The Resurrection of Christ

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Matthew 28:1-10

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

We often overlook spiritual symbolism in Scripture, but it’s there for a reason. Every word in Scripture is important, every detail reveals something God wants us to know and highlights things we should meditate on. So, let’s look at a few things we may have missed concerning the resurrection of Christ.

After the Sabbath: The Sabbath is what we call Saturday, so the day after the Sabbath is what we call Sunday. The first Sabbath was when God rested from creating all things, so the day after the original Sabbath would be day eight. The number eight (Sunday) represents a new beginning and so does Christ’s resurrection.

At Dawn: As the darkness of night ends, the sun rises and light begins to shine. People awake from sleep and start the day. In Scripture, sleeping represents death and is a reminder that even though we sleep/die we will also wake up/rise from the dead. Christ’s resurrection is connected to the idea of waking up, and reminds us that we will be raised from the dead.

The Tomb: The place of the dead. It’s the battle ground where Christ confronts the enemy and defeats the power of sin and death.

A Violent Earthquake: Earthquakes are symbolic of God’s Presence and power. An earthquake is mentioned when God gave the commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18), and is symbolic of God marching out to do battle (Judges 5:4; Psalm 68:7-8; Joel 2:10-11; Micah 1:4). Earthquakes are also associated with God judging the wicked and reminds us that only in Christ can we truly stand on solid ground. The resurrection is a reminder that Christ has defeated the enemy and won the spiritual battle.

An Angel: A messenger from heaven, sent to communicate the will of God to humankind. To be in the presence of an angel was viewed as being in the Presence of God. The angel is symbolic of God being present, overseeing the situation and giving it His approval. There were angels at the birth of Christ, during the ministry of Christ and there are angels at the resurrection, proving that Jesus Christ is God’s Son.

Rolled Back the Stone: The stone is not removed to let Christ out, for He supernaturally left the tomb before the stone was rolled away. Rather, the stone is removed to let the people see that Christ is risen.

Sat on the Stone. In ancient times, to sit is a sign of victory; the enemy has been defeated, peace has been restored and the king is on His throne. The resurrection reminds us that Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

His Appearance was Like Lightning: Like earthquakes, lightning is also a sign of God’s Presence and power. Lightning is viewed as heavenly fire and reminds us that there are things about God we can never fully comprehend; His ways are higher than our ways. Lightning is also viewed as God’s weapon (Habakkuk 3:11; Psalm 18:14; Psalm 77:18). It is further proof from heaven that God has won a great victory and that His weapons are more powerful than the enemy’s.

His Clothes were White as Snow: Both the color white and snow are signs of being pure and holy (Psalm 51:7; Isaiah 1:18; Daniel 7:9; Mark 9:3; Revelation 1:14). Holiness is important because it allows us to enter the Presence of God. The angel is clothed in holiness because he is representing the one and only Holy God. The resurrection reminds us that Christ has come to cleanse us from all of our sin and to make us holy.

When you put all of this together it tells a story:

God rose from His rest (Sabbath) at first light (dawn) and entered the place of the dead (tomb). He marched out to do battle on behalf of His people (earthquake).

When the battle was over, God sent His messenger (angel) to reveal what He had done (rolled back the stone) and to proclaim His complete victory (sat on the stone). With His mighty weapon in hand (lightning) God struck down the enemy and gave His people gifts of holiness and forgiveness (white as snow).

But the story doesn’t end here. We’re told to not be afraid and to go and tell others what God has done. The resurrection also fills us with joy and calls us to worship the risen Savior. The story of Christ’s resurrection gives us hope, a new purpose, a new life and a brand new start. My prayer for all of us is that we will experience new life in Christ today and that we will share this new life with those in need.

You are the one God loves!

Excusing Sin

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To Excuse Sin is to Embrace Death. Excusing Sin Invites the Decay and Destruction of Our Very Lives.

The Scripture teaches us that we are born into sin. This is easy to see because we all do things that are wrong and the sins of others is easy to point out. We all hate it when someone lies to us or talks about us behind our back; we know that’s wrong. We get angry and deeply hurt if someone we love cheats on us; we know that’s wrong too. We know it is wrong to steal, to break in line at the store, and we can’t stand people who are arrogant and who think they are better than us.

Yet, we all do the same things. We all lie and talk bad about other people. We all steal time from our boss by being lazy and taking things from the office that we shouldn’t. We all look down on somebody as though we are better than they are. The point is that we are all hypocrites.

We are sinful people who do or best to pretend that we are not as bad as the other people who do the same things we do.

Why do we do this and how does this happen? We do this because of our own personal sinful lives. We do what we want and then we justify it so we won’t feel bad. The way this happens is that our sinful thoughts get together with our emotions.

When our sinful mind joins forces with our unreliable emotions, the seed of death springs to life and our lives and relationships experience decay.

Proverbs 14:12 says it this way: There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. In other words, our sinful mind agrees with our sinful desires and emotions and we freely give in to our sin instead of saying no. The problem is we want to feel good right now and we are willing to sacrifice almost anything that stands in our way to experience feeling good.

When we allow our emotions to override what we know is right we plant seeds of sin.

The sad truth is that we are calling an emotion good when it is actually bad, evil and destructive. It is never good to lie, cheat, gossip, lust, steal or to do anything else that is bad. It is never right to justify our evil because in doing so we deceive our self and distort reality. By justifying our sin we become arrogant. Justifying our own sin while condemning others is saying, “I am better than you.”

Yet the Scripture reminds us that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory and His image in which we are made (Romans 3:23). So, what are we to do? As always, the answer to any moral or spiritual question can be found in God’s Word.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Again, let’s remember to keep it simple. If we have sinned, then we must ask for God’s forgiveness. If we have wronged someone, we must make things right. We must walk with Christ daily, spend time in prayer, read the Scripture, and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Remember, God is always for you, He is never out to get you. God loves you and will gladly help you if you will simply ask and submit to His ways.

To Accept Christ and His Will is to Embrace Everything that is Good and Best and Right.

Don’t Be Fooled

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Jesus tells us that people can do things that seem very impressive and very spiritual to others; yet, in His eyes, they are actually evil.

 

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

 

Thus, miracles and the ability to cast out demons do not necessarily mean we’re in a good place. The Apostle Paul also tells us that we can do some amazing things in life and yet gain absolutely nothing from all of our efforts.

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 

So, what is the key to understanding all of this? How do we make sure that our hearts and efforts are pleasing to the Lord? It’s actually very simple; we must do all things in the spirit of LOVE!

 

1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

 

Since God alone is love, if we don not have God in our heart then nothing else matters. If we do not have God, then we do not have love, and we are not being led by the Holy Spirit. To have God as Savior and the Lord of our life means that we will follow Him and do His will, and then we will do all things in love.

My prayer for each of us is that we will know God, be filled with His love and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit!

 

Psalm 119:133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

God’s Plan for You

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Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

As little boys and girls, we all dream of being someone important when we grow up. We imagine being a super hero or a princess, we pretend to be fireman or a mommy with lots of babies. Some of us even dream of being a dinosaur or a unicorn. This happens because God has actually designed everyone of us to be important. We instinctively know this because we are created in God’s image; we all have a very specific task to accomplish for our Creator.

Sadly, most of us grow up and lean on our own understanding. We choose to follow our own path instead of the one God has designed for us. I don’t believe we start out to do this; we just simply fail to seek God when we are young. Failing to seek God means someone or something other than God is guiding and directing our steps. Thus, we become someone we are not created to be. Refusing to be who God created us to be leads to confusion.

If we don’t know who we are in Christ, then we’ll have no other option than to be someone we are not. This means that everyday we’ll go through life pretending to be someone else. The sad part is that most people don’t even realize they are pretending to be someone else. The years of living outside of God’s will for our life blinds us to what is true. Our own sin and self-deception wraps us in darkness like a cocoon. We can sense that something is not quite right, but we just don’t know what to do about it.

Not knowing the will of God for our lives means that we become like children again, who dress up and pretend to be someone they are not. Sadly, our real lives, even the pretend parts, are far less appealing than super heroes and royalty. So, what do we do?

The good news is that it is never to late to ask God to guide and direct our steps. By simply asking God to open our eyes to who we are created to be, we can begin a new life in Christ. Don’t make things more difficult than they need to be. The truth is simple, if we are going the wrong direction, pretending to be someone we are not, then we must simply ask God for help and head in a new direction; a God led direction.

As we continue to walk daily with our Creator, we will gain more wisdom and insight into who we are actually created to be. The more time we spend in prayer the more clearly we will see who we are. Remember, prayer is simply talking to God, telling Him the same things you’d tell your best friend. The more we learn to be still and hear God’s voice and sense the Holy Spirit leading us, the more we will become the person we are created to be.

The point is simple, the more time we spend with God, the more clearly we will see who we are and what we are created to do in life. Then and only then will we live an abundant life full of God’s Presence and blessing.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Psalm 119:133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

The Real Santa

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Most of us learned about Santa Clause as children. We were told that Santa knew who was naughty and who was nice, and if we were good all year, Santa would leave an abundance of toys for us under the Christmas tree. We also learned about his toy making elves, his flying reindeer, his home at the North Pole, etc. Like our parents before us, most of us passed these stories and traditions down to our own children.

While all of this seems well and good, there is a problem. Nothing that we were told about Santa Clause is true. However, many of our Christmas traditions are based on the life of the real Santa Clause. The hanging of stockings, setting out milk and cookies for Santa, leaving food for Santa’s reindeer, Santa coming down the chimney and toys being left under the Christmas tree all come from the life of Saint Nicholas of Myra.

Below you will find some basic information and two short stories about Nicholas to help you teach your children about the real Santa Clause.

Basic Info about Saint Nicholas of Myra:

Saint Nicholas lived about 240 years after Christ. He was born on March 15, 270 in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) which was part of the Roman Empire. He died on December 6, 343 at the age of 73.

The American name “Santa Clause” comes from the Dutch version of Saint Nicholas, “Sante Klaas”.

Nicholas was an only child. His parents were very wealthy Greek Christians who raised him to live for Christ.

From an early age, Nicholas fasted and prayed every Wednesday and Friday to prove his devotion to God. He would also shave part of his head, a custom in his day to demonstrate one’s love for Christ and humility before Him.

When Nicholas was 17, his parents became very sick and died, leaving all of their wealth to him. He eventually sold their possessions and used the money to help the poor.

After his parent’s death, he went to live with his uncle, a bishop in the port city of Patara on the Mediterranean Sea. His uncle continued to raise Nicholas in the ways of the Lord. Nicholas read the Scripture at church (most people were illiterate at this time) was ordain as a priest by his uncle and eventually became a bishop in the city of Myra.

As an adult, Nicholas was arrested and imprisoned for his faith. Upon his release, Nicholas continued to preach the Good News of Christ and worked hard to have fellow Christians freed from prison.

Nicholas was considered to be a man of great faith who had a reputation of praying for the sick and seeing them recover. Because of this, Saint Nicholas was also called Nicholas the Wonderworker. He was also well known for his giving of gifts in secret.

Numerous churches have been dedicated to Nicholas or named after him. More than 400 churches in England alone are dedicated to him. His portrait has been placed on coins and many have paintings also bear his image.

In the years after his death, Nicholas was considered to be the patron saint of sailors. Many churches dedicated to him are near the coast so they can be seen from the sea. He is also the patron saint of children and Russia.

Saint Nicholas and the Stormy Sea:

Nicholas would often travel by ship to the Holy Land. On one of these trips he dreamed that a terrible storm would over take the ship. He told the sailors about this the next morning and added, “The Lord will protect us.” Shortly after telling this to the sailors, a violent storm arose. Even after lowering the sails, the sailors could not control the ship. They found Nicholas and begged him to pray. As Nicholas prayed the storm ceased.

After the storm ended, they noticed that one of their fellow sailors had fallen from a mast during the storm and was killed when he hit the deck. Nicholas prayed for him and he came back to life. The sailors were amazed for the sailor experienced no pain and had no injuries.

Stockings, Chimneys, Food for Santa, Toys and Candy:

The most famous story about Nicholas is how he helped a poor man and his three daughters. In those days, a woman needed a dowry before she could get married. The poor man couldn’t afford this, meaning his daughters would remain unmarried and suffer public shame. The poor man decided to sell the oldest daughter as a slave and use the money to marry off the two younger daughters. But, at the last minute he decided not to go through with the plan.

Nicholas heard about this and decided to help. Because they were so poor, the daughters had only one pair of stockings each. Every night they would wash them and hang them over the fireplace to dry. After they all went to sleep, Nicholas placed a gold coin inside one of the stockings. The poor man was then able to marry off his oldest daughter. This is where the tradition of hanging stockings originates.

When the poor man’s second daughter was nearing the age of marriage, Nicholas put a gold coin in her stocking as well. Once again the poor man was able to marry off his daughter. By the time the third daughter came of age, the poor man had grown curious and wanted to discover who was putting the gold coins in his daughter’s stockings.

The poor man decided to hide in order to catch the person responsible for the gold coins. Nicholas found out about the poor man’s plan to catch him. So, he climbed up on the poor man’s roof and dropped the third coin down the chimney. Once again, the poor man was able to marry off his daughter. This is where the story of Santa sliding down the chimney originates.

Even though Nicholas went to great lengths to keep his giving a secret, the truth finally came out. After Nicholas died people began celebrating his birthday. Children would put food out for Nicholas and his donkey. This is where leaving food for Santa and his reindeer originates. The next morning the food would be replaced with toys and candy. This is where the tradition of toys under the tree and candy in stockings originates.

Conclusion:

As a parent and grandparent, I believe it is better to tell children the truth. I would rather tell stories about a man who loved God, who prayed for the sick and who helped the poor, than about a fictitious character that used magic. As a Christian, I can’t teach my children about magic. But, I can teach them to love God, pray for others and help people less fortunate. I believe it is best to give our children an example of Christ at Christmas. After all, Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth.

 

 

Teaching Christmas

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Christmas is a wonderful time to reflect on what our Savior has done for us, as well as, teach our children more about Christ. Between the Christmas tree and the decorations, we have an abundance of objects available to us for teaching our children. Below you will find some general information about trees in Scripture, the Christmas tree, Christmas ornaments and other things to help you teach your children about Christ.

 

Trees in Scripture

Trees are designed by God as a visible reminder of who we are created to be. There are only two kinds of trees in Scripture: good trees and bad trees; dry or green; fruitful or unfruitful; blessed or cursed. The same is true of us. We’re either living for Christ and are blessed and green, or we’re living for our self and become unfruitful and live under God’s curse. Trees are a visible reminder that we are to live for Christ in order to be blessed and experience life in all of its abundance.

Trees were important at the very beginning in the Garden of Eden and will continue to be important in the new heaven and new earth. Trees were created on the third day of creation symbolizing spiritual birth and new life. In addition, two trees were place in the “middle”, or center of the Garden of Eden giving them a place of prominence:

Genesis 2:9b In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The two trees also represent the two choices placed before all of us; life or death, obedience or disobedience. Sadly, Adam and Eve chose to disobey, thereby opening the door for sin and death to enter humanity. Thankfully, Christ came and died on a tree (the cross) to redeem us from sin and death. As we enter eternity, trees will continue to be important:

Revelation 22:1-2 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Therefore, the story of humankind and salvation begins and ends with trees. One tree brings death (Genesis 3) and another brings healing (Revelation 22). In between Genesis and Revelation we find the cross, made from a tree.

For more info about trees click here.

For more verses about trees click here.

 

What Does the Word Christmas Mean?

The word Christmas is comprised of two words; Christ and Mass. The word Mass is a Latin term meaning, “to send out”. Over time, the word Mass began to be used as a synonym for a worship service. Thus, the word Christmas means Christ’s Mass or Christ’s Worship Service. The Purpose for Christ’s Mass or Christ’s Worship Service is to remember His birth.

 

The Evergreen Tree in Scripture

In biblical times, people set up a large stones as a memorial to remind them of God or something God had done for them. In the same way, trees were also used to mark a place of worship or a place of meeting with God. Abraham, the father of our faith, used trees in this way:

Genesis 21:33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.

It’s important to note that Abraham didn’t use just any tree, he planted a tamarisk tree. A tamarisk tree is an evergreen. He planted it purposefully to represent the eternal nature of God. In ancient times, evergreens were a symbol of eternal life because they remained green and full of life through the winter when other trees lost their leaves and appeared dead. The evergreen was also a reminder of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.

Evergreens are still used by Christians today as a reminder of God’s eternal nature. This is why churches place holly and other evergreen plants in their sanctuaries throughout the Christmas season. Thus, the evergreen or Christmas tree is a reminder of Jesus’ birthday, when the eternal God became flesh and lived among humankind.

 

A Brief History of the Modern Day Christmas Tree

In 722, people in central Europe began decorating evergreen trees with wood carved nativity sets during the Christmas Season.

In 1520, a priest named Martin Luther began using the Christmas tree to teach his family and congregation about Christ. He placed candles on the tree to remind them that God is light and that we are to be a witness for God. The lights also reminded him of the stars God created, leading him to teach the people about God as their Creator.

In 1820, German immigrants brought these traditions to the United States.

 

The Colors of Christmas

Green: Long before Christ’s birth evergreens and holly were symbolic of eternal life. Legend has it that there were holly bushes near the manger. Green is symbolic of Christ’s birth, His life and the eternal life He gives to us.

Red: From the holly berries and poinsettia’s leaves that turn scarlet in winter. Red is symbolic of Christ’s blood and His death on the cross. Red reminds us of His love and forgiveness.

Gold: Symbolic of Christ’s royalty and power. It refers to Christ as King of Kings.

Purple: Christ as royalty: the only one who rules with truth and righteousness.

Silver: Symbolic of redemption: Christ alone paid the price for our salvation.

Blue: Symbolic of Heaven, God’s throne, God’s Presence and God’s Home.

White: Symbolic of holiness, purity and being cleansed of all sin.

 

The Meaning of the Christmas Ornaments

Angel: An Angel(s) Announced the Birth of Baby Jesus to Joseph and Mary, Appeared to the Shepherds in the Field and Sang “Glory to God in the Highest.”

Star: Led the Wise Men to Bethlehem and Stood Over the House Where Christ was Found.

Manger: Where Christ was Laid after His Birth. Prophetic of Christ as the Bread of Life. It Represents Christ’s Humility and His Willingness to be Identified with Sinful Human Beings.

Harp: Symbol of David, God’s Chosen King. David’s Love of God and the Praises He Sang to God. It Reminds Us that God Longs for the Praise and Worship of His people.

Lamp: Christ as the Living Word of God. He is the Lamp for Our Feet and the Light for Our Path.

Dove: Symbol of Christ’s Baptism by John the Baptist. A Sign of New Life and Spiritual Birth, as well as, the Holy Spirit and the Peace of God.

Pierced Heart: Symbol of the Prophecy Spoken by Simeon at Baby Jesus’ Dedication in the Temple, Foretelling the Crucifixion of Jesus for the Sins of the World.

Cross: Symbol of the Crucifixion and the Purpose of Christ’s Life & Ministry – to Forgive Our Sin.

Butterfly: Resurrection and Eternal Life. As the Butterfly Leaves the Cocoon and Soars Upward with a New Body, We Too, in Jesus Rise to New Life and Soar with Wings as Eagles.

Bell: The Bell Calls Us to Worship and Reminds Us to Put Christ First and to be God’s Witness.

Candlestick: Reminds Us of Christ’s Words, “I am the light of the world.” This too, reminds Us to be a Light Shinning in the Darkness.

Tablets of Stone: Symbolizes the 10 Commandments Given to Moses and God’s People. They Showed Them How to Live and Pointed to the Coming Messiah.

Fish: Sign Used by the Early Christians for Protection During Times of Persecution. The Greek Word for Fish, ICTHUS, is an Acronym for: Jesus, Christ, God’s Son, Savior.

Triangle: Symbol of the Trinity. The 3 Sides Remind Us of the Symbolic Meaning of the Number 3: New Life & Spiritual Birth – The Completeness and Fullness We Find Only in God.

Circle: Stands for Eternity because it is Without Beginning or End. It Reminds Us of God’s Eternal Nature and of God’s Desire for All People to Have Eternal Life.

Lamb: Reminds Us that Jesus is the Lamb of God, Slain for the Sins of the World. Christ is Our Sacrifice and the Reason We Have Been Adopted as God’s Own Children.

Snowflake: Symbol of the Purity and Holiness of Christ. He was Tempted at Every Point Yet Remained Without Sin. It also Reminds Us that We’re Forgiven – White as Snow.

Trumpet: Reminds Us that Christ Will Return at the Sound of the Trumpet for Us, His Bride.

God is a Romantic!

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Love and romance was not humankind’s idea, it was God’s. He created men and women and He designed us to fall in love. He did this so we might understand how much He loves us. God did this purposefully. He created us in His image, to be like Him, so that we might understand Who He is and be like Him.

 

He is also the One who inspired / wrote the Song of Songs (a.k.a. Song of Solomon). Notice that the Song of Songs is a superlative, it is the greatest song, and there can be no greater song according to God. Amazingly, the Song of Songs is about the love between God and His people, as well as, the love between a man and a woman. The purpose of romance is to reveal the heart of God and to show us the kind of intimate relationship He desires to have with each one of us. God is a romantic!

 

Before Wanda and I were married, we lived about 45 minutes from each other. I would drive to see her every day after work and stay as long as possible. The time for returning home came all too soon and leaving her was agonizing. As I drove home, I complained to the Lord about how unfair it was to have to leave someone you love. The Lord then spoke something to my heart that seemed out of place. He told me I didn’t understand salvation.  Salvation, I thought! What does that have to do with my complaining about leaving Wanda? I didn’t get it. I was hurting and He should have been comforting me, or so I thought.

 

The Lord then began to impress a series of questions on my heart. “Ben, do you love Wanda?” “Of course I do Lord.” “When you leave her do you miss her?” “Yes Lord!” “Then why do you leave her?” “I have to leave her Lord. I can’t stay with her at night until we’re married. And even if we were married, I couldn’t stay with her all the time because I have to go to work.” “So Ben, what would you do to fix the problem if you were supernatural and nothing was impossible for you?” “That’s easy Lord. I would fix it so that part of me could stay with Wanda at all times. That way, no matter where I had to go, I would still be with her. If I could be in two places at one time my problem would be solved.” “Exactly,” the Lord replied.

 

Again the Lord said to me, “You don’t understand salvation. You’re selfish and you only see salvation and how it affects you. You have never understood salvation from My perspective.”

 

At that point the proverbial light came on in my spirit. My understanding of salvation was self-centered instead of God-centered. I understood my need to be forgiven of my sins, but I had missed the reason why.

 

Salvation is about God’s love. God loves us so much that He never wants to be separated from us.

 

Because God is supernatural and can be in two places at the same time, He put a part of Himself in me, so that He would always be with me. That’s what we call salvation. Now, I understood that salvation was about far more than forgiveness; it was about God’s great love for me. Forgiveness simply clears the way for Christ to live in my heart and to be with me at all times. God forgave me because He loves me and wants to be with me at all times. God also loves you that much and never wants to be separated from you either.

 

Again, God created us to fall in love so that we might understand how much He loves us and how He never, ever wants to be apart from us. I pray that you will understand the revelation of God’s love and His great desire to be with you always!

 

You are the one God loves!

“Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.” Song of Songs 8:7

 

10 Commandments Part 1

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The Foundation of the 10 Commandments

Exodus 20:1–17 And God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Before looking at the commandments we must understand the context in which they were originally given. The first thing we notice is that God himself is the one speaking, so we should pay close attention. It is God’s will for us to have wisdom and insight, that we might live good lives and be blessed.

The second thing that stands out is the fact that Israel has just been set free from their slavery in Egypt. The primary context for the Ten Commandments is freedom. God has not only set them free, but He wants them to remain free; free from slavery and free from sin. The commandments should not be viewed as restrictive, but as freeing.

This leads us to the third point. The commandments tell us who God is and who He created us to be. They tell us how we are designed to think, feel and act. Again, they tell us how to live in freedom and how to be blessed.

The fourth thing we must understand is that the commandments were viewed by Israel as a marriage covenant between them and God. God is promising to love and bless them and they are promising to love and worship Him. They will prove their love for God by being obedient and faithful to His will. Because of their worship and obedience God will protect them, provide for them and destroy their enemies.

The last point that needs to be made is this: the death of Christ does not set aside the spiritual principles found in Ten Commandments. The commandments are still applicable for us today. When Christ died on the cross, He set aside the ritualistic laws, sacrificial laws, dietary laws, etc., not the spiritual principles or purposes of the laws. In fact, it is only through the cross of Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that we can actually understand and follow the spiritual principles of God.

Furthermore, Christ simplified all of the Old Testament laws, including the Ten Commandments, by what He said in Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” See also Mark 12:29-31, Galatians 5:14 and 6:2, James 2:8, Luke 6:31, 1 John 4:8-12 and Romans 13:8-10 for other examples of Christ reducing the law to loving God and loving others.

 

The First Commandment

The first four commandments explain how to have a godly environment for everyone: that is, how to have a godly nation.

Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me.

The first commandment concerns the way we think. It addresses the center of our thought process or worldview. The phrase, “before me,” is literally, “in My Presence,” meaning, there are no gods in My Presence. What God is telling them is that there are no other gods and there never has been. He alone is God and He alone is the creator of all things. This command bans the mythology and false belief in many gods (a.k.a. polytheism).

The ancient world’s belief in many gods influenced virtually every aspect of life. It affected a nation’s social life, political structure, market place and family life. Most people had small idols or gods in their home, and the idea of many gods was considered normal. God is reminding them that this is a false belief because there are no other gods.

This is still the mindset we must have today. Everything we think and do should be based on the fact that there is a God and that He alone is our Creator. Knowing that we have a Creator is the only thing that allows us to perceive life correctly.

While we may not believe in many gods, we often forget that there is only one God. We allow things like money, careers, success, fame and pleasure to be our god. Instead of acknowledging God and allowing Him to guide and direct us, we turn to our own selfish desires and in essence, make our self god. There is no freedom in believing in any god other than the God of creation. We should never do anything without first asking, “Is this pleasing to my God and Creator?”

 

The Second Commandment

Exodus 20:4-6 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

The second commandment is connected to the first commandment. Since the ancient world believed in many gods, they had many idols. This command bans the production and use of idols. It also bans the worship of animals or nature. We are to worship the God of creation and not the creation itself. This commandment reminds us that God is an eternal and spiritual being and we must not attempt to make an image of Him.

The use of idols to practice magic and cast spells was common in the ancient world. They thought they could manipulate the gods and make the gods do what they wanted them to do. In short, they were practicing witchcraft which is nothing more than manipulation.

Any form of manipulation by us today is also witchcraft. It is the attempt to get our way at the expense and manipulation of other people. It is using other people for our own self-centered fulfillment. There is no freedom in manipulation.

This commandment also comes with a warning to those who would violate it. If a father has an idol, the children will be punished to the fourth generation. It was normal during this time for a family to have three or four generations living together. God is telling them that if the head of the house sins, everyone in the house will be affected by his sin. If the father worships idols, the children are likely to worship them as well, causing the whole family to come under God’s judgment.

This commandment also shows them a better way to live. If they will refrain from the worship of idols and witchcraft, God will bless their families for many years. In other words, God’s grace is greater than humankind’s sin. Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. There is freedom in God’s grace.

 

The Third Commandment

Exodus 20:7 You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

This command has often been misunderstood to mean foul language or taking the Lord’s name in vain. While it is wrong to misuse God’s name that way, that’s not the way the ancient Israelites understood this commandment.

This commandment is connected to the first and second commandment. Since there are no other gods, not only does God ban the use of idols, He is now banning the use of His Name for the purpose of witchcraft and for casting spells. It was common for people to use the names of gods in the practice of magic and casting spells. This commandment bans the use of God’s Name in the practice of anything evil or self-centered.

Even today, God’s Name is used to manipulate people. Cults use the name of God to manipulate and deceive. Many pastors and evangelist use the name of God to manipulate people in to giving them money, while pretending the money is going to a worthy cause. This command tells us not to do that. There is no freedom in using God’s Name to manipulate people.

 

The Fourth Commandment

Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.

11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

At the time this commandment was given, there were no other nations who had a six day work week. Every known culture at this point in history worked seven days a week. Israel stood alone in the world and her example made the message clear: God will bless those who obey Him by working less, in order to spend more time with Him. And that is the purpose of the fourth commandment: to spend time with God, to develop a living, breathing relationship with Him.

The Sabbath day is about spending time with God more than resting. The Sabbath is an interruption of our normal routine and activities in order to gain more time with God. We all know that when we love someone we want to be with them. That’s the heart of this commandment: if we love God we’ll want to be with Him; we’ll want to spend more time with Him.

Additionally, spending time with those we love is something we look forward to. Our attitude toward the time with God should be the same. We should look forward to spending time with God. It should be our favorite time of the week. In fact, we should guard our time with God and not allow anything or anyone to separate us from our time together with Him.

The purpose for this command is found in verse 11. God created the heavens and the earth in six days and on the seventh day He did something amazing; He spent the day with Adam and Eve. In other words, the purpose of creation was to prepare a place for humankind to live. The purpose of humankind was to have a being made in God’s own image, that He could love and have a relationship with. I find it interesting that Jesus told his disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them as well.

The bottom line is this; honoring God and spending time with Him leads to freedom. Putting God before money means we are wise enough to know that God is our provision and not the world. God blesses those who put Him first and He adds all things to them (Matthew 6:33). After the resurrection of Christ, those who believed in Christ as the Messiah began to worship on the first day of the week (Sunday), instead of the Sabbath (Saturday). One of the reasons they did this was because Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week, that is, on Sunday. However, the day of the week is not as important as the reason why we worship Christ. God looks at the heart and He honors those who love and worship of Him, regardless of what day we worship on. In fact, the spiritual principle behind the fourth commandment, is that we should love Christ all day, everyday. The need for having a specific day to worship is that we might gather with other believers and worship as the body of Christ together.

Go to the Ten Commandments Part 2

10 Commandments Part 2

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The Fifth Commandment

The fifth commandment addresses the foundation of a holy nation: the family.

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

A nation is only as strong as the marriages and families within it. The same is true of our churches today. If the marriages in the church are bad, then the church will be weak. If the marriages are not producing godly children, then the church stands on the brink of closing its doors. The purpose of this commandment is to keep that from happening.

This commandment reminds us that the home is to be the first place for spiritual instruction. It also reminds us that if the family structure breaks down, the whole nation will collapse. The family is the foundation for all social interaction, as well as, the health of the nation. If the homes are immoral, then the nation will also be immoral. The parents are to be an example of godliness and teach their children about the God who freed them from slavery in Egypt. When the parents do this, they are acting as God’s representatives. So, if a child disobeys godly parents, they are disobeying God as well.

The phrase, “that you may live long in the land,” is reminding children that as long as they learn from their parents and pass down what they learn to their children, God will allow them to remain in the land. In other words, if you will put God first then He will protect the nation. Remember, serving God and living a life of holiness blesses a nation. Rejecting God and living a life of sin brings the judgment of God to a nation.

 

The Sixth Commandment

The sixth through ninth commandments remind us that even the ungodly nations have laws. Almost every ancient culture considered the following commandments as morally acceptable laws.

Exodus 20:13 You shall not murder.

In the ancient world, murder was considered a form of premeditated anger that led to killing someone out of revenge. Even if one’s premeditation only lasted a few seconds, if it led to murder the person was obviously guilty, because they sinned in their anger; they failed to use self-control and self-restraint. No nation could survive if such brutal actions were tolerated. This commandment prohibits taking the law into our own hands.

This commandment does not prohibit killing in times of war. Nor does it prohibit the use of capital punishment by the king or government. If this were so, then this commandment would contradict other laws given to Israel at the same time. The spirit of murder and revenge is never the path to freedom.

 

The Seventh Commandment

Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery.

This commandment is designed to protect the integrity of the marriage, as well as, the children within the marriage. As we’ve already mentioned, the family was rightly viewed by the ancient world as the foundation of society. Ancient cultures may have disagreed on how many wives a man could have, but they all agreed that it was wrong to cheat on a wife, no matter how many wives a man had.

Additionally, if a man cheated on his wife it would cause emotional turmoil for her and the children. Adultery was viewed as shameful and disrespectful to one’s entire family. Therefore, not only does this sin affect the family within the home, it had social repercussions outside of the home.

For the nation of Israel, adultery was always associated with the sin of idolatry. The idea being, that if a man would break the vow made to his wife, he would also break his vow to the Lord. If he will cheat on his wife, he will cheat on God by being disobedient. Remember, the Scripture equates our love for God with our obedience to God (see 1 John 4:20-21, 5:3).

From the very beginning, marriage was viewed as a man and a woman becoming one. This was to reflect the original unity of God and humankind before the fall of man. That is, marriage is the relationship God established at creation to be a reflection of His love for us and our love for Him. The purpose of salvation is to bring us back to that original state of being one with God. This is what Christ prayed for at the Last Supper (see John 17:11, 21-22).

The bottom line: it is never right to have sexual relations with any one other than your wife. Jesus even took this commandment a step further by saying, “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

 

The Eighth Commandment

Exodus 20:15 You shall not steal.

The purpose of this commandment goes far beyond the taking of physical property. While it does prohibit the taking of another person’s material possessions, it also refers to non-material possessions.

This commandment prohibits the taking of another person’s freedom, rights or dignity. It is never right to harm someone emotionally, thereby stealing their peace. It is never right to abuse your authority over a person in the home or at work to the point of enslaving them. It is never right to be lazy and steal time from your employer.

This commandment would even include things like kidnapping or cheating someone out of their birth right, etc. It is never right to take anything from anyone that doesn’t belong to you. Stealing never leads to the peace and holiness of God.

 

The Ninth Commandment

Exodus 20:16 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

This commandment is connected to the eighth commandment in the sense that giving a false testimony is a form of theft. It is taking a person’s integrity, their time and possibly their possessions because of a lie.

The idea behind this commandment is that we should never harm a person’s character in order to get our way. We should not gossip or tell lies. Specifically, we should never lie in a legal setting.

This commandment, like many of the commandments, is designed to strengthen the moral integrity of the nation. If people are allowed to lie and be dishonest, then the whole nation will become unjust. Freedom comes from being honest and telling the truth.

 

The Tenth Commandment

The tenth commandment, like the first commandment, addresses the importance of the mind and thought life.

Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

The first commandment addressed the false belief that there are many gods. The tenth commandment addresses the false belief that we can hide things from the one and only God. Here, God reminds us that we can not hide anything from Him. Thus, the first and tenth commandments work together to destroy any false perceptions of the universe and our life on earth.

These two commandments teach us that there is only one God and that He alone sees all things, including our thoughts. Therefore, this commandment differs from the first nine in that only God can punish those who violate this commandment, because only He can see a person’s thoughts and motives. It reminds us to worship the one and only God, who is Spirit and unseen, and who alone has the power to see our unseen thoughts.

This commandment also addresses the idea of sinful desires. To “covet” is to look for a short cut to God’s blessings and His will for our lives. It is to say, “I don’t want to be holy like my Maker.” To covet is to believe that what God gives us is not enough. It is questioning His love and provision for our lives. To covet is to say, “God is not enough.” Of course, this is incorrect; God is the only thing we truly need.

An additional purpose for this commandment is to teach us to keep our minds pure. Sinful thoughts are the seeds we plant that become sinful actions and cause us to break the first nine commandments. We should keep our minds on God so that we might live in a state of peace. It is never right or good for us to violate God’s commands. Obeying God’s commands always leads to life and always makes our life better. Obeying God’s is the path to freedom.

Purposeful Timing: 6 Hours on the Cross

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Have you ever wondered how long Christ had to suffer on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven? How many hours does it take to redeem humanity? And since everything God does is purposeful, what is the spiritual significance concerning the amount of time Christ spent on the cross?

Scripture tells us it was the third hour (9:00 am) when they put Christ on the cross. In addition, Mark 15:33 says, “At the sixth hour (12:00 pm) darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour (3:00 pm).” It was the ninth hour when Christ cried out in a loud voice, dismissed His Spirit, and died. Thus, Christ spent six hours on the cross. Why?  What is the purpose of the six hours?

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth in six days. The number six is symbolic of the whole creation that was originally perfect, but was subjected to sin’s curse after the fall of Adam and Eve. That is why in Romans 8:22 it says, “that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”

The six hours Christ spent on the cross represents the fact that He died to reverse sin’s effect upon all of creation. 

Because of the cross, there will one day be a new heaven and a new earth.

Of equal importance, the number six represents humankind, for humans were created on the sixth day of creation. Not only did Christ die to redeem creation, He died to save humankind and to prove His love for us. For, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Furthermore, the six hours on the cross were divided between three hours of light and three hours of darkness. In Scripture, the number three refers to The Perfect Witness, that is, to God. Again, we must ask why?

During the first three hours of Christ’s crucifixion there was light. Light is symbolic of God’s truth, holiness and purity. The three hours of light were a Perfect Witness to Christ as the sinless Lamb of God.

The last three hours of the crucifixion darkness covered the land. Darkness represents being under God’s judgment. So, the three hours of darkness were a Perfect Witness to Christ being judged for the sins of the world.

The three hours of light came first because the sacrifice had to be examined and shown to be spotless and without blemish before it could be sacrificed.

How awesome! Everything God does is rich in meaning. His timing is truly purposeful. He died at exactly the right time, in exactly the right way in order to demonstrate His great love for us! The Eternal Christ did in a few hours what finite humans could never do: pay for our sins and open the way to the Father’s Presence. Therefore, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

I pray that you will begin to see how perfect and purposeful God’s timing is concerning your life. You are unique, there’s no one else like you. God has always had a specific purpose in mind for you. God knows where you are and who you are. He loves you with His very life. I pray you will walk in the fullness of His perfect love and purposeful timing for your life.

You are the one God loves!

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.