Jesus

Discerning Good From Evil

Ken

“Discretion will preserve you” (Proverbs 2:11 NKJV). 

In the course of human events, no instruction was more pivotal than the Creator’s first conversation with Adam. 

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). 

The Garden of Eden had many trees and fruit, including the Tree of Life as well as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9). Adam and Eve could eat from any tree, but with one restriction, Eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and you will die. 

Our Creator did not immediately warn Adam of calamity from listening to the seduction of fallen angels, or clarify the foundational mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” (1:28) with a yet-to-be-created Eve, or expand on the dynamics of subduing and replenishing the earth. Yahweh’s first recorded conversation with Adam was not a welcome aboard speech, but a command, because He knew Adam’s image of God likeness demanded obedience. Only upon repeated obedience could Adam develop the discernment to ensure future obedience. The future of all human obedience hinged upon Adam developing a discretion, which would preserve him and all of humanity. Discretion and discernment are functional equivalents. 

Discernment Comes Through Obedience 

We try to teach our children the difference between good and evil; and, the most direct approach is to give them a distinct choice between what we want them to understand as good, and what we want them to see as evil. Obedience to God’s plain commands are good, and disobedience to God is evil. Training up our children in this fashion develops their ability to discern good and evil. Our Heavenly Father trains our discernment by our choice to repeatedly obey Him. This is the reason mature disciples are characteristically obedient. “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of 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 24:15). 

Discernment Is Not an Experiment 

Our ability to discern between good and evil lies with our willingness to obey God’s commands and refusal to disobey Him. We do not develop discernment by first choosing disobedience and then comparing it to obedience, as if experimenting with disobedience can even remotely be better than obedience. We love and trust our Heavenly Father, so we take His Word about the necessity of obedience and the consequences of disobedience, even without having to disobey. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). 

Failure to Discern Comes From a Pattern of Repeated Failure to Obey 

The seduction of the young man devoid of understanding illustrates this in Proverbs 7:5-23. 

“5 That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words. 6 For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice, 7 And saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding, 8 Passing along the street near her corner; And he took the path to her house 9 In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night. 10 And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. 11 She was loud and rebellious, Her feet would not stay at home. 12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square, Lurking at every corner. 13 So she caught him and kissed him; With an impudent face she said to him: 14 I have peace offerings with me; Today I have paid my vows. 15 So I came out to meet you, Diligently to seek your face, And I have found you. 16 I have spread my bed with tapestry, Colored coverings of Egyptian linen. 17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love. 19 For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey; 20 He has taken a bag of money with him, And will come home on the appointed day. 21 With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him. 22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, 23 Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life” (Proverbs 7:5-23). 

Discernment Coming From Obedience Still Does Not Come Merely on the Force of Human Will 

We can make the obvious mistake of assuming obedience is simply making up our mind to obey God.

First, in this Spiritual Warfare, the Serpent attacked initially the woman before the man, not because of any moral inferiority of women over men, but because God had designed the headship of the family to reside in the husband, as a protector and Eve as the protected. “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body” (Ephesians 5:23). Satan was looking for the least protected point to penetrate. Adam preemptively should have armed Eve against the Serpent, as a shepherd would protect his flock. 

Second, Adam’s reaction to the attack of the Serpent was resigning himself to be punished with Eve by surrendering to the enemy, and eating the forbidden fruit. Instead, he should have immediately taken Yahweh’s side; since Christ informed us the proper way to view our families has always been, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). 

Third, the conversation with the Serpent may have at first appeared innocent enough, since no human had ever before heard the utterance of a lie. In retrospect, the Serpent “is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). The Serpent had yet to be cursed to go upon its belly (Genesis 3:14); and, the Almighty did not make impossible the interaction with the Fallen Angels of His “Divine Council” (Psalm 82:1 ESV), expecting repeated obedience on Adam’s part to produce the discretion, which would preserve him. It did, in fact, produce discretion; since, we know now “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (1Timothy 2:14 NKJV). But most significantly, Adam had not fortified Eve against the devil, so he gave in to his wife, because he loved her (and his own flesh) more than Yahweh. That was the weak point Satan attacked, and why we remember it as Adam’s Fall. 

Fourth, obedience in the Garden was not predicated merely upon human free will by brute force deciding and acting upon the truth; but, obedience had the obvious advantage of interaction with our Loving and Faithful Creator. The writer of our Human Instruction Manual was freely available to explain how to assemble and operate the product. In the prophetic future, it will again be Humanity’s Ultimate End, to have our Creator dwelling among us ensuring our obedience, when we enter the New Heavens and New Earth. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, 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 heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4). Anyone, who has ever had to follow a set of instructions to assemble some purchased product, and has experienced frustration or sorrow, knows in small part the blessedness promised for our future deliverance. 

Fifth, until we arrive at that future condition of New Heavens and New Earth, we have been given the Blessed Indwelling Holy Spirit of the New Covenant to inspire us to obey, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Do not minimize or undervalue God’s Spirit’s inspiration to obey, since the prophets anticipated this aspect of the now-in-effect New Covenant. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27). Our lack of emphasis upon this only highlights the Church’s past lack of success in the world. 

Why Will the Almighty Succeed With No Further Rebellion in the New Heavens and New Earth? 

First, in order for humanity to learn war no more, a shared history must have made a strong impression on the race. If the result is a non-belligerence among the nations, then it is assuredly the intention of our All Knowing God for every circumstance in the history of humanity to lead to such a result. Even looking forward, all of the horrendous and dumbfounding future judgments of the Book of Revelation will finally become evident in their placement before the final blessedness of the New Heavens and New Earth and Eternity. Both Isaiah and Micah prophesied with certainty of this future condition of humanity. “He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4). “He shall judge between many peoples, And rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Micah 4:3).  

Second, OT and NT prophetic Scripture assure us rebellion will no longer be found in the heavenlies in God’s presence, not because of the inability of Moral Agents (angelic or human) to rebel, but because our All Knowing God will confirm the Citizens of Heaven with a heavenly peace or unwillingness to war, since He would not allow entrance to Heaven anyone who would ever again rebel. “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You” (Psalm 5:4). “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 21:27). 

Third, why all the drama from the creation and fall of angels, humanity’s failure in the Garden, the judgment of the Flood of Noah, the division of the world at the Tower of Babel, the inconsistent history of the Patriarchs, the Rise and Fall of Israel, the Ascendance and Decline of the Church, and the Final Judgment of the World? If God is All Wise, then all these things happen for the good of God and all those who love Him. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Mark it down. This verse of Scripture is hated as a lie by the devil and all those, who reject our Sovereign, Just, Loving, Good, and Faithful Creator. The secularists reject this representation of God as good in all things, because they define good differently from Yahweh, and consequently interpret human history as driven by a different purpose. “So Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God” (Mark 10:18). 

How Did Humanity Not Discern the Difference Between Good and Evil? 

Discerning good from evil is straightforward. Obey God and live. Disobey God and die. So, the Adversary must complicate it with a sophisticated argument designed to confuse the truth from the lie. Never before had anyone uttered a lie in front of an innocent human. The Serpent subtly shifted Eve’s attention away from trusting in the plain commands of our Faithful Creator and made it about the unjustness of not receiving all the benefits we desire, so he said. 

“1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:1-6). 

(1) Question: the integrity of God by asking whether God really gave any such command. “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1). 

(2) Confuse: the issue by insisting God was refusing to let them eat of “every tree of the Garden” (3:1), instead of only the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (2:17). In other words, the Serpent was questioning the goodness and generosity of God by forbidding their scope of access to all the fruit of the Garden. 

(3) Deny: what God said is so, in other words, called God a liar. “Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die” (3:4). 

(4) Lie: as to what would result from the Serpent’s advice, e.g., gaining knowledge of good and evil from the Serpent’s perspective. “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (3:5). Taking God’s word on the depths of sin’s depravity is polar opposite of plunging in to find if it is as inviting as the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of material possessions had imagined (1John 2:16). 

In summary, discretion will preserve you because God favors the obedient ones, and the ability to repeatedly choose the good of obedience and refuse the evil of disobedience, builds the character of one whom God blesses. “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). 

Discretion is a virtuous cycle built by repeated obedience, causing repeated obedience. 

Heavenly Father, build for Yourself a discerning people, who know to choose the good and to refuse the evil. Give of Your Spirit to this discerning people that You may magnify Yourself by their obedience. May Your cause be perpetuated in the earth, and may it be so in Heaven as it is in Earth. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen. 

How Do You Achieve Humility?

Ken

Imitate Christ. 

Be like Jesus. 

Do like He did. 

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV). 

No, you and I are certainly not God. Far from it. 

But, an inferiority complex is not humility. 

Humility is humbling yourself for the greater good of God and all existence. 

How could Jesus humble Himself to become a lowly human being unless it was for the greater good of all existence? 

What’s this business of the greater good of all existence? 

Even Jesus as God humbles Himself, or assumes a more lowly position than what He is or deserves, it is to achieve the greatest good for all. 

Humility is an act of the will, since we are to humble ourselves, like Jesus humbling Himself. 

But, Jesus had to do the humbling of Himself, because there is no one greater that could have required Him to do so. 

Since God is greater than all, our submission to God is a humbling of ourselves, which amounts to God humbling us. Think about it. If you don’t see the need of submitting to God in any particular situation, then God is not humbling you. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1Peter 5:6). Submission to God’s humbling of ourselves is when we achieve humility. However, humility is not a destination but a journey. We must always be becoming more like Jesus. 

What’s the difference between humbling and humiliation? Christ humbled himself, but He was not actually humiliated. Whenever we have been caught unawares in the besetting sin of pride, we are humiliated. Pride must be repented of. On the other hand, when God is humbling us, we are actively participating in a difficult, character building time, where we are putting off character traits, which limit our reflection of Christ. It all depends on our heart attitude, whether we are being humbled or humiliated. “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). 

Humiliation is when you are not seeing the need of submitting to God, when things are going so wrong, you can’t explain how that it could be happening. We fail to deliver or strike out trying. When we are humiliated, we can respond in anger or frustration, or we can immediately submit to God’s humbling for our good, and the greater good. Either we accept God’s humiliating of us or descend further in the condition of pride. And, pride is simply thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (Romans 12:3).  

How do we achieve humility? 

First, humility is something achievable, or we would not be commanded, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5, 8). 

Second, humility must be becoming more like Jesus, or why would we be called to follow in the steps of Christ? “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1Peter 2:21). 

Third, if pride is not the opposite of humility, then why would Scripture inform us, “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6)? 

Fourth, humility must not be simply ridding ourselves of the pride within us, or Jesus could not humble Himself, since He did not possess the sin of pride. “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). 

Fifth, humility must be primarily submitting to God, as well as surrendering to the needs of one another equal to our own needs. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). 

Sixth, humility must be pursued by God’s Spirit revealing (Philippians 3:15) to us continually all the things, which must be  changed, set aside, adjusted — for this is growth (2Peter 4:18), and not repentance (sackcloth, Jonah 3:8)  — or else we will be humiliated in a condition of pride (Pilate, John 18), requiring our repentance. God positively humbling us may simply be putting us in the difficult circumstance of having to point out to others their sin. “Lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced” (2Corinthians 12:21).

Seventh, humility must be a perfection in keeping with Christ’s command, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48), or why would Paul in the same passage as maintaining his lack of reaching a final destination of perfection — “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12) — maintain he was already perfect in his journey of humility? “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you” (Philippians 3:15 KJV).

May God bless Himself with a people, who do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen and amen. 

An Exposition of John 18

Ken

Jesus the I Am, Peter the I Am Not, and Judas the You Don’t Want to Be Me 

Christ Our Example, Peter Our Reality, and Judas Our Warning

John 18 (NIV)

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus (18:1-12)

1 When He had finished praying, Jesus left with His disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and He and His disciples went into it.

The Kidron Valley is a wadi or arroyo immediately east of Jerusalem through which the seasonal, winter Brook Kidron flows towards the Dead Sea. 

David passed over the Kidron Valley, when he fled from Absalom (2Samuel 15:23). 

The Brook Kidron was also used as a spiritually toxic waste dump, when Hezekiah cleansed the Temple from idolatry. “They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley” (2Chronicles 30:14). 

The location of graves in the Kidron Valley led some to identify it as the Valley of the Dry Bones of Ezekiel 37. 

“Garden” is also translated as “orchard,” since Gethsemane, in the Greek, means “oil press.” In modern times, olive trees are located there at the foot of the Mount of Olives. The Kidron Valley, separates the Old City from the Mount of Olives. 

2 Now Judas, who betrayed Him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with His disciples. 

Judas the betrayer knew the place. Jesus intended to keep His appointment for the Cross, or he would not have chosen such a familiar location for Judas to find Him. Remember, he had just scheduled this appointment with Judas Iscariot at the Last Supper. “What you are about to do, do quickly” (John 13:27 NIV). 

Jesus met with His disciples, in a “garden” (John 18:1 NIV) identified by Matthew and Mark as Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32). Why the need of meeting and gathering? Obviously, God is capable of meeting anyone anywhere in the privacy of our heart, but face-to-face contact has long been the preeminent form of social interaction encouraged by the LORD for His disciples for the benefit of the Body of Christ. “Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching [of the coming destruction of Jerusalem then, and our Lord’s soon return now]” (Hebrews 10:25). Like Jesus, we should meet together with disciples for our mutual encouragement.

3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 

We have been warned. Even a gathering of disciples led by the dynamic presence of Jesus can produce a Judas Iscariot. Betrayal and apostasy are always possible; after all, Lucifer was able to lead a rebellion against the Almighty in the perfect circumstances of Heaven. Either, an All Wise God is still wise and will ultimately win all, or the Serpent is right, you can’t trust the LORD, since the Creator will ultimately lose. But, we know God is not mocked. “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31). 

Jesus always treated Judas as a neighbor. Matthew records Jesus even calling him “friend” (25:20) at Gethsemane, knowing his predatory nature. The incurability of Judas’ apostasy was simply Jesus’ foreknowledge that Judas would never repent. Concerning those like Judas, who may or may not finally repent, the Epistle of Jude implores us to “be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear — hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:20-23). Jesus would have saved even Judas had he finally repented. 

Do not make the mistake of Judas. 

Jesus is the Messiah, and He will win the battle. 

Martin Luther said it well in that great hymn of the Reformation, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” (1529): 

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,

We’re not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is He;

Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,

AND HE MUST WIN THE BATTLE.

A detachment of Roman soldiers was a cohort of between 400 and 600 foot soldiers. “Officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees” (John 18:3) were all there to exact their vengeance upon Jesus for describing their religion as hypocrisy. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to” (Matthew 23:13). Imagine the preposterousness of carrying a torch or lantern to find Jesus, the “Light of the world” (John 8:12). Or, lifting a weapon and expecting to succeed against the Almighty!

4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

Jesus knew the answer before He asked or they answered, but why didn’t the Jews realize Jesus was their Messiah? They were looking more for deliverance from the Romans than deliverance from their sins. And, what are we looking for? “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation [literally, deliverance] to those who are waiting for Him” (Hebrews 9:28). A Second Time signified the deliverance from AD 70 Rome then, and prophetically, from Antichrist at our Lord’s Return. 

5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am He,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 

Jesus replied, “I am,” the same as Jehovah replied to Moses. “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I am has sent Me to you” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus continually proclaimed His divinity to those who were listening. 

6 When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Some say they were simply startled and fell to the ground, but a “detachment” (John 18:3) or cohort of between 400 and 600 soldiers all falling to the ground is more significant than someone slipping. “The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon” (Psalm 29:4-5). 

7 Again He asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. 

No waste of words. Jesus was simply emphasizing the extreme evil of the situation, or as Luke recorded Jesus saying, “But this is your hour — when darkness reigns” (Luke 22:53). 

8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He. If you are looking for Me, then let these men go.”

Jesus is always the Good Shepherd and cares for us. “Then Jesus told them, This very night you will all fall away on account of Me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered” (Matthew 26:31). Jesus made possible the release of His disciples from the soldiers without an altercation. 

9 This happened so that the words He had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave Me.”

We are safe in the hands of our Good Shepherd Jesus, when our confidence is in Him. Let not the enemy shake your confidence. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). 

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 

Recall that Jesus already had a discussion with Peter about his right to keep and bear arms. Jesus never questioned the rightness of self-defense, only the inadequacy of unneeded weaponry. “He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in Me. Yes, what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment.” The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough [literally, sufficient]!” He replied” (Luke 22:36-38). 

A promise for servants of Jesus about our confidence for self-defense is: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7). 

11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?“

Why did Jesus authorize Peter to carry the sword, only to tell Peter to put it away? Perhaps He wanted to make the point to Peter and us that the right to keep and bear arms must be accompanied by a clear mandate to use it. In this instance, Peter was instructed to sheath his sword. We are told by Luke that the servant Malchus (John 18:10) was promptly healed by Jesus (Luke 22:51). Remember also, the citizen soldiers of OT Israel proclaimed, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (Judges 7:20) in their defeat of the invading Midianites. 

12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound Him

Make no mistake, the power of secular government is not to be trifled with. They “do not bear the sword for no reason” (Romans 13:4). Being bound or imprisoned is a real deterrent; but, we will be set free like Samson or Paul, if disciples pray and God wills it. 

Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas (18:13-14) 

13 and brought Him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 

Annas had been formerly the high priest and was now replaced by his son-in-law Caiaphas. High priests were traditionally for life — like American Supreme Court justices. Possibly Rome replaced Annas to prevent any high priest from accumulating too much power.   

14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people. 

Caiaphas had formerly suggested one man should die for the Nation (John 11:50). How true was his suggestion, but for entirely the wrong reason. He wanted a scapegoat, so the Romans wouldn’t blame them for any uproar. The Almighty masterfully arranged things so killing Jesus was the best thing they would want to do. “None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1Corinthians 2:8). 

Peter Denies Jesus (18:15-17) 

15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 

“Another disciple” (18:15) was John’s dismissive description of himself. “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2). John had some connection to the high priest, which we don’t understand. God will do the unexpected. “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16). 

16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in. 

Peter finally made it inside to see what was happening to Jesus but at the cost of being recognized. At this time of sheer terror, Peter probably couldn’t explain why he had to risk his safety to find out what was happening to Jesus in the palace of the high priest, but we know now he needed to be there to fulfill the prophecy that he would deny Jesus. Since Peter did not comprehend the prophecies concerning the need for the Messiah’s sacrificial death, he became a victim of prophecy. After the Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus encountered two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. He asked them why they were so unhappy. Upon hearing their sad tale about the disappointing death of Jesus, He told them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?” (Luke 24:25-26). We, too, need to study the prophecies about the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ that we also may avoid becoming victims of prophecy.  

17 “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter. He replied, “I am not.” 

Peter didn’t have to prove his lack of affiliation with Jesus. He only had to affirm, I am not (John 18:17). It is much harder to develop a cover story of what you want people to think than simply to make an affirmation. We are testifying constantly of the truth. We don’t need a better cover story, only Spirit filled circumstances to providentially witness for Jesus. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

Peter’s denial of Christ immediately put him in opposition to Jesus, who said, “But whoever disowns Me before others, I will disown before My Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:33). Not good for Peter, unless he repented, which of course, he did. 

The High Priest Questions Jesus (18:18-24) 

18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself. 

John, the writer of this Gospel, was familiar with the weather on a cold spring evening in Jerusalem, being about 2,500 feet above sea level. Peter was standing around a fire of coals to benefit from the heat, satisfying his curiosity about the fate of Jesus, while concealing his identity. We need to always stay disciplined, “fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2), while in this world, because the enemy wants us to withdraw our allegiance from Christ by gradually warming up to the allurements of the world. 

19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching. 

God’s Spirit is open to all honest questions concerning the faith. “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). Only when God is being questioned dishonestly, will one never arrive at the truth. “Always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2Timothy 3:7). 

20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.

Without claiming His rights from Mosaic law of the necessity of two or three eyewitnesses to give testimony to establish any matter (Deuteronomy 19:15), much less, a crime requiring the death penalty (17:6), Jesus was presenting a logical case for Himself. 

21 Why question Me? Ask those who heard Me. Surely they know what I said.”

John’s Gospel does not tell us that the Jews were attempting to assemble testimony against Jesus. But, those false witnesses could not initially agree on what Jesus said (Mark 14:56).  

22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped Him in the face. “Is this the way You answer the high priest?” he demanded. 

Slapping Jesus was a form of corporal punishment assuming the guilt of Jesus before legally establishing it. Mosaic law demanded the assumption of innocence until proven guilty. “15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 16 If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse someone of a crime, 17 the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. 18 The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite, 19 then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you” (Deuteronomy 19:15-19). 

23 “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike Me?” 

John is presenting Jesus’ case the way any non-Jew could follow and sympathize. When Jesus straightforwardly asks for testimony against His alleged wrong doing, and is struck, then “why did you strike Me?” (18:23). 

24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 

Again, John’s narration does not focus on the illegality of condemning Jesus guilty of death for blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16), when Jesus clearly claimed to be the Messiah, which He was. 

“61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked Him, Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? 62 I am, said Jesus. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven. 63 The high priest tore his clothes. Why do we need any more witnesses? he asked. 64 You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think? They all condemned Him as worthy of death” (Mark 14:61-64). 

The irony of the situation was Jesus was guilty of blasphemy but only if He wasn’t God. 

Peter Denies Jesus Again (18:25-27) 

25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of His disciples too, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.” 

As Jesus is the Great I Am, we are or have been much like Peter, the Great I Am Not. Thank God that was not what we remember Peter for. “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1Corinthians 6:11). 

26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?”

We don’t normally sin in isolation. Unless our conscience stings us and we immediately repent, we will have an increasingly bad day. Best to repent and fix things quickly before it gets complicated. Children and parents, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, resolve your differences quickly. “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26-27). Be more concerned about giving the devil a foothold in attacking God for having quarreling children like us than defending an affront against our rights over someone else’s rights. Defend God, and let God defend us.

27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow. 

Peter was the mentor to John Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark; so, Mark’s record of the words of Jesus, “Before the cock crows twice thou shalt deny me thrice” (Mark 14:30 KJV), was a detailed, first hand account from Peter’s perspective. Cock crowing was generally a period between 3 AM and dawn. Or more specifically, Jesus was referring to Peter’s third denial taking place by dawn, where a rooster crows normally twice in rapid succession. 

Jesus Before Pilate (18:28-32) 

28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 

The Sanhedrin already had their verdict of blasphemy against Jesus. They only needed Pilate’s permission to execute Him by Roman crucifixion. They strained at a gnat by keeping themselves ceremonially clean to eat the Passover, only to swallow a camel by crucifying the Messiah. 

29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

As a Gentile, Pilate was not interested in Jewish ceremonial law until it affected the Pax Romana — the peace of Rome. 

30 “If He were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed Him over to you.” 

Pilate was not interested in the trivialities of tribal disputes. He knew there probably was a Mosaic law about everything. “Keep My decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:5). Even present day Christians have that same suspicion. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). 

Pilate was appointed to keep Roman law not Mosaic law. He had better things to do with his time. 

31 Pilate said, “Take Him yourselves and judge Him by your own law.” “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 

The Jews got Pilate’s Roman attention, when they announced their intention of executing a criminal. This is the one Pilate’s wife was warning him about. “While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him” (Matthew 27:19).  

32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death He was going to die. 

Jesus was not to die from Jewish stoning, but from Roman crucifixion, fulfilling the OT prophecy, “they pierce my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:16). 

My Kingdom Is Not of This World (18:33-40)

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 

Where did Pilate get the idea Jesus was the King of the Jews, for he would later have it written on a notice and fastened to the cross of Jesus (John 19:19). Didn’t the Babylonian Magi come from the east several decades earlier asking King Herod, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2)? Pilate certainly heard about what we now call the Triumphal Entry of Christ only days earlier. “As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:36-38). A Roman procurator like Pilate would undoubtedly remember the name of anyone a public crowd would hail as King of the Jews. 

34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about Me?”

Jesus gave Pilate an opportunity to probe whether King of the Jews meant anything more than political noise. Pilate’s wife had even interceded for Jesus declaring Him an innocent man. This was all very unsettling, when he was the one in charge for Rome.

35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed You over to me. What is it You have done?” 

Pilate’s reply meant he had a problem, forcing him to make a decision, which he’d rather not. He sounded like a public administrator being forced to take sides in a divisive question with consequences far beyond what he is prepared to handle. Remember the advice of Jesus, when you seek your next promotion. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48).

36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, My servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now My kingdom is from another place.”

Notice John has devoted considerable space to this conversation with Pilate, who represents the vast Gentile population of those reading this Gospel. Jesus had already addressed His initial Jewish audience with the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), but now the Holy Spirit is addressing this invitation to the world (John 3:16) to participate in the Kingdom of God. 

Jesus had to make clear to Pontius Pilate and the world. “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Everything we do to perpetuate our existence in this world is not why we are here. Children must be taught their ABCs to grasp the world around them. But, “when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1Corinthians 13:11 KJV). 

We eat to live, but we do not live to eat. 

Pilate had his opportunity about two-thousand years ago to participate in the Kingdom of God. 

Participation is not membership in an organization to gain club benefits to use or refuse. 

Participation in the Kingdom of God is commitment to God in a living relationship with Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me.”

Pilate’s eyes lighted up, when Jesus spoke of His Kingdom. “So, You are a king!” Pilate exclaimed. Jesus quickly disabused Pilate of any more political dialogue by pointing at His purpose for coming into the world. “The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify of the truth” (John 18:37). 

What’s Your point? 

“Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me” (John 18:37). 

Jesus demands exclusive and absolute devotion. 

38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.

Like a petulant child tiring of the conversation, Pilate retorts, “What is truth?” (18:37), having made up his mind. Like a Roman administrator, he tells the Jews, “I find no basis for a charge against Him” (18:37), which should have released Jesus.

39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release the king of the Jews?” 

Pilate understood politics, so he attempted to placate the Jews by offering them the opportunity to take back their demand for the execution of Jesus. Again, our Heavenly Father masterfully arranged the circumstances so it was not possible for Pilate to release Jesus. 

If Pilate released Jesus, he could have a mob of over a million people in attendance to the feasts out of control. 

Easier to kill the Truth than for Rome to replace Pilate.

40 They shouted back, “No, not Him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.”

Barabbas was a robber and an insurrectionist. Not an upstanding member of the community. But, Pilate was deciding Barabbas was the lesser of two evils. The evil of Jesus was only Pilate’s conscience and the protests of his wife. 

But, the question remains for the vast audience of readers of the Gospel of John, “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”  (Matthew 27:22).

Things To Come

Ken

“Thus says the LORD, The Holy One of Israel, and his [Cyrus’] Maker: Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me” (Isaiah 45:11 NKJV). 

Strange verse this. 

Isaiah 45 was written 150 years before Cyrus the Great was born and had conquered Babylon (539 BC). According to Josephus, Daniel handed this ancient scroll to Cyrus, containing the personal letter “To His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held — To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors [of the conquered city of Babylon]. So the gates will not be shut” (Isaiah 45:1). Cyrus was so impressed that he later authorized the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple (Ezra 1:1-4) previously destroyed by the Babylonians. 

Isaiah 45 argued the LORD’s case before Cyrus, “Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd [Cyrus] strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him [the LORD] who forms it, What are you making? Or shall your handiwork say, He has no hands?” (Isaiah 45:9). In other words, who are you, Cyrus? You are the clay being formed into the potsherd. This is the same argument for God’s sovereign rule throughout history, e.g., Pharaoh (Exodus 9:16; Romans 9:17). 

Prophecy is history announced in advance. 

Skeptics claimed the Book of Daniel had to be written so much later in history, in order for Daniel 11 to so accurately forecast what actually took place. 

If we wrongly assume prayer is changing God’s mind to do as we ask, then it would concern us that the LORD invited Cyrus to command Him “concerning the works of My hands” (Isaiah 45:11). 

But, if we rightly understand prayer so changes us that it would be fitting for God to grant His will being done for us, then we can understand God telling Cyrus, “Concerning the work of My hands, you command Me” (Isaiah 45:11). Therefore, Cyrus could never command the LORD to do anything God was not already willing to do. 

Jesus the Messiah encouraged His disciples to seek to know the Father’s prophetic plans for the future based upon friendship. Friends share with friends. “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). 

Israel is key to the fulfillment of God’s prophetic purpose in the world. 

Abraham is the traditional founder of the Jewish religion, the spiritual ancestor of Christians, and a major Islamic prophet. “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Judaism, as the predominant religion of Israel, recognizes God’s promises to Abraham for a regathering of the diaspora of Jews into a political nation (1948). “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24). Prophecy guarantees a future spiritual birth of Israel, whom Jehovah identifies as “Israel My glory” (Isaiah 46:13). This spiritual birth will take place at the Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah. “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children” (Isaiah 66:8). 

Consequently, prophecy is primarily about Israel (Daniel 9:24-27), and the Church is the unexpected branch grafted into the Olive Tree of Israel (Romans 11). Fulfillment of prophecy to an OT Jew was the coming of “Messiah the Prince” (Daniel 9:25, 26) to deliver Israel from oppression, e.g., deliverance from Rome in Christ’s day. The NT Book of Revelation is an unfolding of the OT prophecies with the understanding that Revelation 4-22 represents a Post-Rapture scenario incorporating the presence of Tribulation Saints — and, not Church Age Saints — in what would be the Tribulation Week or the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27). 

The Church does not replace Israel. 

Israel always had a place in God’s love. “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated” (Romans 9:13). Certainly there is no unrighteousness with God. “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:22-23)? As a result, should we not rejoice in the mercy God has so sovereignly granted us? 

Israel does not become part of the Church, and the Church does not replace Israel. But, individual Jews do become part of the Church. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1Corinthians 12:13). Once the Church is removed at the Harpazō (1Thessalonians 4:17 Rapture), the prophecy timeline immediately focuses back to the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27). 

Secular Israel today is subject to the displeasure of the Almighty for their obstinance in rejecting the Messiah, and for their obliviousness to the human rights of non-Jews in Israel occupied territory. Israel must be careful in its treatment of those with whom it disagrees, since “the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). 

Current day Israel’s mistake is to assume their blessing and dominance over those who do not recognize their right to exist, represents Heaven’s approval of whatever they feel is appropriate to support the Jewish state, even when they cast a blind eye to the Holy One of Israel. What is an All Wise God to do? “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion” (Romans 9:15). God’s toleration of Gentile or Jewish unrighteousness is no more His approval than for any sin; but, “surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain” (Psalm 76:10 KJV). The God of Prophecy will accomplish His will with Israel “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25-26 NIV). 

Jesus Said It Would Be This Way

[1] Jesus warned of the upcoming Disappearance or Snatching Away (Rapture) — “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up [Greek, harpazō, seize, snatch away] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:17) — so many will undoubtedly repent and believe after they realize what they missed. “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe” (John 14:29). 

“36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming, 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:36-51 KJV).

[2] Jesus warned of the upcoming Abomination of Desolation, which means 

[a] The Jews must be back in the land of Israel (1948). 

[b] A Temple must be rebuilt on Temple Mount in Jerusalem, in order for

[c] Sacrifices to take take place during the Tribulation Week. 

[d] Antichrist will then commit the Abomination of Desolation demanding all to worship him as God in the middle of the Seventieth Week of Daniel. “So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Mark 13:14 NKJV). Cp. “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). 

[3] Jesus outlined the events of the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Tribulation Week) in the NT Book of Revelation. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John” (Revelation 1:1). 

[a] The Book of Revelation is a coherent outline of Church History until the New Heavens and New Earth. “Write the things which you have seen [PAST], and the things which are [PRESENT], and the things which will take place after this [FUTURE]” (Revelation 1:19).


[b] Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor are represented in Revelation 2-3. Each church represents a successive stage of Church History, beginning with the Apostolic Church of Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) and ending with the Lukewarm Church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22). 

[c] Revelation 4:1 through 19:21 represent the events of the Tribulation Week (Seventieth Week of Daniel) culminating in the Battle of Armageddon and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:11-21). 

[d] The Millennium is an actual 1,000 year period (Revelation 20:1-6), where Messiah Jesus reigns from Jerusalem on the Davidic Throne (Psalm 132:11-12), culminating in the Final Rebellion (Revelation 20:7-9), the casting of Satan into the Lake of Fire (20:10), the White Throne Judgment of the Wicked (20:11-15), then the New Heavens and New Earth (21:1-27), and Eternity beyond (22:1-20).

In conclusion, the study of Bible Prophecy is the capstone of understanding what God intends to do. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit is the Author, Illuminator, and Teacher of Bible Prophecy. God will not leave His people without a Divine Guide to show us the way until we enter His presence with thanksgiving. “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” (1Peter 4:7).

Prophecy is the ‘what’ that will happen of Things to Come, and all the rest of Scripture is only a glimpse of the ‘why’ of the Infinite Mind of God explaining His actions. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Romans 11:33-36 KJV).

Can’t Avoid Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Ken

“No one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:17 NKJV). 

Technology is the application of knowledge for the practical implementation of God’s command, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is technology. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem/solving, perception, and decision-making. 

If humanity succeeds in its stewardship of the earth, then the Almighty will receive the glory. “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11). 

If humanity fails in its Original Commission, then the Man of Sin will be worshipped in the place of God. “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2Thessalonians 2:3-4). 

If the outcome of prophecy cannot be avoided, then why bother attempting to stop the inevitable? 

God cannot always wisely prevent sin, but woe to the one who commits sin!

“Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes” (Matthew 18:7). 

The good of the moral choices made for God far exceeds the evil for our failure. Every choice for good is a choice for God, and God is greater than all. This was disputed by Lucifer, which he continues to dispute, until the Almighty confirms the conclusion of Lucifer’s choice by justly tormenting him “for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10) in the Lake of Fire. 

The best of all possible worlds must be the work of an All Wise Creator. It must be in the best interests of good that an All Wise God chooses to seek His own glory as the sum purpose for all existence, for “no one is good but One, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18). 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents another effort of man to increase productivity. 

(1) Aid in accomplishing the burdensome, repetitive, tedious aspects of a job are especially appreciated by workers, who use AI, much in the way automation was embraced — and, feared by the Luddites — in the Industrial Revolution. New skills and job opportunities were found, while large numbers of old skills and laborers’ jobs were eliminated, giving efficiencies, cost savings, and profitability to organizations and businesses employing the automation. Some observe that AI may replace 80% of skills, but the last 20% will make you irreplaceable. 

[a] On technology: “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions” (Proverbs 8:12 KJV). 

[b] On job security: “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30 NKJV). 

[c] On the rightness of profitability: “14 Again, it [the Kingdom of Heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. Master, he said, you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! 22 The man with two bags of gold also came. Master, he said, you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more. 23 His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! 24 Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. Master, he said, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you. 26 His master replied, You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:14-30 NIV). 

[d] On the wrongness of greed: “So he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:18-21 NKJV). 

[e] On the value of a human: “29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 30 Then Jesus answered and said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you. 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He who showed mercy on him. Then Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:29-37). 

(2) The failure of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is our deficiency in understanding the scope and limitations of Large Language Models (LLM). Some see embracing AI can make you worse at your job, as when AI generated responses to online patient portal questions must be checked by physicians to see if it is something they would really say, and not a hallucination. 

[a] Privacy. The reluctance of some in embracing the scale of AI lies in the idea of the privacy of information, specifically collected about you and I. Who has the right to our private information of identity, banking, health, employment, etc.? “You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:16 NKJV). Do we sacrifice our privacy to build LLMs, which can better serve and profile us? Have we not already sacrificed that privacy through our online browsing and search queries, which track and profile us for advertising purposes? 

[b] Ownership. If government would not support our security of life and liberty through due process, then governmentally, we would have no practical ownership of physical or intellectual property. An unregulated AI would fracture ownership of our identity through its vast accumulation of information about us. Whoever is the ultimate controller of information about us is the one who truly knows us. Our true safeguard is God knows us. “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2Timothy 2:19).

[c] Responsibility. We are responsible for the information AI collects about us through virtually every aspect of our lives. Paranoia assumes AI knows everything, but God alone knows all. Only the Almighty has unlimited power. “God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God” (Psalm 62:11). Our adversary the devil and his minions are so much greater than we that they may seem all powerful, but that is what they want you to think. Jesus has taken all responsibility for everything by His plain declaration. “All authority [Greek, exousia, power] has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). We can rest assured “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). 

[d] Liability. Humanity universally disavows and disowns responsibility for the misuse of information, which would cost them their liberty or financial resources. Liability drives the self-preservation of bureaucracy more than any stated purpose of organization. In its worst case, the misuse of AI would result in the abuse of humanity requiring the worship of someone other than the Almighty Creator. “9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:9, 11). 

[e] Inevitability. Has the AI tsunami already taken sufficient hold that the reluctant have embraced it, much as possession of a Social Security Number (SSN) by some conservative, Christian Americans in 1935 was initially viewed as taking the Mark of the Beast? But, until an identifying mark requires worship of the Antichrist, it is not the final assurance of perdition promised by God. “9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:9-11 NKJV). 

In conclusion, the erosion of cognitive thinking skills among the young may indicate a need for a type of AI Fast, a selective avoidance of AI for the preservation of cognitive thinking. Promoting AI more as a tutor in many areas would be acceptable. Our ability to seek and know God must be that which distinguishes us from all else. “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10). Our seeking God cannot be constrained by the limitations of Artificial Intelligence, since God wants our whole heart. “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10:5). 

Mind of Christ

Ken

“For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1Corinthians 2:16 NKJV).

No one can instruct the LORD; and yet, we have the mind of Christ through the presence of His Indwelling Spirit. “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9). 

What is the relationship of our mind and spirit? 

“Be renewed in the spirit [Greek, pneuma, life] of your mind [Greek, nous, intellectual faculty]” (Ephesians 4:23). 

Paul’s connection of “spirit” with “mind” indicates our life is intimately linked with our thoughts. God’s Spirit is so closely a part of us, we share His thoughts; yet, we do not instruct Him. We have the benefit of supernaturally understanding His wisdom, while receiving the benefit of not expiring from the revelation. Paul was caught up to the Third Heaven (2Corinthians 12:3), which is the Throne of God. [Note: The First Heaven is our atmosphere, while the Second Heaven is interstellar space.] Possibly Paul had experienced an out of body experience, after having  been stoned at Lystra and being left for dead, “when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe” (Acts 14:20). He recounts that experience as “how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (2Corinthians 12:4). 

This is perhaps an unusual instance of experiencing the mind of Christ, but any disciple may experience the mind of Christ on a continual basis. Not being caught up into the Third Heaven, but receiving understanding from the mind of Christ, is our legacy. 

Consider the following about the mind of Christ: 

First, NORMAL. Possession of the mind of Christ is not an aberration or anomaly, but normal. “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1Corinthians 2:16). We should embrace the mind of Christ in our life, as we would expect physical laws to apply to our ordinary existence. 

Second, PRACTICEABLE. Once we become accustomed to realizing the Holy Spirit inhabits our thought life, we need to practice God’s instructions on thinking. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think [Greek, logizomai, consider, reckon, take into account] on these things” (Philippians 4:8 KJV). 

Third, DISCIPLINED. Carelessly entertaining thoughts about anything is an open invitation for the adversary to establish a stronghold in our thought life. “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1Corinthians 9:27). A disciplined thought life is not a straight jacket but a release from being overcome by the enemy. “So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19). It’s not a question if the enemy comes, but when. The spirit of a disciplined one will be victorious over our enemy. 

Fourth, CONVERSATIONAL. The LORD told me. I was impressed by the LORD. God is not limited by conventions, traditions, culture, or history in communicating with humanity, especially His people. How startled would you be, if the Almighty spoke to you, as He did to Phillip? “26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and overtake this chariot” (Acts 8:26-29). All God is concerned about is you knowing that He is speaking to you. Remember, Christians have long maintained God speaks to them when they obey commandments from Scripture, e.g., The LORD told me I should do this.

Fifth, DEVELOPED. God speaks to our mind is as varied as there are different people. Our concept of the mind of Christ will be developed by our individual experience and our understanding of the Word of God. For example, Eli the priest discerned that Samuel the youth had encountered the LORD, when he repeatedly rose from his bed to find out what Eli wanted. After informing Samuel he did not call him, Eli realized the LORD was trying to communicate with Samuel. “8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am, for you did call me. Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel answered, Speak, for Your servant hears. 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel: Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle” (1Samuel 3:8-11). 

So, whenever you hear a brother or sister tell you, The LORD told me…, evaluate their words in light of Scripture. 

We are living in the Last Days, since Scripture says, “[God] has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:2). Peter at Pentecost understood he was living in the Last Days, when he cited the prophet Joel. “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:16-17). 

Sixth, CAPTIVE. We are to bring captive or under control every thought to the obedience of Christ. This is not a feat of mental dexterity but spiritual obedience. “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10:5). 

Seventh, HUMBLE. Just when you think you have an idea of what is going on, you are humbled to find you haven’t listened to the Holy Spirit as well as you thought. “5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:5-8, 12-13 NKJV). 

Paul warned of just such an unhumbling experience, of which Solomon also warned. “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 NKJV). 

“12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:12-13 NKJV). 

But, praise be to our Always Faithful God, He has given us promise of a way to escape pride (1Corinthians 10:13). 

God will humble us by: 

(1) Our taking heed that we stand lest we fall (1Corinthians 10:12), 

(2) Our restoration from falling from grace. “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1 NKJV). 

(3) Our Spiritual Warfare against Evil Angels, who trouble us as thorns in the flesh to keep us from being exalted above measure. “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger [Greek, aggelos, angel] of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure” (2Corinthians 12:7 NKJV). 

(4) Our obedience in working out our salvation through His working in us. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:5-8, 12-13 NKJV). 

Heavenly Father, You are Faithful. Grant to us a faithful, humble, obedient heart. Teach us to pay better attention to the Mind of Christ. We rejoice in Your faithfulness, for we know none of us would ever stand in Your presence unless You make us to stand. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

Royal Law

Ken

Seeking the highest good of being, which is love, is the Royal Law. “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:8-9 NKJV). Love is the medium that flows from God to us and should flow from us to God, as part of we, the “branch” (John 15:4), abiding in the “vine” (15:4) of Christ. This is “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). When we remain or “abide” (John 15:4) in the “vine” (15:5) of Christ, the Holy Spirit makes us to become like Christ and produces the fruit of new or renewed disciples for Christ. Remember, love causes us to remain or abide in Christ, and even then, “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). 

God practices what He expects us to copy. He seeks the highest good of being for its own sake, which is the very epitome of love. He chooses it, so it is appropriate to say, “God is love” (1John 4:8, 16). God seeks the highest good of His being, which is also the rightness of seeking His own glory, for He is worthy. God models the concept of love, and emotionally connects with us by giving us His Son after we rejected His Royal Law. We should have been seeking the highest good of God first and pursuing good for our neighbor equal to our own, which is the Golden Rule. We should have been pursuing God and our neighbor according to each their relative value — “seek[ing] first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33), and loving our neighbor as ourself (Mark 12:31). Sadly, we sinned, when we did not keep the Royal Law, and we desperately needed the Gospel of forgiveness and restoration. Christ alone does “all things well” (Mark 7:37); so, our only hope is to abide in Him that we, too, would do well. But, unless we finally learn to rest, remain, and “abide” (John 15:5) in Christ the Vine, we will “grow weary while doing good” (Galatians 6:9), faint, and cease doing well. 

What is the secret of abiding in Christ? 

First, NORMAL. Abiding in Christ is the normal or natural position of rest in our relationship with Christ. “Abide [Greek imperative, menō, remain] in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4). Abiding in Christ could be compared to learning to relax or not struggle, when experiencing a leg cramp. 

Second, VOLITIONAL. Abiding in Christ is a choice or volition, which means we can choose to do or not do it; so, the better we understand how the Holy Spirit accomplishes His work in us, the more fully we can cooperate in allowing Him to complete His task. “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” (Matthew 11:29). 

Third, NUTRITIONAL. Abiding in Christ is the key to the Holy Spirit transferring spiritual nutrition to ourselves and sharing with others in the Body of Christ. Consequently, spiritual death is the consequence of not abiding in Christ. “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6). 

Fourth, REPROBATE. Though not abiding in Christ, reprobated, disapproved, being cast away, and burned may be intellectually shrugged off as an impossibility for those, who know they have come to Christ; for that very reason, Jesus gives us the warning, “He who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13). Reexamine the proof texts of how to know that you know Him in 1John, and you will find that knowledge only comes to those, who are abiding in obedience. “He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him” (1John 2:4-5). 

Fifth, CHRISTLIKE. Abiding in Christ is the key to Christlike character. We take on the characteristics of the Vine of Christ, of which we are only one of the branches (John 15:2, 4, 5). Just as we are part of His Body, we can expect Him to rewire our body’s neuroplasticity (“ability of the brain to change in structure or function in response to experience”). 

A kind of cross-education effect takes place in our physical body which allows for neurological and strength gains, when physically exercising one part of the body and realizing a beneficial result in the opposite side of the body. Even so, spiritually “if one member [of the Body of Christ] suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1Corinthians 12:26). 

Sixth, SELF-GOVERNING. If the Body of Christ cannot regulate itself, then it does not understand how to overcome the “sin which so easily ensnares us” (Hebrews 12:1). Confusing temptation with sin causes us to be defeated, even before engaging our enemy the devil. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:13). 

Self-governing is only walking in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), which is exactly what the Corinthians did, when Paul directed them to deal with sin in their church. 

The problem of incest within the church was declared by Paul:

“1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore put away from yourselves the evil person” (1Corinthians 5:1, 4-5, 12-13). 

The solution of repentance by that previously identified sinner was also joyfully noted by Paul: 

“1 But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow. 2 For if I make you sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me? 3 And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you. 5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. 6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, 7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ [Divine Council], 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2Corinthians 2:1-11).

It may commonly be thought someone is proud, if they do not profess themself frequently declaring their ongoing failures. “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1Timothy 1:15). 

Or, was Paul simply acknowledging his Road to Damascus need of being saved, and not declaring a constant need of being forgiven for sins continually committed? 

Otherwise, what are we to make of Paul’s statement, “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect [Greek, teleios, of full age, mature], be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you” (Philippians 3:15 KJV)?

Isn’t perfection the same understanding Christ preached in His Sermon on the Mount?  “Be ye therefore perfect [Greek, teleios, of full age, mature], even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48 KJV). 

Temptation is not sin, since even Christ was “tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1 NKJV).

The flesh is definitely fallen and a chief source of temptation, but fallen flesh does not necessarily mean we are sinful, since Christ “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15), being God of very God, as well as at the same time, entirely man in the flesh. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory” (1Timothy 3:16 NKJV).

Perfection is our completeness in Christ Jesus, and “he who does the will of God abides forever” (1John 2:17). “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely [Entire Sanctification]; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:23).

Seventh, UNIFIED. Long has the Body of Christ desired unity. “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1Corinthians 1:10). 

[A] Jesus prayed for Unity in the Body of Christ at the end of His ministry, while in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

“11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:11, 21-23 NKJV). 

[B] Antichrist also understands the need of unity or ecumenicity and the power of cooperation in worship among divided denominations, and ultimately among all religious traditions. But, the False Prophet, in cooperation with the Antichrist, will “15 cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast [Antichrist] to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads [Mark of the Beast], 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast [Antichrist], or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:15-17). 

Notice how seemingly esoteric (understood by only a select few) discussions of Biblical Prophecy surface, when we attempt to align the trajectory of the Church to our ultimate destination of New Heavens and New Earth? Remember, Jesus taught His disciples Bible Prophecy, as if it is profitable and understandable. “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). 

Heavenly Father, be merciful and graciously instruct us concerning Your Royal Law! Make all the pieces come together in our understanding that we may be one with You, as You are with Your Son. Lord Jesus, return quickly! In Your Name, we pray. Amen and amen.

Aggressive Christianity

Ken

“Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5 NKJV). Jesus was the epitome of meekness. He endured all the slander against being an illegitimate child, born out of wedlock by Mary without defending Himself, but when His Father’s House was dishonored by the money changers, He defended His Father by driving them out of the Temple grounds. “Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12-13). 

How does the meekness of Christ square with His statement about John’s ministry?

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). 

Is violence, or the use of physical force, necessary to establish the Kingdom of God? 

No.   

The Zealots and other sects seemed to think so, but that is not what Jesus meant. He was seeking a Spiritual Kingdom now, and an Earthly Kingdom later in the Millennium. “Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone” (John 6:15). 

So, what did Jesus mean with His remark, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12)? From the time of the ministry of John the Baptist until the ministry of Christ, violent opposition came from Herod and those rejecting the baptism of John; also, those who were ready for the King’s advent were straining themselves to the utmost [violence] to enter that kingdom. John the Baptist was the prophesied OT voice crying, “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3). If they understood not the prophecy of the King’s herald, then they would reject the herald’s Messiah. “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it” (Luke 16:16). 

What are the aggressive trademarks of the Holy Spirit? 

First, ALIVE. The Holy Spirit is anything but inert. He is everything that God is, and not a lifeless gas. “But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:3-4). Likewise, Spirit filled Christians are also not lifeless, but living the life of Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). 

Second, POWERFUL. The Holy Spirit is a brooding power, just as the “Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2) in the beginning. He is the power, wherever God’s power can be found in both the natural and supernatural. “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power” (1Corinthians 4:20). Likewise, Christians have been promised the energizing power of the Holy Spirit to witness for Christ, primarily to convert the sinner, who witnesses the dynamic Christ powered life being lived in disciples. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

Third, OPPORTUNISTIC. The Holy Spirit is that Spirit of Christ, which finds opportunity seeking out ways for the salvation of sinners. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Likewise, Christians make it their business to find ways to reach those around them for Christ. “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). 

Fourth, RELENTLESS. The Spirit of Christ relentlessly seeks to the uttermost His prey, which are the souls of man. “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). Likewise, Paul was also relentless in his delivery of the Gospel message, so much so that large gatherings of even Gentiles sought to stop him. “Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands” (Acts 19:26). 

Fifth, INVASIVE. The Holy Spirit is not a physical agent, such as a gas, which spreads out and dissipates, but He is the agent of God’s power purposely targeting and invading an objective unbeknownst to man. “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them” (Acts 16:6-7). Likewise, when Christians have been impressed by God — the LORD told me to do this — who are we to object? [Unless they say they are being ‘directed’ to do something forbidden by Scripture, such as, worshiping someone other than the LORD.] “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:9-10). 

Sixth, IMPORTUNATE. The Holy Spirit is importunate, demanding, and insistent. He may quietly appear to have given up, without having given up. The definition of importunate is “urgent or persistent in solicitation, sometimes annoyingly so.” In Christ’s parable of the widow and the unjust judge, think of the widow as depicting the importunity of the Holy Spirit, and the Father playing the part of the unjust judge, of course, for dramatic purposes only. 

“1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, Get justice for me from my adversary. 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 Then the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8). 

It is apparent that we are to be importunate as the Holy Spirit is. 

Seventh, VICTORIOUS. The Holy Spirit will always be victorious in the end, as shall we. Even the NT opponents of the disciples of Jesus confessed the foolhardiness of fighting God. “And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God” (Acts 5:38-39). Likewise, the Christian characteristic of “victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1John 5:4), was demonstrated by Stephen, the first Christian martyr, in his last words. “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (Acts 7:56). 

Father, may we be meek like Jesus. Help us to exhibit the marks of the aggressiveness of a Spirit filled disciple. Cause us not to be confused with the aggression of the world, which promotes not Jesus. Enliven Your people by Your Spirit that we may be used to bring in Your Kingdom. Lord Jesus, return quickly. In Your name, we pray. Amen and amen.

On Physical and Spiritual Healing

Ken

No doubt, Christ physically healed the sick because the Messiah was promised to be both a physical and spiritual healer. “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:16-17 NKJV). This is the NT demonstration of Isaiah’s prophecy. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). 

Some argue that healing is not to be expected from Christ’s atonement, since all do not appear to be physically healed after receiving the New Birth. But, should the lack of physical healing stop us from trying, any more than the lack of someone repenting and receiving the Gospel stop us from attempting to give them the Gospel? Of course not. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9). 

Should the lack of casting out of demons stop us from trying again? No. Jesus corrected the clumsy attempt of His disciples, giving them valuable instruction to do better next time. “And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could we not cast it out? So He said to them, This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:28-29). 

Should we have a greater expectations of physical and spiritual deliverance? Yes. If God’s Spirit is exciting us to pray for that physical or spiritual deliverance, then we should take that as an indication of His willingness to fulfill that request. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).

We need to be constantly in step with the Holy Spirit that we would be so inclined to pray according to His will. “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (8:27). 

We must remember that prayer is not an incantation to change God’s mind to act for us, though He is especially willing to act to defend His glory. “You shall not be terrified of them; for the Lord your God, the great and awesome God, is among you” (Deuteronomy 7:21). 

If God will only do that which is conducive of His highest glory, why would He listen to the prayers of mere men, unless by His Spirit He placed the necessity for the prayer request in their hearts? “Thus says the Lord, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me” (Isaiah 45:11). 

What if our doctrine and experience falls short of others’ doctrine or experience? “Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you” (Philippians 3:15).

Let us always be open to receiving understanding from the Word of God to improve our conduct. “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). 

May God unite His people in a universal quest to follow Jesus. “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1Peter 2:21). 

And, if He should choose suffering for us in this particular instance and not healing, let us be willing to suffer. “And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2Corinthians 12:9). 

Life is growing more than dying. May Christ’s Church be  reinvigorated by healing and spiritual deliverance more than succumbing to the death all around us. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). 

Father, cause us to pray-on for spiritual and physical deliverance. We know You are “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2Peter 3:9), and “there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14). But, inspire us to “compel [others] to come in, that [Your] house may be filled” (Luke 14:23). Likewise, inspire us to pray for spiritual and physical healing, that You may be glorified for the deliverance. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Why Do We Not Hear the Voice of God?

Ken

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27 NKJV). Every born again, Spirit indwelt Christian must have had the life changing occasion of repenting of their sins, turning in faith to Jesus Christ, and committing their life to Jesus Christ to follow Him, which baptism epitomizes. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5 NKJV). 

If we began listening to Jesus, who is “the Word [that] became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14 NKJV), and we began following Him, then what has changed now? 

Nothing. 

Why Do We Not Hear the Voice of God? 

First, not just Professed Christianity, but humanity in general, we all have heard the Voice of God in the Natural World, whether we realize it or not, or we have acknowledged it or not. 

“1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard” (Psalms 19:1-3 NKJV). 

Second, if “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17 NKJV), indicating God has always been speaking and revealing Himself to everyone through the Natural World and more, then why doesn’t everyone thank Him? Ingratitude. 

“Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21 NKJV). 

Third, if we are to be “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10:5 NKJV), then how could we not be continually hearing God’s Voice, unless we suddenly became thoughtless? 

Of course, this leaves us open to the ridicule of the humanists commenting on God’s Voice speaking to us. But, did not Paul warn us, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1Corinthians 2:14 NKJV)? Either we abandon this idea of God’s Word speaking to us, or we embrace it entirely and see what God will do. 

Fourth, any effort to gain the applause of the world for Christ without an overriding desire of converting them, would encourage us not to hear the Voice of God, and would discourage us from acting like God was speaking to us as a friend, because we would be losing credibility with the world. “So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11 NKJV). “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14 NKJV). 

Fifth, when we waver and apostatize in our heart, we will not hear God intelligibly speaking to us. “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word” (John 8:43 NKJV). Apostasy is not merely departing wholesale from the faith and being consigned to perdition, but it does mean to choose to stand away from a previously held, but correct position. We attempt to distance ourselves from being labeled apostate, because it carries theological baggage of an unpardonable sin. 

But, the only unpardonable sin is “he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” (Mark 3:29 NKJV). If the Holy Spirit is our only means of repenting, then to obstinately resist His influence, makes the sin we will not repent of, the unpardonable sin. How do we know we will repent? We never can know we’ll repent, unless “God perhaps will grant [us] repentance, so that [we] may know the truth” (2Timothy 2:25 NKJV). Again, since our future repentance can never be certain, further resistance is not only futile, but immediate repentance is the greatest relief to our soul. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2Corinthians 6:2 NKJV). 

Sixth, many in the Church comprehend the concept of God speaking to us from the Word of God, but somehow divorce the Voice of God from comprehensively influencing everything, as if God cannot direct us absolutely about everything. How can this be? 

“18 Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you. 20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:18-21 NKJV). 

Seventh, Is it better to not hear the Voice of God, or should we continue asking, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” (2Kings 2:14 NKJV). Or, should we join the scoffers, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2Peter 3:4 NKJV). If they don’t see anything different, should we disappoint them? Or, should we join with the prophet, “Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19 NKJV)? 

If we hear the Voice of God, do we suddenly have all our prayers answered, all of our problems suddenly become solved, and humanity immediately submits to Jesus? 

No. 

“When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8 NKJV).

What Does It Mean to Hear the Voice of God? 

First, we are only returning to where humanity was in the first place. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat” (Genesis 2:16 NKJV). Adam heard the Voice of God from the beginning. 

Second, doubting the Voice of God is doubting God, which is what the Serpent intended. “Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1 NKJV). 

Third, separation from God and not hearing His voice, is a consequence of that first sin; but, most important humanity died (Genesis 2:17), and all of man’s capacities, such as the prodigious understanding and capacity of Adam to name all the animal kingdom (2:20) perished or was diminished. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12 NKJV). 

Fourth, unfamiliarity with the Voice of God now breeds thoughts in which God does not inhabit. “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4 KJV). 

Fifth, God must show us again how to hear His Voice, or we will miss what God is accomplishing in the world, just as Peter was taught by the Voice of God, how the Gentiles we’re now part of the Family of God. “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34 NKJV). 

Sixth, ignorance of the Word of God is a breeding ground for false prophets to misguide and abuse the Church of Christ about the Voice of God. If the Body of Christ is already this divided some 2,000 years after Christ ascended back into Heaven, then will the Tribulation Saints after the Rapture of the Church be deceived by the unifying, miracle working, death defying, charismatic, new leader? Will that Antichrist deceive them into accepting him as their messiah? They will not follow him and will be martyred for their lack of submission. “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed” (Revelation 6:9-11 NKJV).  

Seventh, so, the next time someone who calls themself a brother or sister in Christ says, The LORD told me… , allow the Spirit of God to show you whether or not they speak on their own authority, or whether or not they speak consistently with the Word of God. “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority” (John 7:17 NKJV). According to Jesus, all you need is a willing heart to do the will of God, in order to discern if the doctrine, teaching, or prophetic declaration is truly from God. Are you ready to do it? This is exactly how the Early Church had to determine the canonicity of proposed books for NT Scripture. Do you have a willing heart to do the will of God?

Isn’t it about time to re-evaluate where we stand?