Spiritual Gifts Book Cover

I am currently writing a book on the spiritual gifts. At the moment I am tossing around a couple ideas for possible covers and was wondering if you would be able to help me out.

Please let me know two things:

1) Do you like either of them?

2) Which one do you like better and why?

Please leave your comments below or visit my Facebook page and comment there. Thank you in advance.

Christmas in July

In case you haven't heard, Christmas is just FIVE months away! Hope you got your shopping done.

On a more serious note, Christmas is on a Sunday this year. What does this mean? Well, it may mean a lot of empty seats in church.

 

If you are a pastor, this coming holiday may very well be discouraging for you, especially if the attendance is down sixty to seventy percent.

 

In light of this, what can we do to honor this S.A.C.R.E.D. celebration in Christendom? While this is written primarily to pastors, every believer will need to decide how to celebrate Christmas this year.

 

S - Service!

 

Services on Christmas Eve are very special. In fact, it is one of the most attended services every year. Yet what about Christmas day? Generally this holiday falls on a Monday - Saturday which makes it a non-issue, but what about this year?

 

Because Christmas morning is a special time for families with traditions, traveling and presents, being able to hold a service will depend largely upon the specific congregation. Not only do pastors and staff need time off as well to be with their families but so do church members. Whether a pastoral staff of one or of a hundred, basic logistics will have to be taken into consideration.

 

While there are pros and cons to either decision regarding a Christmas Day service, I think that a church service on Christmas day can make the day itself more Christ-centered. Not everyone will come on Christmas morning. On the contrary, it is probably safe to say that attendance will be very low but there will be those who desire to bring their families to hear about Christ. Now, I'm not suggesting the normal three morning services. One consolidated service in the late morning would give people enough time to allow them to enjoy Christmas morning and open stockings without the frantic rush. Wrapping everything up by noon will give people ample time to get home for lunch, open the rest of their presents, take a nap, and begin preparing the beautiful Christmas dinner we all crave for all year long.

 

A - Advent!

 

If your church does decide to have a Christmas Day service, that does not mean the traditional Christmas Eve service should be abandoned. Not everyone can go to church on Sundays whether that's due to work or personal preference and it is a part of the American culture to attend church on Christmas Eve. Thus, a Christmas Eve service should definitely still be held and a Christmas Day service added in if possible. (For those paying attention to the acronym, I couldn't come up with one that started with an "A" but since this is about Christmas then who is going to say "Advent" doesn't work? I challenge you to come up with a better one.)

 

C - Communicate Grace!

 

This is for all the Pharisees out there of which I include myself. Don't guilt people into coming to both Saturday evening and Sunday morning. If your church only has a Christmas Eve service, that's perfectly okay. It's important to have grace and be gracious towards others. People have a lot going on and their lives should revolve around Christ. Attempting to guilt people into coming to church is bringing them back to the days before Christ when people had to come to the temple to worship God. Because of Christ, now we can worship Him wherever we are! Remember that ultimately there is nothing wrong with skipping Sunday church one day, especially when they attended the Christmas Eve service just hours before.

 

R - Recognize!

 

Recognize that the stronger the family, the stronger the church. So if your church decides that a Christmas Day service is too much for families, then that's okay. Families need this restful time together and you need this time as well. Again, it's important not to guilt those around you. After all, if you really want to go to church on Christmas Day, you can always visit another church Sunday morning.

 

E - Encourage!

 

Encourage those who want to stay home to enjoy the holiday. Ultimately, whether they come or not, challenge your brothers and sisters in Christ to make this day all about Him. Urge the men in your congregation to step up and lead their families. Give them practical steps as to what they can do in their own homes to lead as the spiritual heads of their families. Things like: reading Luke 2:1-20 (the Christmas passage), praying together before meals and modeling thankfulness, gratefulness and generosity in giving and receiving of gifts.

 

D - Declare Christ!

 

Whether your church decides to do both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services or just one, do not attack each other. Don't bring negativity into the holiday and make an issue out of whether Santa and a Christmas tree have pagan roots. Or whether or not those who attend church on Christmas Day are really better than those who stay home with their family. Magnify the positive. Declare the glory of Jesus Christ. He was born, He lived and He died and now He is alive forever more because He rose again. Exemplify His power, grace and generosity. Make Him out to be the hero and focus of Christmas!

 

Conclusion

 

I used the acronym of S.A.C.R.E.D. because this is a sacred holiday which represents the God of glory introducing Himself to mankind in the flesh. The slogan "Keep Christ in Christmas" will hit the media again in just a few months. If keeping Christ the center of Christmas is so important then shouldn't we take one hour out of the frenzy of Christmas Day to reflect on Him and thank Him for what He's done for us all? I hope that S.A.C.R.E.D. will spur you as pastors and you as laypeople to start considering how you will spend this Christmas. Whether together as a corporate body worshipping our Lord or privately as families, let's not forget the Reason for the Season.

On a separate note. Acronyms are hard and should be used sparingly and only when one is feeling very creative and word-savvy.

Love Wins!

What is Love?

We live in a time of incredible tension. War is constant, death is real and persecution is on the rise. In a day and age when people need each other the most, love is forgotten and truth is forsaken. Too many of us have swallowed the lie of our culture that "disagreement is hate." But is it? If you loved someone, wouldn't you tell them that the wine they are drinking is laced with arsenic even if it made them angry?

Love is something we all talk about. It's the dream we hope for; the feeling we crave. It's the need that we desperately want to be met. Wars are fought and battles are raged for the sake of love. Yet, at perhaps no other point in human history, has love been so greatly misunderstood by so many. What is love?

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

If you really love somebody then you will put your own interests aside and think of their needs first. If you really love somebody, then you will do whatever is necessary to rescue that person from destroying themselves through drugs, alcohol or suicide. If you really love someone, then you are willing to die for them so that they will live. This is love! Love is always seeking life. It is always seeking for the goodwill and benefit of others.

The World in Which We Live

 

Today's world is full of contradictions that claim to be absolutes. Sweeping statements are made and opinions formed without knowing the truth. The media, pop culture, and the education system are preparing people against the Truth of God's Word. Just one example of this is how they have warped the definition of love. Before we discuss the five examples I have listed below, let me first give a short disclaimer. I love all people. My love is not based upon a person's religion, race, gender, or relationship status. I view people through the eyes of God's grace and see all as human beings created in God's image, existing for a purpose, and desperately in need of the Lord Jesus to rescue them. That being said, it is out of my love for people that I want to knock the cup of poison out of their hand before it is too late.
 

1) Planned Parenthood

Abortion kills. There is no further explanation needed. When the royal family announced there pregnancy, everybody shouted for joy! A new baby and heir to the throne was coming into the world. They didn't say a cluster of cells was forming in a womb. No, everyone knew it was a person. However, if someone heads toward the nearest abortion clinic, nobody would think twice because it's just a cluster of cells? But which is it? A fetus can't be both a person and a cluster of cells with no value.

 

If a pregnant woman is murdered, then the murderer is tried with a double homicide. If our culture states that a fetus is not a baby until birth then why should the murderer be charged with taking two lives? If a doctor kills a baby outside of the womb that action is ruled as a homicide, however, if he kills the same baby inside the womb everything is fine. It's just called an abortion instead of a murder.

Planned Parenthood would tell you that it is loving to keep a baby from suffering if they have a disability. Planned Parenthood would tell you that it is only loving that a woman who was raped abort her child so she is not forced to remember the horrific crime every time she sees the baby. Planned Parenthood would tell you that it is only loving to spare a child from a difficult life if you are not in the greatest financial position. Planned Parenthood would tell you that it is loving to think about yourself and your own dreams in life and, if a child would inhibit those dreams, to remove the problem.

Is this love?

2) The Homosexual Community

There is a reason why fornicators become diseased with STD's. There is a reason why homosexual couples cannot naturally have children. There is a reason why homosexuals cannot give blood. It is because it is both naturally and morally wrong. My hope is not that their bodies would be ravaged by disease. On the contrary, my desire is that they would remain physically healthy and come to the Lord to make them spiritually pure that they may enjoy a long and healthy life serving Him. Caring for someone's health, welfare and good fortune is not hate, but love. This community, because of their hate, fails to recognize that it is actually Christians who love them the most in this world.

While other religions attempt to kill anyone associated with this community, Christians are the ones offering protection from the enemy. While the media and proponents of the homosexual movement may call Christians bigots, hate mongers, and closed-minded, we are the ones offering true life and hope. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, will never agree or approve of the homosexual community as it is diametrically opposed to God's Word and design. However, we will always love the person even though we do not support the sinful lifestyle.  Marriage has a purpose much greater than two people who like each other. It is to reflect Christ and the Church and that can only be done through heterosexual marriage.

Some say that it is unloving to suppress same-sex desires. Some say that it is loving to do what feels right. Still others say that the homosexual community is just about love and the freedom to love whomever however you choose. However, God is love and He would never ask us to do something that would bring us harm. It is sin that seeks to destroy. Just as those with heterosexual attractions are not permitted to sleep with every person they come into contact with, those with same-sex tendencies are expected to exercise restraint and self-control. God is a loving Father and it is only by knowing Him that a person can truly come to know the reality of true love.

 

3) The Transgender Movement

It seems like out of nowhere the transgender movement has come onto the scene and has demanded media attention from all platforms. Whether transgender students, bathrooms, or employees, chances are today's headlines contain some story about transgenders. However, did you know that four out of ten transgenders commit suicide? That's a huge percentage that cannot be ignored. Even Bruce Jenner, the face of the transgender movement regrets his decision. Yet, we rarely hear about the overwhelming rate of depression among those who have actually gone through with transgender surgery. Years ago (but not that many years) if a man came to a psychiatrist and shared that he thought he was a woman trapped in a man's body, he would be diagnosed with a mental disease. Years ago (but not that many years) if a young girl demonstrated masculine characteristics, people would have called her a tomboy rather than thinking she was actually a boy trapped in a girl's body.

The purpose of our gender is to reflect God's image and authority over our lives. God has created men and women complementary but distinct, each with the purpose of reflecting different aspects of His own character. Tragically, Satan has distorted our view and has blinded the minds of unbelievers. No longer do we see the beauty in masculinity and femininity. Now we blur the distinctions to create sameness with no value given to each other's differences and strengths.

We've heard that it is only loving to allow children to choose their own gender identity. We've heard that it is unloving to force people to live life as their biological gender. We've been told that if we really love someone, then we will alter society to accept and support transgenders. However, just as with homosexuals, this is a destructive distortion of love. It is loving to help someone through this mental and emotional struggle. It is loving to speak truth into their lives rather than say nothing and allow them to go down a dark and depressing road. It is loving to direct them to the only One who can give them hope.

4) Black Lives Matter

Publically they promote the love of life but in reality this antagonistic group is fueled by racism and selfish conceit. This group does not love anybody but themselves. If this group loved like they say they do and promoted the value of life then police officers would not fear for their lives. If they truly valued all black lives, then the needless death of the African American officers would also be protested. Instead, they choose to build up racial walls and support those who defy our laws. The only agenda this hateful group promotes is that only some lives matter.

Christians have been raised to believe that all lives matter because true love always desires people to live not die! Even one of the children's songs sung in Sunday School demonstrates this truth:

Jesus loves the little children

All the children of the world

Red, brown, yellow

Black and white

They are precious in His sight.

Jesus loves the little children

Of the world.

 



We have been told that black lives matter. That the police are evil. That racism is alive and well. Is love dead? Is hate really what is fueling our country? Can we trust our law-enforcement? I assure you that love is not dead. Those who are fueled by hate may have gained the most media attention but I look around at my own little pocket of America and I do not see hate. I see people looking for truth, for hope and for love.



5) The Removal of Christianity

Many see this as a good thing. After all, Christians are just a bunch of closed-minded bigots with an old book containing outdated rules. What they miss is that Christianity is the only reason why there is freedom and true love in this world. Without Christianity there is no meaning to live. It is only Christianity that life is shown as sacred. The removal of God from a society has and will never result in success. On the contrary, throughout all human history, removing God has only brought the downfall and destruction of a civilization.

The day we remove God is the day we dismiss all authority. The day we remove God is the day we lose all basis for truth. The day we remove God is the day that we forsake love in exchange for lust.

Conclusion

 

God is love. While that is comforting, that should also terrify us because what He loves most is His glory. When we think that we can live however we feel because God loves us, we must think again! Hell is a real place for real people. Because God is love, it is in and through His love that He offers to give us life and to have it abundantly so that we do not spend eternity separated from Him.

 

"...but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8 (See also John 3:16).

 

The prayer of my heart is that you would come to know Christ as Savior and submit to Him as Lord. In and of ourselves we cannot change. We are slaves to our sin and dead in our transgressions. Apart from God we are incapable of even experiencing life. But God, being rich in mercy sent His Son to pay the debt that we owed. He not only paid our debt, but He offers to give us life and to have it abundantly. He offers us victory from sin and true freedom.

What is love? God! Does love win? Absolutely, thanks to Christ!

Already Gone - Book Review

Do you ever fear for the spiritual state of the next generation? Do you cringe at the fact that modesty has lost almost all meaning? Does it concern you that morality is being removed from our culture?

The fact of the matter is that people are leaving the Church in droves. Whether old or young, wealthy or poor, it's just not working for people anymore.

Why is this happening?

One of the biggest reasons for why my generation specifically is leaving the church today is because many of our parents and church leaders have not recognized the need for a strong defense against the skeptics.

Not only are we as the Church failing to defend the foundation of God's Word, but we have also failed in being the offenders. God has given us provision for the strongest defense and the strongest offense, yet we have forsaken both.

When our children come and ask us a question we don't have the answer to, many of us simply tell them to Google it. This drives them to other sources. Sources that are wrong and ones that are intentionally lying to them [our children]. How can we be okay with this?

First Peter 3:15 says, "...always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you..." Do we not have answers!? God's Word alone can silence the skeptics and that's not even to mention all of the science, history, arts and mathematics which support it! We have a plethora of answers at our disposal, but my fear is that the reason why many of us do not have answers to these questions is because we don't know our Bibles. The implication being that we really don't know our God.

Just as Satan got Eve to question the Word of God so too has he done the exact same thing to us and we have fallen right into his trap. As a believer in Christ it is your responsibility to study. Knowing God's Word and how to defend it when under attack is your duty as a Christian. If we refuse to do our job, then we will remain as babes on infant formula. If we are but babes, then what chance is there for the next generation to mature?

On page fifty-one Ken Ham writes, "Our father, as the spiritual head of the house, stood uncompromisingly on the Word of God, determined to be equipped to answer the skeptical questions of the age, setting an example for his children that prepared us for the ministries we are involved in today."

 

Where are the men and women who are willing to search the Scriptures more than their news feed on Facebook? Christianity is not a blind faith. It is real and every aspect of life proves it. Do we really believe that God's Word is truth? If we say yes, then how is that affecting our lives? What about the lives of our children?

The research given in this book shows that by the time our kids are ready for college it's already too late. Many of our children are already gone by middle school and high school. They may still be sitting in the pew for now, but as soon as they are on their own they will leave for good. Check out the book to see how we can combat this and set them on fire for the Gospel again!

What is the First Death?

All of us have stood there at one point or another. We have all seen their lifeless bodies being lowered into the ground only to have dirt shoveled on top of them. We stand there in silence and pay our respects. After such an experience who could blame us for thinking this was the first death?

 

The Bible refers to several different forms of death: physical, spiritual and eternal. It even talks about death to self and sin. Something that is intriguing is found in Revelation 20:14 which says, "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire."

 

It references the lake of fire as being the second  death. This is a future death that all unrepentant sinners will face one day. Unbelievers have been earning their place in Hell for the last six thousand years, but this is their future judgment and final end. It is here that those who have rejected God will suffer for all of eternity.

However, if there is a second, there must be a first. If the second death is the lake of fire and that has not happened yet, then the first must take place sometime beforehand.

What is the First Death?

What if the first death means something different than mere physical death? What if it's not what we have been taught? 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says:

 

"...that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf."

In the passage above, Paul tells us that Christ died for all of mankind past, present and future. He died for you and for me. However, the passage doesn't stop there. It continues by saying that because Christ died for all mankind, all mankind died.

This is difficult to convey, but what Paul is saying is that when Christ died on the Cross, so did all of mankind. This death for us was not a physical experience, but one of position. Every single person throughout all of human history was represented by the Lord Jesus Christ on that Roman Cross.

Here's the key: everyone died, but not everyone lives. Verse fourteen states that all died which means that every man and woman from the beginning of creation to the end is included in that group. Verse fifteen says, "so that they who live..." which indicates a different group of people.

Not everyone truly lives. Not everyone has been raised to life with Christ. Many are positionally still in the grave unwilling to experience the new life of Christ's resurrection.

Conclusion

Our death is not the first death. Christ's is. He's the Hero and that is the point of His death being the first death because He took the first blow. He paid the ultimate price on our behalf and through His resurrection He destroyed death for those who trust in Him. Those who refuse will experience the second death.

Adam represented all of mankind when he sinned and because of his rebellion we all became enemies of God. Christ came to be the ultimate and final representative of mankind so that when He died and rose from the grave He made it possible for us to have peace with Him.

In some crazy sense, we all have died with Him. However, because of the hardness of our hearts, many will never positionally live with Him because they do not acknowledge what He has done for them. They are still dead in their sins.

Not everyone is saved. The only people who are saved are those who, because of God's leading, place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are the ones who will be spared from the second death because of Him who suffered the first!

Biblical Preaching - Book Review

There are two forms of preaching:

 

1) Topical - The Pastor teaches on various subjects such as salvation, sexual conduct, the life of Christ, etc.

 

2) Expository - The Pastor moves his way through the Bible, book by book hitting on each and every verse along the way.

 

Both forms are necessary for the growth and maturation of the Church, but the Pastor must never forget that he is not just bringing a message from God to you, but also from God to him.

 

Everything from preparation to a finished product is found within this book. Pastor Robinson gives practical steps for how to become an effective communicator and a powerful preacher. Illustrating the theory and concepts behind this kind of preaching he even includes practical exercises at the end of most chapters.

 

Something that I am continually reminded of is the fact that communication, specifically preaching, is not just what you say or what you do. It can be how you say it, at what time you say it and where you say it. It involves eye contact, hand gestures, facial expression, intonation, pausing, praying, delegation and confrontation. In every sermon the pastor ever gives he must do it in humility, grace and reverence for the holy God.

 

Passion and emotion stir hearts. Illustrations captivate the mind. Depth of Scripture will stun the audience. Set before the people a rich banquet feast of divine truth so that they will hunger and thirst for more. God's Word should never be boring. Rather, we should preach the Gospel of Christ with power and authority.

 

Capture the senses like Charles H. Spurgeon did using a simile that referred to a past era "when the great universe lay in the mind of God like unborn forests in the acorn's cup."

 

When figures enter into a sermon, they should be as simple as possible without sacrificing accuracy. Make your facts meaningful and vivid by comparing them to things within the experience of the audience. For example:

"If an electron were increased in size till it became as large as an apple, and a human being grew larger in the same proportion, that person could hold the entire solar system in the palm of their hand and would have to use a magnifying glass in order to see it."

Above all, never forsake the fact that God's Word is the foundation stone for which we are to live our lives. Everyone else's word has and will fail, but God's Word stands the tests of time and will remain forever true!

Character Forged From Conflict - Book Review

In this book, Pastor Gary D. Preston writes of his own experiences in ministry and how the Lord has led him through some of the most difficult and awkward moments of his life. He often refers back to the time when the board of elders at the church he was pastoring had decided to terminate him from his pastoral position.

Throughout these pages you will hear his heart poured out as he honestly confesses the frustrations and anger he felt at times toward those who seemed against him. As no one is ever fully prepared to handle every form of church conflict that may come their way, Pastor Gary does give some practical steps that everyone can take in order to freely forgive those who wound us deeply.

When everything seems to be falling apart and it feels as if everyone is against us we must remember that God is in control and over all human affairs. These times of hurt and moments of pain do not take the Lord by surprise. Rather, in the midst of the trials we face God is weaving in His marvelous grace throughout every detail of our situation.

He does not forget about us or leave us to ourselves, but He draws others to our side to be a source of comfort and encouragement just when we need it. Whether we are smack dab in the middle of turmoil, have just come out of a heated struggle, or are not yet experiencing such conflict, always remember that God is with us and for us.

Let God be God. He will work out the situation. What we must do is be faithful to Him, love His people (even those we find ourselves against), and walk humbly before Him both in private and public. Don't gossip, jump to conclusions, lose your cool or attack those who bring charges against you. Rather, bless those who persecute you and pray for them (Romans 12:14).

Take an honest look at your life before the Lord and confess any unrepentant sin. If you are a pastor, then you are called to be the leader and shepherd of your people. Lead by example. A church split has never happened over too much humility.

Who Was Cain's Wife?

Who was Cain's wife? Where did she come from? Why was she here? Where did she go?

It is easy for many of us to begin reading the Bible and come to Genesis chapter four for example and wonder where Cain got his wife. This question arises because many are convinced that Adam and Eve only had three children and they were all boys (Cain, Abel and Seth).

Is this true? Not at all. Genesis 5:4 says,

"...he [Adam] had other sons and daughters."

Chapter four is not a chronology of the order of Adam and Eve's children. We do gain insight into some chronology such as:

1. Cain was their first child (4:1).
2. Seth was the next child born after the death of Abel (4:25).

However, no one knows when Abel was born. All we know is that he was murdered by his brother at some point before Adam's 130th birthday (5:3). He could have been the second child or child number fifty, but from the verse above we are made sure that in between these three brothers Adam and Eve had borne other sons and daughters.

 

Here she is!

While it was possible for her to be his niece, more than likely she was his sister. Not just any sister though because since he was the oldest child, therefore the oldest son, it is reasonable to conclude that Cain may have married his first sister (Adam's oldest daughter).

Isn't that incest? Wasn't that against the law?

That is a good question. This specific law was given by God some twenty-five hundred years later to the Israelites who were encamped around Mount Sinai. The sexual qualifications are revealed to us in Leviticus chapter eighteen.

Before 1445 B.C. it was okay to marry a sibling. At that time the genetic pool had not yet suffered the corruption which it has for us today. Basically I am saying that God gave this law for the safety of the human race. Researchers have found in recent studies that 40% of children born from a first degree incestuous relationship are born with either autosomal recessive disorders, congenital physical malformations, or severe intellectual deficits.

This, however, was not the case for Cain and his wife. Nor was it a factor for anyone before 1445 B.C. God gave the people plenty of notice on these future ramifications which we now face today. God informed mankind in 1445 B.C. that it was no longer safe for them to marry within their close relatives, especially the immediate family.

Isn't that, you know, kind of gross?

Well, look at it from Cain's perspective. He had no other options and he didn't view it the way we do today. We have had this law and have been living under it for almost thirty-five hundred years now. It's become like second nature for us because that's how we were all raised. We just don't do that.

Cain, on the other hand, was raised in a rather different world than you and I. They did do that and it was okay...especially in the case of Adam and Eve's children. The same is true for Noah and his children when they left the ark. Ultimately we can all trace our lineage to Noah and his wife who survived the Great Flood.

Zattu, Ebed, Omri, Maher-shalal-hash-baz....

And the list of unpronounceable names goes on....

We've all been in Sunday school and church when the Pastor or teacher begins to read a section of the Bible that seems to drag on and on down through a never-ending list of names we wouldn't even attempt to say on our own, let alone make a fool of ourselves in front of other people.

Why do these lists even exist? What is their purpose? Are they really that important? Is there really any meaning behind these names?

Remember, the Bible was written to a specific group of people living in a certain time. Yes, it was written for us and for all of mankind across all ages, but there was a direct context in which the writers of Scripture lived.

Before we ever come to God's Word we must always remember that the Bible was written by the eternal God. He is the Greatest Writer and Author in the entire universe! He doesn't waste paper or ink and He certainly would never use up the page with unnecessary filler information. He does everything for a reason.

A lot of these names may not mean a whole lot for us today, but at the time of writing these names meant something to the readers. The audience knew who these people were. The readers recognized these names.

Do you remember when the apostle Paul referred to more than five hundred people the Lord appeared to after His resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15? Why did he feel the need to say this? Because two thousand years ago when Christ rose from the dead, if anybody was seeking the truth they could find almost any one of these five hundred or more witnesses to testify regarding what/who they encountered.

Lists of names in Ezra chapter eight, for example, are there to bring out certain truths within the context of the passage. Within this section, Ezra is recording those who were faithful to come, how many were willing to join, and specifically targeting the fact that no one from God's ordained priestly line came out in the first wave. Ezra had to send for them directly.

At the beginning of my ESV study Bible there are six pages devoted to naming everyone who contributed to this work of translating, editing, acting as consultants, etc. They do this so that people like me can look up their credentials and know with confidence that this version has been translated accurately and faithfully.

So even when the list is long and the names are hard, always remember that God wrote their name in there for a specific reason and that when we begin to study these names we begin to realize the richness that is found within them. May we always be diligent as we study God's Word.

Final Note: Many of these guys, such as the ones mentioned in the title, must have had a hard time finding their name on a key chain!

Exodus Genealogical Chronology: Levi - Moses



*Below are the footnotes that correspond with my Biblical chronology chart above.

1) 1446 B.C. (Exodus) + 215 years in Egypt = 1661 B.C. was the year that Jacob moved his family into the land of Goshen. Subtract 17 years (Gen. 47:28) from 1661 B.C and you end up with the year Jacob died in 1644 B.C.

2) Joseph was born 14 years after Jacob arrived in Haran (Gen. 30:25; 31:41).

3) Levi was the third son of Jacob through Leah (Gen. 29:34). It seems likely that he was born in 1705 B.C. because when Jacob first arrived in Haran (1714 B.C.) he did not marry Leah until 7 years later (1707 B.C.) after he had finished his first term of work. Within the next 7 years Leah had 7 children which are all born before Joseph’s birth in 1700 B.C. This makes sense with the passage as it says multiple times that God “saw Leah and opened her womb…” (Gen. 29:31-35; 30:17-21). The order could possibly have happened like this: Reuben (1707 B.C.), Simeon (1706 B.C.), Levi (1705 B.C.), Judah (1704 B.C.), Issachar (1702 B.C), Zebulun (1701 B.C.), and finally Dinah (1700 B.C.). 1703 B.C. could have been the time when she had stopped bearing children as expressed in Genesis 30:9.

4) We are not sure exactly when Kohath was born but we do know that he was born sometime before the family sojourned into Egypt (Gen. 46:11). It seems with the order of the names listed that Merari may have been his younger brother. If that was the case and they were from the same woman, then Kohath would at least be around 2 years old at the time of departure. This is why Kohath had to be born in or before the year 1662 B.C. because it was the next year that they made the great journey into Egypt in 1661 B.C. It is unlikely that he would have been born before 1690 B.C.

5) Amram was born in Egypt but we are unsure of when that was.

6) Amram could have died in Egypt or he could have potentially left with the Israelites in the mass Exodus. There is no clear indication given.

Genesis Genealogical Chronology: Adam - Joseph



My Dream of Jesus Christ Super Man

3:46 am. That's the time I woke up this morning from my dream. I went to the bathroom, turned on the light, and began writing. Would you like to hear my dream?

My Dream

I was on the side of a mountain surrounded by a large number of people. I heard someone say that the world was in disarray and everything was falling apart. As I walked through the camp I quickly learned that this was America. I could hear people proudly boasting about our nation so I don't think they were aware that we were on the edge of a cliff.

I was fasting. I knew that on Sunday, the end of my fast, God was going to do something super significant. I wasn't sure what at this point, but I had a strong feeling that judgment was coming.

I stayed up all Saturday night because I wanted to see what God was about to do. Early that Sunday morning was a joyous yet gut-wrenching time for me. I had this sense that my fasting was over, but I also felt that something terrible was about to happen to these people. With the rising of the sun, I turned my eyes toward the top of the mountain and watched it violently break apart.

This is where my dream transitioned me into the third person. I looked at the people but they didn't notice what was about to hit them. It was like they couldn't hear the rocks tumbling down the mountain. However, one small rock hit a man in the head and his aggressive response caused everyone to look up. It was then that they noticed what was happening but it was too late.

They began to run as fast as they could in a panicked frenzy but the rocks would soon overtake them. It was like what you would see in a movie: the ground was falling out behind them and the rock slide was closing in like a meteor shower.

As I watched the crowd, a certain lady caught my attention. Everyone else seemed really dirty, but she looked clean and beautiful. While everyone else was scrambling for shelter, she wasn't running. On the contrary, she was trying to help those around her.

Then I spotted a Man. I knew He was significant and not just by his physical appearance but by his demeanor as well. He was tall, well-built and handsome but He seemed to be fearless. At a time of complete chaos and lost hope, I knew that He was a Man on a mission. As the first small rocks began to fall, He made His way to the lady. She seemed ready to give up and as she was falling down, exhaustion finally taking its toll, He caught her and picked her up into His arms.

Immediately I knew that something amazing was about to happen that was contrasting with the impending judgment. I could see the destruction closing in behind the mass of people, their lives nearing a terrible end. Yet I could also see the Man lift her up, like the Super Man He was, and fly away with her in His arms. He rescued her from the wrath as the rockslide made a colossal impact and the entire mountain exploded just as His feet left the ground. 

Only the Super Man and the lady in His arms made it out alive. I saw these people, many of them I knew, die on that day. They had no hope and no Savior to rescue them. That Super Man came to rescue only one person and that was the woman.

Conclusion

A day is coming when Christ will come back for His church, which He refers to as His bride, and those who remain will perish and suffer the judgment of the Almighty God. Don't be left behind! Believe in Christ for the assurance of your salvation. His guarantee to those who place their faith in Him is that they will be with Him in paradise for forever.

Times will continue to get worse, but Jesus is on the throne. He is the only Super Man this world has ever known!

Old & New Testaments: What's the Difference?

Too often I hear people say that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are not the same. That the Old Testament is all about God's wrath as He brings death and destruction upon nations while the New Testament is all about God's grace and compassion being extended towards man. 

 

I have talked with many individuals who have told me they reject the Bible because they see the Old and New Testaments as having two different gods.

Is this really what is happening? Are there really two different gods of the Bible or is there something else going on?

Grace in the OT

First, I want to address the statement people make when they say there is no grace in the Old Testament. Throughout all of eternity, human history included, God's Attributes are Infinitely Equal! This means that forever and always God exercises His justice to the same infinite degree as His grace and goodness. In fact, they intertwine and dance beautifully together because you cannot have true love if you are not just.

"For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." - Matthew 5:45

God provides rain for evil people and heathen nations. That sounds pretty gracious to me.

"...for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." - Genesis 15:16b

In the passage above God promised Abraham that the land in which he was living would one day belong to his descendants. However, it would not come to pass for well over four hundred years. Reading through the previous verses you will find that God gave the Amorites, the current occupants of the land, four hundred years to turn away from their wickedness. Only a gracious God would give that much time.

God rescued mankind from the flood waters. God rescued Lot from abominable Sodom and Gomorrah. God sent a prophet and saved the great city of Nineveh from impending judgment. Over and over again God reached out to mankind with the desire to bless them abundantly and to make them great in the eyes of the world. In fact, Ezekiel 18:23 records that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Yet they consistently forsook the Lord to do their own thing and pursue their own evil lusts. All throughout the Old Testament God consistently offered life. Even today, God is extending His grace to an evil world in order that we may come to Him.

Here's the Difference

It is not a matter of different gods, but of a different emphasis. There is one God who exists for all eternity and His name is Jesus Christ. God spent so much time in the Old Testament building a case against man in order to reveal to us how desperately sick and twisted we are. The Old Testament emphasizes to us that we, apart from God, are in a hopeless condition. It shows us that we desperately need a Savior! On the other hand, the New Testament emphasizes His grace in sending the only One who can save us and make us well.

God's message in the OT: "You need help!"
God's message in the NT: "I'm your Help!"

Far from being contradictory, the Old and New Testament's emphasis on God's character are a beautiful complement to one another that offers us a complete picture of who God is and His heart for the World!

The 4 Generations in Egypt

In Genesis chapter fifteen, God promised Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land. He said they would be enslaved and mistreated there. Abraham was informed ahead of time that suffering would one day come upon his family. Yet God encouraged him by telling him that it would not last forever. In verse sixteen God promised that He was going to rescue his children and bring them out of bondage in the fourth generation.

What did it mean when God said the fourth generation? The fourth generation from who? Certainly not Abraham!

So what's the answer? Where can we find it? Remember, it must be Scriptural!

The answer is given in Exodus chapter six. It is here that we find the four generations in their proper context. In this passage we find out the clarifying truth that what God was saying to Abraham was that in the fourth generation to live in Egypt, God would come in to rescue them and bring them to the land that He was giving to them.

As in the diagram below which I have illustrated for your benefit, the countdown of generations began with Levi as the twelve sons, which represented the nation of Israel, journeyed into Egypt in the year 1661 B.C. It is there that the people of Israel would remain for the next two hundred and fifteen years until they would finally be rescued from their captivity.

The Return of the King

Did you know that when Jesus comes back every eye will see Him!? Everyone from every tribe, language and nation will watch Him return to this earth. Atheists, Agnostics, Mormons, Muslims, New Age Monists, Hindus and Jehovah's Witnesses. Americans, Canadians, Australians, Iranians, Indians, Peruvians, Europeans, Asians and Libyans.

 

No one on Earth will miss this glorious event. It will make world history!

 

Revelation 1:7 says, "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him."

 

Did you notice what their response will be? It is not to repent, but to wail! The Jews will be mourning the fact that they were the ones to pierce Christ two thousand years ago, but the rest of the world, those who have accepted the mark of the beast, will be wailing against Christ. They will raise the loudest cry in human history. The world, rather than seeing Christ's coming as a joyous occasion, will raise their complaints to the heavens and see this as a terrible thing.

 

The unbelievers in that day will be wailing for two reasons:

1. Their hatred for God and the inconvenience that His return makes for them.
2. Their coming judgment that Christ is bringing upon them in His fierce wrath!

Truly the headlines of the world will be filled with their utter blasphemies and the realities of their greatest fears.

 

But with the world being a sphere and some people living in Israel while others are in China or America, how will every eye see the return of the King? How about you take out that thing that is in your pocket right now and think about this question.

 

A hundred years ago it was inconceivable to imagine how the whole world would see this event take place. However, with the invention of the television in  1927 and the Internet coming to life around 1990, we have successfully placed the world in our pockets. If a child sneezes in Africa we have the ability to watch it, re-watch it, see it in slow motion, play it backwards so that the achoo heads back into the kids face, etc.

 

Businessmen from the leading companies of the world down to tribal guys who only wear loin cloths and run around the thickest jungles almost always are found with a smart phone. The real question we should be asking is "When Christ comes back will it even be possible for someone in the world not to see Him?" The answer is NO! Every eye will see and/or watch the return of the King! All eyes will be fixed on the true God and Hero of the universe!

God's First Command

"The LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.'"  

Genesis 2:16-17

My Camping Experience

Do you like hiking? Camping? Just going off for a few days out into the wilderness enjoying the nice cool breeze, amazing views, and incredible relaxation?

When I was young my grandfather used to take my siblings and I camping for a week during the summer months. We would load up in the camper and head off to Pickle Springs. My grandmother, to this day, still reminds me of those weeks every time I see her.

There was one day in particular when I recall seeing some bushes with colored berries on them. Grandpa walked over and brushed his hand over the top of one of the bushes and told me that the berries on this bush would be fine to eat, but for the other one he told me not to eat any of it. He said it was poisonous and that it would make me sick and ruin the rest of the trip for me.

Do you know what happened next? Grandpa plucked off some of the good berries and we ate a couple together. To this day, I have never eaten from the poisonous bush that he told me not to eat from. As a result, I have never suffered from the stomach pains that would have come if I chose to eat it anyway. I ended up having a GREAT week camping!

Our View of God

Now that you have that story in your head, what comes to mind when you think about God commanding the man not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?

You see, I believe many of us have felt at times that it seems like God is keeping them from something. Like He is holding them back from experiencing life. In fact, that is exactly what Satan wants you to think because that was the same temptation he put in Eve's mind.

However, just like in the story that I told of my grandfather the same is true for how God interacted with Adam on day six. My grandfather warned me that I would become sick if I ate those berries. Adam's God warned him that he would die if he ate of that fruit.

God wasn't keeping anything from Adam. Rather, the LORD God lovingly warned him to not eat from that one tree. He could eat from well over ten million other trees in this world, but if he would eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would become sick and die.

Conclusion

My response to my grandfather was thankfulness that he loves me enough to warn me when something bad may be about to happen. I didn't look at him like he was holding me back from something good. I knew that he was protecting me from a dangerous outcome. The way my grandfather interacted with me is a picture of how God (the Ultimate Father) interacted with Adam.

God is always looking out for His children.

Genealogies: Do They Really Matter?

I remember reading a story of a college student who was assigned to give a speech in his Jewish History class. His desire was to prove to his professor, a practicing Jew at the time, that Jesus Christ was indeed the long awaited Messiah. Coming to the end of his presentation, the student closed with one of the clearest extra-Biblical arguments I have ever read.

If Jesus Christ was not the Messiah, then all hope of one was lost in 70 A.D. when Titus of Rome ransacked Jerusalem. The Roman Emperor utterly destroyed the Jewish temple and it was in the temple where all the records were stored. These genealogical documents were needed in order for the messiah to prove that he was indeed a true bloodline descendant of King David.

The professor's response? "I guess we can only hope that someone somewhere has kept and preserved copies of the Jewish genealogies." She was unwilling to see the truth that the Scriptures and all of history testify and proclaim - the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ! Tragically, her response mirrored that of the Pharisees in John 5:39-40.

Don't you think it's remarkable that throughout all four Gospels the Jews never once questioned Christ's genealogical descent!?

So why are genealogies in the Bible so important?

While many of us would rather drink dirty water than read through one of the many lists of names recorded in the Bible, there is one central theme woven throughout every genealogy.

The manifestation of God's faithfulness in sending His Son to rescue the world!

Genealogies express three main characteristics of God:

1) God's faithfulness!

Over and over again throughout the Old Testament God continuously reminded His people of the promise He made to send a Savior into the world to save mankind. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that promise.

2) God's intimate knowledge!

How does it make you feel to know that the God who created the entire universe and all its contents knows you by name? God made you and knows everything about you. From the number of hairs on your head to the first day you walked, He is intimately involved in your life.

3) God's love!

At the perfect time in all of history, God sent His Son so that He might save as many as are willing. He did not desire to leave us stranded in our sin but came to our rescue, delivering us from sin and death. He has lovingly stretched out His hand to mankind. Will we take it and allow Him to restore us to Himself?

Conclusion

Genealogies are often difficult to read. Whether they are short or long there is always that temptation to skim down and pick up where things are more interesting. Yet, in the very dryness of those lists is found another depth of understanding into the Word of Truth. Individually, they are diamonds in the ruff buried within their contexts. As a whole, those genealogies weave together into one continuous narrative that ties all of Scripture together.

Our culture may not greatly value genealogies but God used the Jewish people's desire for this organizational task for His specific purpose. The genealogies of the Jews express the majesty of God's sovereignty and His faithfulness in fulfilling His promise to mankind in Genesis.

Christ's Return in 25 Years! Maybe?

Did you know that according to the Biblical timeline, the age of the earth is around 5,975 years old. To find this date all you need to do is count backwards from the exodus which occurred in 1446 B.C. (according to archeology and Biblical deduction). By using the genealogies and other important events throughout the book of Genesis you will come to an approximate date for the creation of the world in 3959 B.C.

3959 + 2016 = 5975 (five thousand nine hundred and seventy-five) years.

This means that we have about 25 years until the earth reaches its sixth millennium. That's a quarter of a century and it's in our lifetime!

So what's my point?

Well, wouldn't it be cool if God set up the creation time clock in thousand year increments? I promise I am not making any predictions about when Jesus is coming back. All I am aiming to accomplish in this blog is to present an intriguing possibility.

We know that everything that God does has a purpose and a meaning behind it. He never just does things. He is not random. He is intentional and orderly.

God outlined for His people a six day work week and then commanded them to rest on the seventh day which He referred to as the Sabbath. Now this Sabbath day, I believe, is a picture of the thousand year rest Christ will bring when He comes to restore this fallen world.

This will take place during the millennium when Christ is ruling and reigning over this earth. For one thousand years He will sit on the throne in Jerusalem and rule the nations with peace and justice. After this time He will wipe away sin once and for all and create a new heavens and a new earth.

I understand that it is a simile, but 2 Peter 3:8 says that "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." This verse is also in context with the coming of the Lord in the last days.

Again, I am not making any predictions. But wouldn't it be awesome if Christ returned at some point within the next 25 years? If this were the case, then we would subtract 7 years from that time so that we could add in the 7 year tribulation. Thus, He would potentially come back at some point in the next 18 years.

We all know that this world is getting worse every day. And we should all be aware that last day prophecies are being fulfilled left and right and setting up the stage for His return. It is possible that Christ could wait another 60 years or 600 years, but are we ready right now if He decided to come today? Would He find us faithful? What if we lived like the apostles did and were so convinced that the Master is returning in our lifetime? How would that change the way we live and interact with people? Food for thought.

For those still hungry, click the articles I wrote below for more information on how I came to this theory.

1. Genesis Genealogy: Adam - Joseph
2. Exodus Genealogy: Levi - Moses
3. Biblical Chronology: Creation - the Exodus