.

But, the cows apparently listened to God and headed straight for the town of Beth Shemish in Israel and stopped in the field - where harvesters were working - of a man named Joshua.!  The people quickly broke up the cart, made a fire of the wood and sacrificed the cows to God as a thank offering!  

God showed His sovereignty over nature by directing these cows where He wanted them to go!  The Philistine leaders learned a valuable lesson about GOD that day!  

Did God really direct these two cows?

Oh yes!  And if they listened to Him and obeyed Him - why don't you?

I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER

 I think we all enjoy seeing the bad guys do something that backfires!

We see that very thing happening toward the end of Matthew 27.  

After Jesus died on the cross, a man only mentioned a few times in the gospels, named Joseph, approached Pilate and asked for permission to claim the body of Jesus.

According to Luke (23:50) this Joseph was actually a member of the Jewish Council (Sanhedrin) who had voted against the decision to have Jesus crucified.  We are also told that he was a wealthy man and a secret follower of Jesus!  

It is likely, that because of these facts, Pilate - probably knowing Joseph - responded favorably to his request.

Joeph's actions are recorded simply:

• Joseph took the body of Jesus
• he wrapped it in clean linens
• he put Jesus' body in his own newly cut tomb
• he rolled a large stone across the entrance

Then he left.  [John's gospel tells us that Nicodemus - also a Sanhedrin member - assisted Joseph in these late afternoon actions.]

But Matthew wants us to know something more:   [27:62-66  TM]

After sundown, the high priests and Pharisees arranged a meeting with Pilate.  They said, "Sir, we just remembered that that liar announced while he was still alive, 'After three days I will be raised.'  We've got to get that tomb sealed until the third day.  There's a good chance his disciples will come and steal the corpse and then go around saying, 'He's risen from the dead.'  Then we'll be worse off than before, the final deceit surpassing the first.

Pilate told them, "You will have a guard.  Go ahead and secure it the best you can."  So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and posting guards.

Woo Hoo for the Pharisees!  They managed to get a Roman seal and a Roman guard set in place to guarantee the authenticity of the resurrection!  No one would ever be able to suggest that the disciples stole the body!  

Matthew is sure to report:   [28:1-4  TM]

After the Sabbath, as the first light of a new week dawned,...the earth reeled and rocked...as God's angel came down from heaven...He rolled back the stone and then sat on it.  Shafts of lightning blazed from him.  His garments shimmered snow-white.  The guards at the tomb were scared to death.  They were so frightened, they couldn't move.

Isn't it just like our God to arrange things so magnificently?  Jesus' tomb ended up - thanks to the Pharisees - being guarded by first-century Navy Seals!  The stone was sealed under Roman authority!  No one would ever effectively be able to question the veracity of Christ's resurrection!  THANKS BE TO GOD!!!!!