Have you ever wondered why you were walking in circles same job same car same mortgage same coffee in the morning and yes same husband or same wife, well my dear brothers and sisters we are not living a soap opera or Holly wood movie we are living life a reality.
It happened many years back when the children of Israel walked for 40 years in the desert they mumbled and complained just as we all do when we see the bills.But God through the vision and direction of Joshua brought them home to their promised land.
Someone once asked me where and what is home to me I said it is a place of contentment, a place of peace, a place of refuge a place of love, a place where you are most comfortable and you are not looking for anything else or anyone else that place my dear friends is home.
You may be in America and are in the best place in the world to live in. I live in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland and yes it is just as good as America but I realised though I have all the basic luxuries in the world such as clean running water, micro wave, good food and a wonderful husband there was a feeling of dissatisfaction in my heart and I knew unless I do what He wants me to do that is to serve Him in spirit and in truth that feeling would never go away. I am 32 years old with my first baby in my arms she is such a blessing ,what could a stay at home mother and house wife do? I realised I could not do as much as I wanted but I could do what He wanted and that was to read the word, pray, sing to my baby and be a good wife to my husband I am not perfect but I could do my best.
Now coming back to walking in circles well life is a circle they say what goes around comes around, the song the circle of life in the lion king yes life is a circle but how you live in this circle is another thing you could either walk all your life in the wilderness mumbling and complaining or you could live in the promised land with milk and honey, You may say I am comfortable in my promised land but what are you doing for the one who has given you everything you have? , learn to be content and if you need to change then change for the better don’t just live life but make life worth living.
Remember you are someone special, God has chosen to do mighty things through you .Stop mumbling and complaining and doing the things the world does you are you.You are not someone else though we wish to be.You have to make an impact in this world so that others will know we are not just followers of him by word but by Action.So rise up let Jesus be your Joshua and lead you to your promised land instead of going round and round in circles read the word of God pray and seek Him.Watch him lead you to the promised land to the land flowing with milk , honey and contentment. Contentment in your life and with your life partner we are not as the famous soap opera goes the Bold and beautiful but we are the blessed and are a blessing to others through Him. Love overcomes all evil, all friction and all faults so let love prevail in this circle of life God has placed you and me in.
Tag Archives: Theology
Christ In The Old Testament
Describe the Christ of the Old Testament.
Christ of the Old Testament plays an extremely significant role in comprehending the Christ of the New Testament. In the study of Theophany, which is God appearing to man in human form, some evangelical commentators feel that this could have been the Lord Jesus. Noah and Enoch “walked with God”. God spoke to Noah concerning the ark. In Genesis 18, the Lord appeared to Abraham. “There is good reason to think that theophanies before the incarnation of Christ were visible manifestations of the pre-incarnate Son of God.” (p. 847, Merril C. Tenney, 1963) Christ therefore has appeared to man in human form in the Old Testament and the Christ of the Old Testament, whether in the form of theophany or prophesy, is as significant as the Christ of the New Testament.
The Messiah: The word Messiah means the anointed one. Messiah also means the Saviour promised to the world through the children of Israel. Messiah is derived from Mashaeh which means to consecrate an individual or objects with the use of the sacred anointing oil. The term Messiah has different meanings for the Jews and the Christians. For the Jews, the term Messiah is one who would be king, a spiritual leader, a political head, and through whom they can enjoy peace and prosperity. For the Christian on the other hand, the term Messiah refers to Jesus Christ as mediator who came to set his people free from sin and death and who is our spiritual deliverer. Jesus Christ is therefore called Messiah because He is the original, essential and eternal Son of God (Merril C. Tenney, p. 529, Dr James Smith, p. 1, Jack W. Hayford, p. 699, Luis Berkhof, p. 92).
Messianic Prophecies: The Messianic prophecies are divided into two groups – the general messianic prophecies and the personal messianic prophecies. The general messianic prophecies refer to the eschatological sequence or the new age to come. The personal messianic prophecies refer to Jesus Christ as the king, prophet, counsellor eg Isaiah 9:6 which tells us “And he will be called wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.
The messianic prophecy is divided into two pre-supposition, which ultimately are:
- The possibility of prediction (not being a rationalist, not a skeptic; these predictions have come true and other spheres and aspects of the prophecies of the Bible are being fulfilled today).
- The omniscience of God (“Our God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient”). Our God is all knowing, when one looks deeper into the angle of omniscience with a Biblical point of view, one sees numerous spheres of hidden truths. But the prophecies are not a hidden truth, they are an “open truth” which was fulfilled and which are being fulfilled even today, with historical data proving it. Therefore our God is omniscient or all knowing. God predestined us; but above all God spoke to us concerning the Messiah and what He spoke He fulfilled. (Italics my own) (Dr James Smith, p. 415)
The First Messianic prophecy: Gen. 3:15 tells us that God would put enmity between the serpent (which is the devil) and man (and Jesus was the representative of man). So in other words, the devil and Jesus Christ. This verse shows us the deity and the humanity of Christ (Jack W. Hayford).
Messianic
Prophecies of His ministry:
Herbert Lockyer, p. 101, 1973 says: “The sacred sublime task of the Christ of prophecy when He became the Christ of history was to become the Christ of redemption”. The miracles that Jesus performed and the teaching of Jesus are a proof that Jesus is the authentic son of God.
- The Ministry of Jesus began in Galilee: Ish 9:1,2 “Beyond Jordan in Galilee the light shines”.
- The Continuation of the ministry of Jesus went forth into Jerusalem. “Rejoice greatly .. shout O daughter of Jerusalem, behold thy King cometh” (Zech. 9:9).
- Christ played a major role in the temple of God: “I will fill this house with glory’ (Hag. 2:7).
- Christ ministry was the proclamation of salvation. “Loose the bands undo the heavy burdens let the oppressed go free.” (Ish 58:6) “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me to preach … to bind up … to proclaim.” (Ish 61:1,2)
- The ministry of Jesus was both to the Jews and the Gentiles: “My people hath been lost sheep” (Jer. 50:6); “Rejoice o ye nations with his people (Jews)” (Deut. 32:43, Ps. 18:49).
- The ministry of Jesus flowed with the anointing of the holy spirit: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me” (Ish 61:1) (Herbert Lockyer, 1973, p. 101, 102)
Messianic Prophecies of the Crucifixion of Christ: Ish 53:1-12. These verses give us a detailed and accurate account of the crucifixion of Christ. The purpose of the atonement for our sin is because we are all sinners but as Christ came to earth to die for our sins we are declared righteous and through the atonement of Christ we now have abundant life, abundance physically, spiritually and financially.
Ps. 22 can be divided into two parts, the first part denotes the suffering of Jesus on the Cross and the second part denotes the glory of Christ after his resurrection.
Christ’s suffering (vs 1-21)
- (vs 1-5) denote the theme of God the father forsaking Jesus Christ.
- (vs 6-10) denote the rejection of men that Christ went through
- (vs 12-18) denote the indescribable physical agony that Christ went through on the cross.
- (vs 19-21) denotes the love, fellowship and trust between God the father and God the son. As Jesus calls upon God the father for deliverance. (Hayford, Dr James Smith)
Eschatological Expectation of the Messiah: There was a strong eschatological and apocalyptic expectation about two centuries before the ministry of Jesus commenced.
Let us now look into the context of Jesus as the Priest Messiah. Jesus as high priest can be seen in the form Melchizedek (Heb. 5:7) (James H. Charlesworth, p. 372).
The Qumran and the Messiah: What is the Qumran? The Qumran is a region where there are eleven caves in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were situated. The importance of the study of the Qumran documents for early Christianity is of immense significance. According to F. F. Bruce, p. 72, “the Qumran community was sometimes called the community of Aaron and Israel. A Messiah from Aaron and Israel should probably be taken to mean a priestly Messiah and a lay Messiah”.
The Messianic prophecies therefore are very significant, illuminating the life of Christ or Messiah as He was prophesied about in the Old Testament. There are a few simple ways of viewing prophesy. The first being the predictive element of prophecy and the second being to emphasise the message in modern day situations. Both these points are evident in Biblical prophecy. God is omniscient or all knowing and in Ephesians 1:5 it tells us the God pre-destined us. God has a foreknowledge of the future and He knew exactly when the Messiah was to come and bring us salvation and when He is coming back again. (Italics my own.)
Prophecy is therefore like a window that God reveals to his saints the prophets. The Messianic prophesies are not just windows but doors that Jesus walked through when He came into the world bringing salvation. (Italics my own.) (David Allen, Fredric William Sanford, p. 305
Types of Christ from the Old Testament:
Adam. Adam, made by God for a divine plan and purpose, who was to commune with our Creator. Adam, made by divine word. How did Adam handle this responsibility? Adam fell through disobedience and this fellowship with our Creator was marred. But Christ in the New Testament, the second Adam, came to bridge this gap, by becoming the mediator between man and God. (Andrew Jukes) (Italics my own).
Melchizedek: James Strong calls Melchizedek a patriarch. Who is this Melchizedek? Genesis 14-18 tells us that this Melchizedek is both priest and king. Zech. 6:13 tells us that he shall be a priest upon his throne. Ish 32:1 “Behold a king shall reign in righteousness. These verses show us that Melchizedek is both priest and king. Another important point to note here is that after Abraham was victorious over the kings, Melchizedek refreshed Abraham with bread and wine and blessed Abraham. This clearly shows us the character of Christ. Abraham also gave Melchizedek, who is both king and priest, tithes of all that he had taken. This clearly tells us that Melchizedek for me was not just a type of Christ, but was Christ himself who appeared to Abraham. This leads us to the study of theophany. Melchizedek is a good example of Christ appearing to man in the Old Testament. Alfred Edershiem says “Melchizedek appears like a meteor in the sky – suddenly, unexpectedly, mysteriously – and then as suddenly disappears”. Ps. 110 tells us the priest, king must belong to “the order of Melchizedek”. Jesus Christ, not with earthly priesthood such as the Levitical priesthood, but a heavenly priesthood.’ (Herbert Lockyer, Merril C. Tenny) Italics my own.
Isaac: Isaac is a type of Christ because when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on the altar, it was symbolic of the sacrifice that God the father required Jesus to go through. The union of Isaac and Rebekkah was symbolic of the union between Christ and the church. Therefore Isaac plays a very important role to symbolize Christ because Isaac was the sacrifice his father Abraham was to offer just as God the Father offered Jesus as the sacrifice for the sins of the world so that the world might be saved. Herbert Lockyer says “In Melchizedek we see Jesus as the priest of the Most High God. In Moses we see Jesus as the mediator between God and Man. In David, we see Jesus as shepherd, ruler and king. In Joseph, we see Jesus as preserver, provider and Saviour.
Conclusion: In conclusion, I would like to say that the Christ of the Old Testament is as real as the Christ of the New Testament and the characters and events that occurred in the Old Testament are symbolic of the New Testament. Christ is the fulfillment of the prophesies of the Old Testament. Therefore, Christ is the chief cornerstone that the Holy Spirit has written his word on. The whole Scripture is therefore like a sphere which starts and ends with Christ.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruce, F. F., Jews and Christianity Origins outside the New Testament, USA, 1974.
Charlesworth, James H., The Messiah, Fortress Press Minneapolis, 1992.
Edersheim, Alfred, Old Testament Bible History, William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 1977.
Hayford, Jack W., Hayford’s Bible Handbook, Nashville, 1995.
Jukes, Andrew, Types in Genesis, Kregel Publications, 1976.
Lockyer, Herbert, AU The Messianic Prophecies of the Bible, Grand Rapids, 1973.
Sanford, William, Allen, David, William Frederic, Old Testament Survey, Michigan, Zondervan, 1982.
Smith, Dr James, The Promised Messiah, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1993.
Strong, James, The Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible, Ablingdon Press, New York.
Tenney, Merril C., Pictorial Bible Dictionary, Michigan, Zondervan,
The Word
“Yet not withstanding this, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth of scripture and its divine authority is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the word in our hearts.” ( The Baptist Confession Of Faith)
The word is alive, The word is real, The word is Spirit, The word is power.
“ So is my word, that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty but will accomplish that what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” Isaiah 55:11
God’s word came from God’s mouth , The words that came from God’s mouth came from God’s heart, In the heart of God is the spirit of God therefore logically speaking the word of God is the spirit of God in writing.
Now how does the Spirit of God bear witness with the human spirit?
When a person accepts Jesus in his heart the spirit of God comes to indwell his heart and as a born again individual reads the scripture the spirit of word in written form begins to bear witness to the Holy Spirit indwelling the person and reveals the truth of the scripture to him. This enables the individual to grow to a higher level of glory illuminated by the Spirit of God. The spirit of God that is the Holy Spirit is our mentor, our teacher, our guide and also our conscience.
A born again Christian is able to distinguish right from wrong through that inward witness in his spirit. Therefore the individual must store up in his heart and in his mind the scriptures. So if the sub conscious mind is full of the word the individual is able to move to a higher degree of illumination and intimate level of communication with the creator. The word that stood through time, space and history because the word was above the human degree of authorship as it emerged from divine inspiration on earthly vessels as they try to grasp the comprehension of the divine authoritative word. This comprehension is not to be sought by human reason but by divine intervention of Holy Spirit revelation.
The word that came forth from the triune God of Divinity that spoke forth His word in creativity that it brought forth life and still brings forth life spiritually when the word is read objectively with sincerity.
JOB
JOB
Job 1:21 “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised”.
This one verse tells us about the most blameless upright man that ever lived. A man who lost all, yet gained all, because he won the favour of God. This man lost all yet he did not blaspheme God in self righteousness; he praised God. In other words, he was victorious though he lost his worldly possessions. He was victorious spiritually. For me, 1:21 is the key verse because he first of all realized all that he had belonged, not to him, but to God. Secondly, when he lost all his materialistic and worldly possessions, Job praised God. It must have been extremely difficult to say and do; yet Job placed God on a much higher pedestal than his materialism and family. This key verse gives us insight as modern day believers on how we, as Christians, should react in difficult circumstances. I recently read the book by Terry Law in which he related the death of his first wife, Jan. The most painful, yet the most illuminating process, was getting up early and praising God shortly after the death of his wife when he was left with three children. But Terry Low tapped into the reservoir of God’s love, healing, comfort and deliverance. The simple key was praise and worship. Praise God, through thick and thin; praise God, through wind or storm. Learn to praise and watch Him lead you through the difficult situation or process in your life.
Authorship: The authorship of Job is uncertain and under an immense amount of speculation. According to Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, p. 171 “the contents of the book indicate that its author was a profound thinker who treats some of the most crucial and difficult problems of human existence from a mature spiritual perspective. According to Jack W. Hayford, p. 130, “perhaps even Solomon himself”. According to the book, Old Testament Survey, p. 562, “the author of Job hides nameless in the background of his work while demonstrating overwhelming sensitivity to the human plight, capacity for massive theological understanding, group of vast areas of culture and learning, insight into deep struggles among opiniated persons and skill in literary craftsmanship”.
Date: According to Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, p. 171, “suggestions for the date of the book’s composition range from the patriarchal era to the post exilic period. Most scholars today date the book between the Solomonic and exilic eras. According to Hayford’s Bible Handbook, “the manners, customs and general lifestyle of Job are from the patriarchal period (about 2000-1800 BC).
Structure: According to the Old Testament Survey by William Sanford, David Allen and Frederic William, p. 564, the structure can be divided into;
“Prologue (prose), Chs 1-2
Job’s lament (poetry) 3
Dialogue between Job 4-27
.. and friends (poetry) in three cycles
.. Eliphaz (Job replies to each)
.. Bildad
.. Zophar
Poem on Wisdom (poetry) 28
Job’s complaint (poetry) 29-31
Elihu’s speeches (poetry) 32-37
Yahweh’s speeches 9poetry) 38-42:6
Epilogue (prose) 42:7-17
Comparison between Job and Jesus: Was Job a shadow of what was to come? Was Job a type of Christ? W. F. Albright has interpreted the name Job as “where is (my) father?” (taken from Old Testament Survey, p. 560)
Job: Job was a blameless and upright man. He feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1, Job 1:8). There is noone on earth like him. Job 1:21 “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised”. Job 1:12 “Very well then everything he has is in your hands but on the man himself do not lay a finger”. Job was the most blameless and upright man on earth. Job 1:12 tells us that God allowed the devil to bring trials and tests into his life. Job did not deserve it; yet he went through physical pain (2:7), emotional pain (1:200 and psychological pain (3:1). Job, through no fault of his own, was allowed by God to be severely tested by Satan, yet Job did not retaliate; he did not curse God (2:9,10). He went through his pain; he went through his suffering. Job didn’t deserve it, yet it came upon him. Why? Because I believe there is a reason behind it. Nothing that is in the Bible has happened by chance. The story of Job for me has a deep prophetic connotation. Job 42:10-16, 42:12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. At least it has a happy ending!!
Jesus Christ: Matthew 27:23 What crime has he committed, asked Pilate, but they shouted all the louder, crucify Him. Matt. 27:30 They spit on him and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. Key verse: Matt. 27:46 Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani, which means My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.
Jesus was innocent, yet God allowed Jesus to endure immense pain, pressure of our sins, physical and psychological anguish for no fault of his own. Just because of his love for us. When Job, the most blameless, upright man that lived in his time, went through that suffering, did God just see Job .. or did God see Jesus in Job, knowing that one day his only son would go through suffering far worse, through no fault of his own.
Job, the meaning of his name is where is (my) father. Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani. I would like to conclude this comparison with a rhetorical question – Was the suffering and name of Job symbolic to what took place on Calvary? But what took place on Calvary carried immense magnitude – the enormity of the deity dying for us on Calvary.
Application: This book tells us that God allows tests and trials in a person’s life. This transaction stage or process stage, as I heard in a seminar, is called “liminality”. Job went through a liminality stage in his life in which he endured excruciating pain. But in the end, he came out victorious and the latter part of Job’s life was blessed even more than the former. I believe Job is an example of a victorious liminality survivor.
We, as Christians, are in the liminality process, just as Job was in the process. We are waiting for the second coming of Christ. We are in the sanctification process awaiting the time we will be fully glorified in Christ.
Main themes: According to the Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, “the basic question of the book is ‘why do the righteous suffer if God is loving and all powerful?’’ The second theme for me is God’s hand on Job’s life during his suffering and God blessing Job because Job stood strong in his faith in God.
Theological Truths: God is in control. God who is omniscient or all knowing knows about everything, whether it is good or evil, and He is in control. God has a higher plan, a higher purpose in mind. The devil needed God’s permission to attack Job, yet God preserved his life and blessed him more as he came out of his suffering, completely victorious. Isa 48:10 “see I have refined you, though not as silver, I have tested you in the furnace of affliction”. God refines and tests us. We, as His children, go through difficult situations in our life many times, but God never leaves us nor forsakes us. God never tempts us but I believe God allows us to go through hard times in our life so that we come out stronger, ready for His divine call.
Distinctive Pentecostal Beliefs: A distinctive Pentecostal belief here is spiritual warfare. Satan brought about oppression in Job’s life yet Job stood firm. In Job 1:10, it tells us that God put a hedge of protection around Job. In Eph. 6:10-20, the armour of God is our protection. When we, as children of the most high, live to please God, the devil brings about opposition. The devil brings about all kinds of oppression. The devil can attack our mind, our emotions, our finances, our family; but, what I learnt from Job is that the devil cannot take the life of a child of God unless God allows it to happen. The devil has come to steal, to kill and to destroy, but God has come to give us life and give it in abundance. Spiritual warfare is real. I have experienced it in my life but our God is far greater, far mightier. Jesus is our deliverer and redeemer.
Another distinctive Pentecostal belief is the prosperity of Job and the latter part of Job’s prosperity was greater than the former (Job 42:42). Contrary to a pentecostal belief that I have read here in Job is suffering. Many of our charismatic and Pentecostal churches are so caught up in the prosperity and spiritual warfare teaching that they fail to train and help people going through suffering. Many charismatic churches talk about the bed or roses, but those roses have thorns. So I would urge the Pentecostal churches to talk about trials and tribulations or the so called “laminality” process that every person endures during some time of their life.
Application: This book of Job has immensely helped me in my life. I went through a difficult time in my life. In fact, I suffered from depression but this book has given me a hope for the future. I would like to close with a poem I wrote:
Who am I?
That thought in my heart I ponder
What am I meant to be
Oh God, the future I just can’t foresee
Yet you care for me.
You didn’t just let me be,
You have a place and purpose
Thy Word is the key.
I came into the world a little seed,
Curious about the world so mysterious,
Bombarded with emotions hilarious,
At times delirious, at other times, furious
As I started to grow and mature to the tree I was meant to be,
I faced the storms of life
Into temptations I was tossed,
Yet through thy divine grace at Calvary
To temptation I was no longer held in slavery,
You set me free, enabling me to grow in sanctity,
Your word says, You shall bear fruit in season,
Seasons have come, seasons are gone,
Oh God, I feel so alone, why was I ever born,
Yet you on me never did frown,
The veil to enter the holy of holies was torn
By thy divine blood on the cross which was no loss,
At thy feet I place my supplication,
Oh Christ, on me make a divine transformation,
This season, let me see my life has a reason
Let me bear fruit at a dozen
Change my heart, my attitude
As I grow and mature in thy attitude,
As I pray I feel thy presence come as a ray
I feel the power of thy awesome presence like rain on me does spray
Father, when will you use me
Is it today?
I feel the rain come on me washing all my doubts and fears without a trace
Speaking to me through a gentle breeze
Thy love for me will never cease
I hear they voice saying my plans for you will be fulfilled come what may
All your have to do, daughter, is to pray.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hayford, Jack W., Hayford’s Bible Handbook, Nashville, 1995.
Nelson, Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, Nashville, 1996.
Sanford, William, Allen, David, William Frederic, Old Testament Survey, Michigan, Zondervan, 1982.
Tenney, Merril C., Pictorial Bible Dictionary, Michigan, Zondervan, 1963.
A hypothetical discussion between a Messianic Jew and a Pentecostal Irish Belfast Bible College graduate regarding their views on the Old and New testaments of the Bible
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” John 1:1,2
Before time ever existed one thing existed and that was the Word. Jesus was the Word made flesh and dwelt among us. Before time existed Jesus existed therefore logically speaking the Word made flesh which is Jesus existed before time existed.
The play unfolds:-
There are two very important people I would like to introduce to you. One is Methuselah middle aged with salt and pepper hair, a big moustache and a bigger tummy with five children four girls and one boy and a wife named Hannah. Names of children are Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Abigail and a son named Isaac. Methuselah has recently come to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and so has his family they are Messianic Jews who have come to Northern Ireland on holiday.
My next friend is Paul, who likes to think of himself as apostle Paul because of the prophesies he has received from his Pentecostal brothers and sisters from the Elim Pentecostal Church. He is six feet tall, blue/grey eyes with glasses, very thin and scanty blond hair. He is in his late thirty’s. Paul is single and has a Bachelor’s degree in theology from Belfast Bible College. He is hoping to go to Israel as a missionary. Paul met Methuselah in Jerusalem when he went there on holiday and is hoping to get to know Sarah as a prospective bride. Paul and Methuselah have arranged to meet for coffee at Star bucks.
Their conversation begins :-
Meths:- Shalom Paul ( gives Paul a warm hug)
Paul:- Praise the Lord brother and stretches out his hand to shake hands but is overwhelmed by Methuselah’s big hug.
Meths:- How are you Paul? When are you planning on coming to Israel, the land flowing with milk and honey as Psalms 48:1,2 says “ Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. In the city of our God. In His holy mountain beautiful elevation. The joy of the whole earth is mount Zion on the sides of the North. The city of the great King.”
Paul:- Can’t imagine why God would send Jesus to that wee little land to fulfil his purpose in all the earth. He could have come to Northern Ireland ya know it is so green and welcoming, ya know man I am not patriotic but why the Middle East?
Meths:- Laughs out loud Oye ,Oye ,Oye, now you want to turn Jesus Irish. Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem in that wee little land of Israel, through Him all the nations of the earth will be blessed as it says in Luke 2:30-32 “ For mine eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before all the peoples. A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory to your people Israel.”
Paul:-Jesus is all that matters, once we have Jesus who came to save the world from sin and sickness and we thankfully, glory to God, do not need the law. As Martin Luther says (Ahem clears his throat and puts on his most important look) We are saved by grace and not by the law.
(Just then a beautiful blond waitress comes up to take their order, Paul adjusts his glasses and stares at the waitress unable to speak.) So Methuselah gives the orders of two cappuccinos. Paul keeps staring at the waitress till she goes back.
Meths:-Paul you might as well hang a sign around your neck that says ’single and looking intently’. Now coming back to what you said about the law, A.G. Herbert in his book ‘The Authority of the Old Testament says “ it is never said that the Mosaic law is now seen not to have been the law of God at all, on the contrary it is God’s law and it is holy and righteous and good. It is never said that the prophets are right and the law wrong, nor is the moral law endorsed and the ceremonial law repudiated, on the contrary Jesus has come not to destroy but to fulfil both the law and the prophets.”
Paul:- That’s good, Aha, Jesus never came to die for our sins in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament they had sacrifices ,the Mosaic law and of course the prophets. But I says I like the apostles filled with the Holy Spirit doing signs and wonders in Jesus’ name.
Meths:- ( shakes his head) My dear boy let me take you through a journey back to the time of prophets and prophesies and how the Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament. The prophets filled with the Holy Spirit played a very significant role in the life of the Jewish people and therefore in our lives as well. As I said earlier Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law that was prophetic. Now let me take you to I Samuel 16:13 ( Methuselah takes out his Bible from his brown brief case) ‘Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.’ How did David kill the Lion and the bear 1 Samuel 17:49 ? The answer is simple dear boy because the Holy Spirit was on David. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was not a free gift to all people only a chosen few were filled with the Holy Spirit and they were the Prophets, Priests, and Kings. The moment Samuel anointed David with oil, David had a change in perspective from David the Shepherd boy to David the King. Now lets go to your favourite part of scripture Luke 3:22 ” And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him and a voice from Heaven which said “ You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased”. From that significant moment in Jesus’ life, Jesus had the ability to work miracles and now this is my point dear boy, which portion of scripture did Jesus read at the synagogue in Nazareth after being endowed with power from on high? He read Isaiah 61:1,2 and if the Old Testament was just the Law and Jesus just came to give us amazing grace why would He read Isaiah 61:1,2 ? A prophecy concerning Himself. Now lets go to Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion, Shout daughter of Jerusalem, See your King comes to you righteous and having salvation gentle and riding on a donkey on a colt, The foal of a donkey.” This prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 21:7,8 where Jesus sat on the donkey as He approached Jerusalem and the crowds lay their cloaks before Him on the road and Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on the donkey just as the law had foretold. Jesus fulfilled the law and the law was prophetic. Therefore dear son you cannot have the new without the old. Like two sides of a coin ( as Methuselah flicks a coin in the air and catches it)
Paul:- Sips his cappuccino, looks at the young couple who have just entered Star bucks and gives a gives a big sigh. He pauses for a moment, takes a big gulp of cappuccino and chokes as it is really hot, he gulps a mouthful of cold water wipes his eyes, puts his glasses back on and continues. According to J P Fokkelman in his book Reading Biblical Narrative
“ The narrative art of the New Testament can be found in the four gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. These books have been written in the Greek of the Hellenistic world of the first century. All of them move around two land marks, Firstly the person of Jesus Christ and secondly the group of texts that for Jesus, His disciples and the writers of the gospels and the letters constitute the Holy scriptures, The Hebrew Bible. Paradoxically, we can only speak of the Old Testament after a New Testament has been written and recognised as a canon.
Meths:- Dear boy, what are you trying to prove? We had the law first Exodus 20 :1-17, the prophesies, example Isaiah 61:1-3 and Isaiah 53. The Old Testament foreshadowed the New. The Old Testament was the foundation on which the New Testament was built. The New Testament is a prophetic fulfilment of the Old Testament. Jesus is the Word made flesh who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins to fulfil the law and the prophets. Now coming back to a more personal level, You remember the time Rebecca was sick with typhoid I just prayed the Psalms with tears especially Psalm 42. ‘Tears have been my food’ when we did not have enough food in the house for our children to eat but by praying and fasting ( not optionally) God took us through that time when we were in Russia and brought us to the promised land of Jerusalem. Those prayers from the Old Testament worked and now we are here in Northern Ireland on holiday drinking Cappuccino.
Paul:- Takes of his glasses and wipes the tears from his eyes and blows his nose loudly on the Star Bucks serviette. Well Methuselah, it is great having you in Noren Ireian…. I agree with you dear brother that we need the Old Testament to have the New Testament,
Let us pray, Paul clears his throat and prays with the loud voice that people turn around and stare “ Dear God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Thank you for the privilege of knowing Yahweh, Emmanuel God with us and at the same time have the sweet communion with the Holy Spirit. He then pauses and says God give me a wife soon, with a hint to Methuselah, adds someone from the Holy land he again pauses and says in the words of the song by Keith Christianson “ We believe in the Father, who created all that is and we believe the universe and all there is is His. As a loving heavenly Father, He yearned to save us all to lift us from the fall we believe. We believe in Jesus the Father’s only son existing before time had begun a sacrifice for sin, He died and rose again to ransom sinful men we believe. We believe in the Spirit who makes believers one, our hearts are filled with His presence the Comforter has come. The kingdom unfolds in His plan, unhindered by quarrels of man His church upheld by his hand we believe. Though the earth be removed and time be no more these truths are secure, God’s word shall endure whatever may change these things are sure we believe. So if the mountains are cast down into the plains when Kingdoms all crumble this one remains, Our faith is not subject to seasons of man with our fathers we proclaim. We believe our Lord will come as He said, The land and the sea will give up their dead His children will reign with Him as their head, we believe, we believe.
Amen
Bibliography
1.Herbert A. G. The Authority of the Old Testament, Faber and Faber Ltd
2.Fokkelman J.P Reading Biblical Narrative, An Introductory Guide, John Knox Press 1995
3.Walter C Kaiser Jr. The Old Testament Documents, Inter varsity press 2001
4. Harrison RK Introduction to the Old Testament , The Tyndale Press 1969
Interview with a Presbyterian Pastor from Australia
As I interviewed Pastor Don Kennedy, I was able to comprehend the Presbyterian approach to Jesus and how the Presbyterians view Jesus in this present time.
To the question, what was the atoning work of Jesus on the Cross, Pastor Don states that Jesus bridged the gap between us and God caused by sin and provided a way into the holy place of heaven by the shedding of his blood.
This is true. I agree with Pastor Don that Jesus is the bridge that connects us to God. Jesus is our mediator. According to Pastor Brian Mulheran, Jesus’ death on the cross has laid the axe to the root of the tree of sin that was within our lives and in its place He has put His tree of righteousness and life. Even though this has transpired, you and I still find ourselves committing the very sin we don’t want to commit. We have this new nature within us that desires to do right, but often we do wrong. The way we have lived in the flesh has been by aligning ourselves with our sin nature. Once we have Jesus’ new nature placed within us, we can now realign our lives with it.
According to Pastor Mulheran, Jesus changes our sinful nature to realign us to divine nature. Jesus is still the mediator but in a different view.
To the question, what does the baptism of Jesus signify? Pastor Don Kennedy states that the baptism of Jesus is the beginning of the special ministry time of Jesus of 3-1/2 years. Why was this baptism so significant? Why was this baptism the commencement of Christ’s ministry? I believe the holy spirit came down on Jesus with power and it was only then that Jesus went about with supernatural power from on high to do signs, wonders and miracles. Jesus was no longer God/man; I believe Jesus became complete God when He came up from that water. According to Pastor Don Kennedy, he states that Adam was federal head of the rebel race of people. We were identified with Adam and he identified with us. Jesus died and we moved from being lost to being saved. We move out from federal headship of Adam and come under federal headship of Jesus Christ. Solidarity of Adam in Jesus Christ? So therefore the baptism of Jesus was not just an example for us to follow, it was significant for God Himself as it was only after the baptism that the ministry of Jesus commenced, accompanied by miracles. It was also prophetic in nature for the visible infilling of the Holy spirit who came on Jesus in the form of a dove. In the second chapter of Acts, the Holy spirit came on the people in the form of tongues of fire.
To the question, what are the characteristics of Christ? Pastor Don states that “He was begotten in the womb of Mary and therefore he received characteristics of God. She bequeathed it to him”. I disagree with this statement because I believe that these characteristics of God were bequeathed by God Himself and Mary was an instrument used and empowered by God for bringing Jesus Christ into the world. According to J. Rodman Williams, “the truth is that the son of God had actually come in the flesh”.
When I asked Pastor Don the question, what is the authority of Jesus Christ he stated that Jesus is our prophet, Priest, King; the head and Saviour of his Church, the heir of all things and judge of the world. I agree with his answer but I also believe that there is more. Jesus is omnipotent and all powerful; Jesus is omniscient and all knowing; and Jesus is omnipresent and his presence is everywhere. This awesome Lord Jesus is the One who loves us, died for our sins and forgives us; Jesus has the authority to forgive our sins. According to Pastor Brian Mulheran, Jesus was preaching “change your thinking and believe in the good news of my salvation which brings the remission of sins”.
I, as a strong Charismatic (hopefully), believe the great authority of Jesus over evil spirits and the satanic realm which is very real and Jesus states in Ps. 91, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means harm you”. Praise the Lord.
In conclusion, I would like to state that Jesus, the word of God, Son of God, Light of the World, our Creator, came into this world with a unique purpose and Jesus fulfilled this purpose for our lives.
This interview has helped me to realize that whatever our views in theology, as long as we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, was crucified for our sins and rose again from the dead, we will be saved. Not everyone is a Baptist, not everyone is a strong charismatic, not everyone is a Methodist, not everyone is an Anglican, but everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved as John 3:16 states “that God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life”.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Williams, J. Rodman, 1990, Renewal Theology, Michigan, Zondervan
My Shopping List
My husband told me he was going shopping to our departmental store and asked me what I would like and this is what I said,
1. A bag of humility
2. A fresh carton of tenderness
3. A bunch of sweetness
4. A big bag of understanding the word of God
5. A bottle of joy that bubbles over as we shake it
6. A fresh packet of thankfulness
7. A bar of gentleness
8. A yard ofpeace
9. A carton of faith
10. A blanket of love
11. A dozen prayers for loved ones and friends
12. A camping tent of laughter
13. A baseball bat of fun
14. A piano of practice
15. Two shirts of praise
A house of prayer and before you go darling give me a kiss of commitment.
Speak Lord Your Servant is listening
I was angry that I was not what you call “one of the most successful” people in the world.
I had not won a noble prize, I did not have tons of money, I was not one of the most bold and beautiful people in the world, I did not have very many friends and I well I was just me.
Me who was misunderstood, me with a history of depression and me trying my hardest to be loved and accepted by society.
So I went up to God in my prayer time and asked Him the Almighty why is it that I am misunderstood, why is it I do not have very many friends, why is it I have to strive so hard to let people love me? The Almighty answered when I was in the world dear one no one appreciated me, no one gave me a private jet to fly about and do miracles in. The teachers of the law wanted to have nothing to do with me, I was misunderstood I was beaten I was forsaken yet I did it for you so that one day you will understand what it is like to be my disciple.
Do not strive so hard to be accepted by society and let it not pressure you that people don’t understand you,Strive for my presence to shine in you and through you so that by your actions and your words you do not look for man’s glory but my glory manifested in you to bring many to my Kingdom.
Be a channel of peace, be an instrument of love, be an instrument of love and blessing to the people and the world around and daughter remember do not hold a grudge wear forgiveness like a garland around your neck then you will be all that I want you to be.
Speak Lord your servant is listening.
On Being Black
On Being Black
A little boy sitting all alone, no one to play with
Children running around him, few stop to call him names
Others just ignore him
Bewildered, this little boy looks at his hands
They are as dark as the earth around him
He looks at the children who are playing
It is then that it dawns, he is a different colour
He goes home and says
No one to play with, no one cares for me at school
People call me black and a fool
Why is it Mummy? Have I done something wrong ?
Or is it because I am black ?
A little girl smiled at me yesterday
I gave her a pretty flower
She said ‘Thank you’ as she looked up
Her mother dragged her away and told her not to talk to me
Mummy, is it because I am black?
I went walking home the other day
And there a group of boys punched me
Beat me and called me names
Then they stabbed me, I remembered no more
God, is it because I am black?
I walked through the pearly gates
Angry with God for making me black
Black as the soil of the earth
Curious to see this God who made people black and white
I looked into his eyes filled with pain, anger and grief
God, why did you make me black ?
He looked into my eyes
Tears rolling down his cheeks as he hugged me
Knowing now He felt the pain that I felt
He looked at me again
Holding my shoulders he said
“Son, I too was black”.
Why did the authors write the Bible
In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. John 1:1
The authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote these books. These books were written so that man might read the word of God and be inspired.
Hear the word of God and interpret. Interpret the word of God and receive revelation.
The bible inspired by the Holy Spirit written by mortal man so as to build a bridge of revelation between man and God. This bridge being our Lord Jesus Christ. So that man might comprehend the word and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of their lives.
The whole word revolves around one significant figure that is the Messiah Jesus Christ . Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of prophecy.
Why did the authors write ? God knowing the heart of man, knowing the troubles of man gave us the gift of His word through His servants to write this awesome word called the Bible.
The Bible is for every individual offering the forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
God wants the world to enjoy eternal life in His presence in out of His manifold love. The Bible signifies one word that word is love . Love for the world given to us through His word . Why did the authors write ? The author wrote because of God’s love for mankind . That love came in the form of His Son Jesus. Accept Jesus and receive eternal life in Christ.
Sangeetha's Weblog this web blog has poetry, stories,music and so much more 