"Won't Work For Food"

(Matt 5:42)"Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."

I work mostly in the Twin Cities metro area. Minnesota winter hasn't really come full force yet. Which means that lining the on and off ramps of freeways, are cardboard sign holders asking for work or food (Just a side note I just thought of; I have noticed lately that there are actually people that are getting paid to hold signs [yes I realize that these people on freeway ramps are paid to hold their sign as well]. I drove by an Instant Oil Change place yesterday that had a man holding a sign at a busy intersection that said "No Waiting." Also around tax time there are people that are presumably paid to dress up in a statue of liberty blue suit; they hold a sign and are typically very good dancers). Does Jesus mean in Matthew 5 that I need to roll down my window and give money to the beggar holding the cardboard sign?

There are many times that I have, and many more times that I have not. And Jesus does not mean for us to take one sentence out of the whole Bible without seeing what else the Bible says about the subject.

(Matt 7:6) "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you."

A dog was an animal that was a scavenger that lived on the streets. A pig was an unclean and scavenging animal. The pearl is something of great value. The picture is vivid; you wouldn't take a pearl necklace and place it around the neck of a pig. This verse is typically applied to gospel presentations. It is said that the gospel is the pearl of great price. If you are offering it to someone who treats Jesus with the respect that a pig would, I am no longer responsible to offer the precious gospel to the individual any longer. Least he take the gospel and trample it under it's dirty and stinky pig feet. True, true! But this also applies to giving anything of value to a person who will treat the gift with the contempt a dog or pig would. If I give $20 to a sign holder, and he takes the money to the liquor store to trade it for something he can pour down his throat, and later vomit out; this would be an unwise use of the money God has given me to steward.

(2 Thessalonians 3:10b).."If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."

Like I mentioned earlier, some people actually have a paid job to hold a sign. Their employer has told the individual that he will pay them for this work. But have you hired the freeway sign holder to hold the sign? Are you his employer? There is discernment needed here I realize this. And I am not about to make a blanket statement that forbids anyone from giving to the need of an individual holding a cardboard sign. My aim in this post is to seek to understand Jesus' words in Matthew 5:42. "Give to the one who begs from you." The borrower and the beggar in Matthews text are begging from me. The freeway sign holder is just begging, and I just happen to be driving by.

Peter and John were heading into the temple at the hour of prayer (Acts 3). There was a beggar that had been lame from birth and was placed everyday near the gate. This is the perfect opportunity for Peter or John to lean their arm out of their donkey and give to the off ramp sign holder some gold coins. What they do is offer the beggar something far more valuable then a few shillings of gold; they give to the man, Jesus Christ.

Sign and miracles were authenticating the Apostles in those days, so Peter was able by faith in the name of Jesus, to heal the lame beggar. I am not able to do this same amazing feat. But what I am able to do is give a gospel tract and speak to the individual of the great salvation that is their's in Christ Jesus, if they place their faith solely in Him. And maybe I could even do this, over a plate of food.

Do you notice a common theme throughout this text...

Colossians 3:15-17.And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 Fourteen reasons for you and I to be thankful this morning...

1. Be thankful for Jesus
2. Be thankful that Jesus, by his spirit, rules in my heart
3. Be thankful that I am in the body of Christ, called the Church
4. Be thankful that I was called to be in his body
5. Be thankful that I have, sitting at my desk, the words of Christ
6. Be thankful that I am not restrained by others from letting it dwell in me richly
7. Be thankful for the teachings and admonitions of faithful brothers (this would include podcasts and blogposts as well)
8. Be thankful for a voice to sing
9. Be thankful for a vast variety of good Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs
10. Be thankful that I am able to be thankful
11. Be thankful for a mouth to speak words
12. Be thankful for a functioning body to do deeds (including typing a blog post)
13. Be thankful to be able to do things in the name of Jesus
14. Be thankful that my thanks, words, deeds, songs, and motives get filtered through my perfect sacrifice Jesus, the God-Man.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The Perfect Binding Agent

I am reading Colossians chapter 3 this morning. There are tons of things to think about in this chapter. The one I have tried to hone in on is the thing that is said to be the perfect binding agent...love.

Colossians 3:12-17..12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 In trying to figure out how love could bind everything together, I hopped over to 1 Corinthians 13 to find help...

1 Corinthians 13:4-7..4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

This little nugget of sweetness gives us a helpful list of what love is, and what it is not..
LOVE IS/DOES...
1. Patient
2. Kind
3. Rejoices over truth

LOVE IS NOT/DOES NOT...
1. envious
2. boastful
3. arrogant
4. rude
5. insistent on its own way
6. irritable
7. resentful
8. rejoice over wrong doing

When you or I envy someone, we are hating them and loving self. When we boast in front of someone, we are hating them and loving self. When we are arrogant, we are hating the hearer and loving self. When we are rude, we are hating the one hearing our rudeness and loving self. When we insist on our own way, we are hating another and loving ourselves. When we are irritated, we are hating another and loving self. When we are resentful, we are hating another and loving self. When we rejoice over wrong doing, we are hating the hearer, and the one who did the wrong, and loving self, because we are placing ourselves above the individual who did the wrong.

Can you go through the above list and place either "patience, kindness or rejoicing over truth" into the equation and see how love would bind together and unite instead of divide? How it would bring about perfect harmony?

A Nail Through Our Rap Sheet

Luke 7:36-50

If you remember this account; There is a Pharisee named Simon who invites Jesus to come to his house and eat with him. While they are there, a woman comes into Simon's house weeping. She moves over to Jesus' feet and begins to cry. Her tears are many and are sufficient to wash the feet of the Son of God. To dry them, she lets down her hair and uses it to rub back and forth on the Masters feet. Then she brings out an alabaster flask of oil and anoints the feet of Jesus. It is presumed from the text that she is a very sinful woman, probably a prostitute.

Simon is appalled at this sight. And says to himself that if Jesus was truly a prophet, he would know that this woman was a prostitute and never let her touch him. Jesus responds to Simon's thoughts and calls Simon out on the table.

Jesus tells Simon a story of two debtors who both owed a debt to a moneylender. Neither could pay their debt, though one of the debts was much greater than the other. The moneylender decides to forgive the debt of both. Jesus then asks Simon the question, "which of them will love him more?" (which of the debtors will love the moneylender more). Simon answers correctly by saying that he supposes the person who had the greater debt.

In Jesus' story, the woman is the one who had the greater debt. She expressed her love for Jesus (the moneylender) the moment she walked in the door. Simon on the other hand, didn't greet Jesus, didn't offer him any water to clean his feet with; nothing. No love was shown from Simon. Jesus then says to her that her sins are forgiven. Her debt was great and she was never able to pay it; and yet the moneylender shows such mercy to her, by canceling her record of debt...But where is the record of debt? What happened to it?

Colossians 2:13-14 says..."And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."

Her record of debt was brought up the hill of Golgatha, and nailed to the cross of Jesus! And so has yours if you are a Christian. Are you like Simon, or the prostitute? Do you love little, or do you love much? In the story in Luke, which person does Jesus commend? The Pharisee or the Prostitute? Which are you?

Perseverance of the Saints

In John Calvin's five points (T.U.L.I.P), the P stands for Perseverance of the saints. The doctrine teaches is essence that God will persevere those whom He has chosen. In other words, if God has opened your eyes to see the glory of the gospel (you are a Christian), then He will ensure that you persevere in the faith until you reach the finish line.

The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints can be twisted to a view that John Calvin didn't hold. This twisted view says, "once saved, always saved." In other words, if I have done something at some point to supposedly become a Christian (prayed a prayer, signed a card, been baptized, are a member of a Church), then I am saved no matter what happens throughout the rest of my life. Once I am saved (maybe a date in my Bible indicates this), I will always be saved.

I very much hold to the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints taught by John Calvin. Because a true understanding of this doctrine sees my obedience to Christ as a means of grace that keeps me persevering to the finish line. I will not persevere in my faith by being passive.

Colossians 1:21-23a says And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, IF indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard...(emphasis mine)


I can believe that God will keep me persevering to the finish line, and I can believe that my crossing the finish line is conditional (IF), upon my steadfast continuance in the faith.

Afternoon Ramblings About Baptism

I don't have much to talk about today. For my morning study I searched the words "baptize" and "baptized" throughout the Bible. I have been pondering lately the Baptist and Presbyterian views of this New Testament ordinance of baptism. 

I did not come up with any notable things to write about, except that I am still in the Baptist camp. If nothing else, looking up those words in the Bible only confirmed my stance on believers baptism. 

It seems to me, that in order to link Old Testament circumcision with New Testament baptism, you have to have a system of theology already determining your answer. The nearest link I could find was in Colossians 2. And this at best was uncertain. If Colossians 2 is teaching that children of Christian parents are to baptize their children into the covenant community, then what of the other New Testament books? 

Let's say I am a member of the Colossi Church. The letter of Colossians is read one morning from my Pastor. The Pastor then interprets chapter 2 to mean the Presbyterian understanding of baptism. Ok, let's baptize the kids!

What if I am a member of the Corinthian Church? Or the Thessalonican Church? Or the Church at Phillipi? Do you see what I am getting at? If the doctrine of baptizing infants is not talked about anywhere else in the Bible, then to me it begins to be like proofing the millennium from one text from a highly allegorical book like Revelation. 

I am open to learn, and have been praying and reading about it. So far though, I just don't see it. I am open to input from anyone who may have some understanding. 

Words From A Dry Well?

In Luke 21 Jesus is speaking to his disciples. In the context of persecution, he says in verse 14, Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversities will be able to withstand or contradict. 


I was reading Acts 6 and 7 this morning and was reminded of the above verse. In chapter 7 Stephen gives a wonderful speech, and at the end gives a sharp rebuke to the Jewish leaders who killed Jesus the Christ. After the speech, the leaders are so angry that they are gnashing their teeth, and cupping their hands over their ears; all the while running toward Stephen as he speaks. They drag him out of the city and throw stones at him until he takes his final breath on this earth.

In persecution, surely Jesus gives the endurance to make it through. He also says that he will give the words needed as well. But I am thinking that these words to not come from a well that is dried up.

What kind of things are you pouring into your well? Are you filling it up with things that are good, true and wise? Stephen, in his speech, gave a recap of the entire Bible, from Abraham forward to the time of his speaking. Could I do this? Could you start with Adam and work your way forward giving a fly by of the major events in the Scriptures? If not, why not?

The David Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas!

Psalm 127:3 (NASB)Behold,  children are a gift of the LORD; The fruit of the womb is a reward.     The season of Christmas is upon us again, and it has me thinking about gifts. Many of us will gather together in the homes of loved ones. We will spend time sharing a meal and many memories together. No doubt many will find some time to huddle near a green pine tree with gifts below as plentiful as the needles we pick off the carpet come January. 

     We call these things under the tree “gifts,” but are they?  I am not suggesting for a moment that the things under your trees are not gifts, they are. But do we call a gift a gift only by the immediate pleasure they give us the moment we open the package? The Bible says that children are a gift from the Lord. The fruitful womb of a woman, brings forth a reward.  The God of Heaven and Earth has blessed us with our fourth gift this year. Elsa Joy was born on October 18th. Samuel our son is now 1 1/2, Rylee is 10 and Ali is 12. We still home educate our children. 

     There are many blessings we experienced this year. One is that our oldest daughter Ali was baptized in May. She not only wrote and memorized her own testimony, she had to speak it in front of a congregation of on lookers. We are very thankful for the grace she received from God to make it through. Rylee has been excelling in school this year and we also are thankful for this. Samuel of course has made huge steps of growth this year. He is "all boy;" he loves cars, tractors and our dog Buddy. And our most recent blessing, the new life of our beautiful baby girl Elsa Joy.  All children are a gift from the Lord, and this especially includes the first gift which made this season called Christmas. The gift to this world of the baby born in a manger, the baby Jesus.

May Jesus find each of you searching for Him this season, as he will never cast out one who comes to Him in repentance and faith.

Love, 

The Davids

Why The Virgin Birth Is Important

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 

The virgin birth was a miracle. It defied the natural laws of science. Praise God for this! But why is the virgin birth necessary for Christianity?

Romans chapter 5 teaches that sin entered into the world through one man Adam. Then death spread to all through the seed (read sperm) of the man. All people who have ever walked on this earth have been born by a sperm seed. A sinful heart is placed into each child born through this seed. I guess it is sort of like this: that just like rooted in the DNA of every human being is humanness, so every human DNA has a root of sinfulness embedded in the seed as well. I think that's what it means by saying our nature is sinful. You and I may not be as sinful as we could be, yet neither are we as holy as we should be. The reason for this is because when we were conceived, through the sperm of the man, we inherited a sinful nature.


This is why the virgin birth is essential for Christianity. Because by Jesus being conceived in the womb of Mary, not by the seed of Joseph, but by the holy seed of God; the sinful nature of humanness was bypassed. So Jesus, being fully human, yet fully holy; became the God/Man who alone could live a perfect life on this earth.

It is appointed once for a man to die, and then comes judgement. When you and I pass from this life, we will stand in the courtroom of God's holiness. The requirement for entering heaven is perfect obedience to the law of God. When you stand there on that day, either you must be holy, or you must be trusting in One who is. And because of the virgin birth, Jesus of Nazareth is the only one who can remain standing in the courtroom.

Merry Christmas!

Gathering in Jesus Name

One of the things we do for our nightly family Bible time is talk about what we have learned each day from the Word. I subscribe to the ESV verse of the day RSS feed. I simply copy and paste the verse in an email to each of my family members that are able to participate in nightly family worship. My two older girls have iPod touches, and their own email address, and my wife has an iPad with her own address. (Here is a link to the verse of the day... English Standard Version Bible Daily Verse » ).

We also, individually read some portion of the Bible each day, and are currently going through the Westminster Shorter Catechism as a family. We also are reading through the book of Acts as a family each night. These things change and shift, flip and flop depending upon the time we have to gather each night.

Todays verse from the ESV feed is Matthew 18:20 which says, For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.


At first when I saw that that was the verse, I immediately thought to myself, "that's a verse that is specifically talking about church discipline, not the prayer meeting." True it is in the context of what Christians are to do with a sinning brother in the church, but it also has a broader meaning. Particularly, Jesus is present spiritually when church discipline is happening biblically. Generally though, this applies to every time the faithful children of Abraham are praying. Matthew Henry's commentary on this verse is...

In general, to all the requests of the faithful praying descendants of Jacob; they will not seek God’s face in vain (Isa 45: 19). We have many promises in Scripture of gracious answers to the prayers of faith, but this gives particular encouragement to prayer made jointly. No law of heaven limits the number of petitioners. If they join together in the same prayer or, though far apart, agree on some particular subject of prayer, they will be effective.

May you be encouraged this day as you pray and gather together. When you gather, Jesus is there among you.

Remaining Faithful to the Text

I am challenged yet again by the character of Daniel. Even godless men are not able to find a charge against him. In chapter 6, the presidents and satraps seek to find a charge against Daniel. They watch and watch, and yet are not able to find anything he does that is wrong. Then they say, "hey we will find something wrong with his Bible."

Daniels Bible says that he should worships the Lord and give him thanks, so Daniel of course does this. The presidents and satraps see Daniel worshiping God and say, "ah ha, we have found a fault with Daniel." You see, they made an ordinance, that nobody was to be found worshiping another god or man for 30 days.

You remember the rest of the account I presume. Daniel is cast into a den full of lions. God sends an angel to shut the mouths of the lions. King Darius runs to the den early in the morning and finds Daniel still alive. The King realizes that this was deceitful of his presidents and satraps; and so casts those men, along with their entire families into the den. The text tells us that the lions crushed all their bones into pieces before they even reached the ground.

Daniel was a Christian in the midst of a pagan culture, yet he was not found to be offensive to the culture of the unbelievers around him. They could not find any flaw or wrong doing in him; so they found it in the Bible that Daniel believed. He remained faithful to the text, and so should we.

I Can't Even Keep Our Plants Watered

Two chapters in a row on pride. Chapter 5 of Daniel is about King Nebuchadnezzar's son King Belshazzar. He is having a party and decides to bring some golden vessels to the party to drink out of. These were the golden vessels that his father had taken from the temple when he besieged the city in chapter 1.

While the King was kickin' back, swillin' down some drink and praising the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone; a visible hand appears and inscribes something on the wall. None of the Kings men are able to interpret the writing. The queen remembers that there is a man named Daniel who will be able to help. The King calls Daniel before him and tells him that he will cloth him in classy garments, give him a gold necklace and make him third highest in the kingdom. Daniel says, "keep your gifts, this one is free of charge." And begins to preach faith and repentance to the King.

By their interaction, it doesn't seem like this King and Daniel had any kind of relationship at all. So when Daniel is brought before him and has the opportunity, he preaches against the sin of pride in the King, and faith toward God for forgiveness. Daniel gives the interpretation of the inscription to the King. The King clothes him even though Daniel didn't want any gifts. The King does not live to see another day. He is killed that very night.

It says in Daniel 5:23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. This my friend is what pride does. It is an attempt of ripping the Lord off of His throne, and seating yourself there instead. I remember a while ago I was talking with a woman who was complaining about the weather (it was a dreary day). I listened and replied that I was thankful that I was not in control of the weather. She said "really?" Like she couldn't believe that I actually thought  God was better at determining the weather that I could ever be.

James 4:6b says...God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Chopping Down Trees

Have you ever found that true repentance brings forth open confession? This has sure been true in my life. When the Lord has convicted me of my sin, and I seek forgiveness from Him through Christ. He grants a repentance that not only changes my view of the sin I was committing, but gives me a mouth that openly confesses the sin I was committing before others. That doesn't mean that I run around flapping my jaw to every Tom, Dick and Henry; but when the opportunity arrises, it will come out of my mouth.

This is true of King Nebuchadnezzar as well. Chapter 4 of Daniel is a written account from the King himself. It is the King telling the story of how God humbled him for a period of time because of his pride.

God gave King Nebuchadnezzar a dream that none could interpret except Daniel. The dream told of a time when the King would be chopped down and driven away from human contact. His mind would be taken from him and he would live as an animal for seven periods of time. God did this to to humble the King and show him that the God of heaven rules the kingdom of men (Daniel 4:17).

At the end of the prescribed period of time, the King is restored to his throne. When he is restored he presumably writes this chapter telling of the account. He ends the chapter by saying, "Now I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble."

This should be the overflow of the heart out of each person who has been humbled by the Lord. What do we have that we have not received? What did we enter this world with? God hates our pride. Lets seek to acknowledge Him as the One who rules the kingdom of men, so we are not chopped down because of our pride.

Rough Draft of our Christmas Letter

This was the rough draft of our Christmas letter this year. My wife suggested to me that my illustration of the Camaro is more lengthy than my description of our family. Also I seem to suggest that our children are nothing more that a beat up old 1967 Camaro (which I did not fully intend to do). I think she is right, but I thought I would share it anyway...what do you think?


Friends and Family,

Psalm 127:3 (NASB)
Behold, children are a gift of the LORD; The fruit of the womb is a reward.

The season of Christmas is upon us again, and it has me thinking about gifts. Many of us will gather together in the homes of loved ones. We will spend time sharing a meal and many memories together. No doubt many will find some time to huddle near a green pine tree with gifts below as plentiful as the needles we pick off the carpet come January. 

We call these things under the tree “gifts,” but are they? I am not suggesting for a moment that the things under your trees are not gifts, they are. But do we call a gift a gift only by the immediate pleasure they give us the moment we open the package? Let me ask it another way. If you were told your gift was too big to fit under the tree, and you had to go outside to get it; and when you went outside, the gift was a red 2012 Chevy Camaro; would that be a good gift? Now what if it was a scrapped out 1967 Camaro? The engine, doors, tires, hood, and seats were all gone. The thing was a total rust bucket. Would this be as good of a gift? I think not, because of the work required to enjoy your new gift. The 2012 Camaro would bring instant pleasure. I would not have any pleasure or gratification in the 1967 model for many years, and many, many hours of labor. 

The Bible says that children are a gift from the Lord. The fruitful womb of a woman, brings forth a reward. Do children bring instant pleasure and gratification? Maybe for a season, but then you will soon find that the Camaro will need many hours of labor to function properly. 

The God of Heaven and Earth has blessed us with our fourth gift this year. Elsa Joy was born on October 18th. Samuel our son is a 1 1/2, Rylee is 10 and Ali is 12. We still home educate our children, and live in Harris. 

There are many blessings we experienced this year. One is that our oldest daughter Ali was baptized in May. She not only wrote and memorized her own testimony, she had to speak it in front of a congregation of on lookers. We are very thankful for the grace she received from God to make it through. Rylee has been excelling in school this year and we also are thankful for this. Samuel of corse has made huge steps of growth this year. He is "all boy;" he loves cars, tractors and our dog Buddy. And last of all, the new life of our newest David member Elsa Joy. 

All children are a gift from the Lord, and this especially includes the first gift which made this season called Christmas. The gift to this world of the baby born in a manger, the baby Jesus.

May Jesus find each of you searching for Him this season, as he will never cast out one who comes to Him in repentance and faith.

Love, 
The Davids

God Is A Consuming, and Non-Consuming Fire

Deuteronomy 4:23-24 Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you.  For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.


In Daniel chapter 3 King Nebuchadnezzar makes a big ol' image of gold. He erects it in Babylon, and is going to have a dedication service. He invites all the leaders to come to the celebration. At the celebration, he has a little musical number planned. When the musicians strikes up a cord, all the attendees are to fall on their face before this image and worship it. (I think if I were there, I would have liked to be a harp player. It would be hard to play a harp and bow down to an image at the same time).

That's a bit of a pickle for Daniels friends Rack, Shak and Benny (as Veggie Tales calls them). You see, they know the above text of Scripture. They know they are not to fall down before any image and worship it as God. And to make matters worse, the consequence for disobeying King Nebby's command is death by fire; to be thrown into a consuming fire.

If you remember the story, they do not fall down before the image. They trust their God is able to either protect them from being killed by fire, or give them grace in the midst of their sentence of death. The King is so angry that he calls for the furnace to be heated to the max. It is so hot that those who throw Rack, Shak and Benny into the fire, die themselves.

Our God is a consuming fire. Yet our God is also able to not consume in the midst of fire. The three men filled with faith are met in the fire by help. Whether Jesus came as a Christophany (a physical appearance of Jesus before His incarnation), or God sent an Angel; the men are kept safe in the midst of the consuming fire.

Do you fear standing for Jesus in the midst of the trials of your every day life? Never forget that the God of heaven is a consuming fire, He is jealous for your heart to worship Him alone. And also, our God is able to keep you safe in the midst of a consuming fire.

Can My Gift Save A Life Like Daniel Did?

A quick fly over of Daniel chapter 2~
     After Daniels three years of training, he is tested along with all the others. He and his friends stand out among all. The King has them stand in his presence. A while later, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream. He calls all of the Magicians, Enchanters, Sorcerers, and Wise Men before his presence and asks them to interpret it. But he not only asks them to interpret the dream, he asks them to tell him his dream without him telling them what it is.

None are able to fulfill the Kings request so he orders them all to be killed. Daniel and his friends are in the same camp as the rest of the above group of people, so he and his friends will also be killed.

Daniel makes a request before the King to have more time. Then Daniel calls a little prayer meeting and tells his friends to seek mercy from God. Daniel then goes to bed. In the night God reveals the dream and the interpretation to Daniel. Daniel then goes before the King and tells him his very detailed dream, and the interpretation. The King listens intently to the entire explanation from Daniel. At the end of it, the King pays homage to Daniel, falls on his face before him and has incense brought in to offer it to Daniel.

What an event! I am wondering, is this (the interpretation of the dream) something you or I could have done? I think not. Daniel's faith is worth meditating on and mimicking. But I do not have the gift of dream interpretation like Daniel did. It says in Daniel 1:17 that Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

What have you been gifted to do? This account tells us of the amazing faith of Daniel. Also it tells us of the Amazing God we serve. This account is a vivid example of the Omniscience of God. It says elsewhere in the Bible that God knows our thoughts. This is showing that God not only can know our thoughts, but can give to us thoughts, and share with others what those thoughts are. God gave Nebuchadnezzar thoughts in a dream form. King Nebby didn't share those thoughts with anyone. God revealed those same thoughts to Daniel, and explained to Daniel what those thoughts meant. Daniel believed God could do this, and it was part of Daniels gifting to trust God would show him.

What have you been gifted to do? Daniel used his gift to save the life of himself and his friends. He also used his gift to bring glory to the God who gave him his gift. How could you use whatever gift God has given you to save the life of someone? Maybe a prayer? Maybe an act of mercy? Maybe an explanation of a text of Scripture? Maybe a rebuke? An Exhortation? How could you use this same gift to bring glory to the One who gave it to you?

Test Yourself

1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life

1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 2:3-6 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1 John 2:9-11 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions — is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 3:6-9 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.

1 John 4:20-21 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 4:6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life

Making Resolves

Ever since I first learned of Daniel, he has struck me as a man of impeccable character. I am reading through the first chapter and already see his character shining brightly.

Nebuchadnezzar comes against Jerusalem and besieges it. He takes captive some of the youth that seem good to him. He will have them taught and trained in the literature and ways of the Chaldeans. In three years, the youth will stand before the King. Daniel is one of the youth that were taken captive.

Right out of the shoot, Daniel sets himself apart by making a resolve against the food and drink that is placed before him. He is assigned a daily portion of the food and wine that the king himself ate. Daniel says "uh huh," "I am not eating that," "it will defile me." Daniel asks the person who is overseeing him to give him vegetables and water instead.

Was Daniel promoting vegetarianism? I think not, as this seems a modern idea. Was it wrong for Daniel to drink wine? No, because nowhere in the law of the Jewish Scriptures was this prohibited. Whatever Daniels reason for obtaining from that particular food and drink was I am not sure. What does strike me though is the resolve he makes in his heart.

Are you a person who makes resolves. A resolve is a stake in the ground on some issue. It stems from a conviction in the mind and emotions of a person. It says "that is not even an option for me to do 'X'."

My wife and I were at a Desiring God conference where Sinclair Ferguson was speaking. He opened his Bible to the book of First John and started making resolves. Everywhere there was a command, or some kind of exhortation, he personalized it into a resolve.

I am wishy-washy on a lot of issues. I do not like that I am, though I trust God will continue to sanctify me more into the image of Jesus. Maybe you are like me in some way and need to think about making more resolves for yourself.

Disqualified

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self- control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.


I am a husband and a father of four. God has appointed me to lead my home. The reason God has appointed me is merely because I am the man. This may not sound so wonderful to a feminist generation, but it is God's design. This in no way means that my wife has less value than me. We are both created in God's image and have equal standing before God. The difference is simply in role, and authority.

If this doesn't make much sense, think of the Trinity. Christianity affirms the try-unity of God. God the Father is God, Jesus the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. All three persons of the trinity are equally God. All three persons are fully God, yet they differ in authority and function. Jesus is fully God, yet He has subjected Himself under the authority of the Father.

That being said, I am appointed to lead my home. Since I am appointed to do this, I am always doing this, whether I am doing this well, or doing this very poorly; I am always leading. Douglas Wilson said that even the derelict father that has walked out on his family is still leading from the empty seat at the dinner table.

As the leader, I lead nightly Bible studies with my family. Which means that I am daily preaching. What struck me this morning from the above text is the consequence of being hypocritical. If I preach, "x," and I do not do "x" myself, I become disqualified.

You see while I am preaching to my family, I am explaining the rules to them of the race. It is the race of the Christian faith, and I am teaching the rule book. If I teach the rules and do not obey them myself, I am disqualified from running. Even if someone does not pull me instantly out of the race, the camera's are still on in heaven. And the cheater, who breaks the rules, will never earn the prize.

Passing a Judgement vs. Making a Judgement

Yesterday my family and I listened to a message from Grace Family Baptist Church by Voddie Baucham. Here is a link if you are interested. Listen

I thought I would share what I learned about judging. He said that the new staple verse people quote is "do not judge, least you be judged." And this can be paraphrased by simply saying "hey, don't judge me." The tricky thing about judging is that we are commanded not to make judgements like in Romans 14:10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. And we are commanded to make judgements like in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “ Purge the evil person from among you.


Voddie made a distinction that I thought was very helpful. He said there was a difference between "passing" a judgement, and "making judgements." We make judgements all the time. We can not function in this world if we do not judge things. We are even commanded in Scripture to not only made a judgement toward another person who is in sin, but also to go to the person (Matthew 18). But passing a judgment is something only God is qualified to do.

Passing a judgement is judging the motives and intentions of another person. We don't even know our own motives very good, how could we be qualified to pass a judgment on another persons motives. Voddie said we lack the "authority" to pass a judgement, we lack the "in-site" to pass a judgment, we lack the "purity" to pass a judgment, and we lack the "occasion" to pass judgments. Jesus alone has the in-site, the authority, the purity and the occasion.

If you have a spare 45 minutes this week, head over to the link and have a listen. It was very helpful for me. Happy Monday!

A Reminder of Truth

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Eph 6:14-18 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication

Psalm 119:160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever

John 8:31-32  So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth

A Key to be Compassionate

There are many verses in the Bible that speak to the fact that Christians ought to be compassionate people. 1 Peter 3:8 for instance says Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Colossians 3:12 reads Put on then, as God's choses ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.


Is compassion a gift? I am not really sure. It may not be a specific gift from the Holy Spirit, but there do seem to be people who are just naturally more compassionate than others.

I finished reading Hebrews this morning and landed on something that will help those of us who are not as compassionate as we ought to be. Hebrews 13:3 says Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.

The Bible teaches elsewhere that Christians are in one unified body together with Jesus. He is our head, we make up the other parts. To be a more compassionate person, we are to think about people we know who are suffering in some way. Think deeply about their circumstances and pretend we are there with them, suffering all the same things they are suffering. This draws our minds away from self (for just a moment), onto another person's problems. Our emotions begin to be moved toward them and what they are feeling. Then we move this emotion back upon ourselves, picturing us there, suffering all the same things they are.

So the key to being a more compassionate person is to use your mind to think upon another person who is suffering. Then use your imagination to pretend you are right there with them, suffering right along side them all the same things. Who should you spend time thinking about this morning?

Running the Race

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)


Hebrews 11 just finished the great "faith" chapter. It told of the heroes of the faith in the Old Testament. Now in chapter 12 we have this imagery of these heroes of the faith watching in an arena as we modern Christians run this race of faith.

When I was a kid, my parents had these two blue weights filled with sand. They would go around some part of your body, like your wrist. You would wrap them around and velcro them, sort of like the thing they place around your bicep to check your blood pressure in the hospital. Thinking back on it now, I would guess they were designed to be on a persons wrist while they ran.

Well I decided to strap them around my ankles and go for a run. They were not very tight so they would bang around on my leg. My ankles would then hit each other with every stride I made. So to remedy this, I would need to run bow legged. To be frank, this experience absolutely sucked!

Sin is like this. It attaches itself around us and hinders us from running a smooth race. We are encouraged this morning to unstrap the weights. They are not helping us to get to the finish line.

Going Boom Without Faith

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1 ESV)



And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
(Hebrews 11:6 ESV)


My son is about a year and a half old. He is beginning to talk a bunch. I told him three days ago that the object in my pocket was a screwdriver. He looked at it, and played with it a while, and put it back in my pocket. I came home yesterday and he looked in my pocket and said "do-di-der," which is screw-dri-ver.

I told him that the thing he was looking at was called a screwdriver. He believed me. He didn't believe me that it existed, because he saw that it did. He simply believed me that the thing had a name, and it is called a screwdriver.

Yesterday we were all in the kitchen, except for my son. My wife walked out in the living room and saw my son sitting on a table in the living room. The table was right next to the staircase railing. He could have easily fallen over the railing and down 12 steps. I pulled him off the table and told him of the consequences that would happen if he would have gone "boom" down the steps. He looked at me like he was not very convinced that would happen to him.

Both instances my son was called to have faith in something I was telling him. The first thing (the screwdriver) he gave evidence of his faith by reciting to me at a later date the name of the thing. He remembered it and I trust he will continue to believe the name of the thing is a screwdriver. But the second thing I was telling him he could not see. I was describing a thing (a circumstance that would happen if he fell) that he had not witnessed. He did not see it happen. I was calling him to have faith in a thing he could not see.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is the assurance and conviction of things I can not see. I am told things exist that my eyes can not lay hold of. I am unable to see God, yet I am called to believe that He exists. I am called to place my faith in the words of Scripture. Like my son is called to have faith in my words that he would be hurt if he went boom down the steps. I am called to trust what the Bible says is true, even though I may not see it for myself.

If I do not believe God's words are true, I am like my son, leaning over the railing, smiling back at me and saying "no go boom down stairs."

Melchize-Who?

There was a man that I knew named Ken. He has since gone to be with the Lord. I was talking to him one day a couple of years ago and he told me that Jesus was Melchizedek. I wanted him to clarify, asking him if he thought Melchizedek was a "type" of Christ. He said, "no, Melchizedek was Jesus."

He asked me to pray about it and see if I didn't discover that truth out for myself. I never had the opportunity to speak with him about it again. I am though reading Hebrews chapter 7 this morning and can most assuredly understand why Ken would have thought that. But the author of Hebrews is arguing from the Old Testament that Melchizedek pre-figured a type of Christ.


He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.
(Hebrews 7:3 ESV)


Ken surely knows now the truth of Melchizedek way better than I do. Yet I can know that Melchizedek was not Jesus. Melchizedek resembled Jesus. He resembled Jesus is the way that he appears to be eternal. He has no beginning (recorded in Scripture) and no ending (recorded in Scripture). It appears his priesthood has no end (that is recorded in Scripture).

Verse 11 and following will argue that Jesus is comparable to Melchizedek. Maybe I'll read that tomorrow morning.

May Jesus Christ, who's Priesthood continues for ever, offer his eternal once and for all sacrifice for you to God the Father. May you be eternally forgiven because of your Great High Priest.

A Fruitful Plant or a Thorn Bush?

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
(Hebrews 6:4-8 ESV)


There is much debate that goes on in christendom regarding texts like this. Whether a Christian can actually loose his salvation or not. So my aim this morning is not to explain the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, but to ask what kind of plant are we?

The illustration the author of Hebrews uses is a simple one. When rain falls down and waters a field, what type of crop comes up? Is it a good crop that is useful, or a bad one that is not? The rain is a symbol of the good and nourishing things mentioned in the text. The Holy Spirit, the goodness of the Bible, the power of God, a taste of what the gift of heaven will be like.

The question for us is this...have you had a taste of these things? Have you drank some of the rain that has fallen on you? If you have, what is the fruit that has come up from it? What's in your field?

The text is challenging us to look back over our lives and see if there was a time when it was producing good and useful fruit. Then to examine our lives now and see if the fruit is more mature, or has it become thorny and full of thistles? If it is thorny now, what you have done is picked up a hand sickle and sliced Jesus to death again. Instead of cutting down the thistles in your field, you have killed the Messiah with it.

I would suggest that a good field is a field good for God's use, one that builds His kingdom. And a bad field would be a field that might be good for you and your kingdom, but bad for God and His kingdom. You and He cannot both sit on the throne at the same time, there's not room enough for two.

Milk or Solid Food?

In Chapter 5 of Hebrews, the author is exhorting his readers that they should be teachers by now, and not need so much basic instruction. But something that is helpful for us in that exhortation, is that the author tells us in chapter 6 what the elementary doctrines are of the christian faith. Just like I can not feed our newborn steaks and eggs, I can not feed a spiritual baby the deep and more profound doctrines.

I came across this text afresh a couple of years ago and decided to teach these basic and elementary doctrines to my family. You have to start somewhere and these "milk" doctrines are a great place to start.

I would like to encourage you to begin here as well with your family. Begin here with yourself if you have never studied these doctrines. A baby can not handle meat, and a toddler will starve if they don't begin to have something with more substance.

The elementary doctrines of the christian faith are...(Hebrews 6:1-2)
1. Repentance from dead works
2. Faith toward God
3. Instructions about washings (baptism)
4. The laying on of hands
5. The resurrection of the dead
6. Eternal judgement

Scripture

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
(Hebrews 4:11-13 ESV)



All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

(2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

(2 Peter 1:20-21 ESV)

Where is the Rest of my Rest?

My wife gets up with our newborn at night. I get up with my son when he needs some nighttime assistance. We go to sleep at the same time, but I get up 2 to 2 1/2 hours earlier than her, so I would guess we get about the same amount of sleep each night. (She actually gets more because our newborn is rarely awake for 2 hours during the night.) Last night I fell asleep at 11:11 pm. My son woke up at 3:05, and I have been awake since.

During my prayer time this morning I was not praying with much faith when I was thanking God for the rest He did give me. Though the words out of my mouth to my Father were ones of thankfulness. I just finished reading Hebrews Chapter 4 and there is much talk about "rest." And I thought I would share a view I hold of rest, being an "already" and "not yet" kind of rest.

The Author of the book of Hebrews is arguing in chapter 4 from the Old Testament. He is using the illustration of the Israelites entering the Promise Land. The Israelites followed Moses out of Egypt. They were headed for the Promise Land. That generation of Israelites did not enter their rest though because they did not follow and obey by faith. So God had that generation die off in the wilderness, along with Moses. Their children then entered into the Promise Land through their new leader Joshua.

Hebrews is arguing that their remains a rest for the people of God. It says in verse 8 and 9, For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Yet verse 7 seems to be emphasizing today.


In this life we get little glimmer's of the future Sabbath rest. Every time I lay my head on my pillow, cease from work, and get some rest; it is a small picture for me of the future rest to come. The 4 hours of sleep I got last night was a little rest. I do not feel very rested this morning. If I get 8 hours of sleep tonight, I will probably feel more rested. There have been times when I have been sick, and have slept for many more hours. Ideally the more sleep I would get, the more rested I would be.

So I think the "rest" the book of Hebrews is speaking of is an "already" and "not yet" sort of rest. I have rested from working to gain favor with God to earn my salvation. I have rested in the arms of Jesus, who alone saves. Yet I still strive in this life, to press forward toward my future rest in heaven.

I "already" have rest, though there remains a rest I have "not yet" obtained.

An Attempt to Understand Unbelief

I am reading Hebrews Chapter 3 this morning. If you have not read my post (Ungodly?) on ungodliness, maybe you should read that first. Because I am going to build something on top of that understanding of ungodliness.

I mentioned that in Jerry Bridges book "Respectable Sins" he uses an illustration to help us understand what ungodliness is. His picture is one of a tree. The roots below the ground are roots of ungodliness from which the trunk of pride springs forth. The branches growing forth from the trunk, he says are unrighteousness. 

1. Root = Ungodliness (an attitude of the heart that is either indifferent to God, or an outward rebellion that says, "there is no God!")

2. Trunk = Pride (he says all sin grows out of the sin of pride)

3. Branches = Unrighteousness (these are the visible fruits of the tree, which are sins)

I want to build off of that understanding as I read Hebrews this morning and you can comment whether you think it fits or not.

(Hebrews 3:12) Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

(Hebrews 3:19) So we see that they (the Israelites) were unable to enter (the Promise Land) because of unbelief. 

I have learned from theses texts, and the structure of Chapter 3 that disobedience (sin) flows from unbelief. Here is what I would like to add to the illustration of the tree. That the roots are ungodliness, and from that springs forth the trunk of pride, but it comes through the ground, or soil of unbelief. 

I say that because I think that unbelief comes after revelation, either natural or special. Natural Revelation is the way in which God communicates to His creation without the Bible (Romans 1). And Special Revelation is how God communicates with His creation through specific words, concepts and ideas. 

So I think that in order for unbelief to occur, someone must communicate with me. I must have something to disbelieve. The creation screams of a Creator. The creation is communicating to me that there is a God. I can choose to believe or disbelieve that. The Bible screams to me that there is a God. I can choose to believe or disbelieve that as well. 

Out of the root of ungodliness comes the budding tree of pride, but it must first break the soil of unbelief in order to see or hear something above ground. 

Whether you agree with my argument or not there is a strong warning for all of us. That unbelief causes us to fall away from God. And falling away from God has eternal consequences. 

Tying A Rope Around The House

I love to tie knots. I am not talking about the kind of knot that uses a rope, but tying together concepts. We live in the realm of ideas and concepts. When we study the Bible, we are concerned about what each particular word means. But more than that, we are concerned about the concepts behind the words. We do this all the time during the day. We use many different words to speak of the same concept. If we are trying to explain a concept to a person, we will use an array of words to do so. Somehow we come to the Bible and get all weird about it.

I am reading Hebrews 3. The author says that Moses was faithful IN all of God's house. Then says that Jesus is faithful OVER God's house. Then he goes on to explain that the builder of a house has more glory than the house itself. The house is glorious, but is meant to point to the builder and designer of the house. The builder is the one who is glorious.

Then verse 6 it tells us that we are God's house. I am God's house? I remember that the text just got done telling me that the builder of a house is to have more honor than the house itself. I am the house itself (this should keep me somewhat humble because I am not the builder).

This concept is in other places in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells me that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 6:16 tells us that we are the temple. Jesus in John 2 is standing in the Jerusalem Temple. He tells the Jews standing there that if they destroy this temple, He will raise it up again in three days. The text tells us that Jesus was not talking about the rock temple building, He was speaking about His body. His body is the temple.

Lets pull the knot tighter. There was a literal rock temple. There was no longer any purpose for the rock temple once Jesus came. Jesus says He is the true temple. Jesus dies. The temple is destroyed. Jesus did what He said He would do and raised Himself up three days later. Jesus ascends to heaven. He sends His Holy Spirit to dwell inside other humans, His brothers and sisters. They become Christians. The Holy Spirit makes a sinful person into a temple, or a house of God. When Christians gather together, they are the together the temple. Jesus is faithful over the house of God. We are the house of God. Any glory the house of God has is meant to point to the builder of the house, which is God. God built us. The Spirit dwells in us. Jesus is the faithful high priest over us.

That's all the tighter I can pull the knot this morning. I am not a dispensationalist. I am not looking for another rock temple to be built that Jesus will reign over. We are the temple of the living God. Jesus is our Priest!