Sign of our hope

I have heard people say that they didn't want to have children because of the way the world was heading.  Other people have put their hope in their children.  However, our hope is not in our children but our children are a sign of our hope.  We know that this is our Father's world and He will make all things right some day.
Both Jesus and Moses were born in troubled times.  Both times Satan tried to destroy the male children as he knew that there was a deliverer being born but both times he was unable to thwart God's plans.  Not only was he unable to thwart God's plans but God used it for good.  Moses was taken into the king's palace and given the best possible education. 

A Taste of the Bittersweet

Next Sunday we will begin a new study, a study int he book of Deuteronomy.  I have called it "A Taste of the Bittersweet".   Moses had led the people for forty  years.  He led them from slavery and now they were a nation ready to possess the land that God had promised them.  He was thrilled that they would now cross the Jordan River into the land but the bitter part was that he would not go with them.  One thing kept him from leading the people into the land, he had sinned.  In his anger he struck the rock when God had told him to speak to it.  God still brought out the water but Moses lost the opportunity to lead the people into the land.  As you read through Deuteronomy and as you read in 1 Corinthians we understand that it was more than just a man losing his temper and lashing out but the picture is much bigger than that.  Paul tells us that the Rock was Christ and Christ was only struck once.  Once was sufficient for our sins.  He was crucified once and for all and now we only need to speak to Him, we do not crucify Him again.
Our lessons will begin with Moses and then we will dive into Deuteronomy for some wonderful lessons.  God has much to say to us today through this marvelous book.  This week we will look at the man Moses.

The Stepford Wives

When a tragedy such as the one in Newtown, CT happens people will ask the question "Why?".  Most of the time they want to know how a God of love would allow such a thing to happen.  They want God to stop these events but don't stop me from doing my thing.

We are not Stepford wives.  We are not robots.  The men of Stepford (ironically Stepford is in Connecticut) wanted perfect wives so they were turned into robots.  However, they soon discovered that you cannot have a relationship with a robot.  God did not make us robots.  Yes, He is sovereign and we do know that Romans 8:28 is true but He is not up in heaven acting as a puppet master but rather as a friend, a lover.  We cannot have it both ways.  We cannot be free and be Stepford wives.

More Jars of Clay

A friend of mine pointed out to me this morning that following the reference to the jar of clay that I referred to in the last posting there was a miracle.

After Rebekkah drew water for Abraham's servant and his camels with her jar of clay she agreed to go with him to marry Isaac and she became a valuable link in the promise that God had made to Abraham.

When Aaron gathered the manna and put it in the clay jar it did not go bad like the manna that people gathered for themselves and tried to save.  It is a wonderful picture of Christ in us and we in Christ.  The manna was put into a jar of clay and the jar was placed in the ark.

The widow of Zarephath had food enough for herself, her son and for Elijah.  The widow in Elisha's day was able to pour out enough oil into borrowed jars so that she had enough money to pay her debts and live. 

And so goes the miracles following the jars of clay.  What miracle is following you today?

Jars of Clay

The following is a journal entry from my journal in July 1996.  Since we will be looking at 2 Corinthians 4 tomorrow I thought it would be worth sharing.

Last Sunday a friend of ours preached about jars of clay and once again I was reminded that is how the Apostle Paul refers to our bodies.


I took some time to look at the references to jars in the Bible.

In Genesis 24 Abraham's servant asks Rebekka to give him a drink of water. She takes her jar and not only gives him a drink but also waters his camels. To the servant this showed that she was being led by the Spirit of God.

In Exodus Moses instructed Aaron to put an omar of manna in a clay jar (Exodus 16:33). This manna was to become a treasure in the jar of clay. Manna speaks to us of the Word of God that we are instructed to hide in our hearts.

In Numbers 19:17 Moses again gives the instruction about cleansing an unclean person. The priest is to put ashes from the burnt offering with clean water into a jar and use that for cleansing the unclean person. John tells us that we are cleansed if we confess our sins. The confession is based upon the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ who became our offering for sin.

In 1 Kings 17 we are told how Elijah went to meet a woman from Zarephath who was gathering some sticks of wood to make a fire so she could cook a final meal for her and her son. When she obeyed Elijah she found that the jar that contained the flour did not run out and there was always food for Elijah, the woman and her son. God's Word does not fail. It will not return empty. We cannot exhaust the storehouse of the Word of God.

A similar circumstance took place in Elisha's day. In 2 Kings 4 we are told how the oil kept flowing from the jar until all other jars that were available were filled. The oil speaks of the Holy Spirit and the only thing that will slow the flowing of the spirit is the vessels that are to be filled.

Jeremiah had experiences with jars of clay. Not only was he taught the lesson of the potter but he was told to buy a jar which would represent the nation of Israel and break the jar in the presence of the elders. The broken jar could not be restored and neither could the nation of Israel if they forsook their God.

Ezekiel also used a jar as an object lesson when he was to pretend that he had Jerusalem under siege.

There is much more about jars of clay but we must remember that we have this treasure, the Spirit of the Most High in our jars.

1996 07 23

The Innkeeper

This is worth watching.

Cracked Pots

I was wondering what I would teach on this next Sunday as a single lesson.  I had to go up to London on Tuesday so I was listening to some CD's that a friend gave me.  As soon as the first one started I knew what I wanted to teach on.  My favourite topic from my favourite chapter.  The topic is the Gospel and the chapter is 2 Corinthians 4.  It is the gospel that displays God's glory and He then chooses to put that in cracked pots.  What a glorious chapter.

In Trouble Again

I am not really in trouble but sometimes it seems like it.  Yesterday I asked the question whether people would be saved in the tribulation and almost everyone responded that they did.  My pre-trib dispensational upbringing crept in and I was thinking about the rapture taking place before the tribulation.  Now it may but my thinking is that it won't.  I believe that tribulation will continue to increase and during the last seven years before the return of Christ it will be so intense that it will be called the great tribulation.  Yes, people will be saved and at the return of Christ they will be part of the great multitude surrounding the throne.
Why do I no longer believe in a pre-tribulation rapture?  Having lived in the Philippines, traveled to South America and to Africa I can see the suffering that God's people are going through today.  Only in comfort-driven North America are we concerned about having to suffer through the tribulation. Get over it.  Remember that the Scriptures say that we will come through the tribulation not be destroyed by it.

High View of Scripture

One time I observed that the view of a pre-tribulation rapture did not have any Biblical support and especially didn't have any support from non-North American Christians.  A friend immediately got upset with me and informed me that I didn't have a high view of Scripture.  That was a put down to make me be quiet but I don't think he is right.
In Revelation 7 we see a multitude that no man can number standing before the throne and we are told that these are the ones that came out of the great tribulation.  They were saved, they had white robes, palm branches and were crying out that "salvation belongs to our God". 
Now it doesn't seem that these people would be saved during the tribulation that takes place in the seven years following the rapture but rather as you go back to Revelation 6 you see that Christians have been suffering tribulation from the beginning. 
I believe that I have a very high view of Scripture and that is why I cannot accept my friend's point of view.

144000

So who are the 14400 that are referred to in Revelation 7?  Do they represent the church?  They are not Jacob's sons as Dan is not included and Manasseh is included.  They are not the tribes that inherited the land in Canaan as Levi is included and Dan is excluded as well as Joseph is listed rather than Ephraim.  So is the 144000 ethnic Israel who are converted after the Lord returns?  Why is this group on the earth while the great multitude in the rest of the chapter are around the throne in heaven?  Help me, I am confused.  How do we interpret the 144000?

Attention to Details

I am so embarrassed.  Why?  I will get to that in a moment but first I must write a confession.  I am terrible about paying attention to details.  When someone asks whether a person had glasses, what colour of hair, what they were wearing, I am afraid that I come up short.  That can be embarrassing when I don't notice that my wife got a hair cut or a new outfit. 
However, as a mathematics teacher I was a stickler for details.  Proper introduction to problems, proper use of equal signs, etc.  As a Bible teacher I also must be a stickler for details.  I know that you can gather truth from a casual study of the Word but the real gems are found in the details.
So why was I embarrassed?  I found a nice template for my PowerPoint lesson on Sunday.  The problem was I didn't check the details.  There lying on the Bible was a rosary.  Why didn't I notice that before but I didn't.  Most people didn't notice but some did and I must say thank you to those who pointed it out to me.  I have to be more careful about the details.