To See Jesus Is To See The Heavenly Father

A couple days ago I had a long phone conversation with Rick Richter, a dear friend of mine who has a very deep heart for Muslims. He is a retired Lutheran minister who has written a book comparing the teachings of the Bible with the Qur'an,
Comparing the Qur'an and the Bible: What They Really Say about Jesus, Jihad, and More

I highly recommend that you purchase the book, especially if you have friends or acquaintances who are Muslim and who are searching for the truth.

In our conversation my friend mentioned that there are thousands of Muslims around the world who having visions of Jesus in these days. He is convinced that these are real. As a result of this many are turning in faith to Jesus. Here's a link to a YouTube video in which a young Christian man, a former Muslim, testifies to his and others' experience of just that:

Thousands of Muslims See Jesus In Dreams and Visions and Are SAVED! 

In this video you will also learn about another reason why Jesus is God the Father's Son. He is born of a Virgin. He alone has the blood of his heavenly Father.

Decide for yourself what that means, but in doing so check out what Peter said to the crowds on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in the Book of Acts about visions and dreams in these last days.

 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. - Act 2:16-18 ESV

According to what we see and hear Jesus is appearing in visions and dreams to Muslims and Jews who are searching for the truth about God. Here's another YouTube video: 

Ex-Hezbollah Iranian Muslim Saw Jesus

During the Passover meal before his crucifixion Jesus spoke with his disciples about seeing him. By seeing he meant more than simply seeing with ones eyes. He was speaking about seeing with your heart and putting your faith and trust in him. This is what he refers to when he says, 

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life." And again, "No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." 

Then Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. - John 14:6-11 ESV

As you seek to share what you know and believe in your heart about Jesus, as you share the Jesus you have seen in your heart, pray also for your relatives, your children, your friends that they too may see Jesus ! And in seeing Him be brought to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Persecution of Christians Continues Today

Recently I heard a pastor tell his congregation that the 20th century has been a time when more Christians were persecuted than in any previous. While I acknowledge that the persecution of us Christians has been immense during the past century, I wonder how we can know that this is so.

There are a number of websites that bring news about persecution and suffering of Christians world wide. Here is a partial list from a Google search:

• Persecution News of Churches Persecuted & Christian Sufferings
• The Voice of Martyrs
• Christian Persecution Info
• Open Doors: serving persecution Christians worldwide
• Christian Freedom: serving the persecuted church
• History of Christianity portfolio: with stories of martyrs 

The Religion Facts site, writing about persecution in the early church, states the following: 

The total number of Christians martyred in the early church is unknown. Although some early writers speak of "great multitudes," modern scholars tend to believe the actual number is not so great as is sometimes imagined. Out of the 54 emperors who ruled between 30 and 311 AD, only about a dozen went out of their way to persecute Christians.{5}
It has been calculated that between the first persecution under Nero in 64 to the Edict of Milan in 313, Christians experienced 129 years of persecution and 120 years of toleration and peace. {6} 

The Roman persecutions were generally sporadic, localized, and dependent on the political climate and disposition of each emperor. Moreover, imperial decrees against Christians were often directed against church property, the Scriptures, or clergy only. It has been estimated that more Christians have been martyred in the last 50 years than in the church's first 300 years. {7}

 The last sentence quoted above comes from Dr. Everett Ferguson, "Did You Know?" Christian History, Issue 27 (Vol. XI, No. 3), inside cover. Dr. Ferguson (born 2/18/1933) is professor of Bible at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX. and author of Backgrounds of Early Christianity (Eerdmans, 1987). He currently serves as Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Abilene Christian University and  is author of numerous books on early Christian studies. He served as co-editor of the Journal of Early Christian Studies. 


So far I have not discovered how Dr. Ferguson arrived at his conclusions. From my own reading of history and from the perspective of most historians, it is not safe to make such sweeping comments. I did find one website listing "Selected Death Tolls for Wars, Massacres and Attrocities Before the 20th Century." Matthew White, the author of that site, writes, 

"The principle argument against the accuracy of ancient atrocity statistics is that they come from innumerate societies without the modern skill in counting large numbers of people and keeping accurate records. Conquerors liked to brag about their exploits, and the vast hordes of the enemy army grew with each retelling. Civilization before the Enlightenment was rather flexible when it came to historic accuracy, and medieval historians never let the truth get in the way of a good story . . .

"We should keep in mind that many of the numbers from well-documented modern horrors are too big to be believed, but true nonetheless. The danger in doubting too easily is that we'll approach the subject with a double standard, believing the stories we want to believe, and denying the ones we don't."

The lessons in all of this are several:

1. Be cautious about making sweeping statements about such things as persecution, hatred, etc. without a solid basis for what you say or write. Everyone writes history from personal bias.
2. Be ready to examine your motives for making any such statements, e.g. "I want to shock you into realizing what a dangerous world we Christians live in and what a brave person I am to endure hatred and persecution in my own life."   
3. Know that Jesus did indeed predict that we Christians must be prepared to take up our own crosses to follow him (Luke 9:23-29; 14:26-27, etc.). We will be persecuted, because the world is under the control of the god of this world, Satan (Ephesians 2:2-3; John 8:44; 12:30-31, etc.).
4. Your quiet, but firm witness to your faith in Jesus as the Christ can and will have great influence upon those around you. 
5. In all of this, recognize that enduring persecution and hatred is not a way to get the LORD to admire, love or forgive you. As always, we are saved by His grace. Our salvation and hope is and always will be a precious and most undeserved gift (Ephesians 2:4-9).

The Witness of Sweet Perfume

In John 12: we read that Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus, took a whole pound of spikenard to anoint the feet of Jesus and then wipe his feet with her hair. This seems like a very strange and easily misunderstood act. What was she doing? And why?

 Spikenard Aralia racemosa, 

Spikenard is an aromatic flowering herb native to the Himalayan Mountains of India and Tibet. It was highly regarded in India as a perfume, a health-supporting herb, and a skin tonic. It is a relaxing and soothing oil for the skin. In Biblical times it was exported to the Holy Land in boxes carved from alabaster.

Spikenard was one of the most precious oils in ancient times, used only by priests, kings, or high initiates. A pound was literally a litra in Greek, equal to about 11.5 ounces or 327 grams. Judas, the treasurer of Jesus' disciples group, asked, "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"In those days an unskilled workman could make about a denarius per day (Matt. 20:2). So given today's federally dictated minimum wage in the USA of $7.25 an hour times say an eight hour day, a denarius would be worth around $60-70 in today's terms. Multiply that by 300 and you have a jar of perfume worth at least $18,000!  

John tells us that Judas asked his question, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag, he used to help himself to whatever was put into it. Indeed, this would have been a sizable chunk of money to access. 


Jesus' reply to Judas is also interesting. "Leave her alone," he said, "because she has done a beautiful thing to me. For the poor you always have with you, but you don't always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her" (Matt. 26:10-13).

Several questions arise from this narrative. Ordinarily one would expect Mary and Martha—probably still quite young—to be married. Why weren't they? They were certainly affluent, given that they had such an expensive product in their home. Some have conjectured that they were in business with the fishermen of Galilee. No one knows the background of this fascinating family, closely tied to Jesus and his followers.

Here's a simple observation for all of us who have been entrusted with wealth of any sort. It does not belong to us even though we may claim to have earned it (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Mary understood this. She gave her heart to Jesus and with that all her wealth. The ointment was a token of her devotion. In turn, her action teaches us that wealth of any sort is given to us so that we may witness to the gospel that proclaims Jesus' death and resurrection. This is a fitting reminder to us believers as we enter Holy Week to follow Jesus to the cross and from there to the open tomb of Easter.

Give Us This Day Thy Daily Post

Blog Tips For Pope: Give Us This Day Thy Daily Post : NPR

As I read about how the Pope is encouraging his clergy to be out there in the blogosphere I think about the relatively few Lutheran clergy who take the time and thought to put out a blog.

Oh, there are some very vocal ones among us. I'm trying to be one of them, but I'm a long way from the top.

And then I think of how many of my writer friends blog? Too busy, they say. Haven't got time. Don't know what to write about. Seems silly and pointless. So go the excuses.

But why are you writing, dear writer? Why are you preaching, my brother preacher? Don't you want somebody to read what you write, listen to your preaching and teaching?

Looks to me like blogging is one of the best ways these days to draw attention to your voice, your style and your message. What better way to build a following, a platform?

Clergy, writer—if you have something to say, get on with spreading it.