The Angel of the Lord Appears
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An expository
study of Zechariah 1:7-21
The first vision
For your own profit and
better understanding, may I suggest that you read our text first, then go on to
peruse my comments with the open Bible handy. In this way, you will see exactly
to what I am referring. This is the way that a Bible study works and the idea
is to perceive what the Author, the Holy Spirit, wanted to share with His
prophet, Zechariah, so that he would write His thoughts, first of all, for the
benefit of the people of his day. Then, as He knew perfectly well, these words
would be transferred through the millenniums until they found the people, who
would experience personally their final fulfillment.
The angelic patrol
Three months after the Word
of God came to Zechariah, which would be in the month of February, the 11th
month of the same year, 520 B.C., of the reign of Darius, the prophet had his
first vision (v.7). Although these visions occurred in the night, they were
true visions and not dreams. Zechariah mentions various times that he
consciously ‘lifted his eyes’ (v.18; 2:1; 5:1; 6:1). In 4:1, the angel awakened
him from sleep, so that he could see a vision and in 5:5, he commanded him to
lift his eyes. Zechariah writes of eight visions.
In order to know the
significance of the visions, he asks ten questions. Blessed is he that asks
questions, for he will receive answers. The mysteries of the Kingdom of God are
made known to such people (Mt.4:10-12). There are many, who are interested in
having experiences, but to Zechariah, the experience was not as important as
the significance. He wanted to understand what God was doing in his day,
knowing that it also had future significance. We have a prophet in Zechariah,
who marked the coming of the Messiah in a distant future. He asked and we
benefit, because he not only shared the things that he saw, but joined them to
the answer given him.
The Stricken Shepherd
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God
is pleased with His plan of salvation, because of the victory that only this
plan could obtain to justify many and bring them to a perfect salvation… sure,
great and strong. We must be careful not to subtract any glory from this
salvation by emphasizing too much the part that pertains to man. It may become
an ineffective “salvation” (here today, gone tomorrow), depending on man’s
faithfulness. In this prophecy, we learn an essential doctrine: Salvation is of God.
An expository
study, verse by verse of Zechariah
“The Lord was pleased
to crush Him, putting Him to grief” Isaiah 53:10
Chapter 13
Who caused Christ’s death?
“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and
against the man, My Associate… Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be
scattered…!” (v.7) We don’t have to have
any doubts about Whom this prophecy refers, because Jesus quoted it: “Jesus said to them, You will all fall away
because of Me this night, for it is written, I will strike down the Shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered” (Mt.26:31). Jesus knew that
the prophecy of Zechariah was to be fulfilled that night. God spoke in the last
times by His Son (He.1:1 & 2), but the Son said that His doctrine was not
His, but the Father’s (Jn.7:15 & 16). Therefore we have a perfect oneness
between the word of Christ in the flesh and the prophetic word, ordained by the
Father.
The
Lord of Hosts is commanding the death of His Son… “Oh sword, awake… strike!” We need to understand that He Who caused
Jesus’ death was, principally, the Father. He must know and believe this
emphatically. In no way was Jesus the victim of wicked men. All was part of the
plan of God, since before the foundation of the world (1 Pt.1:19-20). The
central verse of the gospel is “For God
so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son”. He came to the world to die at the command of His
Father. Peter wanted the Jews to recognize their guilt in killing their
Messiah, but he also gave them to understand that there was a greater purpose
behind this act: “This Man, delivered
over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God…” (Acts 2:23). As
in the case of Joseph and his brothers, although they were wicked and guilty of
all his suffering, Joseph caused them to know that behind all of it was a
greater and nobler plan. It was to save lives and further the eternal purpose
of God (Gen. 45:5-8; 50:17-20,24). He is the Lord of Hosts.
The Second Coming of Christ
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It’s quite appropriate on Christmas Day, don’t you think,
to look ahead to His second coming? There’s quite a difference! He came as a
baby, laid in a feedbox in a stable for animals. He returns with His armies as
the King of Heaven, descending upon the Mount of Olives. As His feet rest upon
it, the mount splits in two, opening up a valley in the middle, which extends
to the east. His people escape from Jerusalem and the world’s forces, led by
antichrist.
An expository
study of Zechariah, verse by verse,
chapter 12:9-14
and chapter 14:1-5
The Battle of
Armageddon (Rev.16:16)
“and they
gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon”
(Hebrew: Har signifies
mountain and the name is Magedon)
Chapter 12
God
Himself, creator of man, will deal with him in His time (v.1), joining all
nations in the battlefield of Armageddon, under Mount Megiddo in the Valley of
Jezreel, 60 miles northwest of Jerusalem. This valley has a tremendous history
of battles. An expert declares that he doubts that there is another part of the
world, where so many have occurred. Here are some that are mentioned in the
Bible: Judges 5:20 y chapter 7; 1 Samuel 31:1-13; 1 Kings 18:40; 2 Kings 23:30;
2 Chronicles 35:20.
This
is the scene of the war on the “great day of God”. From there, the battle will
spread over a great part of Israel. Zechariah’s account is of the principle and
most important part… the attack on Jerusalem (v.2). There, outside the city,
blood will flow like a river (Rev.14:20). It may surprise us how many portions
of Scripture tell us of this “day of the Lord” (Ps.2:1-9; Is.66:15-16; Joel
3:12-21; Mt.24:29-51; Mt.25:31-46, 2 Thes.1:6-9; 2:8; Rev.14:20; 16:12-16;
19:11-21).
The
prophet speaks of world-wide opposition, in which the nations of the earth will
no longer tolerate Jerusalem… mainly because in that time, the Jews, who have
made a pact with the antichrist, will refuse to worship him. “I will make
Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples” (v.3). The difficulties within the
city and the “offenses” (such as we hear in the news at this moment… civil
rights, war crimes, etc.) become intolerable for the “united nations”. In this
prophecy, they will join for the last time against Judah and Jerusalem.
According
to the purpose of God, they will join to be destroyed (v.9), and He will come
to save His people, who will find themselves in the worst of scenarios; two
thirds of them will die (13:8) and one third will be greatly refined and tried
(13:9). At that point the will call upon the name of the Lord and thus
recognize their Messiah.
Latter Rain
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Zechariah
10 has to do with the return of the Jews to the Promised Land. God has “hissed”
for them and they have heard and responded (v.8). Millions have arrived and
continue to arrive. How the world and the devil hate the Zionist Movement!
Chapter 10 tells also of the people who have no true shepherd: “My anger is kindled against the shepherds,
and I will punish the leaders”. Jesus wept over the flock that was as sheep
without a shepherd. They had governors, but no true shepherds…
This
article challenges God’s people concerning their understanding of the Bible. Matthew
refers to the abomination of desolation and says, “let the reader understand”. Do you understand these things? I have
heard some remark, “Bible understanding is for the teachers and not for
everyone.” I have also heard about those, who “know a lot about the Bible, but
don’t live it”. Forget this kind of thinking! They are really only excuses to
cover ignorance and we have no need to hear them… Truthfully we seldom hear
Bible teaching. What we generally hear from the pulpit are ideas, related to a
theme, and the one who is sharing finds verses to back those ideas.
The Latter Rain
An expository study
of Zechariah
“Be patient, brethren, until the coming of
the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient
about it, until it gets the early and late rains.” James 5:7
Chapter 10
Ask!
Merry Christmas, 2014!
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The time for buying,
preparing and sending Christmas cards goes by too fast. It’s a shame, because
we really enjoy those seasonal tasks and, of course, we enjoy receiving them
even more. At least, by means of this blog, Margaret and I can send you our
most sincere wishes that you would have a most meaningful Christmas… to all
those who read the articles, listen to the audible messages and the few videos
that we offer, many blessings throughout the season!
With those greetings, I want
to attach two articles concerning Christmas that we offered a couple years ago.
I hope that they will help you to celebrate the birth of Christ. One comes to
us from the past, well over 200 years ago and the other is from a contemporary,
John Piper. We will finish with the powerful lyrics of Charles Wesley,
expressed in his carol, Hark the Herald
Angels Sing. We begin with George Whitefield (1714-1770), such a
distinguished man of God in church history, who not only had a favorable
opinion of Christmas, but also strongly believed that Christians should
celebrate it.
The Introduction to Zechariah
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An
expositional Bible study
How privileged we are! God
has surrounded us with divine riches for our good! The treasure over all others
is His Word, for which He has endowed us with the supernatural faculty to be
able to grasp it. He has given us the mind of Christ, which is governed and
guarded by the Holy Spirit. To be illuminated concerning spiritual, heavenly
things is a great work of the triune God. We also have the opportunity to learn
mutually from each other, sharing what we have received, and for me it would be
a pleasure to leave you with some things that I have learned while studying the
first verses of the book of Zechariah. Would you like to study this book verse
by verse? There is simply no question that an expository study is the most
profitable approach to studying the Word and the best way to deliver a Bible
study is to explain verse by verse what the Scripture presents. We really do
not have enough of that kind of teaching.
The name Zechariah means “the
Lord remembers” and that name would serve as title for the book. Israel has
been in captivity for 70 years and now the Lord is bringing them out of that
situation and helping them to return to their land. Zechariah was the son of Berechiah
and the grandson of Iddo. He may have been only an infant when he returned from
Babylon with his grandfather. We know nothing of his father. Possibly, he died
when Zechariah was very small, but his grandfather, on the other hand, is
mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ez.5:1; Neh.12:4, 16). Often in
the Bible a grandfather is presented as the father of a certain person, so that
it is not unusual that Zechariah is sometimes called the son of Iddo.
Haggai and, Ezra were contemporaries of Zechariah. Esther was queen some years later than the events that took place in this book, and Nehemiah rebuilt the walls still later. Lastly Malachi prophecied. Zechariah, as his grandfather Iddo, was a priest, but to
become a prophet is not something, which can be inherited from ancestors or
from belonging to a certain tribe; it only happens to someone to whom the Word
of God has come.
Grace, Grace to It!
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An expository study
with some comments on Revelation 11:1-15
Zechariah
4:7-14
The great mountain of
opposition is always there to hinder the work of God (v.7). In this case of the
reconstruction of the temple, we see it clearly in Ezra 4. But in chapter 5, in
obedience to the Word of God, the work is begun anew and, in chapter 6, Darius
made an edict, in which he prohibited any interference in this work, but God’s
people know that it was only in compliance with the Word of God (6:14). The
word was detained for a while, but had to be completed, because what is of God
is never left half done.
Faith (Mt.17:20; 21:21)
removes the mountains of opposition (2 Co.10:5; 2 Th.2:4). So that the work of
the temple can begin and the first stones of the foundation be laid, the
mountain must be made a plain. If the plan of God is followed, He removes the
obstacles. Who are you, oh great mountain? It may be great, but soon and
easily, it will fall and there will remain no evidence in its place. And how
will it be done? Well, as Zerubbabel and Joshua moved forward (by faith – Ezra
5:2), the obstacles were removed before them. They began to work before the
edict of the emperor arrived with permission to proceed.
In our days, we are witnessing
the final installment of this prophecy, as the nations oppose Israel and
especially its temple (Be sure that you are on Israel’s side, or you will be
resisting the fulfillment of a prophecy that is well over 2,000-years-old!). The opposition will be dissolved, when the
Messiah returns the second time. All Israel will be saved (Jer.51:25; Dn.2:34,
45; Ro.ll:26). The word of the prophet is essential here, because by human
power there are no guarantees, and at times, no possibilities, but the Word of
God assures that it will be finished. Christ, the living Stone, comes again to
take His place.
By My Spirit
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Zechariah, chapter four, verses 1-6. An expository study
 |
| Jonathan Goforth (1859-1936) |
The heart of every Christian should burn with a longing to see a
pure moving of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, many are more interested in what
man can do for them. Jonathan Goforth, the great missionary, who saw revival in
Mongolia and other parts of China, made the following comments in his book, By
My Spirit, after attending a worldwide missionary convention: Never
have I experienced such keen pain and disappointment as I did that day. Of the
many who addressed that great missionary gathering, not more than three
emphasized God the Holy Spirit as the one essential factor in world
evangelization. Listening to the addresses that day, one could not but conclude
that the giving of the Gospel to lost mankind was largely a matter of better
organization, better equipment, more men and women… the dethronement of the
idol of ecclesiastical self-sufficiency was apparently too great a price to
pay.
A Vision
The angel
didn’t talk to Zechariah in a dream; he woke him in order to speak to him
(v.1). It is not my intention to say that God never speaks by dreams, because
the Bible gives us examples, in which He does, but they always take place in
extraordinary situations. In this book we read of various visions and angelic
visitations, but remember that God is giving revelation that will form part of
the Bible and, in Zechariah’s case, he is prophesying of the coming of the
Messiah and of events related with the end of this era. The book will instruct
millions of people in the entire world for many centuries. More than being an
extraordinary message, it is unique and inerrant, perfectly inspired by the
Holy Spirit.
The Vision of the Flying Scroll
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Then again I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, a
flying roll. And he said unto me,
What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the
length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. Then said
he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole land:
for every one that stealeth shall be cut off on the one side according to it;
and every one that sweareth shall be cut off on the other side according to it.
I will cause it to go forth, saith
Jehovah of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by
my name; and it shall abide in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber
thereof and the stones thereof. Zacariah 5:1-4
Nevertheless, the message
would not be properly balanced, if it did not also present the curse upon
those, who persisted in their evil ways; God also cares for them. They will be
excluded from the blessings to come. So that none will be deceived, along with
the promise of forgiveness for the repentant sinner, the Scriptures guarantee with
solemn certainty that “no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an
idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God… because of these
things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Eph.5,5,6) and “those
that practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal.5:21). “The
cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and
sorcerers and idolaters and all liars” (Rev.21:8), will be excluded. 1 John 3:8
proclaims: “He that practices sin is of the devil”.
What is Spiritual Power By A. B. Simpson
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A. B. Simpson was founder of
the Christian and Missionary Alliance, a movement which was dedicated to taking
the gospel to the far ends of the world. This is the movement, to which A. W.
Tozer belonged and, in fact, Tozer wrote Simpson’s biography, Wingspread. My father also belonged to
the C&MA and loved to read Simpson’s Christ-exalting books.
His message wonderfully
echoed the cry of the Apostle Paul, “Not I, but Christ in me”. One of Simpson’s
many hymns was entitled simply, Himself: “Once
it was a blessing,” the hymn stated, “now it is the Lord… Once for gifts I
wanted, now the giver own, once I sought for healing, now Himself alone.” A. B.
Simpson’s love for Jesus drowned out all else and left him with a single
passion… Christ alone! Oh God, give us again preachers and hymn writers like
this man!
What kind of man could
inspire hundreds of missionaries to go to most of the countries on this planet
with the message of salvation? Well, a guest in Simpson’s home got up at 4:30
a.m. and walked out of his room into the hallway. He noticed that the door to
Simpson’s office was ajar and light came from the small opening. He heard
weeping and looking through the crack, he could see Simpson standing above a large
globe of the world, embracing it, his tears falling upon the countries below
his face. Read the following from this godly man…
What is spiritual power?
First, it is the power which convicts of sin. It is the power that makes the
hearers to see themselves as God sees them, and humbles them in the dust. It
sends people home from the house of God not feeling better but worse; not always
admiring the preacher, but often so tried that they perhaps resolve that they
will never hear him again. But they know from their inmost soul that he is
right and they are wrong. It is the power of conviction; the power that awakens
the conscience and says to the soul, “You are the man.” It is the power of
which the apostle speaks in connection with his own ministry: “by manifestation
of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of
God.”
I Am the True Vine
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Some key thoughts in this article: The fruitful branch is trimmed drastically (vines more
than trees) and pruned close to the vine… If the church would submit to such
pruning, it would completely wipe out traditionalism… The pruning process
removes distance (from Christ) and indirect connections are eliminated… Dependence
on a program competes with dependency upon Christ alone… Success is not the
same as fruit bearing… Material that the Holy Spirit uses to teach His people
is Bible material… To pray without ceasing means that we are to habitually
practice praying as Jesus commanded us to do: “When you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to
your Father who is in secret” (Mat. 6:6)… His love is not humanistic and it
is not, primarily, humanitarian. It exists and functions to give glory to God…
From Gardening Know-How: When
it comes to pruning grapes, the most common mistake people make is not pruning
hard enough. Light pruning doesn’t promote adequate fruiting whereas heavy
pruning provides the greatest quality of grapes.
John 15:1-11
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” If we understand biblical principle, then it will not be
hard to see that Jesus is saying that He is exclusively the only true,
legitimate vine that exists. The best that all the vines in the world’s vineyards
can do is to portray the characteristics of this vine.
Billy Graham about disciplining children
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If you fail to
discipline your children… you are sinning against God.
Billy Graham:
“Many of our educational leaders sneer at the old-fashioned idea of God and a
moral code. Movies feature sex, sin, crime and alcohol. Teenagers see these
things portrayed alluringly on the screen and decide to go and try them.
Newspapers have played up crime and sex until they seem glamorous to our young
people.” One of the fundamental
problems, according to Rev. Graham, is the failure of parents to fight “the
Devil in the home” through discipline and, as a result, “children are allowed
to go wild.”
“Parents
must spend time with their children, set a good example for them, discipline
them, and teach them to ‘know God,’” said the pastor, who has five children and
19 grandchildren. “If
you fail to discipline your children, you are breaking the laws, commandments
and statutes of God,” said Rev. Graham. “You are guilty,not only of
injuring the moral, spiritual and physical lives of your children, but of
sinning against God. The Bible says that if you fail to discipline your
children, you actually hate them.”
Not by Brawn by J. Vernon McGee
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Then he answered
and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of Jehovah unto Zerubbabel, saying,
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts. Zec 4:6
You could characterize the greatest
national force the world has ever seen with one word: power! Rome was the
greatest power machine the world has ever seen. The legions of Rome marched on
every frontier. They were invincible and victorious. But one day they took into
custody a Man who seemed to be very weak. Pilate said to Him, “Don’t you
realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” The Lord Jesus
answered, “You would have not power over me if it were not given to you from
above.”
Today we have a perspective
on that. The legions of Rom have marched into oblivion. As Kipling said, “The
tumult and the shouting die, the captains and the kings depart.” They are all
gone. But the gospel of that Man who died on the cross is still being carried
by weak men to the ends of the earth… by men who are as weak as you and I. This
death was a victory.
God is not impressed by brawn
and a display of muscle. The church goes forward today like a little Samson
shorn of its locks of power. It parades up and down, boasting of its accomplishments,
and, like Samson, it does not know that the Spirit of God has departed from it.
The thing that makes this so tragic is that the church could go forward like a
little David with a simple slingshot of the Holy Spirit, to meet the enemy with
all of his stratagems, and come away with a victory!
Oh how we need the power of
the Holy Spirit! God’s work in the world is not done by brawn. It is
accomplished only by His Spirit.
Doctrine Number One: The Bible is the Word of God
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Before anyone can profit from
the riches of the Christian life, that person must obtain the firm conviction
that the Bible is the Word of God. There is no way to enjoy, learn and grow in
faith without this truth burned into his heart. In the book of Acts we read
again and again that the apostles and other evangelists went from one place to
another, preaching the Word.
We need to believe that the
Bible is the Word of God in order to form the foundation upon which we can
build our lives. We must be convinced that the Bible is the maximum authority
that decides every question that has to do with Christian living. In the first
place, we will take into account the Old Testament, because it forms the basis
for the New Testament. For this reason, no Christian can say that he understands
the New Testament, if he has not studied the Old. He cannot have a clue about
many things that Jesus and His disciples taught.
Who Should We Listen To?
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I will not try to hide the fact that one of my
favorite authors, if not my favorite, is A. W. Tozer. There are several reasons
for this. First of all, Tozer belonged to the same denomination, in which I was
raised as a boy, so I especially appreciate some of the truth that they
emphasized (just to mention two favorite verses… “Christ in you, the hope of
glory” and “not I, but Christ in me”). Secondly, Tozer lived near enough to
this generation to speak of trends that are still in the forefront in our day
and he knew where they would lead us. Above those two reasons, Tozer had a gift
of expression, when he spoke or wrote about God and His Son that warms my heart
more than any other writer. Of course, I consider the material of many more authors
to be valuable. We need the body of Christ, the saints of all ages, which
comprise the Church, whether they are alive or have already passed on to Glory.
We only see a small part of the whole spectrum of truth. Others in our day see
other things, and down through time, men of God saw gems of scriptural truth,
which can enrich us today. We need to read good books… lots of them! The people
of God have always done that.
At the same time, I find things in which I
disagree with Tozer, although they are not many and certainly not vital matters. I mention Tozer, because you will see that I have presented some of
his thoughts previously and I want to do some again. Here are some things that
Tozer had to say concerning loyalty and following man. Tozer was a pastor,
principally in two churches in his lifetime, one in Chicago and the other in
Toronto, so he is speaking on this subject from a pastoral standpoint. He
always pointed his people to Christ alone:
In Rut, Root or Revival, chapter five,
he said: “Faith in Jesus is not commitment to your church or
denomination. I believe in the local church… I believe in the divine assembly.
We ought to realize that we are, as a group of Christians, a divine assembly, a
cell in the body of Christ, alive with His life. But not for one second would I
try to create in you a faith that would lead you to commit yourself irrevocably to
a local church or to your church leaders.”
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
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Before you read this article,
you might want to refresh your mind concerning our topic by reading John
10.10-21.
I am giving classes in Spanish
over the radio on the Gospel of John and having studied it with intensity
again, I have seen that it has a purpose of taking us into intimacy with God.
It shows us the fountain of intimacy is found in the Father and the Son and
Jesus prays to the Father that we might enter into the same oneness and the
same love. In this passage, we see the intimacy between Himself and His
disciples by illustrating it to us, using the example of the Good Shepherd and
His sheep.
If we are very familiar with
portions of the Bible, such as this one, there is a danger that it may no longer
impress us, or surprise us, as it did when we first read it. We must be careful
that we do not lose the wonder of the gospel and the wonder of the One, who is
its chief character. I remember the one
time that I visited Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, when John Piper
was pastor. He preached that day on Romans 1:16: “I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation for all those who
believe.” He taught that the gospel not only affects the unbeliever, but it
continues to move the believer all his life and on into eternity. Then, we sang
the last verse of the old hymn, “I Love to Tell the Story”. That verse states, “I
love to tell the story, for those who know it best, seem hungering and
thirsting, to hear it like the rest…” Before us now is Christ’s teaching about
the Good Shepherd and His sheep and it may be new for some and for others very
familiar, but let us all give it our full attention.
I can never forget the time
that we were driving through Mexico on the main highway between Saltillo and
Mexico City. For some reason, traffic began to slow in the open country and
soon we came upon a scene that was horrible and unforgettable. Strewed across
the highway were five or six sheep, bloody and dead, and among them, lying
still, was the little shepherd boy. Yes, in many rural families in Mexico, it
was the youngest boy, who watched over the sheep, while the bigger fellows tended
to more important things.
Thanks to All
I want to express my
gratitude to all those who visit this blog, whether it be for the first time or
if you have come regularly, perhaps from the time we began in 2011. I have
tried to be responsible and careful with all that I have presented, things that
I believe should be beneficial to disciples in this 21st Century. Together
with the Spanish blog, we are coming close to 75,000 visits from many parts of
the world. Included are places I’ve never visited and from which I know no one.
Welcome!
It is my desire to do
everything I can to help others along this Christian way, especially through
such precarious times. I hope that you are edified as you read the articles,
and that they give you greater longings than ever to keep moving along en route to glory. You will not read
long here before you notice spiritual “anti-virus” material, because I feel it
is a necessary part of my ministry to warn younger or newer Christians of the
great dangers that they will encounter in Christian circles. For many years I
have had opportunity to be in contact with Christians from different
backgrounds and denominations from a good many parts of the world. I have also
tried to be informed on church history, as well as the actual situation, in
order to speak with some authority, at least, about where we stand today.
A few days ago, for instance,
I saw a very short video, then read an article about what took place in a
meeting attended by tens of thousands of people. Victory Osteen, the wife of
the famous pastor, Joel Osteen, gave a short address, which I would call an
attempt to get God to buy into her extreme egotism. Don’t worry, he won’t! But
this is a little taste of her view and Joel’s, for sure, of Christianity: "I just want to encourage every one of us to
realize: When we obey God, we're not doing it for God… We're doing it for
ourselves. Because God takes pleasure when we're happy… So I want you to
know this morning, just do good for your own self… When you come to church,
when you worship him, you're not doing it for God, really. You're doing
it for yourself, because that's what makes God happy. Amen?"
And, of course, all the Osteen disciples said, “Amen”. I won’t bother you with
any more of that anti-biblical and humanistic heresy. Let it be known that
there are many Christian leaders, who recognize it as such. Albert Mohler, a
seminary president protested and Steve Camp defined that talk as “the old sin
of idolatry… it’s not about God, it’s about us.” That’s what it is and we’d
better believe it.
The Gospel of Intimacy
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Important messages
“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not
know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things
that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” John
15:15
It seems evident to me that
from the time that God’s Spirit brooded (Heb.
rĆ¢chaph) over the surface of the
waters (Ge.1:2), God purposed to create a being, with whom He could be
intimate. He expressed it in the profound communication that exists in the
trinity: “Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness” (1:26). After the travesty that outweighs all others
that ever occurred, God walked in the garden in the cool of the day and called
to Adam, “Where are you?” (3:9).
Adam’s relationship with his Creator was overshadowed by a thick cloud, because
of his disobedience, and he hid in fear and shame.
Can anything be done to remedy an act of
rebellion against the supreme authority over the universe, whose command cannot
once be slighted in the smallest measure? Is there a way to erase a blemish
caused by sin and the following, innumerable offenses by Adam and his
descendents against a thrice-holy God? The problem of the ages could only be
resolved in the mind of the Omniscient, and the means would be accomplished
through his beloved and only Son. Therefore, the eternal Son of God stepped
down from His unfathomable glory and became Man, with one purpose in mind and
that purpose was to reconcile man to God. It would be accomplished through the
sacrificial death of this God/Man. Peter sees it and teaches us: “Christ also died for sins once for all,
the just for the unjust, so that He might
bring us to God…” (1 Pt.3:18). The purpose was reconciliation.
This was the desire and design of the Spirit
of God behind the writing of a unique Gospel, different from the three
wonderful accounts penned previously. He prepared an author and preserved his
life, after all his fellow-apostles had given theirs in martyrdom. Sixty more
years were required to equip and endow him with the wisdom to proclaim a Gospel
of restored intimacy between God and man.
This writer was the former fisherman, John,
who called himself the disciple that Jesus loved. He was the one, who reclined
on Jesus’ bosom after the last supper.
On Receiving Admonition by A. W. Tozer
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Important messages
“Better
was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how
to take advice..” Ecc 4:13
from the book, “The Root of the
Righteous¨ chapter 7, by A. W. Tozer
Don’t think that Tozer chose
this text, looking for a sermon for his Sunday morning service in his church, or that he prepared
it for preaching in one of the annual “Councils” (as they called them) of his
denomination. That is, he wasn’t motivated by an urge to have an interesting
text to catch the attention of the thousands of people attending from all parts
of America and representatives of various parts of the world.
We lived within 300 miles of
Chicago, where Tozer was pastoring a church. I was only 19-years-old when Tozer
died and I don’t remember ever hearing him in person, but I have read every
book I could find of his and listened to dozens of his tapes. My dad heard him
on various occasion in these “Councils”, that I mentioned, or in pastoral
conventions, because he belonged to the same denomination. Also, I communicated
for at least ten years personally, by letters and by telephone with a good
friend of Tozer, Leonard Ravenhill. Len preached in Tozer’s church, prayed alone
with him and considered him his mentor.
No, from what I know about
Tozer, he didn’t write this chapter because its theme would fit nicely into his
book. He wrote it because he knew personally some of these “kings¨, just like
the one described in Ecclesiastes, and I suspect that he found some of them in
the organization that he belonged to. Tozer had enemies, who didn’t like him,
because he brought to light the situations that he knew on his back doorstep. I
had a friend, who was a student at a Bible school under the same denomination.
Tozer came to talk to the students at the school’s “spiritual life week”, and
afterwards was severely criticized by some of the professors.
A Small Tribute to Marvin Doxtator
Labels:
personal testimonies
This weary world with all its toils and
struggles
May take its toll of misery and strife
The soul of man is like a waiting eagle
When it’s released it’s destined for the
skies.
 |
| The Marvin Doxtator family |
I want to say a few words about a man that I'm proud to say was my brother-in-law, Marvin Doxtator. On Thursday, October 2 at 5:15 P.M., with his family gathered around him singing, Marv, at 89 years of age, left this weary world behind. At the instance his soul was released, it honed in on its destination.
Marv’s father, mother, and
grandfather found the Savior, when he was a boy. He had the privilege of
observing the difference, when parents are rescued from sin and their house
becomes a home. So Marv, seeing that reality, turned to Christ, when he was
young. Others of his relatives and family came in later and set their sails on the easterly course that harbors
in the New Jerusalem.
Dad’s Slides
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personal testimonies
(Click to enlarge photos)
Last summer I bought a
converter on-line that converts slides into digital photos. The main reason
that I wanted it was to preserve my dad’s collection of slides taken of his
work among the Native Americans. Some of them have already been destroyed by
dampness over the years.
Somewhere close to 1950, a
blind youth by the name of Norman gave Dad the 35 mm. camera and projector specifically
for this work. Norman was one of the unsung heroes of the faith that you will
meet in heaven. He was 18-years-old at the time and already an ‘A’ student in
the University of Wisconsin. I remember when he stayed at our home for a time
and the picture that is fixed in my mind is of Norman
reading his Braille Bible
in our living room. I need to search for the slide that my Dad took of Norman,
sitting on the foundation of a church that Dad was building in Oneida,
Wisconsin, while ministering to the Oneida Natives. Hopefully, it is still in
good condition. Norman is the reason that these slides are available.
 |
| Mrs. Christen and her daughter |
I do have on hand a slide of
another unsung hero… Mrs. Christen. In the 1930’s, my parents, who had never
been exposed to the gospel, moved next door to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Christen.
They observed the uniqueness of this couple, something in their very persons,
beyond what they said and did. Through them my parents came to the Lord in 1935.
Some of you may know the story from reading my book, What Our Hands Have Handled. No slides would have ever been taken
by my dad, who became a missionary to the Native American, had it not been for
the Christens. I am so happy that I can share them with you.
New Standards and Teachings
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Important messages
New
Standards
Let me name a few practices,
popular in our times and often found in the church, which are directly
forbidden by the Scriptures:
1.
Strong drink…
Proverbs 23:31 “Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and
goes down smoothly, In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an
adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.
You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies
on the top of a mast.” They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they
beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”
Godly wisdom describes here intoxicating wine, the hangover, delirium,
confusion, sickness, numbness to pain, and lack of good sense experienced by
the drinker, which ends by the onset of addiction. One of the most
misunderstood issues concerns what the Bible teaches about wine, claiming that
it gives license to moderate drinking. It doesn’t. An interpretation to any
portion claimed by those who imbibe, contradicts this clear commandment to not
even look at wine, when it is in an intoxicating state. The Bible doesn’t
contradict itself. The word juice is
only used once in the whole Bible, and most of the time, wine, especially new wine,
means nothing more than grape juice. I understand, by those who have
investigated, that processed wine in Bible times was so lightly fermented, that
one could not hold enough in his stomach to become intoxicated.
Our
son-in-law, daughter, and granddaughter were in an accident, in which the
driver, who hit their car and was killed, had well below the legal limits of
alcohol in his blood, but he had had just enough to sway his judgment. His wife
and parents claimed that he was a good and cautious driver. A man told me of a
friend of his, with whom he played chess. His friend would always beat him,
unless he could persuade him to have a couple beers before the match. That would be enough to dull his competitor’s mind
and give him the edge.
Pictorial of Our Trip to the USA
Labels:
personal testimonies
(click on photos for larger view)
Traveling
with Dan’s family to the Midwest via Canada, Upper Michigan Peninsula, across Wisconsin and into Elk River, Minnesota to visit Mike, Rachel and kids. Mike
co-pastors in St. Michael at Connect Church. (St. Michael is not named after
Mike). A great bunch met for a mid-week service and on Sunday morning the
church was backed through the foyer to the back door. Our visit really wore
Mike out… 
The Lord’s Day
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Important messages
“I was in the
Spirit on the Lord’s Day” Rev. 1:10
 |
| Early the first day of the week |
Let me begin this study by
sharing with you the observations of some that I consider the best
commentators. I refer continually to their material. I want you to see the
unanimity of their views on John’s statement on the Lord’s Day, which is quoted
above. I provide this without an application or challenge. I prefer to leave it
in your hands and to leave you in God’s hands concerning this subject.
Barnes:
On the Lord’s day - The word rendered here as “Lord’s” (ĪŗĻ
ĻĪ¹Ī±ĪŗĪ·͂ͅ kuriakē), occurs only in this place and in 1Co_11:20, where it
is applied to the Lord’s supper. It properly means “pertaining to the Lord”;
and, so far as this word is concerned, it might mean a day “pertaining to the
Lord,” in any sense, or for any reason; either because he claimed it as his
own, and had set it apart for his own service, or because it was designed to
commemorate some important event pertaining to him, or because it was observed
in honor of him. It is clear:
(1)
That this refers to some day which was distinguished from all
other days of the week, and which would be sufficiently designated by the use
of this term.
(2)
that it was a day which was for some
reason regarded as especially a day of the Lord, or especially devoted to him.
(3)
it would further appear that this was a
day particularly devoted to the Lord
Jesus; for: (a) that
is the natural meaning of the word “Lord” as used in the New Testament; and
(b) if the Jewish Sabbath were
intended to be designated, the word “Sabbath” would have been used.
New Role Models
Labels:
Important messages
For those, who haven't seen the following on Facebook, I present it here. It's about role models with false doctrines, who stand for family values and morality, but who cannot lead people to a living Christ who is the only one, who can produce those values in lives.
Some new role models for conservative "Christianity" are a Mormon candidate for president, a Seventh Day Adventist doctor, who spoke up to Obama at a prayer breakfast, and an author and pastor, and an extremely popular family on TV, who believe in baptismal regeneration (Church of Christ). Deception and total apostasy are coming in hard and fast. I can only hope that the people who are dearest to me will take notice. I don't hold a lot of hope that anything outside of genuine revival will change the general trend. Have you seen the movie "Time Changer" which warns of those who preach morality, but cannot present a divine and living Christ, without whom morality and family values can never produce better morality and family values? They simply lead to a lifeless, religious substitute that, in the end, leaves people more ungodly than ever.
Some new role models for conservative "Christianity" are a Mormon candidate for president, a Seventh Day Adventist doctor, who spoke up to Obama at a prayer breakfast, and an author and pastor, and an extremely popular family on TV, who believe in baptismal regeneration (Church of Christ). Deception and total apostasy are coming in hard and fast. I can only hope that the people who are dearest to me will take notice. I don't hold a lot of hope that anything outside of genuine revival will change the general trend. Have you seen the movie "Time Changer" which warns of those who preach morality, but cannot present a divine and living Christ, without whom morality and family values can never produce better morality and family values? They simply lead to a lifeless, religious substitute that, in the end, leaves people more ungodly than ever.
A Hunger for the Word in North Dakota
Labels:
personal testimonies
 |
| A yard meeting in Finley, North Dakota |
You have to understand that we are talking about a village with about 600 inhabitants and that this entire area of North Dakota is sparcely populated. However, the people did respond and about 60 people attended.
More importantly, the way they reacted to the presentation was so positive. A widow of a former pastor of a church in Finley told me that the preaching reminded her of her late husband. One lady returned to her house very excited, determined to do the same thing for her vicinity... on their small buffalo and horse ranch. Her husband began to call neighbors and relatives. He invited them to an open air meeting, in which singers and a preacher, whom he'd never met, were going to take part (he was not in the Monday meeting). He confessed that he'd never felt so out-of-control before, as he did in this situation. It happened that the Holy Spirit was in control. Last Saturday, again the people came. Something very special is happening! There are people who are hungry to hear the truth boldly proclaimed!
You Must Be Born Again! Part V
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Important messages
VI. The last Adam – (In this portion, I want to let the commentators speak to show that the New Creation takes place in and through Christ. As Adam was the first creation, Christ is the last, the progenitor of a higher position and quality of life for the human race. He lifted man above the place given to Adam in the beginning. God never goes backward, but continues His perfect purpose until He brings it to its fullness or maturity.)
Barnes… The second
Adam, or the “second man,” (1Co_15:47). That Christ is here intended is
apparent, and has been usually admitted by commentators. Christ here seems to
be called Adam because he stands in contradistinction from the first Adam; or
because, as we derive our animal and dying nature from the one, so we derive
our immortal and undying bodies from the other. From the one we derive an
animal or vital existence; from the other we derive our immortal existence, and
resurrection from the grave. The one stands at the head of all those who have
an existence represented by the words, “a living soul;” the other of all those
who shall have a spiritual body in heaven. He is called “the last Adam;”
meaning that there shall be no other after him who shall affect the destiny of
man in the same way, or who shall stand at the head of the race in a manner
similar to what had been done by him and the first father of the human family.
They sustain special relations to the race; and in this respect they were “the
first” and “the last” in the special economy. The name “Adam” is not elsewhere
given to the Messiah, though a comparison is several times instituted between
him and Adam. (See the Supplementary Note on 1Co_15:22; also Rom_5:12,
note.)
You Must Be Born Again! Part IV
Labels:
Important messages
In the last section we studied about the new creation and
then about being partakers of the divine nature. We continue now by considering
how the individual is a partaker and then how the church as a body demonstrates
the divine nature.
Once again, we look to some men of God to help us get a
better understanding of the new birth. I have added my thoughts concerning it. You
may copy this article unto your computer and add your own. Please study
carefully this extremely important subject and let it motivate you to call upon
God for a fresh demonstration of His power in granting new birth to people in
our generation. They must be born again!
A. On a personal level. Gal.2:20 (KJV)… “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Paul is talking here again of the new birth, the resurrected
life in Christ. First, however, he speaks of a crucifixion, which he
experienced and he is referring to his old self. Christ not only took sin to
the cross, but also the old man, the fallen nature of Adam. “Our old self was crucified with Him, in
order that our body of sin might be done away with” (Ro.6:6).
This gives further proof that a person, who is
born-again, does not continue to walk in sin. And now, according to God’s
desire, the characteristics of His Son shine through, because actually He lives
within. I hold to the King James translation here, that the faith is not in,
but of the Son of God. We will look
at this more thoroughly later. You Must Be Born Again! Part III
Labels:
Important messages
We continue to study the new birth. There are very few other Bible studies that are as important as this one is. In this part, I have quoted much from what others have written. We have to be ready to learn from others, because there is so much more that we need to know about this subject. I have written my part and I invite you to add yours in a notebook or on your own computer. The new birth is what marks true Christianity and distinguishes it from that which is only religious. We must see the hand of God working and the life of God demonstrated in that which is true. I hope that you will profit from and enjoy this study...
IV. A new creation. A New Man through the New Birth. Eph 4:24… “Put on the new man, which in the likeness of God
has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” He is a new man… Scofield “and is a new man as having become a partaker of the
divine nature and life, (2Pe_1:4) and, in no sense, the old man made over, or improved.
After
receiving the forgiveness of sins, a man receives a new nature, which is
compatible with God’s. In that state, he is brought into reconciliation with
God and a new, friendly relationship begins. Paul describes this
transformation, which occurs in any and every one, in every place at any time,
regardless of his race or nationality; this is what will happen: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creature (some versions put, a new creation… a better translation); the old things passed away; behold, new
things have come” (2 Co.5:17). If this
transformation does not happen, that person has not been born again and there
is to be no assumption that he is a Christian and that his sins are forgiven.
He must be born again! No human being
can help him into this birth. It is a miracle, which only God can do.
Unconditional Love?
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Important messages
I wish that I could ask each one
who pronounces the words, “unconditional
love”, what that expression means to him. Sometimes you hear it mentioned, “God’s
love is unconditional; He loves and doesn’t ask anything in return.” When it is
interpreted this way, I have a problem with the term. It’s possible that the
person who makes that statement has not thought this matter through and ignores
the importance of its significance.
Now, it is very true that the story of our spiritual life
begins with the love of God: “God, being rich in mercy, because of the
great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ” (Eph.2:5). He loved when we were incapable of
loving Him. It was His goodness that led us to repentance, and it was His
Spirit, who gave us ears to hear His Word. Only for that reason we were able to
believe. We are saying the same thing, when we claim that we are saved by grace
alone. However, it is not the same to
say that we are saved by grace, as it is to say, “His love is unconditional and
He expects nothing in exchange.” He loved us, when there was nothing to love,
but His love demands a response; that is, His
love demands conditions!
The development of an expression
like this one has a history… a history filled with repetitions. Soon, the whole
world is speaking of “unconditional love… unconditional love… unconditional
love”. The expression becomes popular and totally accepted among Christians.
Truthfully, it is a very attractive term, especially to the sentimental person…
and many judge things according to their feelings and not according to their biblical
value. Many live their entire “Christian” life that way, satisfying their
emotions, without wanting to think clearly about biblical truth. For that
reason, many terms arise which lack Bible support or, at least, many people
interpret them in an unbiblical manner.
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