12 – The Closing Message | Daniel 12 (part 1)

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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This brings us to the final chapter of Daniel’s fascinating book. As you’ll recall, there were no chapter divisions in the original text, so here the heavenly messenger who started talking to Daniel in chapter 10 is now winding up his long and detailed message.

If we go back to the previous chapter, we find that the last part of it is talking about the last three and a half years of the Antichrist’s reign, which is known as the Great Tribulation, and it ends with the end of the Antichrist. Now Daniel is told that at this time Michael, the great prince and archangel, the commander of Jesus’ heavenly forces, who stands watch over the “sons” of Daniel’s people, will stand up.

If we go back to chapter 10, we read that it was Michael who had come to the messenger’s aid and enabled him to gain the victory in the struggle with the prince of Persia. We also read in Revelation another passage about Michael:

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Revelation 12:7–9

The Devil is cast out of the spiritual realm down to the earth, and it is at this pivotal moment that it is believed that he possesses the body of the Antichrist at the midway point of the last seven years. This is when the covenant is broken, the Abomination of Desolation is placed in the temple, and the Antichrist—the head of the beast who was killed—is possessed and resurrected by the Devil. This is when he demands that the world worship him, and begins his maniacal persecution of believers in the true God. (Read more on this in “The Beast,” chapter 3 of The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist.)

And so Daniel is told that this will be a “time of trouble such as never was.” Jesus told us about this time also, and His admonitions are recorded in three of the four Gospels, in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13.

Therefore when you see the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), … then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Matthew 24:15,21

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. … And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Luke 21:20,24

So when you see the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), … in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.

Mark 13:14,19

It is the Great Tribulation, as it is commonly termed, but it won’t be forever. In fact, it will only last 1260 days, as was explained in chapter 9 of this book. And as we read in chapter 11, it is also a time that great exploits are performed by those who love Jesus and who are warriors of the faith and for His cause. Revelation 11 tells us about two of these witnesses who are a particular scourge on the Antichrist and his kingdom. And the type of power these two have is not limited to them, but is available to all God’s prophets and followers in that dark and violent time.

At the same time, God is afflicting the wicked with physical scourges that are released at the blowing of six of the seven trumpets of Tribulation that are expounded upon in Revelation chapters 8–10, including fire and hail from the sky, a third of the waters of the seas being turned into blood, the waters in the lakes and rivers being turned bitter, the light of the sun and stars being greatly dimmed, and plagues of monstrous insects. Although the Antichrist and his wicked henchmen try to hurt and destroy God’s people, God is a much greater adversary to him and his ilk than they are to us.

Then all Daniel’s people who are found written in the “book” are delivered in the great and awe-inspiring Rapture, when Jesus returns at the seventh and last trumpet and gathers His people to Him in the clouds and then zips them off to Heaven.

What is the “book” referred to here? Other passages in the Bible talk about the Book of Life, and this is what it could be referring to. (For further insight as to what the Book of Life is and contains, read chapter 8, entitled “The Great White Throne Judgment,” in From the End to Eternity.)

Why the passage says “sons of your people” is open to some interpretation. Saint Paul made it obvious that “if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). The inheritors of the promises made to the Jews in the Old Testament are the Christians, and this includes everyone, whether Jew or Gentile, who believe in Jesus as their Savior.

So Christians can be understood to be the sons, the spiritual heirs, of the former chosen people. Saint Paul further expounds on the happenings of verses 2 and 3 when he explains that “the dead in Christ shall rise first” at Jesus’ return to take us home to Heaven, “and then we which are alive.”

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:51–52

(For more information on this wonderful event, please read chapter 8, entitled “Jesus’ Second Coming,” in The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist.)

And for those who have been faithful in their love and service to God, who have through their witness and lives turned many to the true righteousness of believing in our loving and mighty God, it will truly be a wonderful day. For as verse 3 tells us, those wise ones will shine like the sun and stars in the sky forever.

But for others it will not be as joyous. All who believe in and receive Jesus as their Savior have everlasting life in Heaven. For believing in and receiving Him is all we have to do to receive His salvation. But to shine like the sun there in Heaven, and to receive the eternal honor and spiritual riches there, we have to do something here. In fact, we have to do a good deal. We have to work for those stars in our heavenly crown by living a life of service to God and humanity. “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matthew 16:27).

But the Lord is just and will reward us not only by the criterion of what we did, but also by what we were able to do. Some might not seem to do much compared to others, but they are doing a lot with the resources and talents available to them. Others might seem to do a lot, but compared to what they could and should have done, it may not be much. “For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have” (2 Corinthians 8:12).

But there are those who are saved, who have at some time received Jesus’ salvation, but became rejecters of truth, and even accusers of the saints. These will find themselves ashamed and will be held in contempt for their actions, not necessarily by the other citizens of Heaven, who will undoubtedly exhibit the godly virtues of forgiveness and charity, but they will forever—or at least for a long time—feel con-tempt for themselves because of their actions.

Then Daniel is told to close up the book—which seems to infer that he was writing this all down as he received it—as the message is not to be fully understood till the Endtime, when he is told that many shall run to and fro and knowledge will be increased. (If you want to know how these two signs of the End are being fulfilled, read The Future Foretold.)

And so the messenger was almost done when Daniel looked and saw what must have been two other heavenly beings, one on the one bank of the Tigris River and one on the other.—And the angelic messenger is floating above the water in the middle. Poor Daniel must have been flabbergasted by all that he had been told, and it seems that he needed some reassurance as to when the good times would finally come. Perhaps in an effort to help Daniel understand, one of the heavenly beings asks the angelic messenger a question, one that will be important to those who will live through these future times.

How long is this time of trouble going to last? Or in the precise words of the questioner, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?” And much like a witness in a courtroom who swears to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, the messenger raises his hands and swears by God that it is going to last three and a half “times,” and then when the power of the holy people is completely shattered, it shall be finished.

Well, that doesn’t sound too promising to those of us who regard ourselves as part of the holy people because we are believers in God. But take heart, because it is not talking about the individuals themselves being completely shattered, but “the power of the holy people” such as the power the often politically and financially influential Christian denominations and other religions wield. We know that the Antichrist is going to persecute Christians and it is going to be a very great and dreadful persecution. However, as we have also read in the last chapter, he is going to be fighting wars, and he is going to be invading Israel on a number of occasions and has wars with the King of the South. And at the beginning of the Battle of Armageddon he totally shatters the power of his remaining opponents before Jesus and His heavenly forces intervene and destroy him.

The book of Revelation also talks about the Antichrist and his allies destroying something that is enigmatically called “Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots.” For a fuller treatment of this subject, read chapter 7, “Mystery Babylon,” in The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist. But in a nutshell, we believe this represents the world capitalist system epitomized by the USA. So this reference to shattering the power could possibly be referring to the military and temporal power of the state of Israel and that of its “Christian” backers like the USA. It can also be understood to mean that it is referring to the persecutions against all godly believers mentioned in Daniel 7:21, 8:24, and 11:33–35. And certainly the “many who would be purified, made white, and refined” would refer to believers in the last days.

This information apparently whetted Daniel’s curiosity for a little more, because he still didn’t understand. So he repeats the question. The angel then tells him that basically it wasn’t for him to understand, that the picture painted by all this information wouldn’t really crystallize till the time of the End, and that the wicked wouldn’t understand even then, but only the wise would.

And now—when we thought we had all the timing down, that the Tribulation would be three and a half years, 42 months, or 1,260 days—the angel throws in more numbers for us to juggle.

He tells us that from the time the daily sacrifice in the temple is stopped and the Abomination of Desolation is set up in its place, it is going to be 1,290 days, and he who waits and comes to 1,335 days is going to be blessed.

Before we let this upset the applecart, we need to remember that we already have been told repeatedly throughout the books of Daniel and Revelation that the Tribulation period during which the Antichrist is fully possessed by Satan, wages repeated wars, and most specifically, persecutes the believers in God, is three and a half years. It is said so often that it almost begins to sound like a broken record. Jesus really wants us to understand this point.

Here are those scriptures:

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

Daniel 7:25

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.

Daniel 9:27

Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

Daniel 12:7

The court which is outside the temple … has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.

Revelation 11:2

And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thou-sand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.

Revelation 11:3

Then the woman [who represents the body of believers] fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Revelation 12:6

But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

Revelation 12:14

And [the Antichrist] was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

Revelation 13:5

Even the angelic messenger in Daniel 12 has already made it clear that it will be three and a half years by the time all the previous things he has been talking about have happened, including Daniel’s people being delivered. The believers both alive and dead at the end of this 1,260-day period will have been caught up to Jesus in the Rapture. It seems there must have been a different nuance to Daniel’s question, “What shall be the end of these things?” than the other question, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?” because it elicited a different answer. In reply he is told that it shall be 1290 days, and that he who waits till 1335 days will be blessed. In other words, the “fulfillment” and the “end” are somehow different and there is an extra 30-day period followed by a further 45-day period.

We know from the book of Revelation that the Rapture happens before the seven bowls containing the plagues of God’s wrath are poured out on the wicked (Revelation 16:1–21). When that happens, all the waters of the earth turn to blood, horrible sores and a scorching sun afflict the wicked, and then the world is plunged into darkness.

And in line with what the angel explains to Daniel regarding the wicked still not understanding but continuing in their wickedness, Revelation tells us that the wicked followers of the Antichrist at this time of wrath “blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds” (Revelation 16:11).

The forces of the Antichrist are being gathered at Armageddon at this time of wrath, but the great battle by the same name may not yet have begun when “the seventh angel poured out [the final bowl of wrath] into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’ And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth” (Revelation 16:17–18).
(To be continued)

11 – The King of the North | Daniel 11 (part 3)

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12/21/24 Verses 25–27: Then a latter-day King of the South musters his army to fight him. Who this King of the South would be is unknown for now. But we can conjecture. The King of the South has a very great and mighty army. Obviously he is very powerful. Although it would seem he would be located geographically south of the King of the North, perhaps that is only indicative of where his armies are and not necessarily where his homeland is. In the days of the Cold War, many supposed that the conflict described in this verse was between the forces of the USSR and the USA. They were the two superpowers, and both had political and strategic designs on the Middle East — not to mention that they both wanted to control the region’s oil production.

At this time (2009) we have only one superpower, the USA. The USA is totally committed to Israel—encompassing the region over which the classical kings of the north and south warred and generally speaking the focus of biblical prophecies. If Israel was ever seriously threatened, the USA has unambiguously stated that it would immediately go to war on its behalf. But if the USA, and more specifically its president, is the King of the South, then what region does the King of the North, the Antichrist, rule over initially? Could it still be Russia, as once looked so certain?

We know that the little horn in Daniel 8 came out of one of the four Diadochi kingdoms. The Seleucids were the old kings of the north, and in fact, their realm and sphere of influence went as far north as the Caucasus Mountains. Until recently the countries in that region were part of the Russian Empire and its successor, the USSR. Today they are the modern countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, as well as parts of southern Russia.

In Ezekiel 38 we are told that a leader called “Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal” (Ezekiel 38:2), “will come from your place out of the far north” (Ezekiel 38:15), with many allies “in the latter years [and] come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel” (Ezekiel 38:8).

John used the name Gog in the book of Revelation as a name for Satan, so it could also be applied to the Antichrist, who is the Devil incarnate. And the “latter years” or “latter days” is often used in the Bible to identify events surrounding Jesus’ second return.

“Rosh” is rendered “Ros” in some Bible versions, and Ros is the name given to the Scandinavians who settled in the Volga River Valley in the ninth century AD , who gave their name to the land we now know as Russia. Although Moscow wasn’t to be founded till many centuries later, it sounds similar to Meshech, and Tubal sounds somewhat like Tobolsk, the historic capital of Siberia.

Perhaps this similarity in names can be dismissed as coincidental, but when all of these things are pieced together, it does build a case for the Antichrist to arise from Russia. However, it doesn’t totally preclude the other three areas that were the old kingdoms of Alexander’s successors, namely Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. Egypt has been alluded to by some modern-day prophets and prophecies as having some strong connection to the Antichrist. When these events unfold we will know.

For all the troubles Russia has experienced over the last 20 years or so since the collapse of the USSR, it is still the second-ranking military power in the world. Its nuclear weapons may be rusty, but they can still make a mighty big bang. Its army may seem to be only a shadow of its former self, but even that shadow is still a formidable force. And while in the 1990s Russia’s economy was in shambles and the country was largely dismissed as irrelevant, its economy is now growing strongly, and with a strongman at the helm it is asserting itself considerably in both the European and international political theatres.

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the USA has been considered the world’s only superpower. But with military setbacks and failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, a disastrous foreign policy that has alienated much of the rest of the world, and an economy built on government and consumer debt which is now in recession, the U.S. is looking less “super” by the day. And with the rise of China, India, the European Union, and a resurgent Russia, the world is now much more multipolar than it was 10 or 15 years ago when the USA’s position at the top looked unassailable.

The King of the South loses to the King of the North because some of those closest to him “destroy” him, and his army takes a thorough beating. At peace negotiations both these kings’ hearts are bent on evil, and they lie in whatever agreements they negotiate.

Verse 28: As the Antichrist and his army return to his home, inflicting damage on the land through which they pass, he decides that he has had enough of the “holy covenant.” It doesn’t seem that he breaks it yet, as that comes later in verse 31, but its days are numbered as far as he is concerned.

Verses 29–30: He is on the move south again in what sounds like another invasion. But this time the opposition is stronger. Ships from Cyprus, or more likely from the direction of Cyprus, come against him. The U.S. Navy is perhaps the most formidable wing of its armed services, able to project American power into the far corners of the world. So if this is a war, it seems the Antichrist is thwarted for the moment, and he retreats. He is now very angry with the covenant, and he is in collusion with others who are ready to scrap it.

Verse 31: At this point, with an armed force he enters the “sanctuary fortress.” In fact, they defile it, which by inference means it is a holy place. In chapter 9 Daniel also referred to the sanctuary, which is another name for the temple, which will eventually be destroyed by the Antichrist, but that must come a little later because he has plans for its use. The Muslims call this spot Al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary), and the Jews call it the Temple Mount, and it is on top of Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. Here he breaks the covenant and places the Abomination of Desolation in the environs of the rebuilt Jewish temple. This is the beginning of the Great Tribulation and the last half of the Antichrist’s seven-year reign. From this point on, unholy war is waged against the believers in God. (For more details on the Abomination of Desolation read the chapter by that name in The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist.)

Verses 32–35: He corrupts those who do wickedly against the covenant, the rejecters of its provisions, and most specifically those provisions which have to do with religious freedom and tolerance. Just as in chapters 7 and 8, these verses state that he is fighting the believers in God, the holy people.

Yet for all the opposition, those who know God are going to be strong and do exploits. Those who have studied God’s Word and are spiritually prepared will understand the whys and wherefores of what is happening, and therefore they will instruct those who don’t understand what’s going on.

But some will be killed by sword and fire (possibly alluding to explosions, such as from bombs, or even gunfire), and some will be captured and their goods plundered. But even this “fall” has benefits, because it will refine and purify those who know and love God. And they will find help among those who may not share the same beliefs but who do recognize the Antichrist and his world government as evil. However, as in countries today that are under totalitarian rule, some who pretend to be their friends and offer them help will in fact be government informers.

Verse 36: So the Antichrist King of the North glories in his splendor, magnifying himself above all gods, speaking blasphemy against the real God. Paul writes in his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, that this “man of sin … the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, … sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4).

In Revelation we find out why his megalomania has intensified to this degree. There, this King of the North is depicted as the seventh head on an indescribably brutal and despicable beast. But this head “had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast” (Revelation 13:3). This head was dead, killed, but somehow in some marvelous “miracle” of science, or perhaps just through some infernal demonic intervention, it has come back to life. If we thought that the King of the North was bad enough before, he is now infinitely worse. He is not just a wicked man in league with the Devil, he is now the Devil incarnate.

Revelation 13 goes on to say, “So they worshiped the dragon [Satan] who gave authority to the Beast; and they worshiped the Beast, saying, ‘Who is like the Beast? Who is able to make war with him?’’ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Revelation 13:4–7).

He is given authority over all the nations of the world and can make war on the godly, but just because he is granted this authority does not mean he will be that successful at it. There will be many nations fighting him right through to his bitter end.

Verse 37: He doesn’t honor the God of his fathers. It is obvious from this that the Antichrist descends from those of a religious heritage. Some speculate that this verse could indicate that the Antichrist comes from a Jewish heritage because of the term used for God in the original. It is the Hebrew word ‘elohiym, which is often specifically used to mean the supreme God and is distinct from ‘elowahh, used in the rest of this passage to denote a deity. The Bible translators make this distinction by capitalizing God in “God of his fathers.” And as is corroborated in 2 Thessalonians and Revelation, this monster man exalts himself above all gods.

And he either doesn’t like women, is not attracted to them, has no inclination to listen to what they want him to do, or he is a homosexual. We won’t know till he arises how this fits, but when he does, it will be apparent.

Verses 38–39: But he is really into honoring “a god of fortresses.” The King James Bible renders this as “god of forces.” Either way, it sounds like a warlike deity, and as we have already noted, he thinks that he is greater than any god, as well as God Himself. Could this god be referring to himself, with him being worshiped in the form of the Abomination of Desolation which he has had placed in the temple fortress? Revelation 13 tells us that the false prophet of the Beast — his number two man — “causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first Beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the Beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the Beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the Image of the Beast, that the Image of the Beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:12–15).

Is this image the god of fortresses? Is it also the Abomination of Desolation? Is this the foreign god which he shall acknowledge and advance the glory of, by investing it with gold, silver, precious stones, and pleasant things? It certainly sounds likely.

Verses 40–43: And at the time of the end, right towards the end of the Antichrist’s wicked rule, the King of the South comes again to attack him. And then the King of the North comes against him with everything he has. Compare this to Ezekiel 38–39 and the invasion of Gog, which we covered earlier. He passes all the way down to Egypt, apparently skirting the lands of Edom, Moab, and Ammon (modern-day Jordan), and the prominent people of that area are spared. And somehow Ethiopians and Libyans are involved in his invasion forces. Ezekiel 38 also names the Ethiopians and Libyans being involved with the armies of Magog, as well as Persians and the people from the tribes of Gomer and Torgamah, whom we cannot precisely identify.

Verse 44–45: From the previous verses it seems that he has led his forces into Egypt, but now news from the east and the north troubles him. If you look north and east from Egypt, you head straight to Israel. In great fury he heads out to destroy and annihilate. He places his headquarters in the region between the seas, in the area of Mount Zion, Jerusalem, which he had already conquered and where he had established the Abomination of Desolation we read about earlier.

There are three seas in that area — the Mediterranean, of course, and also the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. And it is in that region of modern-day Israel that the Antichrist finally meets his end in a terrific battle, which we learn more about by turning to the book of Revelation.

In Revelation 16 we also read of war coming from the east. In the middle of the horrific plagues of the wrath of God that are inflicted upon the Antichrist and his followers we are told: “Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. … And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon” (Revelation 16:12–14,16).

Har Megiddo, rendered in English Bibles as “Armageddon,” is a hill situated over the ruins of the ancient city of Megiddo in the Valley of Jezreel in northern Israel. It is about 25 kilometers east of the Israeli port city of Haifa. It is geographically between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee, and is about 100 kilometers north of Jerusalem. Revelation states that it is the gathering place of armies for the battle of the great day of God Almighty, which we commonly call the Battle of Armageddon. However, this battle is not confined to Armageddon, but also rages around Jerusalem. It is a battle of monstrous proportions that is fought initially between the Antichrist’s forces and his earthly opponents. But at some point in this battle the Lord descends from Heaven with His supernatural armies to wipe out the Antichrist and his bestial forces and deliver those he has been fighting against. (For a thorough treatment of this event, read “Armageddon,” chapter 11 in The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist.)

And so we come to this chapter’s end, but the heavenly messenger is not yet finished. There is more to come in chapter 12.

11 – The King of the North | Daniel 11 (part 2)

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12/20/24 Verse 15: Scopas retreated to Sidon with the remains of his army. There Antiochus besieged him. Relief armies sent by Ptolemy under the leadership of his best generals were also beaten, and Scopas surrendered. He and the remainder of his army quit Coele-Syria and Judea. Never again would the Ptolemies exercise dominion over that area.

Verse 16: So Antiochus III stood as king and conqueror in the Glorious Land. Although he had been received favorably by the Jews and he treated them favorably in return, still the land had borne the destructive brunt of invasion and war.

Verse 17: Antiochus concluded a treaty favorable to his interests with Ptolemy, and as part of the agreement gave Ptolemy his daughter, Cleopatra, in marriage. (This is not the same as the later — and better-known — Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt, and wife of Julius Caesar and later of Mark Antony.) A weakened Egypt was for all intents and purposes a Seleucid protectorate. In time, though, Cleopatra was to side with her husband against her father.

Verses 18–19: Antiochus next turned his attention to the Ptolemaic possessions along the coastlands of Asia Minor, and by 195 BC they were his. He then crossed over into Thrace, the land north of Greece. He expected with this action to have all the Greek city states side with him against the Romans, who had been relentlessly extending their influence eastward. But only the Greeks in southern Greece did, and the rest sided with the Romans. The Romans demanded that he free all the lands he had conquered in Asia Minor, which he refused to do. After being beaten in Battle at Thermopylae, he fled with the remnants of his army back to what is modern-day Turkey.

To his surprise, the Romans followed him. It was the first time they had crossed over into Asia. At Magnesia a decisive battle was fought. Hannibal, the famed Carthaginian general, was Antiochus’s advisor, but even with an army twice the size of Rome’s, Antiochus’s army was annihilated. Antiochus fled, and by the Treaty of Apamea he renounced all his possessions west of the Taurus Mountains in central Turkey. He also had to pay an indemnity of 15,000 talents spread over 12 years, surrender his fleet, hamstring his war elephants, and send hostages to Rome, including his son Antiochus Epiphanes.

And so he retreated to his own land, where he was reportedly killed by an enraged mob while leading a group of soldiers in a raid on the treasury of a pagan temple.

Verse 20: Seleucus IV Philopator inherited the kingdom and spent most of his reign raising tribute in order to pay the indemnity to the Romans. Although his father had favored the Jews, Philopator, in his quest for money, even raided the temple at Jerusalem. Before he was assassinated, he secured the release of his brother from being a hostage in Rome in exchange for his own son, Demetrius.

Verse 21: The next inheritor of the Seleucid throne was Antiochus Epiphanes. He was on his way home from Rome when he heard the news of his brother’s murder and that a usurper had taken the reins of power. However, with the help of others Antiochus overthrew the usurper, but instead of proclaiming his nephew king, which would have been the rightful succession, he left him to languish in Rome and eventually ascended the throne instead.

Much of what follows in this chapter can be made to fit the character and actions of Antiochus Epiphanes, or “Epimanes” (the Madman), as his critics called him. He was certainly a vile person as far as the Jews were concerned. He sacked Jerusalem twice, killed tens of thousands of Jews, banned the worship of Jehovah, was said to have slain a pig in the Holy of Holies, thus defiling the temple, and erected an altar to Zeus Olympios in the temple environs. His cruel and tyrannical rule provoked the Jewish Maccabee rebellion, which eventually led to the independence of Judea for a time.

He also prosecuted the war against Egypt, capturing several key cities and the king, Ptolemy VI. In fact, the only significant part of Egypt not to fall into his hands was the capital, Alexandria. He made a great show of being the Egyptian king’s protector and benefactor, all the while looting whatever he could. He invaded several times and was finally forced to withdraw for good at the threat of Roman intervention.

However, although much in the verses from 21 onwards can be applied to Antiochus Epiphanes, some things definitely cannot. Antiochus didn’t come in peaceably and seize the kingdom; instead he killed the usurper, and first acted as regent for another of his nephews, whom he killed a few years later in order to assume the throne himself. And he didn’t disperse the loot and plunder of his campaigns to anyone but himself. He also was master of Cyprus after his fleet captured it, so it seems no ships of Cyprus came against him. The Holy Covenant itself remains to a large extent a mystery up to this time, and if there was a prince of that covenant during his reign, the identification of that person remains a mystery also.

And the final blow to Epiphanes being this man was delivered by Jesus in His sermon on the signs of the times in which He clearly states, “When you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (Matthew 24:15), as a future event, not a past one as would be necessary if Epiphanes had fulfilled it. So although he was a type of the “King of the North” described, we need to look for another.

What does the rest of this chapter tell us about this king?

He is vile, he uses peace and intrigue to obtain the “throne,” he also fights at least five wars, he is deceitful, he rises to power with a small number of people, he disperses the plunder to his followers, he works against the Holy Covenant, he defiles the Jewish temple (sanctuary), stops Jewish religious rituals (daily sacrifices), and places the “abomination of desolation.”

He corrupts people, he attacks those who believe in God, he claims to be greater than God and blasphemes Him. He worships a strange god of fortresses, and doesn’t care about women.

He enters the Glorious Land (Israel), plants the “tents of his palace” between the seas and Mount Moriah, and then he comes to his end.

Where have we heard some of these things before? In chapters 7, 8, and 9! And as we know from those chapters, the person they were talking about doing such things was the Antichrist.

From chapter 7 we read that he speaks against God, he persecutes the saints, and he subdues kings.

In chapter 8 we are told that he enters the Glorious Land, he attacks God’s people, he exalts himself as God, he stops the daily sacrifices, he is fierce, and he uses cunning, deceit, and sinister schemes.

And in chapter 9 we find out that he confirms a covenant, breaks it, stops the daily sacrifice, and then makes things desolate by means of an enigmatic abomination right to the end.

Even though we get more information in this chapter, there are enough charac-teristics, actions, and demeanor of this King of the North that line up with what we are told of the Antichrist in previous chapters that make it safe to say that the King of the North from verse 21 on is the coming Antichrist.

We cannot, from this point on, show from history what this vile King of the North who doesn’t have the honor of royalty has done, because all of this is in the future (for now), but we can get a general idea what he does.
(To be continued)

11 – The King of the North | Daniel 11 (part 1)

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12/19/24 Here the heavenly messenger starts to reveal to Daniel future events that are to affect the Jews, Daniel’s physical brethren and nation, and eventually Christians, Daniel’s spiritual brethren.

Before we go further, it is good to note that this passage was relayed to Daniel and written down by him many years before the events detailed in the first 20 verses came to pass. These verses have been fulfilled in detail. What that does is give us a strong reason to believe the rest of the chapter that has yet to be fulfilled.

Although we haven’t done this yet in this book, in this chapter from verse 2 on we will make note in this commentary which verse or passage is being referred to.

Verses 2–4: The angel reveals to Daniel how the fourth king of the Persian Empire, richer than those who went before, would attack Greece with all the might of his realm. This was fulfilled when Xerxes marched on Greece in 480 BC. His engineers built two pontoon bridges across the strait now known as the Dardanelles, and marched his armies across.

His father Darius had done the same, but his invasion had foundered at the crucial Battle of Marathon 10 years earlier. Xerxes would fare little better. After the stubborn Spartan resistance at Thermopylae was finally overcome, Xerxes sacked the ancient city of Athens. But his navy was defeated soon after by the Greeks at Salamis. That compromised his communications and supply lines, forcing him to retreat back to his homeland. Even though a large Persian army wintered in Greece, it was thoroughly defeated the following year by an alliance of Greek city-states at the Battle of Plataea.

The Persian invasions gave rise to calls for revenge in the Greek city-states, calls that were answered 150 years later when the Macedonians, under Alexander, launched their invasion and conquest of Persia. The primary excuse given for Alexander’s aggression was that it was to avenge the past violation of the Greek homeland.

As we know, Alexander died young, and his kingdom was divided toward the four winds rather than passed on to his posterity or family, and the kingdoms into which it fragmented were never to achieve the same breadth of dominion his had. And as the prophecy stated and we saw in the last chapter, parts of the empire only remained under the control of the Diadochi for a few years.

After the dust settled, four major kingdoms emerged from the carcass of Alexander’s empire. But before long they began fighting amongst themselves once more. Of the four, the two prominent kingdoms to emerge were the Ptolemaic realm that comprised mostly Egypt and later some areas of the Aegean and Asia Minor, and the kingdom of Seleucus. Seleucus ruled a huge area comprising the eastern half of modern-day Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and even parts of India. And these two kingdoms continually disputed over the areas comprising modern-day Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.

Verse 5: We now enter into the very byzantine affairs of these two kingdoms and the dynasties that ruled them. The two personalities in the first half of this passage, the King of the South and the King of the North, are not just two individuals, but they refer to the successive kings of these two realms. The king(s) of the south are the Ptolemies and the king(s) of the north are the Seleucids.

The first two kings had been allies in their wars, so although relations between them could not be described as warm, at least they didn’t fight each other. Ptolemy I, the King of the South, had occupied the lands that were in those days called Coele-Syria, meaning “hollow Syria.” Strictly speaking, it is the valley of Lebanon, but it is often used to cover the entire area south of the An Nahr al Kabir River, including modern Israel, the southern part of which was then known as Judea. According to the various negotiated divisions of Alexander’s empire, these lands should have been Seleucus’s. However, Seleucus, the “one of Alexander’s princes who had also become strong,” had been much too involved in expanding his realm at the expense of many of the lesser Diadochi to go to war with his ally. This entente was not to last with their successors.

Verse 6: We now skip to the reigns of two latter kings, Ptolemy II Philadelphus and Antiochus II Theos.

Ptolemy, in order to bring the war he had been fighting for Coele-Syria with both Antiochus I Soter and Antiochus II to an end, gave his daughter Berenice in marriage to Antiochus II, as part of establishing a permanent peace and alliance between the two kingdoms. A condition of this alliance was that Antiochus should divorce his wife Laodice, and that the children of that former wife should be excluded from the succession to the throne. Ptolemy hoped that the Seleucid lands would thus, under the next king — his grandson — fall under the sway of Egypt. Ptolemy, however, died two years after this marriage and Antiochus, who had declared himself divine and thus earned the nickname “Theos,” meaning god, restored his former wife Laodice, and put away Berenice. Laodice then killed her fickle husband, and she and others planned the death of Berenice and her infant son. Berenice fled to Daphne, where she was captured, and she and her son were killed.

Kings of the North

SELEUCUS I NICATOR Ruler and later king October 312–September 292 bc; co-ruler 292–September 280 bc—assassinated

ANTIOCHUS I SOTER co-ruler 292–280 bc; sole ruler September 280–261 bc—assassinated

ANTIOCHUS II THEOS 261–246 bc

SELEUCUS II CALLINICUS 246–225 bc

SELEUCUS III CERANUS or SOTER 225–223 bc—assassinated

ANTIOCHUS III (“The Great”) 223–187 bc

SELEUCUS IV PHILOPATOR 187–175 bc—assassinated

ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES 175–163 bc

Kings of the South

PTOLEMY I SOTER 305–282 bc

PTOLEMY II PHILADELPHUS 284–246 bc

PTOLEMY III EUERGETES I 246–221 bc

PTOLEMY IV PHILOPATOR 222–205 bc

PTOLEMY V EPIPHANES 205–180 bc

PTOLEMY VI PHILOMETOR 180–145 bc

Verses 7–8: When Ptolemy III Euergetes, Berenice’s brother, the “branch of her roots,” received news of her flight, he gathered an army and headed to Daphne — initially to rescue her, and then, when news of her death reached him, to avenge her. After receiving reinforcements, he made himself master of not just the western Seleucid lands, but crossed the Euphrates and subjugated the land as far as the Tigris.

Historical writings state that Ptolemy took back with him to Egypt 40,000 talents of silver, a vast number of precious vessels of gold, and 2,400 idols. Among those were many idols of the Egyptian gods, which Cambyses II, when he had conquered Egypt, had carried off to Persia. Ptolemy restored these to the temples to which they belonged and earned the sobriquet “Euergetes,” that is, the “Benefactor.”

Verses 9–10. Seleucus II Callinicus was proclaimed king of what was left of the Seleucid realm by his mother, Laodice, but had little success as king dealing with rebellions by his brother and other vassals. But on his death his sons, Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great, renewed the struggle with Egypt. Ceraunus was assassinated after only two years as king, and his brother, Antiochus III, became king at the age of 18. His campaigns of 219–218 BC carried the Seleucid arms into Coele-Syria.

Verse 11–12: In 217 BC, Ptolemy IV Philopator met Antiochus in battle at Raphia in southern Palestine. Ptolemy had an army of 70,000 infantry, including a newly levied and trained Egyptian phalanx, 5,000 horse, and 73 elephants. He was met by Antiochus with an army of 62,000 infantry, 6,000 horse, 102 elephants. In a great battle, Antiochus was defeated, and retreated to Antioch. Ten thousand from the army of Antiochus were slain and 4,000 were taken prisoner.

Verses 13–14: Philopator was a dissolute libertine who was under the thumb of his favorites and ministers. Aside from the victory at Raphia, he didn’t accomplish much in the kingdom. Before that battle, the native Egyptians had mostly been kept in servitude on the land. But in order to strengthen his army, which had consisted entirely of mercenaries, mostly Macedonians, he had armed and trained native Egyptians to form the Egyptian phalanx. That expedient was to cause much trouble later on, as they left the army on their return to Egypt, weapons in hand.

Jewish mercenaries had been fighting in Egypt in the service of the Egyptians, Persians, and the Ptolemies since at least 664 BC, when their presence was recorded as garrisoning the island of Elephantine on the Nile in southern Egypt. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that Jewish mercenaries fought in Ptolemy’s army. Perhaps the “violent men of your own people” refer to them.

Meanwhile, Antiochus concentrated on restoring his possessions in the north and east. It would take some time, but by 200 BC, his army had grown and was battle hardened, and he was ready to renew his claim to Coele-Syria.

By 199 BC, he had possession of it, but then the Ptolemaic general, Scopas, recovered it for Ptolemy V, who had succeeded to the throne. But in 198 BC, Antiochus defeated Scopas at the Battle of Panium, near the headwaters of the Jordan, a battle which marks the end of Ptolemaic rule in Judea.
(to be continued)

10 – Spiritual Warfare | Daniel 10

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12/18/24 Chapter 10 of Daniel is an introduction to the revelation given him in chapters 11 and 12. The original texts of the Bible were not divided into chapters and verses. Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1207–1228, is reputed to have been the first to put the chapter divisions into a Vulgate edition of the Bible in 1205. Robert Estienne, a Parisian printer, was the first to number the verses within each chapter, his verse numbers entering printed editions of the New Testament in 1565. This bit of information is important background as to why some puzzling chapter divisions occur where they do in the Bible — notable among them, the division between this chapter and the next.

Daniel tells us in the first chapter of his book that he continued into the first year of the reign of Cyrus. The events of this chapter take place in the third year of Cyrus’s reign. This is not his reign as king of Persia, but rather the third year from when he was also crowned king of Babylon.

This seeming contradiction can be explained in two ways. Perhaps Daniel continued off and on in the royal service into the first year of Cyrus, and after that he retired. So the fact that this is happening two years later is not really contradictory.

Or, the more likely reason is that the first chapter was written at the time of the first year of Cyrus’s reign. The Book of Daniel is a collection of writings written over many years and not something that was written as one long narrative. And it is accepted by most scholars that the Book of Daniel wasn’t compiled into a single document until the last years of Daniel’s life. So perhaps at the time of the writing of chapter 1, the first statement was true, and then later at the writing of chapter 10, the second one was also true.

We are not told why, but Daniel was fasting and in mourning for three weeks prior to what is about to take place. However, we can make a calculated guess as to the reason. We know from history that Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to Judah in his first year as king of Babylon. However, not everyone of influence in the Persian court was so accommodating toward the Jews. Historical documents tell us that Cambyses II, Cyrus’s son and heir, wasn’t favorable to them. And in chapter six we saw that Daniel had enemies in the Persian court. As the highest-ranking Jew in the empire, it is quite likely that personal animosity toward Daniel reflected general animosity toward the Jews.

Although the decree to let the Jews go back to Judea was given in the first year of Cyrus’s reign as king of Babylon, which was 538 BC, the actual return migration didn’t occur till 536 BC. This would correspond to the third year of Cyrus’s reign, which would make it coincidental to the events in this chapter. Could there have been events afoot to prevent the return? There were certainly some who opposed the return of the Jews, as can be seen in Ezra chapter 4, where the Samaritans appealed several times to the Persians to stop the Jews rebuilding the temple.

Daniel was a man of prayer, as shown by his prayer in chapter 9, as well as his willingness to risk his life over his need to pray in chapter 6. He wasn’t in Babylon or Shushan now, as this chapter places him somewhere on the Tigris River. Unable to exert personal influence at court on the matter, he engaged in the one thing that he knew could turn the tide, and that was to fast and pray.

After 21 days of this, Daniel has another encounter with an angel. The men with him fled in terror, even though they didn’t see the angel. It was most likely the sound of the angel’s voice, which to Daniel sounded like that of a multitude, which prompted this flight. But Daniel sees what he calls a “man” clothed in linen. His waist and hips were girt with fine gold. His body was like beryl. The original Hebrew word translated as “beryl” is tarshiysh. This precious stone is believed to be named after the country of Tarshish, believed by many biblical scholars to be an area of southern Spain where the Phoenicians had a trading post and where this jewel was plentiful. The stone itself is a greenish color with a golden luster. The “man’s” face was bright like lightning and his arms and feet like brightly polished bronze. And Daniel promptly fainted at the sight.

The heavenly messenger then touches Daniel, and Daniel gets up on his hands and knees before him. The angel tells Daniel to stand up and then explains why he was there, that he had come in answer to Daniel’s prayers.

He then tells Daniel of his struggle with the prince of the kingdom of Persia that had taken him 21 days, and the help of Michael the Archangel, to win. It is believed by many Bible scholars that this prince of Persia was an evil spiritual entity who had been given spiritual dominion over Persia by his master, Satan.

There are two ways to look at this struggle. One is that the messenger was sent only to Daniel to bring him the message that is covered in the next chapter. That is plausible. And a demonic entity of the stature of the messenger’s opponent would undoubtedly have put up quite a struggle.

The book of Revelation gives us a look into the always thrilling, sometimes frightening, and often jaw-dropping realm of the spirit. While relating the story primarily of the last years of Earth as we now know it, most of the action it talks about is not happening in the physical world, but rather in the spiritual realm that coexists with it. While there are a many hideous beings from the netherworld stalking through its pages, there are far more mighty, beautiful, and amazing heavenly beings who fight and emerge victorious at its end.

Spiritual warfare is not just the stuff of fantasy comic books. It is a very real phenomenon that is happening right now. It is not something that you can see with your physical eyes, but sometimes its effects spill over into our realm. It is a life-and-death battle not for the lives of the combatants, but for our lives — primarily our spiritual lives, but even to a degree our physical lives as well.

Revelation goes into detail a number of times with regards to the entities that war in that arena. John, Revelation’s author, wrote that he was taken into that realm after being shown a door open to Heaven (Revelation 4:1-2). He first saw the glories of God’s throne room and a large number of angels and good spirits such as the mighty Seraphim who surround God’s throne. But soon he saw some far less pleasant sights, such as the angels pouring out God’s judgments — firstly at the sound of seven sequential trumpets, and then the even more destructive seven plagues. He also saw the Devil as a vicious infanticidal dragon, but then the great archangel Michael leads the good angels in war against the dragon and his demons and completely vanquishes them from the heavenly realm.

John is brief when he describes the great spiritual war that apparently occurs a little before the period of Great Tribulation. We don’t know how long that war takes, but we do know that the Devil and his ilk are powerful enough to put up “spirited” resistance. “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the Earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7–9).

This had been preceded by this information in verse 4 of the same chapter. “And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the Earth” (Revelation 12:3–4). This passage is where we come to an understanding that one third of the angels rebelled with Satan at the great rebellion against God and His authority in the heavenly realm. Angels have often been represented by stars both in the Bible and other writings. Since both the stars and the dragon’s “angels” are cast down to the Earth, the conclusion can be drawn that they are one and the same.

It would undoubtedly have been thrilling if John had given us a fuller description of that war in heaven so we could hear how that great infernal tyrant and his underlings were defeated. Not that we glory in war, but hearing how the evil and destructive hellish enemy of all humanity got his comeuppance is something that many would have liked to have been given more details on. Especially since the warfare then reverts to his last stronghold, Earth, and the warfare becomes largely physical as the Devil-possessed Antichrist rampages around the Middle East and other areas of the world. Knowing just how Heaven’s forces defeated and then routed him and his can give us courage here on Earth that those same forces will be working effectively to continue the work they started and will be our unfailing aid in that tumultuous time.

But back to our text in Daniel 10. Many scholars think the messenger is Gabriel, since he had appeared to Daniel twice before. If that were the case, you would think Daniel would have named him. But again we come to the stumper as to why it would take both Gabriel and Michael to beat this demon, no matter how powerful he was.

There is another way to look at this, and that is to first ask why the demon prince of Persia would be trying to stop the message getting through to Daniel. We will see that it was a very important message, especially for us now. But as we will also see, it wasn’t going to have much effect on the kingdom of Persia. If this demon was concerned about his own bailiwick first and foremost, then why was he more or less abandoning his assignment to try to stop the message when it didn’t really concern him?

Could it be rather that he was defending his territory and that the angelic messenger had been sent to first sway decisions at the Persian court? The messenger was initially sent on the mission alone, and it is quite reasonable to assume that it would certainly take a long struggle to influence the king and his counselors to make a favorable decision, especially if he was having to deal with the demon prince at the same time. Decrees of the Persian kings were irreversible, as we read in chapter 6, so a wrong decision could have had dire effects. Perhaps wrestling with the spiritual prince of Persia was the easy part.

So why would God be so interested in influencing a decision by the king of Persia that He sent the angel there? If that decision was to have an effect on the Jews being allowed to return to Judah, it would have a very great effect, because Jesus needed to be born there, in Bethlehem. To fulfill the Scriptures, the Jews needed to be allowed to return and stay in their homeland until Jesus was born. That was indeed what happened, and they weren’t driven out again until 40 years after Jesus’ Ascension. Certainly the Devil and all his demons would have wanted to defeat that plan. But the angel succeeded with help from Michael.

Then when he came to Daniel after that, it was to tell him “mission accomplished” and that he could stop worrying about the matter. Daniel had been fasting and praying for something. He was not fasting and praying in order to get the message that we will study next. The fact that he got the message didn’t seem to be his motivation at all.

The angel says something that perhaps gives weight to the above reasoning. He tells Daniel that he has now come to make Daniel understand what will happen to Daniel’s people in the Latter Days. Does that indicate that the first part of his mission had to do with his people at that time? It seems logical.

In the first verse of the next chapter, the angel tells Daniel that he had stood next to the king in the first year of his reign to confirm him. So the angel certainly was involved with the Persian court. He also says that once he is done telling Daniel the message, he has to go back to contending with the prince of Persia, and that pretty soon he will have to do the same thing with the prince of Greece.

Whatever the reason for the battle in the spirit between the angel and the demon, this chapter clearly shows us that such conflict does occur. And it also shows that fervent and determined prayer is integral to the triumph of the good guys.

09 – Seventy Weeks | Daniel 9 (Part 2)

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

Messiah

12/17/24 [meh SIGH uh] (anointed one) — the one anointed by God and empowered by God’s Spirit to deliver His people and establish His kingdom. In Jewish thought, the Messiah would be the king of the Jews, a political leader who would defeat their enemies and bring in a golden era of peace and prosperity. In Christian thought, the term Messiah refers to Jesus’ role as a spiritual deliverer, setting His people free from sin and death.

The word Messiah comes from a Hebrew term that means “anointed one.” Its Greek counterpart is Christos, from which the word Christ comes. Messiah was one of the titles used by early Christians to describe who Jesus was.

In Old Testament times, part of the ritual of commissioning a person for a special task was to anoint him with oil. The phrase anointed one was applied to a person in such cases. In the Old Testament, Messiah is used more than 30 times to describe kings (2 Samuel 1:14,16), priests (Leviticus 4:3,5,16), the patriarchs (Psalm 105:15), and even the Persian King Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1). The word is also used in connection with King David, who became the model of the messianic king who would come at the end of the age (2 Samuel 22:51; Psalm 2:2). But it was not until the time of Daniel (sixth century BC) that Messiah was used as an actual title of a king who would come in the future (Daniel 9:25–26). Still later, as the Jewish people struggled against their political enemies, the Messiah came to be thought of as a political, military ruler.

From the New Testament we learn more about the people’s expectations. They thought the Messiah would come soon to perform signs (John 7:31) and to deliver His people, after which He would live and rule forever (John 12:34). Some even thought that John the Baptist was the Messiah (John 1:20). Others said that the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem (John 7:42). Most expected the Messiah to be a political leader, a king who would defeat the Romans and provide for the physical needs of the Israelites.

According to the Gospel of John, a woman of Samaria said to Jesus, “I know that Messiah is coming.” Jesus replied, “I who speak to you am He” (John 4:25–26). In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, however, Jesus never directly referred to Himself as the Messiah, except privately to His disciples, until the crucifixion (Matthew 26:63–64; Mark 14:61–62; Luke 22:67–70). He did accept the title and function of messiahship privately (Matthew 16:16-17). Yet Jesus constantly avoided being called “Messiah” in public (Mark 8:29–30). This is known as Jesus’ “messianic secret.” He was the Messiah, but He did not want it known publicly.

The reason for this is that Jesus’ kingdom was not political but spiritual (John 18:36). If Jesus had used the title “Messiah,” people would have thought He was a political king. But Jesus understood that the Messiah, God’s Anointed One, was to be the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13–53:12). The fact that Jesus was a suffering Messiah — a crucified deliverer — was a “stumbling block” to many of the Jews (1 Corinthians 1:23). They saw the cross as a sign of Jesus’ weakness, powerlessness, and failure. They rejected the concept of a crucified Messiah.

But the message of the Early Church centered around the fact that the crucified and risen Jesus is the Christ (Acts 5:42; 17:3; 18:5). They proclaimed the “scandalous” gospel of a crucified Messiah as the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:23–24). John wrote, “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ [the Messiah]?” (1 John 2:22).

By the time of the apostle Paul, “Christ” was in the process of changing from a title to a proper name. The name is found mostly in close association with the name “Jesus,” as in “Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24) or “Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:1). When the Church moved onto Gentile soil, the converts lacked the Jewish background for understanding the title, and it lost much of its significance. Luke wrote, “The disciples were first called Christians [those who belong to and follow the Messiah] in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).

As the Messiah, Jesus is the divinely appointed king who brought God’s kingdom to Earth (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20). His way to victory was not by physical force and violence, but through love, humility, and service.

(Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

09 – Seventy Weeks | Daniel 9 (Part 1)

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12/16/24 The Book of Daniel gets more and more fascinating as it progresses, and you will read in this chapter how Daniel is told of some very specific timing with regard to the sacrificial death of the Messiah and the length of the still-to-come reign of the Antichrist.

But first we are told that Daniel was studying the writings of his contemporary, Jeremiah, regarding the fate of the Jewish people and the duration of their captivity by the Babylonians. This is quite interesting in that this shows that Daniel was acquainted with Jeremiah and understood that he was a prophet, recognition that Jeremiah sadly lacked from the majority of Jews who remained in Judah at the time.

During this tumultuous time in Judah’s history, the Lord had given that nation three major prophets — Daniel, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah.

Daniel, as we know, was taken away captive when Nebuchadnezzar besieged and conquered Jerusalem the first time in 605 BC.

Ezekiel was taken amongst those that Nebuchadnezzar deported to Babylonia (Ezekiel 1:1) from Jerusalem after he besieged and took the city a second time in 597 BC. The Jews had rebelled against the yoke of Babylon, but Nebuchadnezzar made short work of that rebellion. Jehoiachin had inherited the throne after his father Jehoiakim died, but had only reigned for a few short months before this defeat. Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin, his family and attendants, and 10,000 others back with him to Babylonia. And Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah, the last of Josiah’s sons, as king in his nephew’s stead (2Kings 24:10–17).

Jeremiah during all this remained in Judah and prophesied from the time of Josiah, all the way through the reigns of his sons and grandson, and the total destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 587/586 BC. Later, after the Babylonian governor was assassinated, Jeremiah accompanied the Jews who had remained in Judah into their self-exile in Egypt.

It is interesting to note that the Lord mentions Daniel three times in Ezekiel’s prophecies (Ezekiel 14:14,20; 28:3). It seems that Daniel’s probity and wisdom must have been proverbial amongst the Jews of the exile. And Daniel in this chapter is reading Jeremiah.

There are two places in Jeremiah’s writings where the Lord said that the Jews would go into captivity in Babylon for 70 years:

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: … And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Jeremiah 25:1–2,11

For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.

Jeremiah 29:10

This is a very specific and precise prophecy that was fulfilled in two very significant ways: Firstly, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem three times. Fed up with the continuing rebellions, Nebuchadnezzar desolated the city and the temple in 587/586 BC. Secondly, the Jews were indeed in exile in and around Babylon, serving the kings of that land for 70 years. Let’s examine the dates:

Nebuchadnezzar first took captives away from Jerusalem in 605 BC, and it seems this was regarded as the start of the 70 years. Cyrus gave permission for the exiles to return in 538 BC, but that return didn’t occur till 536 BC. In that year, 42,360 Jews returned under Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:7–10; 2:64) — to whom Cyrus had given the temple paraphernalia taken by Nebuchadnezzar — and under Jeshua the priest and Zerubbabel. Seventy prophetic years (see explanation of prophetic years later in this chapter) is equal to 69 solar or calendar years. 605 BC to 536 BC is 69 years.

Daniel, upon reading these scriptures, prays one of the most heartfelt prayers found in the Bible, confessing, and asking the Lord to forgive, both his and his people’s iniquities. And then once again the archangel Gabriel appears to Daniel to give him another revelation. This revelation also concerns the number 70, but this time it has to do with a period of “seventy weeks.”

The revelation predicted among other things the year that Jesus the Messiah would be crucified. Yet it was worded in such a way as to make its fulfillment even more amazing than just stating a given date. It hinged its fulfillment on events, which at the time of Daniel receiving this prophecy (circa 538 BC), had yet to occur.

The word “week” is translated from the Hebrew word transliterated as shabua. Aside from having the meaning of a seven-day week, it also has the literal meanings of “seven” and “unit of seven.”

In Genesis there is found a passage that also uses this word shabua, and it is concerning the patriarch Jacob. He had been working seven years for his uncle, Laban, with the intent of earning the right to marry Laban’s younger daughter Rachel. Laban tricked Jacob by substituting his older daughter Leah in the marriage bed on the night of the wedding. Jacob was incensed, but Laban insisted that it was only proper that the older daughter should marry first, but he agreed that if Jacob fulfilled Rachel’s “week, we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years” (Genesis 29:27).

Here shabua means a period of seven years, and it can be assumed then that “weeks” in the prophecy of Daniel 9 can also be understood to mean “periods of seven years.”

When we add the 7 weeks and the 62 weeks mentioned in Daniel 9:25, we come up with a total of 69 weeks. Then if we multiply 69 times 7, we arrive at a figure of 483 years. God was telling Daniel that 483 years would pass between the time that the command was given to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the death of the Messiah, Jesus.

Keeping this in mind, we must now consider what is regarded as a “year” in ancient terms. Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) wrote: “All nations, before the just length of the solar year was known, reckoned months by the course of the moon, and years by the return of winter and summer, spring and autumn; and in making calendars for their festivals, they reckoned thirty days to a lunar month, and twelve lunar months to a year, taking the nearest round numbers, whence came the division of the ecliptic [path of the sun’s annual rotation] into 360 degrees” (The Coming Prince (1894) by Robert Anderson, page 68). In other words, the year of the ancients consisted of 360 days.

A biblical confirmation of the length of what Bible scholars and commentators sometimes call a “prophetic year” is found in Genesis 7:11,24, and 8:3–4. The time that the biblical deluge in the time of Noah began until the ark came to rest on the top of Mount Ararat is given as 150 days. This period is dated as beginning on the 17th day of the second month of the year and lasting till the 17th day of the 7th month, a period of exactly 5 months. When 150 is divided by 5, we come up with a month being a period of 30 days. If we extrapolate that, then 12 months of 30 days would equal 360 days.

In Revelation 11:2–3, 42 months is equated to 1,260 days. Forty-two months is also equal to three and a half years. If we take the 1,260 days and divide it by 3½, we end up with 360 days in a year.

Next let us look at another biblical hero, Nehemiah. He was the Jewish cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes Longimanus, the fifth king of the Persian Empire. According to Nehemiah’s account in chapter two of his book, it was in the king’s 20th year on the throne that Nehemiah was granted permission to supervise the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem. Dating this event accurately to our present calendar can be done because the Persian Empire kept precise astronomical records.

The 20th year of King Artaxerxes — and thus the year this command was given to restore and build Jerusalem — is fixed with a fair amount of certainty at 445 BC. Several other decrees issued by Artaxerxes and his predecessors had allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple, but this is the one that gave them permission to rebuild the city walls. As you can read in the book of Nehemiah, this feat was completed — in spite of constant and “troublesome” interference from neighboring kingdoms — in just 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15).

Now it is time to do some math. We need to convert 483 prophetic years into solar years. A solar year consists of about 365¼ days.

(483 x 360) ÷ 365¼ = 476 solar years

If we now add 476 years to 445 BC, we arrive at the year 31 AD . However, since the first day of 31 AD would be the end of the 476 years, to fit in with the prophecy Jesus’ death would have had to happen somewhere within the year 30 AD . Most sources state that Jesus was crucified around 30 AD .

In summary, we know that the “going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem … and the wall” was in 445 BC. Daniel predicted that after 69 weeks the “Messiah shall be cut off.” Those 69 weeks translate into 476 years of our solar calendar, which, when added to 445 BC, results in the year 30 AD , the year of Christ’s crucifixion. That exact year being predicted over 500 years previously in the Book of Daniel is a remarkable date to arrive at!

There are indications that the Jews of Jesus’ day were expecting the Messiah to come around that time, as Luke records that “the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not” (Luke 3:15). The Jews were very well acquainted with their prophets’ writings, so it’s likely that their awareness of this prophecy from Daniel was the cause of this expectation.

The fulfillment of the first part of this amazing prophecy inspires faith that the rest of it will be fulfilled just as accurately. For, as you may have noticed, there is one “week” of years unaccounted for. Verse 24 refers to “seventy weeks” in order to “make an end of sins” and “bring in everlasting righteousness.” However, verses 25 and 26, which predict the year of Christ’s death, only account for 69 “weeks.” What and when is this last week? It certainly wasn’t fulfilled seven years after Jesus was crucified and then rose from the dead, since an era of “everlasting righteousness” was not ushered in; nor was the vision and prophecy “sealed up” or completed.

As we will see, the last week starts when the Antichrist confirms the covenant with many for one week. It really is the last week — the last seven years.

In verse 26, the prophecy announces that the forces of a prince who is going to come shall destroy the city, meaning Jerusalem, and the sanctuary or temple. This was fulfilled to an extent by the Romans under the then-future emperor, Titus, who razed Jerusalem and its second temple to the ground again in 70 AD . Both the sack of Jerusalem and the slaughter of its inhabitants are related by the Jewish historian Josephus in his Antiquities.

However, verse 27 precludes Titus being the prince spoken of because it says he confirms, or makes, a covenant for a period of seven years. Titus never made such a deal.

This covenant, which plays a pivotal role in Endtime events, apparently allows the resumption of Jewish temple worship with all its requisite animal sacrifices. We deduce that because when this covenant is broken in the middle of the seven years, the sacrifice and offering is brought to an end. At the writing of this book, there is no temple and hence no temple worship. But, according to this and other prophetic passages in the Bible, one is going to be built. (Read chapter 1, “And He Shall Confirm a Covenant” in The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist for a more thorough treatment of this subject.)

And at the breaking of this covenant, we are told cryptically that on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate. In Daniel chapter 11 we are told about the Abomination of Desolation, which is some sort of idol, being placed in the temple. And the peoples of the world are ordered to worship this thing. It is not going to be your everyday idol, either. We don’t know everything about it, but we will delve into it more in chapter 11. (Read also chapter 4, “The Abomination of Desolation,” in The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist.)

And all this is going to happen until the consummation, the very end, when God’s frightening judgments are poured out on the desolate. (See “The Plagues of the Wrath of God” and “Armageddon,” chapters 10 and 11 in The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist.)

When that is over, the following stipulations in Daniel 9:24 will all surely be fulfilled: “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.”

Jesus died for our sins at the end of the 69th week, and we have thus been recon-ciled. And after the 70th week, the transgression of the Antichrist’s reign in Jerusalem and in the temple will be finished. Everlasting righteousness will be ushered in with the establishment of God’s kingdom on Earth after Jesus’ Second Coming, which takes place at the end of the seventh year of the Antichrist’s reign. The vision and prophecy will be fulfilled and sealed, and Jesus will be anointed King of all the Earth. (See “The 1000-year Reign of Jesus Christ,” chapter 2 of From the End to Eternity.) (To be continued)

08 – The Ram, the Goat, and the Future King | Daniel 8

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12/15/24 Daniel is now about to receive one of the most specific prophetic visions about the future recorded in the Bible. The language of the original text now switches from Aramaic back to Hebrew. Why he chose to write the rest in Hebrew, we don’t know, but it is thought that Daniel was concerned that this and the rest of the book that follows was not for just anyone to read, but rather for his fellow Jews.

It is believed by most conservative scholars of the Book of Daniel — those who believe it was written by him during his lifetime and not by some pseudo-Daniel living centuries later in the time of the Maccabees — that the Book of Daniel wasn’t compiled in its final form until the last few years of Daniel’s life. So perhaps Daniel at that time thought it better not to have some of these prophetic passages easily avail-able for the authorities to read, in case they would be regarded as subversive.

This vision was shown to him in the third year of Belshazzar’s reign, which would place it at around 547 BC. Due to the way he words the first part, we are not sure if he was in Shushan (also called Susa), a city bordering on the Persian lands, or if he was transported there in this vision. He states he was in the fortress attached to the city, and then in the vision he is on the riverbank.

Shushan is about 30 miles west of the modern-day city of Shustar, Iran. The river called Ulai in this passage is most likely the Karūn River, Iran’s only navigable river, which runs by the ruins of the ancient city.

Cyrus the Persian had already defeated the Median King Astyages and had captured his capital of Ecbatana. He was now in the process of conquering Lydia, and by 546 BC that kingdom would be his, and Croesus, its fabled king, his prisoner.

This vision to an extent parallels those in chapters 2 and 7 in which God describes empires that are to come. But what is different about this vision is that in giving Daniel the interpretation, the angel actually names two of the coming empires, something not done previously.

In the first part of the vision Daniel sees a ram with two great horns, with the second horn growing taller than the first. Then the ram pushes west and north and south, and no adversary could stand before him. Later in this chapter we are told that the two horns on the ram are the kings of Media and Persia. As we already know, the Persians came to prominence after the Medes (the second horn growing taller) and this united empire went on to conquer all before them. And indeed, they were to go north and conquer Lydia, west and conquer Babylon, and under Cambyses II, Cyrus’s son, were to go south and conquer Egypt.

But then a one-horned male goat came charging from the west, traveling so fast that his feet didn’t touch the ground. He charged headlong into the ram, broke its two horns, knocked him down, and trampled him.

We are told later in this chapter that this goat was the kingdom of Greece and the large horn its first king. Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia and hegemon of the League of Corinth (the federation of most of the Greek city-states) was to come some 200 years later and within 10 short years conquer Persia and all its lands, gaining more territory in that time than the Persian Empire had in 200 years.

That the battle action in the vision took place at a river is interesting, because, of the three major battles that Alexander fought and won against the Persians, two of them took place in river valleys, and in both of those Alexander’s army charged across the rivers to attack the Persians, who were massed on the other side. These were the battles of the Granicus River in 334 BC and the Battle of Issus in 333 BC.

And just as the horn was broken when the goat became strong, so Alexander died of a fever at the age of 33, at the height of his power and conquest. Then four notable kings and kingdoms arose from Alexander’s fragmented empire, and details of that were covered in the previous chapter. We can see that while the animal is different, the description of Greece is very similar to the leopard in Daniel’s vision recorded in chapter 7.

The vision then jumps to the Endtime, for we are told that the rest of the vision applies not to the latter time of these kingdoms but that it refers to the time of the end. And out of one of those four kingdoms came a little horn, a fierce king, who is destined to rule a great empire in the last days.

It is believed by many scholars of Bible prophecy that the little horn of this vision was Antiochus Epiphanes, the last king of any importance of the Seleucid empire, one of the four kingdoms. That he was in the latter time of the empire could possibly apply — although it was to limp along in an enfeebled state for a hundred years or more after his death — and he did do things in his reign that seem like they fulfilled some of the prophetic events listed in this chapter. But the fact that the vision refers to the “time of the end,” meaning the time shortly before Jesus’ return, makes it impossible for him to be the person spoken about in the rest of this chapter. And later on, we will see that an important comment by Jesus on the predictions of Daniel in chapter 11 clearly place these events as happening after His time on Earth, and therefore long after Antiochus.

Two personages appear in this vision to help Daniel understand what all this means. One is the angel Gabriel, who to Daniel looked like a man. The other is someone who instructs Gabriel to tell Daniel what the vision means. The second personage Daniel doesn’t apparently see, but rather hears His voice coming from the middle of the river. Gabriel is one of God’s archangels, and any voice that tells him what to do must be senior to him. So it is believed by scholars of the Bible that this voice belongs to Jesus.

Between what Daniel saw and what Gabriel explains to him, we are given a lot of information about the little horn, who is understood to be no less a personality than the devil-man of the End, the Antichrist. This “horn” is both a man and a spiritual entity, for he cannot do what he does only being a mortal.

The horn grows out of one of four areas that today correspond to 1) Greece, 2) Turkey, 3) Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Iraq, and Iran, and 4) Egypt. — Just which one at this time, we don’t know. In chapter 7 we saw the corresponding horn come out of the head of what was the Roman Empire, and that encompassed all the lands listed except for Iran and Iraq.

He expands his control to the south, to the east, and to the Glorious Land. The Glorious Land would be a reference to Israel, sacred homeland to Daniel and the Jews who had been exiled from it for 50 or so years.

This horn, or king as he is referred to later in the chapter, grows as high as the host of heaven and casts some of them down to the earth and tramples upon them. Revelation states something similar about Satan: “His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth” (Revelation 12:4). Although this horn is the Antichrist and not Satan, the Antichrist is, in time, totally possessed by Satan.

We are told later that this man is a fierce-looking fellow who is in the know about some very sinister plots and schemes. He has a lot of power, but it is not really his own power. This is echoed in Revelation, where it says that “the dragon [Satan] gave him his power, his throne, and great authority” (Revelation 13:2).

But he prospers in all that he does and he destroys the mighty and also the holy people. We already read in the last chapter that the Antichrist makes war on the saints and prevails, and here that information is given again. Not only are the saints mentioned this time, but also the mighty, which means powerful nations that oppose him. In a later chapter we will explore just who these nations and powers may be that he overcomes and destroys, even in their prosperity.

The Saints and the Holy People

The “saints” and “holy people” are terms used to describe the same people. They are not only the saints of the Catholic Church and other churches that some might imagine. Those saints might be included in this designation, but Daniel is writing of a much broader brotherhood of people. “Saint” comes from the Latin word sanctus, which means holy. “Holy” means something that is dedicated to God. These saints therefore are those that are dedicated to God, or even more broadly, those who are the believers in God. The Israelites of the Old Testament can be regarded as the “Holy People” of those days by virtue of the fact that they were the chosen people. In the New Testament era this now pertains to all those who believe in Jesus, as Paul explained, “he is not a Jew who is one outwardly … but he is a Jew who is one inwardly … in the Spirit.” And “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Romans 2:28–29; Galatians 3:28–29).

The King James translation of this verse says “the mighty and the holy people,” and it could be interpreted that they are one and the same, meaning a reference to God’s children who resist the Antichrist. However, we can deduce from other scriptures in Daniel and Revelation that many will oppose the Antichrist, including not only those who follow God, but others, probably on religious or nationalistic grounds.

We know, however, that at the Second Coming of Jesus when all those who believe on Him will rise to meet Him in the air, there will be multitudes of believers. (See “Jesus’ Second Coming,” chapter 8 in The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist.) The Antichrist’s attempts to destroy all the holy people are obviously far from thorough. Even though there is intense persecution of believers, it has only limited success, as have all persecutions of Christians through the ages.

The next verse in this chapter gives added information as to whom the Antichrist destroys when it says “he shall destroy many in their prosperity” (v.25). So it seems that the holy people referred to here might be more accurately understood as the rich and high-profile churches who have often been targets of godless and anti-religious regimes when they have come to power.

The Antichrist is a cunning devil — in fact, he is possessed by the very Devil. Deceit prospers under his rule, no doubt referring to a lot of political and other chicanery that he and his cohorts engage in.

This king then claims to be as high as the “Prince of the host.” Who is the Prince of Heaven’s host? That has to be Jesus. And this is confirmed by the apostle Paul when he wrote of the Antichrist’s self-exaltation: “The man of sin … the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped … sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4).

“And he takes away the daily sacrifices” (verse 11). In Daniel’s time the Jewish temple had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and Jerusalem was a wasteland. There were no daily sacrifices going on, because they could only be done in the temple and nothing was left of that sanctuary. The sanctuary can refer to both the whole Jewish temple and also the central and most sacred part of the Jewish temple, called the Holy of Holies. In later prophetic messages Daniel was told again about these specific happenings. In some ways this news must have encouraged Daniel, because by deduction it meant that there was going to be a rebuilt temple and temple services were going to be revived. And the only place the Jews could rebuild the temple was on the summit of Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, on the exact spot it had been located before.

Then Daniel overhears two “holy ones” speaking, and one asks the other how long it will be until the sanctuary is cleansed, which we can understand as being cleaned from something that is defiling it. And we find that there is a big and terrible thing that is defiling it in the next chapter. And the other tells him that it is going to be 2,300 days. Keep that number in mind because, in chapter 12, we are going to see how it may fit into our Endtime timeline.

But as the Antichrist rises against the Prince of princes, Jesus, he is broken. At the Battle of Armageddon he and his forces are utterly trounced and destroyed, not by the human armies, but by a heavenly force that is superhuman. That is the happy ending, or should I say, the beginning of the happy ending that we all have to look forward to.

Dear Daniel was so worn out getting this revelation that he fainted again and was sick for days. He apparently sounded out a few others about what he had experienced, but no one understood it because it was for many days in the future. But that future is now here and God wants us to understand what it is about.

07 – The Beasts from the Sea | Daniel 7

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12/14/24 We now move to the portion of Daniel’s book that primarily consists of visions and revelations. As previously mentioned, the first six chapters are mostly a historical narrative.

Daniel dates the remarkable revelation he documents in this chapter a few years before the events of chapters 5 and 6. Belshazzar is only in his first year as coregent of Babylon, which the Encyclopedia Britannica dates as circa 550 BC. Daniel, if he had been in his middle to late teens in the year 605 BC — when he was taken to Babylon as a captive — would now be in his 70s.

In chapter 8 — describing an event that happened in the third year of Belshazzar’s reign — Daniel is still in royal service, but not in Babylon. He is in Shushan, also called Susa, which is at the eastern edge of the Babylonian Empire. This city had once been the capital of the powerful Elamite kingdom, but had been sacked and leveled by the Assyrians. It was somewhat rebuilt by Daniel’s time and would eventually become the capital of the Persian Empire under Cyrus’s son Cambyses II.

Cyrus had started his rise to power as king of Anshan, which had been for centuries the second city of the Elamite kingdom until taken over by the Persians. It is intriguing to speculate that Daniel and Cyrus may have become acquainted with each other during Daniel’s stay in Shushan, since it was so close to Persia and was a likely location for any diplomatic activity between Persia and Babylon.

Daniel had been one of the most senior notables in the Babylonian court during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, and yet Belshazzar apparently didn’t even know who he was in chapter 5. Perhaps Daniel had been living in Shushan for some time, though he was in Babylon the night Belshazzar was killed as per chapter 5. If so, Daniel may have had the dream described in this chapter 7 while residing in Shushan.

Daniel dreams of four great beasts that form as a result of the winds stirring up the Great Sea. The Great Sea is thought to represent the Mediterranean, which implies that these four beasts are in that general area. But the Great Sea also has a further significance in that it represents the peoples of the world (Revelation 17:15).

Daniel asks a person in his dream what these beasts represent, and he is told that they are four kings, which can also be understood to mean kingdoms.

While God through this heavenly person did not reveal to Daniel the names of these empires (or perhaps, Daniel just did not write them down), Daniel described them in such terms that — as we look at history — it’s easy to see the similarities between the descriptions and the empires that followed. We also have a template to follow with regards to understanding this dream, because it parallels to a large extent the dream that Daniel had interpreted for King Nebuchadnezzar about 50 years before (Daniel 2).

The first of the four beasts was a lion with eagle’s wings. The wings were plucked off, and it stood on its feet and was given a man’s heart. In Daniel chapter 2, the first empire described was Babylon, stated specifically so by Daniel himself. Since Daniel was living in the Babylonian Empire, it would stand to reason that the first beast revealed was likewise Babylon. And as we examine this beast, the connections are apparent. This beast seems to more specifically signify Nebuchadnezzar, who had been a mighty lion-like conqueror but had been abased during his time of madness, and in the end seems to have become a much more humble person (therefore the reference to a “man’s heart”) as evidenced in Daniel chapter 4.

Sculptures of lamassu — winged lions and bulls with human heads — were common in Mesopotamia, of which Babylon was the current master.

The second beast was a bear and corresponds to the silver arms and torso of Daniel 2. Bears are some of nature’s strongest and largest predators. This represents the empire of the federation of the Persians and Medes. The bear was lifted up on one side to indicate the dominance of the Persians. The Persian Empire was to grow into the largest empire known in the Middle East up to that time. It also fielded massive armies and conquered by force of numbers.

The three ribs in its mouth are said to indicate three kingdoms that Persia either conquered or whose territories it inherited. Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire, conquered the territory that had previously been ruled by three main empires — Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon — that preceded Persia and had included the lands of Israel and/or Judah as parts of their realms. Another interpretation is that the ribs represented the three main kingdoms he conquered: first Media, second Lydia, and third Babylon.

And the third beast was like a leopard with four wings and four heads. This represents the empire of Alexander the Great and is equivalent to the belly and thighs of bronze in the image of chapter 2. The four wings are understood to represent the swiftness of his conquests, since he swept through Asia Minor, Persia, and to the borders of India in only ten years. The four heads indicate that it wouldn’t remain a single empire for long, as each head pulled its own way to the four corners of the empire. And so it was fulfilled that after Alexander’s death the empire quickly fragmented into separate kingdoms led by either his generals or close advisers, collectively called the Diadochi.

After his death, Alexander’s empire was at first divided into 24 areas. All were nom-inally part of Alexander’s empire, and each paid lip service to a regent who ruled in the name of Alexander’s still unborn son. However, these soon fell into warring amongst themselves. Some parts in the far-eastern reaches of the empire quickly became independent.

Others became large independent kingdoms that expanded at the expense of their neighbors. There were four Wars of the Diadochi that are very confusing to follow, as alliances were continually formed and broken. At one point the map of the former empire crystallized into four major divisions, and these could well have been what the four heads of the leopard represent. These were Macedonia and Greece; the realms of Lysimachus, who ruled Thrace and the western half of Anatolia (now Turkey); the Seleucid empire that covered modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran; and Ptolemaic Egypt. The lands we now know as Palestine and Israel alternated between being ruled by the Ptolemies and the Seleucids, and also had times of independence from both. These four kingdoms assume great importance in the next chapter.

And this brings us to the fourth beast — a dreadful, terrible, strong monster with huge iron teeth and bronze nails that apparently didn’t resemble anything Daniel had seen before, because he couldn’t find the words to liken it to anything.

This represented Rome, the legs of iron in Daniel chapter 2, which for centuries rolled over nearly all of its enemies and ruled the Mediterranean world with an iron fist. One thing that was different about the Roman Empire was that from its founding it suffered almost as many defeats in battle as victories. But after each defeat it regrouped and inexorably began its expansion again. It also was much larger in area and lasted much longer than the previous empires represented by the other beasts in this vision.

And on the fourth beast’s head were ten horns. If you remember, the image in Daniel 2 had ten toes. It is understood that the ten horns and ten toes represent the same ten kingdoms. Ten horns are also found on the final head of a horrible seven-headed beast described in the book of Revelation (chapter 17). There we are told that these ten are ten kings who receive their power from the Antichrist. So if these are the same ten kingdoms, which it seems they are, then these ten horns on this dreadful fourth beast are ten kings or kingdoms that are very closely related to the Antichrist empire in the Endtime. And just like the ten toes in Daniel 2, these ten horns are ten kingdoms that have their roots in the old Roman Empire.

Much of modern-day Europe was once part of the Roman Empire, and therefore there is a case to be made from chapters 2 and 7 of Daniel that these ten kings and kingdoms are Europe based. That would mean that certain European nations form a very important part of the Antichrist’s empire. At least we know that nations which were once part of the Roman Empire will unite with the Antichrist as explained in Revelation chapter 17.

But then an eleventh horn, at first smaller than the others, appears and then grows greater than them all. In this new horn are found the eyes of a man, and he speaks pompous words. Rab-rab, the Aramaic word translated as “pompous” in the New King James Bible, is a doubling of the word rab, meaning captain or leader. Two other meanings of rab-rab are “great” and “domineering.”

In the book of Revelation we are told: “[The Antichrist] was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. … Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven” (Revelation 13:5–6).

The little horn that became greater than his fellows — and can really signify no other personage than the coming Antichrist — pulls out three of the other ten horns by the roots. It sounds violent.

The leaders of these three kingdoms most likely oppose the Antichrist, and for that they are uprooted from power. The beast in Revelation, however, has all ten horns as the final events of the Endtime unfold, so it follows that the three that are uprooted must be replaced with leaders who are allied to the Antichrist.

While Daniel was watching the beasts he sees a throne room, and then God, the Ancient of Days, is seated on the throne, surrounded by multitudes of attendants. God is dressed in dazzling white robes and His hair is also pure white. This is one of the few descriptions of God in the entire Bible.

Ezekiel wrote that he twice saw God on His throne, and this description in Daniel parallels those in many ways. Ezekiel and Daniel were contemporaries and both lived in Babylonia as exiles.

And if you multiply 10,000 by 10,000, as Daniel described the multitude before God in verse 10, you get 100 million. So there was quite a crowd in this throne room!

And then in the clouds comes the Son of Man. We know this is Jesus because He referred to Himself as the “Son of Man” on numerous occasions in the Gospels (in Matthew 8:20; 16:13; Mark 14:62; Luke 9:26; John 13:31 and about 80 more times). The Jews were well versed in their Scriptures, and Jesus at that time was deliberately letting it be known to those listening to Him that He was the Son of Man of the Book of Daniel. Just as He appears in the clouds in this vision, He will also appear in the clouds at His return at His second coming (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30).

But then as Daniel focuses back on the eleventh horn, to his horror the Antichrist persecutes and makes war against the saints, the people of God, for “a time and times, and half a time.”

We are also told of this war and persecution in Revelation. “[The Antichrist] was given authority to continue for forty-two months. … It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Revelation 13:5,7). Forty-two months is equal to three and a half years, and so “a time and times and half a time” can be understood as three and a half years.

The length of this period is repeated a number of times throughout the Scriptures, and it covers the time known to us as the Great Tribulation, the second half of the Antichrist’s reign that immediately precedes Jesus’ second coming. It is not a pleasant time on Earth. In a later message given by an angel to Daniel it is described as “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time” (Daniel 12:1). A thorough account of what we know about this time is covered in “The Great Tribulation,” chapter 6 of The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist.

The Antichrist not only makes war, but it looks to Daniel as though he is winning the war, prevailing against God’s people. And in the process he intends to change times and laws. Changing laws is straightforward to understand. Dictators have always brought in new laws to reinforce their rule or to oppress their opponents, but what is meant by “changing times” is unclear at this point. The important thing to note is that he is stopped when God judges in favor of the saints. It might seem for a time that the Antichrist is unstoppable as he rages across the world’s stage, but that is only an illusion. God has him in His sights and will only allow him to go so far. The world has seen tyrants before, but admittedly not one as monstrous as this. But like all that have gone before him, he shall meet his doom. King David put it nicely when he wrote:

The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming. …
Wait on the Lord,
And keep His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
I have seen the wicked in great power,
And spreading himself like a native green tree.
Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

Psalm 37:12–13, 34–36

Then the Antichrist is thrown into a fire. Revelation also talks about the Antichrist being thrown into the Lake of Fire when he becomes the big loser at the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:20).

After that the Son of Man was given dominion and glory, and the kingdom, and all on the Earth will serve Him. And not only does Jesus receive the kingdom, but the saints possess it too. (For more on this period of time after the defeat of the Antichrist, read From the End to Eternity.)

Although Daniel tells us that watching this whole ordeal troubled him to the point where he felt and looked very much the worse for it, we can read it and rejoice that the final victory is ours. There will be some very rough and trying times ahead, and for all intents and purposes it may look like we are losing the war much of the time, but in the end we will be victorious!

06 – The Lion’s Den | Daniel 6

 Daniel the Prophet

 Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12-13-24 Before we look at the events in chapter six of Daniel, we will examine the issue of who is Darius the Mede that is spoken of in the last verse of Daniel, chapter 5. Darius (pronounced da-rye-us) is further identified in Daniel 9:1 as “Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans.” There are no extra-biblical records of anyone by that name being king of Babylon during the specific time frame.

There were several kings named Darius who ruled the Persian Empire after Cyrus, but the first of these, Darius the Great, only became king seven years after Cyrus’s death. Daniel states at the beginning of Daniel 10 that the revelation he would write about in the next three chapters was given in the third year of Cyrus’s reign; and then at the beginning of Daniel 11, the angel who brings the message states that the first year of Darius the Mede’s reign was previous to this revelation. So the famous Darius the Great could not be the Darius of this passage.

As mentioned in our last chapter, a person by the name of Ugbaru led the Persian troops into Babylon. Secular records also talk about a Gubaru as being governor of Babylon four years after the conquest. For some time it was thought Ugbaru and Gubaru were the same person, but now it is known they were not, as more recently unearthed records show that Ugbaru died three weeks after the capture of Babylon.

It is possible that Gubaru the governor was the biblical Darius the Mede. It wasn’t uncommon for rulers of part of an empire to also be referred to as kings, and the overall ruler of the empire to be called king of kings. So this Darius, even though he might not have been king over the whole empire, could have still been referred to as king of Babylon.

Some scholars have suggested that “Darius,” rather than being a name, was quite possibly a title or a throne name assumed when he became king. Translated from Aramaic, it means “he who holds the scepter.”

Gubaru, according to Babylonian and Persian records, made laws for the area of Babylon and did other things that were normally only the prerogative of kings.

Another theory is that Darius the Mede was actually Cyrus. This gains weight from another possible translation of the Aramaic in the last verse in Daniel 6. And that is, “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, even in the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (Daniel 6:28).

Although on his paternal side Cyrus was Persian, on his mother’s side he was a direct descendant of the Median kings. If Darius was a title rather than a name, it could have been used to signify Cyrus. Daniel appears to have been on good terms with both Cyrus and the Darius featured in this chapter, a fact that could be explained quite nicely if they were the same person.

Daniel could also have written of Cyrus being a Mede to show that the prophecies in Isaiah and Jeremiah (written circa 721 BC and 595 BC) about the Medes conquering Babylon were fulfilled. “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them. … And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” (Isaiah 13:17,19). “The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, because it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance for His temple” (Jeremiah 51:11).

The last verse of chapter 5 says Darius the Mede was about 62 when he became ruler of Babylon. Secular records show that Cyrus was around 70 when he was killed in battle, and that he had reigned for nine years after the capture of Babylon. So that would put Darius in the right age range to be Cyrus.

It is also an interesting point in this chapter that the law is referred to as being the law of the Medes and the Persians and not the Persians and the Medes, as it is referred to in the Bible’s book of Esther, which covers events 100 years later in the Persian Empire. The Persians had previously been vassals of the Medes, and perhaps at this stage the Medes were still culturally more dominant. This could be another reason that Daniel refers to the king as a Mede.

However, it seems that unless further evidence turns up, we are not going to be able to pin down exactly whom Darius the Mede was or why Daniel referred to him by this name or title. Yet one thing has been proven time and time again, and that is that the Bible is accurate with regard to history. Skeptics over the centuries have charged it with fabrications, but objection after objection has with time been proven unfounded.

Now let us look at the events of this chapter. Darius sets up a number of officials to run Babylon, with Daniel being chosen as one of the most senior. This is again testament to Daniel’s wisdom. Then Darius leans to the advice of his counselors (presumably, Daniel was absent at this point) and makes a law that whoever petitions any god or man, except the king, for 30 days, shall be cast into the den of lions. His counselors had arranged this because they wanted Daniel out of the job. They knew he had made it a lifetime habit to pray three times a day facing towards his homeland, and would be caught and thus condemned.

And sure enough, they caught him, and to the deep regret of the king, Daniel was condemned. In Median/Persian law, once a decree was signed by the king, not even the king could revoke it.

Now if this was Cyrus, one must wonder how one of the wisest and most religiously tolerant kings of antiquity could make such a seemingly stupid law. One answer could be that after conquering Babylon, the king was left with the legacy resulting from Nabonidus bringing all the idols from the surrounding towns and villages into Babylon. The new king was stuck with getting them back where they belonged.

The king would have been concerned that he kept the populace of this newly conquered land happy, since they had welcomed the conquerors as liberators and the restorers of religious tradition. As king of Babylon, he had also inherited a central role in Babylon’s polytheistic religion, that of being an intercessor between the people and the gods.

So perhaps the whole idea of his decree that had been sold to him by his advisers was to keep a lid on the religious situation, while the idols were taken back with all due gravity to their respective towns. If certain ceremonies and festivals were missed, the people would not incur the wrath of the gods because they were obeying a religious decree that superseded the traditional. It is an interesting possibility.

Remember also that it was done at the behest of his counselors, whom Darius would have relied on to give him good advice. But even when he saw through their scheming when they accused Daniel to him, he was still saddled with having to order Daniel to be cast into the lions’ den.

So Daniel, now in his eighties — not the young man portrayed in many paintings of this scene — spent the night with the lions. But he was apparently not alone, because an angel kept the lions’ mouths shut. One can just imagine a bunch of hungry but frustrated lions that couldn’t open their mouths to eat the dinner that was so close to them.

Trial by ordeal is an ancient custom, being found in such places as the Code of Hammurabi, which were the laws of the land in Babylonia over 1,000 years before Daniel’s time. So to come through an execution unscathed most likely had enough legal precedent for the king to then claim that he had fulfilled the law, that the accused had been found innocent by divine intervention, and thus he could let Daniel go free.

But such leniency was not to be shown to Daniel’s accusers, who — along with their families — were thrown into the den. They all met their fate in the way they had planned Daniel would meet his. It is often the case that the enemies of God’s people face poetic justice as they meet the fate they plan for others.

And this chapter ends with another heathen king from another empire writing to all those in his dominions to attest to the greatness of Daniel’s living God.

05 – The Handwriting on the Wall | Daniel 5

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12-12-24 The events in this chapter occur on the last night of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, during a great feast that Belshazzar was hosting in his palace.

One of the greatest conquerors and rulers of antiquity was on the move. Cyrus — who would become known as Cyrus the Great — had united the Persians and the Medes under his rule. His father was Cambyses the Elder, the king of Anshan, and his mother Mandane, daughter of the king of Media.

At his father’s death, he ascended the throne of Anshan and somehow soon superseded his cousin Arsames as king of the Persians. But he was still a vassal king to his grandfather Astyages, the king of Media. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, who lived about 100 years after these events, Astyages was a cruel tyrant, and Cyrus and the Persians rose in revolt against him. During a crucial battle, many disaffected Medes went over to Cyrus, and by 550 BC, he had captured Astyages’s capital of Ecbatana.

The Persians and Medes were now in complete confederation. Cyrus went by the title King of the Persians, although it seems that Nabonidus referred to him as King of the Medes. He faced dangerous enemies. Croesus of Lydia, Nabonidus of Babylon, and Amasis of Egypt were intent on uniting their armies against him.

But Cyrus struck first. He moved north and attacked Lydia, conquered its capital of Sardis, and took King Croesus prisoner. Cyrus next moved south to meet Nabonidus, who with his Babylonian armies were moving north to give battle. In June 539 BC, near Opis (which is close to modern-day Baghdad) the Persians thoroughly routed the Babylonians, and Nabonidus fled.

Perhaps the night that he partied, Belshazzar had no idea that the armies of Babylon had been routed and the Persians were nearly at the gates of his city.

Either that, or he was thoroughly satisfied that mighty Babylon could withstand the siege of the Persians, because he seemed totally unconcerned about any impending attack. It was party time, and he was feasting with a thousand of his lords, along with his wives and concubines. He even thought it great fun to drink from the sacred vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had pillaged years before from the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

But then he saw a mysterious hand appear that scrawled the now-famous handwriting on the wall. Belshazzar was terrified at what he witnessed, and he called on all the wise men of Babylon to interpret what was written. But none of them could decipher it, even with the reward of being named number-three-man in the empire.

Then the queen arrives on the scene after hearing of the commotion. She was likely the wife of his father Nabonidus, since it was stated previously that Belshazzar’s wives were already at the banquet. And she is old enough to remember that Daniel, who would by then be in his seventies or eighties, had been pretty good at figuring out this sort of thing.

So Daniel was urgently summoned and brought before the king to interpret the writing, and offered the third place in the kingdom if he could do so. Daniel tells the king he isn’t interested in any rewards or promotions, but that he will interpret the writings. But first he gives Belshazzar a good stiff lecture. “You have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.”

Then Daniel reads the words to him. “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”

Why couldn’t the other wise men have read something so straightforward? It is recorded in Aramaic in Daniel’s book, so presumably it was written on the wall in Aramaic. Aramaic was the language of the Babylonian court and populace, so why would it have been such a puzzle?

We don’t really know for sure, but here is one theory: Aramaic was written right to left with the same letters that ancient Hebrew was. It was a written language without vowels and no space between words. Context, therefore, had a lot to do with understanding what written words meant. If there had been a long passage, it would have been easier to figure it out, but here was only a string of letters, the rough equivalent of “MNMNTKLPHRSN” in Roman characters. This combination of con-sonants could have meant a number of things.

Further to this, for those who knew their Aramaic, as even Belshazzar did, even if they did get the right words, the actual phrase written was more or less nonsense. Basically it said, “Numbered, numbered, weighed, divided.” It sounded more like rough notes scribbled by some merchant on the margin of his accounts than anything of great significance.

The challenge facing Daniel was to find out not only what the words were, but also give them meaning. While others could have read the words, only God, as the author, could have revealed their meaning.

“MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Mene repeated twice meant numbered and finished numbering it. Tekel meant weighed, and in a clever change of vowel sounds also means found to be too light. Upharsin meant it was now divided or split.

This time as Daniel interprets the writing, he reads the last word in the singular tense of the verb, thus rendering upharsin as peres. By switching in a few alternate vowels between the Aramaic consonants, it now spelled “Persians.” Daniel was telling Belshazzar that God had taken his realm from him and given it to the Persians.

As he had promised, Belshazzar went ahead and clothed Daniel in the royal purple and draped the gold chain around his neck and proclaimed him third ruler in the king-dom. Whether he believed Daniel or not, we don’t know. But we do know that he soon discovered the truth. That very night the Persians entered Babylon … and Belshazzar was slain.

According to the Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon, the Persians diverted the water from the Euphrates that flowed through the city, and they then entered the city under the walls along the riverbed. Babylonian and Persian chronicles say that the Babylonians themselves, and specifically the priests, opened the gates to the Persians and welcomed them as liberators from the tyranny of the Chaldean dynasty. A translation of an inscription attributed to Cyrus the Great states that on the 16th day of Tashritu (equivalent to the 11th of October), 539 BC, Ugbaru the governor of Gutium (an area north of Babylon, possibly the area now known as Kurdistan), entered Babylon at the head of the Persian army, without a battle.

Why would the priests of Babylon have turned against the dynasty? Apparently Nabonidus had angered the priests of many of the various gods worshiped in the region because he brought the idols from the surrounding towns into Babylon in order to ensure greater divine protection for that city from the enemy. However, by doing that, he infuriated the people from the towns that had been stripped of their “protection.” In addition to this, the Persians had gained a reputation for religious tolerance and even participation in the religious rituals of those they had conquered. So perhaps the priests of these gods figured that their best interests looked to be with the Persians.

Or, with news of his father’s defeat by the Persians in the north, the priests could have figured Belshazzar was done for, and they wanted to back the winner and hopefully ensure that they continued in their positions.

On the 29th day of October that year, 18 days after Babylon fell to the Persians, Cyrus entered the city and was proclaimed king of Babylon.

Who’s His Father?

In the text of this chapter, Nebuchadnezzar is referred to both by Daniel and the queen as Belshazzar’s “father.” Obviously, Nabonidus was his actual father, so why was he referred to in this way?

It was quite possibly Babylonian idiom to term a predecessor as father. There is precedent for the usage of “father” in this way. On the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III, an Assyrian king, it refers to King Jehu of Israel who was no relation to the previous king, Omri, as “the son of Omri.” Assyrian and Babylonian usage is similar.

It is also quite possible, to legitimize his reign, that Nabonidus married a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, thus making Belshazzar Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson. The same word is used for “father” and “grandfather” in Babylonian Aramaic (also called Biblical Aramaic).

There also used to be controversy as to why Belshazzar was called king in this chapter. Obviously his father Nabonidus was king, so that would only make Belshazzar crown prince. But it was often the custom of kings in antiquity to raise their sons to the rank of co-monarch to both train them on the job and to ensure a smooth succession. A clay tablet found at the site of Ur has an inscription attributed to Nabonidus that contains a prayer for himself followed by a second prayer for his firstborn son Belshazzar. The type of prayer in question was customarily offered only for the reigning monarch. Other cuneiform documents state that Belshazzar presented sheep and oxen at temples in Sippar as “an offering of the king.”

The Greek historian Xenophon also describes the last king of Babylon as “a riotous, indulgent, cruel, and godless young man” who was killed on the night Babylon was taken. Obviously Nabonidus was not a young man, and records show that he was not killed but captured and then sent into exile. By the time of Herodotus and Xenophon, the name of Belshazzar had been lost and critics of Daniel used to claim he was fictional. Archeological discoveries over the last hundred years, however, have turned up his name and position in Babylonian records. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that Belshazzar was coregent with Nabonidus from 550 BC.

It is also noteworthy that Belshazzar only offered Daniel third place in the kingdom. This indicates that first and second places were unavailable, most likely because they were occupied by Nabonidus and Belshazzar.

04 – The Madness of the King | Daniel 4

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12-11-24 Chapter 4 is astonishing, not only for its content, but also for its authorship. It is a first-person account, and from the first verse it is clear that the person relating the events is none other than Nebuchadnezzar himself.

He begins with the description of another dream he had, which again required Daniel’s interpretation. This time, however, Daniel is reluctant to tell the king its meaning, and wishes it was about the king’s enemies and not the king.

The king dreamt of a tree that spread its branches so high and wide that all the peoples of the world could dwell under it. Yet in its prime, an angel commanded that the tree should be cut down so that only the stump remained in the earth. The dream foretells that the king would go insane, be driven from the presence of men, and would act and look like a beast of the field for seven “times,” meaning either seven years or seasons.

Daniel begs the king to repent of his sins and thus possibly escape this fate. Perhaps the king did repent at first, but twelve months later, as he was walking through his palace, he began to brag about all that he had accomplished, all the great buildings he had built, and how he had beautified Babylon. It seems indicative of the main sin that Daniel was referring to, that the king’s insanity came about not while he was actually busy with the construction of Babylon, but rather when he was pompously congratulating himself for his accomplishments. He was extremely proud, claiming he had done it all himself, and he failed to acknowledge the true God Who had allowed him to flourish.

In the same hour that the boast left his lips, Nebuchadnezzar, the great king, turned into a madman. For seven “times,” just as the prophet had interpreted, he ate grass in the field like an ox. Covered in dew, eventually his hair grew long and matted until it looked like birds’ feathers, and the nails on his fingers and toes looked like talons. “Boanthropy” is the clinical term for this mental disorder.

Even though it seems that those who had been his counselors and confidants abandoned him during that time, his kingdom remained secure. When at the end of his “sentence” his mind was restored, he glorified God. And here comes the moral of this story, the great lesson learned by the now humble and humbled king: “I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.”

Just when in Nebuchadnezzar’s 43-year reign this incident occurred is not known. In his later years he concentrated on the many building projects of Babylon. Perhaps the fact that this abasement occurred as he was patting himself on the back for all the beautiful buildings and other construction in Babylon would indicate that it happened after his final campaigns against Tyre and Egypt, sometime between 572 BC and his death in 562 BC. There is also a notable absence in Babylonian annals of any act or decree by Nebuchadnezzar during the years 582–575 BC, so that is another probable timeframe for his madness to have occurred.

Why he was not deposed during that time is also unclear. It could be because madness was looked upon differently in those days. In antiquity, epilepsy was known as the “sacred disease,” and notable rulers such as Julius Caesar and, by some accounts, Alexander the Great suffered from it. Far from being a curse, it was believed to be a sign that someone had been touched by the gods. Oracles, the heathen equivalent of prophets, often fell into fits of madness as they gave their prophetic utterances. So even though Nebuchadnezzar’s madness would have been evident, perhaps those who could have gained power through mounting a coup were afraid of getting on the wrong side of the gods if they did so. Furthermore, Daniel was evidently in a place of high standing in the kingdom, and he may have stood in the way of any rebellion, considering that he knew God had indicated that Nebuchadnezzar would eventually regain his sanity and that the kingdom would be restored to him.

Babylonian nobility, including those of the royal family, were certainly capable of duplicity, scheming, and rebellion, as is seen in the events following Nebuchadnezzar’s death. Amal-Marduk, known in the Bible as Evil-merodach, succeeded his father, Nebuchadnezzar, who died in 562 BC. He apparently reversed some of his father’s policies, as is evidenced by the fact that he freed the king of Judah, Jehoiachin, from 37 years of captivity and placed him in a position of honor and comfort in his court.

Amal-Marduk was only to hold the reins of government for two years before he was deposed and killed by his brother-in-law, Nergal-sharezer, who in turn died after only four years. His young son, Labashi-Marduk, reigned in his stead for only months before being deposed and killed by Nabonidus, a usurper with no known relationship to the ruling dynasty. For a usurper who had risen to power through violence and conspiracy, Nabonidus showed an unusual disdain for the power he had coveted. He left Babylon after some years and settled in the oasis town of Tayma, in Arabia. He there indulged his passion of the study of ancient Babylonia and its gods and temples, leaving his dissolute and apparently incompetent son Belshazzar as his co-regent in Babylon.

And so the scene is set for the next chapter.

03 – Three Who Wouldn’t Burn | Daniel 3

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12-10-24 In Daniel chapter 3 the author of the book plays no part. Instead, his three companions take center stage.

After having his dream interpreted, it is plausible that the egotistical king became carried away with his self-importance, because on the plains of Dura outside the walls of Babylon, he erected a golden image approximately 27 meters high and 3 meters wide. (About 90 feet high and 9 feet wide.) Perhaps it was in the likeness of the image he saw in his dream; only this image is all gold — or more likely covered in gold leaf, since it would seem improbable for a statue nine stories tall to be solid gold.

It has been conjectured that it was a statue of the king. Others believe it was of the supreme Babylonian god Marduk, or the god Nebo, the Babylonian god of “wisdom,” after whom Nebuchadnezzar was named. Or it might even have been like the image he saw in his dream. In any case, Nebuchadnezzar decreed that all the officials and people of his kingdom fall down and worship it when they heard music — or face the music if they did not!

For a very strange punishment was announced for those who failed to obey: They would be burned alive in a fiery furnace. This would seem to be a rather extravagant form of execution. In the previous chapter, when Nebuchadnezzar ordered that the wise men be put to death, it doesn’t say that the executions were to be carried out in this manner. It seems this was an especially contrived, painful and fearful means of execution. Undoubtedly the horribleness of being burned to death was meant to enforce compliance. It could also have had eternal consequences in the minds of those faced with this kind of death, as their remains would not be able to be gathered for the correct type of burial and that could seriously jeopardize their happiness in the afterlife.

Babylon had just established itself as an empire, and perhaps this ceremony was intended to ensure the loyalty of all the officials, many of whom, like Daniel and his friends, were recruited from the conquered lands. Bowing down to this image could possibly have been a way to make sure that all the officials of the empire acknowledged the lordship and supremacy of Babylon and its patron gods.

Nevertheless, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused to bow, sticking to their religious convictions. This act of defiance was not a rejection of the king’s authority over them. They were probably used to bowing low in the presence of Nebuchadnezzar. But to bow to an idol was not something they would do. Jews were forbidden by the Laws of Moses to bow to any statue, whether it be of a man or a god.

And some of the Chaldeans were watching. It makes one wonder how much falling to the ground in front of the image they were doing if they took time to see that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego weren’t. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were in charge of the affairs of the province of Babylon, and they most certainly had gained some envious enemies due to their quick elevation to such important positions.

Whatever gratitude that the wise men of the Chaldeans may have had to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego for saving their skins in the previous chapter had obviously evaporated by now, and so they reported the noncompliance of the three men to the king. Nebuchadnezzar was furious and demanded that the trio be brought before him. He then questioned them as to the truth of the accusations and reminded them of the punishment.

Obviously they saw that there was no way around the matter and the king was quite determined to have his decree upheld, so they took the bold approach. They told him that since there were obviously lots of witnesses to what they had done — or rather had not done — there was no need to confirm or deny it to the king.

Then comes one of the most ringing statements of faith in God’s power and protection in the whole Bible: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image.” They had total faith that it was within God’s power to protect them; but even if He chose not to in this case, they still were not going to compromise and worship the idol. (The fact that they said they would not serve the Babylonian gods adds weight to the theory that it was an idol of one of the gods and not a statue of the king.)

This insubordination sent Nebuchadnezzar over the edge. He had been angry before, but now it seems his rage turned to hate. The three whom he had promoted so quickly were defying him — and publicly, no less!

The furnace was ordered to be heated “seven times hotter,” probably a figure of speech to indicate that the furnace should be heated as hot as they could make it.

It is presumed that the furnace was a kiln for the firing of ceramic tiles, of the type that adorned the façades of various monuments in Babylon like the famous Ishtar Gate. Unbaked tiles were covered with sand and minerals and superheated in these kilns, until the sand turned to glaze.

But this time the furnace was going to be hotter than even the glazing required. Normally, the tiles would be placed in the furnace, the doors bricked up, and then the heat applied. Getting something into the furnace after it was fired was a challenge. There would have been only one way to get Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego into the furnace after it had been heated, and that was to throw them in from the opening at the top.

And from the passage, it sounds like this is what they did. Mighty men of valor were chosen from the army to bind the condemned, who were then carried fully clothed and thrown in. And we are told that the heat was so intense that it killed their executioners, who had to get close to the opening themselves in order to throw their victims in.

In such furnaces, there were small openings in the side for the workers to look in to see if the sand on the tiles had melted. And so it seems Nebuchadnezzar was able to see the action inside the furnace through one of these.

And there he spied not just three men but four. They were walking around, no longer bound and seemingly impervious to the flames, and the fourth, Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, looked like the son of God — perhaps an angel, or, as many believe, Jesus Himself. And not just the king, but those with him, also saw the fourth person.

The king went as close as he could get to the mouth of the furnace and called out to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, whom he now called servants of the Most High God, to come out. And so they did. And everyone there witnessed that not a hair on their heads was singed, and there was not even the trace of fire or smell of smoke on their clothes.

One can only wonder at the fear that fell on those who had ratted on the three to the king, especially after Nebuchadnezzar decreed that anyone saying anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego would, from then on, be cut to pieces.

As for Nebuchadnezzar, he had more to go through before he finally realized that the God of Israel was the one and only true God.

Where was Daniel during this event? The chapter is silent on this, and so it can only be conjectured where he might have been. Perhaps he was away on a mission for the king. In an odd way his absence from the action supports the claim that Daniel was the author of the book. Critics have claimed that the book is not authentic and that it was written centuries after the time of the Babylonian Empire, during Judah’s struggles with the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes. It would seem strange, if this was the case, that the author would not have placed the main protagonist of the book at the center of the action. The fact that Daniel is absent lends credence to the belief that the book is the genuine article rather than a fictional forgery.

Greeks in the Band?

Some of the instruments in Nebuchadnezzar’s “orchestra” are of Greek origin. Skeptics claim that there would have been no Grecian influence in Babylon or in the region before Alexander’s conquests hundreds of years later, and that their inclusion in the text is proof of a later authorship of the book. However, records from antiquity have been unearthed that show that there was significant Greek influence in the area. As stated in chapter 2, there were Greek mercenaries in the service of the kings in the region. There were also Greek shipwrights building Nebuchadnezzar’s navy. Musical instruments originating with the Greeks could have found their way to Babylon just as easily as the Greeks themselves.

02 – The Image in the Dream | Daniel 2

Daniel the Prophet

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12-09-24 The second chapter of the book of Daniel is one of the best-known prophetic passages in the Bible.

The chapter is set in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. A quick look back to chapter 1 shows that Daniel and his companions were still in the years of their training, so the events in this chapter occur before Nebuchadnezzar quizzes them upon their graduation from training and finds Daniel and company ten times better than all his other wise men.

The original text switches in verse 4 from Hebrew to Aramaic. Chapter 1 and the first three verses in chapter 2 were written in Hebrew, but from this point until the start of chapter 8, the text is in Aramaic, the lingua franca at that time of the region we now call the Middle East.

King Nebuchadnezzar had dreamt an outstanding, troubling dream, apparently recurring. He had been awakened from sleep by the dream. People in those days believed dreams to be significant, so Nebuchadnezzar was determined to find out the meaning of what he had dreamt.

He called together his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and the Chaldeans — in other words, the “wise men” — in order that they could tell him what he wanted to know. However, there was a problem. Bible translations put different meanings to the Aramaic in the first part of verse 5. The New King James Version and others translate it as “my decision is firm.” But the King James Version translates it as “the thing is gone from me,” thus giving it the meaning that he had forgotten the dream. Perhaps The Living Bible puts it in the clearest way when it quotes Nebuchadnezzar as saying, “I tell you the dream is gone — I can’t remember it” (Daniel 2:5).

Interpreting a dream might not have been too hard for these fellows, but to tell the king what the dream was in the first place was totally beyond their powers. But Nebuchadnezzar was relatively new in his job and flush from military success on all sides. He was used to getting his way and would have none of their protests that he was asking the impossible. If they couldn’t tell him what he wanted to know, and do so quickly, then they were useless to him and he was going to execute them all.

Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, still being in their apprenticeship, apparently were not in the court of the king when he pronounced his judgment on the wise men. They heard about the sentence from Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, when he came to enforce the decree, which applied to them as well. Their lives on the line, Daniel took an enormous step of faith. He convinced Arioch to bring him before the king. Daniel told the king that he would be able to answer the matter if he was given a little time. The text of chapter 2 makes it obvious that Daniel at this point didn’t know the answer, but he had faith that he could get it from God.

Returning to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, Daniel told them what he had done, and the four of them earnestly sought God to give them the answer. One can only imagine how stunned Daniel’s companions were when he told them what he had committed them to. But there was nothing to lose. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego would face further life-and-death crises in their time in Babylon, some of which are related later in this book, but the task Daniel had set them here must cer-tainly have seemed daunting to this group of teenagers.

Yet God came through for them, just as He does for all those who, in faith and trust, put Him on the spot and expect the miraculous. The dream was revealed to Daniel, and you can read his wonderful prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God in the text of the chapter.

Daniel then summons Arioch and asks him to halt the carnage and take him to the king. Picture the scene: Before the greatest potentate on earth, the teenage apprentice wise man stands. Daniel doesn’t tell us that he was nervous, but if he was like most of us, you can be sure his knees were knocking. Under sentence of immedi-ate death if he didn’t deliver, the lives of all his colleagues also in his hands, Daniel begins to address the king.

Daniel, seeing a chance to show how superior God was in comparison with the idols and incantations of the heathen wise men, first highlights the inability of all the other wise men to be able to tell the dream. Some of them were probably Daniel’s teachers, with years of training. He then tells the king that there is a God in heaven who can tell the dream and give its meaning. Daniel’s Babylonian name was Belteshazzar, named after the Babylonian god Bel, but this was not the God Daniel was referring to.

With the reverence due to his king, he informs Nebuchadnezzar that God had revealed to him the future. A Babylonian king played a significant religious role, being also the high priest of Babylon’s religion. So it would certainly have flattered the king to think that he had actually lived up to his religious calling. But Daniel doesn’t dwell on this for long, as he knows the king is impatient.

Daniel launches into the description of the forgotten dream. The king had dreamt that he had seen a great statue with a head of gold, arms and breast of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, two legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay. Then a stone had come and struck the image on the feet and the whole image had crumbled into dust and was blown away. The stone then became a great mountain and filled the earth.

The king must have been thunderstruck as the details of his dream came flooding back into his own mind. But Daniel made it clear that it wasn’t because he was so smart or gifted that he was able to describe the dream, but that God had done it to keep the king from killing all the wise men. And that further to that, God wanted the king to know about the future.

Daniel then moved on to the interpretation: The head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar. Surely it must have massaged the king’s ego to think that God regarded him so highly as to picture him at the top of the statue and being made of the most precious of metals. However, it didn’t just represent him, but also his empire.

Daniel then explained how each other part of the image represented another kingdom or empire which would follow Babylon. He didn’t name them, but the descriptions that he gave amazingly describe the primary empires that occupied that part of the world in the centuries to come.

Nebuchadnezzar’s empire was to be followed by an empire inferior to his, at least in the Babylonians’ estimation, just as silver is inferior to gold. This second empire, represented by the two arms and the upper torso of the statue, was at its core a confederation of two peoples.

Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire, was to conquer Babylon and large swaths of other territory. The Persians were a tribe situated to the east of Babylon, in what is now modern-day Iran. They were closely related to the Medes, and had been their vassals before Cyrus took power. Around 550 BC, Cyrus led his Persians in revolt against his maternal grandfather, Astyages of the Medes, and won a great victory over him at Pasargadae, later to be the site of Cyrus’s capital. In that battle, large contingents of Medes sided with Cyrus, and from that point on, a Mede was second-in-command of the Persian Empire.

Two hundred years later, Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia and hegemon — or leader — of the League of Corinth, which included most of the city states of mainland Greece, led his relatively small army of 40,000 across the Hellespont between Europe and Asia. Within ten years he had conquered all of the Persian Empire and much other territory.

His empire, and the Hellenistic successor states that it fractured into after his death, were represented by the belly and thighs of bronze. It is significant that Greek mercenaries were commonly called “brazen men” and fought in the service of many foreign kings, including those of Egypt and Assyria. They earned their name from the distinctive bronze armor that they wore. We will revisit the Persian Empire and its Hellenistic conquerors later in this book, as they both figure significantly in Daniel’s other prophecies and visions.

The fourth empire was depicted as two legs of iron that, just as iron is stronger than bronze, broke in pieces and crushed the Hellenistic successor kingdoms of Alexander’s empire. Beginning with Greece and Macedonia at the Battle of Cynoscephalae in 197 BC, the Roman war machine inexorably conquered most of the remnants of Alexander’s territories, ending with the incorporation of Egypt in 30 BC as a Roman province. Rome eventually was to conquer much more land to the west. Significantly, it would divide in two, just as in the two legs of the image. The Western Roman Empire centered at Rome fell in 476 AD , but the Eastern Roman Empire, more commonly called the Byzantine Empire, with its capital at Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), would last, albeit for much of that time as a mere shadow of its former glory, for almost another 1,000 years.

The feet were of iron and clay, representing a mixture of strength and weakness. After the demise of the Byzantine Empire, other empires arose in the Middle East and Mediterranean basin, but history also witnessed the rise of independent nation-states, smaller in size than the mighty empires of antiquity. And just as in the symbolism of the image, some were strong and some were weak, a situation that prevails to this day.

And at the very bottom extremity of the statue are the ten toes, also made of iron and clay. These represent ten nations — unidentified as of now — but connected to the old Roman/Byzantine Empire which will play a significant role in the very end of this current epoch, or, as Daniel termed it, “the latter days.” These ten nations are closely allied to the final world tyrant, a maniacal figure whom the Bible calls the Antichrist. Totally possessed of Satan, the Antichrist will try to set up his empire on earth — the final and worst of man’s empires.

We will talk more about the Antichrist and what he does later in this book, but for an in-depth study on him and his ten allies read “The Beast,” chapter 3 in The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist.

The toes are the ten nations that the stone, cut without hand, crashes into. Then the whole image disintegrates and is blown away. The stone is Jesus Christ, and in the days of those ten toes He will return to earth and set up His kingdom that will never be destroyed, but which will fill the whole world as a great mountain.

We now have the advantage of centuries of hindsight and can see clearly how amazingly this vision has been fulfilled so far. But even without that, Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed that before the whole court, he fell on his face before Daniel and worshiped him and extolled Daniel’s God who could reveal such secrets as the king’s dream and the interpretation.

So there we have one of the most amazing prophetic sections of the entire Bible, a passage that has strengthened the faith of many believers from then till now.

Fulfilled prophecy is the watermark of the Bible’s veracity, revealing the imprimatur of God behind its words. Hold a banknote up to the light and you will see an image that is hidden under normal circumstances that attests to its genuineness. Likewise, when held up to the light of history, this passage is one of the most significant authentications of the Bible’s divine inspiration.

The chapter ends with the king making Daniel ruler over the province of Babylon. Then it seems Daniel asked him if he could delegate this job to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, allowing him to more closely advise the king on matters pertaining to the overall empire. Putting this last part in context with chapter 1, it seems that this promotion did not actually happen for some time, at least not until after the four companions had completed their training.

01 – A Captive of Babylon | Daniel 1

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

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12-8-24 The Book of Daniel opens with the soon-to-be king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar II, besieging the city of Jerusalem, the capital of the kingdom of Judah.

To put this in perspective, a little history is needed. For centuries before this event, the Assyrian Empire had cruelly ruled most of the Middle East, including the city of Babylon. It had conquered and destroyed Israel, Judah’s sister kingdom to the north, in 722 BC, had deported many of Israel’s inhabitants, and had largely repopulated that land with non-Hebrew people displaced during their other conquests.

Meanwhile, people from Chaldea, south of Babylon, had settled in the city of Babylon. Their leader, Nabopolassar, established himself as Babylon’s king in 626 BC, after driving out the brother of the Assyrian king who previously had been its petty king and the vassal of his brother. The Assyrian royal house then engaged in civil war between the rival brothers, so Nabopolassar found himself given a free hand to establish the Chaldean dynasty in Babylon and begin what was to become the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

The internecine warfare caused the once invincible Assyrians to fall into sharp decline. Barbarian tribes were making inroads on Assyria’s northern borders. At the same time, the Medes, a confederation of powerful nomadic tribes living in the land we now know as Iran, were on the offensive in the east. Nabopolassar, sensing the winds of change, allied himself with the Medes and, together, in 612 BC they sacked Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, once thought impregnable, and left it a wasteland. Just as the Jewish prophets Nahum and Zephaniah had predicted in 713 BC and 627 BC respectively: “[Nineveh] is empty, desolate, and waste!” (Nahum 2:10) and “a desolation, as dry as the wilderness!” (Zephaniah 2:13).

Nineveh

Jonah, of Jonah-and-the-whale fame, wrote of Nineveh as an “exceeding great city.” It lay on the eastern bank of the Tigris River in what is now modern-day Iraq, stretching for some 50 kilometers at an average breadth of 20 kilometers. A system of 18 canals brought water from the hills to Nineveh. After a period of decline, Nineveh finally fell in 612 BC, when it was attacked and razed to the ground by the Medes, Babylonians, and others. The Assyrian Empire shortly afterwards came to an end, the Medes and Babylonians dividing its provinces between them.

Around 400 BC, when Xenophon, the Greek soldier and historian, passed where Nineveh had stood, he made no mention of it. The city was buried, out of sight, never to rise from its ruins. In fact, the idea that there had ever been an Assyrian Empire was in doubt until recent centuries. Skeptics claimed that the stories of its greatness and the names of its leaders as recorded in the Bible were fables. Yet when the ruins of its great cities such as Asshur and Nineveh began to be uncovered in the late nineteenth century, the critics were silenced, and once again the veracity of the Bible was displayed.

The Assyrians were down but not totally out, and they had powerful allies. One of these was the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II, who in the spring of 609 BC marched north with his armies to aid them.

We are not told why, but Josiah, the king of Judah, known for his piety and restoring the Law of Moses to its prominent place in Judah, denied Necho passage through his territories on his way to the relief of the Assyrians. He met Necho in battle at Megiddo, a site that will feature in the great Endtime battle of Armageddon. Judah was beaten in battle, Josiah was mortally wounded, and the Egyptian war machine rolled northward to initially meet success against the Babylonians.

Leaving most of his army in the north, Necho marched south again to his homeland, in the process deposing and imprisoning Jehoahaz, Josiah’s son who had been installed as king, and replacing him with another of Josiah’s sons, Eliakim, whose name he changed to Jehoiakim. Necho also placed Judah under heavy tribute.

But the fortunes of war were to change again. Nabopolassar, now old and infirm, retired from the command of his armies and placed his active and capable son Nebuchadnezzar in command. Nebuchadnezzar won a major victory over the Egyptian and Assyrian armies at Carchemish and pursued the Egyptians south.

While the Egyptians retreated to their own land, Nebuchadnezzar stopped the pursuit to conquer the land they had vacated in Syria and Palestine. This brought him in 605 BC to the gates of Jerusalem. The siege does not seem to have been a long one. The people of Judah threw in the towel quickly as they were tired of Jehoiakim, the puppet of Egypt, and his constant demand for silver to pay the tribute demanded by Necho.

Over one hundred years earlier, Isaiah the prophet had told Hezekiah, then the king of Judah, that Babylon was going to conquer Judah and take all the treasure of the king’s house away. Hezekiah had foolishly shown the envoys of the king of Babylon, then only a minor city state and a vassal of the Assyrian Empire, all the precious items that he had in his house.

“At that time Berodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. And Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory—all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.

“Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, ‘What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?’ So Hezekiah said, ‘They came from a far country, from Babylon.’ And he said, ‘What have they seen in your house?’ So Hezekiah answered, ‘They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.’ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon’” (2 Kings 20:12–18).

Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim captive and then hastened back to Babylon, as word had come that Nabopolassar had died. He carried away to his homeland, which is also called Shinar in the Bible, gold and other vessels from the Jewish temple, as well as a number of captives from the nobility of Judah, including “young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.” Among these captives were four youths: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

It was Nebuchadnezzar’s custom to take the idols from the various places he conquered and place them in subservient positions in the great temple of Marduk, the patron deity of Babylon, probably to show their ineffectiveness vis-à-vis this chief god of the Chaldeans. Daniel writes that Nebuchadnezzar took vessels from the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, and in the Second book of Chronicles we are told he “put them in his temple at Babylon” (2 Chronicles 36:7). It is assumed he did this because, unlike the religions of the nations around them, the Jews had no idol of their God, Yahweh, to transport there.

Nebuchadnezzar was by that time the supreme leader of a great and ascendant empire. Soon after he was crowned, he restored Jehoiakim to his throne, but only as a vassal of Babylon, to once again collect and pay tribute — but this time to be sent to his new master.

Meanwhile, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah began their training in the administrative corps of Babylon. This would include training in the scientific and magical arts, such as astrology and the divination of omens and signs. It was not without sacrifice. Men used in this capacity were usually made eunuchs, and Jewish tradition concurs that this happened to these four and thus fulfilled that portion of the prophecy of Isaiah mentioned earlier.

Having eunuchs in the role of palace officials has been customary even through recent times in many eastern countries. It had several advantages for the reigning monarchs. It provided administrators who would not be distracted by personal family matters. Also, most cultures in antiquity would not allow someone mutilated in this way — or any other way, for that matter — to become king. Therefore the king was freed from wondering whether a scheming official would try to usurp the throne. It also ensured that his wives and mistresses would not end up getting into dalliances with any of these officials, who often had the run of the palace.

It would also take a toll on these four young Jews’ religious lives and would ensure that they would not have a great interest in returning to their homeland. Eunuchs were not allowed to worship in the Jewish temple, and so they were permanently cut off from the gathering together with the other men of Judah in the collective worship that was at the core of Jewish religious life.

To add insult to injury, the four were also given Babylonian names, each of them having some connection to a Babylonian deity. Daniel was named Belteshazzar; Hananiah, Shadrach; Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abed-nego.

The king offered compensations of sorts. The young trainees would be housed and trained in relative luxury and fed with food and wine from the king’s table. This point was, however, anathema to Daniel and company. The food from the king’s table was first offered to Marduk in his temple. Already suffering the unavoidable indignities of emasculation and loss of their Jewish identities, the four drew the line where they might have a choice. They declined to eat the food that had been first offered to idols as this rendered the food non-kosher, and therefore not able to be eaten by a Jew. Instead they insisted that they drink only water and eat only pulse (legumes), translated as vegetables in the New King James Bible.

The chief eunuch was afraid that this diet would diminish the health and good looks of the four and that he would incur the king’s wrath if he allowed it to happen. After all, two of the criteria by which they had been chosen were that they had no blemish and were good-looking. But Daniel persuaded the steward who had the immediate responsibility for their meals to test them on this water-and-pulse diet for ten days. After those ten days it was found that they looked better than any of the other trainees, and so it seems they continued with that diet for at least the following three years until they had completed their training.

At the end of their training, Nebuchadnezzar interviewed them and found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in his realm.

Third or Fourth?

Jeremiah 46:1–2, states, “The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the nations. Against Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish, and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.” This seemingly contradicts Daniel 1:1, which places the first siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, an event that happened in the same year he defeated Necho, in the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign.

This seeming discrepancy actually strengthens the case for the Book of Daniel to have been written by someone used to Babylonian usage and idiom rather than by someone living hundreds of years later in Israel, during the time of the Maccabees, as claimed by critics of its authenticity. The way Babylonians and Jews calculated the ascendancy year of monarchs differed. The Jews counted the calendar year that a king was crowned as the first year of his reign. The Babylonians, however, counted that year as his ascendancy year, and the first year of his reign beginning on the next calendar new year. So Daniel, having been schooled in all the wisdom of the Babylonians and being a high official in that empire, would very likely have written his account using Babylonian idiom, placing this siege of Jerusalem in Jehoiakim’s third year as king; whereas Jeremiah, and his scribe Baruch, would have written using Jewish idiom, placing it in the fourth year.

00 – Introduction

Daniel the Prophet

Daniel the Prophet

Scott MacGregor

2010-01-01

12-07-24 The Book of Daniel is one of the most astounding books of the Bible. It is astounding for the prophecies contained in it that have already been fulfilled, and it is astounding for the prophecies specifically about the last days of the current epoch — known as the Endtime — that are yet to be fulfilled. The accuracy of the prophecies it contains, which include among other things the exact year that Jesus would be crucified, stand as a testament to its divinely inspired author and to his God. The fact that God, around 2,500 years ago, had these messages passed on to Daniel, many of which are directed to us in the twenty-first century, is proof of God’s love and concern for us. He wants us to be aware of the cataclysmic events that are soon to come upon the world so that we can prepare for them and be part of the glorious victory with Him at the end of it all.

Examining prophecies that have been fulfilled also builds our faith in prophecies yet to be fulfilled, and God’s revelations today. Just as God was able to reveal these things to Daniel over two and a half millennia ago, He is also able to speak to us and reveal to His servants now, as Daniel was His servant then, what will happen in the very near future. We can stand in awe of the insight into the distant future that He gave Daniel, but we should also stand in awe that the God who spoke to Daniel can also speak to us today. He is as concerned about the world now as He was then, and He is concerned about you and me.

As we study Daniel’s amazing book, let it build in us the faith for the future God wants us to have, and also the faith in His Word — both the written Word and the living Word — that He wants to speak to you and me.

The aim of this book is to deal with all of the Book of Daniel. It will cover the history of the time, the main protagonists and the roles they played, the fulfilled prophecies, and the prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled.

The Book of Daniel can be roughly divided into two parts. The first six chapters tell of events that happened to Daniel and people he knew. The last six are largely prophecies and visions about the future. However, the book doesn’t neatly divide in this way, as the second chapter deals with an amazing dream about the future and is one of the most remarkable prophetic passages in the whole Bible.

We will only be dealing with the version of Daniel that appears in the Protestant and Jewish Bibles. The Catholic and Orthodox versions contain writings attributed to Daniel — namely the chapters on Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon — that are placed in the Apocrypha.

The Book of Daniel is controversial. For a start, it was written in two languages — the first part in Hebrew, the middle section in Aramaic, and the last part in Hebrew again. That, critics of the book say, is indicative of more than one author. Also, much is made by skeptics about the fact that the book is so precise and successful in predicting events that occurred in the centuries immediately following Daniel’s death. They therefore declare that it must have been written several centuries after Daniel died, by a later writer or writers, and was only attributed to Daniel to make it look like he had predicted the future.

And there are other controversies. Some of these have already been laid to rest, while others still need to be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. Several of them will be addressed as we progress through the book. However, we must remember that many times God requires us to believe by faith. He likes to see us take Him at His word simply out of love for Him and trust in Him. We are usually willing to give those we love the benefit of the doubt; can we not do as much for God?

It is intended that the text of the Bible’s Book of Daniel should be read along with the text in this book, chapter by chapter. The twelve chapters of this book coincide with the twelve chapters of the Book of Daniel. Links to the New King James Version of the Bible’s Book of Daniel provided by BibleGateway.com can be found at the beginning of each chapter of this book.

Contents

1. Introduction
2. A Captive of Babylon
3. The Image in the Dream
4. Three Who Wouldn’t Burn
5. The Madness of the King
6. The Handwriting on the Wall
7. The Lion’s Den
8. The Beasts from the Sea
9. The Ram, the Goat, and the Future King
10. Seventy Weeks
11. Spiritual Warfare
12. The King of the North
13. Theosing Message
14. In Conclusion

07 – Life Balance Check, Part 7: Generosity and Giving Back

Life Balance Check

Peter Amsterdam

2020-03-10

12-07-24 In the final post of this series, I will touch on a topic that I have been reflecting on recently—living generously. We know that true happiness comes from living unselfishly, as we put the Lord first and work to make this world a better place. However, if we step back and take a more in-depth look at generosity and giving back and think about our current plans, goals, and lifestyle, the Lord can show us if there are areas in our lives where we could do better.

We can evaluate our generosity with our time, our finances, and in our interactions with others by asking ourselves searching questions such as: Do I consistently give to God’s work and to people in need? Do I reach out to those who could benefit from my talents, resources, and service? Do my words and actions regularly show that I am generous and willing to give back?

Having served the Lord as missionaries, we are well acquainted with sacrifice. In choosing to serve the Lord full-time and put Him first in our lives, we gave up careers and education, forsook our families, friends, and home countries to take the gospel to foreign lands, and much more. Living a sacrificial lifestyle was at times difficult and sometimes heartbreaking.

Sacrifice is not just a vague concept or principle for us, because we understand what it costs to give our all! But as time passes, we can sometimes start living on autopilot. When that happens, we may miss something the Lord is doing in our lives, or we might not be so tuned in to His direction for today. Familiarity with well-known spiritual principles can dampen our sensitivity to God’s whispers, especially regarding truths that have been part of our foundation of faith for decades.

With this in mind, it is helpful to periodically take stock of our lives, to examine and think about how we’re doing in the areas of generosity and willingness to sacrifice and trust the Lord. Often, we get so busy with our family, studies, work, etc., that sometimes the first thing to go is giving to and helping others. We can easily think, “Well, I’ve been doing that my whole life.” But generosity and giving back never go out of style, and embracing this kind of lifestyle helps keep the blessings flowing.

Generosity with Finances

When it comes to generosity with finances and faithfulness in giving, you are heroes! Maria and I are very grateful for your continued gifts, tithes, and offerings to TFI that make it possible for our mission to continue, as well as the financial support that many of you give directly to mission works. Thank you! I believe many of us have seen the blessings that come with giving and have had our faith muscles strengthened over the years. We have seen God’s promises fulfilled in Scripture such as Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.¹

David’s teachings also greatly contributed to a strong foundation of faith when it comes to giving, including the following familiar excerpt:

If your motive is right and your intentions are good and pure, God will bless you for giving and honor and prosper you for it. He’ll always more than repay. ‘Whatever you spend,’ He says, ‘I will repay’ (Luke 10:35). That’s what the Lord said in the wonderful story about the Good Samaritan, and the poor man who got beaten up along the road by thieves. The Good Samaritan picked him up and took him to the inn and told the innkeeper, ‘Whatever you spend, I will repay you.’ The Good Samaritan is like the Lord, and the innkeeper is like His steward, like you or me. Whatever we spend to rescue people and their souls, He will more than repay.²

I recently read a quotation on the concept of generosity to God’s work that I found insightful: Captain Levy, a believer from Philadelphia, was once asked how he could give so much to the Lord’s work and still possess great wealth. The captain replied, “Oh, as I shovel it out, He shovels it in, and the Lord has a bigger shovel.”³

Here’s a true story which expresses the beauty of generosity:

Many years ago, two young men were working their way through Stanford University. At one point their money was almost gone, so they decided to engage the great pianist Paderewski for a concert and use the profits for their board and tuition. Paderewski’s manager asked for a guarantee of $2,000.

The students worked hard to promote the concert, but they came up $400 short. After the performance, they went to the musician, gave him all the money they had raised, and promised to pay the $400 as soon as they could. It appeared that their college days were over.

“No, boys, that won’t do,” said the pianist. “Take out of this $1,600 all your expenses, and keep 10 percent of the balance for each of you for your work. Let me have the rest.”

Years passed. Paderewski became premier of Poland following World War I. Thousands of his countrymen were starving. Only one man could help, the head of the U. S. Food and Relief Bureau. Paderewski’s appeal to him brought thousands of tons of food.

Later he met the American statesman to thank him. “That’s all right,” replied Herbert Hoover. “Besides, you don’t remember, but you helped me once when I was a student in college.”

“The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself” (Proverbs 11:25 KJV). The principle of liberality set forth in that Scripture finds its origin in God. He is overflowing in His goodness, lavish in His mercy, and abounding in His grace. … Remember, liberality is part of God’s way of taking care of us.⁴

“Liberality” as used in the above paragraph is not a common word these days. Some synonyms for it are bigheartedness, generosity, and unselfishness.

Of course, when it comes to financial generosity, it is important to remember that your most important financial responsibility is to make sure that those you are personally responsible for—such as yourself, your spouse, and your children who are still in your care—are cared for.

Small Beginnings Grow

Big results can come from small steps. We don’t have to have a lot of money to begin a campaign or ministry that serves others. Here is a short account of someone who started small, with only $25, and is now changing the world:

It’s often said the biggest changes come from the smallest beginnings. For social entrepreneur Adam Braun, a single pencil changed the trajectory of his life, leading him to stray from a career on Wall Street to start the nonprofit Pencils of Promise, which has built more than 200 schools and provided education to 20,000 underprivileged youth in developing countries around the world.

While traveling in India, Braun encountered a young boy begging on the street. When he asked the boy what he wanted most in the world, the boy answered simply “a pencil.” This request became the inspiration behind Pencils of Promise, which Braun founded in 2008 with only $25.⁵

Being Intentional about Giving Back

We know that giving and generosity are not limited to finances. Many people are not in a position to give financially, but they are able to give of themselves by sharing time, attention, encouragement, and love with others. Making an effort to give of yourself by sharing time and giving attention to someone, by showing respect toward and being kind and helpful to others, is being generous. I really enjoy being around people who have a generous, giving spirit. I feel enriched by the time we spend together and am blessed as I recognize their consistent way of interacting with others (both friends and strangers) intentionally with kindness, respect, and generosity as they offer their service, help, time, or simply a listening ear.

I believe we can learn to be more aware of opportunities to bless others if we determine to live intentionally. We can do that in part by being more aware of the kind attitudes and generous daily activities that we want to focus on, until they become second nature for us. Along with making the decision to be generous with our finances, we can be generous with our time, attention, encouragement, service, prayers, etc., so we can help others live better, happier lives. We could look for opportunities for volunteering in our community—tutoring children, helping elderly neighbors, pitching in with busy parents’ errands, and the list goes on. Here is some helpful advice on this topic from one of my favorite authors, John C. Maxwell:

Intentional living is about approaching each day with the goal of adding value to others to make a difference in their lives. You can add value every day if you will. You must begin with your perspective. A life of significance cannot be achieved if you think of other people as obstacles that must be overcome. This means valuing everyone—not just those close to us. … People who live intentionally think about ways to add value. …

During a trip to Washington D.C., I challenged the two young children of one of my team members to think about how they could add value to people during the day. One of the kids decided he would open doors for people throughout the day. The other decided she would leave thank you notes for people to express her appreciation. Then, they went out and did it! At the end of the day, both children came back and enthusiastically shared with me how people positively responded to their intentional acts of kindness.

In addition to thinking ahead about ways to add value, people who live with intentionality are also on constant lookout for spontaneous ways to help others. They have an outward focus as they go through their lives, ready to do something that makes someone’s day. These actions don’t have to be big or expensive; small meaningful actions can make a big difference. The key is to open your eyes and be ready to seize opportunities as they present themselves.

To keep myself accountable to this, at the end of each day, I ask myself one question: “Did I add value to people today?” That’s a great question to ask yourself—and intentional actions allow you to answer “Yes.”⁶

The Rewards Are Many

Making a difference in others’ lives through generosity and giving back is not just good for them, and doesn’t just make us feel content because we know we’re living according to God’s Word, but it brings concrete blessings to us as well, as Sally Stich explains:

Focusing on things outside of you and your day-to-day life can have a positive impact on your emotional and physical health. Researchers have found that adults who derived happiness from practicing kindness to others were less prone to depression and had better immune systems than those who focused only on themselves. In other words, helping others positively affects the body on the most basic cellular levels.⁷

We have so much to gain as we seek to live in a giving, generous way, actively looking for ways to serve and bless others. Some of the blessings we receive as a result will become obvious in this life. There will be times, however, when there will be no clear recompense for our generosity, either with our finances or our acts of kindness and service to others. But we can rest assured that we will eventually receive a blessing in return, if not in this life, then in the world to come. Praise the Lord!

The King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’⁸

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’⁹

¹ Luke 6:38 ESV.

² “Giving to God,” EW version, originally published 1984.

³ Today in the Word, July 1990, 28. https://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-illustrations/

⁴ D.J.D., Our Daily Bread, April 10. https://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-illustrations/

⁵ Lisa Evans, “Lessons From A Guy Who’s Changing The World One Pencil At A Time,” Fast Company, March 12, 2014.

⁶ John C. Maxwell, “How To Intentionally Add Value To Others This Christmas,” December 15, 2015.

⁷ “8 Things You Can Do to Make Life More Meaningful,” Grandparents.com, January 11, 2015.

⁸ Matthew 25:40 ESV.

⁹ Matthew 25:21 ESV.

Copyright © 2020 The Family International.

06 – Life Balance Check, Part 6: Managing Stress

Life Balance Check

Peter Amsterdam

2020-01-14

12-06-24 Stress is something we’re all familiar with; it’s natural and unavoidable to have some stress in our lives. The problem arises when there is too much stress, especially when that stressful state continues for months on end. That has happened to me, and it was pretty miserable. Not only does it sap the joy out of your life and make you feel sad and hopeless, but it also interrupts your sleep, can strain your relationships, distract you from doing your best work, and cloud your times of communion with the Lord.

The following short excerpt pretty much nails the feeling of stress that I have experienced and have often heard others describe some variation of:

You probably have something in common with one of the nation’s leading heart surgeons, one of Microsoft’s top marketing executives, and one of Wall Street’s toughest deal-makers.

What’s their shared affliction? It’s what personal-productivity guru David Allen calls … a “gnawing sense of anxiety.” An overloaded in-basket here, hundreds of unanswered emails there—soon enough, life feels as if it’s spinning out of control.¹

I’m not a heart surgeon, Microsoft executive, or Wall Street deal-maker, but that feeling that things are “spinning out of control” is familiar and is disconcerting, to say the least! And that “gnawing sense of anxiety” is terrible! I’m guessing I’m not the only one of us who has felt this way. There are many factors that can create stress in our lives—health issues, financial matters, an upcoming interview or event, concerns about your kids or grandkids, etc.

In this post on stress I’ll share some practical points which I know aren’t “new information.” In fact, the subject of stress is something Maria and I have written about many times. However, my own fairly recent health issues have caused me to review these points and do a bit more research, which was helpful in bringing to mind details I had forgotten as well as renewing my conviction to be more mindful of stress-inducing habits and stress-relieving practices.

We know that chronic stress can result in serious health problems. The Mayo Clinic posted an article that noted:

Stress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. You may think illness is to blame for that irritating headache, your frequent insomnia or your decreased productivity at work. But stress may actually be the cause.

Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms can help you manage them. Stress that’s left unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Common effects of stress on your body

• Headache
• Muscle tension or pain
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Change in sex drive
• Stomach upset
• Sleep problems

Common effects of stress on your mood

• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Lack of motivation or focus
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Irritability or anger
• Sadness or depression

Common effects of stress on your behavior

• Overeating or undereating
• Angry outbursts
• Drug or alcohol misuse
• Tobacco use
• Social withdrawal
• Exercising less often²

Stress can have other serious health consequences:

• Stress plays a major role in your immune system and can impact your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, brain chemistry, blood sugar levels, and hormonal balance.
• May cause heart disease and/or heart attack.
• Causes weight gain (specifically belly fat) and difficulty losing weight.
• Can impair cognitive skills and memory over time; may trigger the early onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s.
• Can affect a woman’s menstrual cycles and fertility.
• Can cause gastrointestinal disorders (inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, GERD, and more).

The following excerpt provides us with a helpful word picture:

Imagine that your health and energy are a bucket of water.

In your day-to-day life, there are things that fill your bucket up. These are inputs like sleep, nutrition, meditation, stretching, laughter, and other forms of recovery.

There are also forces that drain the water from your bucket. These are outputs like … stress from work or school, relationship problems, or other forms of stress and anxiety.

These outputs are cumulative. Even a little leak can result in significant water loss over time. Once you hit empty, your body will force you to rest through injury and illness. You can either make time to rest and rejuvenate now or make time to be sick and injured later. Keep your bucket full.³

We can get used to wearing our stress like a badge of honor, a way to show that we are working hard and being “successful.” But our efforts to avoid stress and live a balanced life provide a more accurate representation of success, and are a better marker of how we’re doing well overall. The big question is, how do we move toward a more balanced life when it comes to managing stress?

Every individual has different stressors. Some people’s nature is such that they can manage stress in a certain realm very well, whereas something else is very stressful for them. It’s important that we each recognize what conditions bring stress for us, and not compare our lives with others or think we’re all going to be impacted the same way. Some people are very sensitive to stress; they get stressed more easily than other people. Who knows why? We’re not all created the same, and we can’t all carry the same loads. It’s not weakness to recognize our limits and needs and adjust our lifestyle accordingly.

It’s important to identify what helps you cope with stress and what helps you to let the stress seep out of your life so you don’t hold on to it and carry cumulative stress.

What relieves stress is different for each person. The article by the Mayo Clinic that I cited earlier suggests the following:

Act to manage stress

If you have stress symptoms, taking steps to manage your stress can have many health benefits. Explore stress management strategies, such as:

• Regular physical activity
• Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi or getting a massage
• Keeping a sense of humor
• Socializing with family and friends
• Setting aside time for hobbies, such as reading a book or listening to music

Aim to find active ways to manage your stress. Inactive ways you may use to manage stress—such as watching television, surfing the Internet or playing video games—may seem relaxing, but they may increase your stress over the long term.

And be sure to get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy, balanced diet. Avoid tobacco use, excess caffeine and alcohol, and the use of illegal substances.⁴

Those are some good practical suggestions.

Dr. Mercola writes:

When you dwell on negative emotions you internalize the stress, which can prevent you from coming up with constructive ways to address them. Stress can improve once you find more active methods of coping.

I did a little research on the subject of “how to relieve stress,” and there are a lot of possibilities for active methods of coping. Here are some ideas:

• Take a break and breathe deeply and slowly
• Write in a gratitude journal
• Count your blessings—make a list of ten things you’re grateful for
• Spend time with a pet
• Take a drive, have a change of scenery
• Have some fun and a few laughs
• Do a Sudoku or crossword puzzle
• Listen to music, sing, dance
• Ask someone to pray for you
• Take a walk or go for a run
• Stretch
• Call someone and tell them you love them
• Pray the Serenity Prayer
• Recall a great memory, relive it
• Write down three true, positive self-affirmations
• Write a thank-you note
• Have some fun with your kids
• Declutter your desk or workspace
• Take a hot shower or bath
• Enjoy a few minutes of your favorite hobby or some kind of “me time”
• Eat a healthy snack
• Squeeze a stress ball
• Reduce your caffeine intake
• Take a nap

You can probably come up with a few other ideas based on your personal preferences and circumstances. These are small things, but if done regularly, they can have a cumulative effect and help you be less stressed.

You will need to find what your individual relief points are. It’s well worth figuring out through experimentation what helps you to not just let go of the stress that is building up in your body, mind, and spirit, but also to fortify and bolster yourself so that when you are in a stressful situation, which is impossible to avoid entirely, you are better prepared to manage and handle it.

Here is a lighthearted story of one man’s approach:

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit working, and now his ancient pick-up truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet the family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.

After opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His face was wreathed in smiles, and he hugged his two small children and then gave his wife a kiss.

Afterwards, he walked me to my car. We passed the tree, and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. “Oh, that’s my worry tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t help having worries on the job, but one thing for sure, worries don’t belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning, I pick them up again.” “Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”—Author unknown

We know that we are going to face stressful situations, so we need to do what we can in advance to do our best to live balanced lives, so that we can better manage those times gracefully and with the least amount of damage to our health and relationships.

I’ve always enjoyed the writings of the late Zig Ziglar, American author, salesman, and motivational speaker. He wrote:

Approximately 75–90 percent of all doctors’ visits are the direct or indirect result of stress. So what do we do? First, we need to accept the fact that there are some things we can do and some things we cannot do. We cannot be everything to everybody, so priorities must be established. …

Next, make a gratitude list. I agree with Hans Selye, who said, “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.” When things don’t go your way, you can … remind yourself of the many things you have to be thankful for.

Take the opportunity to serve others. Karl Menninger of Menninger Clinic fame said that when you have a problem, find someone else who has one, and work with him or her to solve their problem. In the process, yours will disappear.

Work at developing a sense of humor. That doesn’t mean you have to learn how to tell jokes, but you will discover that a good laugh relieves tension and pressure, and makes you feel good all over. …

Finally, remember that failure is an event. It is not a person. And yesterday really did end last night—today is a brand-new day. When you have failed to do everything on your to-do list, just remember that you did the best you could. You followed your game plan to the best of your ability and that’s all anyone can do. Eat early and then relax by talking with someone who is positive and encouraging before you go to bed. Sleep well. Smile. Be grateful.⁵

These are good ideas, and I believe that as we work to implement them, as the Lord leads, our lives will be more peaceful and we’ll learn to minimize the stress in our lives. Of course, our best tool in the de-stress toolbox is to trust the Lord and cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.⁶

As we take time to meditate on His Word and reflect on our lives and how He’s come through for us time and time again, we will be able to enter into His peace that passes understanding.⁷ His peace doesn’t have to “make sense” in our present circumstances, because God’s Spirit can help us to rise above the tests, trials, and worries of our everyday lives, and look upward so we can enjoy His presence and the truth of His promises to us, His children.

Whether stress in our lives comes as a result of health issues, financial problems, concerns for our loved ones, our present job (or lack of a job), world conditions, or whatever else might be on our minds, we can be assured that God does all things well, and He will eventually cause even the difficulties we face to work together for our good. We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.⁸ That is a promise we can stand on!

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:6–7 NLT

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.—1 Peter 5:7 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.—Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.—Psalm 55:22 NIV

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

¹ David Beardsley, “Don’t Manage Time, Manage Yourself,” Fast Company, March 31, 1998, https://www.fastcompany.com/33961/dont-manage-time-manage-yourself.

² “Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior,” Mayo Clinic Staff, April 4, 2019,https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987.

³ James Clear, “The Theory of Cumulative Stress: How to Recover When Stress Builds Up,” https://jamesclear.com/cumulative-stress.

⁴ “Stress symptoms,” Mayo Clinic Staff.

⁵ Zig Ziglar, “De-Stressing Stress,” Creators Syndicate, 2001.

⁶ 1 Peter 5:7 NKJV.

⁷ Philippians 4:7.

⁸ Romans 8:28 ESV.

Copyright © 2020 The Family International.

05 – Life Balance Check, Part 5: Fellowship, Family, and Friends

Life Balance Check

Peter Amsterdam

2019-11-12

12-05-24 I have been reflecting recently on how much my life has been blessed through meaningful relationships with others. We are hardwired to need other people in our lives, including our immediate family as well as all kinds of different relationships—both personal and professional. Meaningful interaction with others is a crucial element of personal growth, fulfillment, and emotional well-being.

Spiritual fellowship

We know the importance of fellowship and spiritual communion with other believers. This is a foundation in our Christian faith. The Bible teaches:

We, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.¹

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!²

In Rick Warren’s best-selling book, The Purpose-Driven Life, he addresses this topic:

Even in the perfect, sinless environment of Eden, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for a family, and none of us can fulfill God’s purposes by ourselves.

The Bible says we are put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, and held together and will be caught up together. You’re not on your own anymore.

Biblical fellowship is being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. God expects us to give our lives for each other. Many Christians who know John 3:16 are unaware of 1 John 3:16: “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” This is the kind of sacrificial love God expects you to show other believers—a willingness to love them in the same way Jesus loves you.

God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this shared experience fellowship.³

It takes planning and some effort to regularly have fellowship with other believers, but the Lord has emphasized its importance in the Word to our spiritual well-being. If you’re living in a city where you don’t have other Family members or Christian friends around to fellowship with, you could check out your local churches, house churches, small groups or prayer groups to find one that resonates with you and supplies your need for fellowship, as well as being a venue for worship and service.

 

Often our personal family members are the ones pend the most time with—our spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, and other members of our extended family. If you are raising children or you have members of your family living nearby, that will obviously be a big focus for you.

Obviously, your family goes through different stages, such as when you have a baby or when your children are young, or when they grow up and leave home, and how you accommodate your and others’ personal needs will change, but it’s always worth the extra work invested in planning and arranging time to strengthen your relationships with your family. When you’re working very hard, thinking and praying about the needs of your children, how to be a help and support to them through each stage of their lives, and all the dynamics that go into raising a family, these times of fellowship and support with other members of your family can be very motivating and helpful.

While I don’t presently live near my children and grandchildren, over the past years I have been able to visit with them from time to time and to attend a few milestone events in their lives, which has been a blessing and an encouragement. These shared experiences were very enjoyable, as we had the privilege of celebrating together and acknowledging these milestones, along with each other’s victories, progress, and accomplishments. These times together with your family can bring much joy and help to create bonds and make memories that last a lifetime. Time together like this can bring an opportunity to pray together, or can bring to your attention things in family members’ lives which you can regularly pray for in your private prayer time. And when you share a family member’s burden in prayer throughout their journey, when the answer comes, it makes the rejoicing all the sweeter.

Friends

We clearly need time and fellowship with our family, but that’s not all we need. We can also grow and find joy through friendships, faith groups, business groups, volunteering, clubs, or meet-up groups. Having variety in our interactions with others helps to spice up our lives and brings new experiences, interests, and opportunities to learn and expand our horizons.

I’ve been reminded repeatedly how important and valuable it is to have friends, even if just a couple of close friends. I’m so grateful to the Lord that I have some really good friends, some of whom I’ve known for more than twenty years, and others I have been friends with for forty years. Some I see frequently, and others about once a year. It’s always a blessing to see them as we are all pretty much “on the same page” with a fair amount of shared history, faith, and experiences. I consider having such longtime friends one of the Lord’s greatest gifts to me. (Of course Maria, my wife, is my best friend and my greatest gift.)

Having friends is important to leading a fulfilling life. It’s worthwhile to invest in quality friendships, as they can be a lifesaver. Having someone you can talk to and who will pray for you will help you feel you’re not alone, especially if you’re feeling a heavy weight and burden in your work or personal life or family. It’s not just the spiritual fellowship and support, it’s also support in life and friendship, and that is such a beautiful and important thing.

The Bible says:

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.⁴

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.⁵

An unknown author wrote:

A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.

Making new friends

I understand that talking about friends might be a sad topic for some of you if you’re living in an isolated situation without any of your good long-time friends nearby. There are, however, different venues you can use to get the fellowship and time with friends you need. It doesn’t have to happen in person. While being able to meet in person with your friends is a blessing, if that’s not possible, as you know, there’s the telephone, video chat, social media, and other means you can use—generally all at no cost—and this can provide that sense of being “near even if far,” facilitating sharing of hearts, having prayer together, and just keeping in touch. For the most part, there are few barriers in this technically advanced world that should keep us from being able to bring some of that friendship contact in.

Having said that, there’s also the option of making new friends. I know that’s a big hurdle, as most people like to be friends with people who have the same life experience, and preferably people who “go way back” such as longtime relationships from work, university, sports, or in our case, shared Christian faith and experiences. However, every friend we currently have was once a stranger to us until we met them and started building a personal relationship.

Many find themselves in situations where new friends don’t have the same life experience and perhaps don’t share their faith beliefs. However, those new friendships can still be meaningful and strengthening, and can bring some benefits that older ones don’t.

I have been blessed to make some new friends over the past seven years who, although they aren’t Christians, have become close friends. Sadly, some of them aren’t interested in Christianity as they have had less than positive experiences in their past, but they know I’m a practicing Christian and that my faith is a crucial part of who I am. I do my best to be a good example of love, caring, generosity, and kindness, and to let them know that I pray for them. From time to time they ask for counsel on personal issues, which gives me an opportunity to give godly counsel and to share about the Lord. My hope and prayer is that in time they will become open to hearing more about the Lord and will receive Him. Even though they aren’t Christians, I value and benefit from their friendship.

If you feel isolated or lonely, it’s helpful to take the time to reach out and start building new friendships. Zig Ziglar said, “If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.”⁶ Even though it will take time and it will never be exactly the same as the relationships you have with your decades-long friends, new friendships can be a blessing in unique ways.

Being a friend to others

I’ve talked about the joy that friendship gives us. But, of course, it’s not all about what’s in it for us. Sometimes we need to be a friend to others; sometimes the Lord leads us to people who need us to be there for them, to listen, to care. Usually friendships are mutually beneficial, but there are times when it might be a bit of a sacrifice, too. Maybe the other person needs you as a friend more than you need them. Maybe the other person is not your favorite personality type. Still, the Lord could be calling you to be a friend to that person, even if they are not your number-one choice of who to spend time with.

With the increase of social media, people are more and more “connected,” and yet there’s an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. People are forgetting how to talk to one another. Meeting people face to face has almost become a lost art. Mother Teresa once said: “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or cancer or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for and deserted by everybody.”⁷

You might be feeling a little lonely or wish things were different in your life, but there will always be someone who needs you. Reach out, be there for others. The Bible says, A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.⁸ Give of yourself and your time.

Maria and I pray that if you’re missing fellowship, personal interaction, companionship, friendship, and time with others, that the Lord will lead you to open doors and supply all that you need. I encourage you to take the first step and reach out to others and see how the Lord fulfills your needs in return.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

¹ Romans 12:5 ESV.

² Psalm 133:1 ESV.

³ Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Life (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002).

⁴ Proverbs 17:17 ESV.

⁵ Ecclesiastes 4:9–10, 12 ESV.

⁶ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/62894-if-you-go-out-looking-for-friends-you-re-going-to

⁷ Philippa Perry, “Loneliness is killing us,” The Guardian, February 17, 2014.

⁸ Proverbs 18:24 KJV.

Copyright © 2019 The Family International.

04 – Life Balance Check, Part 4: Personal Growth

Life Balance Check

Peter Amsterdam

2019-10-29

12-04-24 Throughout our lifetime, we naturally grow and improve in various areas of our lives. We gain experience from our positive and negative encounters, our successes and failures, our relationships, reading and studying, etc. Personal growth can be greatly enhanced through intentionally enriching our knowledge and capabilities so that we keep growing and make strides to better our future. However, personal growth can sometimes be hindered by the difficulty of making the needed time or budgeting the finances necessary for whatever program, course, or classes we’d like to pursue. Even if we hit a few bumps along the way, it’s important to not ignore or give up on pursuing personal growth.

Personal growth and development through learning is an ongoing process. Whether in the areas of professional development, increasing our knowledge base, or spiritual growth, each of us can strive to take steps in our personal development. Such growth can bring joy, enlightenment, personal satisfaction, and progress, as well as potential new opportunities.

Professional development

Joyce A. E. Russell wrote:

With today’s more complex business environment, learning is not just a nice thing to do—it is essential for staying on top of things … None of us can afford to remain stagnant in our knowledge.¹

Personal growth includes professional development, which can help us provide greater expertise and advance in our careers. It can open the door for a job that provides more finances, more challenge and purpose, more witnessing opportunities, or other such benefits for ourselves and others.

Growing in all aspects

Personal growth is not limited to our professional lives and work. It can affect all aspects of our lives, including our emotional well-being and overall happiness. Z. Hereford writes:

When you invest in your personal development you take responsibility for your life, your circumstances and your happiness. … If, on the other hand, you sit back and don’t make the effort to take charge of your life you set yourself up for events to affect you. If you’re unprepared and not proactive you will end up reacting to, rather than affecting, what is going on around you.²

Personal development is not measured by financial, social or external success. Instead it is determined by our efforts to develop our intellectual, physical and spiritual aspects in order to reach our full human potential.

In the process of developing ourselves, we also strive to express our talents and abilities for the enrichment and benefit of others …

Personal development is, therefore, the process of striving to be the best that you can be in order to reach and realize your full potential.³

Personal growth consists of the development of all aspects of our well-being: taking care of the physical aspects of our body, our emotional state, intellectual pursuits, and spiritual advancement.

Spiritual growth

One constant thread in our lives as Christians is that we are passionate about learning more about the Lord, His Word, and His plans for us.

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge.⁴

There are many ways to go about this. Here are a few ideas:

Adopt a structured program that will help you regularly read through and understand the Bible.

Follow and review sermons by pastors that you find helpful and inspiring.

Take initiative to build a group of friends who you meet with regularly for fellowship, prayer, and fun. This could be people who live in your area, or an online group of friends and family that you fellowship with via video chat.

Join a small group in a local church that provides a structured Bible study program with discussion.

Secular topics

God made us to be interested in lots of different things, and there is so much to learn in any number of subjects where we can further develop and educate ourselves. Whether or not a particular field is ever going to become a career for you, it can still be an area of growth and challenge and a source of personal satisfaction.

Besides that, personal growth helps us to feel happy with our development and the direction our lives are going. It can also be a good remedy for boredom. If you’re not sure what to do or where to look for open doors for personal growth, I believe if you pray and keep an eye out for opportunities, the Lord will bring them your way, even through unusual or unexpected avenues.

Be a lifelong learner

When the Lord gives us an opportunity to learn, then the question is: What will we do with it? Here is some insight from John C. Maxwell:

What we do with the learning opportunities that we encounter will determine our success and progress for years to come. We need to be lifelong learners.

Over the years, I’ve concluded that lifelong learning doesn’t just happen. We can’t just “expect” to learn. We need to “intend” to. A little bit of learning happens in every life. But without intention, it mostly happens by accident. If you’ve taken responsibility for your own learning, you need to go after it with a commitment of time and effort. Schedule learning into your calendar. Then spend that time wisely.

Abraham Lincoln said, “I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” Are you getting wiser every day? … If you embrace learning, you’ll keep growing.⁵

Just like we must be intentional about our health every day, we must also be intentional about our personal growth.

Unfortunately, many people treat personal growth as a by-product of life. They seem to think if they stick around long enough, they will magically accumulate maturity, wisdom, and skill. But acquiring the right seasoning to make a difference in the world takes more than longevity. It takes a commitment to get just a little bit better each day.⁶

The advantages of reading

If you don’t have time or finances to attend conferences or seminars, take courses, or go to university, a great avenue for personal growth is reading, as you can have hundreds of mentors by reading books.

Reading [is] essential. I have always wondered why people put so much energy into trying to have coffee with some famous entrepreneur when reading a book is like getting many hours of their most crystallized thoughts.⁷

Over the past eight years, the Lord put a burden on my heart to study and write about Christian theology, the Gospels, the parables of Jesus, and Christian ethics, and this has involved a great deal of reading. I spend many hours a week reading and studying so that I can write on these topics. There are times when I feel tired and the subject matter is weighty and complex, and in a few instances rather boring. When I sometimes feel exhausted or even weighed down by complex content, I’m tempted to give up or at least put the book down until “later.” But thankfully, I have found that when I just keep at it and keep reading and rereading, I get past that feeling of overwhelm and the Lord gives me a breakthrough of understanding. I find a lot of joy at that point. It’s worth the struggle, and in the long run I’m always thankful that I didn’t quit.

I personally prefer to study physical books that I hold in my hands and can mark and highlight. Of course, I can only do that with books that I have purchased. If you have a public library nearby, you can check out books at no cost. If you live near a college or university library, they often let local residents check out their books and videos, even if they’re not students. You might want to look at this avenue of resources in the city where you live. If you don’t have access to a local library, you will probably need to purchase the books you wish to read. If that’s the case, it’s generally less expensive to purchase e-books, providing you have a device on which you can read them. You can also find free books online at some websites, especially older books in the public domain.⁸

Being a “constant learner” through reading is a practice shared by many of today’s very successful entrepreneurs, as noted in this comment:

Warren Buffett spends five to six hours per day reading five newspapers and 500 pages of corporate reports. Bill Gates reads 50 books per year. Mark Zuckerberg reads at least one book every two weeks. Elon Musk grew up reading two books a day, according to his brother. Oprah Winfrey credits books with much of her success: “Books were my pass to personal freedom.” Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot, reads two hours a day. Dan Gilbert, self-made billionaire and owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, reads one to two hours a day.⁹

Nowadays there are also a lot of open, free university courses and a wealth of information and studies you can access online. It’s worthwhile to take advantage of the many online resources available and keep challenging yourself to be learning something new. A friend of mine recently enrolled in a free online course (MOOC) from Coursera called “Learning How to Learn,” which he found interesting. There are many free online courses of this type that are general, which can be especially helpful for people who aren’t sure exactly what they’re interested in.

Overcoming obstacles

When our schedules are very busy, it is often the area of personal growth—expanding our knowledge base and our skill set, and increasing our ability to understand different fields of interest—that gets cut first. It can be a sacrifice to take time to invest in learning, as we usually have to take time early in the morning or cut back on recreational events or other entertainment in the evening or on weekends in order to fit it in. But it’s worth it! Of course, like everything else in our lives, this has to be kept in balance. We can’t put too many burdens on ourselves. We may not have an extended time for learning, but we can be learning throughout our lifetimes.

I think the key is to take incremental steps. Think about where you want to go, map it out, and even if you can just do a little, such as read for an hour a week, do that. If you find it hard to find the time to read, you can listen to audiobooks, seminars, or podcasts while exercising or traveling on public transport or doing house or yard work. Here is more insight on this concept:

If you aspire to growth, you can’t be complacent. Where you are today is a reflection of the education and skills that you brought to your current position. The question is, where do you want to be tomorrow? You won’t get there by coasting on what you already know …

[Many] people feel stuck when it comes to increasing their professional knowledge base. They’re swamped at work, overwhelmed at home, and unclear on how they might manage to squeeze the extra hours needed out of their already full schedules to make time for additional learning.

The secret lies in realizing two things. First, with the easy accessibility of today’s technologies and mobile options, it’s no longer necessary to learn in a classroom—you can bring training tools with you wherever you go. Second, because you don’t need to carve out a big block of time to attend a live class in person anymore, you can approach learning on your own terms and in your own timeframe. If you don’t have a solid hour to devote to picking up new skills, how about sparing 10 minutes?¹⁰

Enjoy the benefits

Taking time to learn new things enriches you as a person and can help build your confidence. It can also make you a better conversationalist, which can lead to opportunities to witness. People often look at a person’s ability to converse, and if you can talk with someone about a variety of topics and their fields of interest, it can open the door to build friendships and networks that can enable you to share your faith and minister to others spiritually. In this way, personal growth becomes part of the circle of life—meeting new people, building new relationships, and enriching others and being enriched through them.

When you develop a new interest, the Lord likely has some reason, whether it’s for your own personal joy and happiness, or perhaps at some point down the line it’s going to lead to some opportunity, or some way in which you can glorify Him and help others.

I look forward to the new things the Lord will lead me to study, explore, and learn about, and I hope you do too!

The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge.¹¹

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding.¹²

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

¹ Joyce A. E. Russell, as quoted by Aaron Skonnard, “12 Powerful Ways to Grow in Your Career,” Inc., October 14, 2014, https://www.inc.com/aaron-skonnard/12-powerful-ways-to-grow-in-your-career.html.

² https://www.essentiallifeskills.net/personaldevelopment.html

³ https://www.essentiallifeskills.net/humanpotential.html

⁴ 2 Peter 1:5 NIV.

⁵ John C. Maxwell, “Learning Doesn’t End With Graduation,” blog, May 20, 2014.

⁶ John C. Maxwell, “The Secrets Of Success: Personal Growth,” blog, January 26, 2016.

⁷ Adam Bryant, “Drew Houston of Dropbox: Figure Out the Things You Don’t Know,” Corner Office (blog), The New York Times, June 3, 2016.

⁸ https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/

⁹ Michael Simmons, “Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Oprah Winfrey All Use the 5-Hour Rule,” Inc., August 5, 2016.

¹⁰ Skonnard, “12 Powerful Ways to Grow in Your Career,” Inc., October 14, 2014.

¹¹ Proverbs 15:14 ESV.

¹² Proverbs 3:13 NIV.

Copyright © 2019 The Family International.

03 – Life Balance Check, Part 3: Exercise

Life Balance Check

Peter Amsterdam

2019-09-24

12-03-24 I’d like to address the subject of exercise. I know this is not a new topic; there’s been a lot of buzz about exercise for the last few decades, and we have addressed it in earlier posts and publications. But recently, one of my coworkers did some research on exercise, and some of the points in that material were helpful for me. It gave me some new insight and boosted my conviction about exercise. So I’d like to share some of that with you, quoting a few articles and adding a bit of commentary.

The many benefits of exercise

We know exercise is good for us. Check out these comments:

Of all the things we as physicians can recommend for health, few provide as much benefit as physical activity. In 2015, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges put out a report calling exercise a “miracle cure.”¹

Regular exercise is the only well-established fountain of youth, and it’s free.²

Over the past two decades, research has shown that exercise reduces the risk of heart attack, helps control weight, decreases inflammation, lowers the risk of developing diabetes and certain cancers, increases the chances of survival after a heart attack, lifts mood, slows the decline of sexual performance and prolongs independent living in the very old.

“It’s really hard to find something that is not improved with exercise,” said Michael J. Blaha, a preventive cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a researcher in the field. “Everyone can benefit from it. Even at higher age, when you’re at increased risk of dying, exercise is able to add time to your life.”³

The excerpts above provide a hefty list of the benefits of exercise. And there are more. Articles cite other medical studies that suggest that exercise can also:

• slow aging
• lower blood pressure
• improve sleep quality
• improve mental health, help relieve depression and anxiety
• help older people maintain short-term memory
• strengthen bones, reduce or even reverse bone loss
• contribute to a more attractive physique
• ease the pain and stiffness of arthritis
• reduce chances of heart attack or stroke
• boost work performance

This next article is particularly interesting:

When we think about the value of exercise, we tend to focus on the physical benefits. Lower blood pressure, a healthier heart, a more attractive physique. But over the past decade, social scientists have quietly amassed compelling evidence suggesting that there is another, more immediate benefit of regular exercise: its impact on the way we think.

Studies indicate that our mental firepower is directly linked to our physical regimen. And nowhere are the implications more relevant than to our performance at work. Consider the following cognitive benefits, all of which you can expect as a result of incorporating regular exercise into your routine:

• Improved concentration
• Sharper memory
• Faster learning
• Prolonged mental stamina
• Enhanced creativity
• Lower stress⁴

Not exercising is dangerous

Along with knowing how important exercise is and how many benefits it brings us, we also know there can be serious repercussions if we don’t exercise:

Chronic diseases and conditions—such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and arthritis—are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problems. …

Health risk behaviors are unhealthy behaviors you can change. Four of these health risk behaviors—lack of exercise or physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and drinking too much alcohol—cause much of the illness, suffering, and early death related to chronic diseases and conditions.—Chronic Disease Overview, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

If there are so many benefits to exercising and so many serious health risks from not exercising, and we have to admit this is not new information to us, then why do so many of us not exercise more and more regularly?

“How do I find the time?”

I’d say probably the number one excuse is that we think we don’t have time. We’re all busy. It can help to reframe it from a broader perspective:

What prevents us from exercising more often? For many of us, the answer is simple: We don’t have the time. In fairness, this is a legitimate explanation.

But let’s be clear: What we really mean when we say we don’t have time for an activity is that we don’t consider it a priority given the time we have available.

Instead of viewing exercise as something we do for ourselves—a personal indulgence that takes us away from our work—it’s time we started considering physical activity as part of the work itself. The alternative, which involves processing information more slowly, forgetting more often, and getting easily frustrated, makes us less effective at our jobs and harder to get along with for our colleagues.

Regardless of how you go about incorporating exercise into your routine, reframing it as part of your job makes it a lot easier to make time for it. Remember, you’re not abandoning work. On the contrary: You’re ensuring that the hours you put in have value.⁵

Those are helpful concepts. If we can reframe exercise as part of our job and realize that it helps us to do a better job, we will probably feel better about taking the time for it.

“I don’t like to exercise!”

Besides not having time, another thing that might keep many of us from exercising is that we just don’t like it. Maybe it’s boring. Or it could be that we’re out of shape, so it’s pretty miserable and not at all enjoyable. Naturally, if this is our frame of mind, we’re going to dread exercise. That leads to procrastination, excuses, and delays.

I found the following excerpt very encouraging. It provided new information for me that is motivational, and also some new ideas that made this challenge seem a lot more doable.

Michelle Segar directs the Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan. …

Though it seems counterintuitive, studies have shown that people whose goals are weight loss and better health tend to spend the least amount of time exercising. Rather, immediate rewards that enhance daily life—more energy, a better mood, less stress and more opportunity to connect with friends and family—offer far more motivation, Dr. Segar and others have found.

“I like to think of physical activity as a way to revitalize and renew ourselves, as fuel to better enjoy and succeed at what matters most,” she said. …

Also important is giving oneself permission to make self-care through physical activity a priority. Dr. Segar wrote: “When we do not prioritize our own self-care because we are busy serving others, our energy is not replenished. Instead, we are exhausted, and our ability to be there for anyone or anything else is compromised.”

People who make physical activity a priority don’t necessarily have more time than others. Rather, they make sure to schedule time for it because they know it enhances their performance and the quality of their daily lives.

Citing a “paradox of self-care,” Dr. Segar wrote, “The more energy you give to caring for yourself, the more energy you have for everything else.”⁶

Everything counts, and it all adds up

Thinking of exercise as a means for revitalizing and renewing myself was motivating and invigorating. This next part of the article was also helpful, as it introduced a new concept that I had not considered—“everything counts, it all adds up.”

Instead of the recommended half hour a day or 10-minute doses of moderate exercise three times a day on most days, Dr. Segar suggests focusing on the idea that “everything counts”—taking the stairs instead of the elevator, weeding the garden, dancing, even walking to the water cooler.

“We should count any and every opportunity to move that exists in the space of our lives as valid movement worth doing,” she wrote.⁷

Let’s consider another person’s advice on the concept of “it all adds up”:

Here are five simple “Easy Wins” to be more active at work with little to no extra effort:

—Park your car as far away as possible in the morning (or if possible, walk to work).

—Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

—Ditch phone, email, and IMs, and actually walk to speak to your colleagues in the office.

—Walk during phone calls (I’ve gotten 7500+ steps on a single call).

—Step away from your workstation every hour and take a five-minute activity break.⁸

I think we could all think of various ways we could incorporate more “movement” into our daily activities. Let’s take some time to consider these ideas and make a plan that sounds practical and doable. It’s okay to start slow—just start! Don’t push it so much that it’s miserable or you risk injury. And remember, it will get easier. Then you’ll start to enjoy it.

And if you have a friend who can be your accountability partner, all the better. You could consider joining a team sport. Sometimes scheduled events with others create deadlines which make it easier to follow through. Or you can follow the principle that “whatever you put first gets done” and exercise first thing in the morning.

Sitting is the new smoking—the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle

One last bit of information that was eye-opening to me was about how dangerous a sedentary lifestyle can be. I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of time sitting—working, reading, praying, studying, talking to others, watching movies, etc. You might have heard the term “sitting is the new smoking.” Here is a bit of information on this:

From the driver’s seat to the office chair and then the couch at home, Americans are spending more time seated than ever, and researchers say it is wreaking havoc on our bodies. The Los Angeles Times recently interviewed Dr. James Levine, director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative and inventor of the treadmill desk. Levine has been studying the adverse effects of our increasingly sedentary lifestyles for years and has summed up his findings in two sentences.

“Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.”

Levine is credited with coining that mantra—“sitting is the new smoking”—but he’s not the only one who believes it. Researchers have found and continue to find evidence that prolonged sitting increases the risk of developing several serious illnesses like various types of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Another reason the smoking analogy is relevant is that studies have repeatedly shown the effects of long-term sitting are not reversible through exercise or other good habits. Sitting, like smoking, is very clearly bad for our health, and the only way to minimize the risk is to limit the time we spend on our butts each day.⁹

There is much information available about the problems of sitting too much, and consequently I understand that standing desks are rapidly growing in popularity. That’s probably a good switch, although I haven’t tried it myself (yet) and it seems there is not conclusive evidence about how much better standing for long hours is than sitting, but many have concluded that the advantage to a standing desk is that when standing to work, you are more likely to move around, even just small movements.

Research findings indicate that excessive sitting is bad and even worse if it is accumulated in lengthy, uninterrupted bouts throughout the day. Any extended sitting—such as at a desk or behind the wheel—can be harmful. Spending a few hours a week at the gym or engaged in moderate or vigorous activity doesn’t seem to significantly offset the risk. The solution seems to be less sitting and engaging in more movement overall.

You may be thinking, “But I work out several times per week.” The research shows that though exercise is good for you, it doesn’t negate the damage done by extended periods of sitting.

Professor Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center tells Men’s Health, “We see it in people who smoke and people who don’t. We see it in people who are regular exercisers and those who aren’t. Sitting is an independent risk factor.”

He further explains, “The cure for too much sitting isn’t more exercise. Exercise is good, of course, but the average person could never do enough to counteract the effect of hours and hours of chair time.”

As Katy Bowman, a scientist and author of the book: Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement, told Reuters: “You can’t offset 10 hours of stillness with one hour of exercise.”¹⁰

Here is another article about how regular movement is the key:

Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women’s heart health at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York said, “The more we sit the worse it is. The longer the duration of sitting, the more negative the impact on our cardiovascular health.”

Steinbaum said moving around every 30 minutes is recommended.

“The first time we do this, the positive effects are immediate,” she said. “We need to pay more attention to moving.”

“If you have a job or lifestyle where you have to sit for prolonged periods, the best suggestion I can make is to take a movement break every half hour,” said Keith Diaz, an associate research scientist in the Columbia University Department of Medicine. “Our findings suggest this one behavior change could reduce your risk of death.”¹¹

Exercise and movement is a challenge for many of us, but for numerous reasons it is important that we do it. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The first wealth is health.”

If you have everything else but you are in poor health, due largely or in part to neglecting to take care of your physical well-being, it can spawn a number of problems over time, and then it diminishes your ability to enjoy life’s other blessings. Health is one of those blessings that requires that we intentionally invest in it. Granted, we are all getting older, and age is often accompanied by illness or health challenges. But we can do our part to keep ourselves strong and healthy, and we will benefit from that investment of time, energy, and discipline with an improved quality of life.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

¹ Aaron E. Carroll, “Closest Thing to a Wonder Drug? Try Exercise,” The New York Times, June 20, 2016.

² Jane E. Brody, “Even More Reasons to Get a Move On,” The New York Times, March 2, 2010.

³ David Brown, “We all know exercise makes you live longer. But this will actually get you off the couch,” Washington Post, February 22, 2016.

⁴ Ron Friedman, “Regular Exercise Is Part of Your Job,” Harvard Business Review, October 3, 2014.

⁵ Friedman, “Regular Exercise Is Part of Your Job,” HBR, October 3, 2014.

⁶ Jane E. Brody, “Rethinking Exercise as a Source of Immediate Rewards,” The New York Times, July 20, 2015.

⁷ Brody, “Rethinking Exercise,” The New York Times, July 20, 2015.

⁸ Zach Arnold, “Sitting Is Killing You, But Standing Isn’t the Answer (And Neither is Exercise),” Optimize Yourself, https://optimizeyourself.me/sedentary/.

⁹ Diana Gerstacker, “Sitting Is the New Smoking: Ways a Sedentary Lifestyle Is Killing You,” The Active Times (Huffington Post), September 29, 2014, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-active-times/sitting-is-the-new-smokin_b_5890006.html.

¹⁰ “Sitting Is the New Smoking,” Start Standing (blog), July 7, 2019, https://www.startstanding.org/sitting-new-smoking/.

¹¹ “Study: Sitting too long could lead to early death,” CNN, September 13, 2017, https://kdvr.com/2017/09/13/study-sitting-too-long-could-lead-to-early-death/.

Copyright © 2019 The Family International.

02 – Life Balance Check, Part 2: Health

Life Balance Check

Peter Amsterdam

2019-08-27

12-02-24 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.—3 John 2 ESV

Our bodies are an amazing gift from God, and it is our duty to Him to take care of them. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are not our own.¹

In respecting and taking care of our bodies, we are respecting God. Honoring God’s laws of health puts us in the best position to be healthy, mobile, active, and live a vibrant life as we seek to fulfill God’s plan for our lives.

As Parker Palmer wrote,

“Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can … give it the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves but for the many others whose lives we touch.”²

Highlights from Effortless Healing

From time to time, I come across an article or a book that brings new insight and gives me a boost of encouragement or some new information regarding health, which results in renewed motivation. One such book that was recommended to me is Effortless Healing—9 Simple Ways to Sidestep Illness, Shed Excess Weight, and Help Your Body Fix Itself, by Dr. Joseph Mercola, a New York Times bestselling author. (Dr. Mercola is the founder of the natural health resource mercola.com.³)

The beauty of this book is its simplicity—it feels doable. It provides information that is simple, affordable, and easy to put into practice. Mercola lists nine main health-supporting categories which he suggests are helpful to maintaining good health. You may not be able to do all of them; you might choose a few to focus on in order to help your health. The categories are:

1. Drink plenty of pure water.
2. Eat lots of vegetables.
3. Burn fat for fuel. (Add healthy fats to your diet—such as coconut oil, olive oil, olives, butter, eggs, avocados, and nuts.)
4. Exercise.
5. Get sun, have sufficient Vitamin D.
6. Maintain your gut flora to protect your immune system. (Take probiotics or eat fermented foods.)
7. Get sufficient sleep.
8. Discharge negative energy in your body by going barefoot on the earth (“grounding” for about 20 minutes a day).
9. Avoid unhealthy “health foods.” (Such things as sugar-filled yogurt, boxed cereals, sports drinks, etc.)

Obviously, this is not the all in all about health, and there are other good resources, but this information is basic and not overwhelming. Dr. Mercola’s point of view is that these are the key focuses for good health. Of course, there are many points of view and schools of thought concerning health and diet, but I found Dr. Mercola’s key points beneficial. They gave me a starting point and I have benefited by focusing on the ones that I have been most in need of.

“Good night, sleep tight!”

I want to elaborate a bit on sleep. In the past, I struggled to get enough sleep. I was often exhausted throughout the day, which was likely due to my not allowing enough time for sleep. The following comments from Arianna Huffington rang true to me. She wrote this after she had collapsed from exhaustion, a fall that resulted in a broken cheekbone.

We live under this collective delusion that sleep is optional and that people are busy and have important things to do, and that sleep is something that we can basically shortchange ourselves of.

It’s a little bit like going back to the 1950s and people believing that smoking is glamorous, and you had doctors advertising cigarettes on television. Sleep deprivation is the new smoking, affecting our health, affecting our productivity, and affecting our happiness.

I remember all of the times I’ve been jet-lagged and sleep-deprived, and it’s hard to bring joy to your life. It’s hard to be grateful. It’s hard to enjoy what you’re doing. That on top of the health problems and the productivity problems means that we really need to course-correct both as individuals and as a culture.⁴

Charles Czeisler, a sleep specialist, agrees.

“Missing a night’s sleep degrades our neurobehavioral performance”—that is, our mental acuity—“by the equivalent to being legally drunk,” he says. And, he warns, “this doesn’t only apply if you miss one night’s sleep completely; you’ll see similar effects if you simply sleep too little each night over time.”⁵

Don’t be afraid of the doctor

At different times in your life, you may need medical attention—you may be pregnant; you may be recovering from an illness; you may be getting older and experiencing the natural process of aging. And if you have a health condition that requires medical care or ongoing treatment or preventative treatment, it’s important to invest the time, attention, and finances needed to take care of it rather than dismissing it.

Some of us might need to reevaluate our reluctance to see a doctor and to take on a more positive view of the help they can give. We should also be careful about self-diagnosis. A health problem might be something simple, or it could be something serious that needs attention; therefore, it’s recommended to get regular medical checkups. While going to the doctor’s office in order to get an overall health check isn’t my favorite activity, I’ve made a point to try to get a yearly checkup, and doing so has been useful. It’s generally better for doctors to find that you have a medical issue at an early stage rather than later when it’s much further along, and having yearly checkups can facilitate that.

Generally speaking, men in particular don’t like to go to the doctor.

USA Today reports:

“A tight schedule. Ignorance is bliss. Uncomfortable physical exams. According to a survey commissioned by Orlando Health, those are the top three reasons why men don’t go to the doctor.”⁶

Anna Almendrala reports:

“Men tend to die earlier than women, are more likely to die from eight out of the ten top causes of death in the U.S. than women, and are also more likely to smoke and drink excessively.

“But there’s another very simple, easy to fix problem: Men just don’t go to the doctor as much as women do. …

“A new online survey commissioned by the Orlando Health hospital system hints at why men may be so reluctant to see doctors. According to the survey results, a mix of busyness, fear, shame and discomfort kept them out of the doctor’s office.”⁷

Guys, if you are reluctant to have medical checkups, you should ask the Lord to help you to get over your reluctance—and that goes for any of you women who may be avoiding trips to the doctor as well. Having a yearly exam with basic blood work that shows where you stand with the most important health markers such as blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, etc., is very helpful and can either show that all is well or can help you catch a health problem before it becomes serious.

The heavenly perspective

No matter how well we take care of our bodies, we are, of course, all going to die. The goal is to live our lives as best we can, in obedience to God’s Word and practical health guidelines, for as long as the Lord wills. When it comes our time to pass on to the next world, I’m sure we all want to do so knowing that, to the best of our ability, we took care of God’s gift to us, our body. If we aren’t doing that already, then we need to start today.

Here’s a relevant excerpt on this topic:

In Psalm 39, David prays: “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!” (v. 4). From his wise prayer we learn the following:

One: We do not know the brevity of life. Most of us think we have more time than we do. We are seldom ready for the end to come. Maybe next week or next month, but not today.

Two: Only God can reveal the shortness of life to us in a convincing way. This is why David makes this a prayer rather than an observation.

Three: If we do not ask God to impress on us the brevity of our lives, we will waste our days. If we do, we will value our time with urgency.

After asking God to help him understand the brevity of his life, David prayed, “I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers” (Psalm 39:12). His admission calls to mind an old Jewish parable.

A famous rabbi lived very simply, inhabiting a small hut with only a cot, desk, chair, and lamp for furnishings. An American tourist came to visit the rabbi and commented on his sparse lifestyle.

The rabbi replied to the tourist, “I don’t see many possessions with you today.” The tourist explained, “But I’m only passing through.”

The rabbi said, “So am I.”⁸

Lord help each of us to take good care of our bodies as we “pass through” this life on our way to the next. May we be faithful and diligent to do so, by God’s grace.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

¹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV).

² Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation (John Wiley & Sons, 2015), 25.

³ The book is by Harmony Crown, 2016. The website is https://www.mercola.com/.

⁴ Nancy Trejos, “Arianna Huffington’s tips for sleeping and beating jet lag,” USA TODAY, June 14, 2016.

⁵ Brett Arends, “A Full Night’s Sleep Can Really Pay Off,” Wall Street Journal, September 18, 2014.

⁶ Samantha Nelson, “Coast-to-coast tour asks men to drop excuses about their health,” USA TODAY, June 15, 2016.

⁷ Anna Almendrala, “Here’s Why Men Don’t Like Going To The Doctor,” Huffington Post, June 13, 2016.

⁸ Jim Denison, The Denison Forum, February 9, 2018, https://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/denison-forum/down-syndrome-child-is-gerber-s-spokesbaby-of-the-year.html.

Copyright © 2019 The Family International.

01 – The Heart of It All: Salvation (part b)

The Heart of It All

Peter Amsterdam

2012-10-23

God’s Plan

God the Redeemer

12-01-24 Besides these types and shadows of atonement for sin through the substitutionary sacrifice of another in the place of the sinner, and sins of all being placed on a single “scapegoat,” there is another foreshadow in the Old Testament of things to come; namely, the understanding of God being the “Redeemer.”

In the exodus from Egypt, God Himself, through His mighty acts, delivered His people from bondage and slavery. He redeemed them and freed them. Speaking to Moses, He said:

Say therefore to the people of Israel, “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.”^[13]

From this point on, God was called the Redeemer.

They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.^[14]

It is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that He swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.^[15]

You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you.^[16]

The deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery was the work of God. The Hebrews weren’t able to deliver themselves from the bondage of the Egyptians. God is the one who pronounced judgment on the Egyptians when pharaoh would not let the Israelites go, and brought upon them the plagues that resulted in the miraculous deliverance of the Hebrew people. Through the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, God preserved the Hebrews from the punishment He inflicted upon the Egyptians.

God delivered the Hebrews through supernatural acts and wonders by His own hand, and not by their works. This was a foreshadow of the grace by which He redeems us through the work of God in salvation. It’s His work, not ours, which saves us. Salvation is available only by His grace, mercy, and love.

God’s plan of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus was His plan of redemption for human beings before humans ever existed. Within the Old Testament He begins to reveal His plan; and then in New Testament times when John the Baptist proclaims, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,”^[17] the fullness of His plan begins to be fully revealed.

The Lamb of God

The fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption through Jesus’ death, His sacrifice of Himself in our place through His blood shed for our sins, is repeatedly spoken of throughout the New Testament. He is the Lamb sacrificed, the one who has died in our stead, and who, like the scapegoat, has taken our sins upon Himself. He is the Redeemer who saves us from the slavery of sin. His death and resurrection is the culmination of the Old Testament types and shadows. It is the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption. God has been holy, righteous, and just to His creations. He has been loving, merciful, and gracious. And we are beneficiaries of the greatest sacrifice ever made.

Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.^[18]

We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all … For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.^[19]

He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for His own sins and then for those of the people, since He did this once for all when He offered up Himself.^[20]

He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.^[21]

You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.^[22]

Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.^[23]

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.^[24]

God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God.^[25]

Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.^[26]

This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.^[27]

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

^[1] John 3:16 NKJ.

^[2] The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

^[3] Romans 5:8.

^[4] 1 John 4:9–10.

^[5] Genesis 3:15.

^[6] Jack Cottrell, What the Bible Says About God the Redeemer (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1987), 402.

^[7] David Berg, Flesh or Spirit? February 1971.

^[8] Genesis 22:6–8,13.

^[9] Exodus 12:1–3,5–8,12–13,21.

^[10] In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected … And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses (Exodus 40:17,29).

^[11] Gordon R. Lewis and Bruce A. Demarest, Integrative Theology, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996), 383–384.

^[12] Gordon R. Lewis and Bruce A. Demarest, Integrative Theology, Volume 3 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1996), 184.

^[13] Exodus 6:6.

^[14] Psalm 78:35.

^[15] Deuteronomy 7:8.

^[16] Deuteronomy 15:15.

^[17] John 1:29.

^[18] Ephesians 5:2.

^[19] Hebrews 10:10,14.

^[20] Hebrews 7:27.

^[21] Hebrews 9:12–14.

^[22] 1 Peter 1:18–19.

^[23] Ephesians 2:13.

^[24] Ephesians 1:7.

^[25] Romans 5:8–9.

^[26] 1 Corinthians 5:7.

^[27] Matthew 26:28.

Copyright © 2012 The Family International.

01 – The Heart of It All: Salvation (part a)

The Heart of It All

Peter Amsterdam

2012-10-23

God’s Plan

11-30-24 (For an introduction and explanation regarding this series overall, please see The Heart of It All: Introduction.)

The core teaching of the New Testament can be found in one of the most beautiful verses of Scripture:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.^[1]

This verse reveals the amazing truth that the Creator of the universe loved the human race so much that He sent the second Person of the Trinity—God the Son, Jesus—to become human and to die in our place for the sins we have committed, so that we wouldn’t have to suffer the penalty for those sins even though we deserve to. We have the opportunity to receive everlasting life because Jesus has paid the price for our sins through His sacrifice.

God’s plan of salvation, which was decided upon before the creation of the world, is rooted in God’s love for humankind. God’s motivation is love. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit love us and made a way for us to be saved from the ultimate consequence of sin—spiritual death and separation from God in the afterlife, which is called hell in Scripture.

Some people have the impression that God is a cruel and angry God: that He judges people harshly because He is personally offended that they sinned against Him, and therefore He selfishly demands that they be punished. The true picture is very different. Because God’s nature includes the attributes of holiness, righteousness, justice, and wrath, in order to be true to His divine nature He must judge sin. He could have justly punished every human being for their sins. Instead, because His divine nature also includes the attributes of love, mercy and grace, His wish was that no one should perish,^[2] and to that end He has made a way in which humans can be redeemed. That redemption is rooted in His love, because He “so loved the world.” His love is such that even though we are sinners, and have sinned against Him, He has, in love, made a way that we can be saved from the merited judgment for our sins. God’s plan of salvation is the manifestation of His mercy and love for humankind.

God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.^[3]

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.^[4]

From the Beginning

God knew, before creating the universe, that human beings created with free will would sin, so He made a way to save humanity from the penalty for sin through His plan of salvation. His plan for the salvation of humankind enabled Him to be true to all aspects of His divine nature: His holiness, righteousness, and wrath, and His love, mercy, and grace.

God’s desire is to save humans, to redeem them, to reconcile them with Him, while remaining true to His nature. He was under no obligation to save us; He could have simply let all humans suffer the penalty of sin, but He didn’t. In His love for us, the triune God made a way to redeem us. God had the plan of salvation from the beginning, which was put into play starting with Adam and Eve’s first sin and which culminated in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Since God is the omniscient Creator, it was no surprise to Him that Adam and Eve sinned. He knew that they would freely choose to disobey Him, and in His foresight, He had already designed His plan of salvation. When God told Adam and Eve the consequences of their sin, He also spoke to the serpent, saying:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.^[5]

From the very beginning, God said that an offspring of the woman would bruise or crush the head of the serpent—Satan—while Satan would only bruise his foot. At the time that the first sin was committed by humanity, God was already foretelling how Jesus would defeat Satan.

His plan of salvation included calling out a people, Israel, to whom He would reveal Himself and give His commandments. It was through His words spoken to Israel that God revealed knowledge about Himself, the one true God, and His law. Israel guarded and passed on His revelation from generation to generation, thus ensuring its preservation. It was through the lineage of Israel that He sent His Son as the God-man, through whom He brought salvation to humanity.

The history of Israel is the history of God laying the groundwork for the salvation of humanity through Jesus.^[6] The Old Testament not only contains prophecies about the Messiah’s life and mission, but also numerous foreshadows of the salvation to come through His incarnate Son. When speaking about the Old Testament, David Berg wrote:

God had a hard time getting the children of Israel out of the idolatry of Egypt and had to lead them through Moses, with the Law as their schoolteacher, by childish little illustrations and rituals, little material object lessons—the Tabernacle, the Ark, animal sacrifices, and the blood of beasts.—Types and shadows, mere pictures of the spiritual realities and eternal verities. He had to take what they understood, the things and forms with which they were familiar in the religions of Egypt and other heathen nations around them, in a fatherly attempt to audio-visualize for them the genuine spiritual truths of the mature adult true worship of God Himself. As the Apostle says, these were all “figures of the true,” mere visual likenesses or illustrations of the real unseen things of the Spirit! In the Old Testament were the illustrations; in the present New Testament time are the spiritual truths which we have now by faith alone (John 1:17).^[7]

Old Testament Types and Shadows

In order to gain a deeper understanding of salvation and redemption, of why Jesus had to die on the cross in order for us to be forgiven for our sins and become reconciled with God, it’s important to review some of the “types and shadows” within the Old Testament. We’ll focus here only on those which are directly connected to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Throughout the book of Genesis there were sacrifices made to God, beginning with Cain and Abel, then continuing with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and others. One particular story, that of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac, prefigures God’s sacrifice of His Son for the sins of humanity. When Isaac asked his father where the lamb for the sacrifice was, Abraham said that God would provide it. When Abraham was about to slay his son on the altar, the Lord then showed him a ram that was caught in the bushes, which Abraham sacrificed instead of his son. The substitution of the lamb for Isaac as a sacrifice to God portrays the concept of substitutional sacrifice, which is the basis for the animal sacrificial system which God later gave to Israel through Moses, as a means of atoning for their sins. God’s provision of the ram foreshadows His supply of a sacrifice, His Son, for the sins of humanity.

Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together … And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.^[8]

Centuries later, when the descendants of Abraham, the Hebrews, were enslaved in Egypt, God spoke to Moses and told him that He would deliver the Hebrews out of the hands of the Egyptians. When the pharaoh of Egypt wouldn’t let them go, God informed Moses that on a certain night He was going to kill all the firstborn in Egypt, both men and animals. He commanded each Hebrew household to kill a year-old sheep or goat and to sprinkle its blood on the door frames of their houses. If they would do so, the firstborn in the houses with blood on the doorposts would be spared the judgment of God. Those without the blood would not be spared.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household … Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt” … Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.”^[9]

Their obedience in sacrificing the Passover lamb and sprinkling its blood on the doorframe was the key to the Hebrews being spared from God’s judgment, and resulted in them being freed from bondage and slavery. In the second year after their deliverance from Egypt^[10] God instructed Moses to initiate the Levitical sacrificial system in which animal sacrifice would atone for sin. Authors Lewis and Demarest give the following excellent basic explanation of this sacrificial system:

In the burnt offering, the fellowship or peace offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, a sacrificial procedure was followed that generally involved the following elements: (1) an unblemished animal, connoting the idea of moral perfection, was presented at the door of the sanctuary by the offerer. (2) The offerer places his hands on the animal’s head, signifying identification with the victim and the transfer of the penalty of sin to the substitute. (3) The animal was slain by the offerer (in later times by the priest), signifying that death is the just punishment for sin. (4) The priest sprinkled the blood of the victim on the altar and around the base of it, the blood representing the life of the victim. And (5) the offering, in part or in whole, was burned on the altar of burnt offering, its fragrance ascending to God as a pleasing aroma. Repeatedly Scripture indicates that the purpose of these sacrifices was “to make atonement” for the offerer (Leviticus 1:4; 4:20; 5:13; Numbers 5:8; 8:12; 15:25).^[11]

Every year on the Day of Atonement a special sacrifice was made for the sins of all the people. First the high priest made an offering for his own sins, followed by a special offering for the people. Again, Lewis and Demarest give a concise explanation:

The high priest sacrificed the first male goat brought by the people as a sin-offering and sprinkled its blood on and in front of the “atonement cover” in the Holy of Holies, thereby expiating the uncleanness of the people (Leviticus 16:15–19) and making atonement. This act of blood shedding, according to Leviticus 17:11, represents God’s ordained way of securing atonement. The high priest then laid his hands on the head of the second goat (the “scapegoat”) and confessed all the sins of the community, thus symbolically transferring guilt from the people to the victim. The second goat became the sin-bearer, as it irretrievably carried the sins and iniquities of the people into the wilderness.^[12]

In these Old Testament sacrifices we can see the concepts of atonement and reconciliation for sins through substitution. In the same way as the ram was sacrificed in Isaac’s place, the animals were sacrificed for the sins of the offerer. These Old Testament sacrifices atoned for past sins, but needed to be repeated as new sins were committed. (To be continued)

I Am the True Vine

11-29-24 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants,^[a] for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another. (John15:12-17) ESV

Building Great People

A compilation

2012-02-13

One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is your faith in them. Everyone needs someone to believe in them!—Peter Amsterdam

*

People often judge one another by what they see on the outside—the initial reactions, the perception of a person’s character, the hearsay circulated about an individual. It’s hard to see the person behind the mask, to see his heart and what his intentions are. It’s sad that so much is measured by what’s on the outside, because it’s the heart that counts. People the world over would be far better off being measured against that touchstone.

It takes love, hope, faith, and understanding to nourish the possibilities in another, and to believe that there is more to a person than meets the eye. You may think that you know a person well enough to know that he is beyond changing, but would you have the same said of you? Would you want to be boxed in and limited to what people suppose you are? Would you consider how people view and treat you to be a fair representation of who you really are and how you would want to be treated? Think about that, and then consider how you view others and how you treat them.

Human nature is such that you thrive on hearing appreciation from those around you. You gain confidence when you know that someone considers your thoughts of value. A brilliant light is turned on within a heart that is cherished and admired by another. There truly is no comparison to what love and faith can do to the human spirit, and it would make Me so happy to see more love extended to those around you.

Do your best to help those around you flourish and become more than they are today. It’s part of your Christian duty to reach out to others and to believe in them. Show faith and trust in people, even when you may feel hesitant to do so. You’d be surprised at what may come from a little confidence and faith placed in an individual.

So many people lack simple confidence. They’ve felt shut out by others, condemned, unappreciated, and ridiculed, and this has been a loss to the development of their possibilities. It’s a rare soul who can go so contrarily against the crowd and forge ahead, regardless of what others think, or whether or not he receives any praise or encouragement for what he hopes to achieve. Most people need the gentle nurturing of appreciation, faith, love, and belief that they can succeed.

Such faith in others doesn’t always come easily. Sometimes you must extend the hand of acceptance, even when your logic is screaming that you shouldn’t. But if you know that it’s what’s right, that it’s what I expect of you, then it’s My voice within your heart that you must listen to. Don’t push it aside as illogical or foolish. Love isn’t always logical.

If you want to see the world and those around you change, then it starts with you—with your belief that others are more than they appear to be. You can draw out the good in those around you, appreciate individuals for who they are, acknowledge the gifts and talents that I’ve blessed them with, and humbly be a conduit of love and appreciation to others.

Remember My words to My disciples, which still hold true today: “This is My commandment: that ye love one another, as I have loved you.”¹ So love others, and highlight the good in them, and that good will flourish even more. You can have full confidence that love never returns void.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

*

Expect the best from people. You’ll see that they’ll often meet your expectations, and in some cases, exceed them.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

*

Many of you remember the movie “Stand and Deliver,” the story of Jaime Escalante, an immigrant from Bolivia who taught at Garfield High School in inner-city Los Angeles. He accomplished remarkable results with students known to be especially difficult to teach.

One story not depicted in the movie was the one about “the other Johnny.” Escalante had two students named Johnny in his class. One was a straight A+ student; the other was an F+ student. The A+ student was easy to get along with, cooperated with teachers, worked hard, and was popular with his peers. The F+ Johnny was sullen, angry, uncooperative, disruptive, and in general was not popular with anyone.

One evening at a PTA meeting, an excited mother approached Escalante and asked, “How is my Johnny doing?” Escalante figured that the F+ Johnny’s mother would not be asking such a question, so he described in glowing terms the A+ Johnny, saying he was a wonderful student, popular with his class, cooperative and a hard worker, and would undoubtedly go far in life. The next morning, Johnny—the F+ one—approached Escalante and said, “I really appreciate what you said to my mother about me, and I just want you to know that I’m going to work real hard to make what you said the truth.” By the end of that grade period, he was a C- student, and by the end of the school year, he was on the honor roll.

If we treat others as if they were “the other Johnny,” chances are dramatically better that they will, in fact, improve their performance. Someone rightly said that more people have been encouraged to succeed than have been nagged to succeed. This example makes us wonder what would happen to all the “other Johnnies” of the world if someone said something really nice about them.—Zig Ziglar

*

Everyone screws up at some point or another, but the knowledge that someone still believes in them, has faith in them, and trusts that even though they’ve made mistakes and have fallen or failed, they’re not being put on the scrap heap, can be just what they need to make it. You’ll be amazed at what people will do or be if they know that you believe in them.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

*

Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.—Ralph Waldo Emerson

*

People often lose faith in themselves and in their own abilities. They clearly see their mistakes, inabilities, and failings, and the Enemy is always right there to magnify those faults and to tell them, “Yes, you are a failure and you’ll never amount to anything. You might as well give up now.”

But when someone comes along and shows faith in them, it can often be the ray of hope that they need to turn things around and to keep going.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

*

Practical ways to express “I have faith in you”:

* Build up excellence: Try to think of at least one thing that you find outstanding in a person, and then make it your task to let them know. Reinforce the fact that you see and know how excellent they are in that specific way. Don’t be shy; they won’t get tired of hearing it. What you’re doing is building confidence in that one area, and as they gain confidence, they will start to improve in other areas as well.

* Give others responsibility: If you’re in a position of authority, try to give others responsibility in the areas in which they are notably strong, even if it’s just in one small thing. Let them feel trusted and needed and appreciated for their obvious strengths, and it will help them to develop other strengths.

* Appreciate who they are: Appreciating others for what they do is important, and people like to be thanked and acknowledged for it. But being appreciated for a personal trait feels a lot nicer than only being appreciated for the outcome of that trait. For example, telling a cook that she is creative in coming up with exotic dishes, rather than just saying that the food was delicious.

* Keep appreciation simple and doable: Don’t feel that you need to have wonderfully warm feelings about a person, or be their best friend and really know them deeply before you can make a difference in someone’s life. You can be a near stranger and still have a marvelous effect on someone.

* Slow down: It takes time to see people in a new light. It takes a slowdown of the hasty assumptions that are a result of mental ruts and thought patterns that require no change in perspective. Go slower in your interactions with people and allow Me a chance to reveal My perspective.

* Pause to meditate: Think of the positive ways that someone has helped you. Praise Me for the good that a person has done. Pray for them. Appreciate them in your thoughts. You will have a change in how you view others, because you will have taken the time to go deeper, past the surface assumptions that are so easy to make and past your history with them.

* Let go of the past: Be willing to see who the person is today, or the potential of what they can be tomorrow, and don’t let your view be marred by your past experiences.

* Extend mercy: Acknowledge the mercy that you want Me and others to show you, and then show that same mercy and tenderness to others.

* Drop the labels: Think of how you dislike being labeled or put in a box. You desire freedom to go wherever My Spirit leads, to do whatever I show you to do. Labels and classifications put people in boxes that hinder their faith to follow My Spirit. Try your best to support and encourage others to follow their faith.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

*

Treat a man as he appears to be, and you make him worse. But treat a man as if he already were what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be.—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Originally published December 2009. Adapted and republished February 2012.
Read by Simon Peterson.

¹ John 15:12.

Raiser of Taxes and the Rise of the Antichrist

Daniel 10 and 11

David Brandt Berg

1985-05-02

11-28-24 Daniel chapter 10 is some time after Daniel 9, in the time of Cyrus, king of Persia. He says in the first verse, “A thing was revealed unto Daniel, and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long.” In other words, what he’s going to tell you about now was a long way away and was going to be a long time coming.

Daniel was fasting and praying, and he fainted and fell flat on his face. In the tenth verse a hand touched him “which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.” He was what some Pentecostals call “slain in the spirit.” He fainted and the Lord gave him the strength to get up in a crawling position, then finally he stood up.

The archangel Gabriel apparently came to speak to him again, because he talks about Michael (verse 13) helping him. He’d had a struggle on his way. He had been on his way for 21 days, trying to get to Daniel with this message. But he had a problem with the prince of Persia. (Verse 13:) “The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days.”

Obviously Persia, mighty as it was, didn’t have the kind of weapons or warfare which could withstand an archangel. It wasn’t the king of Persia that was stopping him; it was the spiritual king of Persia, the archangel of the Devil who was withstanding him and wrestling with him. There’s a battle going on in the spirit world, and sometimes it’s a struggle even for the mighty archangels of God to get through the powers of the Devil, but he made it.

In the 14th verse he says, “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days, for yet the vision is for many days.” In fact, this final kingdom that he was talking about, which all his visions were leading up to, which all his revelations were giving the background of, was in the very endtime. He gives the background and the historical events leading up to it.

That was quite a prophecy, given nearly 2,500 years ago and only now being fulfilled. Of course, many of the prophecies in here are historical prophecies leading up to it, which had not been fulfilled in Daniel’s day but have been since: the course of history and the empires of the world.

Poor Daniel! These revelations must be hard, because he set his face toward the ground again and became dumb. Verse 15: “And one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.” All of this drained him. “For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? For as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.” It was quite an exhausting experience to be in a spiritual experience, talking with this mighty personage.

(Verse 18:) “Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me. And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak, for thou hast strengthened me. Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? And now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth”—after I’m gone—“the prince of Grecia shall come.”

This must not have been very long before Alexander the Great invaded Medo-Persia. He was telling Daniel that it wasn’t going to be long before Alexander the Great arrived there in Medo-Persia.

Some of the description in here sounds almost like it might have been Jesus speaking. If you go back to the fifth verse, it talks about “a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz. His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.” Some people think that it was Gabriel, others think it was Jesus Himself. It sounds a lot like the Revelation description of Jesus (Revelation 1:13–16).

(Verse 21:) “But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael your prince.” How would you interpret that, “nobody holdeth with me in these things”? If you say that nobody but Michael believes Him, then you’ve got a disagreement in heaven and either Jesus or Gabriel is not being received and not being believed, and that is highly unlikely. The real meaning here is likely that nobody else knows about these things. He hasn’t shared these things with anybody but Michael the archangel.

Michael was the archangel of the Jewish people, especially in that day. “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people” (Daniel 12:1). The mighty archangel Michael was especially assigned to the Jews at that time.

 

Daniel 11 history

The same person, whether Jesus or Gabriel, is still speaking in Daniel 11, verse 1. Remember, there were no chapter divisions in the original Scriptures. “There is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.”

Does the Lord have influence on presidents and kings and world leaders? He weakens some or He strengthens others to get His will done. At this time it was His will to strengthen the Medo-Persian kings to make sure that they held the kingdom until Alexander came along.

(Verse 2:) “And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.” There were three more kings of Persia after Darius the Mede, and the last one was very rich and powerful, and he saw the threat of Greece coming from the west. He, stirred up by his riches and power, probably bought a lot of armies and mercenaries. To have 250,000 men in the field, he must have had lots of money to pay them, to arm them with swords, shields, helmets, armor, chariots, horses, and all the things they needed. That cost a lot of money, great riches.

He apparently saw the threat of Alexander the Great coming from Greece, so he used this great wealth to “stir up all against the realm of Grecia”: 250,000 men, which was plenty. In fact, they say this is the largest number of men ever put into one battle, 250,000 men in one great battle in Medo-Persia, in what is now Turkey.

(Verse 3:) “And a mighty king shall stand up that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.” He is talking about Alexander the Great. (Verse 4:) “And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds.” When Alexander died, his kingdom was divided into four parts by four generals. “Toward the four winds”—four directions: north, south, east, and west.

“Not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled.” They couldn’t hold the dominion that he had ruled. “For his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those.” After the four generals, there were others who took over and divided the kingdom more and more.

There are all kinds of interpretations of this, but it has to do with the wars that were going on, a number of which are mentioned in history, between the remnants of Alexander’s kingdom and Rome. This is a description of the wars between Greece and Rome, how God looks at it, what’s really behind it, and how they even traded women for power. He’s telling Daniel these facts because the details of that era became very important to the Jews, who were always getting kicked around by this or that empire. Just like He is telling us now about this coming Antichrist and his kingdom and what’s going to happen, he is telling God’s people of that day what was going to happen in the immediate future regarding the wars between Rome and Greece.

Then apparently He starts to leap over centuries, getting down toward the end.

 

WW II, the British Empire

If verse 21 is about the Antichrist and the beginning of his rise and takeover, verse 20 must be about the power which immediately precedes the Antichrist in this period of history after the fall of the British Empire.

Britain was the greatest recent empire, and the sun never set on the British flag. It had great colonies around the world, and if not colonies, they were still part of the commonwealth, like Canada, her young lions like America, still standing strong together. In fact, the Bible speaks of it in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 38:13). Britain and its colonies and ex-colonies and commonwealth countries were the mightiest empire on earth just a few years ago. At the turn of the twentieth century, Britain was the greatest power on earth. But two wars finished that—beginning with World War 1, in which the U.S. had to come to her aid and as a result became much more militant and warlike. Britain went flat after World War 2 and lost its empire.

After the British Empire fell, the United States of America became the most powerful nation on earth. Even more than Russia, as Russia was still rebuilding. It had been exhausted by the war and still didn’t have the atom bomb. Only the Americans had the atom bombs, and with the atom bomb, they were the most powerful nation on the face of the earth.

Let’s go back a verse to the 20th verse, the one which describes some world power in existence just before the Antichrist.

“Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom.” Did you know the United States raises more taxes than any nation on the face of the earth, and it spends more money on the military and armaments than any other nation? She’s the greatest raiser of taxes in the world. They have to pay their taxes for guns and bombs, even for a war they didn’t want, like Vietnam.

The world power which is to immediately precede the Antichrist is a great raiser of taxes. “But within few days he shall be destroyed”—that is, in the mind of God a few days; He calls 2,500 years many days—“He shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.”

Rich people have borrowed themselves into debts that they can never repay. Poor people the same; middle-class people the same. So if the slightest thing gets out of balance, the whole thing crashes like a bunch of dominoes. Everybody loses everything, including the government, but the ones who loaned the money now own everything. They loaned the money on the house; now they own the house. They loaned the money on the business; now they own the business. They loaned the money on the industry; now they own the industry. They loaned the money to the government, and now they own the government.

Not everybody loses when there’s a crash. There are some big money boys at the top who make all the money that is lost. It’s in somebody’s pocket. You may have lost it but somebody else has it. All they have to do is engineer a crash and say, “It’s time to pay. Pay up!” And the borrowers can’t pay. “Okay, we’ll take the house, the furniture, the car, the government!”

The raiser of taxes is now in debt. The United States is now the greatest debtor nation on the face of the earth! It owes more money than any other nation. It raises more taxes to pay for its armaments and its government, which wastes $700 for a hammer, $500 for a screwdriver. If you’re a poor person, you don’t have to steal $700 for a hammer or $500 for a screwdriver; you steal $5 or $7 and you’ll land in jail. But not the rich, not big industries. If they ever get caught, they just pay a multimillion-dollar fine, and that’s peanuts compared to the billions they’ve got already.

So there’s your raiser of taxes and what he uses his taxes for, and what’s going to happen when the crash comes.

 

Rise of the Antichrist

(Verse 21:) “And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.” The Antichrist is going to win the world in the long run not only through war, but through propaganda, persuasion, “obtaining the kingdom by flatteries.”

(Verse 22:) “And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.” They’re giving you advance warning that this is the Antichrist, who’s going to make that covenant. In other words, he is also the prince of the covenant.

(Verse 23:) “And after the league made with him, he shall work deceitfully.” A league is a treaty or a pact or a bond or alliance or covenant. To get the world together, he has to make some kind of pact or treaty or covenant to persuade them that this is the best thing to do to solve our problems. For example, “We’ll prevent nuclear war by getting together and making this league or covenant.”

After that, “he shall work deceitfully.” He’s been working deceitfully all along, so that’s nothing new. “For he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.” Communism started with one man! Karl Marx, a German who wrote Das Kapital, with Friedrich Engels, the Communist Manifesto.

(Verse 24:) “He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province. He shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches.” Most conquerors, most great warring powers run by the rich and kings robbed everybody, the rich and poor alike, and took it for themselves and kept it. Whereas the communists promised to share the wealth, to “scatter among them the spoil and the prey.”

They knew that, in order to take over the world, they had to convince the poor, the laboring man, in order to get their soldiers and fighters and infiltrators, their fifth columnists. They had to persuade the millions of poor and laborers that communism was the thing that was going to finally get them a square deal and a chicken in the pot or a piece of land. “Bread and land” was the cry of the Russian revolution. Why wouldn’t that appeal to a poor, hardworking laborer eking out a bare existence? He’s hungry, he’s oppressed, he’s mistreated by his government and by the powers that be and the rich, so he’s fed up. The poor figure, “The rich have robbed us. Why shouldn’t we rob the rich and get it back?”

“Yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.” A very short time; he doesn’t have very long!

Copyright © May 1985 by The Family International

11-27-24 For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me^[b] to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: ⁹ “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. ¹⁰ Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. ¹¹ And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. ¹² And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 2:8-12) ESV

God’s Eyes

“He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8).

David Brandt Berg

1976-07-01

Remember when the apostle Paul began to get under very great conviction and the Holy Spirit was really prodding him? The picture God gives is when Jesus met him on the way to Damascus and said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:4, 5).

The word “pricks” used there in the Greek is a word used for an ox goad, a stick with a sharp point that farmers used on a stubborn ox that refused to pull the plow. If the ox was very stubborn and wouldn’t pull, the farmer would use this sharp stick and prod the ox in the rear.

If the ox was still very stubborn, it would even kick against the pricks and still refuse to go. So what Jesus said to Saul on the way to Damascus is, “You are a stubborn old ox refusing to do My work. Even though I’m prodding you with the sharp stick of the Holy Spirit, you still won’t go. You not only won’t go, you even kick back against Me!”

The more Saul got under conviction, the harder he fought it, so he even began to persecute the Christians. He was kicking hard against the pricks of conviction of the Holy Spirit. Apparently he knew it was the truth, but he was fighting it.

It wasn’t enough just to speak against the Christians; he had to go out and actively persecute them. So he was on his way to Damascus with letters from the high priest to persecute the Christians there. He was riding on a horse with some soldiers to go and arrest the Christians.

God smote him, struck him off his horse just like lightning, knocked him to the ground and blinded him! His pupils were actually burned by the light. He was fighting God so hard, God hit back. Whammy! You fight God too hard and God will fight you!

Jesus appeared to Saul and said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” Who was he persecuting when he was persecuting Christians? He was persecuting Jesus.

And Jesus fought back. “Stand back,” the Lord said in the scripture, “and see Me fight!” This is not thy battle, but mine. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord! For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye. Touch not the Lord’s anointed” (Exodus 14:14; 2 Chronicles 20:17; Romans 12:19; Zechariah 2:8; Psalm 105:15).

He says, “Touch not the Lord’s anointed and do my prophets no harm, for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye.” In other words, anybody that tries to do them harm is sticking their finger in God’s eye. His prophets are the eyes of His body, the church.

If they touch His prophets, they’ve poked God right in the eye. And what happens when somebody touches your eye? You involuntarily bat it away. If it’s accidental, you forgive them. But if they keep trying to stick their finger in your eye on purpose, you’re probably going to hit back. You’re certainly not going to let them! So if they try to touch His prophets, brother, they’re touching the most sensitive part of God’s body, and He’s not going to allow it.

Saul was on his way to touch the prophets of God, and God slapped him down—slapped him right off his horse onto the ground and burned both of his eyes. He was about to touch God’s eyes, so God blinded him and burned both of his. Trying to show him how blind he was spiritually, God burned his eyes.

He was trying to touch God’s eyes, so God smote his eyes. So they had to lead him by the hand to Damascus and he had to wait for one of God’s prophets to come and pray for him to heal his eyes.

He not only healed him physically, but he also healed Saul’s spiritual eyes, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. God gave him new eyes both ways—new physical eyes and new spiritual eyes—so that he became one of the greatest of all God’s prophets, God’s eyes.

He turned into a private eye for God. They call detectives private eyes or spies. In a way God’s eyes are spies for Him. They look both ways: They look to God for information and direction, and then they look at the world to tell them what’s wrong.

So, as Gamaliel told the Sanhedrin, “Beware lest ye be found to fight against God” (Acts 5:39). When the Sanhedrin, the religious parliament of the Jews, was discussing how to fight the Christians, Gamaliel got up and said, “If this thing be of man, it will come to nought. But if it be of God, no man can stand against it!” (Acts 5:38–39)

Copyright © July 1976 by The Family International

149 – Jesus—His Life and Message: Final Judgment by the Son of Man

Jesus—His Life and Message

Peter Amsterdam

2021-03-23

 11-26-24  (You can read about the intent for and overview of this series in
this introductory article.)

The previous two articles in this series, The Coming of the Son of Man (Parts 1 and 2), covered Matthew chapter 24, part of which addressed endtime events and Jesus’ return. The latter part of Matthew 24, verses 45–51, along with Matthew 25 verses 1–30, consists of three parables: the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servant (Matthew 24:45–51, Luke 12:39–40);¹ the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1–13);² and the parable of the king and the stewards (Matthew 25:14–30, Luke 19:11–27).³ These parables were covered in The Stories Jesus Told series, so are not included in this series. After these parables, Matthew 25:31–46 focuses on the final judgment by Jesus, the Son of Man.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.⁴

Jesus’ earthly life in many ways was one of lowliness and service. However, the time will come when He will return in His power and majesty, accompanied by the angels. Within the Gospels we find a number of other references to Jesus returning with angels accompanying Him.

The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.⁵

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.⁶

Jesus continues to speak about when He comes in His glory.

Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats^. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.⁷

The statement that “all the nations” will be gathered together makes the point that Jesus is referring to the final judgment of all people. Sheep and goats were the most common of small domestic animals in Israel, with sheep considered to be better than goats. Sheep and goats often grazed together; however, because goats were more sensitive to the cold, they were generally put in a warmer place for the night. The concept of the sheep and the goats being separated by the shepherd would be understood as standard practice within Israel at that time.

There is no explanation given as to why sheep are viewed positively and goats negatively. However, as the sheep and goats are separated, the sheep receive favorable judgment and the goats are seen in an unfavorable light. The right-hand side was generally considered the favored side. To be seated at the right hand of a ruler was the highest honor a ruler could give, whereas the left side was seen as representing an ill omen.

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”’⁸ 

Earlier, in verse 31, we were told that the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne; now, the Son of Man is referred to as the King. It is He who will pronounce the verdicts to those who are before Him. In the Gospel of John, we read that the Father has given Jesus this authority.

As the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.⁹

Jesus first speaks to those on His right side, those who are blessed of the Father. The blessedness of those on the right is the inheritance of the kingdom. This reflects what Jesus said earlier in this Gospel.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.¹⁰

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.¹¹

Elsewhere Jesus referred to the future when He said to His disciples,

Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.¹²

Jesus then pointed out some of the things that those who “are blessed of my Father” do in their lives—they feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison. This list is repeated four times in this chapter (verses 34–46). Such repetition emphasizes that these activities are meant to be a discipleship guideline for believers. A Christian’s life should exhibit evidence that God is at work in and through them, and such acts of kindness mirror the Lord’s love and care. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.¹³

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’¹⁴ 

The “sheep,” now called “the righteous,” are surprised to hear that they did these commendable things. They reviewed the list of actions which Jesus referred to and asked when they did such things. It’s clear that they didn’t do these acts of kindness in order to be rewarded; rather, they acted in love and in alignment with Jesus’ teachings.

The King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”¹⁵ 

Jesus’ answer begins with the phrase “Truly, I say to you,” which adds to the importance and seriousness of the statement. His ministry focused on the poor, needy, and outcasts—the least of these. Elsewhere in the Gospels, we find examples of those He ministered to. Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.¹⁶ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.¹⁷

Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”¹⁸

Following the commendation of those who have lived their lives in alignment with what Jesus taught, He then focused on those on his left. While He invited those on His right to “come,” those on the left hear the opposite: “depart from me.” They are referred to as “you cursed.” These who are rejected go into the fire which is prepared for Satan and his angels.

In the book of Revelation we find the vision of the lake of fire into which the Devil, the beast, and the false prophet are thrown.

The devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.¹⁹

If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.²⁰

In the Gospel of Matthew, we find other references to hell fire.

I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire.²¹

If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.²²

While the ESV translates these verses as the hell of fire, other Bible versions translate this as hell fire, fiery hell, fire of hell or the fires of hell.

Jesus made reference to the devil and his angels, which refers to fallen angels who are Satan’s helpers. Other references to fallen angels are found in the New Testament.

God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.²³

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.²⁴

Jesus continued,

I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.²⁵ 

Jesus listed the same needs and actions that He did when commending those on His right hand, but this time in the negative. These, in contrast, have been so focused on themselves and their own concerns that they have ignored the plight of others. What is staggering is that in not doing these things for others, Jesus states that they were not doing them for Him personally.

Then they also will answer, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” Then he will answer them, saying, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”²⁶

The people are just as surprised as those in the first group, as they aren’t aware of any time they refused to give Jesus food or water or any other help when He needed it. They didn’t understand that in failing to serve the needy they failed to serve Him. One author writes: We should notice that their condemnation is expressed not in terms of their having done some awful crime but in terms of their failure to do what is right. Sins of omission can be very important.²⁷

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.²⁸ 

Commentators have different views about eternal punishment. Some interpret it to mean punishment which lasts forever, that someone assigned to hell will endure punishment eternally. Others understand it to mean punishment which relates to the age to come. In this understanding, it is seen not as continual punishment which goes on forever, but as punishment which has eternal consequences, meaning the loss of eternal life through being destroyed by fire. Either one means a permanent separation from God.

The thought of being permanently separated from God and His goodness and love is deeply sad and disturbing. It is certainly a motivating reason to share the good news of the gospel with all who we can, so that they too can spend eternity in the presence of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

¹ https://library.tfionline.com/?viewId=47105&treeId=12869

² https://library.tfionline.com/?viewId=48303&treeId=12869

³ https://library.tfionline.com/?viewId=26585&treeId=12869

⁴ Matthew 25:31.

⁵ Matthew 16:27.

⁶ Matthew 13:41–42. See also Matthew 24:30–31.

⁷ Matthew 25:32–33.

⁸ Matthew 25:34–36.

⁹ John 5:26–27.

¹⁰ Matthew 5:3.

¹¹ Matthew 5:10.

¹² Matthew 19:28.

¹³ Hebrews 13:2.

¹⁴ Matthew 25:37–39.

¹⁵ Matthew 25:40.

¹⁶ Matthew 11:4–5.

¹⁷ Luke 4:18–19.

¹⁸ Matthew 25:41.

¹⁹ Revelation 20:10.

²⁰ Revelation 20:15.

²¹ Matthew 5:22.

²² Matthew 18:8–9.

²³ 2 Peter 2:4.

²⁴ Revelation 12:7–9.

²⁵ Matthew 25:42–43.

²⁶ Matthew 25:44–45.

²⁷ Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 641.

²⁸ Matthew 25:46.

Copyright © 2021 The Family International.

149 – Jesus—His Life and Message: Final Judgment by the Son of Man

Jesus—His Life and Message

Peter Amsterdam

2021-03-23

 11-26-24  (You can read about the intent for and overview of this series in
this introductory article.)

The previous two articles in this series, The Coming of the Son of Man (Parts 1 and 2), covered Matthew chapter 24, part of which addressed endtime events and Jesus’ return. The latter part of Matthew 24, verses 45–51, along with Matthew 25 verses 1–30, consists of three parables: the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servant (Matthew 24:45–51, Luke 12:39–40);¹ the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1–13);² and the parable of the king and the stewards (Matthew 25:14–30, Luke 19:11–27).³ These parables were covered in The Stories Jesus Told series, so are not included in this series. After these parables, Matthew 25:31–46 focuses on the final judgment by Jesus, the Son of Man.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.⁴

Jesus’ earthly life in many ways was one of lowliness and service. However, the time will come when He will return in His power and majesty, accompanied by the angels. Within the Gospels we find a number of other references to Jesus returning with angels accompanying Him.

The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.⁵

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.⁶

Jesus continues to speak about when He comes in His glory.

Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats^. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.⁷

The statement that “all the nations” will be gathered together makes the point that Jesus is referring to the final judgment of all people. Sheep and goats were the most common of small domestic animals in Israel, with sheep considered to be better than goats. Sheep and goats often grazed together; however, because goats were more sensitive to the cold, they were generally put in a warmer place for the night. The concept of the sheep and the goats being separated by the shepherd would be understood as standard practice within Israel at that time.

There is no explanation given as to why sheep are viewed positively and goats negatively. However, as the sheep and goats are separated, the sheep receive favorable judgment and the goats are seen in an unfavorable light. The right-hand side was generally considered the favored side. To be seated at the right hand of a ruler was the highest honor a ruler could give, whereas the left side was seen as representing an ill omen.

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”’⁸ 

Earlier, in verse 31, we were told that the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne; now, the Son of Man is referred to as the King. It is He who will pronounce the verdicts to those who are before Him. In the Gospel of John, we read that the Father has given Jesus this authority.

As the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.⁹

Jesus first speaks to those on His right side, those who are blessed of the Father. The blessedness of those on the right is the inheritance of the kingdom. This reflects what Jesus said earlier in this Gospel.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.¹⁰

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.¹¹

Elsewhere Jesus referred to the future when He said to His disciples,

Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.¹²

Jesus then pointed out some of the things that those who “are blessed of my Father” do in their lives—they feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison. This list is repeated four times in this chapter (verses 34–46). Such repetition emphasizes that these activities are meant to be a discipleship guideline for believers. A Christian’s life should exhibit evidence that God is at work in and through them, and such acts of kindness mirror the Lord’s love and care. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.¹³

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’¹⁴ 

The “sheep,” now called “the righteous,” are surprised to hear that they did these commendable things. They reviewed the list of actions which Jesus referred to and asked when they did such things. It’s clear that they didn’t do these acts of kindness in order to be rewarded; rather, they acted in love and in alignment with Jesus’ teachings.

The King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”¹⁵ 

Jesus’ answer begins with the phrase “Truly, I say to you,” which adds to the importance and seriousness of the statement. His ministry focused on the poor, needy, and outcasts—the least of these. Elsewhere in the Gospels, we find examples of those He ministered to. Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.¹⁶ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.¹⁷

Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”¹⁸

Following the commendation of those who have lived their lives in alignment with what Jesus taught, He then focused on those on his left. While He invited those on His right to “come,” those on the left hear the opposite: “depart from me.” They are referred to as “you cursed.” These who are rejected go into the fire which is prepared for Satan and his angels.

In the book of Revelation we find the vision of the lake of fire into which the Devil, the beast, and the false prophet are thrown.

The devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.¹⁹

If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.²⁰

In the Gospel of Matthew, we find other references to hell fire.

I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire.²¹

If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.²²

While the ESV translates these verses as the hell of fire, other Bible versions translate this as hell fire, fiery hell, fire of hell or the fires of hell.

Jesus made reference to the devil and his angels, which refers to fallen angels who are Satan’s helpers. Other references to fallen angels are found in the New Testament.

God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.²³

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.²⁴

Jesus continued,

I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.²⁵ 

Jesus listed the same needs and actions that He did when commending those on His right hand, but this time in the negative. These, in contrast, have been so focused on themselves and their own concerns that they have ignored the plight of others. What is staggering is that in not doing these things for others, Jesus states that they were not doing them for Him personally.

Then they also will answer, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?” Then he will answer them, saying, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”²⁶

The people are just as surprised as those in the first group, as they aren’t aware of any time they refused to give Jesus food or water or any other help when He needed it. They didn’t understand that in failing to serve the needy they failed to serve Him. One author writes: We should notice that their condemnation is expressed not in terms of their having done some awful crime but in terms of their failure to do what is right. Sins of omission can be very important.²⁷

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.²⁸ 

Commentators have different views about eternal punishment. Some interpret it to mean punishment which lasts forever, that someone assigned to hell will endure punishment eternally. Others understand it to mean punishment which relates to the age to come. In this understanding, it is seen not as continual punishment which goes on forever, but as punishment which has eternal consequences, meaning the loss of eternal life through being destroyed by fire. Either one means a permanent separation from God.

The thought of being permanently separated from God and His goodness and love is deeply sad and disturbing. It is certainly a motivating reason to share the good news of the gospel with all who we can, so that they too can spend eternity in the presence of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

¹ https://library.tfionline.com/?viewId=47105&treeId=12869

² https://library.tfionline.com/?viewId=48303&treeId=12869

³ https://library.tfionline.com/?viewId=26585&treeId=12869

⁴ Matthew 25:31.

⁵ Matthew 16:27.

⁶ Matthew 13:41–42. See also Matthew 24:30–31.

⁷ Matthew 25:32–33.

⁸ Matthew 25:34–36.

⁹ John 5:26–27.

¹⁰ Matthew 5:3.

¹¹ Matthew 5:10.

¹² Matthew 19:28.

¹³ Hebrews 13:2.

¹⁴ Matthew 25:37–39.

¹⁵ Matthew 25:40.

¹⁶ Matthew 11:4–5.

¹⁷ Luke 4:18–19.

¹⁸ Matthew 25:41.

¹⁹ Revelation 20:10.

²⁰ Revelation 20:15.

²¹ Matthew 5:22.

²² Matthew 18:8–9.

²³ 2 Peter 2:4.

²⁴ Revelation 12:7–9.

²⁵ Matthew 25:42–43.

²⁶ Matthew 25:44–45.

²⁷ Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 641.

²⁸ Matthew 25:46.

Copyright © 2021 The Family International.

Persecution Will Come

11-25-24 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, ¹⁸ and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹ When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew 10:16-20) ESV

Dare to Be Different

David Brandt Berg

1973-04-01

A world-famous dropout named Jesus, while exhorting His disciples to drop out with Him, warned them that they would be as sheep in the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:16). “If ye were of the system [the world],” He said, “the system would love its own. But ye are not of the system, therefore the system hateth you” (John 15:19). Dare to be different, He was saying, venture to vary from the norm which the world has established, and they will oppose you for daring to challenge their authority to tell you what they themselves have decided is right and wrong.

Just you dare to be so bold as to think, act, live, or teach differently from the vast so-called silent majority of the supposedly average and normal, and you will soon see them not so silent, and you will hear them too, when someone dares to say and prove that their way of life is not the only way.

History has proven time and again in every age that the majority are often wrong, and that, as Jesus said, “Broad is the way and wide is the gate that leadeth unto destruction, and many there be that go in thereat: but narrow is the way and strait is the gate that leadeth unto life eternal, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13–14). But it seems, as the famous saying goes, that about the only thing we ever learn from history is that we never learn from history!^[1] Therefore these sordid chapters of history continue to repeat themselves.

When any courageous iconoclast becomes so presumptuous as to dare to smash the idols of the generally accepted and practiced behavior of this vast majority who justify themselves by comparing themselves with themselves—if some brave pioneer of the spirit or of science is so foolhardy as to even suggest that this vast and unsilent majority of accepted society could possibly be wrong on some things, he is generally hooted down, denounced, or persecuted as a departurist, and even condemned as a criminal, hanged as a heretic, or crucified as a menace to society!

Darkness cannot stand the light, and wrong cannot bear the right, and the lie cannot tolerate the truth, and those that are bound bitterly resent the freedom of the free. Because by these they are exposed for their sins of darkness, evil, deception, greed, and the enslavement of the exploited, they must, therefore, furiously endeavor to smother the light, say that wrong is right, and attempt to shout down and drown out the voice of truth. As the lawyer said to the hippie in “Easy Rider,” they can’t stand being reminded that they’re slaves of the chains of conformity forged by their own hands!

When Noah built a boat on dry land and said there was going to be a flood while it had never even rained before, he was laughed at by the vast unsilent majority who were later to drown in that very same flood, while he and his own family survived (Genesis 6–7). When childless Abraham, at the age of 100, claimed he was going to become the father of many nations and his seed as the sands of the sea, his own wife laughed him to scorn. But he was soon to laugh last, because she herself, in her nineties, bore him Isaac, the forefather of the world’s millions of Jews, and her handmaiden, Hagar, bore him Ishmael, forefather of the world’s millions of Arabs—twelve tribes of Israel and twelve nations of Arabs remaining to this day (Genesis 16–18).

When a lowly shepherd from lonely Sinai claimed he was going to deliver six million Jewish slaves single-handedly from the clutches of their all-powerful Egyptian captors, Moses’ own people made fun of him. But it was he who later had the fun as he led them miraculously through the Red Sea on dry ground (Exodus 4, 14). The people of Jericho jeered when Joshua jogged his Jews seven times around their impregnable walls, but it was really a blast on those tiny trumpets when those walls came tumbling down (Joshua 6:1–20). The Midianite army of thousands must have really cracked up when most of Gideon’s army split and he was only left with three hundred men, but it was the Midianites’ turn to split when his paltry party pelted them with pottery in the middle of the night (Judges 7).

The mighty lords of the conquering Philistines sneered when Samson, the proverbial Jewish strong man, stood blind before them as their captive, but when he pushed the pillars of their temple apart, it was his turn to snicker as he slew more of his enemies with his death than his life (Judges 16:21–30). The giant Goliath ridiculed the little lad with the slingshot, but when David cut loose with just one honest bit of rock, the Philistine phony fell flat his face and the children of God danced for joy (1 Samuel 17). The prophets who predicted the dooms of their dominant dominions of old were derided as daft and demented, but when each fell in its time according to their rhyme, they were no longer found fanatically funny!

When Jesus told the Pharisees that their proud temple would be pulled down (Matthew 24:1–2), they denounced Him in derision. But forty years later when the Romans burned it to the ground, and pulled it stone from stone to get at the melted gold in the cracks, it wasn’t so funny anymore. When the apostles prophesied the appalling fall of the Roman Empire, Nero exiled them, beheaded, crucified, burned, and fed them to the lions, but he himself died a perverted, raving maniac, and Rome burned and her empire eventually departed, and her remains were joyously taken over by the Christians themselves.

The martyrs were vilified, pilloried, tortured, torn apart and sawn asunder by the pagans who attempted to stamp out their pitiful tiny minority. But soon the heathen themselves were conquered by the truth, love, and peace of these berated bands of beautiful people. Then when Christendom itself became the next powerful system, churchianity tried to suffocate the findings of men of science and stifle the voices of freedom, but could not prevail against the new enlightenment and the dawn of the Renaissance of learning.

When the disillusioned idealistic young son of a wealthy Florentine merchant decided to forsake all, evade the draft, leave home and family, and live communally in an old deserted chapel in poverty as a beggar with his followers, he was cursed and beaten by his father, wept over by his mother, rebuked by his friends, condemned by his own church, and spurned by society. But Saint Francis of Assisi’s humble love, truth, honesty, and passion for peace, poverty, and the poor soon won his pitiful people the approval of the pope and unfolded the far-flung Franciscan Fathers of the future.

History is full of those who dared to challenge their system, dared to be different, dared to buck the tide, dared to shock their generation, or defy their science, or challenge their morals, or champion an unpopular cause, or do something beyond the call of duty: discoverers, inventors, explorers, history-makers, misfits; radical, heretical, revolutionary, above or below the norm, but certainly none of them indifferent!

All these dreamers, who envisioned doing things that nobody else had ever done before, who thought differently, acted differently, and did differently than their predecessors, were often thought to have a few screws loose, bats in the belfry, or to be just a little off their rockers, compared to the rest of the people—the silent majority, who have never made a sound in history, never made a dent in progress, never made a mark, never made any impression, so you never knew they ever existed.

Beaten paths are for beaten men! Burning the candle at both ends may look crazy, but it sure gives a better light. You may wear out fast, but you’ll sure generate a lot of heat! You live in fame, and die in flame, but nothing can stop you. They’re never able to put it out of the memory of mankind—that here was a man who stood out from the rest, outstanding for his achievement. He dared to be different, and did what they told him not to, or they said couldn’t be done, because he thought it ought to be, should be—and he could do it, no matter what anybody said—and he did it, by the grace of God—and the world heard about him. Praise God!

And when this life is over, and the angels beckon you, the world will remember you. If what you did was right, God will never forget it. You’ll shine as the stars forever (Daniel 12:3). “Well done, thou good and faithful servant—enter thou into the joy of thy Lord”—you and all the rest who dared to be “fools for Christ’s sake!” (Matthew 25:21; 1 Corinthians 4:10).

THE TWO PATHS

O’er uncharted sea
To their hearts’ desire
Do men of faith set sail,
While the beaten men
Walk with fearful hearts
Along life’s beaten trail.

The men of faith will challenge
Both men and Satan’s wrath,
But the beaten men will compromise
And walk the beaten path.

Beaten roads are for beaten men,
As they walk with measured tread;
With tuneless souls they move along
To dwell among the dead.

But men of faith climb unscaled walls,
And sail uncharted sea.
They dare to cross convention’s bounds
To set the captives free.
—Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503–1542)

^[1] Attributed to Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German philosopher (1770–1831).

Copyright © 1973 The Family International.

18 – The Spiritual Disciplines: In Conclusion

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-10-14

11-24-24 We’ve come to the end of the series on the Spiritual Disciplines, having covered 15 disciplines which are generally listed by authors who write on the topic.¹ My purpose in writing this series was to offer a resource to those who seek to pattern their lives after Christ, who wish to live in a manner which honors God, and who want to apply the teachings of Scripture in their lives in a meaningful way. As the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, train yourself for godliness,² as there is great gain in godliness;³ and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.⁴ Practicing the Spiritual Disciplines is a means of training for and pursuing godliness. I hope that reading about the disciplines has given you a general understanding of them and shown you some of the potential benefits of practicing them.

Having read about them, you might be considering and deciding on your own practice of the disciplines. Perhaps you’re wondering if you need to engage with all of them, or which are most important for you, or if you’d be at a spiritual disadvantage if you don’t apply them at all. Practicing the Spiritual Disciplines takes time and effort, and since most of us lead busy lives, you might have a hard time seeing how you can bring them into yours. Even if the idea inspires you, on a practical level you might question whether it will work for you, and whether devoting time to them is worth it for you.

It’s important to understand that at a basic level, the disciplines encompass spiritual life components that each of us should regularly partake of as part of the practice of our faith. Scripture tells us that we should abide in God’s Word, pray, spend time alone with God, evangelize, confess our sins, fellowship, learn/study, be good stewards, use our time for God’s glory, serve, give, tithe, fast, and worship. While Scripture doesn’t necessarily state we need to celebrate, there are certainly examples of it within Scripture. Journaling isn’t specifically spoken of in the Bible, but keeping a journal can definitely play a role in praise, worship, and meditating on our spiritual growth. So while it’s not necessary to practice all of these components as Spiritual Disciplines, as believers we should engage in them to some degree in the course of living our faith.

Practicing any of these components as a Spiritual Discipline means making a specific effort to focus on that practice, to commit to aggressively participating in it—for the purpose of living a God-centered life, maturing in our faith, and aligning ourselves with God’s Spirit, Word, and will.

While all of the Spiritual Disciplines can help us to strengthen our relationship with the Lord and to live in a Christlike manner, one shouldn’t feel that it’s necessary to practice each component as a discipline. You may practice some or many of them on an occasional basis, and then choose one or two or more that you will bring into your life in a stronger way, as a discipline. And perhaps a few months from now, or a year from now, you will be led to add others to your regular practice.

God has created each of us as unique individuals, and as such, each of us connects with Him in a manner which is best suited to us personally. Some of the disciplines may not naturally fit your disposition. For example, someone who is very relational, who loves to be around people, might find the discipline of solitude and silence unappealing, while someone who loves to spend time alone would be attracted to it. A tactile person might have difficulty embracing learning via study, while a studious type might love it. Those who are more introverted might be paralyzed with fear at the thought of evangelism, while a people person might be very comfortable engaging in it.

When deciding to focus on one or more of the Spiritual Disciplines, you will most likely be attracted to the ones which appeal more to your nature. Trying those is a great place to start. It can help you to get a feel for practicing the disciplines. It’s a good incentive to kick-start your training toward more Christlikeness in your life.

Once you’ve engaged in a few of the disciplines that resonate with you and that you are generally comfortable with, you may want to move on to some of those you find less appealing. And when doing so, you might consider cutting back on the time and effort spent on other disciplines you have been practicing. This doesn’t mean you would stop doing them completely, as they are still components of a healthy Christian life, but once you have been strengthened in them, you can turn your focus to other areas. This is similar to how, with physical exercise, you might focus on a particular part of your body which needs strengthening, but once you have strengthened that area, you can concentrate on another area.

As with exercise, it’s sometimes important to put effort into strengthening our weaker areas. If we tend toward selfishness, then we may want to engage in the discipline of service, or giving. If we find ourselves constantly involved with others—friends, relatives, keeping up with everyone’s lives via social media—or if we spend a lot of time engaging with various sorts of entertainment, to the point that it has edged out our time alone with the Lord, we may want to practice the discipline of solitude and silence in some form. When we feel overconfident or proud that we are able to accomplish a lot, fasting may remind us that we are weak creatures who depend on our Creator. If our prayer life has waned, or if we find ourselves rarely praising and worshipping God, then focusing on these components as a discipline will help boost our relationship with the Lord.

Certain seasons of life can affect the use of the Spiritual Disciplines, making it difficult to practice particular ones. For example, parents of young children will most likely find it difficult to engage in silence and solitude. When that season of life changes and their children are older and attending school, certain disciplines which couldn’t be practiced earlier can perhaps be tried. If we are passing through a season of ill health, we may need to forgo some of the disciplines. Even short-term events or changes might be a cause for suspending their use. When I’m traveling, for example, I sometimes decide to pause on some of the disciplines I am practicing, as I know it will be very stressful or nearly impossible to keep up with them during that period. When I’m back home, I resume their practice. The seasons of our lives, and our circumstances, can influence our involvement with the Spiritual Disciplines.

To grow spiritually through the disciplines, it isn’t necessary to practice all of them all the time. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. The goal of practicing the disciplines is to bring us into closer alignment with God, to strengthen our relationship with Him, to put ourselves in a position where He can bring about in us the spiritual growth that we desire. These things don’t happen overnight; it’s a process. As we endeavor to live our lives according to the teachings of Scripture, according to the words and example of Jesus, we are transformed. While the initial transformation happens when we receive Jesus as our Savior, the transformation process continues throughout our lives, especially when we seek to apply God’s Word to our everyday living. The disciplines help us do this.

Which disciplines you practice, and when, are matters between you and the Lord. If you desire to grow in your spiritual life and you choose to use the Spiritual Disciplines as a means of doing so, you can trust that He will guide you as to which disciplines to engage in, as well as when to start and how far to go.

Practicing the Spiritual Disciplines isn’t mandatory for Christians. It’s not the only means to spiritual growth or the only way to align one’s life with God and His Word. It is, however, a tried-and-proven means of training for godliness. When we make the commitment and put in the effort to apply the Spiritual Disciplines in our lives, we are consciously deciding to take specific action for the purpose of becoming more God-centered and Christlike. We become people who are determined to become proficient in our faith, who choose to put in the time, effort, and energy to develop this area of our life.

Proficiency in our spiritual life requires discipline, practice, study, and application. For those who deeply desire to walk with God, who want to live closely aligned with Him, who hunger for His Spirit to be manifest in their lives, practicing the Spiritual Disciplines is a path worth pursuing.

My prayer is that you who wish to be more deeply connected to God, who wish to be more like Jesus in your daily life, who want to position yourself in a way that the Holy Spirit can shine through you even more brightly, will give the Spiritual Disciplines an opportunity to work in your life. You won’t regret it.

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

¹ Bible intake, prayer, stewardship, simplicity, giving, wise use of time, fasting, solitude and silence, journaling, learning, confession, worship, celebration, service, fellowship, and evangelism.

² 1 Timothy 4:7.

³ 1 Timothy 6:6.

⁴ 1 Timothy 6:11.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

17 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Celebration

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-09-16

11-23-24 The last of the disciplines covered in this series is that of celebration. It’s a fitting one to end on, as it’s a result of practicing other Spiritual Disciplines. The purpose of engaging in the disciplines is to change our lives, to fashion ourselves after Jesus. It is in this transformation that we become more Christlike, which brings greater joy into our lives. The discipline of celebration is intrinsically connected to the joy which comes through abiding in and following God’s Word.

It begins with accepting what the Bible teaches about salvation and redemption: that it is a gift of God, made available through belief in Jesus as our Savior, which causes us to be righteous in God’s eyes. Salvation brings us into relationship with Him and causes His presence to dwell within us. We then grow in this relationship through applying what He has taught us through Scripture. We seek to live according to His will and let Him reign in our lives through following His instructions for living in godliness. As we do, He blesses us by leading, guiding, protecting, and supplying for us, which results in joy. This joy is the root of the discipline of celebration as we learn to celebrate the things that God has done for us and to rejoice in Him.

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!¹ Let those who delight in My righteousness shout for joy and be glad.² My mouth will praise You with joyful lips, when I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night; for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.³ Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.⁴

In his book The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard wrote: We engage in celebration when we enjoy ourselves, our life, our world, in conjunction with our faith and confidence in God’s greatness, beauty and goodness. We concentrate on our life and world as God’s work and as God’s gift to us.⁵

How We Celebrate as a Discipline

We all generally celebrate birthdays, holidays, and events such as promotions at work, the birth of a child, a graduation, etc. Celebration as a discipline focuses on celebrating both inwardly and outwardly in direct connection with God’s blessings and interaction with us. It’s regularly celebrating significant events in the context of God’s love and care and blessings, both physical and spiritual.

We practice the discipline of celebration inwardly when we take time to reflect on God’s presence in our lives, when we acknowledge that every day is a gift from His hand. We recognize that the world we live in, the beauty we see, the food we eat, the companionship we enjoy, all the blessings we have, come from the hand of God. We rejoice in the knowledge of our salvation and find joy in living our lives attuned to God’s Spirit. We live with peace in our hearts, knowing that God will care for us, will “give us this day our daily bread,” that our needs will be met; that Jesus has given us peace so that we are not troubled or afraid,⁶ and that peace will guard our hearts and minds.⁷

We recognize that even during difficult times, in our darkest moments, we can still have the peace of the presence of God and the knowledge that, as difficult as things may be, we are safe under the shadow of His wings.

O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.⁸ You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy.⁹

Our inward celebration, rooted in our faith, joy, peace, and strength in God, also brings about outward celebration. One of the key ways to celebrate the peace and joy we have is through worshipping God by praising Him in words, song, music, dance, lifting our arms, doing whatever helps us to rejoice in His blessings. We also celebrate outwardly when we join together with others, whether they’re family or friends or fellow believers, to commemorate the joys, victories, and milestones that we experience. Sometimes you will simply want to celebrate life and God’s goodness with your friends and loved ones, apart from any particular occasion or event.

As a discipline, the outward celebration is connected to inward recognition of God’s blessings. We take time to celebrate the blessings He’s brought into our lives and the lives of others, the accomplishments, the completion of a major project, getting a new job, passing tests, saving souls. When we hold family celebrations such as for birthdays and anniversaries, graduations, marriages, or the birth of a child, we take these opportunities to both celebrate the event and show gratitude to God. There are, of course, religious holidays that can have even deeper meaning as a discipline when we focus on the spiritual and personal significance of the events being celebrated.

As a discipline, we outwardly celebrate events, milestones, and holidays, along with sometimes simply gathering with friends for a meal or a drink, to share hearts, to tell of progress made, in order to acknowledge and show gratitude for all God has been doing for us.

Each one of us faces tests, trials, and difficulties, which sometimes cause us to focus on our suffering, worries, fears, and the sadness of the struggle. Celebration is recognizing that every life has seasons of difficulty, but also of joy and happiness. It’s important for our faith that we rejoice and celebrate God’s goodness to us and to others, no matter what season we are in.

Trust, Peace, and Joy

The apostle Paul wrote that we should rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.¹⁰

Paul was echoing the teachings of Jesus, who said: “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’or ‘What shall we wear?’… your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow.”¹¹ This doesn’t mean we take no action, but that we bring our needs and concerns before God in prayer, and in doing so, that we put our confidence in His love and care rather than worrying. When we enter into that trust, we experience anxiety-free peace in our hearts, as we aren’t carrying the burdens of fear and worry.

Paul continues by counseling us to fix our thoughts on things that are worthy of praise, and as we do, God’s peace will be with us.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.¹²

Choosing to dwell on things that are excellent and good, worthy of praise, is an act of the will which requires conscious effort—in short, it is a discipline. Choosing to trust God and not worry, to believe He will care for you and to act accordingly, also requires an act of the will. These choices are part of the discipline of celebration. This discipline means making the effort to choose a way of thinking and living that is in alignment with God’s Word and which ultimately results in joy.¹³ With this joy and celebration in our hearts, we manifest the joy of the Lord in our actions and attitudes. We appreciate life, as we see God’s hand in all of it and we know it’s a blessing from Him. We can appreciate good food, wine, beauty, the arts, music, humor, godly entertainment, and fun. We can delight in the beautiful world and all that God has put in it. We celebrate these things as we know they come from God.

The Spiritual Disciplines I have been practicing over these past years have given me a greater awareness of God’s hand in my life and of my great need for Him. This has helped me to be more perceptive of His involvement in my daily life and the lives of others, which has led to praise and thanksgiving—to celebration. In the past I often got so busy that I didn’t take enough time to recognize what God was doing around me, and I missed countless opportunities to rejoice. I’ve learned how important it is to acknowledge His presence and celebrate the wins I’ve experienced, whether small or large. Sometimes it’s a glass of wine or a special dessert, other times it’s a meal or a party. Often it’s just stopping for some praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for His goodness and love, which bring so much joy into my life—joy that is rooted in His love and grace.

As Christians, we can be the most joyous people in the world—for we are saved, the Spirit of God dwells within us, and some of the manifestations of the Spirit’s presence in our lives are love, joy, and peace.¹⁴ God’s love and joy, the peace available to us through salvation, makes us joyful, free, alive, and able to enjoy God and others. This joy should exude from us and cause us to share it with others. It’s fed and strengthened when we read, study, and apply God’s Word, when we take time alone with Him in solitude and silence, when we confess our sins, and when we write down and review the wonderful things we see God doing. It’s expressed in our prayer, praise, worship, and fellowship; it’s shared in our service and when we tell others of salvation.

Any of the Spiritual Disciplines we partake of can boost celebration in our lives, as they help us draw closer to the Lord, experience His presence, and live in godliness. When we strengthen our trust in God, as we grow in faith, we experience more inner peace, resulting in abiding joy. When we discipline ourselves in abiding in God’s joy by trusting Him, casting our burdens upon Him, loving Him, and rejoicing in His love for us, we become joyous Christians who celebrate Him in every aspect of our lives. May we all be that kind of Christian, for it is that kind of Christian who shines as a city set upon a hill, for God’s glory.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

¹ Psalm 32:11.

² Psalm 35:27.

³ Psalm 63:5–7.

⁴ Psalm 119:111.

⁵ Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York: HarperOne, 1988), 179.

⁶ John 14:27.

⁷ Philippians 4:7.

⁸ Psalm 57:1.

⁹ Psalm 63:7.

¹⁰ Philippians 4:4; 6–7.

¹¹ Matthew 6:31–34.

¹² Philippians 4:8–9.

¹³ Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, (New York: HarperOne, 1998), 195.

¹⁴ Galatians 5:22–23.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

16 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Service

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-09-02

11-22-24 Upon entering the world, Jesus made Himself nothing and took on the form of a servant.¹ As Christians we, like Him, are called to serve our Christian brothers and sisters as well as others. Such service is a form of letting our light shine before others, which in turn gives glory to God.² All Christian service is a beautiful and important part of our love for God, and while different Christians may perform different types of service, all service that honors God is honorable service.

In this article, I’ll address service specifically in the context of it being a Spiritual Discipline, rather than writing about Christian service in general. Service as a Spiritual Discipline is practiced both to serve others and as a sacrificial means of growing in Christlikeness. This is the same principle as with all the other Spiritual Disciplines.

Examples

When serving as a Spiritual Discipline, one chooses a specific form of service that helps strengthen an area one is weak in. For example, an executive who is used to being in charge and giving orders might help out in his or her church or at a soup kitchen in a subordinate position, following the direction of others, to specifically counteract their pride or a controlling or overbearing nature. Someone who craves attention might choose to serve others in a way that is anonymous. One who is selfish in regard to their time might commit to spending a certain number of hours each week serving others in need.

Service is a discipline when you are serving with a dual goal—helping others, and also helping yourself overcome in some aspect of your life which may be limiting your spiritual growth. Not all service is meant to be done as a Spiritual Discipline, and there are many times when we will serve solely out of our love for the Lord and others. However, those who are looking to grow spiritually, to train and strengthen themselves, can find service to be a beautiful, though sacrificial, means of doing so.

Dallas Willard expressed it this way:

In service we engage our goods and strength in the active promotion of the good of others and the causes of God in our world. Here we recall an important distinction. Not every act that may be done as a discipline need be done as a discipline. I will often be able to serve another simply as an act of love and righteousness, without regard to how it may enhance my abilities to follow Christ …But I may also serve another to train myself away from arrogance, possessiveness, envy, resentment, or covetousness. In that case, my service is undertaken as a discipline for the spiritual life.³

Motivation

The motivation for service, whether done as a discipline or in the course of our daily life, can be found within Scripture. We are motivated by:⁴

• Gratitude: Serving is the right response to God’s goodness to us. Serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you.⁵
• Gladness: We serve out of gladness and not grudgingly:Serve the LORD with gladness!⁶
• Forgiveness: Like Isaiah, whose sins were forgiven and who then immediately volunteered to serve, we serve in response to the forgiveness shown to us: He touched my [Isaiah’s] mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. ”And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”⁷
• Humility: We serve motivated by humility: If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.⁸
• Love: We serve because we love God and others: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.⁹

When we are motivated to serve by gratitude, gladness, humility, and love for God and others, then whether the service is a discipline or not, we will be willing and happy to serve in whatever situation and by whatever means He has led us to—whether it is exciting and extraordinary or mundane. There is of course great excitement in some types of service, and it is usually more personally inspiring to be involved in those. But the excitement level shouldn’t really matter, and neither should one’s role.

When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He took on the work of a slave. In His day, no one but the lowest of slaves washed the feet of those who came to one’s house. That night in the upper room, Jesus—the one who had healed multitudes of the sick, cast out demons, calmed storms, and walked on water—knelt down and washed the filthy feet of those He loved and served.

When He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed His place, He said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”¹⁰

Jesus made the point that no matter what your spiritual standing, workplace position, wealth, or anything else that you or others may perceive places you above others, all of this is to be laid aside in serving others. When James and John asked for positions of authority over others, Jesus told them, You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.¹¹ Jesus is shifting the focus off position or authority, and is pointing out that greatness in God’s eyes is found in serving. No matter what position or economic status a Christian may hold, that person is expected to serve God and others out of love, humility, and from the position of gratitude and forgiveness.

Serving in Love

Service done in love for God and others doesn’t seek external reward. It doesn’t require that others know about it. It doesn’t seek the applause or gratitude of others. It is content to be done in hiddenness and humility. It doesn’t distinguish between “small” or “big” service, as all service stems from the same motivation. The emphasis isn’t on the results. It also does not expect that the one being served will reciprocate. The delight is in the service itself. It is indiscriminate; it doesn’t seek to serve the high and powerful, rather it seeks to serve whoever is in need—which is often the lowly and defenseless. It is done faithfully regardless of feelings; it isn’t affected by moods or whims. Instead it disciplines the feelings and fills the need. It cares for the needs of others unpretentiously.¹²

Service as a discipline actively fights against recognition and the praise of others. Richard Foster makes the point this way:

Of all the classical Spiritual Disciplines, service is the most conducive to the growth of humility. When we set out on a consciously chosen course of action that accents the good of others and is, for the most part, a hidden work, a deep change occurs in our spirits. Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service, but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition. It will devise subtle, religiously acceptable means to call attention to the service rendered. If we stoutly refuse to give in to this lust of the flesh, we crucify it. Every time we crucify the flesh, we crucify our pride and arrogance.¹³

So what does service as a discipline look like? It begins with an attitude of service. It’s having a desire to serve, to help whenever and wherever help is needed. That might mean babysitting for neighbors, taking meals to families in a state of flux, or running errands for shut-ins. It might be hospitality, such as inviting people to your home for a meal. In a church or community setting, it could be setting up chairs for meetings, making snacks, cleaning up afterwards, or teaching a Bible class or assisting on a youth witnessing outing. In your personal outreach, it means witnessing to someone in need, perhaps someone who isn’t easy to be around. It’s tangibly showing love and outgoing concern for the needy. It’s lending a helping hand when needed. It’s using both your talents and your gifts of the Spirit to help in whatever way you can when there is a need.

Specific Services

In his book Celebration of Discipline, Foster lists some services that he considers to be part of the Discipline of Service:¹⁴

• The service of hospitality. We are to “show hospitality to one another without grumbling,”¹⁵ or as another Bible version renders it: Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.¹⁶
• The service of listening. Love toward God starts with listening to His Word, so we should love others by learning to listen to them. When we learn to be quiet and listen to others, it helps teach us to get quiet before the Lord and listen to Him. We would do well to listen to others in silence and see if we don’t hear God speaking to us through them. Others often need a listening ear, not our opinions or answers.
• The service of bearing others’ burdens. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.¹⁷ Love is fulfilled when we bear one another’s hurts and sufferings, weeping with those who weep, especially when with those who are traveling through the valley of the shadow of death. We can lift the sorrows and pains of others into the strong, tender arms of Jesus.
• The service of sharing the word of life with one another. When one receives a word from the Lord for another, we can share it in humility, not putting our spin or interpretation on it, but just sharing what God has said.
• The service of being served. It is an act of submission and service to allow others to serve us. We graciously receive the service rendered, without feeling we must repay it. In receiving it, we submit to the gift given to us in love and show respect for the gift and the giver.

Jesus said: I am among you as the one who serves.¹⁸ If we desire to become Christlike, then committing ourselves and learning how to serve others in love and humility as Jesus did, without seeking anything other than glorifying the Father, is a discipline worth practicing.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

¹ Philippians 2:6–7.

² Matthew 5:16.

³ Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York: HarperOne, 1988), 182.

⁴ Points taken from Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 117–122.

⁵ 1 Samuel 12:24.

⁶ Psalm 100:2.

⁷ Isaiah 6:7–8.

⁸ John 13:14–15.

⁹ Matthew 22:37–39.

¹⁰ John 13:12–17.

¹¹ Mark 10:42–44.

¹² Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (New York: HarperOne, 1998), 129–30.

¹³ Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 130.

¹⁴ Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 134–40.

¹⁵ 1 Peter 4:9.

¹⁶ 1 Peter 4:9 NLT.

¹⁷ Galatians 6:2.

¹⁸ Luke 22:27.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

God Commissions Joshua

 11-21-24 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8) ESV

15 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Journaling

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-08-19

Do you regularly stop and reflect on your relationship with God? Are there times when you evaluate how you are progressing in your spiritual life, its vitality and robustness, and how you are growing as a disciple of Jesus? Do you think about what the Lord showed you or spoke to you about in past months, and can you tell whether you have responded to His instruction to you? Do you have a record of the prayers He has answered?

Most of us have fairly short memories, as today’s events are added to the plethora of yesterday’s and yesteryear’s memories, which progressively recede into the recesses of our mind. It becomes increasingly difficult to recall anything more than major events as the weeks, months, and years pass. A written record can help make it possible to recall the journey of your life in a meaningful way.

When we have committed to grow in our spiritual lives, to become more Christlike, and to grow in godliness, journaling is a helpful discipline. It aids us in keeping track of the important details of our spiritual life and growth and how our relationship with the Lord is developing. Like all the Spiritual Disciplines, journaling takes commitment and time to do it properly, but it’s worthwhile, since it can enhance the effectiveness of some of the other disciplines you may have committed to.^[1]

What Is Journaling?

Journaling in the context of a Spiritual Discipline is keeping a record of the interaction between you and God. It can include your prayers, prayer requests, questions, and His answers. You may want to write your thoughts and insights about the scriptures you’ve been reading, or what you are learning through reading and study or experience. You can include what the Lord has been speaking to you about. You can record the small things, the tokens of His love shown to you throughout the day or week. You can record your devotional musings. It’s a good place to chart your progress in any of the Spiritual Disciplines you are engaged in, or any spiritual goals you are aiming to achieve, as this written account can help to hold you accountable to the goals you’ve set for yourself. It helps you to see where you are going with God and provides a record of your journey with Him, how He’s been leading in your life, and how you’ve grown.

A spiritual journal isn’t the same as a diary of the events of your day, though it may include descriptions of some events. Its focus is more internal, regarding what you are experiencing in your spiritual life; what you are learning from your interaction with God, His Word, and the application of Scripture. It’s a means to not just record, but to give deeper thought to how the Lord is working in your life. It’s a place to express your reflections on your experiences, how you feel about them, how you interpret them, how you respond to them, their effect on you, and what you are learning through them. It’s a place to express any questions you have about why various things are happening to you or others. It’s an opportunity to record the events of your journey with God, to see His hand in your life and how He is using you in His kingdom.

So often we struggle to deal with the events of our lives or those of our loved ones and find ourselves questioning why the Lord isn’t providing answers or solutions. It may be quite some time in the future before those issues are resolved, so when they are, you may not even notice. However, if you have written your thoughts and questions in your journal, you are more likely to recognize how God did, in fact, take care of the situations that were troubling you.

Journal writing is a sharing between our true selves and the God of Truth. In journaling, we come to know ourselves as we really are and feel the acceptance of the One who loves us no matter what. Journaling becomes a spiritual discipline when we use pen and paper to strengthen our faith in God … Journaling can be a significant tool in deepening our spiritual lives because by its nature it leads us to further revelation of who we are and who God is in our lives.^[2]

Benefits of Journaling

One key benefit of journaling as a discipline is that it motivates you to regularly take time to step back from the busyness of your daily life, in order to enter into God’s presence. It requires you to take stock of what you’ve experienced and put it into perspective. Making time to not just live life, but to think about it within the context of your relationship to God and your faith, is a means of gaining deeper understanding of your experiences and reactions, and of processing what the Lord is doing in your life.

Journaling provides a record for your spiritual thoughts and realizations, which makes it possible for you to see your experiences from a distance and learn from them, rather than only reacting to them at the moment. This helps to clarify your thoughts and feelings.

Journaling about what you have experienced and the things you have learned brings greater awareness of God’s presence and what He’s been teaching you over time. It also acts as a reminder of what God has spoken to you about in the past, of times when He has given you direction, has come through for you, has given you answers, and has worked out difficult situations. Such a record can renew your faith that He will do the same now and in the future.

The journaling I’ve done has been especially helpful to me in seeing God’s presence in my life. I so easily forget the prayers answered, the times when God has solved problems I was facing. Going back and reading my journal reminds me how real God is and how He cares about me and is involved in my life.

When we regularly write entries into a journal, noting our reactions to the things we experience, it can cause us to more thoroughly examine our inner selves, to let the Holy Spirit show us areas in which we may be sinning or that need strengthening. Through journaling, we can notice patterns which would otherwise go unnoticed. Looking back on what you’ve written three, six, or twelve months earlier allows you to look more objectively at past events, making it easier to identify goals reached and progress made in a particular area, as well as helping you recognize areas you may want to focus on. It can propel you to make targeted progress in your walk with God.

Journals are a good place to write about Scripture passages you have read and are meditating on. This helps to crystalize your thoughts as well as record them, which enhances the effectiveness of the spiritual input you read and study. Journaling while reading can also put you in an attitude of expectation and receptivity, a prime position to receive the message, instruction, or lesson that God may want to speak to you about.

A journal is a place where you can talk with the Lord, where you can be honest with God and yourself. It’s a place where you can pour out your heart, share your fears, frustrations, uncertainties, and heartaches, as well as your victories, goals, and prayers—the whole range of your emotions and thoughts. It’s a means of communicating these things to God “in the heat of the moment,” and it allows you to revisit issues as needed in order to think more deeply about them and learn from them.

Journaling allows you to record the specific prayers God has answered, which are so easily forgotten when no record is kept. He answers so many prayers throughout our lives, yet we often remember so few by comparison. Being able to review the wonderful things God has done in answer to your prayers over the years can bring about gratefulness and awe, and is a beautiful account of His presence in your life. It can bring increased faith to come before Him again and again in time of need.

Including your spiritual goals in your journal and reviewing them regularly will help you to monitor your progress toward reaching them. It can remind you of those things you have committed to do in order to become more Christlike. It can help you with self-accountability for your spiritual goals and priorities.

Here is one person’s account of the personal benefits of journaling:

At first it was difficult. I felt self-conscious. I was worried that I would lose the journal or that someone might peek inside to see what I’d said, but slowly the self-consciousness began to fade, andI found myself sharing in the journal more and more of the thoughts that flooded my inner spirit. Into the journal went words describing my feelings, my fear and sense of weakness, my hopes, and mydiscoveries about where Christ was leading me. When I felt empty or defeated, I talked about that too in the journal. Slowly I began to realize thatthe journal was helping me come to grips with an enormous part of my inner personthatI had never been fully honest about. No longer could fears and struggles remain inside without definition. They were surfaced and confronted…^[3]

Ways to Journal

The best way to journal is the way that works for you. Some people like to have a hardback book with blank or lined pages; others a spiral notebook; some prefer loose sheets of ring-binder paper which they can easily carry with them and then insert into a binder at the end of the day. Many prefer to keep their journal on their computer or portable device, perhaps with the possibility of printing pages out later to insert the pages into a binder. You may choose to use a variety of methods, depending on your circumstances. Some who use electronic devices throughout the day prefer to write their journal by hand, as that facilitates their disconnecting from the world in order to connect with the Lord.

Some people journal every day, others every few days, others once a week. There is no set amount of writing necessary in journaling. However, if you have started to journal but have found yourself slacking off, or you know you have tendencies to procrastinate, you might consider a commitment to write at least one sentence a day. If you do, chances are that sentence will lead to another and you’ll find yourself writing a paragraph or two.

Your journal is yours. It’s meant to be a safe and private place for you to communicate with yourself and God without worrying about what someone else might think of your thoughts and feelings. It’s a place where you can write what’s in your heart and mind, what’s real and true. You can be honest with yourself and the Lord, without being afraid to write what you’re truly feeling or thinking, your fears, concerns, or worries. It can help you, and free you, to get these things on paper before the Lord, knowing that He loves you.

As with the other Spiritual Disciplines, to benefit from journaling over the long term requires commitment to not give up when the novelty wears off, as it will. Those who stick with it are rewarded with its benefits. Many people who journal attest that it has helped them to develop an additional means of communicating with the Lord, gain deeper insight about themselves, grow spiritually, and strengthen their relationship with God.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Points for this article were inspired by the writings of Donald S. Whitney, in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991).

^[2] Ann Broyles, Journaling: A Spirit Journey (Nashville, TN: Upper Room Publishers, 1995), 11.

^[3] Gordon MacDonald,Ordering Your Private World (Thomas Nelson: New York, 2007), 131.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

14 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Learning

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-08-05

11-20-24 Learning is something that we do throughout our lives and it enhances our lives in various ways. We learn through studying, as well as experience. Schooling in our younger years teaches us the basics and provides us the tools for further learning. As life progresses, many of us engage in further study, including after joining the workplace. Over time, some people become experts in their fields. Even then, they continue to put time and effort into keeping up with advancements in their field through further study.

People who want to become proficient in anything discipline themselves to read, study, learn, and practice. They spend time and money, purchase books and attend classes, conferences, or seminars. They may get coaching or tutoring. They take tests and earn certificates and degrees showing their proficiency in their field or profession or any given area of interest.

It’s beneficial to learn new things, to progress in your knowledge and experience. It can make you more qualified and effective in your field, can make you more capable of helping others, can bring advancement in the workplace, and can make you feel better about yourself. Discovering new things and learning new skills can also be a source of great personal enrichment and fulfillment. Thank God for all the opportunities to learn that are available to people today.

Learning in a Spiritual Context

In the context of our spiritual lives as Christians, learning also plays an important role. Just as we’re willing to devote time to learning in order to advance our careers, or to improve our skills in a variety of aspects within our lives—such as parenting, cooking, nutrition, gardening, sport, investing, learning a language, etc.—so should we be willing to devote time to growing in our faith. The Spiritual Discipline of learning focuses on training ourselves to study and learn more about God and our faith on an ongoing basis.

When Jesus was asked, “Which is the great commandment in the Law?” His reply was, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”^[1] The discipline of learning is all about loving God with our minds.

Generally speaking, Christians are most comfortable with loving the Lord with our hearts and souls. We consecrate Him as Lord of our lives, worship Him above all other things, and commit our heart and soul to Him. We enter into His presence with devotion and praise; we are moved when we sing, worship, and pray. We hear or read testimonies of His wonderful work, we experience His hand in our lives, He answers our prayers. Most of us feel at home in our heartfelt devotion to God and with our experiences with Him. Such feelings are aligned with what Jesus said about loving God with our hearts and souls.

Loving God with our minds is also part of the great commandment, and is often more difficult, as it involves disciplined learning. Many consider Christian doctrine or theology “dry as cracker dust,” and feel that it’s stuffing one’s head with information which isn’t necessary or even helpful. However, theology is the study of God, and studying doctrine addresses what we believe as Christians and why we believe it. Knowing these things is important if we are to understand our faith and come to a deeper knowledge of God.

A compelling reason to learn all we can about God was expressed by Donald Whitney in the following terms:

What God wants most from you is your love. And one of the ways He wants you to show love and obedience to Him is by godly learning. God is glorified when we use the mind He made to learn of Him, His ways, His Word, and His world.^[2]

William Lane Craig explained it like this:

As Christians we are to love God not simply with our soul, not simply with our strength, but we are to love Him with our minds. And the study of His truth is one of the best ways in which you can express your love of the Lord—by wanting to know what He is like and what His truth is. So the study of Christian doctrine is a way of showing your love for God by disciplining your mind to love and to know His truth. Study of doctrine is an expression of loving God with all of our minds.^[3]

Reasons and Results of Learning About God and Faith

You don’t have to become a Bible scholar to embrace learning as a Spiritual Discipline. But you do need to spend timelearning about God and Scripture and faith. Developing the discipline of learning takes loving God enough to want to learn all we can about Him. It requires learning about Jesus, the meaning of the life He led, the message He preached, and the death He died. It means coming to an understanding of God’s plan of salvation and how it unfolded throughout the Old Testament and culminated in the life and death of Jesus. It’s about understanding who God is—His attributes, nature, and character. It’s learning about what He wants from us, His creatures.

When you love someone, you want to learn all you can about what they’re like, their likes and dislikes, their history—you want to know everything you can about them. When it comes to our relationship with God, the path to discovering Him and knowing Him intimately is learning what He has revealed about Himself in Scripture. To properly do this requires study.

One of the goals of practicing any of the Spiritual Disciplines is to become more Christlike. Being Christlike inherently means a transformation, conforming more to the ways of Christ and less to the ways of the world. Scripture speaks of not being conformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewal of your mind.^[4] One major way of renewing our mind is by learning the ways and mind of God through diligent study of His Word.

The Word of God must go through our head if it’s going to change our heart and life.^[5]

As Christians we are called to love God with all of our minds. We are expected to continually grow in Christian maturity through becoming skilled in the knowledge of God and His Word.

Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.^[6]

The Spiritual Discipline of learning also affects our sharing the Gospel with others, as the more knowledgeable we are about what the Bible teaches, the better position we are in to answer individuals’ questions, and when challenged, to knowledgeably defend our faith. Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.^[7] People these days are less willing than in the past to receive salvation without first asking and receiving answers to their questions—questions which often challenge the biblical view (or in some cases are a result of a misunderstanding of what the Bible says).

Being able to capably make a defense or to answer the questions people ask about the faith makes you a more effective witness. There are a number of books available which teach how to answer difficult questions people ask. Some examples are When God Goes to Starbucks (Paul Copan); Tactics (Greg Koukl); Hard Questions, Real Answers (William Lane Craig); Love Your God with All Your Mind (J. P. Moreland); To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview (edited by Francis Beckwith, William Lane Craig, & J. P. Moreland).

Disciplining ourselves to learn helps us when we are teaching others about the faith. An overseer, as God’s steward, must …hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine.^[8] For the sake of deepening our relationship with the Lord, of growing to be more Christlike, of becoming mature Christians, and being more effective in our mission work and teaching others, disciplining ourselves to learn through studying God’s Word is a worthwhile endeavor.

Difference Between Devotional Reading and Study

Of course, we learn spiritual things from our devotional input, but the discipline of learning extends beyond this. Learning as a discipline means committing to study what Scripture means, what was being conveyed to those for whom it was originally written, what truths it reveals, and the doctrines which emanate from those truths. The focus of devotional reading is reflecting on “What does Scripture mean to me? What is its application in my life today?” That is important, and a significant way in which God speaks to individuals’ hearts about their needs, their specific sins, etc. It’s often experiential in that the devotional, the sermon, the story that is told, can inspire, uplift, cause a positive feeling, and bring us closer to the Lord, and all of that is very valuable and is certainly a part of learning about God and His ways. However, the discipline of learning focuses on in-depth study of God’s Word and taking in knowledge and understanding through it.

The discipline of learning focuses on studying the meaning of Scripture and what it conveys, as it is through Scripture that God has revealed Himself, His instructions, His plan, the means of salvation, and His expectations of us. Studying Scripture, and books that teach the meaning of Scripture, or teach about the meaning of specific books of the Bible, or the doctrines which Scripture teaches, are all part of the discipline of learning.

I like to read the Bible, and I generally feel like I understand what it’s conveying. However, when I’ve coupled my reading with using a study Bible, or when I read books or listen to lectures which more thoroughly explain what different Bible passages mean or the context in which they were given or why we, as Christians, believe what we believe based on what Scripture has revealed, I find it brings a deeper understanding of the Bible—of what it teaches and how it relates to my faith and my life.

I’ll readily admit that the study of theology and doctrine isn’t always easy. It takes work and sometimes requires wading through complicated material. It’s making the effort to gain a more comprehensive perspective on what God has revealed to humanity by means of His written Word. It’s very different from reading the Bible devotionally or reading a daily devotional or listening to an inspirational speaker. Studying Scripture with the purpose of learning about God helps to increase our understanding of God and our faith. It’s a means of loving Him. By learning and studying in this way, combined with devotional input, we love God in all the ways He has asked—with our heart, soul, and mind.

As you engage in this type of study, you learn the “mechanics” of your faith. You more deeply understand the “whys and wherefores.” When you have learned more about Scripture, its context, and its overall meaning—including the history of God’s interaction with humanity in general and ancient Israel specifically, and the picture of God’s plan of salvation through Jesus—then who He is and why He does what He does comes more into focus. You learn more about Him, know more of what He wants from us, and understand why. In short, you can come to personally know God in an even deeper way. As you learn of Him at this foundational level, based on a deeper understanding of what He’s told us about Himself, this knowledge brings a better understanding of the reasons He wants us to be and live a certain way, as well as how we can better align our lives with Him.

Being an Intentional Learner

The benefits of learning and study are many, but the path to spiritual learning isn’t easy; it takes work, study, time, and discipline. From personal experience, however, I can say that it’s worth the effort. Learning more of the “inside mechanics” of my beliefs has opened up the meaning of Scripture to me and has deepened my faith. While some of the reading and studying I’ve done has been pretty dry and academic, sticking with my study program has also opened up a deeper understanding of God and His truth. I have tried to condense the theological basics gained through my studies in The Heart of It All series, with the aim of making it a good foundation for basic study and learning of Scripture.

The discipline of learning means becoming an intentional learner instead of an accidental one. Donald Whitney expresses the point this way:

Age and experience alone don’t increase your spiritual maturity. Becoming like Jesus doesn’t happen incidentally or automatically with the passing of birthdays …Those who are not trying to learn will only get spiritual and biblical knowledge by accident or convenience. Occasionally they will hear a biblical fact or principle from someone else and profit from it. Once in a while they will get a brief burst of interest in the subject. But this is not the way to Godliness. The discipline of learning helps us to be intentional learners, not accidental learners. …It takes discipline to become an intentional learner.^[9]

It can be difficult to find the time to study and learn, but it’s worthwhile. Such learning is often done through reading but is not limited only to that; there are audio and video courses available online which do a good job of teaching the reasoning behind Christian faith. If you find it easier to learn by listening rather than reading, I would recommend the Defenders course by William Lane Craig. It’s enlightening, educational, and feeding, and gives an excellent explanation of all the major Christian doctrines. It’s not necessarily an easy course, and it takes time to work through it. He covers eleven major beliefs in 178 classes that are between 15 and 30 minutes long. Transcripts of the classes are available online as well.^[10] It does take discipline to work your way through such a course—but any comprehensive course one takes will require the same. Most theology books that cover the same ground are at least 1,000 pages long. One that is shorter is Theology: The Basics, by Alister E. McGrath.

You may not have a lot of available time, but even committing to just reading a few pages a day, or listening to one lecture each morning, will eventually get you through the material, which will help you understand your faith more deeply and will strengthen your understanding of and connection with God. Understanding Him and His Word better will help you to be a better person, a better Christian, and a better witness to others. It will open up a further avenue for you to love God, as you seek to love Him with all your heart, soul, and mind.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Matthew 22:36–38.

^[2] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 226.

^[3] William Lane Craig, Foundations of Christian Doctrine—Part 1.

^[4] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2 ESV).

^[5] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 228.

^[6] Hebrews 5:12–14; 6:1.

^[7] 1 Peter 3:15.

^[8] Titus 1:7,9.

^[9] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 228–229.

^[10] View Defenders series here.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

13 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Confession

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-07-15

11-19-24 A familiar Scottish proverb tells us that “Confession is good for the soul,” and so it is. When we are looking to deepen our connection with the Lord, to live a God-centered life, confessing our sins plays an important role.

The Spiritual Discipline of confession involves sin that is committed after salvation. When we accept Jesus as our Savior we are forgiven for our sins, and therefore are seen as judicially righteous before God, with assurance of salvation.^[1] In His great love for humanity, God made a way for us to be reconciled with Him, and that way was through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, who gave His life so that we could be born again as members of God’s family. Salvation changed our relationship with Him—He is now our Father.^[2] We are eternally part of His family.

Being born again, however, doesn’t mean that we no longer sin, or that when we do, our sins have no consequences. Sin has negative effects in our lives and the lives of others, and most prominently in the damage it does to our personal relationship with God. Sin causes a breach in our relationship with our Father, and confession repairs the breach. It takes effort on our part to make things right, similar to how it takes effort to restore a relationship with another person whom we have hurt or offended.

The discipline of confession is the means of counteracting the effect our sins have on our relationship with God. If we don’t regularly repair the damage through confessing our sins, we run the risk of becoming hardened in heart and spirit and relationally growing more distant from Him. As John MacArthur wrote:

I’ve seen Christians—judicially forgiven and eternally secure—who are hardened, impenitent, and insensitive to sin. Consequently, they are also without joy because they don’t have a loving, intimate fellowship with God. They have blocked out joy and fellowship with the barricade of their unconfessed sin.^[3]

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus directed us to ask the Father to forgive us our sins.^[4] He wasn’t instructing us to pray repeatedly for justification, as we received that upon salvation.^[5] Instead, He was showing us the means of restoring our personal fellowship with God when that fellowship has been broken or damaged due to our sins. When King David had grievously sinned, his fellowship with God was broken and his sin had distanced him. His prayer was:

Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.^[6] He asked God for restoration: Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.^[7]

Confessing our sins and asking God to forgive us is the path to that restoration. When we come before Him and admit that we have sinned, when we ask forgiveness and have heartfelt repentance, the breach is repaired and the damaged relationship is restored. We are cleansed from our unrighteousness and can once again be in fellowship with righteousness, God Himself.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.^[8]

Confession shouldn’t be looked upon as something negative or distasteful, because the positive result of confessing our transgressions is forgiveness. God desires to forgive us, and confession is the avenue through which we receive His mercy and compassion. His forgiveness brings freshness to our spirit as our relationship, love, and friendship with Him is renewed.

What Confession Means

The Greek word for sin is hamartia (pronounced ha mar TEE ah), which means to miss the mark, to wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong. As Christians, we don’t want to wander from the path of uprightness or miss the mark. Our goal is to journey through life walking close to Jesus, to avoid straying from His side. When we sin, we wander from Him, but confessing draws us back. Confession is an expression of our love and desire to have a close relationship with Jesus and stay connected to Him.

The word used in the New Testament in reference to confessing our sins is homologeo (pronouncedha ma la GAY oh),which comes from the combination of the words homos, meaning “the same,” and lego, meaning “to speak.” It means to speak the same thing, to agree. When we confess our sins, we are saying the same thing about sin as God does. We are agreeing with His condemnation of sin and acknowledging that in sinning we have acted against God personally, against His Word and His nature. We are admitting that sin is wrong and that we have acted in a way that is offensive to Him. It’s acknowledging that we call these actions the same thing God calls them: envy, jealousy, lust, hatred, deceit, greed, anger, gluttony, adultery, etc.^[9]

It is recognizing that these actions are repugnant to God and that by doing them, we are hurting our relationship with Him. It is agreeing that because of the sins of humanity, including our specific sins, Jesus suffered torture and death on the cross. Confession is the acknowledgment that these things are wrong, that we have personally done them, we have offended God, we are sorry, and we need His forgiveness. It is also an expression of our understanding that when we confess our sins, God, in His love and mercy, forgives us.

Charles Spurgeon pointed out that as God’s children, we don’t come before Him to confess as a culprit or criminal comes before a judge. Instead, as His children, we come to our loving Father who desires to forgive.

There is a wide distinction between confessing sin as a culprit, and confessing sin as a child. The Father’s bosom is the place for penitent confessions. We have been cleansed once for all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our daily walk as children of God.^[10]

When we confess our sins, we are recognizing and admitting our guilt. We are stating that no matter who we have wronged, we have sinned against God, whom we are accountable to, we deeply regret doing so, and we seek His forgiveness.

Confession consists of acknowledging our specific sins and claiming them as our own. The following story expresses this point well:

A counselor was trying to help a man who had come forward during an evangelistic meeting. “I’m a Christian,” the man said, “but there’s sin in my life, and I need help.” The counselor showed him 1 John 1:9 and suggested that the man confess his sins to God. “O Father,” the man began, “if we have done anything wrong—” “Just a minute!” the counselor interrupted. “Don’t drag me into your sin! My brother, it’s not ‘if’ or ‘we’—you’d better get down to business with God!”^[11]

Because our goal is to regain our close relationship with God, it is helpful to confess specific wrongdoing along with our general sins and weaknesses.

Of course, part of confession is repentance, meaning the changing of the mind, a change of view and of purpose. It’s understanding that sin isn’t just a weakness or an area of your life that you need to work on; it is you acting contrary to God and His nature, resulting in His displeasure and causing a distance in your relationship with Him, as well as negatively affecting you as a person. Repentance means turning from sin and toward God, similar to the prodigal son who returned from a far country to his father’s house. It’s being sorry for sinning and committing to change.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.^[12]

Every one of us sins frequently. We don’t want to, we usually don’t mean to, but we do. And while some sins are more serious than others, all sin is spiritually damaging. Confession as a discipline is part of the process of counteracting the damage.

How Often to Confess?

There is no set rule for how often to confess your sins to the Lord, though it seems wise to do so on a regular basis. Before coming before the Lord to confess your sins, it’s good to take some time in self-examination, thinking and praying about the ways you have sinned and any specific sins you can remember. The goal isn’t to root out every detail or every possible sin, rather it’s taking time in prayer to invite the Lord to move in your heart to show you areas in which you need His forgiveness.^[13]

If you invite the Holy Spirit to help you search your heart, you will likely become aware of specific sins you would want to confess. Not just sins of commission, but also of omission—times when you should have done something but didn’t. You may become more aware of sins of the heart (such as greed, pride, anger, etc.), which are less obvious than the more outward sins of the flesh. The purpose of confession is greater closeness to God, and taking some time to pray, meditate, and open ourselves to God in self-examination is part of the discipline.

Whom to Confess to

Scripture tells us to confess our sins to God. I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.^[14] Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.^[15] We confess to the Lord because ultimately He is the one we have sinned against. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t apologize to those you’ve wronged—you should, and also make restitution if it’s called for.

Besides confessing our sins to God, Scripture also speaks of confessing our sins to others.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.^[16] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.^[17]

Some Christians—Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglicans—act upon the instructions to confess sins to another within the sacrament of confession (also called the sacrament of penance or the sacrament of reconciliation), as they confess their sins to a priest. Generally, Protestant belief is that confession is made only to God in the privacy of personal prayer. In some Protestant services, the pastor will call for a period of silence in order to allow time for members to privately confess their sins to the Lord.

While confessing one’s sins is generally a private matter between the individual and God, as we’ve seen by the verses above, there are occasions when we are instructed to confess our sins to one another. Martin Luther said that “secret confession” to another Christian, although not required by Scripture, was “useful and even necessary.” John Calvin also commended private confession for any believer who is “troubled and afflicted with a sense of sins, so that without outside help he is unable to free himself from them.”^[18]

There are times when individuals confess their sins to the Lord, but don’t feel it is enough; they don’t have peace that their confession has restored their fellowship with God. In times like these, it can be beneficial to confess the sin to a trusted brother or sister in the Lord. In such instances God has given us our brothers and sisters to stand in Christ’s stead and make God’s presence and forgiveness real to us.^[19]Making a verbal confession of sin to a trusted fellow Christian, along with the effective prayers prayed by that Christian, is sometimes needed to bring the realization of forgiveness, resulting in peace of heart, mind, and spirit.

Of course, such a confession wouldn’t be made to just any Christian, as not all of our brothers and sisters have the necessary empathy or understanding to receive a confession, neither can every Christian be counted on to keep the information in absolute confidence. Richard Foster gives some further qualifications for a person who will be receiving a confession:

Others are disqualified because they would be horrified at the revealing of certain sins. Still others, not understanding the nature and value of confession, would shrug it off with a “That’s not so bad.” Fortunately, many people do understand and would be delighted to minister in this way. These people are found by asking God to reveal them to us. They are also found by observing people to see who evidences a lively faith in God’s power to forgive and exhibits the joy of the Lord in his or her heart. The key qualifications are spiritual maturity, wisdom, compassion, good common sense, the ability to keep a confidence, and a wholesome sense of humor. Many pastors—though by no means all—can serve in this way. Often ordinary folk who hold no office or title whatever are among the best at receiving a confession.^[20]

Receiving a Confession

Receiving a confession from another Christian is a sacred matter. Your brother or sister is coming to you in obedience to Scripture, trusting that you will listen with love and compassion. In order to properly receive a confession, you need to begin from a place of deep humility. All sin is abhorrent to God, and since we all sin, no one is in a position to be judgmental or to look down upon the one making confession.

The individual making their confession may be in pain and sorrowful about their sins, or they may be confessing in obedience to Scripture, or because they want to please the Lord. They deserve the utmost respect and love from you. If you can’t give them that, if you don’t feel you can keep the information confidential, if you are concerned that you may betray their trust, then you shouldn’t agree to receive it.

Foster gives the following wise counsel for those who are receiving a confession:^[21]

• When one is opening their griefs to you, discipline yourself to be quiet. Don’t try to relieve the tension by making an offhanded comment, as it’s distracting and even destructive to the sacredness of the moment.
• Don’t try to pry out more details than necessary. If you feel they are holding something back due to fear or embarrassment, it’s best to wait silently and prayerfully.
• Pray for them inwardly and imperceptibly, send prayers of love and forgiveness toward them. Pray that they will share the “key” that will reveal any area needing the healing touch of Christ.
• Once they have confessed, pray for them out loud, and in the prayer, state that the forgiveness that is in Jesus is now real and effective for them. You can say this in a tone of genuine authority because If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.^[22]
• Ask God to heal their heart and mind from any wounds the sin has caused.

One of our goals as Christians is to have a deep and abiding relationship with God, through Jesus. Because sin separates us from God, we want to avoid sinning; yet as human beings, it is impossible for us to be completely free of sin. Because of this, confessing our sins and seeking the Lord’s forgiveness is key to our having the relationship with Him that we desire. Confession is God’s way for us to eliminate the effects of sin in our relationship with Him. God desires to forgive us, and He wants us to be willing to seek His forgiveness.

When we come to the Lord to confess our sins, we may come in sadness, sorrow, and contrition, but we leave with great joy.—Joy that we are forgiven, that our relationship is restored, and that we can be in His presence unhindered by the burden of our sins. Confession leads to celebration. Our sins are forgiven, our lives are changed. Simply put, “confession is good for the soul.”

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

^[1] For more on the concept of Justification, see: The Heart of It All: Salvation, Results—Justification, Adoption, and Regeneration.

^[2] When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God (Galatians 4:4–7).

^[3] John MacArthur Jr., Alone with God (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1995), 104–106.

^[4] Luke 11:4.

^[5] Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

^[6] Psalm 51:11.

^[7] Psalm 51:12.

^[8] 1 John 1:9.

^[9] David Walls and Max Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary: I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 166.

^[10] C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (Complete and unabridged; New modern edition), (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006).

^[11] W. W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 481–485.

^[12] Isaiah 55:7.

^[13] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (New York: HarperOne, 1998), 151.

^[14] Psalm 32:5.

^[15] Proverbs 28:13.

^[16] James 5:16 NAS.

^[17] John 20:23.

^[18] W. A. Elwell and B. J. Beitzel in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988).

^[19] Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 147.

^[20] Ibid., 153.

^[21] Ibid., 155–56.

^[22] John 20:23.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

12 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Fellowship

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-06-17

11-18-24 When we think about fellowship, most of us Christians think of getting together with other Christians for a time of prayer, worship, singing, reading the Bible and/or listening to a sermon, talking, eating, and generally interacting in a way that is spiritually edifying and uplifting. While these activities are an important part of Christian fellowship, there is a broader biblical concept of fellowship that provides a deeper understanding of its meaning. I will present this broader concept first, before addressing fellowship as a Spiritual Discipline, as understanding the broader concept gives insight into the meaning of the discipline of fellowship.

God and Humanity in Fellowship

We begin before the beginning. Before anything was created, God existed as a trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Through His Word, God has revealed to us that He consists of one divine being, one essence, with three self-distinctions or persons. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, but there is only one God. This is one of the foundational beliefs of our faith. (You can find a fuller explanation of this doctrine here.) The three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Spirit—exist in a loving interpersonal relationship together. You could say that they have lived in fellowship together forever.

When God created Adam, and then Eve, He made them in His own image. They were created as relational beings, and besides their relationship with each other, they enjoyed friendship and communion with God as well. When they disobeyed God, they were ashamed and hid from Him, and the fellowship they had with Him was broken. But despite Adam and Eve’s disobedience and the consequent fall of mankind, God has continually reached out to mankind and spoken of His plan of redemption. He made a way to restore humanity’s fellowship with Him. We see Him advancing His plan throughout the Old Testament through special people who were links in His plan of salvation, such as Enoch and Noah, who “walked with God;”^[1] Abraham, who is called “the friend of God;”^[2] Moses, whom God spoke with “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” on Mount Sinai;^[3] David, who was called “a man after God’s own heart;”^[4] and the people of Israel, whom He made His people.^[5]

Upon Jesus’ death and resurrection, God changed the nature of the fellowship available to humanity by making His permanent abode in the hearts of those who believe. Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.^[6] Fellowship with God is now centered in the spiritual union we have with Jesus.^[7] You will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.^[8]

Individual Connection with God

The most important aspect of Christian fellowship is our individual connection or communion with God through His Son, Jesus. The primary factor in the Spiritual Discipline of fellowship is our fellowship with God. The apostle John wrote that Jesus’ life, which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.^[9]

The fellowship with God that is available to us as believers will eventually move into a new stage when God dwells with His people.

I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.”^[10]

A believer’s individual relationship and fellowship with God is what makes Christian fellowship among believers possible; it’s what undergirds the concept of fellowship among Christians. First, God restores fellowship with us through Jesus’ suffering and dying for us; and as we live our lives in alignment with His Word, fellowship with other believers is made possible. John wrote:

If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.^[11]

Participation in Our Faith with Fellow Believers

Besides our fellowship with God, another aspect of fellowship consists of participating in our faith in a variety of ways. The apostle Paul presents the relationship believers have with one another using several Greek words, all of which express the idea of a common participation. The main words he used were from the koinōnia (pronounced koy no NEE ah) word group.These express having something in common with someone and are translated throughout the New Testament as association, communion, fellowship, communication, partaking, close relationship, generosity, sign of fellowship, gift, contribution, and participation. The emphasis of these words throughout the New Testament was on participation “in something” rather than the emphasis on “with someone” as it’s more commonly used today. Let me explain.

Today, fellowship is most commonly used in the sense of doing something “with someone,” such as gathering with other believers. However, within the biblical text, the words from the koinōnia word group are generally used as “having a share in” or “giving a share.” We see “having a share in” expressed as being a partner, a partaker, or a sharer—in God’s work, blessings, and even troubles—in the following verses:

Titus, my partner and fellow worker;^[12] I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom;^[13] you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, and sometimes being partners with those so treated;^[14] we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort;^[15] you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree;^[16] I do all things for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it;^[17] you are all partakers with me of grace;^[18] by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature.^[19]

In these verses, we see the concept of fellowship portrayed as being in partnership with others in various aspects of our Christian work and lives.

In other verses we see koinōnia being used in the sense of “giving a share,” in reference to being generous through giving, helping other Christians.

They will glorify God because of …the generosity of your contribution (koinōnia) for them;^[20] For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem;^[21] beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation (koinōnia) in the support of the saints;^[22] no church shared (koinōnia) with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;^[23] One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.^[24]

Overall Concepts of Fellowship

As we can see, the broader sense of fellowship (koinōnia) has to do with participation in the wide range of the Gospel: the blessings, the trials and tribulations, the comfort, and the grace. It’s partaking together of the divine nature through the truth God has given. It also has to do with living the Gospel through generosity, giving to others.

While fellowship includes gathering together with other Christians, it goes beyond attendance at a service or activity. It includes your participation in the Gospel, working in some way with others who are getting out God’s message—praying for them, joining them in their mission in any way you can. It encompasses your giving through your tithes and offerings, as well as support for those engaging in the mission. It’s partnering with God and others in the commission of getting out the message and reaching others with salvation.

The apostle Paul also used koinōnia to describe the unity and bonding that should exist among Christians. When writing about the debate in Jerusalem over whether the Gentiles (non-Jews) had to become Jewish through circumcision in order to become Christians,^[25] Paul said that James, the brother of Jesus, and the apostles Peter and John gave him and Barnabas the “right hand of fellowship (koinōnia).”^[26] This signified that while the apostles in Jerusalem would continue their ministry to the Jews, and Paul’s ministry would differ in that he ministered to Gentiles, they remained united as brothers in the faith. This expresses the importance of Christians of all persuasions keeping in unity and fellowship even when engaged in different ministries, or holding to different theological understanding.

When taken in the overall context of the meaning of the original Greek, fellowship encompasses a much broader scope than normally understood. It can be seen as participation in the entire system of faith. It includes our interaction with God and with other Christians, and on levels deeper than only gathering together. But gathering together is also an important part of fellowship.

Gathering together for Christian fellowship, in alignment with the understanding of koinōnia, has to do with the sharing of spiritual life. It goes deeper than socializing with other Christians. Of course, socializing with other Christians is a helpful and needful part of our lives, and helps bring the balanced life we need, and such socializing can be part of spiritual fellowship. But it’s not the only part. Spiritual fellowship includes gathering with other Christians to share hearts, to speak to one another about living our lives for God, discuss problems and solutions related to living our discipleship, pray for one another, and seek godly counsel from brothers or sisters. It also includes reading Scripture, praise, prayer, and worship together.

Such fellowship can happen when a larger group of Christians gather, or when only two or three meet. Some aspects of fellowship can happen even in a socializing situation, such as over a meal, when you’re out shopping with another believer, etc., if you use some of that time to connect together with the Lord, perhaps through prayer, or spiritual discussions about Him, your faith, spiritual growth, what you are learning, sharing prayer requests, etc. Of course it also happens when you gather specifically for worship, prayer, communion, etc., whether with a small group or a large one.

Donald Whitney wrote:

Whatever the social setting in which fellowship happens, it should involve sharing the life of Christ both in word and deed. As we live like Christ when together, we encourage each other in Christian living. As we talk like Christ about spiritual matters, we also stimulate each other toward Godliness.^[27]

The Spiritual Discipline of fellowship includes making time for meeting together with other Christians in order to participate together in our faith life, our walk with the Lord, our worship and prayer life, and strengthening one another in Christ. As with all of the disciplines, the practice of it requires action, time, commitment, and intentionality. As the writer of Hebrews says:

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, and let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do …^[28]

How We Practice the Discipline of Fellowship

As a Spiritual Discipline, fellowship begins with our personal fellowship with God, for it is as a result of this that we are able to have true fellowship with our brethren. It interacts with other Spiritual Disciplines such as prayer, giving, and evangelism. It is consciously working toward a rich relationship with God and with other Christians. It’s endeavoring to live God’s Word in relationship to others of the faith, to follow the commandment Jesus gave His disciples to love one another as I have loved you.^[29]

Fellowship as a discipline consists of following the scriptural guidelines for our interactions among fellow believers, such as:

Let brotherly love continue.^[30]

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.^[31]

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.^[32]

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.^[33]

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.^[34]

Keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…^[35]

Practicing the Spiritual Discipline of the full concept of fellowship begins with keeping in close connection with God. Next follows participating in various aspects of our faith—sharing our blessings with others, and being partners with and gathering together with fellow believers. If we implement these things, we will be modeling our fellowship after the word pictures used to describe the close connection and togetherness that members of the early church possessed.^[36] They were called the household of God,^[37] the household of faith.^[38] As those adopted into God’s family,^[39] they were governed by love, tenderness, compassion, and humility.^[40]

Our fellowship with God and others is an important part of living our faith, of bearing fruit in our individual lives and in the lives of others. As members of the body of Christ, we should endeavor to walk in the light, as He is in the light, so that we will have fuller and deeper fellowship with one another.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters (Genesis 5:22 NAU).

Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9).

^[2] Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? (2 Chronicles 20:7 NAU)

^[3] Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11).

^[4] The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people (1 Samuel 13:14).

^[5] Bruce Demarest in W. A. Elwell and B. J. Beitzel, eds., in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988).

^[6] John 14:23.

^[7] Ibid.

^[8] John 14:20–21.

^[9] 1 John 1:2–3.

^[10] Revelation 21:2–3.

^[11] 1 John 1:7.

^[12] 2 Corinthians 8:23.

^[13] Revelation 1:9.

^[14] Hebrews 10:32–33.

^[15] 2 Corinthians 1:7.

^[16] Romans 11:17.

^[17] 1 Corinthians 9:23 NAU.

^[18] Philippians 1:7.

^[19] 2 Peter 1:4 NKJV.

^[20] 2 Corinthians 9:13.

^[21] Romans 15:26.

^[22] 2 Corinthians 8:3–4 NAU.

^[23] Philippians 4:15 NAU.

^[24] Galatians 6:6.

^[25] Recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we might goto the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised (Galatians 2:9 NAS).

^[26] C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler, eds., “Felloes,” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003).

^[27] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 241.

^[28] Hebrews 10:24–25 NIV.

^[29] John 15:12.

^[30] Hebrews 13:1.

^[31] Philippians 2:3–4.

^[32] Galatians 6:2.

^[33] Galatians 6:1.

^[34] 1 Corinthians 12:26.

^[35] Ephesians 6:18.

^[36] Bruce Demarest in W. A. Elwell and B. J. Beitzel, eds., in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988).

^[37] You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19).

^[38] As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).

^[39] Galatians 4:4–6: When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

^[40] Philippians 2:1–4: If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

11 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Evangelism

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-06-03

11/16/24 During the days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven, He gave instructions to His disciples. Luke tells us that He appeared to them during a 40-day period and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. He also ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait until they received the promise of the Father, which was the infilling of the Holy Spirit.^[1] Jesus said that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.^[2] During those days, He also told them to go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation^[3] and to make disciples of all nations and teach them all that He had commanded.^[4] His last instruction to those who believed in Him was to share the Gospel, the good news, everywhere to everyone; to teach them everything He had taught them. He told them: As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.^[5] In instructing those who believed in Him in that day, He is also speaking to us today.

The direction from Jesus is to proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation and to make disciples. The aspect of evangelism that this article focuses on is the discipline of proclaiming the Gospel to those who haven’t come to faith in Jesus for salvation. Making disciples of those who believe in Jesus is also part of evangelism, and is a multifaceted topic which will require more in-depth study than can be covered in the Spiritual Disciplines series. That aspect of evangelism will be covered in a future series, God willing.

All Christians are expected to share the Gospel, to present others with the opportunity to receive Jesus as their Savior and help them learn how to develop a personal relationship with God. We are commissioned by Jesus Himself to be communicators of God’s great plan of salvation to others. People do not usually come to faith unless we, as Christians, share the Gospel with them. How can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?^[6] People generally hear about God’s plan for salvation because someone communicates the Gospel to them, and the “someone” meant to be doing this is all of us who already know Jesus. If we are going to be true to the commission the Lord has given, we must make a regular conscious effort to do so. This is where evangelism as a Spiritual Discipline comes into play.

We know that God wants us to share the message of the Gospel with others, but so often we’re too busy. Our days are so full of responsibilities that taking time to witness can seem almost impossible at times. If we want to fulfill Jesus’ command to share the Gospel, it takes disciplining ourselves to make time to do so. We need to choose to make this a priority in our lives. We need to make the effort to find or create opportunities to share the Gospel. This means seeking out opportunities to interact with non-Christians in an atmosphere which is conducive to conversation, such as inviting them for dinner or meeting them for coffee. You might look for ways to get together with a co-worker or fellow student after hours. In many cases, the furthest you will get will be to “till the ground” rather than actually “planting the seed.” This initial period is sometimes called “pre-evangelism.” This quote from Norman Geisler explains it well.

If evangelism is planting seeds of the Gospel, then pre-evangelism is tilling the soil of people’s minds and hearts to help them be more willing to listen to the truth (1 Corinthians 3:6). Because of the kind of world we live in today, we may not be able to plant the seeds of the Gospel until we work the soil of people’s minds and hearts. Failure to prepare the soul may lead to closed doors for planting seeds today and a reluctance to consider the Gospel message in the future … In the world we live in today, we may have to plant many spiritual seeds for a period of time before someone will seriously consider the person of Christ. We may have to till the ground before we have the opportunity to plant a seed. We are not called to bring all persons to Christ but simply to bring Christ to all persons.^[7]

Much of our initial contact with people will fall under pre-evangelism, when we get to know them and have conversations on a variety of subjects, some of which may be very deep and may lead to you answering their questions in a manner which reflects what Scripture teaches, without necessarily bringing Scripture into the conversation. As friendship grows and trust builds, people are more inclined to be open to hearing what you have to say in regard to Jesus and salvation. And to build friendship and trust requires you making time to be with them in environments which are conducive to deep conversation, and that generally takes planning and effort.

Sometimes spontaneous opportunities to witness arise, and we should be open to those, but it’s often the case that to have a chance to share the Gospel with someone you need to be intentional about it. Plan to meet at a place or time when you can have a deeper conversation, creating a situation in which they feel comfortable and are apt to be open to speak about deeper topics. This could open the door for you to talk about spiritual matters and to bring the conversation around to salvation.

Of course, there’s no single setting or way of sharing the message, as the world is made up of billions of individuals of different nationalities, worldviews, interests, likes, dislikes, and personalities; and while the Gospel is meant for each of them, the manner in which it can be effectively delivered to them and to which they will best respond will vary. Therefore, the Holy Spirit will often use your particular talents and gifts to reach certain people who respond to you as a person. So while we are all commissioned to share the Gospel and are empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so,^[8] we aren’t all expected to use the same methods. Generally speaking, the Lord will lead you to share the message in a manner that is compatible with your personality, temperament, spiritual gifts, opportunities, etc.^[9] The diversity of those sharing the Gospel is necessary due to the diversity of those who need to hear the Gospel.

We are each in different circumstances, so whom we reach and how we reach them will be different depending on the situation and how God leads you. But we know that God, who loves humanity, and doesn’t wish that any should perish, but rather that all should reach repentance,^[10] will use you to reach others in whatever circumstance you are in.—If you will let Him.

The Spiritual Discipline of evangelism is the commitment to letting God use you to be His messenger to others. When you practice this discipline, you commit to making the effort to witness, and to taking the steps that will make it possible. It’s a sacrifice to intentionally devote time to witnessing to do our part to obey Jesus’ call to preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations, but the eternal results of witnessing are more than worth it.

Last Christmas, Maria and I took up the challenge of sharing 50 Activated magazines with others. It was fun and rewarding, but it required disciplining ourselves to take them with us when we went out and to give them to those we came in contact with. As I was writing this, I asked myself, Why am I not giving out 50 magazines every month? I made that commitment once, but shouldn’t I discipline myself to do it every month? Of course I should! The only reason I haven’t distributed them every month is because I haven’t yet disciplined myself to do so. More specifically, I haven’t developed the habit of ordering the magazines regularly, taking them with me each time I go out, and consistently watching for opportunities to give them to the people I meet, or to take the new edition of the magazine to those who received the mag from the previous month. The “discipline” of giving out the Activated mag would consist of a series of simple steps that I do regularly.

Inviting others for dinner, meeting a colleague for coffee, building a relationship with non-Christian friends, visiting your neighbors, giving someone a tract or another piece of literature—these things only happen if you plan for them, if you discipline yourself to intentionally seek opportunities for sharing the Gospel. What you plan for will depend on your specific situation and gifts, and everyone won’t use the same methods. Author Donald Whitney wrote:

In one of his letters the Apostle Peter divides all spiritual gifts into two broad categories of serving gifts and speaking gifts (1 Peter 4:10–11).^[11] Some find that they evangelize more through serving, others more through speaking. Evangelistic serving might involve hosting a meal and living the Gospel in front of your guests. As they see the distinctives in your home and family lives, immediate or eventual opportunities to voice the Gospel may arise. Perhaps you might cook a meal or grill some burgers to provide an open door for your spouse to share his or her faith. I’m told that every family averages a “crisis” once every six months. During that time of illness, job loss, financial crunch, birth, death, etc., being a Christlike servant to that family frequently demonstrates the reality of your faith in a way that piques their interest. Through serving you may have a chance to give evangelistic literature or to fulfill the Great Commission in more imaginative ways.^[12]

Since we are called to share the Gospel, no matter what our circumstances, God’s Spirit can lead us to a means of doing so that will work within our circumstances. Perhaps in your situation it’s virtually impossible to set aside time to meet with others due to caring for your children or your elderly parents. You may not be able to have long conversations with others, but you can still plant seeds. You can give someone a piece of literature.You can ask them if there is something you can pray for. You can show them kindness and tell them Jesus loves them. You may not be in a position to do much in-depth witnessing, but you can prepare the ground of people’s hearts through showing God’s love and concern for them.

Many of us are in a position where we could make some time to witness, yet we haven’t disciplined ourselves to do so. It’s not on our to-do list, and we aren’t consciously thinking of it. And what we don’t plan for, we seldom do. The discipline of evangelism begins with a commitment, followed by seeking the Lord for how to realistically make it an intentional part of your life. If you are praying for the Lord to help you witness and to show you what method will work in your circumstances, He can give you ideas and opportunities.

I’m a firm believer in the value of “you” when it comes to sharing the Gospel. While it is the message of the Gospel—God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice—which will ultimately bring someone to salvation, their willingness to listen to that message often has to do with you. As Dwight L. Moody said, Every Bible should be bound in shoe-leather. You are the Gospel in shoe leather; you are the living contact point of the Holy Spirit, the human agent of divine power.^[13] The love, the kindness and gentleness, the care and concern which people feel from you, help them to be willing to listen to what you have to say. As we let the light and warmth of God’s Spirit emanate from us, people feel God’s love. Through us, Jesus spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved…^[14]In order for others to come in contact with that fragrance, they need to come in contact with you. Once they do, when they see and feel your love, when they feel they can speak with you, ask their questions, and share their hearts, you will be able to till the ground by answering their questions with the hope that you can plant the seed of God’s love and truth into their hearts.

Often people are drawn to you because, unbeknownst to them, you are filled with God’s Spirit, light, and love. Since they notice that something is different about you, it can give you the opportunity at some point to speak to them about the Lord. However, unless at some point we put into words what it is that makes us different, they may never know and could miss the opportunity to hear about the gift of salvation and the transformed life that is there for them to accept. I read a story, though unfortunately I don’t remember where, about a Christian who did his best to act in a kind and loving Christian manner but didn’t tell others he was a Christian. One day a co-worker came up to him and said, “I finally figured out what makes you so different from the rest of us: you’re a vegetarian!”

A similar but even sadder story is told by Donald Whitney:

I heard the story of a man who became a Christian during an evangelistic emphasis in a city in the Pacific Northwest. When he told his boss about it, his employer responded with, “That’s great! I am a Christian and have been praying for you for years!” But the new believer was crestfallen. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” he asked. “You were the very reason I have not been interested in the Gospel all these years.” “How can that be?” the boss wondered. “I have done my very best to live the Christian life around you.” “That’s the point,” explained the employee. “You lived such a model life without telling me that it was Christ who made the difference. I convinced myself that if you could live such a good and happy life without Christ, then I could too.”^[15]

So while living the Gospel and being an example of Christlikeness is what may initially attract people to you and make them open and receptive to the Gospel, they also need to hear the message in words. Being a living example of God’s love is very important, but we must, at some point, verbalize the message of salvation in order to bring them into the family of God.

Sharing the Gospel with others is the call of Christ to every Christian. All around us are people who have yet to hear the great news that God loves them, that He sent His Son so that all who believe in Him will be reborn, saved, and will enter into relationship with Him. They need someone to connect with them, to explain how to receive God’s free gift of love, to teach them how to be spiritually transformed, and to guide them in their spiritual growth. Those around us have the need and we have the answers. What keeps us from telling them?

We all have busy lives, but the overarching context of our Christianity is to share the Gospel with those who don’t yet possess this great gift. As the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus sends us. We are called, sent, and commissioned to preach the Gospel. It is up to each one of us to find a way to use the gifts and talents God has given us to share Him with others. Seek Him, ask Him to show you how, where, when, and with whom you can share your faith. Remind yourself that no matter what your circumstances, you are a disciple sent into the world—your world, your city, your neighborhood, your workplace, your family—with the commission to share Jesus with those He brings across your path. Witnessing doesn’t just happen on its own. We must discipline ourselves to make it happen.

Witnessing is a lasting investment in eternity—both yours and that of others. As Christians, we are called to make space in our lives, our hearts, and our time to share is Word and truth with others, and that takes discipline, determination, and commitment.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

^[1] Acts 1:4.

^[2] Acts 1:8.

^[3] Mark 16:14–15.

^[4] Matthew 28:19–20.

^[5] John 20:21.

^[6] Romans 10:14 NLT.

^[7] Norman and David Geisler, Conversational Evangelism (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2009), 22–23.

^[8] You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses… (Acts 1:8).

^[9] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 104.

^[10] 2 Peter 3:9.

^[11] As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 4:10–11).

^[12] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 110.

^[13] K. Hemphill, “Preaching and Evangelism,” M. Duduit, ed.,

^[14] 2 Corinthians 2:14–15.

^[15] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 111.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

10 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Worship (Part 2b)

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-05-20

God Is Worthy!

God’s Knowledge

11/15/24 Scripture tells us that God is perfect in knowledge and knows everything, and therefore He is omniscient or all-knowing.

Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?^[21] God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.^[22]

God knows all things actual, meaning He knows all things that exist and all things that happen. There is nothing hidden from Him in creation.

And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.^[23] For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.^[24] Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.^[25]

God also knows the future, everything that will happen. I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose.”^[26] He knows our actions and thoughts, He knows what we’ll say before we say it, and He knows how long we will live even before we are born. O Lord, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.^[27] Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.^[28]

Truthful and Faithful

All of God’s knowledge and words are true and are the standard of truth. He is the true God, the real God, and anything else that people may consider to be God is false.

The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation. Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”^[29] And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.^[30] And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.^[31]

Everything God knows and thinks is true, and is the correct understanding of reality. He is never mistaken in His perception or understanding of the world, and He is perfect in knowledge.^[32] God always speaks the truth; He cannot lie.^[33] Because God doesn’t lie, He can be trusted and is always faithful, He always does what He has promised, and we can depend on Him to never be unfaithful to His promises.

The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.^[34] God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?^[35]

Our God is true and faithful, and we can always trust Him. He deserves our worship.

His Power

God is omnipotent, meaning all-powerful. He is able to do all of His holy will. He has the power to do what He decides to do.

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for Me?^[36] It is You who have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for You.^[37] Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.^[38]

The Lord is called the Almighty: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”^[39] The Greek word used for Almighty is pantokrator (pronounced pan-tok-rat’-or), which means He who holds sway over all things; the ruler of all. The power of the Almighty is infinite. He is not limited in what He can do, and He is able to do even more than what He has already done. For example, we are told that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.^[40]That was within His power, though He didn’t do it. Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.^[41]

Nothing is impossible for God. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^[42]God can even choose to become incarnate, to be born of a virgin, and redeem humanity; which, in fact, He did.

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. For nothing will be impossible with God.”^[43]

God’s unlimited power made it possible for us to receive salvation, something we should constantly worship Him for.

The Sustainer

God not only created the world, but He sustains it, as all of creation is dependent on Him for its existence and its functioning.

In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.^[44] He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything … for “In Him we live and move and have our being.”^[45]

Scripture tells us that all things were created through Christ and that He holds all of creation together; He upholds the universe.

For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.^[46] He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power.^[47]

The universe and all that is in it continues on as we know it because God is our sustainer, and for this He is worthy of our worship.

Redeemer and Savior

God is our Savior and Redeemer. Through His plan of salvation, we who are unworthy have received His grace and mercy.

I am the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer.^[48] When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.^[49] Being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.^[50] He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.^[51] God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.^[52]

Because of God’s love, mercy, compassion, and grace, we have entered into everlasting relationship with Him. We are redeemed, saved, adopted as His children. In our deep gratitude and love for this great privilege we should continually ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.^[53]

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: InterVarsity Press, 2000).

^[2] Psalm 145:3.

^[3] Psalm 147:5.

^[4] Isaiah 55:9.

^[5] Job 11:7–9.

^[6] Romans 11:33–34,36 NAS.

^[7] Job 26:14.

^[8] Jeremiah 9:23–24.

^[9] John 17:3.

^[10] 1 John 5:20.

^[11] If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him (John 14:23).

^[12] 1 Timothy 6:15–16.

^[13] 1 John 4:12.

^[14] John 6:45–46.

^[15] John 1:18.

^[16] John 14:9.

^[17] Colossians 1:15–19.

^[18] 1 Corinthians 13:12.

^[19] 1 John 3:2.

^[20] Revelation 22:3–4.

^[21] Job 37:16.

^[22] 1 John 3:20.

^[23] Hebrews 4:13.

^[24] Job 28:24.

^[25] Matthew 10:29.

^[26] Isaiah 46:9–10.

^[27] Psalm 139:1–4.

^[28] Psalm 139:16.

^[29] Jeremiah 10:10–11.

^[30] John 17:3.

^[31] 1 John 5:20.

^[32] Job 37:16.

^[33] In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago … (Titus 1:2 NAU).

^[34] Deuteronomy 32:4.

^[35] Numbers 23:19.

^[36] Jeremiah 32:27.

^[37] Jeremiah 32:17.

^[38] Ephesians 3:20.

^[39] Revelation 1:8.

^[40] Matthew 3:9 NAS.

^[41] Psalm 115:3 NAU.

^[42] Matthew 19:26.

^[43] Luke 1:34–35, 37.

^[44] Job 12:10.

^[45] Acts 17:25, 28.

^[46] Colossians 1:16–17.

^[47] Hebrews 1:3.

^[48] Isaiah 49:26.

^[49] Galatians 4:4–5.

^[50] Hebrews 5:9.

^[51] Colossians 1:13–14.

^[52] Romans 5:8–11.

^[53] Psalm 29:2.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

10 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Worship (Part 2a)

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-05-20

God Is Worthy!

11/14/24 In this second article about the Spiritual Discipline of worship, I’ve included some biblical concepts which may be helpful to you in your times of worship.

The following passages address various aspects of God, which may help you to meditate on why He deserves our worship and love. They are not in any specific order, and each section is meant to stand on its own rather than flowing from section to section. There are also many other aspects of God and His nature which cause us to praise Him, which you can discover through your own reading and study of His Word.

I have summarized much of what is written here from Wayne Grudem’s book Systematic Theology,^[1] in which he covers, among other things, the nature and character of God. (For expanded explanations of some of these topics, see The Heart of it All: The Nature and Character of God series.) My prayer is that as you read these compiled passages, they will provide helpful examples of scriptural concepts to focus on during your times of worship.

God’s Greatness

God is infinite, while we are finite beings, and therefore He is infinitely greater than we are. We are unable to fully understand the greatness of God, as it can never be fully known. His understanding is beyond measure, and His ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours. His riches, wisdom, knowledge, and judgments are unsearchable and unfathomable; as such, they are all beyond our ability to fully understand.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.^[2] Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.^[3] For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.^[4] Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.^[5] Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.^[6]

When Job was speaking of God’s great acts in creating the world, he said that these acts were only a whisper of His power, the mere edges or fringes of His ways. “Behold, these are but the outskirts of His ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?”^[7]

As finite beings, we will never be able to fully understand all of God’s ways or His greatness, neither will we ever know all that God knows. This helps us to realize that God alone is God; He will always be infinitely greater than we are, and as part of His creation we owe Him worship and adoration.

Knowing God

We will never know all that God is, or all He knows and does. However, He has made Himself known to us in such a way that we know God Himself and have entered into relationship with Him.

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”^[8] And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.^[9] And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.^[10]

God is both infinite and personal, therefore we’re not limited to only knowing facts about God—we know Him personally and are in personal relationship with Him. While He has no limitations whatsoever, and is far greater than everything that exists, He is also a personal being who interacts with us personally and whom we can relate to as a person. We speak to Him and He speaks to us. We commune with Him, He interacts with us, answers our prayers, and dwells within us.^[11] We have this relationship with God because of the gift of salvation given to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection, one of the most important reasons we should worship God.

Seeing God

Scripture makes it clear that God is Spirit and cannot be seen by humans. No one has ever seen Him, meaning His true essence and all that He is. While He has shown Himself at various times in a visible form, known as a theophany, no one has ever seen Him as He is.

He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion.^[12] No one has ever seen God.^[13]

But while no human has seen God, Jesus—God the Son—has both seen the Father and has made Him known.

Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me—not that anyone has seen the Father except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.^[14] No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known.^[15] Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.^[16]

In “seeing” Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, we see the Father. We “see” Jesus within the pages of Scripture. We hear the words He spoke, His teaching; we see His interaction with others, the love, mercy, compassion, wisdom, power, and oneness with the Father that He had. Jesus was God walking on earth, and in Him we see the visible image of the invisible God. He existed with the Father before anything was created, and through His incarnation we understand what God is like.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.^[17]

God revealed Himself in His Son, who came to earth to walk among us, and in so doing made it possible for us to enter into an eternal relationship with God. Because of the free gift of salvation, we will have the privilege and the great joy of seeing Him face to face. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.^[18] Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.^[19]No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.^[20]

God has made Himself known in His Son, and in Him we see the Father. The time will come when we will see God. All of this is possible because Jesus sacrificed His life for us, which makes Him and His Father worthy of our worship. (To be continued)

09 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Worship (Part 1b)

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-05-13

Private and United Worship

11/13/24 As believers, we are called to worship both privately and publicly or corporately.^[31] The expectation is that we will worship together with other Christians at times. When we gather with others to praise the Lord, to pray together, there are elements which are not present when we worship and pray alone. We are given a glimpse of believers worshipping together in heaven in the book of Revelation:

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”^[32]

Corporate worship, however, isn’t enough; we are expected to worship Him individually as well.^[33] In the Gospels we read that Jesus attended synagogue as well as various religious festivals in the temple at Jerusalem,^[34] which were the appropriate times and places of worship in His day. But He also arose early in the morning and went off by Himself to commune with His Father. Jesus spoke of private worship when He said:

Go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[35]

We are in relationship with God, and any successful relationship requires an investment of effort to keep it strong. Our relationship with the Lord is no different. Being relationally close to God requires that we commune with Him in worship and prayer; that we respond to Him with love, honor, and reverence; that we praise and thank Him; that we delight ourselves in Him.^[36]

Making Worship Part of Our Lives

The Spiritual Discipline of worship, like the other disciplines, requires effort on our part—specifically the effort to regularly devote time to worshipping the Lord. It takes determination and commitment to consistently enter into the Lord’s presence in spirit and truth. Worship is more than a set routine of prayer, praise, and singing; it’s spiritually entering into God’s presence, it’s connecting our spirit with His. Donald Whitney wrote:

The waters of worship should never stop flowing from our heart, for God is always God and always worthy of worship.^[37]

Worship should be part of our conversation with God throughout our day. When we look at God’s creation, a mother with a baby, the stars in the night sky, when we think about the Lord, we can give honor, praise, and thanksgiving to the Lord for His wonderful works, for what He’s done and who He is. When we meditate on His Word, when we think of the blessings He has bestowed upon us, the mercy He’s shown us, the grace He’s given us, when we pray and seek Him, these are all times we can worship Him.

The more we verbalize who God is and what He’s done, the more present He becomes in every aspect of our daily lives. When we are regularly acknowledging His love, compassion, mercy, kindness, and justice, we embrace these virtues ourselves and are more likely to strive to emulate these in our interactions with others. When we praise Him for His power, His presence, His omniscience, it reminds us that He is always here, that He knows everything about us, that He created us, and that He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Remembering this can strengthen our resolve to do our best to live in accordance with His Word, to treat others with love, and to do to others as we want them to do to us.

Disciplining ourselves to worship in spirit and truth is an endeavor worth pursuing, as it should be at the very core of our relationship with God our Creator.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!^[38] Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.^[39]

Part 2 of this article will cover some biblical concepts of who God is and what He’s done, with collections of verses on various aspects, which might be a helpful aid in your worship..^[11]

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] John 4:23.

^[2] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 87.

^[3] God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” … So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26–27).

^[4] For further information on the Nature and Character of God, see The Heart of It All: The Nature and Character of God series.

^[5] Revelation 4:11.

^[6] Romans 5:10–11.

^[7] Isaiah 43:6–7.

^[8] 1 Corinthians 10:31.

^[9] T. D. Alexander and B. S. Rosner, eds., in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).

^[10] When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12).

^[11] Hebrews 10:19 NIV.

^[12] 1 Peter 2:9.

^[13] John 14:6.

^[14] Hebrews 12:28.

^[15] The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love (Psalm 147:11).

^[16] As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him (Psalm 103:13).

^[17] He will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great (Psalm 115:13).

^[18] The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant (Psalm 25:14).

^[19] The steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children (Psalm 103:17).

^[20] Psalm 148:1–5,13.

^[21] Ephesians 5:20.

^[22] Psalm 7:17.

^[23] Psalm 9:1–2.

^[24] Psalm 86:12.

^[25] Isaiah 6:1–5.

^[26] Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:6–7).

^[27] Isaiah 6:8.

^[28] Romans 12:1.

^[29] Psalm 92:1–3.

^[30] Psalm 147:1.

^[31] I will thank You in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise You (Psalm 35:18).

Let them extol Him in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders (Psalm 107:32).

^[32] Revelation 5:11–12.

^[33] My mouth will praise You with joyful lips, when I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night (Psalm 63:5–6).

Seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous rules (Psalm 119:164).

^[34] Synagogue: He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read (Luke 4:16).

They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching (Mark 1:21).

Passover: He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover (Matthew 26:18–19).

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And He told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make My Father’s house a house of trade” (John 2:13–16).

Other Feasts: Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works You are doing … But after His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He also went up, not publicly but in private … About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:2,3,10,14,37).

At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon (John 10:22–23).

^[35] Matthew 6:6.

^[36] Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

^[37] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 96.

^[38] Psalm 95:6.

^[39] Psalm 29:2.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

09 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Worship (Part 1a)

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-05-13

11/12/24  When speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus said:

The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.^[1]

God seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and truth. We who love God and want to please Him should endeavor to worship Him—in spirit and in truth—because He desires this. And we should be willing to discipline ourselves by committing to regularly spending time worshipping Him.

What Is Worship?

What is worship all about? What is its purpose? What does it mean to worship? How do we worship properly—in spirit and in truth?

The word worship comes from the old Anglo-Saxon word weorthscype, that meant worth, value, honor, which later became worthship and then worship. Worshipping God is ascribing proper worth to God; it’s acknowledging, expressing, and honoring His worth. As Donald Whitney puts it, The Holy and Almighty God, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, the Sovereign Judge to whom we must give an account, He is worthy of all the worth and honor we can give Him and then infinitely more.^[2] Worship includes recognizing our dependence on God, the Creator and sustainer of life.

The basis of God’s worth and thus our worship is found in His nature and character, His attributes, in who He is. He is the Creator of all things visible and invisible. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, unchangeable, infinite, eternal, present everywhere. He is wisdom, truth, faithfulness, goodness, love, mercy, grace, patience, holiness, righteousness, justice, and more. While we, as beings made in the image and likeness of God,^[3] possess a small measure of some of these attributes, God is these attributes. As the one who created all that exists out of nothing, He is infinitely greater than we are and is therefore worthy to be worshipped.^[4]

Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.^[5]

Besides being the Creator, He is also our Redeemer. He made a way for us, as sinners, to be reconciled to Him. He acted through Jesus’ sacrifice to bring salvation to all who believe in and accept Him as Redeemer. He redeems us from sin and death, and thus is worthy of our praise.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.^[6]

We worship God because He is worthy of worship, as He is so much greater than anything or anyone that exists. As we come to know Him more, to understand His love and power, all He has done and constantly does for us, we understand more clearly that our response to Him should be worship. His Word tells us that He created us for His glory.

Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made.^[7]

Therefore we are to do all things for the glory of God. Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.^[8] Our ultimate purpose in life is to fulfill the reason we were created: to glorify God.

The Old Testament Hebrew word generally translated “to worship” is shachah (pronounced shah-khah), which means to bow down, to prostrate oneself before a superior in homage. The Greek word used in the New Testament, proskuneo (pronounced pras-koo-neh’-o), means to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence; kneeling or prostration to do homage or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication. It represents our inward attitude of homage and respect toward God.^[9] It expresses our surrender and submission to Him, recognition of His majesty and holiness, acknowledgment of Him as the ruler of our life.

Worship is our rightful response to the one who has revealed Himself as the triune God—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; who has shown us His will and purpose through His Word. It’s our response to being brought into relationship with Him through Jesus; it’s our response to the gift of salvation we have received through His love and sacrifice.

How We Worship

In Old Testament times, worship of God was primarily centered around sacrificial offerings—the sacrificing of animals as the means for people to receive forgiveness of sin, as well as to show thanks and praise to God. From the time of Moses onward, these sacrifices were made at the tabernacle and later the temple in Jerusalem, the place where God dwelt among His people. Most people were only allowed to enter the courtyard of the temple, while the priests could go into the outer court, called the Holy Place. However, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, the innermost room of the temple where God’s presence dwelt, and he was only allowed to go in once a year.

The New Testament tells us that the sacrificial system was no longer necessary once Jesus laid down His life as a as single sacrifice for all time^[10] and therefore there is no longer a need for any further sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God. Through His sacrificial death, we can now enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.^[11] We are now allowed to come into God’s presence directly in prayer, praise, and worship. As believers we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.^[12]

As Jesus explained to the Samaritan woman, worship is no longer tied to a specific place as it was at the time, but is now based on the relationship between the worshipper and God—a relationship which became possible through Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is no longer necessary to go to the dwelling place of God, the temple, to worship. The time came when the connecting point between God and humanity became Jesus, through the salvation that His death and resurrection brought to us.

No one comes to the Father except through Me.^[13]

In saying that God seeks worshippers who worship Him in spirit and truth, Jesus was expressing that true worship is more than just words which come out of our mouths. It is our spirit connecting to His Spirit as we commune with Him, and worshipping God for who He is, as He has revealed Himself in His Word.

When we worship the Lord, we do so with respect, reverence, and awe.

Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.^[14]

There are many Bible verses that speak of fearing the Lord. The Hebrew words used for fear have the meanings to revere, to stand in awe of, to have reverence or veneration. When we understand “fearing the Lord” in these terms, we can grasp the blessings promised to those who reverence and stand in awe of the Lord. He takes pleasure in them,^[15] shows compassion to them,^[16] blesses them,^[17] is friends with them,^[18] and His love is always with them.^[19]

Aspects of Worship

Praise is a major aspect of worship. When we praise God, we are worshipping Him for who He is. Praise is foundational to worship as we verbally acknowledge God’s worth.

Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars! Praise Him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD! For He commanded and they were created. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His majesty is above earth and heaven.^[20]

Thanksgiving is an integral part of worship as well. We give thanks to God for everything He has done and continues to do, and especially for our salvation.

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.^[21] I will give to the LORD the thanks due to His righteousness.^[22] I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.^[23] I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart.^[24]

When we come before the Lord, worshipping Him for who He is and what He’s done, we often become more acutely aware of our “humanness,” especially our limitations, weaknesses, shortcomings, and sins. This puts us in an attitude of humility and contrition, which is also an aspect of worship.

When the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on His throne, the train of His robe filling the temple, the angels around Him saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory,” and the temple filled with smoke, his reaction was one of humility and contrition. He said, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”^[25] The holiness and perfection of God brought Isaiah a profound sense of uncleanliness, of sin. He was humbled and contrite. We should come before the Lord in worship with a similar sense of our unworthiness, along with great thanks for our salvation, which allows us to come into His presence as one of His children.

Reading more of Isaiah’s experience, we find that after seeing the Lord and receiving atonement for his sin,^[26] he heard a call of service. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” He responded with: “Here am I! Send me.”^[27] Being in the presence of the Lord brought with it the desire to serve God. The apostle Paul referred to our service to the Lord as being a form of worship when he wrote: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.^[28] Motivation to do God’s will, to answer His call, to serve Him, is both part of our worship and a result of our worship.

One means of both praise and thanksgiving is in song—singing unto the Lord or listening to songs which offer Him praise and making the sentiments expressed in the songs our own. You may have certain songs which help you convey your gratitude and praise to God, which you sing as a means of worship.

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your steadfast love in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.^[29] For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.^[30]

As we enter into His gates with thanksgiving, into His courts with praise; as we give thanks to Him and bless His name and all He is; as we express our deep love for Him; as we reverence and honor Him and extol His excellence; and as we come before Him in humility and contrition, we worship God as He seeks to be worshipped, in spirit and in truth. (to be continued)

The Seventy Weeks

11/11/24  “Seventy weeks^[c] are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.^[d] 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again^[e] with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. ²⁶ And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its^[f] end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. ²⁷ And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,^[g] and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
(Daniel 9:24-27) ESV

Daniel 9

Book of Daniel

Compiled from the writings of David Brandt Berg

1975-01-01

The ninth chapter of Daniel is one of the most astoundingly definite, literal time prophecies given in the entire Bible, giving the exact times for both the first and second comings of Jesus Christ!

The chapter opens with Daniel desperately calling out to God on the behalf of his people Israel, who at this time were captive slaves of the Persian Empire (about 538 B.C.; see verses 1–19).

“And while I was speaking, and praying, the man Gabriel being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation (worship). And he informed me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding” (Daniel 9:20–22).

Daniel had been praying for God to save His city (Jerusalem) and His people (verse 19). The angel now appears to tell Daniel when and how God is going to save them. “Therefore” he says, “understand the matter, and consider the vision” (verse 23).

The actual prediction begins in the 24th verse and continues to the end of the chapter, verse 27. As in the other Daniel prophecies, we will first give the prediction and follow it with the interpretation.

Vision: “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24).

Interpretation: This word that’s translated “weeks” here in the King James Bible is the Hebrew word “shabua,” which literally means “seven.” Therefore, a little better translation of this would be “seventy sevens,” instead of “seventy weeks.”

As we proceed to read and understand the prophecy and its fulfillment, it becomes evident that these seventy sevens are seventy sevens of years, with each “week” representing a period of seven years, for a total of 490 years.

“Thy people,” Daniel’s people, were God’s people. So he says that as far as the history of God’s people is concerned, they’ve got seventy sevens yet to go to finish the transgression, make an end of sins, etc. As we proceed we will find exactly how this was to be fulfilled in seventy sevens.

Vision: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks (or 69 sevens): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself” (Daniel 9:25–26a).

Interpretation: In 453 B.C., Artaxerxes Longimanus, king of the Medes and Persians, gave Nehemiah the commandment to go forth and rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:5). There were several other proclamations made by Persian kings to release the Jews from captivity and let them return to Israel to rebuild the temple, but the principal proclamation to rebuild the city of Jerusalem itself was made in 453 B.C.

The prophecy predicted that from the time of that proclamation unto Messiah the Prince shall be 69 sevens of years, or 69 times seven years, which is exactly 483 years. From 453 B.C., this would bring us to exactly 30 A.D., the very year of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ!

Though Jesus was 33 years old when He was “cut off,” modern historians date the birth of Jesus at 4 B.C., and his crucifixion in 30 A.D. This is because of a miscalculation on the part of the Catholic monk, Dionysius, who in the sixth century devised our present calendar system.

Therefore, Jesus actually began His ministry at 30 years of age (Luke 3:23), in the year 27 A.D., and was crucified, as we said before, in 30 A.D. So here we have the 69 sevens of years, or the 483 years, giving us the exact time of the Messiah’s crucifixion.

Now you notice that the prophecy divides the 69 weeks into two groups: one of seven weeks, and then 62 weeks. This was because the wall and city were built in the first seven weeks or 49 years. Then, after that, there were still 62 weeks, or 62 sevens of years, before the crucifixion of Christ.

It says, “Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself.” Isaiah, in another prophecy, tells why the Messiah was to be “cut off.” “For He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken… when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin my righteous servant shall justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:8,10–11; 750 B.C.). He died for us—not for Himself, but for the transgression of the whole world—for our sins.

When Jesus died on the cross in 30 A.D., He accomplished in Himself the promises of that 24th verse: He finished the transgression, made an end of sins, and made reconciliation for iniquity. As the apostle Paul said, “We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10). And “He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26). He brought in “everlasting righteousness” through salvation (Romans 10:4).

Though Jesus accomplished all these promises in Himself, we as believers in Him do not fully possess them yet. We only have them now by faith, in the realm of the Spirit, and we will not possess them literally until Jesus returns.

For instance, it says that after “seventy weeks” the “vision and prophecy” will be “sealed up,” or completed. Paul said that now “we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come (Jesus), then that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:9–10).

Therefore, we know that this seventieth week has not happened yet, because when it ends it will usher in perfection upon God’s people, which can happen only with the return of Christ. So this seventieth week is still in the future.

Vision: “Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined” (Daniel 9:26b).

Interpretation: After Jesus was crucified, do you know what happened to Jerusalem (“The city”) and the temple (“the sanctuary”)? In 70 A.D. the Roman legions came and burned Jerusalem to the ground, tore the temple down, and destroyed it! Over one million Jews were slain and 95,000 were taken as slaves.

Whether or not you agree with our interpretation of times and weeks, you cannot argue with the facts of fulfilled prophecy that show that the Messiah would come before the destruction of the temple and the city in 70 A.D.—40 years after Jesus’ death! This is only one of over 300 prophecies fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, all written 4 to 15 centuries before His birth!

Micah 5:2, Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6 (750 B.C.) foretold that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem of a virgin, and was to be called “the Prince of Peace” who had been in existence “from everlasting.” His betrayal by Judas is seen in Zechariah 11:12–13 (500 B.C.) for “thirty pieces of silver”; His crucifixion in Psalm 22:16, 18 (1000 B.C.)—“pierced my hands and my feet”; and resurrection in Psalm 16:10—“will not leave my soul in hell.”

We still have that seventieth week yet to go, which will end with the second coming of Jesus Christ—this time not as a sacrificial lamb, but as a roaring lion to take over the world and rule it with a rod of iron.

Vision: He shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week (seven years): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Daniel 9:27).

Interpretation: Now we have that week that was left over, that seventieth week—which will be the last seven years of history.

This “he” that confirms the Covenant is the “prince that shall come,” of verse 26. His people, the Romans, destroyed Jerusalem. They were “the people of the prince that shall come,” who is the Antichrist, whose empire, according to other prophecies in Daniel 2 and 7, will be a revival of and continuation of the old Roman Empire in spirit.

This Covenant has to do with the city of Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the ancient Jewish temple that used to stand on Mount Moriah where the Dome of the Rock now stands, and restoration of the temple worship of blood sacrifice.

“In the midst of the week (at the end of 3½ years, leaving 3½ more) he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease (in other words, stop religious worship), and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate.”

This ceasing of the “daily sacrifice” by the Antichrist is also predicted in Daniel chapters 8 and 11. In Daniel 8 it says, “by him (the little horn) the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down… (by) the transgression of desolation” (Daniel 8:11–14). Daniel 11:31 says, “Arms shall stand on his part, and they… shall take away the daily sacrifice, and… place the abomination that maketh desolate.”

This “Abomination of Desolation” is going to be the “Image of the Beast” or a demon-possessed idol of the Antichrist. It may have something to do with money. The monetary system itself is an idol; it’s the money god of mammon, an abomination of desolation which the world worships! Money, in a way, is the “image of the beast” of this world, the reflection of his power—the entangling idol of governments today. “Show me a penny. Whose image hath it?” They answered: “Caesar’s” (Luke 20:24).

According to Revelation 13, the present money medium will soon be replaced by a new “money” medium, a remarkable credit system in which every person in the world who belongs to the system will have a credit number, without which he cannot buy or sell (Revelation 13:7).

This number will be branded on each person: “a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads…that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the Beast (the world leader and his government), or the number of his name…for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred three score and six (666)” (Revelation 13:16–17).

Soon man will have a new monetary medium, and be branded by the Beast like cattle for the slaughter, and will be forced to worship the Beast and this image, or be killed!

The control center for this credit system will be the magical speaking Image of the Beast (probably the long-foretold super computer) which will be set up in the glorious holy mountain (Mount Moriah, Jerusalem) where the temple stood and the Mosque of Omar now stands. (See Daniel 11:45.)

Just look at how the world is being prepared for a mechanical god, an electronic brain, a computer deity, which they will then be willing to worship because it is their own creation, the work of their own hands. “They worship the works of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made” (Isaiah 2:8).

This idol of the Antichrist, this abomination of desolation, will be put right in the temple at Jerusalem to make the people worship it. They will also endeavor to do so in the very hearts of the people—the true temple of God, the spiritual temple of God.

They will succeed in those who knew Him not and were not truly His temple. But in His true temple, those true remaining believers, they will not set up the abomination, that worship of the Antichrist. As Jesus said, “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth”—the temple of His Spirit, not the temple “at Jerusalem.” “And they (the true worshippers) shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 4:21–23; 10:29).

Vision: “Even unto the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Daniel 9:27).

Interpretation: The Abomination will be placed in the temple in the midst of the week and will make desolate until the “consummation,” which in the Hebrew literally means “completion,” or the completion of the week.

Then, at the second coming of Jesus Christ, the wrath of God will be poured upon the desolate—those who have accepted the Antichrist as God and worshipped his image, which will bring desolation and abomination to all who believe in it.

Jesus said, “When ye shall see the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place where it ought not … then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 4:15,21 and Mark 13:14).

The first three and a half years of this dictator’s seemingly benign rule will be followed by three and a half years of a reign of terror called the Great Tribulation, under this demon dictator’s image and its false prophet, and an unparalleled worldwide persecution of both Jews and Christians!

According to the book of Revelation, it is during this time that the Gentiles will tread the Holy City under foot for “forty and two months”—“one thousand two hundred and threescore days”—while God’s witnesses shall prophesy in sackcloth with great power and wonders until they have finished their testimony. Then the Beast shall make war against them and kill them because their message has tormented those who dwell on the earth (Revelation 11:2–10).

The great red beast (Revelation 2:3) shall have power over all the earth for three and a half years, speaking great blasphemies and doing great wonders and miracles, so that all the world shall wonder after him and worship him, saying, “Who is like unto him, and who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4–8 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12).

The Antichrist and his forces will be all-powerful, so all-powerful they’re even going to think they can make war on God and His people—and that’s where they’re going to lose! God is going to protect us and keep us, at least a lot of us, if not most of us, supernaturally, miraculously, powerfully in many ways, and the message will get out all the more, in spite of everything they do! Then when it looks like we’re going to be really wiped out, Jesus comes and saves us—a happy ending to the story.

For then, Jesus said “immediately after the tribulation of those days” (at the consummation or completion of Daniel’s seventieth week), “then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven … and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds … from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven” (Matthew 24:29–31; Mark 13:27).

Here at the end of this seventieth week we have the glorious second coming of Jesus Christ to “gather together” His church—the true believers. This gathering together involves first the resurrection of those saints who have died, and then the transformation of those believers still alive at His coming, both of whom, at that time will receive immortal bodies.

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God… (and) them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” when He comes.

“The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:14–17).

Copyright © 1975 The Family International.

The Twelve Apostles

11/10/24 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. ¹³ And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:
(Luke 6:12.13) ESV

08 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Solitude and Silence

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-04-29

As Christians, our desire is to walk closer to the Lord, to live our lives in harmony with His attributes and will, and to be a blessing to others. The Spiritual Disciplines aid us in this overall endeavor. The disciplines of solitude and silence can be especially helpful, as they allow us to put focused attention on the Lord without many of the distractions which encumber our daily lives.

The discipline of solitude refers to the practice of voluntarily and temporarily withdrawing to privacy and separating ourselves from life’s activities and distractions in order to have time alone with God. To practice the discipline of silence is to refrain from speaking for a period of time, and may also include separating oneself from external noise and voices, such as by going to a retreat or a place that is apart from your daily activities.

In a sense, these two disciplines can be seen as fasting from interaction and communication with other people in order to interact and communicate with God. It’s stepping away for a time, however long or short, from the influence of our normal circumstances—making ourselves free from distractions to focus more easily and more fully on the Lord and what He may have to say to us, and be renewed and strengthened spiritually.

Jesus Took Time in Silence and Solitude

Throughout the Gospels we read of Jesus separating Himself from those He was ministering to, and even from His closest friends and followers, to spend time alone in prayer and communion with His Father. Before beginning His ministry, we see Him being led by the Holy Spirit to spend forty days alone in fasting and prayer.^[1] Before deciding which of His followers to designate as the twelve apostles, we’re told that He went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples and chose from them twelve, whom He named apostles.^[2] After hearing of the death of John the Baptist, Jesus withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by Himself.^[3]When the crowds gathered to hear Him and to be healed, He sometimes would withdraw to desolate places and pray.^[4] After miraculously feeding the five thousand, He sent His disciples off in a boat, then, After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone.^[5]

It was common for Jesus to separate Himself from others to be alone with God. Even when He was extremely busy, very needed, and doing great things, He still made a point of getting away from everyone to have time alone with His Father.

That evening at sundown they brought to Him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.^[6]

Carving out time to be alone to commune with the Lord gives us the opportunity to pray and hear His voice without distraction. Solitude allows us to focus on connecting deeply with God, knowing we won’t be interrupted by others, especially when we add silence to the mix by disconnecting from all communication devices, phones, computers, etc. Of course, it isn’t always necessary to get away from noise and conversation to hear the voice of the Lord, as He can speak to us in any situation, but there are times when it’s beneficial to be alone and in quietness as we seek Him and listen to Him.

Input Overload

About a year and a half ago, someone broke into my car and stole my car stereo, which I wasn’t too happy about. While I don’t drive very often, I enjoyed listening to music when I did. Not having music readily available, I began to appreciate this time being somewhat disconnected, and I found myself using my time alone behind the wheel to pray and praise. I would look at nature, the trees, the flowers, the views, and thank God for their beauty. I would find myself conversing with the Lord about the errands I was running, or my plans for the day. I still haven’t replaced the stereo, because I’ve found that being alone without the distraction of the radio or music has given me an opportunity to have a little extra time in His presence.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with listening to the radio or music or watching TV, it’s wise to look at how much and in what circumstances we do these things. Do we put them on just to have background noise? Are we addicted to noise, or perhaps uncomfortable with or afraid of silence? What about constant input? Are we addicted to that? Do we find ourselves constantly checking our email, Twitter, or Facebook accounts; or texting, or reading, or listening to the news repeatedly throughout the day? While each of these means of communicating and getting information can be beneficial, it helps to realize that so much “connection” may be distracting us from spending time connecting with our own thoughts and with the voice of our Creator.

Allotting/Planning Time

As is the case with so many other things in life, taking time for solitude and silence likely won’t happen often if it isn’t planned. It starts with scheduling time for daily reading of God’s Word, for prayer and communion with Him. In addition to that time, it can be helpful to find moments when you step away from the hustle and bustle of daily life to focus your attention on the Lord. You could look at these short moments of silence as “one-minute retreats.”

When possible, it helps to take a longer time of solitude and silence. Perhaps setting aside a few hours on a weekend when you take some time alone with the Lord for reading the Bible or a devotional book that will help you learn about or focus on the Lord. You may want to use the time for Bible study, or perhaps prayer and meditation. You may have decisions or matters in your personal life which you need to think and pray about, or you may just want to take the time to open yourself to the Lord, to hear whatever He may want to speak to you about.

You might consider taking part of a day, a full day, or even a weekend or longer in solitude, if you’re able. This can be difficult to do when you have responsibilities such as taking care of children. Perhaps with planning and preparation you might be able to do it from time to time. Some people do it by trading responsibilities with others. Perhaps your spouse can fill in for you for a few hours while you take that time with the Lord. Maybe you can work out an arrangement with a friend to care for your children for an afternoon in exchange for you returning the favor at another time.

When you choose to practice silence and solitude, it often affects others—your loved ones most specifically. When you take time alone, it automatically involves them, since when you’re gone, your presence is missed. It’s important to understand and respect that this may be difficult for them. You should make whatever arrangements you can to make the experience easier for your loved ones, and do your best to help them understand what you are doing and why, and reassure them of your love for them and your desire for their company.^[7]

When you have the opportunity to take an extended time in solitude, it’s a good idea to prepare for what you will do with the time. Perhaps you’ll want to schedule a certain amount of time for reading, for taking a walk in nature, and for prayer and listening to the Lord. If you are going to have an extended time in solitude, you may want to set aside some time for some extra rest and sleep.

Even if you’re not able to take extended time away, you may be able to find a place that you can retreat to on occasion for a short period of time. Perhaps there’s a park nearby that you can walk or drive to for a short time away, or maybe you have a spare bedroom in your house, or there’s a quiet area in your garage or attic, or maybe there’s a spot in your backyard where you can be alone. It’s not so much where you go to be alone or for how long; what’s important is that you take the time and make the effort to do it. Do you have a place for this? If not, you can most likely find one, though it may take a little effort.

More on Silence

Solitude and silence naturally go together. One author wrote: Silence is the way to make solitude a reality.^[8] If you are separated physically from people, then you most likely aren’t speaking to them. Keeping silent for extended periods when practicing solitude can also help us learn to control our tongue. Learning to control one’s tongue has a role in being Christlike.

Dallas Willard wrote:

James, in his Epistle, tells us that those who seem religious but are unable to bridle their tongues are self-deceived and have a religion that amounts to little (James 1:26). He states that those who do no harm by what they say are perfect and able to direct their whole bodies to do what is right (James 3:2). Practice in not speaking can at least give us enough control over what we say that our tongues do not “go off” automatically. This discipline provides us with a certain inner distance that gives us time to consider our words fully and the presence of mind to control what we say and when we say it.^[9]

Scripture tells us that there is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.^[10] The book of Proverbs speaks specifically about not speaking more than necessary.

When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.^[11]

Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life.^[12]

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.^[13]

Speaking less, and much more carefully, can help us gain control of what we say, and we avoid just “shooting off our mouth.” It helps us consider what we’re saying to make sure it should be said. Speaking less helps us to better listen and pay attention to what others are saying. It makes us more considerate of others and their needs.

We’re all different; some of us are naturally quiet and others of us can really talk. While all of us can learn to speak less and listen more, some of us may need to practice this discipline more than others do. This can be done by abstaining from commenting or giving our opinion when others are speaking, and instead listening more intently to others. We can also avoid or postpone conversations or phone calls in order to “fast” from speaking unnecessarily.

For many, the thought of being alone and/or not speaking with others and/or not being connected online is a frightening prospect, especially if it’s for longer than a short time. However, in practicing solitude and silence, we are temporarily separated from other people, but we are not separated from the Lord of love. The purpose of these disciplines is to bring us into deeper and more intimate communication with God. They take us away from the normal interaction we have with others and help us enter into focused fellowship and communion with God.

It’s a sacrifice and a commitment to separate yourself for a time of fellowship with the Lord, but the benefit of giving Him your undivided attention is well worth the sacrifice. It can be difficult to find the opportunity for solitude, especially for extended periods of time, and more so if you are parents of younger children, but even carving out “one-minute retreats” is well worth the effort. I encourage you to bring the disciplines of solitude and silence into your life whenever possible.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry(Matthew 4:1–2).

^[2] Luke 6:12–13.

^[3] Matthew 14:13.

^[4] Luke 5:13–16.

^[5] Matthew 14:23.

^[6] Mark 1:32–35.

^[7] Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York: HarperOne, 1988), 161.

^[8] Henri Nouwen, “Silence, The Portable Cell” (Sojourners 9, July 1980), 22, as quoted by Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines, 10.

^[9] Willard, Disciplines, 164.

^[10] Ecclesiastes 3:7.

^[11] Proverbs 10:19.

^[12] Proverbs 13:3.

^[13] Proverbs 21:23 NIV.

2014 The Family International.

07 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Fasting (part 2)

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-03-18

To Overcome Temptation and Dedicate Yourself to the Lord

11/08/24 There may be times when we are struggling with temptation and we need extra strength to overcome it. Or perhaps we have some besetting sin that we can’t seem to overcome. We may be faced with making a decision that will bring benefits into our life, but might put us in a position where we can give less time to the Lord or will be put in temptation’s way. It’s at times like these that fasting can help us overcome temptation or renew our dedication to the Lord. At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus fasted, and during that time He overcame all the temptations He was faced with. Because He did, He received God’s power.^[34]

To Express Love and Worship to God

Fasting can be done for the purpose of devotion to God, as an expression of our love for Him, thankfulness for all He’s done for us, and as an act of worship and praise. It can be done to show God that He is more important to you than eating, that you are willing to set aside the pleasure and even need for food for a time in order to focus on Him, that you are nourished by being in His presence.

When You Fast …

As mentioned earlier, there is no explicit command to fast; fasting is a private matter between you and the Lord. The act of fasting doesn’t gain you any extra merit; it isn’t meant to be a bargaining chip with God or a guarantee that He is going to answer your prayers. However, like the other Spiritual Disciplines, it puts you in a position to receive from God.

If you choose to fast, you should consider beginning by fasting one meal or maybe two. It may be best to not start by trying a fast for three or more days. One way to start is to begin by fasting lunch, and then the next time by fasting both lunch and dinner. This way you go into the fast having just eaten, and you end it with breakfast the next morning, which means you are fasting for about twenty-four hours. In time, you can move to beginning your fast after dinner and fasting breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next day, and breaking the fast with breakfast the following morning. This is a thirty-six-hour fast. For someone choosing to fast on a regular basis, this could work well. There are, of course, various options of how to fast, how to start, and how to build up to it, so if you choose to fast you can experiment to see which one works best for you.

Longer fasts of three, five, ten or more days require more knowledge regarding what to expect, how to keep hydrated, and how to break the fast without damaging your body. If you consider a longer fast, there are some websites listed at the end of this article that have important information which you should read and follow. If you are diabetic, have a health condition that is affected by your diet, are pregnant or nursing, ill, frail, or recovering from illness, or have any other health problem, you probably shouldn’t fast; and if you wish to, you should check with a doctor first. Also, check with a doctor before considering a fast if you are taking strong medicines. If you have any health concerns whatsoever, consult your doctor as to whether it’s safe for you to fast. Children shouldn’t fast meals, though they may want to give up eating desserts or sweets for a time.

It may not be possible for you to fast a number of consecutive meals due to your work, your health, or caring for your family. If that’s the case, another option would be to fast one meal, and perhaps use the time you’d normally spend eating that meal to pray or read, or maybe witness. Another possibility is that if you regularly eat out at work, or if you dine out fairly regularly, you could consider fasting one meal a week and donating the money saved to someone in need.

Fasting might seem to be a big step to take; it did to me. I can say, though, from my experience that I am glad I took the step, as I feel that I’ve benefited from practicing this Spiritual Discipline. I can’t necessarily say my fasting has resulted in a specific blessing or reward that has come to me because of fasting, but that’s not the reason to fast. I don’t fast because I want something from the Lord. I fast because I love Him and this is one way of expressing that love and that He comes first in my life. Any spiritual blessings or results are a side effect and completely in the Lord’s hands. When I fast, or practice any of the Spiritual Disciplines, I’m committing to live in accordance with God’s Word and nature. My desire is to do what I can to be more like Jesus, to have a close relationship with God, to endeavor to live my life in alignment with His will. I find that fulfilling and rewarding in itself. I’ll end with a quote from Donald Whitney which expresses what I have experienced since beginning to fast.

Like all the Spiritual Disciplines, fasting hoists the sail of the soul in hopes of experiencing the gracious wind of God’s Spirit. But fasting also adds a unique dimension to your spiritual life and helps you grow in Christlikeness.^[35]

Websites that have information about the physical aspects of fasting and breaking a fast:

http://www.ihopkc.org/about/fasting-guidelines-and-information/

http://viralchrist.com/spiritual-growth/prayer/1163-the-most-important-part-of-fasting-is-how-to-break-it

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Luke 4:2.

^[2] Matthew 4:2.

^[3] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 161.

^[4] Daniel 1:12.

^[5] Matthew 3:4.

^[6] Esther 4:16.

^[7] Acts 9:9.

^[8] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 162.

^[9] Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber (Joel 2:15–16).

^[10] Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD (2 Chronicles 20:3–4). See also Nehemiah 9:1, Esther 4:16, and Jonah 3:5–8.

^[11] Matthew 6:17–18.

^[12] Matthew 6:5–7.

^[13] Matthew 6:2–3.

^[14] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (New York: HarperOne, 1998), 52–53.

^[15] Matthew  9:15.

^[16] Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 53.

^[17] While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:2–3).

When they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed (Acts 14:23).

^[18] Matthew 6:3–4.

^[19] Matthew 6:6.

^[20] Matthew 6:17–18.

^[21] Nehemiah 1:4.

^[22] Daniel 9:3.

^[23] Ezra 8:23.

^[24] Arthur Wallis, God’s Chosen Fast (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1968), 42, as quoted in Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 166.

^[25] Judges 20:26–28.

^[26] 1 Samuel 31:12–13; 2 Samuel 1:11–12; Judges 20:25–26.

^[27] 1 John 1:9.

^[28] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 169.

^[29] 2 Chronicles 20:2–4.

^[30] Ezra 8:21–23.

^[31] Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish (Esther 4:16).

^[32] Psalm 109:21–22, 24.

^[33] Psalm 35:13 NIV.

^[34] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 175.

^[35] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 180.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

07 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Fasting (part 1)

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-03-18

11/07/24 The Spiritual Discipline of fasting is a tough one for a lot of people. Like many of us, I had fasted a few times, but it was many years, even decades, ago. I haven’t been so keen on fasting, but after studying about it last year, I decided to try it again, and I’m glad I did. During the past year I’ve generally fasted one day a week, and I did one three-day fast as well. I’m no expert, but I’m very happy I’m learning about it and experiencing it, as I’ve found it to be spiritually fulfilling.

The fasting covered in this article will be limited to the fasting of food as spoken of in the Bible. This principle of fasting can be applied to abstinence from things other than food—such as television and other entertainment, recreational Internet browsing, social media, alcohol consumption, or talking—for the purpose of focusing on spiritual matters. However, the focus of this article is abstaining from food.

Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, and in Christianity in general for many centuries, fasting was fairly common. The Bible records types of fasting which differ from one another based on the food or water intake.

Types of Fasting

A normal fast refers to a fast in which a person abstains from all food but not water. It is likely that when Jesus fasted for forty days just prior to the beginning of His ministry, He abstained from food but not water. Luke tells us: He ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, He was hungry.^[1]Matthew wrote: And after fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.^[2] In neither case does it mention Jesus being thirsty, but it does say that He ate nothing. Since the human body can normally function no more than three days without water, we assume that He drank water during this time.^[3]

A partial fast refers to when some types of food are not eaten, similar to how Daniel and his three companions asked the chief official to “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.”^[4] By this definition John the Baptist also adhered to a partial fast, as he limited what he ate. His food was locusts and wild honey.^[5] Throughout Christian history, believers devoted themselves to partial fasts by eating much smaller amounts of food, or eating only simple foods.

There are instances of what are called absolute fasts during which neither food nor water is taken. Esther petitioned the Jews throughout Susa to hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.^[6] Saul, who later was known as the apostle Paul, also observed an absolute fast after his encounter with the risen Christ.

For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.^[7]

The Bible also speaks about two supernatural fasts. Author Donald Whitney explains:

There are two instances of these. When Moses wrote of his meeting with God on Mount Sinai, he said, “I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water” (Deuteronomy 9:9). 1 Kings 19:8 may be saying that Elijah did the same thing when he went to the site of Moses’ miraculous fast: “So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he travelled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.” These required God’s supernatural intervention into the bodily processes and are not repeatable apart from the Lord’s specific calling and miraculous provision.^[8]

While there are Christians today who have fasted for forty days, these would have been normal fasts, meaning that liquids were drunk, as opposed to the supernatural fast of Moses and possibly Elijah.

Scripture also speaks of congregational fasts^[9] in which believers fast together for a specific purpose, and national fasts^[10] in which a whole country or people fast. In this article, we will focus on private fasts by individuals, the ones which Jesus referred to when He said:

But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[11]

For the most part, those practicing the Spiritual Discipline of fasting today fast from food but not water (normal fast), and many of those do it alone without others knowing about it (private fast).

There is no explicit command in the New Testament that Christians must fast; it is not a specified requirement. Jesus did, however, refer to fasting in a way that showed an expectation that believers would do it. In the verse quoted earlier, Jesus says: When you fast, do not look gloomy, and, When you fast, do so in secret. He used similar language when speaking of prayer:

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. But when you pray … pray to your Father who is in secret. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do …”^[12]

The same language was used when He spoke about giving:

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you … When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing …”^[13]

Using the phrase “when you” assumes that you do it sometimes.

Richard Foster expressed it this way:

It is as if there is an almost unconscious assumption that giving, praying, and fasting are all part of Christian devotion. We have no more reason to exclude fasting from the teaching [of Jesus] than we do giving or praying … Having said this, however, we must realize that these words do not constitute a command. Jesus was giving instruction on the proper exercise of a common practice of His day. He did not speak a word about whether it was a right practice or if it should be continued. So although Jesus does not say, “If you fast,” neither does He say “You must fast.” His word is, very simply, “When you fast.”^[14]

When Jesus was asked by the disciples of John the Baptist why Jesus’ disciples didn’t fast, while they and the Pharisees did, He responded by saying:

“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”^[15]

While Jesus was with them, it was a time of feasting, not fasting.^[16] The time, however, was coming when He would be taken away, and then His disciples would fast. While we don’t read of His disciples fasting when He was with them, we do hear of the early church fasting after His ascension.^[17]

It’s interesting to note that when Jesus spoke about giving to the needy in secret, about praying in secret, and about fasting in secret, a promise of reward was given.

When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[18] But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[19] But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.^[20]

While fasting isn’t a command in the New Testament, it is a Spiritual Discipline available to those who wish to use it in their desire to be like Jesus, to grow in godliness. As with all the Spiritual Disciplines, fasting isn’t a means to gain merit or earn favor with God. We don’t fast in order to impress Him or so that we will get our way in some matter we desire, nor to gain His acceptance. God’s love and acceptance have already been given to us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Donald Whitney gave examples of different situations within the Old Testament showing when and why it may be beneficial to fast, which I’ve summarized.

To Strengthen Prayer

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.^[21]

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking Him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.^[22]

So we fasted and implored our God for this, and He listened to our entreaty.^[23]

Arthur Wallis wrote in his book God’s Chosen Fast:

Fasting is calculated to bring a note of urgency and importunity into our praying, and to give force to our pleading in the court of heaven. The man who prays with fasting is giving heaven notice that he is truly in earnest…. Not only so, but he is expressing his earnestness in a divinely appointed way. He is using a means that God has chosen to make his voice be heard on high.^[24]

When Seeking God’s Guidance

Fasting can be helpful when seeking God’s will in decisions, when asking for His guidance. We see an example of the children of Israel seeking the Lord with fasting and prayer when seeking His will as to whether to continue fighting after suffering devastating losses two days in a row.

Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. And the people of Israel inquired of the LORD … saying, “Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?” And the LORD said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.”^[25]

In Times of Grief

There are a number of biblical examples of fasting and prayer as a response to grief over someone’s death.^[26] Fasting can also be a response to grief and remorse over sin, as it can communicate our sorrow for sinning against the Lord. Fasting doesn’t bring forgiveness of sin, as forgiveness is a gift given to us through salvation. However, we are told to confess our sins to the Lord. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.^[27] Fasting doesn’t make us more worthy of forgiveness, but it can communicate the grief and confessions our words may not be able to.^[28]

When Seeking Deliverance or Protection

Throughout the Old Testament there are examples of people fasting along with praying when in need of protection and deliverance. A number of these instances were congregational or national fasts, whereby those in danger fasted together, beseeching the Lord for protection.

Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.^[29]

Then I [Ezra] proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek Him, and the power of His wrath is against all who forsake Him.” So we fasted and implored our God for this, and He listened to our entreaty.^[30]

Another example includes Esther asking the Jews in Susa to fast and pray before she risked death by going to see the king unannounced.^[31]

We also see an instance where King David fasted and prayed because people were speaking hatefully against him and making accusations. He apparently fasted for some time, as he says his body had become gaunt and he was weak through fasting.

O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for Your name’s sake; because Your steadfast love is good, deliver me! For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me. My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat.^[32]

When you are being gossiped about, falsely accused, spoken against, or persecuted for your faith, you can go to the Lord in prayer and fasting for protection and deliverance.

To Humble Yourself Before God

Fasting can be a physical expression of humility before the Lord. David said in Psalms: I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting.^[33] We’re not able to make ourselves humble; however, fasting expresses to the Lord that we are dependent on Him and weak without Him. When you fast, you realize how quickly the lack of food affects you. We often feel strong and self-sufficient, so it can be quite humbling to realize how fragile we actually are. (to be continued)

Boasting About Tomorrow

11/06/24 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15) ESV

06 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Stewardship/The Wise Use of Time

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-03-04

Time is one of the most valuable resources God has entrusted to our care; it can’t be replaced, replenished, or relived. Each of us has a finite amount of time in our earthly life, and how much we will have to work with and when our life will come to an end is in God’s hands. We are stewards of our time and should use it wisely, as we will be asked to give account of how we managed what was put into our care, including our time. As the apostle Paul wrote, each of us will give an account of himself to God.^[1]

Before going further, let me clarify that when I’m speaking of the proper use of time in the context of the Spiritual Discipline of stewardship, it should be understood as using it in alignment with God’s nature and character and according to His will, for His glory. It’s not limited to only doing things that are directly linked to your relationship with and service to the Lord, such as prayer, witnessing, etc. For example, we sometimes spend it on entertainment or relaxation.

Taking time to rest and relax is in alignment with God’s will, as seen by His commanding a day of rest. Some may feel as if the time spent working at a job is wasted, when they would prefer to use that time in more visible service to God. But working to provide for yourself and your family is in alignment with God’s nature and will, and when committed to God, is part of your service to God. While taking time to read God’s Word and pray is important, so are the everyday necessities of life such as cooking, cleaning house, changing diapers, and caring for your family. Our lives call for a balanced use of time, and it’s in that context that we are talking about the use of time as part of stewardship.

Perspective and Eternity

In every calendar year we live, we are graciously given 8,760 hours^[2] by our Creator. It is our responsibility to use them wisely and to make the most of them.^[3] Unfortunately, it’s easy to waste time and fritter it away. Using it wisely requires discipline and sacrifice, as mountains of time management books have expressed over and over again. Decisions need to be made to forgo spending time on something we like doing and want to do, and instead using it for the purpose of improving in some area or working toward goals. Disciplined time management is needed in any area of life we hope to move forward in, including growing in godliness and becoming more like Jesus.

A key to understanding the importance of using our time for godly purposes is recognizing that this life is where we prepare for eternity. We know this holds true when it comes to salvation, as one’s acceptance or rejection of Jesus affects one’s eternity. In addition, how we live and what we do or don’t do in this life plays a role in our eternity. It doesn’t determine our salvation, but Scripture says that it does affect the rewards we will receive in the afterlife. Paul addressed this when he wrote about building our lives on Jesus as the foundation:

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.^[4]

It is worthwhile to invest in godly pursuits, in following God’s will for us, in drawing closer to the Lord. Of course, these aren’t the only things that it is important to devote time to, but they are things that can easily be overlooked within the busy lives we lead. Constantly putting off spending time in prayer, reading God’s Word, and other activities which strengthen our faith and bring godliness into our lives can easily result in not doing them at all, because the time we thought we would have to do them later turns out to have been spent doing something else.

None of us know when our lives will be over. As James wrote:

You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.^[5]

Our times are in God’s hands,^[6] and while it’s wise to plan as if we are going to live a long life, it’s also wise to use our time for the purpose of godliness as though it were uncertain that we will live tomorrow.^[7] Today is the day to do God’s will, to make good decisions, to be generous, to share His love with another, to pray for someone, to help the poor, to visit the sick, to spend time in prayer and adoration, to be Jesus for someone.

Since what we do with our time matters both in this life and in the life to come, how we use each day counts. Properly managing the time we are given by God in a manner that helps us accomplish our goals, while allowing us to have a proper balance in our work, recreation, family life, and faith life, is an important part of our life on earth. The “right now” of every day is time that God has graciously given us, and we should value it deeply. When your time on earth is finished, will you be happy with how you used this precious gift God put into your hands, or will you have regrets?

Francis Chan uses a classic illustration about the time we have in our lives in relation to the eternity we have before us. He lays down a rope that looks about 30 feet (10 meters) long, and at one end three inches (8 centimeters) of it are painted red. He makes the point that so many of us are overly focused on the three red inches—our comfort, our status, the inch or so that is left of our life—yet we ignore the rest of the rope, which represents eternity.

Of course, the three inches which represent our lives on earth are important. God has given us life and time on this earth with the expectation that we will live it to the full and enjoy the life He has given us, in alignment with His nature and character, and that we will glorify Him in the lives we lead and leave the world a little better because of how we lived. However, those three inches don’t represent our entire existence. There is more to life beyond that, and being mindful of that fact should cause us to consider how we invest our time and where we place our values. You can watch Chan’s impressive illustration here.

Values and Commitment

Wisely investing in the present as well as eternity means investing time in things that are important in this life and also have value in the next. That includes such things as taking care of your family, teaching your children to live in accordance with God’s attributes, nurturing your relationship with your spouse, learning new things, cultivating friendships, caring for those in need, sharing God’s love and salvation with others, being kind and generous, being mindful of the environment, and being a good influence in your community. In short, investing your time wisely means living life in a manner that reflects God, that lets your light shine before others, that has a positive effect on those around you, and also lays up treasure in heaven.

Living a life that reflects the Lord would include keeping connected to the Lord through reading, studying, and applying God’s Word; giving time to prayer, praise, and worship; sharing the message of salvation with others; managing our finances and possessions in a godly manner; giving to God and others; sharing what we have been entrusted with; serving God and others. Each of these activities requires a commitment of time, and in order to devote the necessary time, it’s necessary to be disciplined in the use of it.

It takes work, discipline, and commitment to manage our time, as well as thought, reflection, planning, and sometimes coaching or help from another person if time management isn’t one of our strong points. Making the effort can make our lives happier and more fulfilling. People who are disciplined and organized in how they use their time are more likely to achieve their goals, and are at the same time less stressed or flustered than those who don’t do this. Wisely using our time plays a role in our effectiveness and happiness in this life, and according to Scripture has an effect on our life to come as well.

Time Management and Balance

If you are willing to work at using your time more efficiently, as well as cutting out time wasters, you will gain more time for the things that are valuable to you, such as being with your loved ones, learning things you’re interested in, and working toward reaching your personal goals, whether practical or spiritual or both. Effective time management can also eliminate stress in your life.

There are plenty of books, websites, courses, and time management tips that you can avail yourself of to help you use your time wisely. I found it helpful to do an Internet search on “how to stop wasting time,” which supplied numerous articles on ways to use my time more efficiently. You may want to do an audit of your time, and if so, a search for “time audit” will provide some ways to evaluate how you presently use your time.

We should watch out about wasting time on activities which either have little or no value, or which absorb an inordinate amount of time in relation to their value. Some things are fine in small doses, but can easily encroach on our time if we’re not disciplined. For example, I really like to watch some TV series. While they serve as an avenue of relaxation for me, which is a benefit, I can also spend too much time watching them. Unless I discipline myself and set limits, I could end up spending many hours on something that has no eternal value—time which could be put to much better and more godly use. Relaxing and resting is important, but it’s easy to cross the line from using some time for relaxation to wasting time on activities that steal hours away from the most useful and worthwhile endeavors, or even the things that are most personally fulfilling.

In relation to the use of time as a Spiritual Discipline, it helps to take to heart what the Bible teaches about the afterlife as a motivator to use the time we are given by God for godly purposes and to live in accordance with His Word and will. Being good stewards of the time we have, disciplining ourselves in the use of it, devoting time to developing and strengthening our spiritual lives and our connection with God, and avoiding wasting this precious gift, helps us to be productive in this life and lay up treasures in heaven.^[8]By using your time for godliness, for helping others, for sharing the Gospel, you will lay up treasure for yourself as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that you may take hold of the life that is truly life.^[9]

Invest your time wisely.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Romans 14:12.

^[2] 8,784 hours in a leap year.

^[3] Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15–16 NAS).

^[4] 1 Corinthians 3:11–15.

^[5] James 4:14 NIV.

^[6] Psalm 31:15.

^[7] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 135.

^[8] Matthew 6:20.

^[9] 1 Timothy 6:19, paraphrased.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7).

^[2] Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11).

^[3] Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment … (1 Timothy 6:6).

^[4] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 21.

^[5] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (New York: HarperOne, 1998), 7.

^[6] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 18.

^[7] Ibid., 18.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

05 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Stewardship/Giving and Tithing

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-02-25

11/05/24 Understanding the principle of ownership—that God owns everything, and that we are caretakers of what He has entrusted us with—should encourage us to look to His example regarding how to share what He has placed in our care. As His stewards, we are expected to use what is His in alignment with His nature and His will.

God’s Generosity

Throughout the Bible we read about God’s generous and gracious giving.

He gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.^[1] I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.^[2]

As our Father He gives us good things,^[3] good and perfect gifts,^[4] our heart’s desire^[5] and what we ask for when these align with His will,^[6] His peace,^[7] wisdom,^[8] and grace.^[9]

Motivated by His love for humanity, God gave His Son, Jesus, for our salvation,^[10] and He gave Himself to redeem us.^[11] We’re given the water of life,^[12] the free gift of God.^[13] He has lavished upon us forgiveness, redemption, and grace.^[14] He has also poured His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us^[15] as a guarantee.^[16] We’ve also been given the gifts of the Spirit, which are distributed according to His will.^[17]

Understanding God’s generous nature as the owner of all things guides us in our attitude toward giving. As the children of such a generous Father, we should want to follow His example. Knowing that we are stewards of God’s possessions and that He wants us to be generous with what He has put into our care should help us develop the attitude of cheerful and generous giving, both when giving to the Lord through our tithes and offerings as well as when giving to others.

When we give of our finances to the Lord and others, we give honor to God.

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.^[18]

When the apostle Paul wrote about the gifts the Philippians had given toward the Lord’s work, he likened the giving to an act of worship. He called the gifts a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.^[19] He was comparing the gifts given to God’s work by the believers in Philippi to the sacrifices burnt in the Temple as worship to God.^[20] The book of Hebrews speaks of sharing what you have as a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.^[21]

Giving is an act of worshipping God.

Giving with Gratefulness

Recently I took some time to think about why Maria and I tithe ten percent of our monthly income and the gifts we receive, instead of just looking at it as a duty or something which we have personally committed to doing. Rather than just tithing and giving gifts to others as a routine, I reflected on the meaning behind it, the significance of giving to the Lord. I thought about how blessed I’ve been to know the Lord for over two-thirds of my life, about all the blessings I’ve received, our children and grandchildren, how privileged I’ve been to serve Him, about the difficult times He’s pulled us through, and times of joy and happiness we’ve experienced. Spending time in praise and thanksgiving when returning a portion of what the Lord has given us this past month made giving our tithe much more meaningful to me. It wasn’t just a duty; it was an offering of thankfulness for His love and care for us. I’ve also started looking at what we give to missionaries, as well as to the poor and needy that we come in contact with, in the same way.

So often we can look at tithing as we do paying taxes. We expect to get services from our church or fellowship, or from God as payback for our tithes in the same way that we expect our governments to provide roads, schools, etc. But this isn’t what tithing is about. Tithing is an expression of our love and gratitude toward God and an act of praise, thanksgiving, and worship.

Our giving to God or others is meant to come from the heart. We shouldn’t be giving grudgingly or out of duty because we feel we have to; rather we should give because we want to, from a place of thankfulness and praise in response to God’s love for us.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.^[22]

Donald Whitney expressed the reason for giving cheerfully when he wrote:

When you think of how God has given you the greatest possible gift in His Son, Jesus Christ, when you think of the mercy and grace He has given you, when you think of how He has provided all you have, and when you think that you are giving to God, you should be able to give thankfully and cheerfully.^[23]

When Giving Is Difficult

It’s often hard to tithe and give to others when we’re just making ends meet and don’t feel like there’s anything extra. It’s especially difficult to give when we genuinely don’t even have enough for our own needs.

The apostle Paul wrote about the Macedonian believers who, though impoverished, gave generously and joyously toward those in need.

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in His kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.^[24]

We see a similar situation of those with very little still giving in the Gospel of Mark, when he tells of Jesus sitting across from the “treasury,” the 13 collection boxes which were placed along the court of the women within the temple complex in Jerusalem. He watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And He called His disciples to Him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”^[25]

When Jesus stated that the minuscule amount the poor widow gave—the equivalent of 1/64th of a laborer’s daily wage of one denarius—was more than the large sums given by the rich, He was making a profound point. Why was her gift considered to be more? Because of what it cost her. She gave all she had to live on, while the rich gave from their abundance. She didn’t have any extra finances to fall back on; the rich did. Her giving was not only sacrificial, it also showed her faith in God’s supply, provision, and care. Stepping out on a limb, she sawed it off in an act of love for God. She gave sacrificially and trusted in God’s faithfulness to provide for her. Jesus saw her willingness to sacrificially give to God and her faith in His care as being more valuable than what the rich had given. Giving sacrificially out of love, giving generously because of faith in God’s love and care for you, is the kind of giving Jesus was commending.

We can also take heart from more recent examples of Christians who gave in leaner times, such as William Carey:

I was once young and now I am old, but not once have I been witness to God’s failure to supply my need when first I had given for the furtherance of Hiswork. He has never failed in His promise, so I cannot fail in my service to Him.^[26]

Systematic Giving

When speaking about giving, Paul told the church in Corinth:

Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.^[27]

He was suggesting that giving should be planned out and done systematically. For our tithes, offerings, and giving to others, it’s best to develop a system of setting aside what we plan to give; otherwise it’s easy to put it off and then have to scramble at the last minute to come up with the funds when it’s time to tithe. You can follow Paul’s suggestion of setting aside money on the first day of the week, or each time you receive some income, so that it will be available when it’s time to give to God. However you do it, being systematic helps to ensure that you have your tithe available when it’s time to present it to Him.

Along with being systematic in giving, Paul makes the point that the funds set aside should be in keeping with our income,^[28] or as it says in other Bible translations, as he prospers. The expectation is that we will give in proportion to our income. If our income grows, our tithe and giving should grow with it. Whitney writes:

The more you prosper, the higher should be the proportion of your giving. There is no percentage goal in giving. Giving 10 percent of your gross income does not necessarily mean you have fulfilled the will of God. That’s not a ceiling of giving to stop at, but a floor to move from.^[29]

Some wealthy Christians, or those who have a high income but few expenses, practice inverse tithing, or a form of it, where instead of giving ten percent to God and living on the other ninety percent, they live on the ten percent and give the ninety. As Paul wrote, we should give in keeping with how the Lord has prospered us.

Results of Giving

What is the effect of giving generously to God and others? God’s blessings in your life. Jesus said:

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.^[30]

When we give, we receive. Our generosity is met by God’s generosity. It doesn’t necessarily mean that when you give financially you will receive more finances in return, as what is given as a result of your giving is unspecified. But the promise of God’s blessing is there. Paul reinforced what Jesus taught when he wrote:

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.^[31]

Sir John Templeton, Chairman of Templeton Funds, offered the following observation:

I have observed 100,000 families over my years of investment counseling. I always saw greater prosperity and happiness among those families who tithed than among those who didn’t.

In addition to expressing the principle of reaping what you sow, Paul also speaks of other spiritual principles regarding giving in Second Corinthians chapter nine. He begins with:

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.^[32]

We are encouraged to give willingly and joyfully from our hearts, as this is something that God loves. Paul then tells us of God’s ability to bless us for cheerfully giving so that we will have not only what we need, but plenty left over to share with others:

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.^[33]

Paul continues:

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.^[34]

This is the reassurance that God, who supplies our needs, will provide and increase our resources, which will make it possible for us to be even more generous. The result of God supplying for us, and us giving to others, will be people thanking and praising God.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.^[35]

Besides thanking God for supplying their needs through us, the people who have benefited from our generosity will also pray for us with deep affection.

And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.^[36]

The decision you make to be cheerfully generous in your giving can start a chain reaction of events. God may bless you by supplying your needs so you have extra to share with others, which would then make it possible for you to be even more generous, resulting in those who have been helped by your giving thanking God and also potentially praying for you. All of this gives glory to God. It’s a win-win situation. Paul expresses it this way:

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!^[37]

Giving to God and others goes hand in hand with being a good caretaker of all the Lord has given you. He may want to bless others through His funds which you manage. His way of meeting the need of a certain missionary might be through your giving; perhaps He wants to bless those running an orphanage or school for the poor through you. Your giving to the Lord through your tithe is a means of helping the Gospel to be preached. Those who tithe to their church help support their church and its ministries. Those who tithe to TFI help make it possible for members around the world to receive regular spiritual feeding, to have resources for spiritually feeding and teaching new converts in their local languages, and for missionaries to receive grants and gifts. Your giving to the Lord through your tithe makes it possible for Him to benefit others through the church or organization you tithe to.

Commitment and Attitude Check

Regularly and systematically sharing some of what God has put in your care requires making a commitment and following through consistently. Systematic giving calls for trust that God will provide for you, even during times when your giving requires a leap of faith. Being a cheerful giver stems from having the right relationship with possessions and developing an inner attitude about giving that reflects that relationship. It’s comprehending that you are an agent of the Lord, that you are giving on His behalf, and that you have been given the privilege of representing Him to others, both practically and spiritually.

Early last year, I realized that I wasn’t a cheerful giver when it came to some beggars who are outside a grocery store that I regularly shop at. I found myself grumbling every time I went to the store, because I knew I was going to see the beggars and feel compelled to give to them. The Lord convicted me about my attitude. He reminded me how blessed I am to know Him, that He has always supplied for me, and that rather than feeling negative about it, I should be happy for the opportunity to give, as He loves those beggars and wants to help them through me. That changed my outlook and attitude about giving. I’m determined to give cheerfully as unto the Lord and be thankful for the privilege of representing Him to others in that way.

We’ve been given the honor of knowing the Lord, of receiving His blessings, of being agents of His love and salvation to others. He has given us the greatest gift there is: eternal life through Jesus. He loves us, provides for us, and sustains us. Because of our love for Him and gratitude to Him, we are asked to be cheerful and generous as we give back to Him through our tithes, and through the gifts we give to others. In making the commitment to tithe and give, and keeping that commitment, we honor and worship Him, and are in alignment with what Jesus said is the great commandment:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.^[38]

As the apostle Paul said,

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”^[39]

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

04 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Stewardship/Simplicity

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-02-22

11/04/24 The Spiritual Discipline of Stewardship is about properly using things that God has entrusted to our care, including our possessions, finances, and time. In order to understand and practice the discipline of stewardship and various disciplines that fit under its umbrella, it’s helpful to first understand a few basic principles: the principle of ownership, the principle of stewardship, and the need to have a right relationship with material things.

The fundamental principle of ownership, simply stated, is that God owns everything you own. The Bible teaches that God, as the Creator of all things, owns everything, which means that whatever each person possesses, He ultimately owns.

We read that The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein;^[1] for all the earth is Mine;^[2] whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine;^[3] the silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the LORD of hosts.^[4] All that we “own” is actually owned by our Creator, which includes not just our possessions, but ourselves as well. Because God owns them all, the biblical understanding regarding our things is that we are simply stewards or caretakers of what God owns and has put in our charge.

Donald Whitney explains this principle well:

That means we are managers or, to use the biblical word, stewards of the things God has given us. As a slave, Joseph was a steward when Potiphar placed him over his household. He owned nothing, for he was a slave. But he managed everything Potiphar owned on his behalf. The management of Potiphar’s resources included the use of them to meet his own needs, but Joseph’s main responsibility was to use them for Potiphar’s interests. And that’s what we are to do. God wants us to use and enjoy the things He has allowed us to have, but as stewards of them we’re to remember that they belong to Him and they are primarily to be used for His Kingdom.^[5]

While God may own everything, He wants us to be happy and enjoy the things He has given us, as it says in 1 Timothy 6:17: God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. As custodians of God’s resources—specifically the things in our possession, and generally the resources of the earth—we can use them for ourselves and our loved ones, to live our lives and to enjoy what He has placed in our care. Stewardship, however, implies being faithful to manage the true owner’s resources and to manage them according to the instructions, or at least the guiding principles, of the owner. The owner sets the parameters and the manager works within them.

Our Relationship with Possessions

Understanding the principles of ownership and stewardship helps us to develop a proper relationship with possessions, money, and wealth. Having the right relationship with these things is vitally important to our relationship with God.

I want to point out that when speaking of possessions and money, within the context of the Spiritual Discipline of stewardship, it should be understood that material possessions and finances play an important role in our everyday lives. Having sufficient means to live, to provide for your family, to have your legitimate needs adequately met, is part of the godly use of what the Lord has entrusted to your care. As stewards of God’s funds, we are meant to use them in alignment with His nature and character. This means that besides using them for food, clothing, and housing, we can use some for taking time off, recreation, and celebration, as resting, relaxing, and celebrating are things which God has told us to do.

Money and material possessions are morally neutral—neither good nor evil in themselves. We need them to live. The problems that arise due to wealth don’t come from the wealth itself, rather they stem from having a wrong relationship with it. It is when we crave money, when we love it, or when it becomes our main focus, and when we assign it power and importance that should be reserved for God alone, that there are problems.

As the apostle Paul said in his letter to Timothy:

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.^[6]

It’s the love of money or wealth—in other words, a wrong relationship with it—which can damage us spiritually. Jesus pointed out that when one loves mammon—translated in some Bible versions as money and in others as wealth—this negatively affects one’s relationship with God. It creates a rivalry with God.

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.^[7]

Jesus wasn’t saying that wealth or money are evil, but He warned that loving it or setting our heart on it, making it central to our lives, putting our trust and hope in it for our security and safekeeping, is giving it the place of God in our hearts. God is meant to be central in our lives, and we are instructed to put our trust and hope in Him for our security and safekeeping. Loving and trusting in money and possessions displaces God in our hearts, and this is what Jesus calls serving mammon.

Having money, or working to earn money to live, to care for one’s family, to improve one’s economic situation, is not serving mammon. The apostle Paul made it clear that providing for your family is vital. If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.^[8] Jesus wasn’t condemning money or its legitimate use. He was speaking about the dangers which arise in one’s life when undue importance is put on money and wealth, especially when one puts their trust in it, when it begins to take the place of God in one’s life, when a person’s relationship with their money supplants their relationship with God.

Some might feel that saying money isn’t evil in itself promotes the idea that all Christians should be financially well off, an idea which isn’t supported in Scripture. At the same time, it is also incorrect to say that money or wealth is in itself evil. It is the heart and attitude of the one who has the wealth which makes it either evil or good. As Robert E. Speer (1867–1947), author and authority on missions, said: We cannot serve God and mammon; but we can serve God with mammon. There have been many men and women of God who were wealthy and who used their wealth in God’s service by supporting mission works, financing missionaries, creating businesses which provided employment and made it possible for the poor to earn a living, and in numerous other ways.

The Dangers of Riches, and True Treasure

While wealth isn’t evil in itself, Scripture makes it clear that having riches is spiritually challenging and potentially dangerous. We read a warning in Psalms: If riches increase, set not your heart on them;^[9] and Proverbs says: He who trusts in his riches will fall.^[10] Jesus conveyed the challenge that the rich face when He said: For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.^[11] He explained that treasure should not be laid up on earth but rather in heaven, and drove the point home by showing that your heart is where your treasure is.^[12]

We read further admonitions about the dangers of the wrong relationship with wealth throughout the rest of the New Testament. The book of Hebrews says to Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”^[13]Paul said that bishops should not be lovers of money^[14] and to Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.^[15]

Our true treasures are not money and possessions; our true treasures are the kingdom of God, His love and interaction in our lives, our salvation, God’s provision and care for us, and our coming rewards. Understanding this puts our finances and their use in the right perspective.

Understanding the principles of ownership (that God owns everything) and stewardship (that we are to use what God has given us in conjunction with His will and His Word), and the need for developing a proper relationship with possessions and finances, all helps us to adjust our inner attitude and outer behavior regarding those things that we have control over, both tangible and intangible. Money and possessions are tangibles that we must decide how we use. Time is an intangible, yet we can also decide how we will use it. When we understand that our lives, our time, and our possessions all belong to God, we are in a better position to make godly decisions as to how we use what we are stewards over and how to have the proper relationship with them.

There are a few Spiritual Disciplines that can be put under the umbrella of stewardship, as they have to do with the use of our possessions or time. These are simplicity, giving and tithing, and the use of time, all of which will be covered in this and subsequent articles.

The Discipline of Simplicity

One of the disciplines which falls under the stewardship umbrella is the Spiritual Discipline of simplicity. Simplicity is refraining from using the money or possessions that we are stewards over merely to gratify our desire or hunger for status, glamour, or luxury. It means we use the finances at our disposal for meaningful purposes, that we live within the bounds of good judgment as far as what we spend finances on.^[16] It is being sensible and wise in our financial spending, and using the funds entrusted to us with care. It’s being modest in our personal spending, while being generous in giving to and helping others.

In order to bring simplicity into your life, you might consider:^[17]

1. Buying things for their usefulness rather than for their status. Avoid basing your buying decisions on the latest trends or what will impress others, and choose according to what you need. Don’t focus on impressing others or on your personal status.
2. Simplifying your life by developing the habit of getting rid of things which you no longer use or need. Many of us hold on to things we haven’t used for a long time, which could benefit someone else. Try giving them away and be free from having to store them. If you have become overly attached to some possession, consider giving it to someone who needs it.
3. Keeping yourself from being propagandized by advertising and social trends. The goal of marketing is often to convince you to discard your current item, which is sufficiently meeting your needs, and to buy the latest better, faster, more powerful model. You can make a conscious effort to avoid that, and use what you have until you truly need to replace it.
4. Avoiding purchasing things you don’t need. Do without nonessential items rather than going into debt to purchase them.
5. Learning to enjoy things that you don’t own. Use a library, public transportation, a public beach, or a park. Don’t feel you have to own things to use and benefit from them.
6. Minimizing or forgoing things or activities that produce an addiction in your life. These could be excesses in food or drink (junk food, alcohol, soft drinks, coffee or tea), or the excessive use of technology, communication, and entertainment devices. If you find you have a habitual or compulsive relationship with certain things or activities to where you can’t control your use of them, then stop using or doing them, put limits on them, or fast their use for a time.
7. Being careful not to let your responsibilities such as your family, or your legitimate pursuits such as your work, business, investments, etc., or your friends, become the center of your attention to the detriment of your relationship with God and His kingdom.

This list isn’t in any way meant as laws to be adhered to, but rather provides practical counsel on some matters to be aware of, and how to minimize or remove things that may be a distraction to your relationship with God and may be competing with Him for first place within your heart.

The discipline of simplicity can be understood as a means of being freed from some of the unnecessary attachments to the things of this life, a means to set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.^[18] Jesus told us that our heart is where our treasure is, therefore it’s wise to examine what our true treasure is. We should have a right relationship with our possessions and recognize the damage that can occur if that relationship gets out of balance. Simplicity can lessen our focus on ourselves and our things and help to keep us focused on our true treasure, our loving God who has given us the most valuable things we could ever possess—His love and salvation.

Other aspects of the discipline of stewardship will be discussed in subsequent articles.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

 

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Psalm 24:1.

^[2] Exodus 19:5.

^[3] Job 41:11.

^[4] Haggai 2:8.

^[5] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 140–41.

^[6] 1 Timothy 6:9–10.

^[7] Luke 16:13 NAS.

^[8] 1 Timothy 5:8 NIV.

^[9] Psalm 62:10.

^[10] Proverbs 11:28, NAU.

^[11] Luke 18:25.

^[12] Matthew 6:19–21.

^[13] Hebrews 13:5.

^[14] … not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money (1 Timothy 3:3).

^[15] 1 Timothy 6:17 NIV.

^[16] Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (New York: HarperOne, 1988), 168.

^[17] As taught by Richard J. Foster in Celebration of Discipline (New York: HarperOne, 1998), 90–95.

^[18] Colossians 3:2.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

03 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Prayer

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-02-04

11/03/24 The Spiritual Discipline of prayer is a key component in our relationship with God, as it is our main means of communication with Him. It is in prayer that we are able to converse with our Creator.

As Christians, we have been given the incredible privilege of coming into the presence of God as His children, due to the salvation granted through Jesus. We can speak with Him, praise, worship, and adore Him, tell Him of our love for Him, and thank Him for all He’s done and continues to do for us. We can bare our hearts before Him, expressing our troubles and needs. We can intercede for others in their time of need. We can bring our requests to Him and ask for His help. We can tell Him how much we appreciate the beautiful things He’s created, and thank Him for the multitude of blessings we each have. When we’re weak and weary, we can speak to Him about it. When we’ve done wrong and have sinned, we can confess, ask for, and receive His forgiveness. We can speak with Him when we’re joyful or sad, in good health or bad, whether we’re rich or poor, for we have a relationship with the One who not only created us, but who loves us deeply and wants to participate in every aspect of our lives.

Relationship with God, and Jesus’ Example

Relationships require communication, and prayer is the main way we communicate with God. It is our means of inviting Him to participate in our daily lives, of asking Him to be directly and intimately involved with the things that are important to us. When we come before Him in prayer, we are asking Him to take an active part in our lives or in the lives of those we are praying for. Prayer conveys the reality of our overall situation, that we need Him and desire His presence in our lives.

Being in good communication with God is a major part of our faith, of our relationship with Him. This is why prayer is something we need to cultivate, invest time in, and practice as a discipline. Communicating with God in prayer is a means of drawing closer to Him, of deepening our relationship, and in the process, it helps us to become more godly, more like Jesus.

When it comes to praying, there is much to learn by looking at Jesus’ example of prayer within the Gospels and reading what He taught about it. One of the most fundamental things that Jesus imparted to His followers regarding prayer was about having the right relationship with His Father. In the Gospel of Mark we hear Jesus say, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.”^[1] Abba was what a son or daughter in first-century Palestine would call their father throughout their lives; it was a familiar word, like Dad or Papa, in the Aramaic language that was spoken in Jesus’ day. Jesus used this word in prayer and taught His disciples to do the same, because it expressed the close, endearing, familial relationship believers should have with God. Throughout the Gospels when Jesus addresses God as Father in prayer, He most likely used the term Abba, as He would have been speaking Aramaic.

In every instance but one^[2] throughout all four Gospels, when Jesus prays, He uses the word Father.^[3] He constantly prayed to His Father, and He taught His disciples to do the same. (Since the New Testament was written in Greek, the Greek word Pater was used instead of Abba; however, Abba was preserved in three instances, which gives the understanding that Abba was the term Jesus and His disciples used in prayer, which was translated as Pater or Father in the New Testament.^[4]) Jesus’ use of Abba (Father) set the tone for the personal relationship we are privileged to have with God because of the gift of salvation. We are the sons and daughters of God; not in the same way as Jesus is, but as children adopted into God’s family. When we pray, we are coming before Abba, our Father.

This manner of addressing God was also used in the Greek-speaking churches of Paul’s day. It is a word that was particularly associated with Jesus in the early church; to say Abba was to share in a common sonship and a common inheritance with Jesus.^[5] We, as children adopted into the family of God, also have a relationship with the Father.We are able to have an intimate connection with Him, as we would with our earthly father.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”^[6] And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.^[7]

Teachings from the Gospels about Prayer

When Jesus taught about prayer through the parables, He made comparisons to situations such as the friend who borrowed the loaves at midnight,^[8] or the unjust judge^[9] who eventually answered the woman’s plea. Through these story examples, He made the point that if the friend or the unjust judge would answer the petitions made to them, how much more would our Father in heaven answer our petitions? He demonstrates that we can have confidence that our prayers will be answered by our generous, loving Father. Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!^[10]

In the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, Jesus speaks of humility and confession in prayer.^[11] In the parable of the unforgiving servant, He touched on forgiveness, showing that it is prayer offered with a forgiving spirit that is answered.^[12] Pompous and pretentious prayers which draw attention to oneself are to be avoided; rather prayers should spring from sincerity of heart and motive.^[13] He spoke of intensity and vigilance in prayer^[14] as well as expectancy.^[15] [16]

By His example we learn to pray in solitude,^[17] to pray in thanksgiving,^[18] to pray when faced with decisions,^[19] and to intercede for others.^[20]

Once, when Jesus finished praying, His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. He responded by teaching them what is today called the “Lord’s Prayer” or the “Our Father.”^[21] This rich prayer deserves a fuller explanation than can be given here, but in short it teaches us to pray by: praising God, the one who is holy and above all; expressing our desire and willingness for His will to be accomplished in our lives; acknowledging our dependence on Him to take care of our needs; asking for forgiveness of our sins, and deliverance from evil.

Besides praying to the Father in Jesus’ name, as He instructed His disciples to do, from examples in the Gospels we understand that prayers should be offered to Jesus as well.

A leper came to [Jesus] and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”^[22]

A ruler came in and knelt before [Jesus], saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.”^[23]

Those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”^[24]

Jesus said to him, “You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him.^[25]

Jesus, through His example, and through teaching and emphasizing a relationship with the Father, has shown the importance of prayer and how to pray and in what circumstances, and most importantly that our prayers should be grounded in an intimate relationship with God. We are to be like children who climb on the lap of their father, with no pretense or fear, knowing and trusting that their father loves them and will protect, provide, and care for them.

Looking at Our Own Prayer Lives

Prayer plays a vital role in our spiritual lives, our connection with God, our inner growth, and our effectiveness as Christians. Jesus’ example of prayer, of getting away from the busyness of His life, taking time alone in prayer, even spending whole nights in prayer, interceding for others and praying effective prayers, marks the trail for those who long to walk in His footsteps.

When we hold up our prayer lives to Jesus’ teaching and example on the subject, how do we fare? Do we pray often? Do we pray in faith, fully believing God will answer? Do we recognize that by praying we are asking God to intervene in our lives? Do we understand that we are praying for God’s will to be done, recognizing that His will may differ from ours? Do we realize that He does answer, but His answers may not always be yes?

As the professor in my class on this subject said, God is not a cosmic bellhop. He’s not at our beck and call, waiting for us to order Him to do whatever it is that we want Him to do. As followers of Jesus, we strive to live in accordance with God’s will, which means that when we pray, we pray both in God’s will and for His will. As the Lord’s Prayer says, “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Prayer is asking for the will of God to be done. It’s in this area that the Spiritual Discipline of Bible intake blends with prayer. As we read and meditate on His Word, we are more likely to understand His will, helping to align our prayers with His will.

As Richard Foster wrote:

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3). To ask “rightly” involves transformed passions. In prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God’s thoughts after Him: to desire the things He desires, to love the things He loves, to will the things He wills. Progressively we are taught to see things from His point of view.^[26]

Developing Proficiency in Prayer

When we desire to achieve proficiency in an area, we often look to the examples of those who are already proficient in order to learn from them. If you play golf, then you will study and try to follow the techniques of the golfing greats who have gone before you. The same is true in almost any field—music, business, the arts, medicine, etc. There are those who have gone before us in prayer who have become accomplished, and if we follow in their footsteps and use their example as a pattern, we too can have more fruitful and rewarding prayer lives.

For example, we see that Jesus rose very early in the morning, while it was still dark, departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.^[27] The apostles gave themselves to the word and prayer and didn’t let the daily duties get in the way of what was most important for them.^[28] Martin Luther, when faced with so much to do, gave himself to three hours of daily prayer. John Wesley devoted two hours a day in the presence of the Lord. For these greats, and numerous others who have been effective in their Christian lives, time spent in prayer has played a significant role.

Of course, they most likely didn’t start with such devotion to prayer, but became more proficient at it as time went on. While the fast-paced lives many of us live today may not allow for spending hours in daily prayer, we shouldn’t dismiss these examples. Rather we should each look at our own prayer life, at the time we spend in His presence, and ask ourselves if we are investing enough time communicating with the One with whom we are in what should be our primary relationship. Does our time in prayer reflect our deep desire to have Him participate in our lives, or is it more of a hit-or-miss commitment?

It can be very effective to pray when you are reading and meditating on God’s Word. You are already tuned in to what God is saying to you through His Word and you can use what He’s speaking to you about as a stepping stone to your conversation with Him. Prayer isn’t meant to be a one-way conversation, with us speaking and expecting God to do all the listening. In times of prayer we should also open ourselves up to hear what God wants to say to us, through the Bible, through what godly teachers or preachers are saying, or through getting quiet before Him and opening our hearts to hear His voice. He can speak to us in many ways: through impressions He gives, thoughts He puts in our minds, through Bible verses or prophecies we receive. Prayer is communication, and communication is a two-way street. So besides asking God to hear what we are saying to Him, we should also be giving Him the opportunity to speak to us.

Coming before the Lord in prayer is something that is expected of us, as believers, as shown by Jesus’ communications with His disciples.

In the book of Colossians Paul says: Continue steadfastly in prayer …^[33] Continuing steadfastly in something means to give it constant care and attention. To do this requires a commitment, disciplining yourself to do it. It means considering it important enough to set aside regular time to give to prayer and conversation with the Lord.

We are called to be in continual relationship with God, in a sense having an ongoing dialogue with Him, talking to Him, asking His guidance, praising Him, listening to Him throughout our day. This can be seen as the meaning of Paul’s general admonition to pray “continually” or “without ceasing.”^[34]

While there is no exact prescribed formula for how to pray or how long to pray, Scripture is quite definite that we should pray. I’m pretty confident in stating that most of us Christians don’t devote the time to prayer that we should. Polls over the past years have shown that Christians, even dedicated ones, pray on average about seven minutes a day. This doesn’t seem to be the kind of time invested into practicing a skill that will result in proficiency. So how do we develop a better prayer life? There really isn’t any other way than by praying. How do you build up to running five kilometers a day? You start exercising or running today, and you keep it up regularly, increasing the time for which you run and the distance you cover as your endurance builds. It works the same with prayer. You begin by beginning. If you don’t take the first step by carving out a little time for it, most likely you won’t pray regularly.

Some Methods to Consider

Start with committing even ten minutes a day to prayer. If you are unsure what to pray about or how to go about it, try using the well-known ACTS method of prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.

Begin with adoration—praising, adoring, and glorifying God in prayer. You might find it helpful to incorporate verses from the Bible into your praise. (You can find a collection of verses on glorifying and praising God here.) After praising and worshipping, you can move on to confession—acknowledging your sins and asking for forgiveness. You can then move on to thanksgiving, expressing your gratitude for all the Lord has done and is doing for you. (Verses on thanksgiving also here.) After that, you can bring your prayers for yourself and others to Him in supplication. If you spend just a few minutes on each section, you will already be over the seven-minute average.

Another fruitful means of prayer is combining it with your Bible reading and meditation. As you read and dwell on what you are reading, as you apply it to your life and circumstances, as the Lord lays thoughts on your heart through His Word, bring those things to Him in prayer.

Prayer is our means of communicating with God, of coming into and remaining in His presence. As we climb onto our Heavenly Father’s lap, as His children, we can ask Him anything, we can trust Him with everything. We can feel His love for us, His assurance, His care. In our time of communicating with Him we learn from Him, and in time we become more like Him. If we truly desire to become more like Jesus, we must walk with Him on the path of prayer.

^[1] Mark 14:36.

^[2]  (Mark 15:34)

^[3] Matthew 11:25–26, 26:42; Mark 14:36; Luke 10:21, 23:34,46; John 11:41, 12:27–28; 17:1,5,11,21, 24–25.

^[4] Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6.

^[6] Romans 8:15.

^[7] Galatians 4:6–7.

^[10] Matthew 7:9–11.

^[11] Luke 18:10–14.

^[12] Matthew 18:21–35.

^[13] Matthew 6:5–6; Mark 12:38–40; Luke 20:47.

^[14] Matthew 26:41.

^[15] Mark 11:24, 9:23.

^[17] Luke 5:15–16, 6:12.

^[18] Luke 10:21; John 6:11, 11:41; Matthew 26:27.

^[19] Luke 6:12.

^[20] John 17:6–9, 20–26.

^[21] Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4.

^[22] Matthew 8:2.

^[23] Matthew 9:18.

^[24] Matthew 14:33.

^[25] John 9:37–38.

^[27] Mark 1:35.

^[28] Acts 6:4.

^[29] Matthew 6:5–6.

^[30] Matthew 6:9 NIV.

^[31] Luke 11:9 NIV.

^[32] Luke 18:1 NIV.

^[33] Colossians 4:2.

^[34] 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

Build Your House on the Rock

11/02/24  “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (Matthew 7:24,25) ESV

02 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Bible Intake

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-01-21

Christians who desire a flourishing relationship with God and who are interested in spiritual growth recognize that spending time taking in and absorbing God’s Word is of utmost importance. It is within the pages of the Bible that we learn about God and His love for humanity, about Jesus and His message, about how to live in harmony with God and our fellow human beings.

God is the Creator, and He wants to be in relationship with His creation. In order to make that possible, He has revealed Himself to us through the Bible. In it, He tells of His love for us and of the actions He has taken to make it possible for us as imperfect and finite beings to be in relationship with Him. The more we abide in His Word and let His Word abide in us, the more we understand how to live our lives in alignment with Him, in accordance with His will, and in a manner that reflects Him and His love, especially in our interactions with others.

Reading God’s Word

• Setting aside time daily to read the Bible provides the opportunity to connect with God each day. It opens us up to letting Him speak to us through what we read, to His instruction and guidance, to His help through life’s problems and difficulties. Regular reading of God’s revelation to us reminds us of the moral code which we are meant to fashion our lives around, and provides us with guidance when we are faced with decisions. It is a key element for those who seek to be like Jesus, because it is in the Bible that we hear His teaching, see the example of His love, and are introduced to the relationship with His Father that His sacrifice has opened up for us. As we abide in His Word, we become more and more aware of the value He places on each individual, and the love and compassion He has for every human being. As we begin to absorb the truth contained within these pages, as we ponder and pray about those truths, and as we apply them to our daily living, we begin to anchor both our inner and outer lives on the foundation of Christlikeness, on godliness, and on the truth of God.

Each day we are flooded with a barrage of input from a wide variety of delivery systems which influences us in one way or another. Taking time daily to read what God has said to us provides a way to navigate through the maelstrom of information and input that we are faced with. It enhances our spiritual ability to discern truth and falsehood. It makes it easier to keep our hearts centered on those things which are important to living lives of true happiness, inner peace, and alignment with God and His will. It helps us to survive and overcome all that life brings our way. As Jesus said: Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.^[1]Abiding in God’s Word brings us in regular contact with His Spirit. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.^[2] Part of having that contact with the Lord, of having that promised peace, is spending time reading His Word.

Carving out the time to read daily is no easy task—it requires self-discipline, as does each Spiritual Discipline. Like the workouts and training that athletes must do daily to maintain their conditioning and excel in their performance, taking regular time to read Scripture will strengthen your spirit and make you a stronger Christian—one who is grounded in God’s truth and love. The connection with God, that savoring of His Word, helps you to be Spirit-led in your daily interactions with others, in your decision making, and in your ability to stay strong i the face of daily temptations.

There is no specific formula for how much you need to read daily or what portions of the Bible you should read. The key is setting aside the time to do it and then sticking to it. It helps to have a good contemporary translation. The English Standard Version (ESV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), and the New International Version (NIV) are known to be good and accurate contemporary English translations.

It helps to commit to reading a certain number of chapters per day, as having a realistic goal can motivate you to stick with your reading even on busy days. The book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life makes the observations that reading 15 minutes a day will take you through the entire Bible within a year, and that reading three chapters a day and five chapters on Sunday will accomplish the same. It also points out that since the Bible contains 66 different books, for variety’s sake you might want to consider starting to read in three places—Genesis, Job, and Matthew—as this divides the Bible into three sections that are equal in length, so by reading the same number of chapters in each section each day you will finish the three sections, and thus the entire Bible, at roughly the same time.

Finding and following a Bible reading plan of some kind can help you stick with your reading and forge ahead when you find yourself in the more difficult portions of Scripture. There are a variety of apps for electronic devices which can help you design your reading plan, including some that provide the reading program and the text. Some people prefer to read from the pages of their Bible in book form. Whether you read from a Bible or on your computer or use a mobile app, what’s important is that you read it.

Information about apps:

http://thecripplegate.com/three-must-have-bible-apps/

http://appadvice.com/appguides/show/best-bible-apps-for-the-ipad

http://rachelwojo.com/4-fabulous-bible-apps-i-recommend/

Information about Bible reading programs:

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/bible-reading-plans/

http://www.navpress.com/dj/content.aspx?id=138

Ideally, you should read in a situation free from distractions, perhaps in a quiet spot early in the morning before your day begins or late at night when all is winding down. The quietness and absence of activity around you facilitates meditating on what you are reading. If early morning is not possible, try to find another time of day when it is. But even if you can’t carve out some quiet time, then read on the run, in whatever time opens up for you—or listen to it in audio form as you go. It’s a fight to keep your commitment to read/study the Bible, but doing so will make a difference in your life.

Hearing about God’s Word

Along with personally reading God’s Word, it can be beneficial to hear His Word spoken about as well. This would entail reading, listening to, or watching sermons, talks, discussions, and posts which pertain to the Word and godly principles. Anchor, Directors’ Corner and Just One Thing can help with this, and there are other very good sites where men and women of God speak about and teach God’s Word.

I’ve found that there are some teachers I like to hear, whose style and what they speak about resonates with me more than others. But other people I know love to listen to someone who doesn’t appeal to me. We’re each different, but the point is that it can be helpful to watch or listen to those who share God’s words in a manner which speaks to you and helps strengthen your connection and relationship with the Lord.

It’s often much easier to listen to someone else speak about the principles and teachings of God’s Word than it is to take the time to read the Word yourself and to think about and meditate on what you have read. While it’s spiritually feeding and beneficial to listen to sermons and read articles about the Word, it shouldn’t replace your time reading the Bible and benefiting from what the Lord Himself has to say to you personally through His Word.

Meditating on the Word

When you read the Bible or listen to others expound on it, it’s important to ask yourself what God is speaking to you about through what you’re reading or hearing. Take time to think about what you’re reading. If a passage stands out to you, read it again. Think about it; ask yourself why it stood out to you and what the Lord might be trying to tell you through it. If a part of a sermon you listen to speaks to your heart, listen to it again, and think and pray about it. Remember, the reason for reading or listening isn’t to get through the material as quickly as possible, or to cram in as much as you can in the allotted time, but rather to absorb it, and to let it speak to you and become part of you. It’s a time to let the Lord communicate with you through His Word.

Focusing on what you read or hear, and thinking more deeply about it, is part of meditating on God’s Word. Our lives are so busy, and we often feel we need to rush from one thing to the next, so it’s difficult to take the time to truly think about what we’ve read and how to apply it, but it’s important to do so if we want it to affect us.

In the Psalms we hear David speak of meditating on God and His Word:

I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.^[3]

Hundreds of years earlier, God spoke to Joshua about the importance of continually meditating on the Word of God.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.^[4]

The great prayer warrior George Mueller wrote regarding meditating on God’s Word:

What is food for the inner man? The Word of God, and here again, not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water passes through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it and applying it to our hearts.^[5]

Donald Whitney wrote:

The tree of your spiritual life thrives best with meditation because it helps you absorb the water of God’s Word. Merely hearing or reading the Bible, for example, can be like a short rainfall on hard ground. Regardless of the amount or intensity of the rain, most runs off and little sinks in. Meditation opens the soil of the soul and lets the water of God’s Word percolate in deeply. The result is an extraordinary fruitfulness and spiritual prosperity.^[6]

Reading, listening to, and meditating on the Word of God brings His blessings into our lives. As Psalm 1 says: Blessed is the man … [whose] delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.^[7]

Reading God’s Word and meditating on it brings us into personal communication with God. As we meditate on what we’ve read, we create the opportunity for His Word to speak to our hearts because we put ourselves in the position of being willing to listen to Him. In meditating on His Word, we enter into His presence, hungering to learn, to grow, to change, to draw close to Him, to do His will. He desires to speak to each of us directly. However, if we aren’t listening or meditating on Him and His Word, if we are so busy reading what He’s said that we don’t give Him room to speak to us personally about what we’re reading, then we are truly missing something important.

Many Christians are happy to listen to what this or that speaker or preacher has to share, to be inspired by someone’s sermon, yet are much less inclined to have that one-on-one communication with the Almighty that comes when we discipline ourselves to read, study, and meditate on Scripture. Richard Foster addresses this point:

Human beings seem to have a perpetual tendency to have somebody else talk to God for them. The history of religion is the story of an almost desperate scramble to have a king, a mediator, a priest, a pastor, a go-between. In this way we do not need to go to God ourselves. Such an approach saves us from the need to change, for to be in the presence of God is to change. That is why meditation is so threatening to us. It boldly calls us to enter into the living presence of God for ourselves. It tells us that God is speaking in the continuous present and wants to address us … All who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord are the universal priesthood of God, and as such can enter the Holy of Holies and converse with the living God.^[8]

Of course, meditating on what you’ve read or listened to takes time, and if you find you don’t have the time to stop and listen, then you might want to consider reading a little less to free up time to meditate on what you’ve read. Author Maurice Roberts wrote:

It is not the busy skimming over religious books or the careless hastening through religious duties which makes for a strong Christian faith. Rather, it is unhurried meditation on the gospel truths and the exposing of our minds to these truths that yields the fruit of sanctified character.^[9]

If we want godliness in our lives, if our desire is to emulate our Savior, if we want the light which shines through us to be the light of God and His love, then we need to take time with Him and His Word. Disciplining ourselves to take this time daily is a key component of Christlikeness. Of all the Spiritual Disciplines, this is the most important, as God’s Word—the Bible—is His revelation of Himself to humanity. Reading and meditating on it, applying it to our inner being and to our outer actions is vital to being like Jesus. It is through the regular deep absorption of the water of His Word in our hearts that we are gradually renewed and transformed to become more like Him. It is through the application of what we read and meditate on that we have the grace to live lives that are in alignment with His will. For His Word is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path.^[10]

Take the time to commune deeply with God through His Word. It will change your life.

[Jesus] said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”^[11]

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”^[12]

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.^[13]

You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.^[14]

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word.^[15]

I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.^[16]

I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.^[17]

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.^[18]

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Matthew 7:24–25.

^[2] John 6:63.

^[3] Psalm 119:15–16.

^[4] Joshua 1:8.

^[5] Roger Steer, Spiritual Secrets of George Mueller (Wheaton: Harold Shaw, 1985), 62, quoted in Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 76.

^[6] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 49–50.

^[7] Psalm 1:1–3.

^[8] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (New York: HarperOne, 1998), 24.

^[9] Maurice Roberts, “O the Depth!” The Banner of Truth, July 1990, 2, quoted in Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 55.

^[10] Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).

^[11] Luke 11:28.

^[12] John 14:23.

^[13] John 15:7.

^[14] Psalm 138:2.

^[15] Psalm 119:9 NIV.

^[16] Psalm 119:11.

^[17] Psalm 119:15–16.

^[18] John 17:17.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

Bear One Another’s Burdens

11/01/24 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
(Galatians 6:8-10) ESV

01 – The Spiritual Disciplines: Introduction

The Spiritual Disciplines

Peter Amsterdam

2014-01-15

Trying to live according to the teachings of Jesus and to be more like Him is a personal goal for me, as I know it is for many of us. We want to follow His example of being loving and compassionate, generous, forgiving, kind, prayerful, Spirit-led, and of having a deep relationship with the Father and the determination to do God’s will.

As Christians, we aspire to pattern ourselves after Jesus. We desire to be godly, meaning that we live in a manner which honors God, which is based on the knowledge of His Word, and with the awareness of, and reverence for, His constant presence within us. In short, living in a way which is pleasing to Him. The question is: How do we do that effectively? What steps can we take to help us to live godly lives?

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, a young man he was mentoring, telling him that he should train himself for godliness,^[1] that he should pursue it,^[2] as there is great gain in doing so.^[3] The Greek word Paul used for training was gymnazō, which the English word gymnasium comes from, and which means to exercise vigorously. In other words, Paul was saying that Timothy should put effort and exercise into becoming godly.

We all know that if we wish to become proficient at something or to become an expert or professional in some aspect of life, we must train and practice. When I was fourteen years old, I learned the basics of how to play the guitar. I could eventually play well enough to accompany myself or others when singing, but I never progressed further. I always admired those who were good guitarists, who could play more than the basic chords, which was the extent of my skill. Some years ago, I was talking with a young lead guitarist who in my opinion played amazingly. He told me that he could play lead guitar so well because throughout his teen years he’d practiced the scales over and over again. He was proficient because he’d put in the time and work to become so.

Besides not becoming proficient in my guitar playing, when I was ten I gave up playing the piano after a few years of lessons because I wasn’t willing to keep up with the tedious hard work and practice that was necessary to play proficiently. Similar to my guitar playing, I learned the basics, but I never became skilled. I’m using music as an example, but this holds true whenever one wants to become skilled in some field. It requires effort, practice, time, and energy to become adept.

Sports stars perform with such skill because they work at it regularly. They practice daily, they sacrifice, they take care of their bodies, they work on the areas in which they need to improve, they listen to their coaches. They consistently train for what they do. So often we see experts make their skill look simple—an ice skater who makes a beautiful move, an artist who sketches a perfect likeness, a high-diver who performs a flawless dive. It looks effortless, yet we know that to reach that level of proficiency has required a commitment to practice long and hard. They didn’t start out as champions or experts; they started with a desire to become proficient and were willing to work at it.

Living lives which reflect Jesus’ light and love to others, living in accordance with God’s will, being attuned to the Holy Spirit, making godly choices, cultivating a close relationship with our Creator, all of this requires effort on our part. Paul was making this point when he told Timothy to train in godliness.

How do we train for godliness? By applying ourselves to doing those things which put us in a position to receive God’s blessings and strength; by doing what is necessary to align the inner attitudes of our heart with God’s Spirit, Word, and will. Living a God-centered life isn’t something that happens on its own; it requires effort and commitment on our part. It calls for spiritual growth, which will contribute to developing such a life. As we mature in our faith, as we walk closer with God and as we live in alignment with His will, we are inwardly transformed, which in turn manifests itself in our outward life, helping us to be more God-centered and Christlike.

One means of such spiritual growth is practicing what are referred to as the Spiritual Disciplines. Learning about and applying the Spiritual Disciplines can help you deepen your love for the Lord and your connection with Him in significant ways. They can help you align your life with God’s will and put you in a position to receive God’s blessings. Practicing the Spiritual Disciplines is similar to becoming proficient in any field; it entails making decisions which require self-discipline. It isn’t easy, but it is rewarding.

In his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney quoted Tom Landry, who coached the Dallas Cowboys football team for thirty years, as saying:

The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don’t want to do in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be.

Whitney went on to say:

In much the same way, Christians are called to make themselves do something they would not naturally do—pursue the Spiritual Disciplines—in order to become what they’ve always wanted to be, that is, like Jesus Christ. “Discipline yourself,” says the Scripture, “for the purpose of godliness.”^[4]

This series of articles will touch on the Spiritual Disciplines. The Spiritual Disciplines are not a means of gaining God’s love or favor for works we are doing or sacrifices we are making, nor are they a deal or contract between you and the Lord which states, “If I do this, then God will do that.” Rather, engaging in the Spiritual Disciplines is a means by which you put yourself in the position to receive God’s grace.

Grace in the New Testament generally refers to God’s gracious gift of salvation through Jesus. However, the word grace is not limited to salvation. Throughout the Bible grace is used in the sense of loving-kindness, showing favor, performing compassionate acts which arise out of affection and goodness. Grace is God’s unmerited and compassionate favor which He bestows, not because He must or is forced to, but because of His love for us. From my experience with the Spiritual Disciplines, I can say that through them I have felt God’s grace in my life.

Author Richard J. Foster wrote:

The apostle Paul says, “He who sows to his own flesh will reap from the flesh corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8). Paul’s analogy is instructive. A farmer is helpless to grow grain; all he can do is provide the right conditions for the growing of grain. He cultivates the ground, he plants the seed, he waters the plants, and then the natural forces of the earth take over and up comes the grain. This is the way it is with the Spiritual Disciplines—they are a way of sowing to the Spirit. The Disciplines are God’s way of getting us into the ground; they put us where He can work with us and transform us. By themselves the Spiritual Disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done. They are God’s means of grace. The inner righteousness we seek is not something that is poured on our heads. God has ordained the Disciplines of the spiritual life as the means by which we place ourselves where He can bless us.^[5]

The Spiritual Disciplines aren’t magic bullets which will change your life immediately; instead they are a way of life that puts you in the position to be transformed by God. They are a means to a deeper relationship with Him, to living as Jesus did. In fact, they include many of those things Jesus did when He walked the earth, such as prayer, spending time alone with His Father in quietness, fasting, sacrificial living, service to others, and more. It logically follows that if we want to be like Jesus, we would want to follow the example of how He lived, especially in regard to communing and connecting with His Father, and doing our best to serve as an example of God’s love and compassion to others.

There are three main avenues which God uses to help us grow into Christlikeness. The first is people—our loved ones, spouse, friends, coworkers, teachers, mentors, and even those who oppose us. All of them can be catalysts for change in our lives.

The second avenue of change is circumstances—the challenges we face, whether with health, finances, losing a job or getting a new one, moving locations, or any other things which require stretching and moving out of our comfort zones. God uses circumstances to bring change and growth to our doorstep. When He uses people and circumstances to bring spiritual growth, He is using outside influences which are generally beyond our control.^[6]

The third avenue is the Spiritual Disciplines, which work from the inside out. While we have limited control over the outside influences and circumstances which draw us closer to God, the Spiritual Disciplines can generate change and growth from within. It’s each of us making a decision to take action for the purpose of inward spiritual change and growth. With the other two avenues, we have little choice or control; however, with the Spiritual Disciplines, we can choose to use them as a catalyst for growth, and we can choose which ones to practice and when.^[7]

The disciplines which will be covered in this series are Bible intake, prayer, stewardship, simplicity, giving, wise use of time, fasting, solitude and silence, journaling, learning, confession, worship, celebration, service, fellowship, and evangelism. Different authors categorize the disciplines differently and some list additional disciplines. The ones that will be included in this series are those which most authors cover and which virtually all agree are considered Spiritual Disciplines.

How deeply we dwell in communion with God, how open we are to His influence, how much we choose to do His will, how dedicated we are to maturing in our faith, are things that we each decide. How important is your connection to the Lord? What are you willing to do about it? These are questions that only you can answer. But if you have the desire to dwell in Him and let Him dwell in you, to grow in faith, to be in the position where He can bring the spiritual growth you seek, then I suggest you practice the Spiritual Disciplines on a regular basis.

Using the Spiritual Disciplines is a private matter between you and the Lord. While there are some which should be practiced daily, such as Bible intake, meditation, prayer, and praise, there are others which are generally used less frequently. It’s up to you, in communion with the Lord, to determine which ones to practice and when.

While many great Christians of the past practiced the principles brought together in the Spiritual Disciplines, they aren’t reserved for those who have reached such spiritual heights. The disciplines are for everyday Christians like you and me. They are for mothers and fathers, those in the workplace, students, missionaries, and anyone who loves Jesus and wants God to be involved in their lives.

The Spiritual Disciplines that will be covered in this series are ones that I’ve selected from three prominent books on the subject: Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster, The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard, and Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney.

The goal of this series is to bring about awareness of the Spiritual Disciplines, to provide a basic explanation of them so that you will have the tools in hand to strengthen your spiritual life and to help you reach your goal of being more like Jesus. It will also be a help to those of you who are teaching, ministering to, or discipling others, as you will have this means to teach them about the disciplines. My prayer is that you will find the Spiritual Disciplines a blessing to you and those you minister to.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7).

^[2] Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11).

^[3] Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment … (1 Timothy 6:6).

^[4] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), 21.

^[5] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline (New York: HarperOne, 1998), 7.

^[6] Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines, 18.

^[7] Ibid., 18.

Copyright © 2014 The Family International.

03 “Signs of the Times” (part 2)

Book of the Future, Part 3

Book of the Future

Compiled from the writings of David Brandt Berg

1983-03-28

10/31/24“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:25). The peoples of the earth are likened unto the sea and the waves in the Bible (Isaiah 57:20–21). So here Jesus is speaking symbolically of the peoples and nations of the world—their wars and rumors of wars and riots and terrorism—the waves of their various wars and conflicts and uprisings.

Is this happening today? Every time you turn on the television, it roars. Every time you turn on the radio, you can hear the waves of a new war roaring, a new riot, a new rebellion, a new revolution, more terrorism, more strikes—the sea of the peoples of the earth, roaring in the last days.

“And men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:26). Do you know what is one of the greatest causes of death in the Western world today? Heart failure. I can remember, when I was younger, the days when people were not living in fear and terror. They might have been living in poverty and destitution and sometimes they might have been hungry, but they didn’t live in fear of getting murdered on the street or of being annihilated with an atom bomb in a nuclear war. But the atomic bomb put a pin in their balloon and created one of the world’s greatest problems: the awesome specter of a nuclear holocaust and the world’s most horrendous war.

Another prediction regarding the endtime has to do with the interest in the occult, psychic phenomena, spiritism, demonology, and witchcraft which the world is experiencing. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1–2). There have been all kinds of weird religions attracting wide followings, particularly among the youth. In their pursuit of genuine spirituality, many young people have gone into ancient mysticism, drugs, and the occult.

Another major sign of the very end predicted in the Bible is regarding a one-world government, led by a powerful superhuman anti-Christ dictator, which is going to arise in the last days of man’s rule on earth just before Christ returns to take over. The world’s going to have to have a tough dictator to rule a tough people! When lawlessness becomes rampant, it will be necessary to have a really tough totalitarian dictatorship to get things under control.

Regarding this soon-coming anti-Christ dictator, the apostle Paul wrote: “Now we beseech you by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (He said that then, 2,000 years ago.) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of Christ’s Second Coming) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4).

In the book of Revelation, this Antichrist and his government are referred to as a “beast,” whom all the world will wonder after and finally worship (Revelation 13). Everything that was prophesied in the Bible about all the various world empires down through history has all come true, so we know this last government of man will also come to pass. According to scriptures which we will study in detail later in this book, the Antichrist will reign for seven years: The first half will be a more or less general world peace as he consolidates his power and establishes his kingdom, and the second half will be 3½ years of “great tribulation” such as the world has never known.

The Bible gives us several specific glimpses into this final one-world government’s policies and methods to help us recognize it when it arrives. The scriptures show that he will make a seven-year pact or covenant of compromise and religious freedom in Jerusalem, and give the Jewish people permission to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. But exactly 3½ years after he has confirmed this religious covenant, he suddenly breaks the agreement and wants everybody to worship him as God or be killed. At that point he places the “abomination of desolation in the holy place,” which apparently is his image or idol erected in the rebuilt temple area in Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15).

Jesus Himself said that when you shall see this Antichrist’s image, this abomination of desolation standing in the Jewish temple area, then will begin the last 3½ years of man’s rule on earth, a time of “great tribulation.” That’s going to be the first sign that you’re nearing the very end, the last 42 months of this age, and you’ll know that you’re only 3½ years from the coming of Jesus! He says that then shall begin the Great Tribulation, the last 3½ years of man’s history, the last half of the seven-year reign of the Antichrist. Jesus said that after that tribulation, you’ll then see the sign of the coming of the Lord in the air.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect (His church) from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29–31). Hallelujah! The glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ to resurrect and rapture His own!

In the next verse of this beautiful, prophetic, “signs of the end” chapter of Matthew 24, Jesus very simply and plainly tells us more about how we can tell when these final, tremendous, earthshaking events are about to happen: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (Matthew 24:32–33). He said that just as you see the blossoms of the trees and the flowers and you know that summer is coming soon, so you’ll know that His Coming is near when you see these different events which we’ve covered here come to pass. You say, “Most of them don’t sound like blossoms and flowers to me! They sound more like thorns and thistles and briars and horrors.” Not for us who love Jesus.

To us, all of these signs are flowers and blossoms and beautiful fulfilments of his prophecies and signs of His soon-coming—signs of the summer that is near, of the beautiful golden age, the springtime of the coming of Jesus and the springing up of His flowers from the earth, “the dead in Christ that shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)—the Resurrection. Spring is like a resurrection! Throughout the winter it seems as if everything is dead, but as it grows warmer day by day, life begins to spring from the earth. That which seemed to be dead arises and there’s a resurrection of the earth in the springtime.

“And when these things begin to come to pass”—when you see these things happen, even when they begin to come to pass, what does He tell us to do? “Then look up, and lift up your heads.” Don’t be discouraged; don’t look down! Don’t do what Peter did; don’t look down at the waves and start to sink. “And lift up your heads, for your redemption”—your salvation—“draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

When all these terribly bad things begin to happen, start looking up, because Jesus is coming soon! “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:33–34). He wasn’t talking to His disciples back then, 2,000 years ago, because they didn’t see all these things being fulfilled. The generation that sees all these things will not pass away till all these things are fulfilled.

Many people never seem to sense impending doom or things that are about to happen until it’s too late. It reminds me of what Jesus said to the Scribes and Pharisees: “Ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” (Matthew 16:3).

Most people just still go on, business as usual. Unwittingly, they themselves become a fulfilment of another prophecy about the latter days: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His Coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:3–4). In other words, “There’s no danger! Business as usual.”

Just like Jesus said about the days of Noah, “They ate and drank, married and were given in marriage, and knew not until the flood came and swept them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37–39). Most people today are just going on, business as usual. “Oh, they’ve been preaching this business about Jesus coming for centuries, and He hasn’t come yet.” He is coming, and you’d better be prepared by having Him in your heart and believing in Him, or you’re apt to be swept away with the rest of the scoffers and procrastinators in the judgments of God that are going to be poured out after Jesus returns.

Noah preached to those unbelieving people of that wicked world for 120 years before the flood, and they never repented! They were probably waiting to see if it was really going to rain, if it was really going to happen, then maybe they’d climb on board with him. In the meantime, they laughed, sneered, jeered and persecuted him and his sons as they worked on that ship for 120 years. Then Noah and his family finally went in, and it says that God shut the door so that nobody else could enter (Genesis 7:16). And by the time it started to rain and rain and rain and began to flood, it was too late for that wicked generation, who were left behind to drown in the flood of their own iniquity!

The only hope is Jesus. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). He loves you and will forgive your sins and give you His love, His joy and His peace if you will just humble yourself and pray, asking Him into your heart. So receive Jesus today and prepare for His Coming by serving Him and telling others about His love, so that He may say to you, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21).

Copyright © 1983 The Family International

Godlessness in the Last Days

10/30/24 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. ⁶ For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷ always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. ⁹ But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God

¹⁰ You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹ my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. ¹² Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ ) while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:1-13) ESV

 03 “Signs of the Times” (part 1)

Book of the Future, Part 3

Book of the Future

Compiled from the writings of David Brandt Berg

1983-03-28

When Jesus’ disciples went out from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives and asked Him, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?” He didn’t reply with only one sign, but with dozens (Matthew 24:3). In fact, His Word is full of specific “signs of the times”—signs of the last days, of the endtime, signs that you should look out for and expect, so that you will know when you are near the end, how near the end you are, and what is going to happen at the very end.

He has been quite generous in His revelations of the future. He has specified what the various endtime events will be and has even given us approximate timeframes leading up to the very end, which will climax in the Antichrist reign before the Second Coming of the true Christ, followed by the idyllic age of the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ here on earth, the kingdom of God on earth, all of which we will cover in detail in later chapters of this book. But for now, let’s examine some of the specific biblical predictions and prophecies regarding conditions and events during the last days of man’s current rule on earth, as foreseen by God’s prophets thousands of years ago.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:6–8). We’ve had these things for two millenniums since Jesus was here. He said they’re only the “beginning of sorrows.”

Although the world had never been completely free from war prior to 1914, until then, war had never been so widespread. From 1914 to 1918, with World War I, a world war was waged, and then again from 1939–1945, with World War II. In the latter, only 12 small nations of the earth were not actually or technically involved, and altogether 93 million people served in the armed forces of both sides. At the 21st session of the International Red Cross in 1969, it was reported that more than 90 million people had been killed in wars since the twentieth century began, over $2 trillion had been spent on arms, and 130 conflicts on five continents had been waged.

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14). Never has the gospel been preached in all the world to all nations as much as it is being preached right now. If not directly by missionaries, travelers, and visitors, it is certainly being preached by the modern mediums of radio, television, and printed literature [and now the Internet].

The modern means of communication and transportation that make the fulfilment of the preceding prophecy evident bring to mind another prediction regarding conditions in the last days, given to the prophet Daniel in 534 B.C.: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4). Here the Lord is telling His prophet, who had just received some of the most detailed, specific, descriptive prophecies regarding the one-world Antichrist government in the entire Bible, “Daniel, I’m giving this vision to you, but it’s not for you. It’s not for your time and it’s not for your people. It’s for an endtime when many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased.”

People’s means of travel—horse and buggy, wagons, camels, sailboats, etc.—hadn’t changed for thousands of years until just a little over 100 years ago. Until then, man still traveled in the same fashion that Adam traveled. He walked or rode an animal or something pulled by an animal. But in this very short period of time, mankind has advanced from a state little different from Adam’s to one in which a man not only drives at enormous speeds, but flies and even goes to the moon and beyond.

People travel more today than they ever traveled before. International tourism is a huge business, with millions of people traveling outside their own countries every year throughout the world. Cars today can travel at up to 300 mph, planes at 2,000 mph, and spaceships at 100,000 mph. A jet can fly around the world in 58 hours, a spacecraft can circle the world in 80 minutes, and in less than one second a radio message can reach the ends of the earth!

2,600 years ago another prophet actually foresaw, “in the days of the Lord’s preparation” (before He returns), our modern highways and their racing, raging automobiles: “The chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of His preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken. The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings” (Nahum 2:3–4).

Imagine this prophet seeing a vision of future highways, our superhighways, and scores of cars speeding along with their headlights on at nighttime! Cars at night with their headlights must have looked like lightning to him. And they certainly jostle one another in the broad ways. Thousands of people are killed every year in auto accidents from this jostling.

“And knowledge shall be increased.” More has been discovered by science in the last 100 years than had been discovered or invented in the previous 6,000 years. Knowledge has been increased within this past hundred years almost beyond imagination, but much of the world still toils to try to scrape together enough to eat.

“Knowledge” has “increased,” but without God and without His Word, what good is it all if people have no purpose in life and no love of God and fellow man? Unwittingly, they’ve fulfilled another prophecy about the latter days: “This know also, in the last days, men shall be ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:1,7).

By abandoning God, the Bible, and Christianity, and putting nothing in its place, life becomes just a meaningless, chaotic process of evolution! If there’s no God, then there’s no ruler. And if there’s no ruler, then there are no rules. And if there are no rules or laws, then nothing is either right or wrong. Chief Justice Fred Vinson of the U.S. Supreme Court summed things up perfectly when he said, “Nothing is more certain in modern society than the principle that there are no absolutes.” You cannot have any kind of order without some kind of moral basis, a code of conduct, a sense of right and wrong, of good and evil, of what’s right to do and what you shouldn’t do.

Things are not going to get better and better, as evolution purports. The Bible predicts just the opposite. “In the last days, evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:1,13). In fact, Jesus Himself said that “as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37). In the days of Noah, the world was so bad that God was sorry He had even made it—sorry He had even made man. It says in Genesis, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:5,11).

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12). With today’s selfish and self-indulgent “me generation,” this prophecy by Jesus about the endtime is being fulfilled. Another passage of scripture regarding this is found in 2 Timothy 3:

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1–4).

Abortion is one of the major sins of this generation. God says, “In thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these” (Jeremiah 2:34). Such people today are not only “without natural affection,” but they have no respect for the sanctity of life, the holiness of life, God-given life, and are taking the lives of babies while they’re still in the stomachs of their mothers. (To be continued)

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

10/29/24 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.^[b]
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

⁷ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices! (Psalms 37:3-7) ESV

 Choose Well

A compilation

2016-10-11

It may surprise you to know that God likes you, His children, to make your own choices within His will. I know you delight yourself in the Lord most of all and want to do His will. But when we do, it is His delight to also give us the desires of our hearts, because He’s the one who puts them there when we’re pleasing Him.¹ If we love the Lord with all our hearts, these personal desires are usually the right ones, because we only want to please Him. So your personal desire in the matter has a great deal to do with God’s will. He gives us what we want and have faith for.

But as my mother used to say, “When in doubt, don’t!” For as His Word says, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”² If you’re convinced in your own heart that it is not God’s will, you should not do it. If you’re not sure and do not know for sure, and have not yet made certain that a thing is God’s will, then the best thing to do, of course, in the case of uncertainty, is to wait on the Lord until He reveals it to you one way or the other.

Anything is possible, for with God nothing is impossible, for all things are possible to him that believeth.³ However, you must be personally sure that something is God’s will for you.

Time is the great tester, so I’d certainly advise you to wait until you’re sure. As Paul says, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”⁴ You personally must make the choice, and the decision is up to you and you alone. No one else can make it for you, not even God. Make your own choice.

God will give you whatever you want that’s good for you, because He loves you, and “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”⁵

God does not usually choose for us. We have to choose for ourselves, find His will for ourselves, seek Him diligently to know His will, and to know what is best through our knowledge of His Word and personal experience. This is why He put us here, this is what we’re here to learn, and the major part of our training: how to make the right decisions through our personal contact with Him, our knowledge of His Word and His will, and our love for Him and others.

The door is now open. Walk in where you will, by your own free and loving choice. Fear not, little one, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.⁶—David Brandt Berg

*

We make many choices in life. We’re each responsible to live according to what we feel called to do and what we feel God is asking of us. It’s often difficult to make important choices, those “mountain peaks of decision” that David talked about when he said:

There have been mountain peaks of decision with nothing but thin air between me and the next peak, and I had to take that step alone and trust God for the consequences, with no guarantee but God, no warranty but His Word, all other conditions being against it, all natural circumstances being opposed to it, the waves and the winds fighting against it. All I had was the hand of God. But He never let me down, even if He had to pick me up by that hand and lift me across to that next mountain peak without any visible, natural, normal, logical, reasonable means of help.⁷

During such times of decision, we need each other’s encouragement, and we benefit from relationships in which each party is supportive of the other. May we choose well and accept and appreciate the wonderful way He is guiding each of us, however that may be.—Maria Fontaine

Follow your heart

Introduction: In 2005 Steve Jobs gave the commencement speech at Stanford University. In commencement speeches the speaker traditionally passes on some wisdom for life that will help the graduating students commence the next phase of their life. Here are excerpts of his speech:

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor’s code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get here. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.—Steve Jobs⁸

*

The clock of life is wound but once
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.

To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed,
To lose one’s health is more,
To lose one’s soul is such a loss
That no man can restore.

The present is our own,
So live, love, toil with a will
Place no faith in “tomorrow,”
For the clock may then be still.
—Robert H. Smith

Published on Anchor October 2016. Read by Jason Lawrence. Music by John Listen.

¹ Psalm 37:4.

² Romans 14:23.

³ Luke 1:37; Mark 9:23.

⁴ Romans 14:5.

⁵ Psalm 84:11.

⁶ Luke 12:32.

⁷ David Brandt Berg.

⁸ https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505.

Choose Whom You Will Serve

10/28/24 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
(Joshua 24:14-15) ESV

Choice

David Brandt Berg

1973-05-01

It may surprise you to know that God likes you, His children, to make your own choices within His will. I know you delight yourself in the Lord most of all and want to do His will. But when we do, it is His delight to also give us the desires of our hearts, because He’s the one who puts them there when we’re pleasing Him (Psalm 37:4). If we love the Lord with all our hearts, these personal desires are usually the right ones, because we only want to please Him. So your personal desire in the matter has a great deal to do with God’s will. He gives us what we want and have faith for.

But as my mother used to say, “When in doubt, don’t!” For as His Word says, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). However, if you’re truly convinced in your own heart that a thing is God’s will, you should do it, no matter what anybody says. But if you’re convinced in your own heart that it is not God’s will, you should not do it, no matter what anybody says. But if you’re not sure and do not know for sure, and have not yet made certain that a thing is God’s will, then the best thing to do, of course, in the case of uncertainty, is to wait on the Lord until He reveals it to you one way or the other.

In the meantime, don’t let anybody else tell you that it is of the Lord and okay to go ahead, or that it is His will that you do so, if He has not said so. Just say you’re waiting on the Lord to know His will. Anything is possible, for with God nothing is impossible, for all things are possible to him that believeth (Luke 1:37, Mark 9:23). However you must be personally sure and not merely be swayed by others. It must be your own personal desire from the Lord, in which case it would be of God. However, even if such should be the case, there could still be many obstacles yet to hurdle, as you well know.

Time is the great tester, so I’d certainly advise you to wait until you’re sure of your own mind and heart and God’s will. As Paul says in that same 14th chapter of Romans, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). You personally must make the choice, and the decision is up to you and you alone. No one else can make it for you, not even God.

This is one of the mysteries of God’s will and His plan: That He hath bestowed upon each of us the immortal majesty of personal choice to do either good or evil. And strange as it may seem to some, it even pleases the Lord to give us our personal choice between several alternative goods, all within His will, if it is our personal desire, even as we would our own children in letting them pick out their own personal choice of a toy, or an outing, or a pleasure, as long as it is safe and good for them. This is one thing people don’t seem to understand about God: He really likes to give us our choice, even as we do our own children, as long as it is not something bad for us, or bad for others.

If your choice has not seemed to work out well, it could be that you made a mistake at that time and let others choose for you. Don’t let that happen again. This time, make your own choice. God will give you whatever you want that’s good for you, because He loves you, and “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). If it is good for you and those involved, He will be more than glad to give it to you.—Although sometimes He gives us the desires of our heart but sends leanness to our souls just to teach us a lesson and to show us that we made a foolish choice (Psalm 106:15).

So, contrary to popular opinion, God does not usually choose for us. We have to choose for ourselves, find His will for ourselves, seek Him diligently to know His will, and to know what is best for us and others through our knowledge of His Word and personal experience. This is why He put us here, this is what we’re here to learn, and the major part of our training: how to make the right decisions through our personal contact with Him, our knowledge of His Word and His will, and our love for Him and others. We must do what we know is right, and be willing to live and to die for what we know is the truth.

But as He says, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” Be sure you’re right, and you know you’re right. Then go ahead and do what you know is right, no matter what anybody says, and not because anyone has said it, but because you yourself are personally convinced it’s God’s will, have established it in the mouth of many witnesses, and confirmed it through many leadings, signs, and other fruits and evidences. Follow His guiding Word to you to help you know what’s best. He likes you to seek it out and find it, so you yourself will know it’s right when you do it without a doubt.

Think of your own children or family. Think how you love them, and how you like to make them happy, as well as keep them safe and healthy, as long as they love you and delight themselves in obedience to your word, even giving them the choice of many things that are good for them. And remember that God is like that with you. That’s what He wants you to do and to have, to give you the desires of your heart, as long as you delight yourself in Him. But they must be the desires of your heart and not merely someone else’s—your choice and not only another’s.

May God bless and keep you and continue to make you a great blessing and give you every desire of your heart as you delight yourself in Him and His love.

The door is now open. Walk in where you will, by your own free and loving choice. It is His delight to give it to you. Fear not, little one, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32). God bless you!

Copyright © May 1973 by The Family International

New and Old Treasures

 10/27/24 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” ⁵² And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” (Matthew13:51,52) ESV

Bible Basics for Witnessing

David Brandt Berg

1978-09-01

Why the Bible is important

The Bible is well known and a well-recognized authority. Most people have at least heard about it, and a lot of people respect it, and there are millions of people who believe in it. If you can quote the Bible to people, or if you can find the verses you are quoting or the proof in the Bible and show it to them, a lot of people will believe it.

Even for the people who may not believe it, the Word is powerful just the same and very convicting. “Sharper than any two-edged sword,” full of the power of the Spirit and very convincing (Hebrews 4:12). I’ve used the Bible with a lot of people who didn’t believe in God or the Bible at all, but it sank in and it drove home.

I hope you’re not neglecting your Bible reading and Bible studies. The letters I’ve written are like a commentary, explaining a lot that’s in the Bible and a lot that’s not. But these were given more or less with the understanding that you already knew the Bible and were at least familiar with the Word of God.

The Bible is an authoritative book, recognized and believed by millions, and a lot of people will accept it if you can show it to them in the Bible, that the Bible says so. They’ll believe it, or at least they’ll respect it, or they’ll stop and think about it and it will impress them in some way. So it’s important to at least be able to find the verses that you want to show people when you’re witnessing.

Most people have heard about the Bible, and a lot of people claim to even believe in the Bible. But we have found that most people, though they have heard about it, know about it and believe in it, don’t know it. A lot of people know about Jesus, but they don’t know Him.

The Bible is an absolutely inexhaustible source of wisdom and knowledge, out of which you constantly find “treasures new and old” (Matthew 13:52). It’s a marvelous book!

Faith comes by hearing the Word

If you get the Word down in your heart and you know it, it’s going to be a great help to you; but if you don’t even know it, how can you believe it? It’s almost hard for me to believe anybody’s even saved who doesn’t know or at least grasp John 3:16. If they don’t know one single scripture verse in the Bible, how can they believe? What do they believe?

You’re saved by believing the Word. “Faith comes by hearing the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). I believe anybody who’s really saved must remember at least part of John 3:16 or some scripture that gives them the essentials on salvation. They must know some verse on which they’re hanging their faith. They must know some verse by memory, or at least part of the verse, on which they’re leaning for their salvation by faith.

How can they be saved if they don’t know the Word? Paul goes into that and finally winds up with, “How can they believe if they don’t have the Word, because faith comes by hearing the Word!” So when your faith depends on your knowing the Word, it is very important for you to know the Word.

Witnessing

The way I used to teach witnessing was: First of all, ask questions; second, listen to the answers; third, give God’s answers; and fourth, get a decision.

It’s amazing how few people know how to witness. It’s amazing how many people want to preach sermons instead of witness. It’s amazing how many people want to reverse things, like some people do about prayer. Most people pray, “Hear, Lord, Thy servant speaketh,” instead of like dear Samuel, who said, “Speak, Lord, Thy servant heareth” (1 Samuel 3:1–10). You get a lot further that way, listening to the Lord instead of talking so much that you don’t even have a chance to listen to what He has to say!

With most people, prayer is a one-way street, and they do all the talking and don’t have time to listen to God; and some people witness that way. I went door to door with a preacher who knocked on the door and the only way he knew how to witness was to preach a sermon. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here together.” I mean, you’d think he was preaching to a congregation! The dear little housewife would come to the door and blink her eyes and wonder, “What in the world is going on, anyway? Here’s this preacher on my doorstep, and the baby’s falling out of the high chair, the dinner’s burning, and the wash is ready to be hung, and I’d like to hang him!”

So there are a lot of dos and don’ts in witnessing, but they’re mostly embodied in just those basic four things. How are you going to witness to somebody if you don’t know a thing about them? You don’t even know whether they’re saved or not, or whether they know the Lord or believe the Bible or believe in God or anything else. How are you going to know those things if you don’t ask them?

As a witness, you’re a soul doctor. You ask the patient what’s wrong: “What are your symptoms? What’s your problem?” Wouldn’t you think it was funny if you walked into a doctor’s office to tell him about your illnesses and problems and he grabbed a piece of paper and wrote you a prescription before you had a chance to open your mouth! That’s the way some people witness!

We know the Bible’s a prescription and we know it’s got all the answers, but how do you know you’ve got exactly the right one for that particular case unless you ask some questions? And what good is it going to do to ask the questions if you don’t listen to the answers? Sometimes it does people good just to talk. You might have to sit there and listen to them for an hour or two or more. And the more they talk, the more you learn about them and the better you’ll know how to talk to them in the long run.

You’re like a doctor to a patient, who listens to them give their symptoms and all their troubles and what their aches and pains are. As you listen, then you begin to diagnose what their principal problem is and what they really need.—What kind of prescription they need, what verse they need, what particular answers they need. The answers, of course, are all in God’s Word. So after you’ve heard all of their answers—which are not always the right answers—then you can give them God’s answers to their problems.

You’ve asked them and you’ve heard what they need, they’ve heard the answers, then you just simply get some kind of a decision. That’s witnessing in a nutshell!

The arithmetic of soul-winning

Dr. Chafer, the famous professor who got himself in trouble with Billy Graham and other evangelists by saying that a Christian who was a good witness for the Lord could win more souls to the Lord in his lifetime than evangelists, used to prove by statistics that if you faithfully witness and win at least one soul every six months and teach that soul in the next six months how to win another soul, that by the time your life was ended more souls would have been won than Billy Graham could ever think of winning.—Just by a simple process of personal soul winning and teaching others to win souls.

It’s like the old story of, “Which would you rather have, a hundred thousand dollars today or a penny on the first day of the month, two cents the next day, and then double it every day until the end of the month?” As I recall, you wind up with a total of over $10 million just by doubling those pennies every day.

If you would win one soul to the Lord at least every six months, one good firm salvation, and spend the next six months teaching him or her how to win other souls, and thereby you win at least two souls a year to the Lord, and each of your converts wins two souls a year to the Lord, and each of their converts wins two souls a year to the Lord—it would be possible to win the entire population of the earth in 16 years, believe it or not!

Copyright © September 1978 by The Family International

Death in Adam, Life in Christ

10/26/24 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

¹² Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men^[e] because all sinned— ¹³ for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. (Romans 5:5:9-13) ESV

Why Sin Matters

Peter Amsterdam

2020-05-18

Sin is an important topic, since it affects the life of every human being and is what has caused the separation of humans from God. Thankfully, God, in His love and mercy, has made salvation from sin available to humanity through Jesus’ suffering and death.

Rufus Jones offers the following thoughts on sin:

Sin is no abstract dogma. It is not a debt which somebody can pay and so wash off the slate. Sin is a fact within our lives. It is a condition of heart and will. There is no sin apart from a sinner. Wherever sin exists there is a conscious deviation from a standard, a sag of the nature, and it produces an effect upon the entire personality. The person who sins disobeys a sense of right. He falls below his vision of the good. He sees a path, but he does not walk in it. He hears a voice, but he says “no” instead of “yes.” He is aware of a higher self which makes its appeal, but he lets the lower have the reins. There is no description of sin anywhere to compare with the powerful narrative out of the actual life of the Apostle Paul, found in Romans 7:9–25. The thing which moves us as we read it is the picture here drawn of our own state. A lower nature dominates us and spoils our life. “What I would, I do not; what I would not, that I do.”¹

The most common Hebrew word used for sin in the Old Testament is chata, which is defined as “to miss the goal or path of right and duty, to miss the mark, to wander from the way.” The Old Testament also uses words translated as to break off (as in breaking God’s covenant), transgression of God’s will, rebellion, going astray.

The New Testament uses a variety of words when speaking of sin. These are translated as violate, transgress, overstep, miss the mark, go past, fall beside, failure, wrongdoing, deviate from the right path, turn aside, a deviation from truth and uprightness, unrighteousness of heart and life, lawlessness, ungodliness, unbelief, rebellious disobedience, and falling away.

Some definitions of sin from theologians are as follows:

Sin may be defined as the personal act of turning away from God and His will. It is the transgression of God’s law … the violation of God’s command. It is the turning away from God’s expressed will.²

Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.³

While God has expressed His will and moral law through the Bible, there was a time when the Bible didn’t exist. There are also many who haven’t heard of it or read it, or don’t know that it contains truth about God and His will. However, all throughout history humans have inherently known God’s moral law to some extent, as God has embedded it in the heart of each person.

“When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.^”4

While many people do not specifically know the moral laws of God as expressed in Scripture, everyone has a basic understanding that murder, stealing, lying, etc., are wrong, which is evidence of an overall moral consciousness that humans have. This understanding is often referred to as natural law or moral law and is contained within the Ten Commandments.⁵

Because humans have intuitive knowledge of the moral law within them, they have a sense of what is right and what is wrong, of moral accountability. Their conscience “bears witness.” God’s expressed moral law and will in Scripture, and each person having an intuitive knowledge of the moral law and a conscience that bears witness when they break the moral law, means that all humans—whether they know Scripture or not—are aware that they fail to conform to or that they deviate from the moral law, and that they are doing wrong.

The first sin

When Adam was told not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God didn’t give him a specific reason why he shouldn’t eat it, only that there would be serious consequences if he did. Adam was in a position to show his willingness to obey God’s commands, to submit his will to the will of his Creator. It can be seen as a test of whether he would allow God to determine what was right or he would undertake to determine this for himself.

Adam and Eve’s first sin shows the essence of sin. They resisted God’s will and would not subordinate themselves to it, but rather chose to do what they felt was in their best interest. They wouldn’t let God decide what was best for them.

Louis Berkhof explained it like this:

The essence of that sin lay in the fact that Adam placed himself in opposition to God, that he refused to subject his will to the will of God, to have God determine the course of his life; and that he actively attempted to take the matter out of God’s hand, and to determine the future for himself.⁶

Instead of accepting that God was their Creator and as such they were subordinate to Him, they yielded to the temptation to put themselves in the place of God. God had said that if they ate of the tree, they would surely die. The serpent told them they wouldn’t. God had told them what was true, yet they disbelieved God’s word; they questioned who was right.

The decisions Adam and Eve made to not subordinate themselves to God, to not accept His determination as to what is right, and to not believe Him, are emblematic of the root cause of the specific sins of individuals throughout the history of humanity. Every human is tempted to sin just as the first humans were, and every human yields to that temptation. In doing so, each of us has acted toward God in the same manner that Adam and Eve did.

Prior to this first sin, Adam and Eve lived in harmony with their Creator. They enjoyed His fellowship; they trusted and believed Him. Their freewill decision to disobey God changed that, not just for themselves but for all of humanity. This sin resulted in the fall of man, and humankind hasn’t been the same since.

Humankind stands guilty of sin before God due to Adam and Eve’s sin being imputed to all, and due to our own individual sinning. As sinners, we are separated from God; we physically die and stand guilty before Him and deserve punishment for our sins.

God, in His love for humankind, made a way for humans to be forgiven, to be reconciled with Him, and to be spared from His wrath.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned … For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”⁷

Being reconciled to God through Jesus, being forgiven for our sins, being redeemed, is the greatest gift one can receive—a personal gift directly from the hand of God. It not only changes our lives today but for eternity. It is a gift that each of us has received, and that we have been asked to pass on to others. It’s the good news we are commissioned to tell others about, so they too can be freed from sin’s grasp and can become children of the eternal, loving, gracious, and merciful God.

Originally published September 2012. Adapted and republished May 2020.
Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso.

¹ Rufus M. Jones, The Double Search—Studies in Atonement and Prayer (Philadelphia: John C. Winston Co., 1906), 60–61.

² J. Rodman Williams, Renewal Theology, Systematic Theology from a Charismatic Perspective, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 222.

³ Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: InterVarsity Press, 2000),  490.

⁴ Romans 2:14–15.

⁵ Exodus 20:13–17.

⁶ Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996), 222.

⁷ Romans 5:12, 17–19.

God Is Love

10/25/24 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7,8) ESV

 REGARDLESS OF YOUR RELIGION, race, nationality or social status, your heart is the same as other people’s hearts around the world. The desire and need for love, peace and happiness is universal. These are longings that God has placed within each of us. Even though the world we live in is becoming more complex and confusing, the answer to our most pressing problems is the same now as it has been for every age and generation: Love— true love, lasting love, God’s love. What everybody needs is love! This is still God’s solution. It’s so simple: If we love God, we will have His love in our hearts, and we will love and care for each other. I T IS PEOPLE’S REJECTION of God’s love and His loving laws that has caused most of the evils and troubles in our world. For when we truly love God and our neighbors, we won’t mistreat them; we will do to others as we would want them to do to us. We will do what we can to help those who are in need, those who are suffering. This is why Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love—to first of all love God, and then to love your neighbor as yourself. In fact, He said that these two simple laws fulfill all the laws of God. MANY PEOPLE WILL CONTEND, “But I don’t believe in God!” Yet if you were to ask them if they believe in love, most would reply, “Of course I believe in love!” Well, if someone can believe in love, they can believe in God, because according to the Bible, “God is love.” God is not only love, but Jesus added, “God is Spirit.” He is the great Spirit of love who created the beautiful world and vast universe in which we live. He is almighty, far beyond our limited understanding. So to show us His love and to help us understand Himself, He sent His own Son to earth in the form of a man, Jesus Christ. All Jesus did was talk about love and show love to others. Then finally, in love, He gave His life for you and me, so that we could have God’s love, forgiveness, and free gift of eternal life. “For God so loved the world [you and me], that He gave His own Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in Him should never die [be separated from God’s love], but have everlasting life.” God loves you so much that He gave Jesus to die in your place, to take the punishment for all the things that you have done wrong. You just need to simply believe and receive Him. SO IF YOU EVER FEEL that you don’t have enough love, maybe it’s because you haven’t yet found God’s love. There is an empty spot in each heart that only He can fill, that nothing else will truly satisfy. If you would like Him to fill that place in your life, ask Him to, and He will. Just confess that you’re not perfect, that you have made mistakes, and that you need God’s forgiveness. The Bible tells us, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We have all done or said things that are wrong, so we all need to be forgiven, because without forgiveness of sin, we remain separated from God’s perfect love. But through Jesus, we receive forgiveness and salvation: “The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ.” Jesus promised that if you open up your heart and ask Him to come into your life, He will answer your prayer. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart], and knock: If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him.” You can receive Jesus by praying a simple prayer like the following: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for all the wrongs I have done. I want to know Your love, so I now invite You into my heart. Come in and help me to love You and others. Amen. God bless and make you a blessing to others. If you would like to find out more about how His love can change hearts, read the beautiful story of Jesus in the Gospels of the Bible, This tract may be freely reproduced and distributed in any language in this format, so long as the text is not altered. Art by Hugo Westphal. Text by Michael Roy. What Everybody Needs Is Love! (TFI copyright)

Some Will Depart from the Faith

10/24/24 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, ² through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, ³ who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
(1 Timothy 4:1-5) ESV

Why does it say in 1 Timothy 4:1 that some will depart from the faith?

Answer

As part of Paul’s instructions for preparing Timothy to lead and appoint leaders in the church at Ephesus, Paul warns him that some will depart from the faith: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared” (1 Timothy 4:1–2, ESV).

Paul uses the Greek word apostesontai, which means “to be apart from, depart from, or stand apart from.” It’s the source of our English word apostasy. In this case, those departing are leaving “the faith.” Instead of holding to the sound teaching that is part of the faith that is in Christ Jesus (as Paul mentions in 1 Timothy 3:13), these people are choosing to follow a different path and listen to different voices.

Those who depart from the faith in the last times will choose to listen to deceitful spirits and doctrines or teachings of demons. They will follow false teaching that sounds convincing and is intended to deceive. These falsehoods are carefully devised; their design is to deceive people from following the faith. Those who depart from the faith are following liars with “seared” consciences. Their consciences are burned; the false teachers, who are mouthpieces for evil spirits, are dull to their own hypocrisy and unscrupulous behavior (1 Timothy 4:2).

To ensure that Timothy understands, Paul provides him with a couple of specific examples. The false teachers of the last times will forbid marriage and abstain from foods that God has permitted (1 Timothy 4:3). Those who will depart from the faith will be deceived by a kind of legalism. No longer will these people focus on the grace of Christ or the faith that Jesus authored and perfected (Hebrews 12:1). Instead, they will attempt to regulate behavior in contradiction to the freedom God has provided.

In the immediate context, Paul explains how some people will depart from the faith, but not exactly why. However, in 1 Timothy 6:3–5 Paul offers an explanation of why a person might choose to follow falsehood. Paul notes that one either agrees with the “sound instruction” of Christ or becomes “conceited and understand[s] nothing.” A teaching that differs from the apostle’s doctrine does not comport with godliness (1 Timothy 6:3). Paul further explains that these who depart from the faith have an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes (1 Timothy 6:4). The result is envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction. Such is the condition of those who are depraved of mind and deprived of truth (1 Timothy 6:4–5).

The warning, then, is that we ought to hold fast to the sound words—the words of Jesus Christ. Paul cautions Timothy to “watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them” (1 Timothy 4:16). Before Timothy could encourage others to hold fast to the faith, he needed to guard himself against hypocrisy. Only then could he teach well and encourage others not to depart from the faith. Despite all efforts, some people will depart from the faith, and Timothy ought to carefully prepare to deal with such people. The preparation involved being above reproach himself and being equipped with the sound words of Christ and grounded in the teachings of the faith. (GotQuestions.org)

Luke 21

Antichrist Tribulation and Second-Coming Salvation

David Brandt Berg

1981-03-26

10/23/24 Welcome to another Bible study of the prophecies of God’s Word regarding the endtime, the last days. We’re going to read Luke 21, beginning with verse 20. Jesus is speaking:

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.”

“For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! For there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.” Whose wrath? The wrath of God.

Verse 24: “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” This passage sounds a great deal like Matthew 24.

How long shall Jerusalem be trodden down at this time? You say, “That happened a long time ago when the Romans took over Jerusalem and destroyed it and the Temple, and they cast out the Jews into all nations of the earth, and led them away captive.” He’s saying that that will happen.

But He’s using exactly the same terminology in this passage that He used in the passage in which He describes the invasion of Israel by the Antichrist forces. In this case, instead of saying, “When ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place,” He says, “When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.”

First it has to be compassed with armies and desolated because of its rebellion against the world government of the Antichrist, who then sets up his image, and then follows this time of great trouble such as was not since the world began. Not only for Israel, but for all people of whatever religion worldwide, because the Antichrist will insist that the whole world worship him and his image then.

They shall fall by the edge of the sword, be led away captive, and there’ll be a terrible time of trouble. Here’s a key in these words in the middle of the 24th verse: “And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” In Revelation 13, where this same terminology is used, we are going to see exactly how long the Gentiles are going to tread down Jerusalem until their time be fulfilled.

He’s talking in this 13th chapter about a beast that rises up out of the sea, the sea of humanity, “having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy” (Revelation 13:1). We’ve already seen this beast in Daniel 7 in various forms, and here he is a combination beast with all the great world powers depicted in one great beast with seven heads, the seven great world empires that have come and gone upon the stage of history from the days of earliest Egypt to this last one of the Antichrist.

The ten horns are upon the last head. In a following chapter it is made clear that the ten horns are ten kings who cooperate with this beast in his last form, his seventh head, the Antichrist. They are ten great world powers, kingdoms who cooperate with the final great world leader, this devil-man, this Satan in the flesh, the Antichrist. “Upon his horns ten crowns, upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” He’s anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-religion, and demands that the whole world worship him as its God.

Third verse: “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast.” This dragon is that old red Dragon, that same ol’ boy that’s been causing us trouble ever since the Garden of Eden. He was called the serpent then; now he’s called a dragon.

Revelation 12, verse 9: “That old serpent Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.”

In this 12th chapter he was cast out of heaven into the earth, so now he’s come down to earth to create hell on earth. “For he knoweth that his time is short” (Revelation 12:12). He’s only got three and a half years left to do all the damage he can possibly do. So he personally possesses the Antichrist, this world leader, and from then on it’s literally the Devil ruling the earth, and it’s hell on earth.

“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast?” (Revelation 13:4). The world is waiting for a superman, a god-man who can solve their problems, answer their questions, heal their economic ills, unite their politics, end their religious squabbles, stop all the wars, and bring permanent peace and union to all nations.

“Who is like unto the beast?”—this Antichrist. “Who is able to make war with him?” He’s apparently got vast military might by this time. “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies” (v. 5). As far as the religions of the world are concerned, he’s going to be totally blasphemous against their gods and against God Himself and Christ Himself.

How long is this situation going to last? “And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months” (Revelation 13:5).

In the 11th chapter of Revelation, verse 2, John says that he is told to measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. “But the court which is without the Temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles. And the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” Three and a half years. There it is again, exactly what He said back in Luke 21:

“They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (v. 24). They will conquer and capture Jerusalem and Israel. The Antichrist forces will invade and conquer Israel because of its rebellion against the Covenant, and the Antichrist will set up his capital there, and he himself will sit in the temple of God, as God, proclaiming that he is God. For 42 months, or three and a half years.

Verse 25: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.” The peoples of the earth are sometimes likened unto the sea and the waves.

“Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth” (v. 26). You know what is one of the greatest causes of death in the U.S.? Heart failure! And it is often caused by anxiety, tension, pressure, and all these words which are summed up in one little four-letter word: fear.

“For the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (v. 26–27). When is Jesus going to come? After the Antichrist has invaded Israel and taken over Jerusalem and trodden it under foot for three and a half years, 42 months, or 1260 days, according to the Jewish calendar.

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads” (v. 28). Don’t be discouraged, don’t look down; don’t get down in the dumps. Don’t do like Peter did: look down at the waves and start to sink. Look up! Don’t look out, because the outlook is very bad. Don’t look down, because that’s even worse! But look up.

“And lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.” When all these terrible things begin to happen, start looking up, because Jesus is coming soon! As He said in the 27th verse, “They shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” So when these things begin to come to pass, “then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.”

When you see a fig tree begin to blossom, you know summer’s nigh, so He said when you see all these things begin to happen, you’ll know that His coming is soon. “So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand” (v. 31).

Verse 32: “Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.” When you begin to see all these things happen, when you hear about the Antichrist making a religious Covenant in Jerusalem, know that the end is near. He will give religious freedom to all religions if they’ll support him, and allow the Jews to rebuild the Temple on Mount Moriah. He will allow the Muslims to preserve the Mosque of Omar, and no doubt even let them erect a Christian church there to symbolize the world’s three greatest religions in their holiest place upon the face of the earth. He said, “When you see these things happen, you’d better start looking up, because I’m coming back very soon.”

Then the Antichrist breaks that Covenant in the midst of the seven years, at the end of the first three and a half years. He gets fed up with religions; he gets fed up with their squabbles and fights and controversies. Even though he’s done everything he can to try to please them with the internationalization, inter-religionisation of Jerusalem, they’re still not happy. They still cause him all kinds of trouble, and he finally decides the best way to solve this problem is to just get rid of them all.

He says, “I’ll set myself up as God. I’ll put my statue there on Mount Moriah in the midst of their temples, and we’ll abolish all other religions. There’ll only be one world religion, just as there’s now one world government under me. They can worship me as their god! That’ll solve all these religious problems.”

But when the Jews and the Christians and the Muslims rebel, he has a lot of trouble. “A time of trouble such as has never been, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). The time of Jacob’s trouble, the time of the Great Tribulation for the last half of his reign, three and a half years. God’s Word says when you see these things happen, look up, because your redemption draws nigh!

When you see all these things come to pass, “know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. This generation shall not pass away until all be fulfilled” (Luke 21:31–32).

“What do you mean the kingdom of God is nigh at hand? I thought the kingdom of God is already here, within us. What does it mean that this generation will not pass away till all be fulfilled? Those apostles and disciples are dead, and it never happened.” He’s not talking about them. Of course they’re dead! They weren’t the generation that saw all these things happen and all these things fulfilled.

It’s the generation that sees these things fulfilled, that generation shall not pass away until all these things shall be fulfilled. And He says when you do see all these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws nigh.

Our complete salvation of spirit, soul, and body will be here when there will be no more death, no more pain, no more fear, no more sorrow nor crying nor sickness, and we’ll have perfect bodies and “spirits of just men made perfect” as our redemption is completed when Jesus comes (Hebrews 12:23). We’ll rise to meet Him in the air, whether out of the grave or from the surface of the earth, and out of this horrible time and this awful world with its hell on earth led by the Devil and his angels.

Copyright © March 1981 by the Family International

The High Priestly Prayer

10/22/24 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, ² since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴ I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. (John 17:1-4) ESV

 There Are Absolutes

David Brandt Berg

1975-12-01

The whole principle of modern education is that there are no absolutes; nothing is sure, nothing is certain. That’s the way history is now too. “We used to say history was absolute, but now we’re not sure it was that way at all. We’re not sure of anything!” The whole idea is to say, “It ain’t necessarily so.”

They’ve destroyed faith in the Bible, God, history, and His creation. You see, if there are no absolute quantities, then there are no answers and things are not necessarily right or wrong.

It’s the same idea as destroying faith in God. If they destroy faith in God, that there is a God, then how can there be any right or wrong, because there’s nobody to make the rules? If there’s no God, there’s no ruler, there are no rules, and if there are no rules or laws, then nothing is either right or wrong.

Look how they’ve attacked each major field that proves the evidence of a perfect God. The first thing they attacked was religion itself. The subtlety of the attack on religion was that there was no necessarily right religion, therefore there was no necessarily wrong religion. Various religions were just religions, probably fabrications of man anyway, so how could you say which was right or wrong?

In other words, there were no religious absolutes. The whole idea was aimed at destroying faith in God. “They are just manmade creeds.” These broad-minded greatly tolerant ones could now say, “Now your religion may not be good for me, but maybe it’s okay for you.” You know that condescending attitude: “But since there is no God, there is no really right religion or wrong religion, and no religion can make laws for anybody else.”

It all goes back again to the godless premise that if there is no ruler, there are no rules, and if they can prove there are no rules, then they can debunk God—prove there is no ruler. If they can prove each of these fields is imperfect, then they claim they can prove that the perfect doesn’t exist—therefore God doesn’t exist.

Outside of God’s creation proving the existence of God, mathematics proves the order of the universe. Math proves there is rhyme and reason to things.

History is another thing which really proves the existence of God—God’s laws of retribution, the rise and fall of empires because of either righteousness or wickedness. This is one of the surest proofs there is of the existence of God and the rules, including fulfilled prophecy. So what did they have to do with history? They had to debunk history. This is still a favorite occupation of some historians, to claim that what we thought and heard all our lives that these [famous] characters were really like, they weren’t like that at all.

They did the same with music, to where music didn’t have to have harmony, it didn’t have to be pleasant, so that there was no such thing as good or bad music, because there were no rules. “Since there are no rules, you’re not breaking any when you have disharmony and noise.” So they abandoned the laws of music, too.

Look at art: Modern art doesn’t even have to mean anything. It doesn’t have to make any sense—no meaning, no order. See, if you can destroy the meaning, if you can prove to people there’s no meaning to a thing, then there’s no order, no purpose, and there’s no plan, therefore, there’s no planner.

Both art and music used to follow very strict laws to produce real beauty, but both art and music have abandoned the rules; they’ve thrown away the laws.

In the same way they attacked creation: They had to try to prove there was no order to things, no laws, no plan, no purpose. Therefore, there was no planner or anybody that gave orders. Therefore creation just became a meaningless chaotic evolution. “It all just happened by accident.” Everything which had any rules or order or plan or purpose, proving that there is some kind of ruler who makes the rules and gives orders and plans things with a purpose—everything that had any order or plan or rules to it had to be attacked to destroy any faith in the absolute and therefore in God!

In every field of science, math, art, music, history, philosophy, and religion, they have tried to destroy confidence and faith in the absolute to try to shake your faith that there is anything sure, anything that is necessarily so or true or right. The whole theme song is: “It ain’t necessarily so. The things that you read in that Bible, they ain’t necessarily so. Beginning with the Bible, that ain’t necessarily so; and history, it ain’t necessarily so; religion, it ain’t necessarily so; and philosophy ain’t necessarily so.” They’ve gone right on down the line through everything—“creation ain’t necessarily so; music, art, none of them, are necessarily so, because there ain’t no so. There’s nothing that’s true, so there is no truth,” in other words.

Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” Jesus answered him and said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). So if nothing is so, then nothing is true, then there is no truth and no Christ! So to disprove the existence of God, they had to disprove the existence of truth and rhyme and reason, order, plan, laws, rules, etc.

In the United States they had a whole generation who grew up under progressive education in the big cities, who were taught the progressive way of learning to read in which they used no phonics, no phonetics, no alphabet. You didn’t even necessarily have to learn how to pronounce the word. All you had to know was what it meant, if it meant anything, and of course, it didn’t necessarily mean that. So language also no longer had any absolutes or rules. You couldn’t prove that a word really meant what it said; maybe it meant something else. Maybe one thing to one person, another thing to somebody else. So a whole generation of high school students arrived in college and couldn’t read or write!

To abandon the ruler they had to throw away the rules! To get rid of God they had to get rid of the absolutes—the right and the wrong and the meaning and reason for things. Drunkenness is not drunkenness—it’s now a mere disease called alcoholism. Violations of sexual laws are no longer sins; they’re mere perversions or aberrations.

A revolutionary education today would be back-to-God education, and that’s really revolutionary in this modern day and age! Back to God in creation. Back to real faith in religion, back to creation in science, back to a plan in history, beauty in art, harmony in music, laws in learning to read, right and wrong in behavior, and order in government and God in everything—the Creator of all things, the designer of everything, the planner—so that life again means something.

For God is the only one who can give a real meaning to living. Let’s get back to God in our education, in every subject in every field. I taught school for years, and I brought out God in everything, showing there was perfection in all things and that the perfect one had a hand in the creation of all, and there was a reason for everything.

Back to reasoning, back to a pattern for existence made by a divine Designer who makes the plans according to rules, brings about order, and who gives meaning to the universe and purpose to the planets, and love to our hearts and peace to our minds, and health to our bodies and rest to our spirits, and happiness to our lives and joy to our souls, and the wisdom to know that “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10), and that mere knowledge is not enough, but how to use it is more important for the glory of God.

We must see God in everything to give it meaning, reason, purpose, plan, design and a goal, and peace and order and a design for living given us by the great Designer in His rules and laws, rights and wrongs and absolutes, without which there can be no peace and no order and no happiness.

Thank God for the absolutes and the rules of the Ruler, that we may know the difference between right and wrong and therefore find happiness through His love and His loving laws and reasonable rules. May God help you to “know Him, whom to know is life eternal (John 17:3). And absolute!

Copyright © December 1975 by The Family International

1 Thessalonians: Chapter 4 (Part 2)

1 and 2 Thessalonians

Peter Amsterdam

2023-03-14

10/21/24 Having covered the topic of sexual immorality in verses 3–8,¹ Paul moved on to address another problem that had arisen in the Thessalonian church.

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia.²

Paul began by commending the Thessalonian believers for their brotherly love. Normally, brotherly love is used to describe fraternal love, the love between members of a family. It wouldn’t be used to describe those outside of the family circle. However, Paul used the word to express the relationship between Christians who have become brothers (and sisters) in the community of faith. Paul refers to the believers as brothers 17 times in 1 Thessalonians.

The New Testament term brotherly love describes the relationship the Christian believers have because of their common faith in Christ. Other examples in the New Testament include:

Love one another with brotherly affection.³

Let brotherly love continue.⁴

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.⁵

The command to love one another was a key point of Jesus’ teaching, as He called His disciples to imitate the kind of love which He had given them.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.⁶

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.⁷

These things I command you, so that you will love one another.⁸

Jesus’ teaching to love one another was a theme that was repeatedly taught by His disciples.

This is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.⁹

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.¹⁰

This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.¹¹

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.¹²

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.¹³

Because this teaching was available to the Thessalonians, Paul could rightly say you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.¹⁴

That indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more.¹⁵ 

The second reason that the Thessalonian Christians didn’t need to receive further instructions about brotherly love was because they were not only showing love to their fellow Thessalonians, but they also extended that love to Christians who lived throughout Macedonia. They were extending love beyond their home church to those of other churches in the area, likely those in Philippi, Berea, and possibly Amphipolis and Apollonia.¹⁶

Paul doesn’t specify the ways in which the Thessalonians have shown this mutual love for all the Macedonian believers. It may be that Paul was referring to the economic aid that the Thessalonians provided for the needy Christians in their region. In 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote:

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints.¹⁷

Back to chapter 4:

… and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.¹⁸

Here Paul puts the focus on those in the church who were dependent on patrons for their financial livelihood. Many of these patrons were wealthy members of the believing community who typically gave financial support to their clients, who in some cases were also members of the church. The clients affiliated themselves with the patrons in hope of receiving benefits such as food and representation in return for demonstrating public honor and support for their patrons. The more clients a patron had, the more important they were perceived to be.

Paul made the point that rather than participating in the patronage lifestyle, the Thessalonian believers should busy themselves with their own work so that they would no longer be dependent on others for their livelihood. They were to work with their own hands as they went about their own work so that they could provide their own needs.

That was exactly what Paul and his companions were doing. While Paul was a missionary, he was also a tentmaker. Although he could have lived off the donations of those he ministered to, he chose not to take advantage of this right. In the book of Acts, Paul made the point that he supported himself through his work as a tentmaker.

I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.¹⁹

So that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. Because some of the Thessalonian believers were involved in the affairs of the city and were economically dependent on their patrons, they didn’t contribute to the needs of the church and the Christian community. Paul’s solution to the problem was that they step back from participating in the affairs of the city, step out of the patron/client system, and instead take up honest labor so that they would be free from dependence on their patrons. Paul was calling the Thessalonian Christians to conduct themselves in a manner which would bring them respect rather than their being beholden to a patron. They should be seen as solid members of the local community and conduct themselves as upstanding citizens. Along with this, Paul instructed them that they should not be dependent on others for their livelihood.

Up until this point in this chapter, Paul referred to things that the believers already knew. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus;²⁰ we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you;²¹ you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.²² At this point, however, Paul moved on to a different subject: the question of what will happen to “the dead in Christ.”

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.²³

It seems as if the Thessalonian believers were somewhat deficient in their knowledge regarding believers who had died. Likely they hadn’t received sufficient teaching on this topic, so they asked Paul some questions regarding Christians who had passed away. Paul used the metaphor asleep for those who had died, but a few verses later he speaks of those who have passed on as the dead. The dead in Christ will rise first.²⁴

The reason Paul didn’t want the believers to be uninformed about the Christians who had died was so they wouldn’t grieve as others do who have no hope. Paul wasn’t saying that believers couldn’t grieve when their loved ones passed on; rather, as one author wrote:

Their grief should be tempered and informed by the hope they held, based on the resurrection of Christ and the promise of his coming.²⁵

Paul goes on to say:

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.²⁶

One of the fundamental beliefs of the church was/is that Jesus died and rose again. Paul was probably quoting from a creed which was in circulation among believers and was used in the Thessalonian church at that time. The death and resurrection of Jesus was put forward as the guarantee of the resurrection of believers.²⁷

For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.²⁸

Paul begins this sentence by stating that this teaching was inspired by Jesus (“a word from the Lord”), and because of this it is authoritative for Christian believers. In the Old Testament, the “word of the Lord” generally referred to the prophetic oracles. Some examples are:

The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest.²⁹

Now the word of the LORD came to me (Jeremiah).³⁰

The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri.³¹

However, in the New Testament, the word of the Lord isn’t used that way. Rather it refers to the message of the gospel which is proclaimed.

This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.³²

And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.³³

For some reason it was important for the Thessalonians to know that when Jesus returns, the believers who were alive would not have precedence over those who had already died. Paul states that the dead in Christ will be raised first; then the living, along with the raised dead, will be taken up to meet the Lord. This would have been comforting to the Thessalonians in their grief.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.³⁴

In the previous verse, Paul referred to Jesus’ coming. The Greek word for such a coming was parousia. This is a term which generally meant the glorious “coming” of a sovereign (a supreme ruler) or ruler visiting a city. Such visits were cause for great celebrations including banquets, speeches praising the visitors, religious activities, competitions, sacrifices, and dedications of statues, as well as the construction of arches and new buildings. On such occasions, the city officials and the people of the city would wear special clothing and would head out of the city to meet the sovereign and to escort him into the city.

Paul used this concept of parousia to describe Jesus’ coming and the glory and pomp which will accompany His return, as well as to reassure the Thessalonians that all Christians, both those living and those who have died, would take part in this wonderful event. Jesus’ return will not be a secret. First, there will be a cry of command. We’re not told who issues the cry of command, but it may refer to God the Father, who issues the order for the dead in Christ to rise.

Jesus’ return is accompanied by the voice of an archangel. We’re not told the name of this archangel. However, within the New Testament there is only one archangel named, the archangel Michael in Jude 1:9.

When the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”³⁵ 

There is only one other angel named in the New Testament, the angel Gabriel, who was sent to Mary, the mother of Jesus.³⁶ However, angels are referred to 83 times in the New Testament.

The third great sound is the sound of the trumpet of God. Trumpets in Paul’s time were not used primarily as musical instruments; rather, they were used in military exercises and events such as funeral processions. In this case, the dead will hear the great sound of the trumpet call of God and they will respond to the command to rise. Both here and in 1 Corinthians 15:52, the trumpet of God is the call for the resurrection of the dead. In Matthew 24:31, the trumpet of God is what calls together the dispersed people of God.

When the sound of the trumpet of God is heard, the dead in Christ will rise first. Not all the dead are raised at this time; only those who have received salvation through Christ before they died. Paul wanted to make it clear to the Thessalonians that the believers who had died will rise and will participate in the Lord’s return. They will not miss the opportunity to be present when Jesus returns.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.³⁷

After the dead have risen, then the living Christians will be joined together with those who are raised, and together they all will go out to meet the Lord, at the time of His parousia. This glorious event is also often referred to as the “rapture.” Paul’s reference to we who are alive likely indicates that Paul and his partners expected to be alive at the parousia. From Paul’s perspective, the primary group is those who are resurrected, who are then followed by the living. When the two groups are joined together, they all will be caught up together. Hearing that both the dead and living would be caught up in the clouds would have been a revelation to the Thessalonians. As one author says:

Never had such a glorious event been contemplated.³⁸

To meet the Lord in the air reflects the custom of sending a delegation from the city to receive dignitaries who were coming. An example of this is found in the book of Acts, when Luke describes how the delegation of Christians from Rome went out to receive Paul and his companions as they approached the city.

The brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us.³⁹

In writing about meeting the Lord in the air, Paul makes the point that it is the bodies of the resurrected believers and the living believers, and not just their souls, who will meet the Lord in the air. He doesn’t explain how this will happen, but from this and his other writings he makes it clear that he expects a transformation of the human body to a state of immortality.

Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.⁴⁰

Someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.⁴¹

The end of this process, the resurrection and being caught up in the clouds, is stated in the final sentence, and so we will always be with the Lord. Scripture tells us that believers’ souls are united with the Lord at the time of death.

I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.⁴²

We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.⁴³

Therefore encourage one another with these words.⁴⁴

The Thessalonians grieved over the death of some members of their community. Added to that grief was their concern that the dead might be excluded from meeting the Lord when He returns. Paul shared a revelation in this letter that they could use to comfort each other. At Christ’s return, all believers, whether dead or alive, will be united with Jesus, our King and Savior, where we will always be with the Lord. How wonderful!

(To be continued.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

¹ See 1 Thessalonians: Chapter 4 (Part 1).

² 1 Thessalonians 4:9–10.

³ Romans 12:10.

⁴ Hebrews 13:1.

⁵ 1 Peter 1:22. See also 2 Peter 1:7.

⁶ John 13:34–35.

⁷ John 15:12.

⁸ John 15:17.

⁹ 1 John 3:11.

¹⁰ Galatians 6:2.

¹¹ 1 John 3:23.

¹² 1 John 4:7.

¹³ 1 John 4:11.

¹⁴ 1 Thessalonians 4:9.

¹⁵ 1 Thessalonians 4:10.

¹⁶ Acts 17:1.

¹⁷ 2 Corinthians 8:1–4.

¹⁸ 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12.

¹⁹ Acts 20:33–34.

²⁰ 1 Thessalonians 4:2.

²¹ 1 Thessalonians 4:6.

²² 1 Thessalonians 4:9.

²³ 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

²⁴ 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

²⁵ Gene L. Green,

²⁶ 1 Thessalonians 4:14.

²⁷ Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14.

²⁸ 1 Thessalonians 4:15.

²⁹ Ezekiel 1:3.

³⁰ Jeremiah 1:4.

³¹ Hosea 1:1.

³² Acts 19:10.

³³ Acts 13:49.

³⁴ 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

³⁵ Jude 1:9.

³⁶ Luke 1:26–27.

³⁷ 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

³⁸ Green, The Letters to the Thessalonians, 226.

³⁹ Acts 28:15.

⁴⁰ Philippians 3:20–21.

⁴¹ 1 Corinthians 15:35–37.

⁴² Philippians 1:23.

⁴³ 2 Corinthians 5:6–9.

⁴⁴ 1 Thessalonians 4:18.

Copyright © 2023 The Family International.

1 Thessalonians: Chapter 4 (Part 1)

1 and 2 Thessalonians

Peter Amsterdam

2023-02-28

10/20/24 In the fourth chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he begins the first sentence with the word “finally”—an indicator that he’s transitioning to a different subject.

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.¹

Paul was addressing the Thessalonian believers, whom he called brothers (the Greek word used is adelphoi). Some translations use brethren,² while others use brothers and sisters.³

He used the phrase we ask and urge you. Often this phrase was used to make a request; however, when it was used in exhortations such as this one, the meaning was much stronger—a closer translation might be “beseech” or “entreat.” The form in which Paul addressed the Thessalonians wasn’t particularly familiar or personal, but was somewhat diplomatic, with personal notes added in. He made the point that the authority behind his teaching was given through the Lord Jesus. Throughout this and the following chapters of this epistle, Jesus’ divine authority is put forward as the basis of Paul’s teaching.

Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to make continual progress in their spiritual growth. They had already applied some aspects of the instructions they had received from Paul and his companions, and now Paul was exhorting them to progress even further, that you do so more and more. The message Paul had given them was God’s call to salvation (2:13), but it also included the teaching that was to be a guide for their moral conduct. They were to continue to walk and please God, just as they were already doing, but even more and more.

Paul reminded the Thessalonian believers what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus (v. 2). Throughout the first part of this letter, Paul urged the Thessalonians to recall what they already knew (2:5, 11; 3:4; 4:2, 4) and to practice it. The instructions they had received were not just vague guidelines; they were “commands” or “orders.” When the Thessalonians accepted Paul’s teaching as the word of God,⁴ they were obligated to obey it. They knew that the instruction he gave was through the Lord Jesus.

At this point in the letter, Paul was focused on the sexual ethics of the Thessalonian believers and the instructions that he was giving them.

This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.⁵

Paul began by saying that the believers’ sanctification was the will of God. At a number of points in the New Testament, the “will of God” signifies God’s moral plan which should be put into practice. Doing His will is the counterpoint to being carried along in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. The moral will of God for the believers was put forth by Paul in the teaching the Thessalonians had received from him. As Christians today, we face the same moral choices of following God’s moral plan or succumbing to the popular culture of our day.

Paul made the point that the believers should be sanctified, as an important part of God’s plan. The apostle Peter made the same point when he wrote:

As he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”⁶

The sanctification of the Thessalonian believers is Paul’s main concern, as seen in the phrases this is the will of God, your sanctification (4:3); that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness (4:4); and God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness (4:7).

Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians echo the decree of the Jerusalem council, where James said, My judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality.⁷ The believers were to avoid sexual immorality, which meant any kind of sexual relation outside of heterosexual marriage, whether it was fornication, adultery, homosexuality, incest, prostitution, or bestiality.⁸ In verse 4, Paul states that each Thessalonian believer was to control his own body in holiness and honor. To do this, they were to abstain from sexual immorality (v. 3).

In speaking about passionate lust, Paul referred to the wantonness and lack of restraint of the Thessalonian nonbelievers. Paul also referred to such lust elsewhere in his writings.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves.⁹

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.¹⁰

As new Christians, they had come out of idolatry through belief in Jesus, and they were called to show their new faith and their new community by their changed lifestyle. They were no longer to engage in the sexual conduct of their contemporaries.

In verses 3–5, Paul covered the general problem of “sexual immorality”; however, in verse 6 he addressed the specific issue that caused him to write this section. Members of the Thessalonian church were committing adultery amongst the believers. Paul’s instruction was that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.¹¹

Sexual excesses were common in Greek society, including married men committing adultery. Believers were not “to wrong” or transgress against other believers by having sexual relations with their spouses. Paul reminded the Thessalonians that this wasn’t the first time he had addressed this issue. The members of the Thessalonian church could not claim ignorance, as they had been warned about these matters.

The Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.¹²

Having written of the negative consequence of judgment for sexual immorality, Paul reminded the Thessalonians of the positive benefits of not indulging in adultery and other sexual sins.

God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.¹³

Impurity is the opposite of holiness or sanctification. It can mean either ceremonial or moral impurity, depending on the context. Here, sexual impurity is the context. Elsewhere in Paul’s writings, he writes against sexual impurity.

Sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.¹⁴

Rather than the sexual impurity that the Thessalonians previously practiced, they now were meant to pursue holiness in their lives. Paul makes this point again later in this epistle when he writes:

May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.¹⁵

God called them to His service, and as believers, they were to align their conduct with His calling.

Whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.¹⁶

Paul strongly makes the point that his teaching on sexuality came from God and expressed God’s will. He states that if someone ignored or treated this message as unimportant, they were not just rejecting Paul and his teachings, but were rejecting God Himself. It may be that some of the Thessalonian believers questioned Paul’s authority and therefore questioned some of his teachings. Some may have distinguished between his teaching of the gospel, which they considered divine teaching, and his moral teaching on sexuality, which they rejected as coming from a man. Paul, however, reminded those who were selectively choosing what to believe and what to reject that they were disregarding God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

This brings us to the end of the first topic Paul wrote about in chapter 4. As the chapter continues, Paul moves on to another topic, which will be covered in the next article.

(To be continued.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

¹ 1 Thessalonians 4:1–2.

² KJV, NAS, NAU.

³ NIV, NLT, TNIV.

⁴ 1 Thessalonians 2:13.

⁵ 1 Thessalonians 4:3–6.

⁶ 1 Peter 1:15–16.

⁷ Acts 15:19–20.

⁸ Gene L. Green, The Letters to the Thessalonians (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002), 190.

⁹ Romans 1:24.

¹⁰ Colossians 3:5.

¹¹ 1 Thessalonians 4:6

¹² 1 Thessalonians 4:6.

¹³ 1 Thessalonians 4:7.

¹⁴ Ephesians 5:3.

¹⁵ 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

¹⁶ 1 Thessalonians 4:8.

Copyright © 2023 The Family International.