The Treasure of Heaven on Earth

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23-24)

One day a rich young man came to Jesus and asked, “What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life.” He was somehow sensing a lack in his life, a disconnectedness from God, from heaven, even from life itself.

Jesus answered him simply, “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He knew that was where the problem lay, as well as the solution the young man thought he was seeking.

“Which ones?’ the young man asked. Jesus named a few, notably, the ones that pertain to relationship with others (the Fifth through Ninth Commandments). “All these things I have kept from my youth,” said the young man, and yet he still knew that something very important was missing in his life.

Then Jesus gave this startling reply: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” The young man went away greatly saddened because he had many possessions. Or as some have wisely noted, his possessions had him.

You see, the real problem was that he was trusting in his possessions, looking to them to be his source and supply. But in doing so, he was breaking the very first commandment: “I am the LORD your God; you shall have no other gods before Me.” This young man’s wealth and possessions had become his idols, usurping the place of God in his life. He was banking on them, instead of on God, to take care of him.

The young man departed and we do not know whatever became of him. But consider what would have happened if he had done as Jesus had told him. He would have entered into eternal life, the zoe life offered by God, the life Jesus came to bring us in abundance. Not only that, he would have discovered that he could trust God to take care of him and be his source of supply. He would have been banking on heaven.

“You will have treasure in heaven,” Jesus said. What is a treasury? Simply a storehouse. What is the purpose of a storehouse? It is a place where you keep things until you need them. “Treasure in heaven” is not God’s way to keep us from the things we need in this life. Quite the opposite, it is how God preserves for us the things we need in this life. When we commit ourselves and our means to the kingdom of God and His purposes, thieves cannot break in and steal them, varmints cannot consume them, and rust, rot and mold cannot corrupt them.

Watch how it works: Jesus told the young man to sell what he had and give to the poor, and he would have treasure in heaven. The Bible says, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what He has given” (Proverbs 19:17). Perhaps the rich young man forgot this, but Jesus didn’t.

Now, here is an interesting thing about the Hebrew word for “lend,” lavah. It means to entwine or join together, as in an arrangement between two people. It is used of the relationship between a lender and a borrower. When we give to the poor, God makes a deal with us where we are the lender and He is the borrower. God always makes good on His debts. The Hebrew word for “pay back” is shalam, and in this arrangement means that He will reciprocate, recompense, and restore. And when God repays, it is always with interest.

If this young man would have sold what he had to sell and given out of it to the poor, he would have had an account with God in the bank of heaven. Then when he himself was in need, God would have repaid him handsomely. But his money and possessions had become his idol, and he trusted in them more than he did in God. And he went away sorrowful.

When we bank our treasure in heaven, God will meet our needs on earth.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

Because of His Great Love

Oh, give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good!
Because His great love endures forever!

(Psalms 136:1)

God is love. Therefore, everything He does is because of His great love. Everything! Psalm 136 lays it out for us:

• All the great wonders He works He does because of His great love.
• He made the heavens by the wisdom of His great love.
• He drew the dry land out of the water and placed the sun, moon and stars because of His great love.
• He struck the firstborn of Egypt because of the great love He had for His people, to deliver them from cruel bondage.
• He brought Israel out of captivity because of His great love.
• He manifested His mighty strength on their behalf because of His great love.
• He divided the Red Sea and let Israel pass through it safely because of His great love.
• He let the Red Sea swallow up Pharaoh and his army because of His great love.
• He led His people through the wilderness because of His great love.
• He struck down great and famous kings — Sihon of the Amorites and Og of Bashan — to protect His people because of His great love.
• He gave their land as an inheritance to Israel because of His great love.
• He remembers us in our lowly state and rescues us from our enemies because of His great love.
• He makes provision for all His creation and gives food to all flesh because of His great love.

Give thanks to Yahweh because He is good and His great love endures forever.

Recession? No Thanks

My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

There has recently been a lot of talk about recession. Well, I don’t know whether or not one is coming. All is know is that my wife and I have decided that we are not going to be taking part in it, thank you very much. Of course, when I tell people this, I get some very confused looks: “How can you not be a part of it? Everyone is gonna be part of it. You gotta be part of it — you have no choice!”

Now, if the economy was our source and supply, I guess they would have a point; when the economy goes south, we would just have to go south with it. Fortunately, though, we no longer look to the economy to be our supply. Our supply is from God, and He is not in recession. Never has been; never will be.

God will never have say to us, “Well, I’d like to help you out with your need, but things are kinda tight right now, and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Maybe next quarter I’ll be a bit more flush, but right now, I’m just strapped.” Nope. There are never any shortages with God; He always has plenty enough to go around. The promise is always “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” When we look to Him as our Shepherd, we shall never be in lack or want of anything (Psalm 23:1).

Remember what happened to Isaac in Genesis 26. There was a famine in the land, and the Lord told him not to go down into Egypt, but to dwell in a land He would show him, and God would take care of him just as He had taken care of his father Abraham. Isaac obeyed, trusting in the Lord. Though he was surrounded by a hard famine, he chose not to participate in it. Rather, he sowed his seed as if there had been no famine at all.

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. (Genesis 26:12-14)

He received a hundredfold harvest — maximum return on his investment — so much so that the Philistines, who had no covenant with God, who did not know Him as their Shepherd, their source of supply, envied him greatly.

The Bible says that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34), which means that what God has done for others, He will do for all who come to Him in faith. Just as He blessed and prospered Isaac, even in famine, He will also do the same for you and me. So my wife and I have decided that we are not going to take part in any recession, but in the blessing and provision of God who supplies all we need according to His glorious riches in Jesus Christ.

God’s promises do not change with the state of the economy. He is still our Shepherd, and there is never any lack with Him.

Jury Duty: Opportunity for Onsite Prayer

Kingdom of God, come. Will of God, be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10, my translation)

This week, God assigned me to go down to the Hillsborough County courthouse and pray for the kingdom of God to come and the will of God to be done there just as it is in heaven. That was my assignment, although I expect Hillsborough County had no idea that was what would be happening when they sent me a jury summons.

When I first received that county letter I was a bit annoyed. Sure, jury duty is a civic responsibility, and I have a great appreciation for the fact our justice system provides for trials to be conducted before, and decided by, a panel of our peers. But let’s face it, such duty is seldom convenient, although, at least in my home county, everyone tried to be as accommodating at they could be.

As the day for appearing approached, I began to see that God had given me an opportunity to go into the bowels of the justice system and call for godly wisdom to be revealed in all the cases that were to be tried and all the decisions that we to be made. So I began to look forward to it.

The day finally arrived and I drove into Tampa, found a good spot in a nearby parking garage (I came early), filed through the security checkpoint and was processed, along with about three hundred other prospective jurors, into a large waiting room filled with chairs and some tables. Some people brought books to occupy their time, or grabbed a magazine from one of the nearby stacks. Others leaned back in their chairs and closed their eyes. There were also some chatty types scattered throughout, but they were generally sociable without being distracting. Everyone had their own strategy for waiting.

Finding a seat by a large man who turned out to be a truck driver, I began praying silently through the psalms for the day (five a day, because 150 psalms divided by thirty days in a month equals 5).

The time was broken up by various procedural matters. We were welcomed as a group, given a few instructions and explanations about jury service, and then sworn in, en masse, by one of the judges. Then we sat back and listened for our names to be called. Before long, a clerk began to rattle off lists and assembling little groups of about sixteen people, who were then led out by bailiffs for the next step in the selection process. This happened about every fifteen minutes, and when each reading came to end, a collective sigh of relief escaped all those who had not just been called.

In between lists, I returned to my psalms. When I finished that, I began meditating through Proverbs 14 (it was the 14th day of the month). Throughout it all, I offered up prayers, asking God to give His divine wisdom to each group, that each decision they made would reveal the heart of heaven, displaying the proper balance of justice and mercy. I was content to pass the day in that manner.

Then they called my name. I packed up my stuff and took my place in line, ready to move into the next level. I prayed for those who were in line with me. We were led into one of the courtrooms and seated before the judge who was to conduct the case for which we were being considered. The prosecuting and defense attorneys were also present, as well as the defendant, a somber-looking young man. I prayed for them all, that godly wisdom, justice and mercy would prevail in those proceedings, and in the life of that young man.

The case was about DUI, and the attorneys began to each one of us questions. Did we have any particular “feelings” about DUI? How accurate did we think breathalyzers were? What did we think about “the presumption of innocence” and about who had the burden of proof? We each answered in turn. Noting that I am a minister of the gospel, they asked me particularly about my opinion of DUI. I spoke my mind, that “driving under the influence” is wrong because it is dangerous and deadly, that I presumed the defendant was innocent until proven guilty, but that I presumed breathalyzers are accurate unless proven otherwise.

Then we were all led out while the judge deliberated with both attorneys about who would be impaneled in this trial. There were sixteen prospective jurors, but only eight chairs to be filled. In the end, I was not selected. So ended my duty.

I drove home, happy to be released, but also thankful for the opportunity to pray for God’s kingdom to be revealed and His will to be done in such a place where important, life-changing decisions are made. I may never know of any specific outcomes from my prayers that day, but I believe that when we pray the way Jesus taught us to pray, there will be divine, world-changing results.

Everywhere you go, there is an opportunity for you to pray for the kingdom of God to come and the will of God to be done there just as it is in heaven.

For the Sake of Heaven on Earth

There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it. (Matthew 19:12)

In Matthew 11, Jesus talked about the kingdom of Heaven on Earth forcefully advancing, and forceful men laying hold of it. In Matthew 13, He described it as a treasure hidden in a field, for which a man would give up all he has in order to possess it as his own. In Matthew 19, He briefly discusses a complication of marriage, particularly concerning divorce. Hearing this, his disciples said, “If such is the case with the man with his wife, it is better not to marry” (v. 10). Jesus answered

But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.” (vv. 11-12)

Referring to those “who have made themselves eunuchs,” He does not mean that they have emasculated themselves, as some have erroneously supposed. Rather, He is speaking of those who choose not to marry but to remain celibate in order to fulfill their destiny in God’s kingdom.

Some serve the kingdom by being fruitful and multiplying through marriage and family. Others serve by the devotion and focus unique to those who are single and celibate. Jesus recognized that not all receive, “but only those to whom it has been given.” In other words, it is a special calling. Concerning this same matter, Paul said, “As God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk” (1 Corinthians 7:17), and “Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called” (v. 20). He also cautions that it should not be a matter for great concern, for we are each free to marry or remain single, as the Lord has given us grace.

In the plan of God, the norm is for us to “be fruitful and multiply,” to “fill the earth and subdue it,” and to “have dominion” (Genesis 1:28). This is the prime directive given to man and woman, and it speaks of uniting in marriage, have children and nurturing families. For those do, great promise is given:

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

(Psalm 127:3-5)

But there is also great promise given to those who follow a special calling, who devote themselves in singleness and celibacy for the sake of the kingdom:

Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, “The Lord has utterly separated me from His people;” nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.” For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.” (Isaiah 56:3-5)

So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions — and in the age to come, eternal life. (Mark 10:29-30)

Whether you are married and nurturing children or single and celibate, let it be for the sake of Jesus, the Gospel and the kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

Jesus the Anointed One

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me. (Luke 4:18)

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. (Acts 10:38)

In the West, we often tend to think of “Jesus” as His first name and “Christ” as His last, but that is not accurate. “Christ” is not His surname; it is His title, and speaks of His office and function. Our English word “Christ” is an anglicized version of the Greek word Christos, which translates the Hebrew word Messiah, which literally means “Anointed One.” That is, Jesus Christ is actually Jesus the Anointed One.

In the Old Testament, kings and priests were anointed to show that they were authorized and empowered by God to operate in those offices. The title “Anointed One” shows that Jesus is authorized and empowered by God to rule over His people as His perfect and final King. It also reveals that Jesus is the true and ultimate intermediary between God and His people. All other kings and priests in the Old Testament were merely types and foreshadows of Jesus the Anointed One.

What is the function or purpose of His anointing? First, let’s look in Isaiah 10:27, where we see a description of the anointing:

It shall come to pass in that day
That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder,
And his yoke from your neck,
And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

The anointing is for removing all burdens from the people of God and destroying all the yokes of the oppressor. That is exactly what Jesus came to do — to remove the burdens and destroy the yoke of the oppressor. Jesus said,

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

The Bible teaches us that Jesus not only came to remove our burdens but also to destroy the yoke, or works of the devil:

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14)

Even the name “Jesus” speaks of this. In Hebrew, it is Yeshua, which literally means “salvation,” and speaks of deliverance, healing, and restoration to prosperity and well-being. We find all this in the anointing. One day, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue and He read from the scroll of Isaiah (at Isaiah 61:1-2):

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.

(Luke 4:18-19)

Then He sat down, indicating that He was about to comment on that passage, and said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). The gospel of Jesus the Anointed One lifts the burden and breaks the yoke of poverty, sickness, blindness and oppression, bringing prosperity, freedom and wholeness in their place. Because He is anointed with the Spirit of the LORD, all these things are fulfilled in Him and are available to all those who believe Him. Peter summarized it this way:

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)

Remember that Jesus is the Christ, the One Anointed by God to lift every burden and destroy every demonic bondage in your life, and restore you to wholeness in every way.

Boundless Love

The first and most important thing is that we are boundlessly loved by God who blesses us to love Him boundlessly in return.”

— Fr. Thomas Hopko, 2007 commencement address
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.
Quote in First Things, December 2007.

Pure bliss!

The Kingdom of Forgiveness on Earth

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22)

Peter thought he would be doing pretty good to forgive someone seven times. Jewish rule required only three times, while Peter was offering seven times. But he was asking a loaded question — and it backfired on him!

“Seven times isn’t nearly enough, Peter. Try seventy times seven” (my paraphrase). Jesus wasn’t quantifying forgiveness (forgive 490 times). No, He was saying that there is no limit to forgiveness. Then to drive the point home, He likened the matter of forgiveness to the kingdom of Heaven on Earth — it is vital to our relationship with our heavenly Father.

Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, “Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.” Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. (Matthew 18:23-27)

See how great a debt this man was forgiven. Ten thousand talents was an enormous amount of money. One talent equaled about 6,000 denarii; ten thousand talents was worth 60 million denarii. A denarius was about one day’s wage. If a man labored every day of his life, he would have to work over 164,000 years to pay off such a debt. But that is how much this steward owed his master — and that is how much he was forgiven.

Now, we ought to think that one who was forgiven such a debt would be willing, out of love, respect and gratitude toward his master, to forgive the debt owed him by another. But such is not the case.

But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, “Pay me what you owe!” So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.” And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. (Matthew 18:28-30)

This steward, who was forgiven the debt of 60 million denarii, was completely unwilling to forgive the debt of 100 denarii (one 600,000th of what he himself had been forgiven). The forgiveness of his master did not penetrate his heart. He did not let even a tiny bit of the kindness shown to him flow through him to someone else.

So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. (Matthew 18:31-34)

The master had forgiven the great debt owed him, but he did expect that the compassion he showed his servant would be reciprocated toward others. As Paul said, “Owe no man anything except to love one another” (Romans 13:8). That is the only proper debt we should have. Because of his unwillingness to forgive, the servant reaped a hard harvest of suffering and shame.

Now consider carefully Jesus’ conclusion to the matter:

So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses. (Matthew 18:35)

Notice that forgiveness is first a matter of the heart. God has forgiven us a great debt, more than we could ever pay, and He intends for it to work throughout our heart like the leaven of love. When we are unwilling to forgive others, we are rejecting the work God wants to do in us, instead of letting divine love have its perfect way. God will not let up on us until we repay the debt of love and forgive those who have sinned against us.

Do not hinder the flow of forgiveness from heaven to earth. Let your love and forgiveness be without limits, and so let the heartbeat of your heavenly Father change the world through you. It is vital to the manifestation of the kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

Prosperity for the Nations

Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

(Psalm 2:10-12)

Psalm 1 shows how the individual can prosper and be blessed. Psalm 2 shows how all the nations of the earth can prosper and be blessed. Though it ends with a note of hope and assurance for all those, even heads of state, who put their trust in God, this psalm begins with a conspiracy of nations in rebellion: “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?” (v. 1). What is interesting here is that the Hebrew word for “plot” is the same one used for “meditate” in Psalm 1. There it speaks of meditation — one’s self-talk — on the Word of God; here it refers to the vain imaginations of traitors egging one another on in accusation against God.

The psalm writer continues, “The kings of the earth have set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and His Anointed [Messiah]” (v. 2). This is the counsel of the wicked, the path of the sinful, the seat of the mockers. Hear the bile of their anger: “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us” (v. 3). They devise, they scheme, they connive. They twist and contort and imagine themselves a great terror to the purposes of God.

God laughs. Their brilliant strategy is utter nonsense, as comical as a flea trying to work jujitsu on an elephant. It does not slow Him down one bit as He prepares for the Great Coronation, and He lets them know it.

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”

(Psalm 2:4-6)

And Messiah receives the assignment:

“I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.’”

(Psalm 2:7-9)

All the nations of the earth are His inheritance; the whole world belongs to Him. Though He is the stone the kings and builders of the world rejected, He has become the Cornerstone with which everything must be set in proper order — or else be demolished.

And here’s an unexpected turn. Instead of dropping the hammer on them, God graciously extends an invitation, an opportunity to get a little life-saving wisdom.

Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Get a clue. Receive correction. Figure out who is Lord of All and serve Him with all your heart, realizing how awesome He is and counting yourself fortunate to have come to your senses just in time. Run to His embrace and honor Him with a kiss, while there is yet time to know the happiness — the bliss — of finding all your peace and prosperity in Him.

Messiah has ascended to His throne and is receiving the nations for His inheritance, and He is calling them to receive Him, and know Him as King over all kings and Lord over all lords. The prosperity of the nations is found in Him alone.

Prosperity in This New Year

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

(Psalm 1:1-3)

Psalm 1 is a very good place to start off the new year. It offers us wisdom, prosperity and the sharp contrast of two very different ways.

First, there is the way of those who are flat-out wrong; not only morally wrong, but ultimately also strategically wrong — it does not work. In the last half of this psalm, we discover that the ungodly (those who reject the way of God) are like chaff driven away by the wind (v. 4). They will not be able to withstand the judgment of God (v. 5), but will perish in their way (v. 6). This way is wrong from beginning to end. It offers bad counsel, leads to corrupt actions and speaks with bitter, negative words.

It is good to be well-rid of such things, but that is not enough—they must be replaced with something much better. Enter into the second way:

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

Here is a focus that is completely different — the law of the LORD. Now, we often think of law as something that hinders us in our pleasures and pursuits. But that is not what the “law of the Lord” is about at all. The Hebrew word for “law” is torah and can just as well be translated “instruction.” See, God offers us instruction in how we can live and enjoy life to the fullest, to get the maximum benefit and pleasure. That’s why this psalm begins with “Blessed is the man.” It is not about sanctimony but about bliss — deep happiness.

The instruction of the Lord offers the best counsel of all, the wisdom of God. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, but He gives us His instruction so we can know His ways and think after His thoughts. They properly focus us and lead us into prosperous actions that bring prosperous results.

The instruction of the Lord teaches us how to think, act and speak. That last one is very important because the Bible teaches us that the world was created by words: God said, “Light, be!” and light was. God also created us to be speaking creatures, and our words can be very powerful, but apart from Him we simply don’t know what to say, so we often speak words that are very destructive.

But God has given us His Word, and the man who delights in it, who derives the greatest pleasure and benefit from it is the one who is always meditating on it. Now, the Hebrew word for “meditate” literally refers to what we might call our “self-talk.” When we meditate on God’s Word, we are talking about it to ourselves. As we do, this Word begins to teach us, revealing things to our inner man.

Jesus said that it is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). When we continually let the Word of God be the source of our meditation, our self-talk, then that is what our heart will be filled with. Consequently, that is what our mouths will begin to speak, which is something we will appreciate especially in times of great difficulty.

Delighting ourselves in the instruction of the Lord and always letting it speak to our heart produces great results: “He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” We do not have time to unpack those statements here, but it is all good and a description of bliss.

Happy New Year!

Christmas in Mark

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1)

If we think of Christmas only as the nativity scene, then Mark has nothing to offer us concerning it — no star, no shepherds, no wise men, not even Joseph and Mary, or the infant in a manger. But if we think of Christmas as the coming of Christ into the world, then Mark has something very important to tell us.

The gospel of Jesus Christ has a beginning, and Mark locates that beginning in John the Baptist, and the prophecy that lays out his mission:

As it is written in the Prophets [Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3]:

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”

(Mark 1:2-3)

Literally, the language alludes to road-building, the preparation of highways. The custom in those days was for kings to send people ahead to make level and passable the roads on which they would soon be traveling. Metaphorically, it is about preparing the hearts of the people to receive the King. This is what Mark is talking about. The role of John the Baptist was to prepare the hearts of the people to receive the Messiah.

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:4-8)

Preparing the way for the Coming King, John preached a baptism of repentance. The Greek word “repentance” literally refers to a change of mind, how one thinks about something. It was a preparation of their hearts: First, concerning sin, that it did not belong in their lives; second, concerning how they could be delivered from it and find forgiveness — they would not be able to deal with it themselves. Many came confessing their sins, agreeing with God that they had been wrong to do such things, and also looking to Him to do something about their shortcomings. They were baptized, their bodies cleansed, their hearts bathed in this new message John was bringing:

There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

John’s baptism pointed them to Jesus the Messiah, and prepared their hearts, by repentance, to receive Him. But Jesus would come and wash over them with the life-changing reality of the Holy Spirit. This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark.

This is the season of Advent, the four weeks before Christmas when we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of our King, even as we watch for His return. It is a season of repentance, to let go of the expectations we have set upon ourselves, that we may more fully anticipate Him. Even now, He will bathe us with His Spirit and change the world.

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Let Earth Receive Her King
Advent, Christmas and the Kingdom of God
by Jeff Doles

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Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

Agreement in Jesus’ Name is a Threefold Cord

Someone asked if it is necessary to get in agreement with another in order for our faith confession of the Word to come to pass.

If we have faith in the Word of God, even if nobody else is believing it with us, it is still more than enough to get the job done, because the promises of God are sure. The thing about coming into agreement with others concerning matters we are believing God for is that it is a very great encouragement to our faith; we know that we are not alone in it, but there is someone else who is standing in faith with us. It helps us stay focused and not give up. It also helps us to check our heart so that we are not believing with the wrong motive, or for something that does not belong to us. And when the thing we are believing God for comes to pass, we know there is someone with whom we can rejoice. So getting into agreement with another is a very powerful thing. God honors it.

Think about Leviticus 26:8, where God says of those who obey and honor Him that five shall chase a hundred (1:20 ratio), and that one hundred shall put ten thousand to flight (1:100 ratio). When there is agreement, the increase in effectiveness increases exponentially. That is, it doesn't just add up — it multiplies!

Or consider what the Preacher said in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together,
they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered by another,
two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Or remember how David described the blessing of unity, which is essentially about coming into agreement:

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing —
Life forevermore.

(Palm 133)

And of course, wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus' name, He is there in the midst — it is an open heaven. When we are in agreement with Jesus and with each other about anything on earth, we have a direct line to our Father in heaven, and it will be done for us. Guaranteed.

Sometimes the only one we have we can agree with is Jesus, and that is powerful enough. But it is even better when we have someone else and it becomes a threefold cord.

Miracles and Manifestations of the Holy Spirit

Our new book, Miracles and Manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the History of the Church is now here!

God Has Always Done Miracles
in His Church—and Still Does!

The Holy Spirit has never left the Church and neither have His supernatural gifts and manifestations. They have been available in every century—from the days of the Apostolic Fathers, to the desert monks of Egypt and Syria, to the missionary outreaches of the Middle Ages, to the Reformation era and the awakenings and revivals that followed, to the Pentecostal explosion of the Twentieth Century and the increase of signs and wonders in the Twenty-first.

Miracles, healings, deliverances, prophecies, dreams, visions—even raising the dead!—have all been in operation throughout the history of the Church. Anglicans, Baptists, Catholics, Congregationalists, Lutherans, Methodists, Moravians, Presbyterians, Quakers and many others have experienced the supernatural gifts and workings of the Spirit over the centuries.

Miracles and Manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the History of the Church, by Jeff Doles, gathers up numerous accounts from a variety of historical sources and provides a handy reference for those who want to know more about:

• How the Church has understood and operated in the gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit at various times in history.
• Why the gifts and miracles were more frequently in manifestation in some eras than in others.
• The many ways the Church has ministered in healing and deliverance.
• How the Holy Spirit manifested in great revivals.
• How the river of gifts and miracles continues to flow today.

Available at our website, at Amazon, and in eBook at Lulu.com.

You can preview it in PDF here.

The Kingdom in Jesus’ Name

I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them. (Matthew 18:18-20)

Jesus is the connection between heaven and earth. Though He is now seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father, whenever even only two or three come together on earth in His name, He is present with us. This has everything to do with the kingdom of Heaven on Earth. It is, in fact, the reason given for these two statements:

• “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” To bind is to forbid; to loose is to permit. The grammatical tense concerning what is bound or loosed in heaven is that they will already have been bound or loosed in heaven. That is, whatever we bind on earth will already have been bound in heaven, and whatever we set loose on earth will already have been set loose in heaven.
• “If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.” This second statement is to be taken together with the first statement, about binding and loosing, for it is about manifesting on earth whatever is happening in heaven. Whenever we come into agreement with each other about these things on earth, our Father will bring them about on earth just as they are in heaven.

The particular context of these sayings has to do with resolving disputes among believers, but their meaning and application are not limited to that. They are true in particular because they are true in general, for they are in agreement with the general prayer model which Jesus teaches us to pray, “Your kingdom, come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus authorizes to bring forth the will of God on earth just as it is being done in heaven. Not just in certain narrowly defined situations, but in everything that has to do with the heart of our Father in heaven, outside of which there is nothing good.

The authority for these things is the name of Jesus. It is only by coming together in His name that we are able to walk in these things. To come together in His name means that we are all about Him and His purposes, to ask and act on His behalf and in the way He would ask and act. It does no good if we are in agreement with each other but not with Him. It is only as we ask and act in agreement with Him that we are enabled to manifest the kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

The kingdom of Heaven on Earth is revealed when we come together in the authority of Jesus’ name.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

The Kingdom of Little Ones

Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. (Matthew 18:5)

The disciples argued over who would be greatest in the kingdom. Jesus answered that only those who humbled themselves as a little child would even enter the kingdom, but they would also be the greatest.

This changes everything. No longer are we to live our lives seeking personal power and pride of position. We come to God confessing, “I cannot do for myself; You must do for me.” It is coming before Him with the meekness and powerlessness of a child. Only these qualify as the great ones who are worthy of the kingdom. To welcome and honor them in Jesus’ name is to welcome and honor Jesus Himself.

So great are these in the eyes of Jesus, He gives stern warnings to those who would treat them in any lesser way.

• But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:6)
• Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. (Matthew 18:10)

Everyone who comes depending on God belongs to the kingdom of Heaven on Earth, and is to be highly esteemed. Even those whom the world considers the least are among the great ones in God’s eyes. Those who despise, hinder or trip them up in any way will face stern judgment and the angels of God.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

The Greatest in the Kingdom

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.” (Matthew 18:1-5)

The disciples were arguing among themselves as to who would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven on Earth. It was not a discussion about greatness as a matter of character to be emulated but about position to be coveted. So they came and asked Jesus.

Jesus turned the question on its head. He set a little children before them. Little children had not status in that society; their opinions were not solicited and no one sought out their favor. They could not do anything for others; indeed, they were fully dependent on the goodness of others to meet their most basic needs, to care for them in every way.

That is how we come into the kingdom, by being fully dependent upon God. It requires a total reorientation, a conversion, a turning from faith in ourselves to faith in God. We must become like little children. Without that, we have no place in the kingdom. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

On the other hand, whoever humbles himself to become fully dependent upon God, is the greatest in the kingdom. What is more, whoever receives and honors such a one in Jesus’ name, receives and honors the Lord Jesus as well. The disciples thought greatness was about pride of position, but it turns out that it is about the humbleness of faith.

The greatest in the kingdom of Heaven on Earth are those who trust God completely, in all things.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

The Son of Man Coming in His Kingdom

Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. (Matthew 16:28)

Mark 9:1 has “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.” Luke 9:27 says, “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.” In all three Gospels, the next event that follows is the Transfiguration. Clearly, the evangelists view it as a fulfillment of Jesus’ words. Peter, James and John were the ones privileged to go with Jesus upon that mount and see Him present in His kingdom, and His kingdom present in power.

And He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:2-5)

Moses and Elijah appeared with the Lord Jesus there. The revelation of the Old Testament had ended with the admonition to remember the law of Moses, and the promise that God would send Elijah before the great “day of the Lord” would arrive. Now Moses and Elijah had come upon the scene — and here was Jesus shining with the glory of heaven!

The disciples were stunned. Mark notes that Peter did not know what to say (Mark 9:6), but that did not keep him from saying it. “Let’s make three tabernacles; one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He royally missed the point. This was not about Moses and Elijah, but about Jesus alone. He was the fulfillment of what the Law-giver and the Prophet stood for, and when the fulfillment has come, the type is no longer needed. That is why the voice of the Father came from heaven and answered, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

It is all about Jesus — His kingdom, His power, His glory. His disciples saw it and experienced it for themselves, and it would not be their last time. The other disciples would also see further manifestations of Jesus in His kingdom.

• At the Resurrection, when Jesus was raised by the glory of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
• At the Ascension, forty days later, when Jesus returned to heaven and took His throne at the right hand of the Father, where He now rules and reigns forever as King over all. Before He ascended, He announced that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him, and then commissioned His disciples to proclaim it in all the world.
• At Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they received the very power by which the kingdom operates, to manifest that Jesus is King. The book of Acts is a chronicle of the kingdom, power and glory of Jesus being put on display. Indeed, the history of the Church is full of such things.
• At the Second Coming, when the King returns and the fullness of His kingdom is made known, and heaven and earth become one. Then every eye shall behold Him, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

Do you see Jesus coming in His kingdom — the kingdom of Heaven on Earth? If is the fulfillment of all God promised in the Law and the Prophets, and it has already begun.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

The Keys of the Kingdom

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:17-19)

Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” After receiving various answers, He then asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” That is when Peter boldly answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” He nailed it in one, but not because of his own ingenuity — it was a revelation he received from heaven. “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

The kingdom Jesus preached and taught is the connection between heaven and earth. The revelation Peter received on earth came from the Father in heaven. It was the foundational truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the One Anointed by God to redeem His people and be their King. Indeed, Jesus is the Son of the Living God, which is to say that He is the only true God and the source of all life. This powerful truth is the basis for the kingdom of Heaven on Earth, and of the Church.

Jesus said that on this rock, this revelation, He would build His Church, and the gates of hell could not be able to overcome it. The gates of ancient Biblical cities were where the business pertaining to those cities was conducted. They were where counsels were determined and strategies devised. All the strategies and devices of hell will never be able to prevail against that which Jesus has built on the revelation of who He is. Indeed, the Church shall overcome and undo all the strategies of hell. For the Church has been given the keys to the kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

Keys control the gates. They open things up and shut things tight. They bind and they loose. The keys of the kingdom are the authority and power to bind on earth what has already been bound in heaven and loose on earth what has already been loosed in heaven. It is not the gates of hell, but rather the counsels and strategies of heaven, the will of our Father being done on earth as it is in heaven, that will prevail.

The authority and power of the keys to the kingdom of Heaven on Earth is found in the revelation that Jesus is the Anointed King, the Son of the Living God.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

The Treasury of the Kingdom

Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:51-52)

Having taught His disciples many parables, in public and in private, about the kingdom of Heaven on Earth, Jesus asks them if they understand. The Greek word for “understand” means to put together, to comprehend. Yes, they had connected the dots.

Jesus then likened them to scribes. A scribe was a scholar of the Hebrew Scriptures. The disciples already had an understanding about God’s purposes in the Old Testament. Maybe not all the ins and outs, but enough to know about Messiah and His kingdom. Now they were being instructed — “discipled” is what the Greek word means — by the King Himself. They were receiving fresh revelation on important aspects of the kingdom they had not known before. They were witnessing the fulfillment of what the ancient prophets had spoken.

Every student of Old Testament promise who has also been discipled concerning its fulfillment is like the master of the house who “brings out of his treasure things new and old.” The treasure, or treasury, is his storehouse; he has laid up for himself treasure in heaven, that which speaks of Heaven on Earth. He “brings out” things “new and old.” The Greek word for “bring out” is ekballo, which means to fling or hurl forth. It is active, not passive. The master of the house does not wait to be asked, but is passionate about taking these things to others.

The Greek word for “new” refers to that which is fresh; the word for “old” speaks of that which is ancient, antique, worn by use. For where there is a promise, it must be fulfilled, or else it will become stale. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire [that which is hoped for] comes, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12). The “scribe” discipled about the kingdom of heaven not only brings the hope, but is also able to show the fulfillment.

Just as Jesus came preaching the good news of the kingdom of heaven, He prepares His disciples to do the same — to offer the hope of Heaven on Earth, and the fulfillment of that hope through faith in Messiah.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

The Kingdom Gathering In and Sorting Out

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:47-50)

Notice that there are two actions taking place in this parable: Gathering in and sorting out. In Matthew 12:32, Jesus spoke two ages: This age and the age to come. This age is passing away, along with the lust of it (1 John 2:17). It is an age of darkness, but it is already passing away and the true light, the light of the age to come is already shining (1 John 2:8). Those who receive the Lord Jesus are son of that kingdom which is already breaking into the world. Those who reject Him are part of the world system that is passing away.

This present age is the age of gathering in people of every kind. However, not all who are in the kingdom are of the kingdom, nor do they all belong to the kingdom. There are those to whom the kingdom of Heaven on Earth has been given, and those to whom it has not. There are those who have ears to hear the word of the kingdom, and those who do not. There are those who receive the seed in good soil, with the whole heart, and those who do not. There are those who give up everything that they may possess the kingdom, and those who do not. There are those who are “sons of the kingdom,” and those who are “sons of the wicked one.” In other words, there are those who believe the Gospel and receive the King, and those who do not.

At the end of this age, there will be a sorting out. Those who belong to the kingdom shall see it in all its fullness and have joy in the age to come. Those who belong to this present age shall see the destruction of all they have so vainly held onto, and know only sorrow and misery.

The kingdom of Heaven on Earth is the only one that is going to be left standing at the end of this age. Be sure that you are not only in it, but of it, by receiving the King.

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The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Keys to the Kingdom of God
in the Gospel of Matthew
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.