"Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord." Ezekiel 37:11-14
This is an important event from the Old Testament because it teaches us a critically important lesson. We have always believed the Mighty Hand of God was behind everything that happened to Israel because...Yahweh was their national God since way back at the burning bush...when God chose them.
And the dry bones? I love the story! I believe the story! I want to be one of the people who get to observe the fulfillment of this story! But that's only half of it...
We are the spiritual seed of Abraham, grafted into this family through faith in Christ. We are within reach of that same mighty hand. Or, should I say the mighty Hand of God reaches us. We need to learn from our brethren...that hand is behind everything that happens. And I concede...it's not always comfortable. My mom died an ugly death as a result of Alzheimer's. This isn't what we want that mighty hand used for. We want that hand to bring peace and victory. To be fair, we get some of victories as well but, really, a "mighty" hand should do better than that. So...many of us lose confidence and carve out our own path hoping for better results.
Sadly, these folks were never taught to realize the life of one who follows that mighty hand is not easy. Ask Israel. If we understand Old Testament properly, that hardship is not because the hand of God lacks determination. It is because the heart of man lacks devotion.
I encourage you to begin, today, viewing everything in life as coming from that mighty hand. The first thing is...we will constantly be considering God as Author.
"Thank you God!" "Why, God?"
It will radically transform our lives. When life hurts we quit running around looking for solutions and start looking up for safety. When life is wonderful we quit looking around for who we can tell and look up to who we can thank. Before long we realize we are no long the center of our lives...God is. The Divine irony is simple. When we resolve this, nothing else matters.
Thank you, Keith Green, for that reminder.
Live boldly out there today...
June 25, 2017
June 16, 2017
A Prayer for Our Nation (adapted from Daniel 9)
"I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition." Daniel 9:2, 3
Daniel offered this prayer in recognition that his people were scattered and judged because of disobedience. He knew the only resolution was God's mercy. We face similar trials and judgments today in our country. Will we remain stubborn? Or, will we humble ourselves and let God restore us?
Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love you and keep your commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your pastors and teachers, who spoke in your name to our political leaders, our ancestors, and to all the people of this country.
Lord, you are righteous, but today we are covered with shame—because of our unfaithfulness to you. Even so, You Lord, our God, are merciful and forgiving. Our entire nation has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses have been poured out on us. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us chaos and violence. Still, we have not sought your favor by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.
Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made your church and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from our country and your church.
Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate people. Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the nation and church that has faithfully served you in the past. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your church and your people bear your Name.”
While he was still praying, the Angel Gabriel came to him and said "As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you". God's response began in real time! As believers, let's humble ourselves and pray...as Daniel did. Perhaps God, in His mercy, will answer as quickly.
Live boldly out there today...
Daniel offered this prayer in recognition that his people were scattered and judged because of disobedience. He knew the only resolution was God's mercy. We face similar trials and judgments today in our country. Will we remain stubborn? Or, will we humble ourselves and let God restore us?
Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love you and keep your commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your pastors and teachers, who spoke in your name to our political leaders, our ancestors, and to all the people of this country.
Lord, you are righteous, but today we are covered with shame—because of our unfaithfulness to you. Even so, You Lord, our God, are merciful and forgiving. Our entire nation has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses have been poured out on us. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us chaos and violence. Still, we have not sought your favor by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.
Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made your church and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from our country and your church.
Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate people. Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the nation and church that has faithfully served you in the past. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your church and your people bear your Name.”
While he was still praying, the Angel Gabriel came to him and said "As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you". God's response began in real time! As believers, let's humble ourselves and pray...as Daniel did. Perhaps God, in His mercy, will answer as quickly.
Live boldly out there today...
June 13, 2017
When the Court is Seated
"The court was seated and the books were opened" Daniel 7:10
The seventh chapter of Daniel is filled with chaos and destruction. It is an account of visions Daniel received in connection with the unfolding of human history.
What he saw as he slept in his bed terrified him—Then he wrote out his dream:
“In my dream that night I saw the four winds of heaven whipping up a great storm on the sea. Four huge animals, each different from the others, ascended out of the sea. The first animal looked like a lion, but it had the wings of an eagle. While I watched, its wings were pulled off. It was then pulled erect so that it was standing on two feet like a man. Then a human heart was placed in it".
“Then I saw a second animal that looked like a bear. It lurched from side to side, holding three ribs in its jaws. It was told, ‘Attack! Devour! Fill your belly!’
“Next I saw another animal. This one looked like a panther. It had four birdlike wings on its back. This animal had four heads and was made to rule".
“After that, a fourth animal appeared in my dream. This one was a grisly horror—hideous. It had huge iron teeth. It crunched and swallowed its victims. Anything left over, it trampled into the ground. It was different from the other animals—this one was a real monster".
Then...an amazing thing happened. Daniel says “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the "Ancient of Days" took his seat...Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
The books contained God's sovereign intent for human history. Daniel says “I saw a human form, a son of man, arriving in a whirl of clouds. He came to The "Ancient of Days" and was presented to him. He was given power to rule...His kingly rule would never be replaced.
We can't let the present turmoil discourage us. God’s holy people will be persecuted for a time but when the court comes to order, rule and authority and the glory of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to you and I. Our royal rule will last forever. The "Ancient of Days" has determined it.
How will this improve anything? It will because at that time God will place a new heart in every one of us...a heart that passionately follows Him. We will faithfully and earnestly apply God's desires in all decisions.
This is exciting! We may want to get a head start and begin practicing now.
Live boldly out there today...
June 2, 2017
The ugly face of intolorance
They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!” Acts 22:22
Intolerance is not new to our times...
In Acts 21, we see Paul journeying to Jerusalem. His friends had heard rumors of a plan to assault him when he arrived in Jerusalem so they begged Paul not to be stubborn and persist in going. But Paul wouldn’t budge. He asked “Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You’re looking at this backward. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can’t you see that?”
Some Jews from around Ephesus spotted him in the Temple. At once they turned the place upside-down. They grabbed Paul and started yelling at the top of their lungs, “Help! You Israelites, help! This is the man who is going all over the world telling lies against us and our religion and this place. He’s even brought Greeks in here and defiled this holy place.” What had happened was that they had seen Paul and Trophimus, the Ephesian Greek, walking together in the city and had just assumed that he had also taken him to the Temple and shown him around.
Paul did his best to explain himself but the mob still wanted him dead. Not for committing any crimes but , for simply doing things they deemed unacceptable. They listened to him briefly, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”
It was ugly then, it's ugly today...
We observe a lot of this intolerance. It is no more acceptable today than it was then. My reminder, for believers, is this: which side of this Biblical story would you prefer to have been on? Don't be fooled into believing that somehow the issues today are different. Refusal to join in the anarchy may make us unpopular but, as Paul said, "The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to us, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through our obedience".
Can’t you see that?”
Live boldly out there today...
Intolerance is not new to our times...
In Acts 21, we see Paul journeying to Jerusalem. His friends had heard rumors of a plan to assault him when he arrived in Jerusalem so they begged Paul not to be stubborn and persist in going. But Paul wouldn’t budge. He asked “Why all this hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me? You’re looking at this backward. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my obedience. Can’t you see that?”
Some Jews from around Ephesus spotted him in the Temple. At once they turned the place upside-down. They grabbed Paul and started yelling at the top of their lungs, “Help! You Israelites, help! This is the man who is going all over the world telling lies against us and our religion and this place. He’s even brought Greeks in here and defiled this holy place.” What had happened was that they had seen Paul and Trophimus, the Ephesian Greek, walking together in the city and had just assumed that he had also taken him to the Temple and shown him around.
Paul did his best to explain himself but the mob still wanted him dead. Not for committing any crimes but , for simply doing things they deemed unacceptable. They listened to him briefly, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”
It was ugly then, it's ugly today...
We observe a lot of this intolerance. It is no more acceptable today than it was then. My reminder, for believers, is this: which side of this Biblical story would you prefer to have been on? Don't be fooled into believing that somehow the issues today are different. Refusal to join in the anarchy may make us unpopular but, as Paul said, "The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to us, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through our obedience".
Can’t you see that?”
Live boldly out there today...
May 31, 2017
The Lion's Den
“My God sent his angel, who closed the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me. I’ve been found innocent before God and also before you, O king. I’ve done nothing to harm you.” Daniel 6:22
There is a lesson here...
Darius reorganized his kingdom. He appointed one hundred twenty governors to administer all the parts of his realm. Over them were three vice-regents, one of whom was Daniel. The governors reported to the vice-regents, who made sure that everything was in order for the king. Daniel, brimming with spirit and intelligence, so completely outclassed the other vice-regents and governors that the king decided to put him in charge of the whole kingdom.
There is a lesson here...
Darius reorganized his kingdom. He appointed one hundred twenty governors to administer all the parts of his realm. Over them were three vice-regents, one of whom was Daniel. The governors reported to the vice-regents, who made sure that everything was in order for the king. Daniel, brimming with spirit and intelligence, so completely outclassed the other vice-regents and governors that the king decided to put him in charge of the whole kingdom.
The vice-regents and governors were jealous and got together to find
something in Daniel’s life that they could use against him,
but they couldn’t dig up anything. He was totally exemplary and trustworthy.
They could find no evidence of negligence or misconduct. So they finally gave
up and said, “We’re never going to find anything against this Daniel unless we
can cook up something religious.” They conspired together and then went to the king and
said, “King Darius, we’ve convened your vice-regents, governors,
and all your leading officials, and have agreed that the king should issue the
following decree: For the next thirty days no one is to pray to any
god or mortal except you, O king. Anyone who disobeys will be thrown into the
lions’ den.
King Darius signed the decree.
The conspirators found Daniel praying, asking
God for help. They went straight to the king and reminded him of the royal
decree that he had signed. Then they said, “Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles,
ignores you, O king, and defies your decree. Three times a day he prays.” The king caved in and ordered Daniel brought and
thrown into the lions’ den. But he said to Daniel, “Your God, to whom you are
so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The king then went back to his palace. He refused
supper. He couldn’t sleep. He spent the night fasting.
At daybreak the king got up and hurried to the
lions’ den. As he approached the den, he called out anxiously, “Daniel, servant
of the living God, has your God, whom you serve so loyally, saved you from the
lions?” Daniel said “My God sent
his angel, who closed the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me.
I’ve been found innocent before God and also before you, O king. I’ve done
nothing to harm you.”
When the king heard these words he
ordered Daniel taken up out of the den and commanded that the conspirators who
had informed on Daniel be thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives
and children.
Human nature hasn't changed. Its no worse today than its been over the centuries but...that doesn't make it OK. The Lion's Den ought to be a good reminder for unscrupulous men and women who malign others for personal gain. They will pay for their evil deeds.
As people of faith, we are reminded how important it is to remain faithful to God, regardless of the possible consequences. We are also reminded...evil has no power to triumph over us.
As long as we're found innocent...
Live boldly out there today...May 30, 2017
The Writing on the Wall
“Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN.’ This is the interpretation of the message: ‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. ‘TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. ‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.” Daniel 5:25-28
Nebuchadnezzar, the king's father, had been granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty by the most high God, Yahweh. When he became proud and arrogant God stripped him of everything until Nebuchadnezzar humbly acknowledged Yahweh's sovereignty. His station in life was restored.
Yet his son, Belshazzar, learned nothing from it. He did not humble his heart, even though he knew all this. He exalted himself against the Lord of heaven and God would not have it. That evening He wrote a message for the king, on the wall, and Daniel was called in the explain it. “MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. ‘TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. ‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided.”
God has given most of us more glory and majesty than we've earned. In return, He expects us to be a bit humble and give credit to Him. We bathe in our own glory at great risk. Yet, many of us insist on being the smartest person in the room. I suppose, when something comes so easily, we fail to value it appropriately...until it's gone. Why not avoid the drama and give credit...where credit is due?
Live boldly out there today...
May 29, 2017
The Journey
Aliyah in Hebrew means "ascent" or "going up". Jewish tradition views traveling to the land of Israel, or traveling to Jerusalem, as an ascent, both geographically and spiritually. The Christian application reminds us our lives ought to become a journey of "going up" to meet with our Lord. Let us "make Aliya" daily.
Live boldly out there today...
May 26, 2017
Spiritual Dyslexia
One of the troubling realities of Christianity in America is the undisputed inconsistencies between faith and action.
During the Civil War, the Confederacy was blessed by the support of several devoted Christian generals; Lee, Jackson, Johnson, Polk, and several others. They have all been judged for fighting on the side of slavery. Well, they would claim, their cause was state's rights...not slavery. And, slavery was legal.
It is a distinction without a difference...and they didn't prevail.
Today, many professed Christians stand in support of abortion. They claim it's not about killing babies, it's about a woman's "right to choose". And, after all, abortion is legal.
A distinction without a difference. And, they will not prevail. We can already see the tide turning.
In either case, we should be charitable and withhold judgment on a person's heart. That right belongs to God, alone. Yet, in both cases, I suspect allowing politics to overcome our moral sensibilities results in a spiritual dyslexia that renders us incapable of sound religious practice.
As Christians, we are "People of the Book". We cannot allow other sources to inform our beliefs. If we do, history will judge us less kindly than the God of Heaven who stands ready to forgive. Fortunately we do not have to choose between history and Heaven. In our Book, God says "seek me and I will be found" (Jeremiah 29:13)
I wonder...where have I strayed from Scripture to achieve a preferred outcome?
Live boldly out there today...
May 23, 2017
Norwegian Alliance Mission History
I thank God for the faith of our Norwegian ancestors. MALLA MOE (1863 - 1953) is a great example: 61 years on the Mission field in Africa. She is quoted as asking, "What are we here for, to have a good time with Christians or to save sinners?"
Petra Malena Moe was born on September 12, 1863, in Hafslo, Norway, child of Claus Rumohr and Brita Lonheim Moe. They had nine children, six of whom survived. The Moes registered each child with the church, though only nominally a religious family. "Malla," as she was known for the rest of her life.
In 1875 she attended evangelistic meetings which stressed a personal encounter with Christ. Malla was impressed by the fervor, plain dress, and sobriety of this group and her aunt's dying request to come with her to heaven further penetrated the girl's growing awareness of the need for a greater depth of Christian understanding and behavior. Later, her father's death intensified her sense that action must follow belief even though it resulted in differing from the cultural norm of "religious" behavior.
Because Malla and Dorothea were the only surviving Moe children who were not married, the two girls were invited by their sister Karin to move to Chicago in 1884. There Malla attended Trinity Lutheran Church. She also attended Moody Church, led by Reuben Archer Torrey. A direct challenge by Torrey to become a missionary set off conflict within her, because while she desired to accept the challenge, she lacked the education to do so. The conflict was further fueled in 1891 when she attended Fredrik Franson's evangelistic meetings.
Malla and seven others were commissioned on April 1, 1892, in a service at Bethesda Church in New York City. The group arrived in June to begin language study with East Africa Free Mission at Ekutandaneni, Natal. The reality of African life and its people quickly challenged cliches and tested the faith and commitment of the missionaries. Lack of much formal education was a stumbling block at first for Malla, particularly because of the disciplines required in language study, a difficulty she conquered by hard work through a period of deep discouragement. As supplement to the program, the women spent short periods living in African tribal kraals (camps) and this initiated a pattern for Malla which would later become her unique and practical method of evangelization.
Malla joined in the African work by a native, Mapelepele Gamede. Both were baptized by immersion at the same time, Malla for the second time. His apparent inability to read was at first a stumbling block but, after a time alone in the forest, he returned with a stunning and miraculous gift--immediate literacy. Renamed Johane, he became a lifelong companion and invaluable help to Malla as the bridge between her own language problems and cultural background, and he filled the need of a national helper who could accompany her into the kraals and help train native converts.
In 1898, a permanent mission site was built in Bulunga, named Bethel. Here Malla Moe spent most of the next fifty-six years of her life until her death. She became the driving and forceful leader wherever she worked, the result of a single-minded compulsion to evangelize with every aspect of her personality and energy. A year after construction, about sixty converts were coming to the Sunday meetings.
During a three-year furlough begun in 1902, Malla gathered financial and spiritual support. One group, Afrika Gruppen in Minnesota, sent funds from 1904 until her death, though her contacts were largely confined to letters because she took so few furloughs. One of the three years was spent in Norway, where Malla was forbidden to speak in chapel because of opposition to her blunt and persistent approaches, which were regarded as appropriate in Africa but not in Norway.
A furlough which began in 1916 extended over the next six years. During that time, Malla worked in Chicago, east and west coasts and Canada. In Norway, Malla had a more successful visit than her previous one and she became a helper in revivals for Ludwig Johnson. During this time, she was disabled for a second time because of a hip injury. She returned to Africa in October 1922. There, the mission had seriously considered not allowing her to rejoin them because of her dominating behavior and her apparent disregard of others' responsibilities and feelings. But Arthur Jensen, head of a new Bible school at Mhlotsheni, dropped the request of eliminating her from the staff. Malla's third term began and lasted for the following thirty-one years until her death. She became a close friend of Jensen. She also attempted, with more success, to moderate her tactless traits.
In 1927 Malla began a house wagon ministry as a concession to her physical attrition at age sixty-five. With the assistance of a driver, leader of the donkey team of eight pairs, and girls who did the cooking, Malla began systematic journeys into untraveled and unevangelized areas, setting up camp and working within a radius of eight miles. The wagon ministry traveled through Swaziland and then into Tongaland. Gamede, her life-long helper, also joined her on this mission, which lasted for ten years until 1938, when Malla was operated on at the Nazarene Hospital in Bremersdorp for a severe attack of boils.
Malla's sense of responsibility to those who wrote her and her involvement in their personal lives were carried out with as much intensity as the whole of her life's purpose to spread the Gospel wherever she found people, whether in a railroad station or the African bush. In 1944 a new church was begun at Bethel, seeded by a personal gift from Malla and completed five years later. By 1950, Malla had been on the field for twenty-eight years without a furlough and her health had been broken by a difficult mountain climb to visit a kraal when she was not well. Though the physical difficulties were hard to bear, her oft-repeated phrase "all grace of God" represented the source of the strength that helped her cope with diminishing activity. She died on October 16, 1953, at the age of ninety.
Information from http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/treasure/tr98/1898talk.htm (photo), http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/GUIDES/280.htm#3>
Petra Malena Moe was born on September 12, 1863, in Hafslo, Norway, child of Claus Rumohr and Brita Lonheim Moe. They had nine children, six of whom survived. The Moes registered each child with the church, though only nominally a religious family. "Malla," as she was known for the rest of her life.
In 1875 she attended evangelistic meetings which stressed a personal encounter with Christ. Malla was impressed by the fervor, plain dress, and sobriety of this group and her aunt's dying request to come with her to heaven further penetrated the girl's growing awareness of the need for a greater depth of Christian understanding and behavior. Later, her father's death intensified her sense that action must follow belief even though it resulted in differing from the cultural norm of "religious" behavior.
Because Malla and Dorothea were the only surviving Moe children who were not married, the two girls were invited by their sister Karin to move to Chicago in 1884. There Malla attended Trinity Lutheran Church. She also attended Moody Church, led by Reuben Archer Torrey. A direct challenge by Torrey to become a missionary set off conflict within her, because while she desired to accept the challenge, she lacked the education to do so. The conflict was further fueled in 1891 when she attended Fredrik Franson's evangelistic meetings.
Malla and seven others were commissioned on April 1, 1892, in a service at Bethesda Church in New York City. The group arrived in June to begin language study with East Africa Free Mission at Ekutandaneni, Natal. The reality of African life and its people quickly challenged cliches and tested the faith and commitment of the missionaries. Lack of much formal education was a stumbling block at first for Malla, particularly because of the disciplines required in language study, a difficulty she conquered by hard work through a period of deep discouragement. As supplement to the program, the women spent short periods living in African tribal kraals (camps) and this initiated a pattern for Malla which would later become her unique and practical method of evangelization.
Malla joined in the African work by a native, Mapelepele Gamede. Both were baptized by immersion at the same time, Malla for the second time. His apparent inability to read was at first a stumbling block but, after a time alone in the forest, he returned with a stunning and miraculous gift--immediate literacy. Renamed Johane, he became a lifelong companion and invaluable help to Malla as the bridge between her own language problems and cultural background, and he filled the need of a national helper who could accompany her into the kraals and help train native converts.
In 1898, a permanent mission site was built in Bulunga, named Bethel. Here Malla Moe spent most of the next fifty-six years of her life until her death. She became the driving and forceful leader wherever she worked, the result of a single-minded compulsion to evangelize with every aspect of her personality and energy. A year after construction, about sixty converts were coming to the Sunday meetings.
During a three-year furlough begun in 1902, Malla gathered financial and spiritual support. One group, Afrika Gruppen in Minnesota, sent funds from 1904 until her death, though her contacts were largely confined to letters because she took so few furloughs. One of the three years was spent in Norway, where Malla was forbidden to speak in chapel because of opposition to her blunt and persistent approaches, which were regarded as appropriate in Africa but not in Norway.
A furlough which began in 1916 extended over the next six years. During that time, Malla worked in Chicago, east and west coasts and Canada. In Norway, Malla had a more successful visit than her previous one and she became a helper in revivals for Ludwig Johnson. During this time, she was disabled for a second time because of a hip injury. She returned to Africa in October 1922. There, the mission had seriously considered not allowing her to rejoin them because of her dominating behavior and her apparent disregard of others' responsibilities and feelings. But Arthur Jensen, head of a new Bible school at Mhlotsheni, dropped the request of eliminating her from the staff. Malla's third term began and lasted for the following thirty-one years until her death. She became a close friend of Jensen. She also attempted, with more success, to moderate her tactless traits.
In 1927 Malla began a house wagon ministry as a concession to her physical attrition at age sixty-five. With the assistance of a driver, leader of the donkey team of eight pairs, and girls who did the cooking, Malla began systematic journeys into untraveled and unevangelized areas, setting up camp and working within a radius of eight miles. The wagon ministry traveled through Swaziland and then into Tongaland. Gamede, her life-long helper, also joined her on this mission, which lasted for ten years until 1938, when Malla was operated on at the Nazarene Hospital in Bremersdorp for a severe attack of boils.
Malla's sense of responsibility to those who wrote her and her involvement in their personal lives were carried out with as much intensity as the whole of her life's purpose to spread the Gospel wherever she found people, whether in a railroad station or the African bush. In 1944 a new church was begun at Bethel, seeded by a personal gift from Malla and completed five years later. By 1950, Malla had been on the field for twenty-eight years without a furlough and her health had been broken by a difficult mountain climb to visit a kraal when she was not well. Though the physical difficulties were hard to bear, her oft-repeated phrase "all grace of God" represented the source of the strength that helped her cope with diminishing activity. She died on October 16, 1953, at the age of ninety.
Information from http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/treasure/tr98/1898talk.htm (photo), http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/GUIDES/280.htm#3>
May 15, 2017
Then they will know that I am the Lord!
If Old Testament Israel is a "type" of the New Testament Church (and, it is), it is important for us believers to pay attention to how God dealt with His chosen people.
Ezekiel, chapter 7, offers a sobering picture.
"The word of the Lord came to me saying...the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you...then you will know that I am the Lord!...Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you; judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations...I will repay you according to your ways".
I fear God is speaking to His church in North America. A fair question might be; "what have we done to deserve God's wrath?" God is clear...we have taken all the gifts He has given us and used them to elevate and honor ourselves rather than God. We have replaced humble spirits with arrogance. We have worshipped false gods. God says He will put an end to it. He says He will also turn His face from us...bring the worst of the nations, and they will possess our houses. Our churches will be profaned. When anguish comes we will seek peace and there will be none.
In case we're tempted to believe God is being uncharitable, He finishes by saying "by their own standards I will judge them". So, God will be returning to us precisely what we offered Him. Now may be a good time for God's arrogant, self-satisfied people to return to the source of our many blessings. Perhaps we may avert the judgments God visited in Israel.
Pray!
Live boldly out there today...
Ezekiel, chapter 7, offers a sobering picture.
"The word of the Lord came to me saying...the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you...then you will know that I am the Lord!...Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you; judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations...I will repay you according to your ways".
I fear God is speaking to His church in North America. A fair question might be; "what have we done to deserve God's wrath?" God is clear...we have taken all the gifts He has given us and used them to elevate and honor ourselves rather than God. We have replaced humble spirits with arrogance. We have worshipped false gods. God says He will put an end to it. He says He will also turn His face from us...bring the worst of the nations, and they will possess our houses. Our churches will be profaned. When anguish comes we will seek peace and there will be none.
In case we're tempted to believe God is being uncharitable, He finishes by saying "by their own standards I will judge them". So, God will be returning to us precisely what we offered Him. Now may be a good time for God's arrogant, self-satisfied people to return to the source of our many blessings. Perhaps we may avert the judgments God visited in Israel.
Pray!
Live boldly out there today...
April 26, 2017
Make our first step the right step
God, your God, is the God of all gods, he’s the Master of all masters, a God immense and powerful and awesome. He doesn’t play favorites, takes no bribes, makes sure orphans and widows are treated fairly, takes loving care of foreigners by seeing that they get food and clothing. You must treat foreigners with the same loving care— remember, you were once foreigners in Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:17-19
* * * * * * *
A lot of drama and discord surrounds our national debate regarding immigration...and how we handle all the foreigners living here. Unfortunately, all the rhetoric is aimed at the "illegals" and their bad behavior. It obfuscates the central demand of scripture; treat the foreigners the same way we treat everybody else. We should remember this when we form immigration policies...
I recognize this appears simplistic, at its core. Even so, is it sound policy to ignore God's expectation simply to ameliorate that problem? I suspect it just compounds the problem.
I understand this is a thorny issue and neither political party has taken a particularly righteous approach. Allow me to suggest we will never arrive at a satisfactory solution unless our first step is a step of obedience.
And, by the way...this approach surely applies to all the tough decisions we face both personally and nationally. I understand the arguments: it's not practical; we can't afford it; it's dangerous. Well, I imagine Jesus had many of those thoughts while seeking His Father's will in Gesthemene. All in all, that turned out well for Him (although, not without pain)...and us.
Live boldly out there today...
* * * * * * *
A lot of drama and discord surrounds our national debate regarding immigration...and how we handle all the foreigners living here. Unfortunately, all the rhetoric is aimed at the "illegals" and their bad behavior. It obfuscates the central demand of scripture; treat the foreigners the same way we treat everybody else. We should remember this when we form immigration policies...
I recognize this appears simplistic, at its core. Even so, is it sound policy to ignore God's expectation simply to ameliorate that problem? I suspect it just compounds the problem.
I understand this is a thorny issue and neither political party has taken a particularly righteous approach. Allow me to suggest we will never arrive at a satisfactory solution unless our first step is a step of obedience.
And, by the way...this approach surely applies to all the tough decisions we face both personally and nationally. I understand the arguments: it's not practical; we can't afford it; it's dangerous. Well, I imagine Jesus had many of those thoughts while seeking His Father's will in Gesthemene. All in all, that turned out well for Him (although, not without pain)...and us.
Live boldly out there today...
April 21, 2017
Does The Lord Hates Us?
"You were not willing
to go, but rebelled against the command of the Lord and you
grumbled in your tents and said, The Lord hates us, He has brought
us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to
destroy us". Deuteronomy 1:26-27
The Israelites suggested Moses send in spies...to ensure the land was ripe for the taking. It made sense so...Moses sent in 12 men to recon the land,
"The Lord hates us!" Really?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Israel was positioned on the east side
of the Jordan river, ready to enter the Land God had promised to give them. It
had been a long journey. Moses addressed the entire community, in preparation
for this moment, and explained why it had taken 40 years for them to travel 450
miles. The journey should have taken a little more than a month.
Moses began...The
Lord told us to set our journey toward the land
of the Canaanites and Lebanon. God said "I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the
land which I swore to give to
your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants
after them."
So far...so good. But wait...The Israelites suggested Moses send in spies...to ensure the land was ripe for the taking. It made sense so...Moses sent in 12 men to recon the land,
Although...this is not what God commanded.
And, the recon report was not unanimous. Remember, only two of the twelve favored invading the land. So the community rebelled and refused to go into the promised land. The people claimed God hated them and intended to have the Amorites destroy them.
"The Lord hates us!" Really?
Hearing this, God was so angry He said "not one of these stubborn people will enter the land I have promised...except Caleb and Jephunneh" (the two spies who gave a good report). God sent them back into the desert.
Of course, the people got all repentant and said "we have sinned against the Lord; we will indeed go up and fight, just as the Lord our God commanded us." The geared up for battle and went to fight the Amorites in spite of the fact that God said He wouldn't go with them. Naturally, things didn't go as planned and they were soundly defeated. They returned and wept before the Lord but, God wouldn't listen.
40 days turned into 40 years...and not because God hated them.
Things haven't changed, have they? We still throw around the word "HATE" when we don't like what somebody says or does. Many people we know assert their hatred for God. Not because God has done anything wrong but because He has done something they don't like.
God is continually leading us through our lives. Often it is a wilderness filled with uncomfortable and frightening things. It's natural to fear. However, when we took a step of faith and followed Christ, our commitment was forever...not for pleasure. But, we are commanded not to fear.
Are we wandering in the wilderness? How long do we want to remain there? I know of only one way out...listen to God the first time.
Live boldly out there today...
April 17, 2017
We need a Phinehas
Just then, while everyone was weeping in penitence at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, an Israelite man, flaunting his behavior in front of Moses and the whole assembly, paraded a Midianite woman into his family tent. Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw what he was doing, grabbed his spear, and followed them into the tent. With one thrust he drove the spear through the two of them, the man of Israel and the woman, right through their private parts. That stopped the plague from continuing among the People of Israel. But 24,000 had already died. Numbers 25:6-8
* * * * * * * *
Sin, in the life of unrepentant people, breeds a level of hubris that is stunning. The need to hide sin from the community, in shame, disappears and heinous acts are paraded arrogantly in front of everybody. And, if not addressed directly, becomes a virus that will infect the entire nation.
We cannot suggest this man was unaware of his bad behavior because Israel was enduring punishment, at that very time, for sexual immorality and Baal worship. So, He just didn't care what his behavior cost the community.
Such carelessness comes at a terrible price...
We live in a world saturated with immorality...flaunted publicly before all to see. The level of self-absorption is incomprehensible. Activities considered abhorrent just a generation ago are now commonplace. Public immorality is a cancer that is destroying our communities. But...unrepentant sinners don't care about the cost to others, as long as they can satisfy their own lusts. Sober people should have none of it. The
First, I am not implying we take matters into our own hands and mete out God's wrath. These offenders are loved by God and must be loved by us...in hopes of turning them around. Second, I am not suggesting those of us who are more circumspect are somehow morally superior. Hidden sins are just as deadly as public sins.
I do suggest we begin taking a stand against against behavior we know offends God. If we don't, our community will become a Petrie dish where the culture of sin grows and invades every part. Death of moral sensibility is right around the corner...making it impossible to, any longer, distinguish right from wrong. So, in humility before God, we must agree to call sin "sin". We must keep our personal struggles and temptations private and humbly bring them before God who sees all and knows all. This isn't to pretend we aren't sinners. This is to help ensure others don't use our own behavior as license to disobey God.
Later in the chapter God told Moses, “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has stopped my anger against the People of Israel because he was as zealous for my honor as I myself am." Think about this. God may change His entire attitude toward our nation simply because you...or I, take a stand.
Will you be our Phinehas?
The eternal welfare of our children may depend on it...
Live boldly out there today...
April 14, 2017
What is truth?
Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate asked, “What is truth?” When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders and announced, “I find no basis for an accusation against him. John 18:37- 38
We have become accustomed to hearing conflicting versions of every event that occurs. MSNBC, CNN, FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC, BBC. By the time we listen to a few of the versions we have no real assurance that we're any closer to the truth of the matter.
Because, really...if all seven stations told the truth...wouldn't the story be the same?
So, Pilate found himself confused. He'd been listening to the "talking heads" of his day and he didn't know what to believe. Jesus actually did him a huge favor. Jesus said "Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice". Even then, Pilate was uncertain. His response was "what is truth?" He was so jaundiced by the history of lies bombarding him, from all directions, that he couldn't recognize truth when it was standing in front of him.
And, I'm sure, Pilate wasn't a bad man. He was a victim of bad information. Even so, he was still lost. His unwillingness to convict Jesus was not based on his certainty of the truth. It was based on his uncertainty about the lies.
On this Good Friday...the TRUTH is standing in front of us in the form of Jesus. He is speaking truth to us in the Gospel of John, chapters 14-17. Can you hear Him? Are you listening? If you belong to the truth...you do.
If, however, you subscribe to any other outlet for you information...join Pilate in your confusion and hope for the best.
Live boldly out there today...
We have become accustomed to hearing conflicting versions of every event that occurs. MSNBC, CNN, FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC, BBC. By the time we listen to a few of the versions we have no real assurance that we're any closer to the truth of the matter.
Because, really...if all seven stations told the truth...wouldn't the story be the same?
So, Pilate found himself confused. He'd been listening to the "talking heads" of his day and he didn't know what to believe. Jesus actually did him a huge favor. Jesus said "Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice". Even then, Pilate was uncertain. His response was "what is truth?" He was so jaundiced by the history of lies bombarding him, from all directions, that he couldn't recognize truth when it was standing in front of him.
And, I'm sure, Pilate wasn't a bad man. He was a victim of bad information. Even so, he was still lost. His unwillingness to convict Jesus was not based on his certainty of the truth. It was based on his uncertainty about the lies.
On this Good Friday...the TRUTH is standing in front of us in the form of Jesus. He is speaking truth to us in the Gospel of John, chapters 14-17. Can you hear Him? Are you listening? If you belong to the truth...you do.
If, however, you subscribe to any other outlet for you information...join Pilate in your confusion and hope for the best.
Live boldly out there today...
April 10, 2017
Strangers Among Us
"If an immigrant resides among you and wishes to keep the Passover
to the Lord, that one also will keep it according to its regulations and its
customary practices. There will be one set of regulations for both of you, for
the immigrant and for the native of the land". Numbers 9:14
* * * * * * * * *
Scripture refers to immigrants seventy five times. Many of these references tell us explicitly how we are to treat foreigners among us. "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" cannot be found. Neither can the term "Illegal Immigrant". In fact, today's text makes this issue crystal clear; "There will be one set of regulations for both of you, for the immigrant and for the native of the land".
I can identify only one caveat: The phrase, "If an immigrant resides among you and wishes to keep the Passover", seems to suggest all that is required is the immigrant desires to be faithful to our established laws and values.
Why is our treatment of immigrants important?
You see...Jesus, Himself was an immigrant; a traveler in a foreign land. It is true that when we view Jesus we view somebody entirely unlike ourselves. If we begin rejecting other people based upon their differences, there is no possibility that we will ever accept Jesus. So, learning to welcome the strangers around us is the test-bed for learning how to invite Jesus into our lives. The former does not guarantee the later but...the latter demands the former.
And, in Matthew 25, Jesus reveals how He will judge us when He returns. He says “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left".
Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me".
Then, of course, He will say to those on His left, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels". For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me".
The righteous will respond with some confusion. They will ask "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
God is not pleased when we divide His children into groups of "us and them". Only our sinful ego allows that to happen. And, we will eventually pay for our bad behavior. I don't have a solution for our national immigration issues. I only know this; If I meet an Hispanic looking gentleman named Jesus (Hay-soos), I'd better treat him like I'd treat JESUS.
And, if we all do this, I wonder what impact it will have on our national policy.
Live boldly out there today...
* * * * * * * * *
Scripture refers to immigrants seventy five times. Many of these references tell us explicitly how we are to treat foreigners among us. "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" cannot be found. Neither can the term "Illegal Immigrant". In fact, today's text makes this issue crystal clear; "There will be one set of regulations for both of you, for the immigrant and for the native of the land".
I can identify only one caveat: The phrase, "If an immigrant resides among you and wishes to keep the Passover", seems to suggest all that is required is the immigrant desires to be faithful to our established laws and values.
Why is our treatment of immigrants important?
You see...Jesus, Himself was an immigrant; a traveler in a foreign land. It is true that when we view Jesus we view somebody entirely unlike ourselves. If we begin rejecting other people based upon their differences, there is no possibility that we will ever accept Jesus. So, learning to welcome the strangers around us is the test-bed for learning how to invite Jesus into our lives. The former does not guarantee the later but...the latter demands the former.
And, in Matthew 25, Jesus reveals how He will judge us when He returns. He says “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left".
Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me".
Then, of course, He will say to those on His left, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels". For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me".
The righteous will respond with some confusion. They will ask "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
God is not pleased when we divide His children into groups of "us and them". Only our sinful ego allows that to happen. And, we will eventually pay for our bad behavior. I don't have a solution for our national immigration issues. I only know this; If I meet an Hispanic looking gentleman named Jesus (Hay-soos), I'd better treat him like I'd treat JESUS.
And, if we all do this, I wonder what impact it will have on our national policy.
Live boldly out there today...
April 5, 2017
Believing the Resurrection
And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them, and greeted them. But the whole group was terribly frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!
Luke 24:36-37
* * * * * * *
This incident happened shortly after Jesus was raised from the grave. I can't feel too critical toward these guys. After all, in their minds, a dead guy just walked in. Still, why was the resurrection such a surprise to them that they were filled with fear?
It's not like they were never told...
Clearly, Jesus was curious as well. He said, “Why are you frightened? Why do you doubt that it is really I? Look at my hands! Look at my feet! You can see that it is I, myself! Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost! For ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do!”
Well, actually...sometimes seeing is NOT believing...
Then, Jesus made His point. “When I was with you before, don’t you remember my telling you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true?”
In fact, if they had been listening for the past three years this should not have surprised them. It had been written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day. Even so, some truths are difficult to absorb. I once had to fire an employee. I had taken great pains to document everything, counseled with her several times and clearly warned her. Yet, she was entirely surprised when it happened.
Some people simply don't listen...
So, we're told that Jesus "opened their minds to understand at last these many Scriptures!" And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem filled with mighty joy, and were continually in the Temple, praising God.
An important truth contained in this passage is the fact that we often hear things but don't understand them. I might be riding in the car with Mali and she suddenly asks "so, what did he say then"
Huh? I heard the words but they didn't compute. She's continuing a conversation from a couple of hours ago. After sounding quite dull, she helps me make the connection and...I comfortably join the conversation.
This is what Jesus is willing to do for us...connect the dots. It's not necessarily our fault that we have trouble understanding. It is our fault that we refuse to ask for clarification. I believe many people would be willing to follow Christ if they could just figure Him out. Yet, they never ask for help.
Their fault...
Jesus said "seek me and I will be found...if you seek me with your whole heart". If we haven't found Him, maybe we should ask for a little help. I still ask...all the time.
Live boldly out there today...
Luke 24:36-37
* * * * * * *
This incident happened shortly after Jesus was raised from the grave. I can't feel too critical toward these guys. After all, in their minds, a dead guy just walked in. Still, why was the resurrection such a surprise to them that they were filled with fear?
It's not like they were never told...
Clearly, Jesus was curious as well. He said, “Why are you frightened? Why do you doubt that it is really I? Look at my hands! Look at my feet! You can see that it is I, myself! Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost! For ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do!”
Well, actually...sometimes seeing is NOT believing...
Then, Jesus made His point. “When I was with you before, don’t you remember my telling you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true?”
In fact, if they had been listening for the past three years this should not have surprised them. It had been written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day. Even so, some truths are difficult to absorb. I once had to fire an employee. I had taken great pains to document everything, counseled with her several times and clearly warned her. Yet, she was entirely surprised when it happened.
Some people simply don't listen...
So, we're told that Jesus "opened their minds to understand at last these many Scriptures!" And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem filled with mighty joy, and were continually in the Temple, praising God.
An important truth contained in this passage is the fact that we often hear things but don't understand them. I might be riding in the car with Mali and she suddenly asks "so, what did he say then"
Huh? I heard the words but they didn't compute. She's continuing a conversation from a couple of hours ago. After sounding quite dull, she helps me make the connection and...I comfortably join the conversation.
This is what Jesus is willing to do for us...connect the dots. It's not necessarily our fault that we have trouble understanding. It is our fault that we refuse to ask for clarification. I believe many people would be willing to follow Christ if they could just figure Him out. Yet, they never ask for help.
Their fault...
Jesus said "seek me and I will be found...if you seek me with your whole heart". If we haven't found Him, maybe we should ask for a little help. I still ask...all the time.
Live boldly out there today...
April 4, 2017
Saved forever? Believe it!
I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38, 39
* * * * * *
Psalm 51:5 says I have been evil from the day I was born; from the time I was conceived, I have been sinful. Scripture clearly informs us that we are born infected by sin...and will die apart from God because of that stain. Humanity's state of sin results from the fall of man, stemming from Adam and Eve's rebellion in Eden, namely the sin of disobedience in consuming from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And, since God cannot live in fellowship with anybody who is not holy, we have been dismissed from His company…with all the attending consequences.
God however, desiring fellowship with us, designed a means of
purification from our sinfulness and it is defined in the Book of Leviticus.
Leviticus 16:29-34 tells us “The following
regulations are to be observed for all time to come. On the tenth day of the
seventh month the Israelites and the foreigners living among them must fast and
must not do any work. 30 On that day the ritual is to be
performed to purify them from all their sins, so that they will be ritually
clean. 31 That day is to be a very holy day, one on which
they fast and do no work at all. These regulations are to be observed for all
time to come. 32 The High Priest, properly ordained and
consecrated to succeed his father, is to perform the ritual of purification. He
shall put on the priestly garments 33 and perform the ritual to
purify the Most Holy Place, the rest of the Tent of the Lord's presence, the altar,
the priests, and all the people of the community. 34 These
regulations are to be observed for all time to come. This ritual must be
performed once a year to purify the people of Israel from all their sins”.
The Theological Wordbook of
the Old Testament defines
what happened at the kapporet as follows: “It was from the... Mercy Seat
that Yahweh promised to meet with the men of Israel (Num. 7:89). The word,
however, is not related to mercy and of course was not a seat. The word is
derived from the root ‘to atone,’
sufficiently expressing the fact that the lid of the ark was the place where
the blood was sprinkled on the day of atonement.
So…because Yahweh loves us and wanted to
redeem a lost relationship, He established an annual ritual to accomplish both
forgiving sin and removing sin. Chapter 16 begins: "The Lord said to Moses, warn your
brother Aaron not to enter into the Holy Place behind the veil, where the Ark
and the place of mercy are, just whenever he chooses. The penalty for intrusion
is death. For I myself am present in the cloud above the place of mercy[1] ”.
To begin with, atonement involved the High Priest entering
directly into the presence of God...on God's terms...to intercede on our
behalf. This intercession involved an elaborate ritual that included
critically significant symbolism. God continues: “Here are the conditions for his entering there”:
Unfortunately, as is true with all things that involve
humans, this atoning system began to lose its value as people started viewing
it more cynically and no longer expressed remorse and repentance as they made
their offerings. It got so bad that God expressed His anger through the prophet
Amos:
“I hate all your show and pretense—the
hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not
accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all
your choice peace offerings (Amos 5:20-22). God even allowed the Temple to be
destroyed so there could be no more offerings at YOM KIPPUR. Now what do we do?
All of the Old Testament is intended as
prelude to the New Testament. Many of the events and people are considered
“types” (or metaphors) for truths contained in the New Testament. For this
reason, we simply cannot appreciate, or comprehend the Messianic events
surrounding Jesus unless we study the correlative passages in the Old
Testament. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Gentile believers in Colossae that the
Feasts of Yahweh were a shadow of things to
come to teach us
about Christ (Colossians 2:16-17). The
writer of Hebrews (Heb. 9:11ff) describes the importance of blood in
Tabernacle/Temple ceremonies of ancient Israel, how it relates to the remission
of sins and how it pointed to Jesus’ shedding of his blood on the cross for the
atoning.
God…if
He was going to maintain His relationship with us…needed an offering that
mankind could not defile. An offering that would eternally ensure peace between
God and mankind. Isaiah 52 alludes to this. Go now, leave your bonds and slavery…for
the Lord will go ahead of you…my Servant shall prosper; he shall be highly exalted. Yet…they shall see my Servant beaten and bloodied, so
disfigured one would scarcely know it was a person standing there. So shall he
cleanse many nations.
The Melchizedek story provides a perfect analogy: Jesus is, “a priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek,” not by genealogical descent but by the sheer force of resurrection life. The old priesthood of Aaron perpetuated itself automatically, father to son but God intervened and called this new, permanent priesthood into being with an added promise: God gave his word; He won’t take it back: “You’re the permanent priest.” This makes Jesus the guarantee of a perfect way between us and God—one that really works! A new covenant.
God, appointed His Son, who is absolutely, eternally perfect. Unlike the other high priests, he doesn’t have to offer sacrifices for his own sins every day before he can get around to us and our sins. He’s done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice…and is now conducting worship in the one true sanctuary built by God…heaven.
But when the Messiah arrived, high priest of the new covenant, he bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven’s “tent”—the true Holy of Holies—once and for all. He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all.
Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As our High Priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God…in the eternal “Holy of Holies…and is constantly interceding for us. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.
So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God…the “curtain” into God’s presence is his body.
“For three hours Satan could not condemn man before God”. For the entire time the High Priest was performing his duties on YOM KIPPUR, the people were without sin! Think about this…our High Priest is constantly and eternally performing His YOM KIPPUR duties before God in heaven. We are without sin. We are pure and holy.
Our part? Romans 10:9 promises "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". When I proclaim Jesus as my Lamb it's like putting my hand on His head while He was being crucified...acknowledging He died for my sin. When I believe He was raised from the dead I'm believing the threat of sin has been forever broken.
Live boldly out there today…
Romans 8:38, 39
* * * * * *
Psalm 51:5 says I have been evil from the day I was born; from the time I was conceived, I have been sinful. Scripture clearly informs us that we are born infected by sin...and will die apart from God because of that stain. Humanity's state of sin results from the fall of man, stemming from Adam and Eve's rebellion in Eden, namely the sin of disobedience in consuming from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And, since God cannot live in fellowship with anybody who is not holy, we have been dismissed from His company…with all the attending consequences.
This single day, YOM KIPPUR (Day of atonement), is foundational to everything we believe about
our salvation. So, what does this mean? The word
KIPPUR is a form of two words used in combination.
The Hebrew root word kappar which according to the Theological Wordbook of the Old
Testament means to make an atonement, make reconciliation, purge.
The other word, kapporet, refers to the mercy seat…the golden “lid”
covering the Ark of the Covenant located in the inner shrine of the Tabernacle
of Moses…which in Hebrew is the the place of atonement or the
place where atonement was made.
In other words, there is only one spot on
earth where atonement can be made…in the holiest place within the tabernacle.
The Role of the High Priest is central to the entire
ritual of atonement. In
particular, it was the High Priest who would bring a bull and two goats as a special offering to
purge the temple from the defilements caused by misdeeds of the priests and
their households. He would sprinkle the blood of the bull inside the veil of
the Holy of Holies
upon the kapporet. Then he would draw lots and select one of the two goats
to be a sin offering on behalf of the people (this goat was designated L'Adonai – "to the LORD"). He would likewise enter the Holy of Holies sprinkle
the blood of the goat upon the kapporet. Finally, the High Priest would lay
both hands upon the head of the second goat (designated for Azazel – "absolute removal”) while confessing all of the transgressions of the people.
This goat was then driven away into the wilderness, carrying on it "all their iniquities unto
a land not inhabited" (Lev. 16:22).
YOM KIPPUR, although the most significant, was only one of a
whole system of sacrifices that was implemented to assuage God’s wrath against
sin. And, except for YOM KIPPUR, where the sole officiant was the High Priest,
the role of the people was also important. It was their responsibility to
identify with the sacrificial lambs by laying their hands on the lamb’s head
while it was being slaughtered…in recognition of the fact that they deserved to
die for their sins but God, in His love, was accepting the death of this lamb
instead. This lamb was distinguished from the YOM KIPPUR goat in that it only
atoned for the sins of the individual who offered it. The Goat atoned for the
entire nation.
So…what does all this have to do with us, and atonement?
But, of course, as
the chapter begins…Oh, how few believe it! Who will listen?
Isaiah
continues in the following chapter: But in our eyes there was no attractiveness at all, nothing to
make us want him. We despised him and rejected him—We
turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. Yet
it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was
wounded and bruised for our
sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed...God
laid on him the guilt and sins
of every one of us...But who among the people of that day realized it was their
sins that he was dying for…He was counted as a sinner, and he bore the sins
of many, and he pled with God for sinners.
Who is this divinely ordained sacrificial Lamb...who could
permanently obliterate our sin problem?
Let's move forward in history to the earthly ministry of
Jesus. We get a clue when we see the incident when John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching. This incident took place at Bethany, a
village on the other side of the Jordan River where John was baptizing. The
next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! There is the Lamb
of God who takes away the world’s sin! He is the one I was
talking about when I said, ‘Soon a man far greater than I am is coming, who
existed long before me!’ (John
1:28-30). And, through His crucifixion, death and resurrection, He became our
Lamb (forgiving sin) and our Goat (removing sin).
Not only did John the Baptist recognize it but, Jesus Himself
proclaimed it. In John 10, He said “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd
lays down his life for the sheep”. A
hired man would run when he saw a wolf coming and would leave the sheep but…not
Jesus. The hired man runs because he is hired and has no real concern for the
sheep. Jesus continues by saying “The Father loves me because I lay down my
life that I may have it back again. No
one could kill Him…He laid it down voluntarily. The Jewish leaders
surrounded him and said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Christ’s response was crystal clear; “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me…The
proof is in the miracles I do in the name of my Father. To ensure there was no doubt, He closed the conversation with
this pointed statement; “I and the Father are one.”
And…the Apostle Peter sums up precisely what
the work of Christ was intended to accomplish. “Knowing that you were ransomed from the
futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as
silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb
without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world
but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in
God, who raised him from the dead and agave
him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God”. (1
Peter 1:18–21)
Even if we believe Jesus died for our sins
2,000 years ago, how do we know His offering had eternal benefits? Well, here’s
the exciting part…
Hebrews 7-10 outlines the amazing assurance that Jesus is
also our High Priest. Remember, while the High Priest was performing the
sacrifices on YOM KIPPUR, all sin was obliterated. In fact, one ancient
Hebrew scholar described it this way: “For
three hours, Satan could not condemn man before God” …alluding to the
interval of time when the High Priest was in the Holy of Holies interceding for
us.
Allow me to summarize these chapters in Hebrews…
Melchizedek
was king of Salem and priest of the Highest God. He met Abraham, who was
returning from “the royal massacre,” and gave him his blessing. Abraham in turn
gave him a tenth of the spoils. “Melchizedek” means “King of Righteousness.”
“Salem” means “Peace.” So, he is also “King of Peace.” You realize just how
great Melchizedek is when you see that Abraham gave him a tenth of the captured
treasure. The Melchizedek story provides a perfect analogy: Jesus is, “a priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek,” not by genealogical descent but by the sheer force of resurrection life. The old priesthood of Aaron perpetuated itself automatically, father to son but God intervened and called this new, permanent priesthood into being with an added promise: God gave his word; He won’t take it back: “You’re the permanent priest.” This makes Jesus the guarantee of a perfect way between us and God—one that really works! A new covenant.
God, appointed His Son, who is absolutely, eternally perfect. Unlike the other high priests, he doesn’t have to offer sacrifices for his own sins every day before he can get around to us and our sins. He’s done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice…and is now conducting worship in the one true sanctuary built by God…heaven.
Remember…As
I outlined, the first plan contained directions for worship, and a specially
designed place of worship. A large outer tent was set up. The lampstand, the
table, and “the bread of presence” were placed in it. This was called “the Holy
Place.” Then a curtain was stretched, and behind it a smaller, inside tent set
up. This was called “the Holy of Holies.” In it were placed the gold incense
altar and the gold-covered ark of the covenant containing the gold urn of
manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, the covenant tablets, and the
angel-wing-shadowed mercy seat.
Only the high priest entered the "Holy of Holies", and then only once a year, offering a blood sacrifice for his own
sins and the people’s accumulated sins.
But when the Messiah arrived, high priest of the new covenant, he bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven’s “tent”—the true Holy of Holies—once and for all. He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all.
Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As our High Priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God…in the eternal “Holy of Holies…and is constantly interceding for us. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.
So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God…the “curtain” into God’s presence is his body.
“For three hours Satan could not condemn man before God”. For the entire time the High Priest was performing his duties on YOM KIPPUR, the people were without sin! Think about this…our High Priest is constantly and eternally performing His YOM KIPPUR duties before God in heaven. We are without sin. We are pure and holy.
Our part? Romans 10:9 promises "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". When I proclaim Jesus as my Lamb it's like putting my hand on His head while He was being crucified...acknowledging He died for my sin. When I believe He was raised from the dead I'm believing the threat of sin has been forever broken.
Live boldly out there today…
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