The Faith Log

Friday, January 15, 2010

New Birth, New Mind, New Life

The Faith Log reaches a milestone today with this, the 1,000th post.

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16)

“Therefore” — because of the new birth, the living hope, the incorruptible inheritance and inexpressible joy we have in Jesus — “gird up the loins of your mind.” The mind, of course, has no loins. “Girding the loins” is a metaphor for preparing for action. The robes worn in Peter’s day could be gathered up for one to move quickly and easily. “Prepare your mind for actions” is how the NASB puts it. Or as The Message says, “Put your mind in gear.”

Peter wants believers to be prepared to think in a new way because of what God is revealing to us and in us. Paul speaks similarly in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Both Peter and Paul tell us that we need to renew our thinking with the truth of the gospel.

“Be sober,” Peter says, or “sober-minded” (ESV), or “sober in spirit” (NASB). He is talking about being directed by this new way of thinking. We are to set our hope, our expectation, on the grace of God that brings us this salvation, which will come to its completion when Jesus is revealed at the end of the age, and we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

“As obedient children.” Through faith in Jesus the Messiah, we receive new birth and become children of God. The Greek word for “obedience” comes from a root, hypakouo, which has to do with hearing. As children of God, we are to give heed to a new voice. “Not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance.” Conformity speaks of our outward manner of life. Before we knew God, we were left to our own corrupt desires. But these no longer match the inward reality of who we now are in Jesus. As Paul said in Romans 12:2, we are not to be conformed but transformed, so that our outward manner corresponds to our inner being, our new life in Messiah.

Peter says the same thing as Paul, only in a different way: “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” God has called us and it is now His voice we are to listen to. Our manner of life is to reflect what He is like — we can do that now because of our new life in Jesus. God is “holy,” which means that He is set apart; there is no one else like Him in all the world. We, too, are holy, which means that we are set apart as God’s own, and our lives should demonstrate that. Paul speaks of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23), the work of God’s Spirit to bring forth the character of Jesus the Messiah in our lives.

Keeping the Faith When Things Get Tough
Peter’s Letter to Jesus Believers Scattered Everywhere
Bite-Sized Studies Through First Peter
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

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

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Intense Desire of Prophets and Angels

Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — things which angels desire to look into. (1Peter 1:10-12)

The prophets of the Old Testament spoke by the Holy Spirit, whom Peter here calls the Spirit of Messiah (Christ). They brought the promise of salvation, which has now been fulfilled by Jesus the Messiah and is being revealed to us (see The Abundant Mercy of God Revealed). Though they brought the message, these prophets did not understand exactly how and when it would come about, but they longed to know. Peter uses three verbs to bring out the intensity of this desire:

“inquired,” Greek ekzeteo, the craving to know something, to thoroughly seek it out.
“searching,” Greek ereuneo, to investigate or examine.
“searched diligently,” exereuneo, an intensified form of eruneo.

Pairing together “inquired” (ekzeteo) with “searched diligently” (exereuneo),” as Peter does here, concentrates these already emphatic words even more. It is almost as if he cannot find enough words to show how much the Old Testament prophets longed to know the things Peter was now talking about. Earlier, he wrote of the intense, unmitigated, inexpressible joy we can now have in Jesus (see A Joy Words Cannot Contain). Now, he reveals another dimension of that joy by describing the passionate longing of the prophets to know all about God’s plan for us.

The Holy Spirit testified beforehand, witnessing to them in advance about the things that Messiah would suffer for the sake of God’s people and the glories (note the plural) that would follow, what this suffering would mean, not just for Israel, but for all the world. The prophets understood that these things would not be fulfilled in their own day but were for future generations. Peter says they were ministering to us to whom the gospel — the good news that Messiah has now come into the world — has been preached.

Peter knows well when and why the Holy Spirit was “sent from heaven.” He was there at Pentecost, when the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus’ disciples. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus had promised, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The same Spirit who foretold the coming of Messiah through the prophets now proclaimed it through Spirit-filled witnesses.

Peter then says something that lifts this wonder up even higher. He has spoken of the great passion of the prophets to understand these things. Now he speaks of these as “things angels desire to look into.” The Greek word for “desire” is epithumeo. It is made up of two words: epi, which here signifies intensity, and thumeo, which is passion. The word for “look” is parakupto, also made up of two words: para, beside and kupto, to bend forward or stoop down. Picture angels leaning over, stooping sideways, stretching their necks, with an intense curiosity, passion and awe to see the wonderful things God has done for us. The Message Bible says, “Angels would have given anything to be in on this!”

The prophets of old did not live to see these things come to pass. Angels are sort of bystanders, “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). But we heirs of this promise. If prophets passionately sought to understand it and angels intensely desire to stoop low just to see it, how marvelous it must be for us who receive it.

Monday, January 11, 2010

A Joy Words Cannot Contain

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9)

“In this” — a new birth, a living hope, an incorruptible and unfading inheritance ready to be revealed (see The Abundant Mercy of God Revealed) — there is cause for great rejoicing. The Greek word behind “greatly rejoice” is agalliao, which literally means to “jump for joy.” It is made up of two words: agan, which means “much” and hallomai, which means to leap, spring up or gush like water. It is not a joy that is quiet and sedate but one that is exuberant, ecstatic, animated.

It is a joy that will endure, even in the face of all the various, distressing trials that may test it. They only reveal the genuineness of faith. Not just faith as the act of believing, but also faith as the object of our trust: the promise of God we have in Jesus the Messiah.

Peter compares it to the refining of gold. There is a Jewish form of argument implied here, known as qal vahomer, arguing from the lesser to the greater. It is the kind of argument Jesus used when He said, “How much more …” (e.g., Luke 11:13; Luke 12:24, 28). If gold, which can be destroyed, is considered valuable, then how much more precious is our faith, which will not only endure but will result in praise, honor and glory when King Jesus appears.

This is an apt comparison. When gold is refined, it is heated up until the dross (impurities) comes to the surface and is scooped away. Caution is required because if it is overheated, the gold will be destroyed — it will perish. The process is repeated until the gold is so pure the refiner can see his reflection in it.

Likewise, God allows trials to come in order to refine us. Not to destroy our faith but to remove the impurities that hinder our faith, for it is our faith that overcomes the world and its present distresses (1 John 5:4). When God allows our faith to be “tested by fire,” it is so we may reflect the Lord Jesus. As John says, “When He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1John 3:2). His glory will be revealed in us, and indeed, we will share in His glory, just as the moon shares in the glory of the sun by revealing it in the darkness. One day it will all be revealed in full, but even now it has already begun.

Peter saw Jesus in the flesh, in His earthly ministry, but those to whom Peter writes had not, yet they loved Him anyway. The fact that they did not have the same physical experience of Jesus that Peter had did not matter one bit. They had the Holy Spirit in them to reveal the Lord Jesus to them (see v. 2) and that was quite enough for them to fall in love with Him. Though they did not presently see him, they believed in Him anyway. Faith does not require sight! Paul said that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God, the preaching of the good news about King Jesus the Messiah, and reveals Him to us.

Not only did they believe, they “rejoiced” — there’s that word agalliao again — they “jumped for joy” because of Him. Not only joy that was exuberant and ecstatic, but “inexpressible and full of glory.” It is a joy that words cannot contain, a joy that reveals the glory of God, a joy that makes present tests and trials pale by comparison.

It is a joy that lays hold of the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls. The Greek word for “salvation,” soteria, means to rescue, preserve, prosper, restore to health and well-being. Peter has already spoken of it as something to be revealed (future tense) in the “last time,” but here he speaks of already receiving it (present, continuous tense). The future is breaking into the present and we get to experience more and more as we overcome, through faith, the various trials of the present.

The Greek word for “receive” here, komizo, is about receiving what has been promised. In King Jesus the Messiah, we have received wonderful promises and we can begin to experience their fulfillment even now. Present distresses get swallowed up by the inexpressible joy of God’s salvation already coming into the world.

Friday, January 8, 2010

The Abundant Mercy of God Revealed

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Peter uses a very Jewish form of prayer: “Blessed be God.” The object of his praise is the One who is the Father of our Lord Jesus, in whom are fulfilled the promises of God to the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament. Jesus is King and Messiah for the sake of both Jewish and Gentile believers, and Peter, addressing both groups without distinction, calls Him our Lord.

In Jesus the Messiah, God has displayed His abundant mercy. Though writing in Greek, Peter would have most likely had the Hebrew word hesed in mind, the word used so often in the Old Testament for the faithful love and mercy God promised to show His covenant people. Peter then details some of the ways this divine love and mercy are revealed to us in the Lord Jesus.

Through the new birth. God has begotten us again through faith in the Lord Jesus, so that we would have the right to become children of God (John 1:12). This new birth is from above, by the Spirit of God (John 3:3-6). We are born again of the Sprit but also of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). God, who called the world into existence by His Word, gives us new birth by that same Word.

Through a living hope. The biblical use of “hope” does not refer to wishful thinking or to things that are tentative. It speaks of a positive expectation, a joyful anticipation. In Jesus the Messiah, we have a living hope. It is the joyful anticipation of divine life and fellowship without end. In Ephesians, Paul prayed that God would give us wisdom and revelation by the Holy Spirit so that we would be able to know what this hope is all about (Ephesians 1:17-18).

Through the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah from the dead. Here is the direct reason we have a living anticipation: Jesus has been raised from the dead. Paul calls Him “the firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:18) and spends a great deal of time in 1 Corinthians 15 talking about what that means for us who believe in Him. The Jews expected that there would be a resurrection of the just at the end of the age, but in the resurrection of Jesus, the end of the age has broken into the midst of this present age as the firstfruits, the surety of what is to come for all who trust in Him.

Through an inheritance that is indestructible and undefiled. Inheritance speaks of family and fatherhood. Through the new birth, we have God as our Father and become part of His family, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). In Adam, we inherited death and moral corruption (Romans 5). In Jesus the Messiah, we inherit life and purity. In his second letter, Peter says that God has given us “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4). This inheritance will not fade away, as flowers do, but is carefully guarded for us in heaven. It is of heaven but it is not just for heaven, for in the resurrection, our life will be on earth, and heaven and earth will finally be joined together as one (Revelation 21).

Through the coming revelation of salvation. This is the ultimate unveiling of what God is doing in us. We enter into the family by faith in the Lord Jesus, and God is currently maturing the life of Jesus in us through work of the Holy Spirit (see Transformed by the Holy Spirit). One day it shall all be revealed. John said, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2).

Thursday, January 7, 2010

A Letter to Scatterlings

To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:1-2)

Peter writes to people who are “pilgrims,” “temporary residents” (HCSB), “strangers” (KJV), “those who reside as aliens” (NASB). They are a people displaced, and probably not voluntarily. They are “exiles” (ESV), probably because of the persecution in Rome that was starting to heat up under Nero. Peter probably wrote this from Rome, referring to it as Babylon (1Peter 5:13). In the Old Testament, to which Peter frequently alludes, Babylon was the place of exile for the Jews.

These believers were diaspora, scatterlings dispersed throughout five Romans provinces in Asia Minor. The ones James wrote his letter to were mostly Jewish believers, of the “twelve tribes,” spread out among non-believing Gentiles (James 1:1). These to whom Peter writes are a blend of Jewish and Gentile believers, displace because of their faith in Jesus the Messiah.

Peter calls them “elect,” chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God.” They are the people of God and part of His eternal plan. Whatever they are going through, it has not taken God by surprise and, more importantly, He will not let them down but will see them through.

They are sanctified, consecrated, set apart by the Holy Spirit as God’s own. It is why He has chosen them, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood. This is an allusion to Exodus 24:7-8, when God first made covenant with the children of Israel. The people answered, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.” Then Moses took the blood of sacrifice and sprinkled it on them, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.” In Jesus Christ, we are joined to God in a new and better covenant, established on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). At the Last Supper, Jesus took the cup of wine and said, “This is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). The obedience here is the obedience of faith, putting our trust in Jesus the Messiah.

Though Peter does not develop a theology of the Trinity here, notice how he identifies the three persons of the Godhead: the Father in His foreknowledge and gracious choice, Jesus Christ in the shedding of His blood, and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

Then there is the benediction, the words of blessing, “Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” A common Jewish salutation was “Greetings and peace,” but the apostles altered that. The Greek word for “greetings,” chairein, means to be well and full of cheer. But the apostles used a related word, charis, the word for “grace.” In their usage, it signifies the grace or favor that comes from God. The Greek word for “peace” is eirene, but being Jewish, Peter no doubt had in mind the Hebrew shalom, which speaks of the wholeness that comes from God. The addition of “be multiplied” is peculiar to Peter’s letters and the epistle of Jude. It speaks of the fullness of divine favor and wholeness being revealed. God does not withhold His blessing from us, but as we grow in grace and come to know the Lord Jesus more and more (2 Peter 3:18), we experience more and more the fullness of His grace and peace.

This letter was to be copied and circulated especially to the churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, although it has, of course, come to the whole Church in the canon of Scripture. Some commentators take it as a catechism, instruction for converts, or a letter of exhortation and encouragement for the newly baptized.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

A Letter from Rocky

This week, the Tuesday a.m. Bible study I lead began going through the book of First Peter.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:1)

The name Peter comes from the Greek word, petros, which means “rock.” It is the name Jesus gave Simon bar Jonah when he received a very important truth from God:

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

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 16:13-19)

Simon did not come up with this on his own. It was a revelation he received directly from heaven. It was the sudden, divine realization that the one to whom he was speaking was the promised Messiah, the Anointed One who would deliver Israel and set the whole world right. It was the heaven-induced recognition that Jesus was not merely human but divine.

Jesus called him Rock because he had received this foundational truth. On this revelation, Jesus built His Church, and the “gates,” the counsels and decisions, of hell are not able to overcome it. Peter had found a rock to build his life upon, and now God would use him to lay that same foundation in others. That is how an apostle functions. An apostle is someone who is sent as the messenger and representative of another. As an apostle of Jesus the Messiah, he serves on behalf of Jesus. His function is to prepare the way, to break the ground, lay foundation. Paul speaks of the Church as being “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).

Now, Peter was an impetuous sort of person, not a very stable trait for a leader. He threw himself into whatever he did but was often in over his head, and sometimes his boldness left him stranded.

He was the only disciple who, seeing Jesus walking on the waves, asked Him to bid him come (Matthew 14:28). That was bold. But he stepped out on the water and ended up sinking into the stormy sea because of his lack of faith (Matthew 14:30-31).
On the other hand, he failed spectacularly! He was the only disciple willing to get out of the boat and, after all, he did walk on the water for at least a little while (Matthew 14:29).
He was the one who boldly declared the revelation he received from the Father concerning Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 16:16).
But just a few verses later, when Jesus spoke of being killed at the hands of elders and priests and scribes, Peter rebuked Him — rebuked the Messiah, the Son of the Living God! — saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” At this, Jesus said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:20-23).
On the night Jesus was betrayed, He said, to the disciples, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night.” Peter boldly said, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Jesus answered, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times” (Matthew 26:31-34), which is exactly what happened.
On the third day, when the disciples received the report from Mary Magdalene, Peter was the only one who ran out with John to see the empty tomb (John 20:1-4).
Fifty days later, at the feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem, where the Holy Spirit filled the disciples in the Upper Room, so that they all spoke with other tongues until observers accused them of being drunk, Peter stood up in the boldness of the Holy Spirit and proclaimed Jesus the Messiah (Acts 2).
When Peter and John went up to pray at the temple and saw a lame man begging alms, Peter extended his faith said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk,” and the man was healed (Acts 3:1-10).
Then when brought up before the magistrates, Peter declared, “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole” (Acts 4:10). And when admonished not to preach Jesus anymore, Peter and John answered, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).
Peter discerned the lie of Ananias and Sapphira and how satan filled their hearts. He was not afraid to call it what it was, and they both fell down dead (Acts 5:1-11).
Brought before the council again for preaching the name of Jesus, Peter answered, “We ought to obey God rather than men,” and did not relent (Acts 5:29).
Peter broke ground for the preaching of the gospel to the nations, going to Cornelius, a Gentile, after receiving a vision from God (Acts 10). Then he stood before the leaders of the Church at Jerusalem and testified how God was making no distinction between Jews and Gentiles but was purifying both by faith in Jesus the Messiah (Acts 15).
But then, it was Peter whom Paul rebuked for hypocrisy at Antioch, when Peter backed away from fellowship with Gentile believers after a certain group of Jewish believers came from Jerusalem (Galatians 2:11-21).

Though his temperament at the beginning was “rocky” and tumultuous, God eventually smoothed him out and made him a pastor who was able to lay a good foundation for others and lead them to stability in Jesus Christ. Thirty years on from the Resurrection and Pentecost, Simon the Rock, writing in the AD 60s, now penned this letter of encouragement and instruction to converts going through difficult times.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Transformed by the Holy Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

“Be transformed,” Paul tells us in Romans 12:2. Notice that he does not say, “Transform yourselves.” That is something we cannot do — God must do it for us. “By the renewing of your mind,” he adds. Even that, however, is not something we can do on our own. God must renew it for us.

This is always the way it is with the grace of God. He always initiates the what needs to be done in us — He is the only one who can — and our part is simply to respond, to yield and allow Him to do work the work in us. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

How does God do this? By the Holy Spirit.

In his letter to the believers at Galatia, Paul contrasts the work of the Spirit with the work of the Law. The Law, with its rules and regulations, is external to us. We might try to conform ourselves outwardly to the shape of the Law, but that can never bring about the inward transformation of the heart that is required by God. So God has given us His Spirit to do in us what we cannot.

That is why this work is called the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit is not externally produced; it comes forth from the life of the tree. If you have ever driven through an orange grove or a peach orchard, you might have noticed that you never see workers pinning oranges or peaches to the trees. They do not have hot-glue guns to stick the fruit to the branches. No, the oranges and peaches come forth from the inside, springing from the life of the tree. What the workers do is nurture the life of the trees, allowing that life to do the work of bearing fruit, then at harvest time they reap the benefit.

It is the same way with the fruit of the Spirit. It comes forth from the life of the Spirit of God at work in us. Our part is to yield and let Him transform us. Then that inward change will eventually work its way outward and produce the fruit of the divine life that is in us.

This fruit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (or faith, the Greek word is the same for both), gentleness, self-control — is what people are looking to see in others and longing to see in themselves. It is the only fruit that will endure, the only fruit that can transform the world with the reality of God’s kingdom (see The Transforming Reality of God’s Kingdom).

It does not and cannot come by outward conformity to any rule or regulation. That’s what Paul means when he says, “Against such there is no law.” It is solely a work of the Spirit of God, the Spirit by which we are born again through faith in Jesus Christ.

The fruit of the Spirit is not about conforming to rules and law but about being transformed by the life of God at work in us through His Spirit.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

The Transforming Reality of God’s Kingdom

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

We are called to change our way of thinking. The world — this present age — wants us to think the way it thinks and act the way it acts. It wants to squeeze us out, like play dough, according to its own mold, to follow the will of the world.

But this present age is passing away and the age of God’s kingdom is breaking into the world. “Because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining,” is how John the apostle puts it (1 John 2:8).
Instead of letting the world conform us to its way of thinking, we are to let our minds be transformed, made new by God. Instead of bowing to the will of the world, God wants us to discover how good, how fitting, how rich and complete is His will for us.

Elsewhere, Paul tells us to let the same mind be in as that which was in Jesus the Messiah, who, though He was God, and contrary to the way of the world, humbled Himself and became a servant to all, even to the point of death on the cross. It is this mind that God honors, even as King Jesus has been exalted by God and given a name that is above every name (Philippians 2:6-11).

Again, Paul says, “If then you were raised with Christ [and Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:4-6 that indeed we were], seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). Our minds are to be established on the way heaven thinks, not according to the limiting thoughts of earth. This is not for the purpose of escaping from the world, but so that world may be transformed by the glory of King Jesus.

The earth itself is waiting for this transformation, this renewal, the manifestation of the sons of God. “The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God … because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:19, 21)

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind with the mind of Jesus the Messiah, that the earth may be transformed by the reality of God’s kingdom, the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The Prosperous Way of God

How happy is the man
Who does not follow the advice of the wicked,
Or take the path of sinners,
Or join a group of mockers!

(Psalm 1:1 HSCB)

A new month, a new year, and a new decade (although some will dispute that last one, being mathematically correct but culturally irrelevant). And a fresh turn at the psalms.

It has been my habit for the past twenty years or so to pray through the book of Psalms each month (150 psalms divided by 30 days in a month comes to 5 psalms a day). Each time I come around to Psalm 1, it always captures my attention, calibrates my heart and excites me with the prospect of a life well lived.

The world has a lot of advice and counsel to offer us, about how to succeed and prosper. It is trumpeted abroad, even more now with the coming of the digital revolution and the ease of worldwide communication. We are discipled in it from a very early age. It can be very enticing, offering us a way to success that often seems fast and easy. It may even appear to work in the short run, but it does not create a prosperity that endures, nor a life of lasting value. See Psalm 73, where the writer laments the prosperity of the wicked, and is even envious of it for a time, but finally realizes that the way of the wicked, which at first seemed so effective, is not well-founded and inevitably end up in ruin.But there is a counsel that is wise, teaches us the right way of doing things and leads to prosperity that endures.

Instead, his delight is in the LORD’s instruction,
And he meditates on it day and night.
He is like a tree planted beside streams of water
That bears its fruit in season
And whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

(Psalm 1:2-3 HSCB)

This is the way of extreme happiness the psalm writer speaks of with in verse 1: “How happy is the man.” Not the person who follows the advice of the wicked, but the one who delights in the instruction of the Lord.
The Hebrew word for “instruction” is torah and is usually translated as “law.” But that often carries such negative connotations when it really is a very positive thing, a guide for living well. “Instruction” is captures that well. When you realize that God wants you to enjoy a prosperous and successful life and know abundant happiness, His words of instruction become a source of delight.

This requires a change in how we think. The world has been very effective in training us up into seeing and thinking and doing things its own way. That’s why Paul said, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2 HCSB). J. B. Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English translates this as, “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.” The Message version says, “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

When you change how you think about things, you change how you live your life. The way to change your mind and live a prosperous and happy life is to let God change it by His instruction. He will work in you in by His Word and Spirit to bring about a change of heart and mind that brings about a positive change of life. That is why the psalm writer speaks of meditating on God’s instruction day and night. He is talking about immersing in it, marinating in it, soaking in it in order to be changed by it.

Look at what it leads to. You will be like a tree plant by rivers of living water, and your life will be full of good fruit that will not wither but endure, and whatever you do will prosper! What a contrast to the way of the wicked:

The wicked are not like this;
Instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment,
And sinners will not be in the community of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

(Psalm 1:4-6 HCSB)

Two ways lay before you. The way of the world may seem good for a season but ultimately leads to ruin. The way of God leads to prosperity and happiness. All it requires is a change in thinking, and God knows how to bring that about by His Word and Spirit.

Friday, January 1, 2010

A Resolution of Praise

I will praise You everyday. (Psalm 145:2 HCSB)

Here is a resolution worthy of a new year, indeed, of a lifetime, even the lifetime of a great king. It is the resolution of David.

I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

(Psalm 145:1-2)

Then he lists the reasons for such a lifetime commitment.

The incomparable greatness of God, which surpasses all understanding (v. 3).
The magnificent works and mighty saving acts of God, which are to be told from one generation to the next (v. 4).
The glorious splendor of His majesty, the weightiness of His beauty. Everything about Him is a source of wonder, to be treasured up and pondered (v. 5).
The awesome power of His world-changing, life-changing deeds, displaying such a greatness that is worthy of proclaiming to the whole world (v. 6).
The abundant goodness of God deserves to be told again and again. His righteousness and justice inspire shouts of joy and celebration (v. 7).
The abundant compassion, grace and faith love and mercy of Yahweh (v. 8).
The goodness of God to all, and the tender compassion, like that of a mother, which He has for all creation (v. 9).
The glory of His kingdom and power (v. 11). His kingdom is everlasting; His rule and reign encompasses every generation (v. 13).
Yahweh sustains the weak and the powerless when the world is too much for them, and raises up those who have been bowed down under its pressures (v. 14).
He provides food for all, so that no one need ever go without. All eyes look expectantly to Him (v. 15).
His hand is open to satisfy the desire of every living thing (v. 16).
Yahweh is just in all His ways and gracious in all His works (v. 17).
Yahweh is near to all who call upon Him with an open and honest heart (v. 18).
He fulfills the desire of all who live in awe of Him; He hears their cry and rescues them (v. 19).
Yahweh preserves all who love Him, and does away with evil and injustice (v. 20).

Having described the attributes and character of Yahweh, God of creation, King of Israel and Lord of All, the psalm writer reiterates his commitment (v. 21):

My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever.

Let this be your resolution for this New Year and the rest of your life, to give God praise every day.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Simeon and Anna in Expectation

Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. (Luke 2:25-26)

Forty days after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph brought him to Jerusalem, to the temple to be dedicated to the Lord (Luke 2:22-24). This was standard practice for all firstborn children, according to the Law of Moses. There was nothing unusual about what they were doing … except for what happened next.

It is as this point in his narrative that Luke introduces us to Simeon, and in a very significant way — with the word Behold. In the Bible, “behold” is a word that focuses our attention and calls us to see something of importance. Others in the temple that day might not have noticed what happened next, but Luke does not want us to miss it.

Simeon was a man of no special prominence in Jerusalem. Neither a priest, nor a politician, nor a religious leader. But he was a man who had received a very special promise from God, revealed to him by the Holy Spirit: Before he died, Simeon would lay his yes on God’s Messiah.

Now, on the very same day that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the temple, the Holy Spirit led Simeon in also. “By the Spirit” is how Luke puts it. We do not know exactly how it was, whether it was a conscious revelation or merely a prompting in Simeon’s spirit, to which he had learned to be obedient. However it happened, the Spirit of God got him there at precisely the right place and precisely the right time.

It was a moment of fulfillment, for Simeon, certainly, but more importantly, it was a realization of God’s plan from the beginning. His purpose in Adam, in Abraham, in Jacob, in Moses and the children of Israel, in King David and all the prophets, was now being realized in the presentation of Jesus. Simeon immediately recognized Him for who He was — the Messiah, God’s Anointed. Scooping Him up in his arms, Simeon blessed God:

Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

(Luke 2:29-32)

Now, coming into the temple at that same moment was a very elderly prophetess named Anna. She had been a widow for about 84 years and had spent her life fasting and praying, night and day, in the temple courts (vv.36-37).Perhaps she had seen Simeon before. Perhaps they had spoken about the promise he had received. Or perhaps it was a life spent in prayer which sharpened her senses so that, when she saw Simeon with Mary and Joseph and Jesus, she immediately understood what was happening. Though Luke does not say, there is no reason to doubt that she, too, was led in by the Spirit. Recognizing the presence of Jesus, Her response was simple, but significant. “She gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (v. 38).

You see, like Simeon, Anna had an expectation that the Anointed One would soon come and God’s promise would be fulfilled. And they were not the only ones. There were others also who had such an expectation and “looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Anna sought them out and shared the good news with them.

Of course, Anna and Simeon were old and would not get to see Jesus move through the stages in His life. They would not witness the cross or see His in resurrection. No matter. They had learned to hear the voice of God and to be led by the Spirit. They had learned to live in expectation of the promise of God. They had learned to behold, and to understand what they were seeing. They had seen enough to know that God’s kingdom purpose in Israel would be fulfilled and all the world would be blessed by it. It was now beginning before their eyes.

Two thousand years later, we have still not yet seen the full manifestation God’s kingdom in the world, the will of God being done thoroughly and completely on earth as it is in heaven. But it has begun and is increasing every day. Jesus said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it” (Matthew 11:12 NIV). “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it” (Luke 16:16). The apostle John put it like this: “The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8).

The infant Messiah, beheld and blessed by Simeon and Anna, grew to manhood and went to the cross for our sake. Forty days after His resurrection, He ascended to His throne at the right hand of the Father. We are now living in the days of King Jesus the Messiah, Lord of heaven and earth. Of Him, the prophet Isaiah said, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7).

As you look to a new year, do you hear the promise of God? Do you see the kingdom of God breaking into the world and increasing? Do you behold King Jesus? Do you pray as He taught us, “Kingdom of God, come. Will of God, be done on earth as it is in heaven”? Do you yield yourself to be led by the Spirit of God, that this expectation may come to pass in you?

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

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

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

Thursday, December 24, 2009

The Pleasure of God at Christmas

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” (ESV)

This is the crescendo of the good news the angel of the Lord announced to shepherds on the night Jesus was born. A multitude of angels now appeared in the heavens with this praise.

Glory to God in the highest. The highest praises heaven can offer belong to God as He brings forth the fulfillment of the promises He made to Abraham, David and the prophets. God’s gift of the Messiah King, Jesus, is the greatest revelation of His glory.
Peace on earth. The coming of Jesus into the world brings the peace, the shalom, of God. It is wholeness, restoration, reconciliation, the mending of rifts between God and man, man and fellow man, man and creation.
Among those with whom He is pleased. The coming of Jesus into the world is the pleasure of God revealed.

It is this last point that I want to focus on here. The Greek for “pleased” is eudokia. It is used often in the New Testament to speak of God’s pleasure and delight. The angels’ announcement meant that God’s favor and good will were now being made manifest on the objects of His delight.

What is it that delights God and who are those with whom He is pleased, who bring Him pleasure?

First, it is Jesus Himself that pleases God, not only in His divinity (in which the Father always delighted) but now also in His humanity. When Jesus was baptized by John, identifying with repentant sinners whom He came to save, the voice of the Father came from heaven and said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased [eudokeo]” (Luke 3:22). It was repeated again at the mount of transfiguration, where Jesus shone in all His glory and the voice of the Father said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased [eudokeo]. Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:5).

Eudokeo is the word used when Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah concerning Messiah and which Matthew applies to Jesus: “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles” (Matthew 13:18; it is also the word used in the LXX, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, in Isaiah 42:1, the passage Matthew cites).

Jesus used this same word when He spoke to His disciples about the kingdom: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). And in His prayer of thanksgiving when the disciples returned rejoicing, having healed the sick, expelled demonic spirits and preached the kingdom of God in Jesus’ name: “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good [eudokia] in Your sight” (Luke 10:21). It pleases God to reveal His kingdom to those who simply trust Him.

Again and again, it is in Jesus Christ that the pleasure of God is revealed. Paul says that God “predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure [eudokia] of His will …having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure [eudokia] which He purposed in Himself.” (Ephesians 1:5, 9). “For it pleased [eudokia] the Father that in Him [Jesus] all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:19).

But it is also in us that God desires to show His pleasure. Paul says, “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure [eudokia]” (Philippians 2:13). In 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, he says, “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure [eudokia] of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

God is doing a work of faith in us, His power manifesting in us to reveal the glory of King Jesus dwelling within. It is His good pleasure to bring this work to fulfillment in us.

It is by faith that we enter into the richness of God’s pleasure. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). The Greek word for “please” here is not eudokia but euarestio, but it means the same thing. Without faith, it is impossible to please, but believing God and seeking Him with great expectation pleases God greatly.

Paul tells us, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). So, “since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased [eudokeo] God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21). It pleases God for us to believe the good news of Jesus the Messiah and, through faith, bring us to restoration and wholeness in Him.

The coming of King Jesus into the world reveals the glory of God and the peace of God but also the pleasure of God.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Shepherds’ Wonder, Angels’ Awe

On the night of Jesus’ birth, an angel of the Lord appeared to lowly shepherds tending their flocks in a nearby field. The glory of the Lord flooded them with brilliant light. They had never seen anything like this before and it was far beyond anything they could have ever imagined.

They were terrified. But then they heard a voice that turned their terror to wonder:

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” (Luke 2:10)

Good tidings! Great joy! And it would be for all people, even those of low estate and low esteem — like the shepherds. Quite unexpectedly, they now found themselves at the hinge point in the history of the world, and the birth of a king was being heralded to them. In a field. At night. By an angel of the Lord.

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (v. 11)

This was not about just any king, but about the King. The Anointed One promised by God through the prophets long ago. The descendent of David who would sit on his throne and reign forever. This was about Christ the Lord — the Messiah King!

“And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling, lying in a manger.” (v. 12)

Such an exalted King; such a humble entrance into His domain. Wrapped in strips of old cloth and cradled in a feeding trough. That would be the sign to the shepherds. Surely they needed that sign or else they would have been looking in all the wrong places for all the wrong reasons. Expecting to see finery and a royal court in attendance, they would have felt very much out of place.

Now a multitude of the heavenly army appeared, for as marvelous as this news was for shepherds, it was just as wonderful for angels. They could no longer remain silent but began praising God:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. (v. 14)

The angels were well aware of the glory of God that flooded heaven and filled the earth (Isaiah 6:3), but now they were witnessing the announcement of good news and redemption entering the world. It is something that, as Peter says, the angels of God eagerly desire to look into, stooping down and craning their necks, as it were, to gaze upon this great mystery (1 Peter 1:12). What they had greatly anticipated was now being realized, and they were in awe.

At the birth of Jesus the Messiah King, shepherds trembled in unexpected wonder and angels stooped deeply in awe.

Monday, December 7, 2009

His Coming Brings Divine Dominion

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

(Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

So far in this prophetic song, Isaiah has spoken of the dawn of a great light in the midst of darkness (see His Coming Brings Light), the enlargement of the nation of Israel, ecstatic joy like that of the harvest and of portioning out the spoils of victorious battle. He has sung of the yoke being shattered, the burden being destroyed, and the rod of the oppressor being broken (see His Coming Brings Increase and Joy).

How would all this come about? Isaiah reveals the surprising answer, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” The dawning of the light comes in the birth of a child. Not just any child, but one that is given, or sent, by God. This is the Anointed Son prophesied by King David in Psalm 2:

“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”
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 2:6-9)

It is this Messiah King of which Isaiah now sings. For the government will rest upon His shoulders and to Him will be given dominion — a kingdom. He is called by a series of titles, all of which emphasize His divinity.

Wonderful. The Hebrew word refers to miracles that distinguish Him from all others and inspire wonder. Messiah would not only work wonders but would Himself be a wonder.
Counselor. This speaks of great wisdom and purpose, and the ability to guide His people with divine counsel.
Mighty God. He does not come as merely a divine-like being but as the one true God, as this name indicates elsewhere in Scripture (see Deuteronomy 10:17; Jeremiah 32:8; Nehemiah 9:32; and especially, because it is so close in context, Isaiah 10:21). It is a name that indicates divine power and strength.
Everlasting Father, or Father of Eternity. As such, He will not decline, as other kings must, but will rule and reign forever.
Prince of Peace. His reign is one that brings peace (Hebrew, shalom). This is prosperity of every kind and wholeness in every way.

Isaiah now turns our attention to the kingdom of this eternal King.

Of the increase of his government and of peace
There will be no end,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it
With justice and with righteousness
From this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

(Isaiah 9:7 ESV)

The Holman Christian Standard Bible renders it this way: “The dominion will be vast and its prosperity will never end.” The reign of God’s Messiah King will increase until His glory is revealed in all the earth, and every nation of the world will experience the peace and prosperity of His dominion. This was God’s plan in choosing Abraham in the first place, and making of Him a great nation. And this was His purpose in choosing David, a “man after My own heart,” to be its king.

This divine plan is now in the process of being fulfilled in the reign of King Jesus, son of David and son of Abraham, to redeem humanity, restore all of creation and accomplish the mandate God gave Adam to “be fruitful and multiply,” “fill the earth and subdue it,” and “have dominion” (Genesis 1:28). He is now establishing and enlarging His kingdom throughout the earth. It is a kingdom of justice and rightness that will last forever.

Though it has not yet come in all its fullness, this kingdom is already breaking into the world and it will be complete when the King comes again. Just as Jesus first entered the world as a child but then grew up into His destiny, likewise, His kingdom starts small but continues to grow until it will one day fill the earth. For it is the zeal of the LORD of Hosts, the intense desire and purpose of God, to bring it through to completeness.

The coming of King Jesus the Messiah brings the dominion of God into all the world.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

His Coming Brings Increase and Joy

You have multiplied the nation;
You have increased its joy;
They rejoice before you
As with joy at the harvest,
As they are glad when they divide the spoil.

(Isaiah 9:3 ESV)

The prophet Isaiah has slipped into prophetic poetry (beginning in verse 2; see His Coming Brings Light). It was not the song the people in his own day were singing but one that would arise in the northern and southern territory of Galilee. It is cast in a prophetic tense, and that he sings it as though it were already accomplished demonstrates the surety that it would come to pass.

The Hebrew word for “multiplied” means increase, abundance, expansion, enlargement, to become great and many. Israel, the people of the promise given to Abraham, would multiply and increase, in number and influence, because of the light that would dawn in Galilee. But there would also be an increase in joy, like that of harvest time. The time of sowing in tears past; the time of reaping and gathering begun. A festival time. And gladness, like that of dividing the spoils. Ecstatic joy! The Hebrew word for “gladness” here literally means to turn about or spin around. Why? Because the enemy has been broken and what was stolen has been restored, with plenty more besides. See how the prophet sings in verses 4-5:

For the yoke of his burden,
And the staff for his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
You have broken as on the day of Midian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
And every garment rolled in blood
Will be burned as fuel for the fire.

(ESV)

The lifting of the burden, the breaking of the yoke, deliverance from the oppressor — this is the work of the anointing (see Isaiah 10:27; the KJV particularly brings out that this is anointing). It is the work of the Anointed One — Messiah! It is fulfilled in the coming of King Jesus, who took the text of Isaiah 61as the charter of His ministry. Standing in the synagogue to read, as He began His ministry, He unfolded the scroll of Isaiah to that place and began:

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.

Then sitting down to teach, He announced, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:17-22). It was the kingdom of God breaking into the world. Not all at once and in all its fullness, but as a seed that has been growing and expanding ever since.

All this the prophet foretold would begin in Galilee, in the circle of the nations. For as Isaiah 9:6-7 will go on to show, it is not only for Israel’s, but for all the nations of the earth (see His Coming Brings Divine Dominion).

The coming of King Jesus the Messiah into the world brings abundance of blessing and ecstatic joy.

Friday, December 4, 2009

His Coming Brings Light

The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
On them has light shined.

(Isaiah 9:2 ESV)

Isaiah 9 is a messianic prophecy. That is, it foretells the coming of Messiah into the world. Verse 1 speaks of the judgment the northern tribes of Israel were about to experience because of their rebellion against God. But there was also a promise of a time of restoration:

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. (ESV)

Zebulun was in lower portion of Galilee and Naphtali in the upper. But both were overshadowed, oppressed by the Syrians and Phoenicians and corrupted by their ways. The “way of the sea” was the region of the Sea of Galilee. “Galilee” comes from a Hebrew word that means “circle.” These tribes were surrounded, encircled by the nations in upper Galilee.

However, the light of God would once again break through the darkness and shine brightly in this region. After a long night, a new dawn would come.

Matthew finds this new dawn in the ministry of Jesus. However, it was not just the dawning of Jesus’ ministry, but the kingdom of God arising in the earth, now present in the person of the King.

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region
and shadow of death
Light has dawned.
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:12-17)

Years before, an old man named Simeon had been watching for its coming, for he had received a promise from God that he would see it in his lifetime. On the day Mary and Joseph brought their infant Child for dedication in the Temple, the Spirit of God led Simeon in also. When he saw Jesus, he took Him up in his arms and praised God:

Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

(Luke 2:29-32)

The coming of King Jesus the Messiah into the world brings a light that reveals the glory of God to all the nations of the earth.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

God Rest You Merry

God rest you merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

This, of course, is from that hearty old English carol, “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen.” It speaks not only of comfort, but also of joy and merriment, just as the Gospel does, the good news that King Jesus has come into the world.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah brought God’s promise of comfort for His people, comfort that would be fulfilled through the Messiah, the Anointed (see Christmas in Isaiah):

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!”
Says your God.
“Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned.”

(Isaiah 40:1-2)

In verse 11, he speaks of God coming to them as a tender shepherd:

He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.

David knew Him as “The LORD My Shepherd” and drew great comfort from the assurance that His rod and staff were always present to protect and guide (Psalm 23:1, 4). In the New Testament, He is revealed in King Jesus the Messiah, who said of Himself, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Comfort.

But also great joy. On the night of Jesus’ birth, the angels announced to shepherds in a nearby field “good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10). The shepherds came glorifying and praising God for this marvelous news (v. 20). Likewise, when the wise men, seeing that the star which guided them on their quest came to its rest over the place where the young Child was, they “rejoiced with exceeding great joy” (Matthew 2:10) — joy without limit.

From God our heavenly Father
The blessed angels came
And unto certain shepherds
With tidings of the same
How that was born in Bethlehem
The Son of God by name
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

The apostle Paul spoke of the kingdom of God, the one Jesus announced was now present in the world, the one over which Jesus now ruled and reigned at the right hand of the Father, as a kingdom of joy: “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). And he offered this benediction: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

The apostle John, who experienced firsthand the joy of knowing King Jesus in His earthly ministry, said:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life — the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

Not only because Jesus has rescued us from satan’s power — and indeed, as John notes, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8) — but more than that, because it is in Jesus the Messiah that we have fellowship with God.

Now, this is indeed cause for comfort, joy, and merriment. It is the greatest news we could ever receive, and the third verse of this old carol shows us how to celebrate it:

Now to the Lord sing praises
All those within this place
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

God rest you merry in this Advent and Christmas season.

You can listen to a bit of this carol as well as the other songs from our Christmas album here.

He Come from the Glory:
A Walking Barefoot Christmas

Available at Amazon for immediate download in MP3. You can also order it as a CD.

We have also put together a little PDF booklet with song lyrics and CD info, which you can download here.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

He Come from the Glorious Kingdom

He come from the glorious kingdom.

That’s a line from a traditional Christmas carol of the West Indies, “The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy.” We include that song in our Christmas project. In fact, we named our Christmas album after it: He Come from the Glory.

The Virgin Mary had a baby boy
The Virgin Mary had a baby boy
The Virgin Mary had a baby boy
And the name of that child was Jesus

He come from the glory
He come from the glorious kingdom
He come from the glory
He come from the glorious kingdom

I’ve adapted the song a little bit, adding a little bridge section and some new lyrics, which is why we call this carol “He Come from the Glory” instead of by its traditional name:

Oh, the shepherds bow and the angels sing
And the wise men, they come a’wondering
Hallelujah for the newborn King
The name of that child was Jesus

Jesus came down here from the kingdom of glory, the kingdom of God. But He did not just come down to us from that glory and kingdom; He came with them, bringing them to us. Indeed, He came as the king of that kingdom.

The more I study the Gospel, the more I see that it is the good news about the kingdom of God, the rule and reign of God through Jesus the Messiah King. That is why, when Jesus grew up and began His ministry, He said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15; see The Gospel Jesus Preached). Every promise and prophecy of the Hebrew Scriptures converged on this, the coming of the King with His kingdom (see The Gospel of the King and The Gospel of God’s Messiah King).

Books by Jeff Doles

See WBM Bookshop for more. All of our books are also available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle, in epub at Google Play and in PDF at Gumroad.

There is Always Joy!
Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”
Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon),
epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

The Focus of Our Faith
Paul’s Letters to the Jesus
Believers at Colosse
Bite-Size Studies Through Colossians
Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”
Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon),
epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

Copyright Information

All blog entries are copyright by Jeff Doles on the date they are posted, unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved.

After January 1, 2015, unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from the New International Version. © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Before January 1, 2015, unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from the New King James Bible. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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