Essentially The Revelation Is a Book of Symbols.

The Seven Churches of Revelation, also known as The Seven Churches of the Apocalypse and The Seven Churches of Asia (referring to the Roman province of Asia, not the entire continent), are seven major churches of Early Christianity, as mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelation.

We continue with our study of the Apocalypse or Revelation of John (the Apostle), written from the Greek island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of modern Turkey. John writes to

... the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. - Rev 1:4-6 ESV

"Churches" in this context refers to the community or local congregations of Christians living in each city, and not merely to the building or buildings in which they gathered for worship. In fact, church buildings would not appear to any extent, until a couple hundred years later. John is instructed to write to seven of those Christian communities. There may well have been more. Seven here must be interpreted as a symbol for all churches.  Seven is an important symbolical number in the Bible denoting completion. Some examples:

• Gen. 1:31 - 2:3 - God completed His creation in six days and set the seventh day aside to rest. Thus seven became the number for completion. It still marks the completion of our week of days. 

• In Rev. 13:18 "the number of the beast" is called "the number of a man": 666. Man was created on the 6th day. If God's number is 7, then man's is 6, indicating clearly that man is not God. He was created by God on day 6. The number of man is written 3 times. The number 3, as we'll later learn, is also God's number, the number for the Trinity. In claiming 666 we will learn that the beast is claiming to be God and worthy of worship.  

• Series of sevens often appear in the Bible. So we find:

• Gen. 7:2 - 7 pairs of each clean animal enter the ark. 
• Exodus 25:37 - the Menorah, the tabernacle's lamp stand, has 7 stems
• Proverbs 6:16-19 - The LORD hates haughty eyes, a lying tongue, shedding of innocent blood, a heart devising wicked plans, feet that run to evil, a false witness and one who sows discord.
• Matt. 18:22 - wrongdoers are to be forgiven 70 X 7. 
• In the Revelation the number 7 is used more than 50 times. e.g. 7 letters to 7 churches in Asia and 7 spirits before God’s throne (Revelation 1:4), 7 golden lamp stands (Rev.1:12), 7 stars in Christ’s right hand (Rev. 1:16), 7 seals of God’s judgment (Rev. 5:1), 7 angels with 7 trumpets (Rev. 8:2), etc. 

So here in the beginning of The Revelation the number 7  represents completeness or totality: the 7 churches represent the completeness of the body of Christ, the 7 seals on the scroll represent the fulness of God’s punishment of a sinful earth, and so on.

Symbolical language is very important in the Bible. One study tells us that there are 1,670 symbols in the Bible. These include the rainbow (Gen. 9:13; Rev. 4:3), thunder, lightning, cloud and smoke (Rev. 4:5; 8:5; 11:19), trumpets (Exod. 19:19; Rev. 8:6), throne (Isa. 6:1; Rev. 4:2; 22:3), white hair (Dan. 7:9; Rev. 1:14), etc. Amazing Discoveries has created a Bible Symbols Chart that you may find helpful.

By the way, what do you think about when you see men like myself with white hair ? White is the symbol for purity (Rev. 12:9; 20:2) and for victory (Rev. 19:8; 3:5; 7:14). White hair in particular is apparently a symbol for experience and the consequent wisdom that comes from the same (Rev. 1:14). We are commanded to honor the old man with gray or white hair and consider it to be a crown of glory, glory gained by living a godly or righteous life (Prov.16:31). Obviously not all of us white-hairs have earned such honor, but many have, by God's grace.

What precisely is a symbol or symbolic speech? Webster's dictionary defines it this way: A form of speech that expresses an idea or emotion without use of words. A symbol represents or suggests something abstract, such as burning one’s draft card, bra, or flag, or picketing. So throughout the Revelation we will encounter symbolic speech and we must consequently be very careful never to interpret symbols literally. An obvious example of this is the number 144,000 (12x12x10x10x10). We'll want to explore that peculiar symbolical number later. But is it only symbolical?

The problem is how to decide if one should ever interpret the symbols of Revelation as literal rather than symbolical, pointing beyond the image to an abstract concept, like 144,000 (Rev. 7:1-4; 14:1-3). Jehovah's Witnesses, for instance, claim that 144,000 is the literal number of those who will reside in heaven. The rest will live forever on earth or be annihilated. We'll come back to interpreting that symbolical number later. For the moment I believe we need some guidance on principles of interpretation (sometimes called hermeneutics).

One basic hermeneutical rule is that Scripture interprets Scripture. So right at the start we read that the Revelation comes from God to Jesus. Jesus, in turn, is to show his servants what must happen soon . To do that our Lord sent his angel / messenger to signify or make known what must happen through symbols.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, - Rev 1:1 NKJV

The Greek word for signify here is sēmainō, a favorite verb used by John in his Gospel. So Jesus spoke about his being lifted up as the means by which he would draw all people to himself. John then writes, "He said this to show (or signify) by what kind of death he was going to die. - John 12:33 ESV. The snake lifted up on a pole was a sign of what would happen when Jesus was lifted up on a Roman cross. In its noun form that word is translated simply as sign. So when Jesus heals the son of an  official from Judea John calls it "the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee" (John 4:54). The healing was a sign pointing to Jesus as the Messiah.

So we hear from the outset that this is a book of signs or symbols that show us what must happen. Essentially the Revelation is a book of symbols. That is the primary way by which Jesus chose to communicate to us through His angel. If we are to interpret these symbols in some kind of literal manner, the Holy Spirit will make that clear as well. Otherwise we'll have to treat the various images as symbols or signs, not to be taken literally. If you'd like to read more about this process of interpretation or hermeneutics, read Roy Harrisville's article "A Primer on Lutheran Hermeneutics."

Jesus' Return Could Be Today!

A week ago I promised to explore with you how apostasy is THE SIGN of our time, the Sign pointing to the imminent return of Christ. But I got sidetracked a bit. This is because I'm currently serving as the Interim Pastor of a Lutheran congregation seeking their next pastor. And I'm finding again that parish work is quite demanding.

Anyway, it seems best to pursue the answers to the questions about the signs of Christ's return from Holy Scripture. So I turn to Paul's letters to the Thessalonians. The epistles to the Thessalonians are certainly two of the most ancient Christian documents in existence. They are typically dated c. 50/51 AD. They are universally accepted as authentic letters of Paul. We believe they were written by him from Corinth a few months after he founded a congregation there.

Thessalonica was located at the intersection of two major Roman roads, one leading from Italy eastward (Ignatia Way) and the other from the Danube to the Aegean. Thessalonica’s location and use as a port made it a prominent city. In 168 BC it became the capital of the second district of Macedonia and later it was made the capital and major port of the whole Roman province of Macedonia (146 BC).

Paul writes in the fifth chapter of his first letter these words: 

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (Matt. 24:43). While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. - 1Th 5:1-6 ESV

I wrote in an earlier blog about the day of the Lord (masculine genitive):

. . . the Greek word for Lord—Kyrios—has two different ways of saying ‘of the Lord.’ When Kyrios ends with a feminine genitive (genitive means ‘belonging to’), it refers to the day of the week that particularly belongs to the Lord, Sunday. When it ends with a masculine genitive it refers to that final day when the Lord will return. That day is also his, of course. 

That Day of the Lord, the day of judgment when time as we now know it will end, will come as a thief in the night. However, for now, each Sunday is the Lord’s Day, the day when the church openly gathers to celebrate his first coming, to be blessed by his present coming in the Word and the Supper and to anticipate the Day of the Lord when he will return to complete the great work of salvation. On Sunday the church receives a foretaste of the marriage feast that is yet to come (Luke 13:28-30).

I also wrote about the many failed predictions of exactly when that Day of the Lord will take place. And indeed there have been many. You may even remember that back in 2010 there was quite a stir about that day happening in 2012. Perhaps if Paul were writing to us today he would say the same thing he said to his young Thessalonian congregation: "you have no need to have anything written to you, for you are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."

A couple years ago I literally experienced that thief in the night when I awoke to discover my brand new generator had been stolen from my carport. Unfortunately I had not chained it down and the thieves had easy access. Needless to say, I learned an important lesson. Be prepared for thieves at all times. That's the same lesson Paul is pushing with the Thessalonians. Quit looking around for some sign about the when of Christ's return. Be ready at all times. It could be today!

Search Paul's letters and you will not find him talking about signs of Christ's return. He does speak negatively about the Jews seeking signs proving Jesus to be the Messiah:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, - I Cor 1:22-23 ESV

For the Jews the coming of the Messiah would mean that the time had arrived for their earthly kingdom to be restored by God. That in itself was a confused understanding of the Messiah's role, as Jesus pointed out to Pontius Pilate:

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." - Jhn 18:36 ESV

Instead of focusing upon some worldly kingdom, keep focused upon the true nature of Christ's kingdom and His imminent return, writes Paul. Remember who you are, children of light and not of darkness. Light is a common analogy for God's revelation in Christ and for those who have Christ living in their hearts.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - Jhn 8:12 ESV 

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. - Mat 5:14 ESV

As the Lord said, darkness refers to the ways of the world and those who follow the prince of this world.

So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. . . 

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. - Jhn 12:35, 46 ESV

This is why we don't need someone to write to us about times and seasons and about when Christ will return. We have the Light and we wait expectantly at all times for His return. It could be today! Even so, Come Lord Jesus! (I Cor. 16:22).

Apostacy—The Sign Of Christ's Return

In every age Christians have declared that the end of the age is upon us. Christ is certainly about to return. The signs are all there as proclaimed in the Gospels. Examples abound. Consider the LORD's words as recorded by St. Matthew:

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" 

And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. - Mat 24:3-13 ESV 

OK,  the beginning of the birth of the new age has begun. But what is the sign of our LORD's coming? What is the sign of the end of the age? If not wars, famines, earthquakes and persecutions of believers, what then? Are false prophets and lawlessness? They are indeed. Apostasy is the sign!

Who can deny that false teaching and the apostasy or falling away from the faith Jesus predicted, started already in N.T. times? Consider how Peter and the other disciples deserted the LORD during His passion. And remember that an earthquake and signs in the heavens occurred during His suffering upon the cross (Matt. 24:29; 27:45). Further, read the Epistles and you see that the Apostles and their churches had to contend with enemies both outside and from within the bosom of the church.

Gnosticism was already rampant in the second century. That strange teaching with its many forms tore the church apart for hundreds of years. It remains very active in the modern world as these prophets separate creation from redemption and rely upon personal religious experience rather than God's Word!

The LORD Jesus prophesied apostasy, denial of the Trinity, salvation by good works and all the false teachings against which the Lutheran Reformation raged. Consider also how Jesus' predictions were horribly fulfilled in the rise of the false prophet Muhammed and what a challenge to the Christian faith this religion has become now in the 21st century.

In this connection I commend to you a 2012 book by Bill Hecht, Two Wars We Must Not Lose: What Christians Need to Know About Radical Islamists, Radical Secularists, and Why We Can't Leave the Battle Up to Our Divided Government. Hecht says that radical Islamist terrorists are committed to the destruction of America and they will not let up! The second "cultural war" began in earnest in the 1940s with the separation of church and state by means of the U.S. Supreme court's decision, Everson v. Board of Education. Hecht argues that such an absolute separation was never intended by the founders of the United States. These wars, says Hecht, we must not lose. If we do we will lose our country and the freedoms it has offered from its beginning.

The rejection of Scriptural authority is a prime accomplishment of secularists working from within the church. Among the so-called mainline protestant churches there is an almost universal adoption of the higher-critical method of Scriptural scholarship. In so doing these churches have capitulated to the Enlightenment of the 18th and 19th centuries. The old confessions of these churches are now useless. Things have so degenerated that when the World Council of Churches was founded it in 1948 it was unable to affirm even the mystery of the Blessed Trinity (see Henry Bettenson, Documents of the Christian Church, 2nd ed.). One must grant that recent revisions seem to suggest some kind of agreement upon the divinity of Christ and the reality of the Trinity, but don't press too far beyond the opening words themselves to documents published by the organization.

In these next weeks I will continue to review some of the things mentioned above and explore with you how apostasy is THE SIGN of our time, the Sign pointing to the imminent return of Christ.

Looking Ahead To The Signs Of Jesus' Return

When Jesus warned his disciples that the Herod's Temple would be torn down, they responded by asking two vital questions. They wanted to know when that would be and what would be the sign of his coming and the end of the age. The sign and the end of the age were interconnected in their minds (Matt. 24:1-3).

The Lord did not tell them when the Temple would be torn down. He did make it clear that the entire city of Jerusalem would be surrounded by her enemies (doubtless the Romans) and laid waste as the prophet Daniel had foretold (Matt. 24:15; Daniel 9:24-27). In those days of vengeance Jerusalem would be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles (Luke 19:43-44; 21:21-25). Other prophets as well as Daniel had foretold this, because Jerusalem and her leaders had rejected their promised Messiah. So the book of the prophets ends with Malachi saying,

"For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. - Mal 4:1 ESV

Further, such death, desolation and destruction would mark the coming of the Messianic king who would usher in a new era of peace and joy. Malachi continues,

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. - Mal 4:2 ESV

Jerusalem was destroyed as the prophets foretold and Jesus confirmed. In 70 A.D. the Roman armies finally breached the walls and laid waste to the temple. Many of Jesus' disciples fled the city, forewarned by his words. The abomination of desolation had been foretold by the prophet Daniel (Dan. 12:11). It had already happened once back in 168 B.C. when Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to wipe out Judaism. Jesus uses the same language to warn that it was about to happen again. Abominable statues of false gods would again be set up in the Temple's holy place.

"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short." - Mat 24:15-22 ESV

The problem we later believers face is this: how much time is there between the destruction of Jerusalem and Christ's return in glory and power? And what signs do we look for to mark the end of this age in which the church, the living body of Christ, lives and serves? What signs demonstrate that Christ's return is imminent and about to happen? Follow Matthew's record of Jesus' words.

1. False messiahs and false prophets will arise: "For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. ... And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. . . Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. . . So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.'" - Mat 24:4-5, 11, 23-24, 26 ESV
2. Wars and rumors of wars will abound: "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom . . ." - Mat 24:6-7 ESV
3. Jesus' disciples will be persecuted and hated: "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake." - Mat 24:9 ESV
4. Many will stumble and fall away from Jesus: "And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. ... And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold."- Mat 24:10, 12 ESV
5. Natural disasters will occur: ". . . there will be famines and earthquakes in various places." - Mat 24:7 ESV
6. The Gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed worldwide: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." - Mat 24:14 ESV

Some critical things to remember about all this:

• "All these are but the beginning of the birth pains." - Mat 24:8. The age of the Messiah is coming, but the signs above only point to the beginning. They are pains to be sure. The birth will take place, but the when is not for us to know. 
• The exact time of Christ's return remains in the hands of the heavenly Father: "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." - Mat 24:36 ESV
• The people of this world will be clueless about the Christ's return: "For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." - Mat 24:37-39 ESV
• Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ... Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. - Mat 24:42, 44 ESV

There will be no mistaking Jesus' return. It will be sudden, loud, as bright as lightning and obvious to everyone. He will come on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. Then the Day of Judgment and Renewal will take place.

"For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. 

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." - Mat 24:27-34, ESV

So as we await our Master's return each day we joyfully give ourselves to the tasks of our calling. And we keep looking up, because this could be the day.

"But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes." - Mat 24:43-46 ESV

And Peace On Earth To Men

In the wondrous festival of Christmas we Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a birth that is a great and mighty wonder we boldly confess in the Nicene creed:

"We believe in one Lord, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father . . . For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. "

Jesus' entire life was marked by mighty works, wonders and signs. Some call these mighty works (dynamis in Greek) miracles. The  English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible has the word miracle only occuring once—in Exodus 7:9. The ESV translates the plural form of dynamis as miracles seven times . In the ESV translation of the Gospels miracles are always called mighty works. Here is a partial list of Jesus' mighty works.

• A great draught of fish convinces Simon Peter, James and John to follow Him - Luke 5:1-11
• A evil spirit is ordered to come out of a man in the Capernaum synagogue - Mark 1:21-28
• A Roman Centurion's servant is healed in Capernaum - Matthew 8:5-13
• A paralyzed man, also from Capernaum, is empowered to walk - Mark 2:1-12
• The only son of a widow from Nain is raised from the dead - Luke 7:11-17
• The daughter of a Jewish official named Jairus is also raised from the dead - Matthew 9:18-26

Jesus' mighty works caused people to be astonished. Again and again they asked,"Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? - Mark 6:2

In the Gospel of  John seven of Jesus' mighty works are called signs. John's Gospel breaks into four parts. The second is often called The Book Of Signs (1:19-12:50). In that section we read about

• Over a hundred gallons of water turned into wine at a wedding - John 2:1-11
• The son of a government official from Capernaum  healed - John 4:45-54 
• An invalid at the Bethesda pool cured - John 5:1-15
• Over 5,000 fed with 5 loaves and two fish - John 6:5-14
• Jesus walking across the Sea of Galilee amidst a storm - John 6:16-24
• A man blind from birth having his sight restored -  John 9:1-7
• Lazarus raised from the dead - John 11:43-44

This has been the message of the church from the beginning. On the first Pentecost after Jesus' resurrection the Apostle Peter proclaimed,

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know-- - Acts 2:22 ESV

Jesus continues to perform mighty works, wonders and signs. Ask any gathering of Christians and you will find those who testify to being fed, healed and rescued from death by Jesus. Such signs of Jesus' presence and power are only recognized by believers. Unbelievers will credit modern science or medicine or chance. Believers see Jesus' hand at work in all things. This faith in Christ is the greatest wonder of all. We believe and confess that in our Baptism Jesus has taken us into his death and brought us with him out of death into the new life of faith (Rom. 6:4). This is the great and mighty wonder of new birth known and experienced by every true believer in Jesus Christ. It is a miracle unknown and rejected by the world. The Church is the living Body of Christ in whom His Spirit and life dwells. The Church is the great sign of His Presence to this very day (Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 12:27; Rom. 12:5). And it all began with Christmas.

A great and mighty wonder, a full and holy cure:
The virgin bears the Infant with virgin honor pure!
Repeat the hymn again: “To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”

The Word becomes incarnate and yet remains on high,
And cherubim sing anthems to shepherds from the sky.
Repeat the hymn again: “To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”

While thus they sing your Monarch, those bright angelic bands,
Rejoice, ye vales and mountains, ye oceans, clap your hands.
Repeat the hymn again: “To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”

Since all He comes to ransom, by all be He adored,
The Infant born in Bethl’em, the Savior and the Lord.
Repeat the hymn again: “To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”

And idol forms shall perish, and error shall decay,
And Christ shall wield His scepter, our Lord and God for aye.
Repeat the hymn again: “To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”

He Is With Us Always, To The End

This week we Christians begin our annual four weeks of preparing to celebrate the first coming or birth of our Lord Jesus. During these four weeks we meditate upon the several other ways by which Jesus comes or will come among us. We rejoice that he has never in fact left us, but rather remains very present to speak to us and guide us in his living Word as well as in in the sacraments of Baptism and his holy Supper. In this way he fulfills his promise to be with us to the very end of this age. And yes, this present age will come to its appointed end. Then he will return in glory with all his holy angels (Matt. 16:27; 24:30; Mark 10:37).

As has often been true, unbelievers view this prophecy as so much nonsense or they get all wrapped up in other esoteric prophecies like the Mayan calendar's prediction of the end on December 21, 2012, less than a month from the day upon which I write these words. In response to Jesus' disciples' private question about what was to be the sign of his return and the end of the age he said,

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." - Mat 24:36 ESV

Mocking those who promote about the Dec. 21 date, our pastor recently quipped in his sermon, "Can you imagine the let down for those folks when it doesn't happen? And wouldn't it be neat if just when they give up in despair, Jesus comes back on Dec. 22!"

So what about all this business of the end of days and signs of Jesus' return? Jesus told us before his own crucifixion that there would be (Matt. 24:3-31; Luke 21:5-38):

• messianic leaders promising to save the world from all its woes 
• wars and rumors of wars
• nations or kingdoms rising up against other nations or kingdoms
• terrors from the heavens
• famines in various places
• earthquakes
• tsunamis and floods
• hurricanes and tornadoes
• plagues and epidemics
• widespread drunkenness from drugs 
• persecution and murder of Christians

Sounds like today's news reports from around the world, doesn't it?

We believers sometimes panic when we hear about these things. Do not. While the list above gives us good reason to be sober about what is happening around us, we have no reason to panic. We always remember Jesus' promise just before his ascension,

"Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Mat 28:20 ESV

So we go about the work he has given to us as we await his return. Moms care for their kids. Dads teach their sons to throw a baseball. Engineers design bridges, lawyers plead cases before judges, musicians create music. We join hands to feed the poor, care for the sick and weak, rescue folks from various disasters and whenever we have opportunity we share the good news about Jesus. And all the time we remain awake and in prayer, awaiting his return at any time (Matt. 24:44-47).

Read The Signs Or Die

We're still talking about discipleship and the work of the church. In earlier posts we took a look at Jesus' feeding thousands in the wilderness along the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee or, as the
Romans called it, the Sea of Tiberias. As a result, the crowd wanted to make him their king, their Bread King. With him in charge the problem of food would be settled. But Jesus would have none of it. He hid himself back in the hills. We pick up the narrative in John 6.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.
But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."
Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. - Jhn 6:16-21 ESV

In Matthew's account Peter boldly asks Jesus for permission to join him on the water. But then Peter loses his faith and has to be rescued from drowning. When they step into the boat Jesus remonstrates Peter, saying, "O you of little faith. Why did you doubt?"

Once in the boat, the wind ceased and shortly after that they made it safely to land. All this made a deep impression on the disciples. They knelt before him and said, "Truly you are the Son of God!"(Matt. 14:24-32)

Later Peter repeated his conviction that Jesus was God's Son. On the Mountain Peter, James and John saw Jesus transfigured and shining as bright as newly fallen snow. They heard the Father proclaim Jesus His Son (Matt.17:5). When the Sanhedrin tried Jesus they pronounced him guilty of blasphemy for declaring himself to be God's Son. This was a crime worthy of death (Matt. 16:63-66).

What has all this to do with the primary questions of Bread and healing raised by the crowd? Just this. Jesus is indeed the Son of God. As John wrote in the beginning of his Gospel,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. - Jhn 1:1-3 ESV

Jesus gave them plain and obvious signs of this fact. He fed thousands with a five barley loaves and two fish. He walked on water amidst a raging storm and calmed the sea. Once again the LORD God had come among His people to feed them in the wilderness and take them safely through the fearsome waters of the sea, just as He did in the days of their Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. Truly He is the Son of God, Immanuel, God with us! The psalmist pulls this history together as he invites praise.

Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name." Selah

Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him, who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations-- let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. - Psa 66:1-12 ESV

Jesus is indeed the Son of God, King above all kings, Maker of heaven and earth, Master of wind and seas. All the signs pointed to this fact. But Jesus would not allow the crowd to declare him king. Why not?

Because they had no faith in him and his promises. They were not ready to be his disciples. Yes, they were concerned about their fundamental needs. As I pointed out in earlier postings, Maslow is correct. There is a hierarchy of needs and, as in the case of the hungry crowd and the frightened disciples on the sea, the need for food and safety are fundamental. Nothing wrong with that. But there is so much more.

The crowd was concerned only about themselves, their needs for healing, for food and drink and for personal safety. But that was all they thought about. As in the case of the Israelites in the wilderness, God was testing them again, trying them as silver is tried. As the proverb says,

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts. - Pro 17:3 ESV (see also Isaiah 48:10)

He tested them and they all failed the test. They did not give God the glory. They did not bless and praise Him. All they thought about was themselves. What's in this for me? You give us bread. You calm the storms. Great. We are well fed, healed and safe. Now that's the kind of king we want.

And that is the very nature of sin. Instead of keeping first things first, the focus is always and only upon me, my wants and my needs. The first and greatest of all God's commandments is this:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. - Deu 6:4-5 ESV

Here, right here in the wilderness near the Sea of Galilee, here was the LORD. All the signs all pointed to Him. But they would not see them. Their hearts were hardened. They worshipped only themselves. Peter and the disciples saw Him for who He is. They worshipped Him and acknowledged Him to be the Son of God. Weak as their faith was, it was still faith. They were his disciples, but the rest failed the test.

John continues. The crowd Jesus fed followed him and His disciples to the other side of the sea. Puzzled at how he got there they approached him.

They said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." - Jhn 6:25-27 ESV

We must take a very careful look at this statement. As disciples of Jesus we are concerned about the whole person, about the needs of the body, but our central and primary task is to lead men to Christ. Fail to do that and we have failed to be the church. More on this next time as we learn more about Jesus' two kingdoms, those often called the kingdoms of his right and left hands.

Wading In The Water of John

"Shallow enough for a child to wade in and deep enough to drown an elephant." So goes a description of the Gospel of John, attributed to Rev. Charles Spurgeon. John's Gospel remains a favorite of millions, yet it continues to confound scholars. Its nuances, double meanings and symbols are familiar even to new converts, but puzzle old preachers like me. For the next several posts I will take you wading with me and pray that you do not drown with this old pachyderm. Lets start with this very familiar quote:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - Jhn 3:16 ESV

The quote is from a discourse by Jesus with Nicodemus, a member of the Great Sanhedrin, the 71 judges of the Jewish supreme court of that day, meeting in Jerusalem.

Though there is no clear source of information about this Nicodemus outside the Gospel of John, the Jewish Encyclopedia and many Biblical historians have theorized that he is identical to Nicodemus ben Gurion, mentioned in the Talmud as a wealthy and popular holy man reputed to have had miraculous powers. Christian tradition asserts that Nicodemus was martyred sometime in the first century.

When  Nicodemus came secretly by night to visit with Jesus, he called this young man Rabbi, a title of great respect that means my honorable sir, similar to the modern Reverend. Normally a Rabbi was trained in a theological school and formally ordained or certified as a teacher. Since Jesus was neither formally trained nor ordained, the title offered by such an esteemed leader was most unusual. Yet this respected judge saw Jesus as a teacher (John 3:2). As Matthew makes clear, others gave him the same title out of respect, but sometimes in mockery (Matt. 12:38).

Nicodemus goes even further as he acknowledges Jesus to be sent by God. He has concluded that Jesus' signs point to God being with him. For a further discussion of Jesus' signs see my earlier post. John emphasizes that Jesus was not a mere teacher come from God. No indeed. He was Immanuel, God with us. All the signs pointed to this fact. Nicodemus obviously was not prepared to acknowledge such an astounding claim. No mere man could ever make such a claim. It was blasphemy at the highest level, a crime so heinous that it deserved death (Matthew 26:63-66). No man dare claim to be the Messiah and the Son of God. By such a claim Jesus made himself God (John 10:33). Anyone uttering such blasphemy must surely be put to death. This was the law of the land and ultimately the judgment of the Sanhedrin as they dragged Jesus before the Roman Prefect, demanding his death (John 18:31).

Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. - Lev 24:16 ESV

Nicodemus may have acknowledged Jesus as a Rabbi, but he did not at that time recognize him as the Son of God. He was not prepared to give him a divine title or to recognize the mystery of what we Christians later called the Trinity, the fact that God is three persons and yet remains but one God! To acknowledge this is indeed to wade into water deep enough to drown any elephant or as Jesus said,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." - Jhn 3:3 ESV

More on water and rebirth and seeing next time.

Jesus' Name Of Power

This week I write about Jesus' ascension and return to power and glory at the Father's right hand. But  I want you to understand that I do not write as an academic. You see, I am 78 years old and this weekend the doctors will operate on my heart for the second time in just over four years. Granted, they tell me I'm in relatively good physical condition and that the replacement of my aortic valve stands a 90% + chance of being successful and without complications. Nevertheless, something unforeseen could happen. So I turn to my faith and invite you to meditate with me upon the promises of God's Word that I hold dear.

The Apostles' Creed says, "He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty." As Jesus prepared to leave, He spoke these words to His disciples, "I AM with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Those are exceedingly comforting words.

Any and every I AM statement Jesus made links Him to the Name of God revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai.

Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" - Exd 3:13-14 ESV

Some translate: I will be what I will be or I am what I am.

This is the name shared by every person of the Trinity. It is the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Whenever and wherever that Name is invoked, there is power, the power  Jesus demonstrated again and again in His earthly ministry. He is the great I AM who listens to us, identifies with us and answers our every prayer.

The Gospel of John calls Jesus demonstrations of His power signs. The God whose name is I AM, who delivered His people, fed them in the wilderness and brought them into the promised land, is among us, writes the Apostle.

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. - John 2:11 ESV

Thus I rejoice that Jesus has come among us to free us from anxiety. He is quite capable of caring for me as I face this operation. He is ready to care also for you in every crisis you face today. Ponder with me seven signs John records, signs that point to Jesus' power.

• John 2:1-11 - He turned water into 190 gallons of the best wine. Consider His control over all sources of food, all plants and animals and everything we need to feed, nourish and heal our bodies and bring joy to our hearts. 
• John 4:46-54 - As He healed a nobleman's son, He is ever ready to hear our pleas for help and healing. 
• John 5:1-9 - Even a helpless paralytic was healed at the Bethesda pool. However helpless we feel, Jesus is ready to rescue and restore us. 
• John 6:1-14 - If He could feed over 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish, He can surely provide for us this day. 
• John 6:15-21 - As Jesus calmed the storm on the sea of Galilee, so He comes to us in the midst of our extremities to remind us of His presence and power to make everything calm. 
• John 9:1-12 - Jesus healed even a man blind from birth
• John 11:1-44 - And above all, behold how He raised Lazarus from the dead. Here is a wondrous sign to us that we who are in Christ will never die, even though we set aside this body. 

For behold, Jesus rose from the grave Himself! All that I have written above hangs on this. If Christ is not risen, then your and my faith in Christ is empty, pointless and foolish. Everything flows to and follows from this greatest of all signs. When attacked by His earthly contemporaries Jesus said, 

"An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. - Mat 12:39 ESV 

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ... An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed. - Mat 16:1, 4 ESV

Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, essentially dead and without hope of life (Jonah 1:17). But then the fish vomited him out on dry land. Likewise Jesus was dead and for three days He was in the belly of the earth. But on the third day He rose from the dead. No one can and ever will be able to prove otherwise. As Paul says, 

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. - 1Cr 15:14-20 ESV

This is the same Jesus who meets us all as we gather in His name to worship Him. He is with us to heal our wounds and bind up our broken hearts with His word of forgiveness and His promise to bring us safely to our Father's home. This is my faith as I face yet another operation. This is my comfort amidst all dangers and doubts. I pray that it is yours as well. 

Resurrection—Sense or Nonsense

One of Jesus' disciples was Thomas, also called Didymus in Greek. The ESV and several other Bible versions translate the Greek word as Twin, which is certainly one of the correct meanings of the word. It can also mean twofold. Some have guessed that Thomas was the twin brother of Matthew, and was originally called Jude. Jude, they say, was the son of James the Less, and therefore grandson of Alpheus. Some legends make Thomas the twin of James. But it is all conjecture and guesswork. We do not know.

The thing about Thomas is that he was not an easy man to convince. And that makes him valuable. John tells us that when the other disciples reported that Jesus was alive and that they had seen him, he dispensed with their witness, saying, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails and place my finger into the mark of the nails and place my hand into his side, I will never believe" (John 20:25).

That makes Thomas, the Twin, a very modern man. He needed rational, solid physical evidence. He was not about to put up with dreams, visions and wild imaginings. He needed scientific proof. When Jesus provided the kind of proof Thomas demanded, he exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" In other words, he had seen and touched Jesus. His faith rested secure. He had scientific, tangible, sensible, palpable proof of the resurrection.

Because we cannot touch Jesus and certainly not see Him with our hands, eyes and senses, many modern men reject this and all other accounts as mere legends. There are those who say that John's Gospel was not written by the John who was part of Jesus' inner circle of disciples (Matthew 17:1), but decades later by a group of disciples that were a kind of group that liked the way John thought. By that time the legends about the resurrection were full blown. The basis for this view of John's Gospel is based upon some rather far out presuppositions I won't bother with at this time.

Following the lead of those folks however, there are those who say it does not matter whether you believe in the physical resurrection. Instead, they write about the resurrection as being something they call spiritual and not physical. By this they seem to say that the early Christians shared some internal experience of Christ, some renewed idea of life beyond the grave. They did not need to see Jesus' physical body at all. As I read these people's writings I'm quite confused by what that is supposed to mean. There are even some who teach this nonsense and still want to be called Lutheran.

Finally, there are those who reject the whole thing as nonsense. There is no resurrection of any sort, they say. There never was and there never will be. Humanist Richard Carrier is one such. He writes about why he does not buy the resurrection story. He rejects all ideas of resurrection, physical, spiritual or you name it. He says that no wise or compassionate God would expect us to believe such an incredible thing as the resurrection without providing every necessary proof, not through unreliable mediaries like John and the other disciples. 

"This is the very principle that has delivered us from superstition to science. Any claim can be made about a drug, but people are rightly wary of swallowing anything that hasn't been thoroughly tested and re-tested and tested again. Since I have no such proofs regarding the resurrection story, I'm not going to swallow it, and it would be cruel, even for a god, to expect otherwise of me. So I can reason rightly that a god of all humankind would not appear in one tiny backwater of the Earth, in a backward time, revealing himself to a tiny unknown few, and then expect the billions of the rest of us to take their word for it, and not even their word, but the word of some unknown person many times removed."

So why are we Christians stupid enough to believe that Jesus really did rise from the dead and that we also will share in that resurrection, that physical, tangible, bodily resurrection? Listen to what John records Jesus saying to Thomas after he acknowledged Jesus as his Lord and God.

"Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Then John writes a conclusion to his Gospel story,

"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:29-31).

John wrote much about the signs of Jesus. He turned water to wine, healed the sick, raised Lazarus from the dead, fed thousands with a few loaves of bread and some fish and, above all other signs, He Himself returned from death. However, again and again, we read, "Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him." And why not? John says, "they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God" (John 12:43).

In His sermon on the mount Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"(Matthew 6:5). The impure in heart needs nothing that Jesus has to offer. This man believes himself without sin, able to satisfy God's anger by his righteous life—if there even is a God. Self-centered rather than God-centered, he claims purity and goodness for himself. He needs no revelation. He has all he needs with his mind, his science, his rationality, his learning and his philosophy. Armed with these he boldly marches toward eternity and darkness, believing nothing but what his senses tell him.

The pure in heart, however, has no such allusions about himself. He joins the Apostle Paul to admit that the "law of sin" is at work within his members and thus he is doomed to death (Romans 7:18-24). However, such a man is blessed, Jesus says, because he has no choice other than to throw himself upon God's mercy. To this poor sinner God speaks His word, the word about which John wrote, the Word of God made flesh and blood in Jesus (John 1:1-14). The Spirit works in John's written word to reveal the Word given to the world, namely Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God sent by His Father to bear the weight of all men's sins, to suffer for them, to die and to rise again on the third day. The sinner who believes this has a gift, given by God's unmerited grace and kindness. He is a new creation. He believes, believes because his Creator has worked this faith in his heart. He has been reborn to a new a living hope (John 3:5-8; 1 Peter 1:3;).

The self-righteous unbeliever knows nothing of this. For him we can only pray.

Signs Pointing To Christ's Return

Yesterday morning I had breakfast with a friend at a local restaurant, as we often do on Wednesdays. We talked about the sorry state of world affairs and the struggles we both have in personal and family life. That is a common theme of our conversations. A couple hours later a pastor-friend dropped by my study to share some all too familiar problems he has in shepherding his flock. Members of long standing are no longer coming to worship. No matter what he or his elders do or say, they will not fellowship with other members. In several cases those folks even refused to open their doors when visitors from their congregation come by.

As you know, if you've followed this week's Blogs, we are meditating upon lessons the church has chosen to read on this second-last Sunday of the church's year of worship. The Gospel, Luke 21:5-28, speaks about the same things that my two friends and I discussed. Jesus says we are not to be surprised when we hear about earthquakes, famines and pestilences, as well as terrors and great signs from heaven. What do we read in the news? Here's an example from but a few weeks ago:

A sudden storm left at least five quake survivors dead and dozens more wounded as it blasted through Haiti's capital, tearing down shabby tent homes, trees and power lines. Those killed on Friday included two young girls and a 93-year-old woman who lived in close quarters with the tens of thousands of people left homeless by the powerful January 12 quake that devastated this impoverished Caribbean nation. 

In addition to that, we hear of Christians being persecuted in many lands, as has been the case from Jesus' day to the present. This very month we read about a string of anti-Christian killings in Baghdad. Since Tuesday evening of last week, there have been 13 bombs and two mortar attacks on homes and shops of Christians in which a total of six people were killed and 33 injured. A church was also damaged.

The attacks came less than two weeks after 44 Christian worshippers, two priests and seven security personnel died in the seizure of a Baghdad church by Islamist gunmen and the ensuing shootout when it was stormed by troops.

Our Lord Jesus predicted this very thing as he said, "You will be hated by all for my name's sake" (Luke 21:16-17). He also said these sorts of things in the natural world and in human affairs would continue right up to the very end of this present age. Listen to His words:

"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (Luke 21:23-27).

We Christians are a peculiar lot. We believe that our Lord and God is intimately involved both in the happenings of the natural world and in the affairs of man. So deeply committed is He that He chose to become one with us, a plan He announced from the creation of the universe. He by whom all things were made and without whom nothing can continue, became a Man. He did all this so that He might rescue us from our own folly and unfaithfulness by His sacrificial death upon a cross (see John 1:1-16).
He who came once in great humility is coming again soon to complete what began then. When He returns we and the entire created world will finally be set free from hatred, war and death. That's the new song we sing and we invite everyone to join with us (Psalm 98:1-9).

Calmly Preparing for the New Year

When David fled the anger of King Saul, some men joined him "who understood the times" (1 Chronicles 12:32). We would all like to have such men around, especially as we move into another new year.

Jesus challenged the crowds who followed him to interpret the signs. He told them that when they see a cloud rising in the west, they say, "It's going to rain," and it does. In the same way they interpreted a south wind to be a sign that it was going to be hot. We in our day are much more sophisticated at forecasting the weather, but like the people of Jesus' day, we not good at interpreting and understanding the times (Luke 12:54-56). Why not? Perhaps it is because we have not adequately prepared ourselves.

As we move into the new year with a desire to understand the times, here's a Biblical way to prepare yourself. John the Baptist called upon the people of his day to "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). To repent is to change your mind, to feel sorrow for your sins and turn away from them. The next step is to accept the forgiveness of sins offered to you in the Good News of Jesus Christ. You are to do this daily by 

• examining your heart in the light of the commandments. One commandment a day is sufficient to remind you that you have not loved your God with all your heart and soul and you certainly have not always loved your neighbors, friends and family as you love yourself. 

• recalling the Good News of God's love in Christ, as the Psalmist puts it, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). 

• returning to your Baptism, even as St. Paul says, "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4). 

Now you are ready to read the paper, look at the internet or listen to TV to learn what is going on in this world. As you do you will recall that the world about us—at all levels—is at enmity with God. It is full of hypocrisy, false idols and deception. In the midst of this, you will wait on the LORD. He will reveal His will and plan for your life, just as He did to the shepherds and the Magi who knelt before the Child of Bethlehem. He will post signs for you to read and to follow. He will close paths He does not want you to travel. 

Here are some Psalm verses from God's Word to guide you prepare to enter this new year. 

• But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God. My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love" (Psalm 31:14-16).

• Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law (teaching) of the LORD and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers" (Psalm 1:1-3). 

Do not be afraid, then, of anything that the new year holds, for you are a child of God in Christ and when Christ returns you will dwell with Him and His family in ages without end. Until that day, carry on. The best is yet to come. 

Journeys, Jonah, Jesus and Signs

We took the greater part of Monday to return from south Texas to Houston. As we approached Victoria from the south on Hwy. 77, we saw some signs that said there was an accident ahead. Then the whole northbound side was closed with more signs and a barrier. We had no alternative but to detour eight miles out of our way through Victoria. Its strange how signs will direct you to a road you never expected to travel.

So it was with the shepherds of Bethlehem. The gleaming angelic visitor said, "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12).

After the messenger had left they went on a most unexpected journey back into the tiny village where they saw the baby and his mother exactly as they were told. This was a story they had to tell, one I can imagine they retold again and again for the rest of their lives.

What part do signs play in the Bible? This is a large topic.

During His public ministry the Lord Jesus was challenged by the ultra-conservative Pharisees. If he was to be taken seriously they needed a sign from heaven, that is direct from God. Jesus pointed them to the red sky in the morning, the universal sign that a storm is approaching. "You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky," he went on, "but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be give to it except the sign of Jonah" (Matthew 16:3-4).

What in the world did that mean? Jesus explained to his disciples that Jonah was in the belly of of a fish for three days and nights before being vomited onto dry land and sent off to preach a message of repentance to Nineveh (Jonah 1:17).


Shortly before returning to heaven Jesus opened the Scriptures to his disciples and taught them again that it was written that the Son of Man was to suffer, die and rise from the dead on the third day. Then they were to preach a message of repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations beginning in Jerusalem (Luke 24:45-48).


The church, the living body of Christ on earth, with her message of Jesus' cross and resurrection is a sign to all. The promised Christ has come. God's love and mercy is offered and available to anyone who will turn from sin.


More on this another time. 

Shepherds and Signs

We've been attending a new mission congregation some 40 miles from our house. The folks in that little church are very excited about what they're doing. This weekend some of the few teens sat for hours as a live Nativity scene beside the church building the congregation is renting. As I looked at their patient witness I thought back to that first Christmas and the shepherds. To mind came the words of the angel, "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:11). It's that sign thing that intrigues me. Are we (non-shepherds) still able to follow signs? And how do we know a sign when it comes along?

Diane S. Dew has a very extensive list of Bible verses referring to signs and wonders. She claims that a sign is the same as a miracle and a miracle is something our science cannot explain. I realize, however, that such a view may be too simplistic. Signs and miracles are not necessarily the same thing. I suggest that you study her list and draw your own conclusions about signs.

The Scriptures are clear that we are not to follow the example of many Jews in Jesus' day by demanding signs. When they pushed him for signs --though he'd already given them many -- he replied that they were spiritually and ethically diseased, wicked and evil. Their motives were entirely messed up. They would get nothing from him but the sign of the prophet Jonah, who was vomited out of a fish's belly after three days. This was a reference to Jesus' own upcoming resurrection.

The point is clear. We don't go around looking for and demanding signs in order to believe. Our Lord gives us signs when and where He decides we need them. They point the way. In fact, for believers in Jesus, signs are the very norm of our lives. They're always with us. They always accompany us, precisely because we're under His care and guidance.

This is to say that Jesus shows us the path we are to take, day by day. He is the gentle and good Shepherd who leads us. The signs show us where to go, just as they did for the Christmas shepherds. With eyes of faith wide open we see Him pointing out the path we are to take and why we are to trust Him. We follow because we know He is leading. We hear His voice and pin our hopes on Him.


That must have been one of the several reasons why the angels told shepherds to follow the sign leading them to the Savior. As shepherds they knew about leading and following. I only pray that our hearts are equally open to the leading of the Good Shepherd this Christmas and throughout the year before us. "Savior, like a shepherd lead us . . ."

Heaven's Gate and Christ's Return

This past week I tried in vain to send a photo of last weekend's hot air balloon rise here in Pagosa Springs. The photo is owned by the Pagosa Sun and is indeed beautiful. Sylvia and I enjoyed the cool, bright morning and the bright balloons against the deep blue mountain skies of the Colorado Rockies.

Rhonda, a friend and fellow writer, suggested that I comment upon the serenity and contentment of the photo and the mountains. That got me to thinking about the experience of the ancient patriarch Jacob recorded in Genesis 28. Jacob was following his father Isaac's wishes to find a wife among members of the family who lived in the far northern plains. He went on his journey with God's blessings. As he went, he had a strange, wondrous dream about a stairway reaching from earth to heaven. Somehow he knew that angels were going up and down. When he awoke he said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." He responded with a prayer, committing himself to the Lord God. Then he erected a pillar and called the place Beth-El, Hebrew for House of God.

Many places of worship, colleges and seminaries, hotels, high schools, towns and villages, even marinas and flower shops from that day to now have been named Bethel. A Google search comes up with over eleven million sites. Do all these places believe they are the house of God? Probably not.

Enter into Google a search for 'Gate of heaven' instead and you come up with an even stranger list. First on the list are some cemeteries. These are followed by a reference to the cult named Heaven's Gate. Remember them from ten years ago? They were 40 people radically devoted to their leader, a former psychiatric hospital patient by the name of Marshall Herff Applewhite. He changed his name, simply calling himself DO. Over the years he gathered a small group to himself in a 9,000-square-foot mansion in Rancho Santa Fe that they called "the Monastery" and "the Craft." Members paid for it doing Web design and other technical services. You can read the details in the link provided above.

The Heaven's Gate cult committed suicide when the Hale-Bopp comet, the brightest celestial visitor to our solar system in a millennium, made, on March 22, 1997, its closest approach to Earth at 122 million miles. This was the sign they were waiting for, DO believed. Their alien spaceship was coming to pick them up. They were now to pass to the next evolutionary level. So they all helped one another wash down phenobarbital-laced helpings of applesauce and pudding with vodka and laid down to die. The lethal combination did its work painlessly and soon all were dead--except one.

A cult member by the name of Rio DiAngelo had been instructed by DO to stay behind. Rio left the group to work in Beverly Hills, CA. Five days after their mass suicide he received a FedEx package with a letter addressed to him, a press release, two videotapes on which were recorded DO's and the students' "Exit Videos," and a map to the house indicating which door they'd left unlocked. Rio found the decaying bodies in the house and reported the incident to the authorities. He was later interviewed by Diane Sawyer on Prime Time Live. DiAngelo remains a firm believer in DO's teachings to this day.

Over the centuries comets appearing in the skies have been connected to all kinds of tragic events. They have often been seen as signs. The background history of modern Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists tells of the influence of comets appearing in the sky as signs foreshadowing Christ's return.

What does a believer in Jesus Christ do with all this bazaar information? The Bible's answer is clear. Be extremely wary of prophets who tell you to come here and go there. Jesus himself made it quite clear to his disciples when they too were tempted by the messianic fervor of their day. Many Jews were waiting for a sign to rebel against the Romans and start a movement that would lead to Israel's restoration as God's mighty kingdom on the earth. "What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" they pressed. "No one knows," Jesus replied. He then went on to say that the angels don't know. He did not know. "Only the Father knows," he said. (Matthew 24). Rather than getting all worked up about this, Jesus instructed his disciples and us to keep our eyes open, watch and wait. In the meantime we are to go about our duties, fulfilling our responsibilities and trusting in his sacrificial death and resurrection. The time of his return, the judgment of all mankind and the beginning of the new age will be revealed when the Father wills it.