Memorial Prayer

Offered on behalf of our brother and friend and co-quarteter, Dennis Howard on the occasion of his joining that innumerable multitude in the sky to await our joining them so we can all serenade together:
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder consider all the works Thy hand hath made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling* thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

And we anxiously await the day when all of us can join Dennis and David Rowley in the chorus:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee. How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee. How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Then, we move up a step: How great Thou art! How great (higher still) Thou art! (Then vocal cord blowing up) How great (up) Thou art!

Glory. Amen.

Watch the video.
* Some versions use “mighty”
http://www.higherpraise.com/lyrics/love/love853329.htm

Do not listen to this while driving. You will not be able to keep both hands on the wheel. Every hand goes up. Mine is up now. Glory.

Video

Heaven Is Closer Than You Think

A little song goes, “I woke up this morning feeling fine, I woke up with heaven on my mind.” Well, I woke up with something on my mind too. And it was a song. Here it is...
End Of The Beginning
Words & music by David Phelps

I was taking a trip on a plane the other day, just wishin' that I could get out.
When the man next to me saw the book in my hand and asked me what it was about.
So I settled back in my seat. "A best-seller," I said, "a hist'ry and a myst'ry in one."
Then I opened up the book and began to read from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...

He was born of a virgin one holy night in the little town of Bethlehem.
Angels gathered 'round Him underneath the star singing praises to the great I AM.

He walked on the water, healed The lame, and made the blind to see again.
And for the first time here on earth we learned that God could be a friend.
And though He never, ever did a single thing wrong, the angry crowd chose Him.
And then He walked down the road and died on the cross and
that was the end...of the beginning."

"That's not a new book, that's a Bible," he said, "And I've heard it all before.
I've tried religion, it's shame and guilt, and I don't need it anymore.
It's superstition, made-up tales, just to help the weak to survive."
"Let me read it again," I said, "But listen closely. This is gonna change your life."

"He was born of a virgin one holy night in the little town of Bethlehem.
Angels gathered 'round Him underneath the star singing praises to the great I AM.

He walked on the water, healed the lame, and made the blind to see again.
And for the first time here on earth we learned that God could be a friend.
And though He never, ever did a single thing wrong, the angry crowd chose Him. And then He walked down the road and died on the cross and that was the end...of the beginning."

"The end of the beginning?" he said with a smile. "What more
could there be? He's dead. You said they hung Him, put nails in
His hands and a crown of thorns on His head." I said, "I'll read it
again, but this time there's more.

And I believe that this is true: His death wasn't the end but the beginning of life that's completed in you.
Don't you see, He did all this for you..."

"He was born of a virgin one holy night in the little town of
Bethlehem. All the angels singing praises to the great I AM.
He walked on the water, healed the lame, and made the blind to see.
And for the first time here on earth, did you know that God could be a friend?
And though He never, ever did a single thing wrong, He was the one the crowd chose.
And then He walked and He died, but three days later, three days later, three days later...
He rose! Three days later He rose!

You see, He came, He lived, and He died, but that was the end of the beginning.

This will make your day. Have a great day. It is just the end...of the beginning....

After writing this, but before posting, I read of a college friend who had just passed away last night. I did not have a title yet, and this seemed appropriate. This is more real than ever in real life. I would have loved to hear Dennis Howard sing this His high, clear tenor would fit right in. He makes the second of our quartet to go home. Will miss you, Dennis.

Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew9-FJjEzpU
(And if you have an extra few minutes, let the next song run too.)

A Modest Proposal For Mr. Trump (and us all)

Moses, according to Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV), would go out everyday before the Children of Israel and deliver this invocation before they began any journey.
24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

The “bless you,” was and is more than just a “hope things go well for you.” The blessing that every man desperately seeks is to be saved. The ultimate blessing, as those newly freed slaves knew, was to be free from tyranny and oppression. And the ultimate tyrant and oppressor is Satan. How blessed we are to be free from his embrace.

“...and keep you.” Being saved or blessed is not enough. The state of salvation can, and will be attacked, even from unexpected quarters. The Israelites faced danger from other desert dwellers, even though they did not need fear Pharaoh any longer. The dangers ranged from attacks by armies of people living in the wilderness to deadly snakes. This invocation specifically charges the Lord with the responsibility for “keeping” them and us.

“The Lord make his face to shine upon you.” Watch a proud grandparent overseeing the activities of a toddler exploring a new environment. The eager face of the child is reflected in a contented smile on the face of the elder. Approval, love, hopes for the future, and commitment to do all that is possible to make it the best it can be are encased in the shining face. God shows all this and more as, “His face shines on us,” just as it did the ancient Israelites.

“Be gracious to you.” Grace was displayed at Calvary when He let His Son die for us. His grace is extended daily to us as we stumble through this “wilderness” that we inhabit. Grace also would include provisions for all that we need. God graciously provided food every day, and water, and guidance for the entire 40 year journey through this rough land. We are promised the same.

“Lift up His countenance upon you.” A little obscure term today, but the Biblical reference is comparing it to “hiding” His face as when the people sinned. Keeping Him “facing” us is our responsibility in this transaction. During the early days, the chapters would note that the children of Israel did all that the Lord commanded them. Later, they began to disobey overtly, like the “calf,” or covertly by grumbling and complaining.

The invocation is a two way street of God’s blessing, keeping, and sustaining, and our obedience. Moses did not need to implore the Lord to maintain His stance. He merely repeated it to assure and remind his hearers.but we and the Israelites have a ways to go to be faithful to our responsibilities.

“And give you peace.” Peace is on everyone’s mind and agenda. But Moses was talking about more than a lack of military opposition and oppression or the threat of terrorism. He saw peace with God as the ultimate endpoint of both their desert journey and their mortal lives. This plane is not the goal of our existence. It is the preparation for the ultimate reality where all of these are eternally enjoyed.

How blessed would our nation be if, on the cusp of every day, the President, like Moses, stood facing the rising sun, hands uplifted, praying for his people. Add to that the heads of all the cabinet posts and government agencies. Include the Governors of all the states. And most importantly, let every father stand, facing his family imploring God...
The Lord bless you, and keep you;  The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.
(NASB)

Post Holiday Musings: Voice, Inspiration, and Samson

We had company over Christmas and up until Thursday morning. I woke up this morning, after having struggled with what we think might be bronchitis, with no voice. Well it is Christmas. Luke 1 came to mind. So I took a card and printed HIS NAME IS JOHN on it. And voila`! Oops. Still no voice. I guess Zacharias had better handwriting than I.(verse 63)

One thing for sure, I will not be on a certain TV show anytime soon. (If ever there was a chance of that.) I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and wish for you a prosperous and happy New Year.

Mark 12 records some interactions between the religious rulers and Jesus. They are asking “difficult” questions and are being completely and satisfactorily rebuffed by His erudite answers. Then Jesus turns the tables.

In the “heat of the argument” I have missed, until today, one very interesting assertion. Look at verse 36.
For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

Jesus goes on to stump them with “two Lords” question. But notice His assumption. “David...said by the Holy Ghost....” Is there a clearer statement that Jesus believed the Old Testament to be  completely God breathed?  This is from the mouth of Jesus, Himself. We probably all know 2 Timothy 3:16, where Paul says that all Scripture is inspired. What better confirmation than to have taken that Idea from the Lord, Himself. Good going, Paul.

People who deny the validity of any, and especially the Old Testament, Scripture are arguing with Jesus. They should read Mark 12 and, as Dr. Phil says, “How’s that working for you?”

One more thing. Samson was a Nazirite. (Numbers 6) Most of the restrictions are pretty well known: No alcohol or even any fruit from the vine; do not cut your hair; be dedicated completely to the Lord; and no contact with a dead body.

The story of Samson begins in Judges 13 and continues through 16. Just from the Nazirite perspective, Samson was pretty fast and loose. The “dedicated” completely to the Lord portion of his vow seems to have fallen first. He not only courted a Philistine woman, he participated in their wedding festivities wholeheartedly. Whether this included the “demon rum” is not clear, but we do know that wine was part of Jewish weddings, so it is not too far fetched to imagine that Samson may have “slipped” in adherence to his vow.

He had already ignored the prohibition on dealing with dead bodies. One of the restrictions in Numbers 6 says that if someone (or thing) dies around a Nazirite, he is to immediately shave his head, purify himself, and then reinitiate his vow observance. He killed a lion on the way to “court” her, then ate honey that bees had accumulated in the corpse of the dead lion. He even used the incident to produce a riddle for the party goers.

These are not marks of respect for one’s solemn commitments. That was not all. We will ignore Samson’s “revenge” for someone “stealing” his wife. But the rest of his life is hardly the prototype of a committed, godly man. He was involved with a prostitute in Gaza.

And not considering the background of Delilah, Samson was pretty cavalier about his vow to not cut his hair. He teased her with the secret of his strength, and even on the next to last tease, pointed to his hair. Then he told her, evidently knowing that she would “work on that.” Every hint before had been followed by an exact replica of the incapacitating prescription that he had detailed.

Did he not think that she would cut his “hair?” (“Not think,” is the key phrase.”) Or did he think that he would be “okay?” Either way, he was wrong. And even in his final faux pas he violated his vow. I do not know that the Nazirite vow was secret, but the “violation” was in not using the excised hair in a sacrifice. It was to be burnt on the altar by the priest.

Samson pretty well trampled every part of his commitment. The remarkable thing, to me, is that the Lord was patient with him through every transgression. We are not wrong in seeing that the Lord is “long suffering.” But we are wrong to presume on that grace and continue in rebellion.

Samson is the poster boy for presumption. Even though restored and redeemed, it cost him his life.

Christmas in Hebrews

Previously we looked at some Christmas stories in the Gospels and the Old Testament. There is also a Christmas story in Hebrews. Look at the first two verses:
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Do you see Christmas there? Sure. God had spoken through the prophets, long ago, in many portions or perhaps books, and many ways. He sent Moses with the Ten Commandments and law. He sent judges to lead and point the way. He sent Many (to continue the theme) prophets to correct and instruct the people. Now He has gone the ultimate distance in sending His Son. We saw the joy in the heavenly forces as they announced this miraculous event.

The angels knew the import of this coming, and rejoiced and shouted the news to (excuse the pun) the high heavens. But there is more. Turn to chapter 2:9 through 23. First we identify the main protagonist. (Full text below.)
“But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus,”

The author did not want anyone to be confused as to the identity of the Son. Earlier in the chapter it had talked about someone being “a little lower than the angels,” and we might get mixed up. (Unclear antecedent to the preposition. Thank you Mrs. Cheney.) So that is cleared up It is Jesus.

And next comes a litany of reasons why Jesus came. This is the why of Christmas. The Gospels told us Who, and Where, and When. But to make sure we understood “the reason for the season,” our passage today spells out eight specific reasons why He came.

Number one: “He might taste death for everyone.” Back up in the text and we see Him crowned with glory and honor, so it must have been efficacious. It was. But He had to die for everyone. Why? Because all had sinned (Romans 3:23) and the penalty for that sin was death. (Romans 6:23) Recall our Substitute in Genesis 3:15 and we can see Why He came.

Somebody had to die. Sin demanded it. It would be either your and me, or a substitute who was sinless so that He had no sins for which to die. As much as I like you, I could not have paid for you because I had a debt to pay myself. But the Substitute came. And died.

Number two: To bring  "many sons to glory." There is our “Many” again. The sacrifice was sufficient for all, but not all would accept it. So “to those who received Him,” (John 1:12) He gave the right to become His brothers, and sons of God. (There is more about that in chapter 2 of Hebrews.) God sent Him, but gave us the option of accepting him or not. Why would we not?

He died for all. (See Number one.) John 3:16 said that God loved the whole world. The whole stinking thing. (See the post about the lamb.) But, as we complete 3:16 we encounter, “that whosoever believes in Him.” Not everyone will believe. Jesus said that He was the only way to God. John “He who has the Son has life and he who does not have the Son does not have life.” (John 3:36) There is only one way to God. Everyone is on the way. Some are going the right way: those who believe. And some are going the wrong way: those who do not believe.

“Not believing” does not need to be a violent, virulent rejection, just a failure to believe. This is the ultimate “pass-fail” test. Believe–pass with one hundred percent. Do not believe–fail with a zero. Be one of the “many sons.”

Number three: “To perfect the Author of their salvation.” The “perfecting” is not to complete or fill up. Sometimes we hear that God will be disappointed and incomplete if all people do not believe in Him. This is totally wrong on two levels. First, it is impossible for anyone whom God has chosen to be left out. Part of the “completion” is the final accounting of all those who are called by God.

And second, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are in perfect community and communion with each other and are, always have been, and always well be complete within themselves. There is no deficiency and they need nothing. But, God has chosen to give humans an opportunity to join in this perfection. All we have to do is believe, accept Jesus’ sacrifice for us, and claim His righteousness as our own. We do not fill up the Savior. We join Him in His family. (Number four)

A jeweler who examines a flawless diamond or a pure gold object does not add anything to the object when he pronounces it pure and flawless. He merely demonstrates the perfection that is already there. The Savior was proven to be perfect, complete, and sufficient by the Christmas encounter.

Number four: We are brought into the family. Verses 11-13 exclaim that the believers are included in the fatherhood of God. Jesus calls us brothers after we have been sanctified, or set apart for God, and finally he calls us brothers.

Then it gets personal in Number five: “Since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same.” A rich man could pay the bills of a homeless family and not even miss the money. But if he were to join the family and live with them, on their terms for a while, he would have an appreciation for what his gift would mean. Jesus could have just come, died, and gone back to heaven, and thus saving everyone, as discussed above. But He did not.

He became a man and suffered the same things that man does. More on this later. But He had to become flesh and live in that restricted venue–for Him, anyway–to appreciate what mankind is suffering and to be able to minister to them. He was fully man, as Christmas proves.

Number six: “He might render powerless him who had the power of death.” This is a critical point. Mankind has been subject to a cruel taskmaster. One who has seemingly infinite power, here on earth. The Christmas story proves that his power is not just limited, it is erased. He is powerless. Impotent. And that leads to number seven.

Number seven: “Free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” Our oppressor is not just neutralized, we are freed from the sentence of death that has literally held us captive all of our lives. We are no longer slaves to fear, but are free. The “Fear not” of the angels was not just to the shepherds who were recoiling from a terrifying apparition (Luke 2:10). It was a message of freedom proclaimed to the whole human race! You are free from fear!

And that brings us to number eight. He could have left us with the first seven and we would have been eternally praising and thanking Him for all that He did. But number eight puts a human face on it.

Number eight: “He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest.” He did not leave us as free, and saved to face life as best we could. He became our merciful and faithful high priest. In the Tabernacle economy, the priests represented the people to God, and in turn brought “God” to the people. Jesus is the perfect high priest. He totally understands our nature and can convey that to the Father.

He not only pleads for us, but He brings a complete and perfect answer back to the penitent sinner who has come to Him. And He can do this, because, possibly this should be Number nine, but we will include it here: He is the propitiation for us. “Make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

That big word simply means to make us acceptable to God. Remember the lamb? (Link above. Two Christmas Pictures: A Lamb and a Son) The mother was “propitiated” by the skin of her dead baby, and would accept the orphan. In the same way, God views us through the “lens” of Jesus’ blood and sees us as perfect as is Christ Himself.

The reason I left these two together is the next phrase. (It could be Number nine.)Verse 18: “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” We are back to the concept that He partook in humanity so that He is not insulated from the feelings and fears that we all suffer. He not only understands, but He comes to the rescue. He comes to our aid.

The God-man, made a little lower than the angels is our compassionate and caring Shepherd in all things, including paying for our failures and enabling us to live in harmony with the Three-in-One.

The Christmas story is thus “complete.”


Hebrews 2:9-23
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the  author of their salvation through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.” 13 And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 

17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

Two Christmas Pictures: A Lamb and a Son

Ravi Zacharias gave us a little story to help understand the Christmas story. It seems a shepherd had two mother sheep who were about to give birth. The first successfully birthed her lamb, but then suffered complications and died. The second mother sheep gave birth to a lamb that unfortunately died. So the shepherd had a motherless lamb and lambless mother.

It would seem that the answer would be to put the two together and all will be well. But whenever the little lamb approached the mother, she smelled a foreign entity and refused to nurse the lamb. Finally in desperation the shepherd skinned the dead lamb and fashioned a coat of sorts for the hungry baby. After wrapping the baby in the dead lamb’s skin, the shepherd was able to coax the mother to accept the live one and nurse it.

The little dead lamb became, in essence, a savior for the living lamb. And when “clothed in the skin” of the lamb the new baby was accepted by the mother. We are “foreign” to God because of our sins. He rejects any of our approaches to Him as totally unacceptable.

One verse of “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,” goes, “Clothed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.” That is me. And I cannot do it by myself. Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Isaiah 64:6 (NASB) makes it worse.
For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 

The answer is in 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (NASB)
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

We are hapless, helpless, and hopeless. Then He steps in at Christmas.

Identity Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

The musical, “Messiah” is filled with Old Testament references that refer to the coming Messiah. One of the best known is Isaiah 9:6. Again Ravi Zacharias helps us to plumb the depths of its meaning. “...a child is born.” This affirms His essential humanity. The Messiah was not a spirit being, an apparition, nor an angel. He was literally a man, just as we are.

But... “a son is given.” This refers to His deity. The Son did not have a beginning and will have no end. So the Son was not born, but given. The description continues with, “the government shall be upon His shoulder.” This is referring to the kingship, inherited from David, but that is not all. The government–not of one small portion of the planet–but the government of the entire world is in view. Later on, the Oratorio identifies Him as “King of kings and Lord of lords.” He will be the supreme ruler of the world.

And He is identified by name. “Wonderful.” Some like that name alone, while others add Counsellor (sic KJV). Wonderful is a good name, in and of itself.  Judges 13:18 finds the angel talking to Samson’s parents and saying that his name was “Wonderful.” Other translations expand that to mean beyond understanding or secret. But however it is meant, it is wonderful and can apply to the Counsellor.

The wonderful counsel is that He, the Messiah, is the answer to the age old question of how to acquire peace with God. This One is the answer. He alone can bridge the gap between sinful man and the holy God. There is no other way. And part of the solution is that He, the Messiah, is God Himself. “The Mighty God.”

There is only one live God, and He is not impotent. He is almighty. In Isaiah 43:13 He proclaims that He can act and no one can reverse it. No one can cancel, counteract, or contest His actions. But some can and do counterfeit them. A warning to the wise.

More, is that He is the Everlasting Father. Daniel 7 describes the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man. The Son will be given an everlasting kingdom. (See above) And here Isaiah tells us that this “Son” is the Father, Himself. Hard to understand? It is, but if it were some simple thing, it would not be so “wonderful” or secret, would it?

And last, the "Prince of Peace." Not just some petty cessation of hostilities between countries or even over the entire planet. This Peace is peace with God. Jesus said, (John 14:3)
27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

The world cannot reconcile us to the Father. Jesus did. And it is no wonder that the angels told the shepherds, “Do not be afraid.” The “glad tidings of great joy” that they gave was the message of Jesus. (Luke 2)

Our two pictures have merged into one. The way He could bring peace was by being the substitute lamb whose scent the mother lamb (Father) would accept. It is not too complimentary to think that our natural aroma is repulsive to God. But the stink of sin has infected and infested our lives and we need to be deodorized. Not just a cleanup and new cologne, but a new, recreated, essence that has the sweet odor of sacrifice, as Moses was instructed in the wilderness. (Exodus 29)

The message of Christmas is one of freedom from fear because of the tidings of Joy. We can be redeemed. And the Redeemer has come. Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace to men–who accept His offer. I have. The Christmas gift is offered to you too. Accept it.

Thoughts on Winter Solstice

Recently we had the winter solstice. That is when the earth points away from the sun in the northern  hemisphere. As we discussed that in 3rd grade at Stratton Public Schools, I asked the teacher how the earth knew how far to tilt, how it stopped, and went back. That was Vonda Carlson. Anyone remember her? She said that it just did.

My next question was what happens if the “stop” order does not work and the earth kept tipping until it was upside down? I did not ask her that. I was certainly relieved when, years later, I learned that the earth does not tilt like a top. It is just pointed at an angle and as it circumnavigates the sun, the top is pointed toward the plane of the sun half of the year and away the other half. The equinox is when it is exactly half way in between.

The tilt of the earth is 23.5 degrees. Isn’t it fortunate that it is just that? If it were zero, or straight up as it goes around the sun, the climate at any one place on earth would be the same year around. If the tilt were much more than that, the extremes would be more than humans could tolerate. What a wonderful design. Here is a link to explain it more fully. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Astro/orbtilt.html  (Speaking of design, watch for an upcoming dissertation on the design of the solar system. Shameless self promotion.)

Here is a Puzzle: When does 12 come before 11 when counting forward? Don’t look until you think.

On the clock. 12 AM is eleven hours before 11 AM. Same with PM.

Puzzle or riddle 2: What is Santa at the South Pole? A lost Claus.

Last year my granddaughter was playing with the nativity scene and moving the pieces around. As she placed them, she named them. Mary, Joseph, and then she said, “And here is the little lamb. He goes in the manger.”

Pretty good theology there. Have a Merry Christmas.