Wonderful Words of Life - Issue 3

By Dr. Keith J. Wise

Digging Deeper: (Backgrounds of Christmas)

 

    The God of the Bible is a God of History.  The nation of Israel was a nation, early on, that was bound up in the empires of the world and the promised coming of a Messiah.  Galatians 4:4 tells us that "in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law."  It is then not ironic that Jesus was born during the times of the Roman Empire. In his providence he had prepared the world religiously, linguistically and politically.   Specifically we are told in Luke 2 that the impetus to drive Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem was a decree by Caesar Augustus, the first Emperor of the growing and expanding Roman Empire.  But who was this man?  Do we specifically know anything about him?  Is this his name, or does he go by another?

    The answers to these questions are found in the Bible and in secular history.

    He was born in Rome on September 23, 63 B.C.  His native name was Gaius Octavius, after his father.  His father had brought honor to the name by being the first senator of the family.  He died unfortunately before his son(Gaius) was five years of age. The following year, his mother married L. Marcius Philippus who, while his stepfather in name, proved to be a worthy father to Octavius.

    His mother, Atia, was the daughter of Julia, sister of Julius Caesar. When Caesar was murdered in the Senate House, on the Ides of March, 44 B.C., Octavius learned that he had been designated his heir.  This was secured in in 45 B.C. but was kept secret.  He was eighteen years old at the time. He was studying at Apollonia in Illyria, where he had been sent by the illustrious uncle. There, Caesar had a army in preparation to invade to the east and deal with the threat of the Parthians.  When Octavius heard of his uncle's death, he immediately added the name of "Julius Caesar" to his own.

    Even though he was warned by his mother and others of the pitfalls of politics, his courage won out as he pursued the path through the gauntlet of Caesar's "Legal Will."  To the amazement of seasoned politicians and the despair of his rivals, he soon displayed himself as a leader to prominent leaders of the Senate, and a darling of the people. Within months he was on his way to becoming the master of Rome.

    In November, 43 B.C., Octavius, Anthony and Lepidus were formally appointed to supervise the reorganization of the republic.  This group was known as "The Second Triumvirate."  Lepidus was soon seen to be the weakest member of the trio and easily squeezed out of real power.  Thus began the competition for supremacy between Anthony and Octavius.

    In reality at this point in their relationship they were pretty much evenly matched.  To prove this, there was effected a form of reconciliation, by Anthony marrying Octavius' sister, Octavia.  The two power brokers now divided the Commonwealth between each other.  Octavius stayed in the west to consolidate his power base from Rome, while Anthony moved east as he succumbed to the charms of Cleopatra.

    When news reached Octavius that Anthony was going to divorce his sister, in order to marry Cleopatra, all agreements of peace were off.  He moved east with a large force and navy under the brilliant leadership of Agrippa, one of the greatest tactician in Roman history.  Octavius and his forces defeated those of Anthony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium, on September 2, 31 B.C. With the pressing of the campaign Anthony and Cleopatra committed suicide in different places. With her death ended the dynasty of the Ptolemies in Egypt.  Eventually, after a great triumph in Rome, Octavius was determined not to appear too autocratic like his adopted father Julius Caesar.  On January  11, 29 B.C., the doors of the Temple of Janus, the god of war, were closed for the first time in two hundred years.  On January 16, 27 B.C., the Senate named him Augustus.  His full official name was Gaius Julius Caesar Octavius Augusts. The Greek form is Sebastos.  The word means "reverend" or "venerable."

    Octavian (Augustus) was a remarkable man, who though not necessarily a politician, had great political and powerful instincts that allowed him to make the republic a true empire.  He was a man of letters and education, and gave Rome its first public library.  He was the patron of Virgil, Ovid, Livy, and Horace.  He gave his name to a significant age of literature.

    As we look back, we see the Emperor on the high throne of world power.  In the same glance we see in far off Nazareth, two humble townsfolk, who Augustus' word had commanded to travel to Bethlehem of Judea to be listed in the census of his powerful state. Unbeknownst to him, his word would be subject one day to the "Word that was to become flesh..." during his reign.

    When August died on August 19, A.D. 14, at Nola, a few miles from Rome, in the same room in which father had died before him, and on the anniversary of his entrance upon his first consulship fifty-seven years before, he did not know or realized that in Galilee there was a carpenter's apprentice. Now in his teens, one day this person's followers would spread out to the the ends of the earth, and proclaim His infinite glory for centuries after the Empire of the Caesars and of Rome had crumbled into dust.

THOUGHT AND QUOTES:

If you would like to leave footprints on the sand of time, you had better wear work shoes.

Some minds are like concrete-- all mixed up and permanently set.

Flattery is like perfume-- you're supposed to smell it, not swallow it.

Every day we are sowing seed, and the harvest is ahead.  It is not wise to spare the seed if you would reap a good crop.

The smallest deed is better than the grandest intention.

A man's ability is usually rated by what he finishes, and not by what he starts.

NUGGETS FOR NOURISHMENT:  (Sermon Outline for Christmas)

Title: FOUR PRESENTS FOR CHRISTMAS-  by Dr. Keith J. Wise

Text: Luke 2:20 and Matthew 2:12

Introduction: The story of Christmas is about God giving us His "unspeakable gift."  This gift is so great that it has many aspects and dimensions.  Here are just a few of the many components of God's gracious nature to us.

I. A GIFT OF A RENEWED LIFE... 

In Christ, we are a "new" Creature...(II Cor. 5:17).  For us, all things are new...look and live.
In the Christmas drama (Matt.2:12), we see the Wise Men as they departed "another way."  When we come to Christ and seek the riches of His glory, we will go "another way" than the world goes.  In microcosm we did this in repentance in our conversion, and do it now sometimes daily and especially around the Lord's Table.  We see Biblical examples of this to teach us.  Blind Bartimaus was not the same after he met Jesus.  Also, the Gadarene demoniac found himself in his "right mind" after meeting Jesus.

II. A GIFT OF SERVICE...

The shepherds "came with haste" (Luke 2:16)... They found Jesus and they wasted no time in doing so after the instruction of the Angel.   We need to come with haste like Zacchaeus.  He will motivate us to action as Isaiah said... "...here am I, send me."  Saul of the New Testament said in Acts 9:6"...Lord, what will you have me to do?..."

III. THE GIFT OF WORSHIP...

In Matthew 2:11 the "Wise Men" "...fell down and worshiped Him..."  This expresses our need to humble ourselves before God and worship the King.  His birth demands a response from us... we see this in the whole Christmas drama in faith, courage, and obedience.

   A. That as the Innkeeper, you will find a place for the Christ child.
   B. That as the Wise Men, you will be wise enough to follow His star.
   C. That as the shepherds, you will  be open to the miracles god sends your way.
   D. That like Mary, you will surrender to the will of God.
   E. That like Joseph, you will live righteously, compassionately, and faithfully.

IV. THE APPROPRIATE GIFTS...

The "Wise Men" brought three types of gifts in Matthew 2:11.
    A. Gold: This is a tribute to a King and shows forth His deity.  Quote: "Before we are friends of Christ we must submit to Christ.  (Illust: Lord Nelson in receiving the sword of surrender said         "... your sword then your hand...")
    B. Frankincense: This gift would be symbolic of purity of life.  It was a sweet smelling savor and the gift of or to a priest.  In Latin the word priest is "pontifex" which means "bridge builder." Jesus Christ is our bridge builder to God through his death, burial, and resurrection.
    C. Myrrh: This is a bitter gift, used for the purpose of embalming.  Jesus came into the world to die, and this tacit gift would lend itself to preparation for His body after the crucifixion.  However, after His resurrection it would have been rendered meaningless. The powers of this world are powerless before this risen, reigning King.
    D. What would our gift to Christ be?
        1. We are to be living sacrifices. (Romans 12:1-2)
        2. Paul tells us that "...I die daily..." (I Corinthians 15:31)

CONCLUSION:   The greatest gift we bring is ourselves to the King.  As we do, this gift increases in value as it identifies with the living Lord of Life.  As we die to self and live to God, then our influence increases and blesses others.  The reward is coming... Jesus said "...my reward is with me."(Revelation 22:12)

Wonderful Words of Life...(issue 2)

 WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE...                 (Issue 2)                                                                                                                  

I. Digging Deeper: 

    Recently, one of my students asked me about the use of the Greek Tense.  Since I have been contacted concerning this new blog, I thought I would take a moment and simplify some information about the New Testament Koine Greek "Tense."  After the conquest of Alexander the Great thru the Middle East there came the Greek-Macedonian Era.(336-323 B.C.).  After this period in Biblical History we come to the Egyptian Era of the Greco-Macedonian Era-(323-198 B.C.).  Others that follow will be the Syrian-(Seleucid) Era-(198-165 B.C.), the Maccabean Era- (165-63 B.C.), the Roman Era (63 B.C. to A.D. 70.-(this will extend into the Byzantine era) This last era would include the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Church and the destruction of Jerusalem in the Great Jewish War. (We will look at these historic eras in later editions and events within them.)

    One of the primary focuses of these eras will be the widespread use of the Koine or "common" language of this form of Greek.  Examples of this could be the Septuagint(the Greek Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) the original work of the New Testament referenced by Jesus and the Apostles, and the earlier works of the Jewish writer Philo from Egypt. It was a specific language with specific uses of tense and translation.  It was the universal language of the first century of the Roman Empire and most of the Near East. 

Tense: In Koine Greek, tense denotes primarily a kind of action, and time only in the indicative mode.  There are various tenses in the Greek:

1.) Present tense-- shows linear or durative action, action in progress. This in present time only in the indicative mode.

2.) Imperfect tense-- Shows linear or durative action, and past time in the indicative mode.

3.) Aorist tense-- Shows punctiliar or point action. (.)  Also note, past time in the indicative mode.

4.) Perfect tense-- Shows perfect action, which is a combination of the linear and punctiliar action in that it shows an action in a given point in the past with continuous results, or a continuous action coming to a point. In the indicative mode this continuous action is going on in the present.

5.) Plu-perfect tense--  Shows perfective action, in which the action completed at a designated point in the past is in the indicative mode.

6.) Future tense-- Shows any of the top three types of action and future time in the indicative mode.

DID YOU KNOW?

Jesus is in every book of the Bible:  

In Genesis, He is the Promised Seed that is going to come and bruise the head of the serpent.

In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.

In Leviticus, He is the Scapegoat.

In Numbers, He is the Brazen Serpent.

In Deuteronomy, He is the Great Law Giver.

In Joshua, He is the great Deliverer of Israel.

In Judges, He is the coming Judge to Judge the world.

In Ruth, He is the Kinsman Redeemer.

In I,II Samuel, He is a Prophet, Priest, and King.

In I,II Kings, He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  

In I,II Chronicles, He is the Great Historian.                                                       

In Ezra, He is the great re-builder of the temple.
In Nehemiah, He is the great re-builder of the wall.
In Esther, He is the Savior and Deliverer of Israel.
In Job, He is the Friend that sticks closer than a brother.
In the Psalms, He is the greatest song of the ages.
In Proverbs, He is the Wisdom of God and truth.
In Ecclesiastes, He is the preacher.
In the Song of Solomon, He is the great lover.
In Isaiah, He is Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father.
In Jeremiah, He is the Weeping Prophet.
In Lamentations, He is outside the city saying, "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?"
In Ezekiel, He is the prophetic voice of a New City and New Temple.
In Daniel, He is the stone cut out without hands to come and break in pieces the stones of this world and kingdoms of this world and establish a kingdom that shall cover the earth as the water covers the sea.
In Hosea, He is the great spurned lover.
In the Minor Prophets, He is the One coming in Bethlehem of Judea.
Then in the New Testament He has come and is everywhere to be seen in the flesh.
In Matthew, He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In Mark, He is the Suffering Servant.
In Luke, He is the Son of Man.
In John, He is Son of God.
In Acts, He is the power of the church through the Holy Spirit.
In the Epistles, He is the root of Church and encourager of His body on the earth.
In Jude, He is the one who is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding great joy.
In Revelation, He is the great cavalry leader who will saddle a white horse an lead all the host of heaven back to establish a "glorified" kingdom on this earth for ever and ever.

NUGGETS FOR NOURISHMENT: (A sermon outline) 

Title: How Did We Get Here?  A Biblical Formula for Marriage-

Scripture: Genesis 2: 19-25
Introduction: Our God is a master and genius.  His masterful simplicity is seen in the world all around us.  The seasons are ever before us to teach us to observer and learn His meanings of change and stability. Likewise, His formula for marriage is a masterful piece of handiwork as we will see in this simple but profound outline.  If we are led as a man or women to marry, here is what I believe is His formula from the above text.

I. A Man or Women must LEAVE...
    This may seem a bit strange, but in our families we will eventually be called to leave, or move away from our parents.  This does not mean we "abandon" our parents, but we now "become one" in a more mature and sophisticated relationship. Many cultures have "temporary" separation periods from parents to help them understand the change that will come in life. In our western culture, seeking to emulate a Biblical standard has been noted, as a time comes when we "say goodbye" to those cherished parents who brought us into the world. Advice: If you cannot "leave" your parents, you are not ready for marriage, don't take that step until you mature to "leave." Note: Adam had a job(tending the garden) before he married.

II. A Man or Women must CLEAVE... 

   This cleaving has a whole range of meanings from the Hebrew and Greek words.  It is a public display of saying "this person will now, before the community, become my spouse."  I am letting myself and my spouse be assured that I have been willing to discipline myself to wait for him or her and declare it before the community.  Oneness is one man and one women for one lifetime... "until death separates us."  Historically, the community from which we came was very interested in "stability" of the family and marriage specifically.  This is a universal truth.  In Hebrews 13 it says, "...Marriage is to be honorable among all..."  Cleaving was a commitment in a covenant.  It is iterating "I am committed to this person no matter what..."  Again, if you cannot commit... do not marry.

III. A Man or Women must BECOME ONE FLESH...

   On the surface, this is the gift of the "sexual act."  It is surprising to many people that sex was developed and given by God.  It is a blessing to be enjoyed both by men and women, but within the marriage covenant. Paul in the New Testament declares, "...the two shall be one flesh"... (I Cor. 6:16).  In another sense this "becoming one flesh" is a life time process.  In a deeper sense, if you have been married more than ten years, you know as a Christian your husband or wife is "becoming" a better spouse than the day of your wedding.  Earthly marriage though sanctioned and blessed by God is only temporary.  Jesus noted this in the New Testament.(Matt.22:30)  Children are a natural outcome of our shared love and devotion.  Obligation of parents to children and children to parents is a part of a healthy propagation of the earthly family and heritage.  We live today in a permissive society that encourages promiscuity. We must be different if we look at the Biblical models of the Old and New Testaments. Jesus quotes the above text in part and so does the Apostle Paul.  To repeat myself... for the Christian "self-control" is a spiritual discipline.  

Quotes: 

    From Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States. (1872-1933): "Prosperity is only an instrument to be used; not a deity to be worshiped."

     "...Sing to the Lord with Thanksgiving;...(Psalm 147:7) 

Some Good Thoughts:

    As of today, we are the only nation which, by proclamation of civil authority, observes a universal Thanksgiving Day.  This is a distinction for which we can be rightfully proud. But if we are to be worthy of that privilege, we as individuals must give sincere meaning and "pause" to our thanksgiving. 

Here in America we live in a free land were, as free citizens, we can worship as we choose, elect whom we see fit to fill our public offices, criticize our laws and policies of our government to our heart's content, conduct our affairs, and go and come as we please-- all of this with in most part without fear or intimidation.  

It is true that we, and our for-fathers before us, have worked hard and fought valiantly for these freedoms and the pursuit of happiness.  But it is also true, which none of us who are informed can deny, that without God's grace and favor none of the above freedoms and blessings would be possible.  So as we approach Thanksgiving, let us remember to "pause and reflect" these and many other blessings of our land and give thanks to a living God who has made it all possible.(see Psalm 100)

Sincerely Blessed,

Dr. Keith J. Wise 

    

Wonderful Words of Life...

Notes on Publication: Editor Dr. Keith J. Wise- Site manager Troy Graham    Issue: 1


TITLE: Wonderful Words of Life...

OUR PURPOSE: To encourage and edify the body of Christ through His Word by Scholarship, Fellowship and Truth.


DIGGING DEEPER: The overall pattern of the Scriptures is to enlighten the mind and confront the heart.  Jesus reveals to us His surgical scalpel through the power and work of the Holy Spirit. Once we have surrendered the groupings of our will, the creator of our person and personality can begin a great work of renovation. This is a lifelong project in this life.  His blueprint is perfect and ongoing in our lives.   
There use to be a phrase used in the 1960's, "get real!!"  One of the great contributions of the Christian walk is that God through Jesus Christ gets real with us in life. No facade, no playacting, but a realistic approach to life through our journey here and hereafter.(Psalm 145:18)  In Christ our "failings" become a classroom of learning about ourselves. The record of man's fall in Genesis is a drama of avoidance.  When Adam and Eve sinned they "hid themselves."  Men and Women are still attempting to hid themselves from God, but this is impossible. He seeks "intrusive reality" into us and our motives and life.  That is a "good movement" in our healing and His renovation of our hearts and lives.  Our "ugliness" is replaced with His peace, joy and blessing. 

We can realize that this reality is filled with faith, hope and love.  The Apostles understood it and we must also understand it.  There has always been an operative word we use in our vocabulary that God used from the beginning in different forms, and that word is "balance."  The balanced life is a "good life."  God wants "balanced relationships" with Him.  These balanced dimensions are physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Honest confrontation with self can achieve a reliance beyond ourselves that is 'supernatural' in nature. It is one of the reasons we worship on the Lord's Day, have daily devotions in His Word and exercise good with and toward others around us. Remember, "dependence" on Him is strength not weakness.  

There is a great verse that I think gives us this useful perspective.  In Ephesians 2:10 Paul declares... "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do..."(NIV)


DID YOU KNOW?

The Bible contains 3,566,480 letters, 773,746 words, 31,102 verses, 1,189 chapters, and 66 books.  In terms of length, the average word of the bible contains few than five letters. (The reality of brevity).

The word YHWH "Jehovah" or Yahweh occurs 6,855 times.
The word "Lord" (Adonai) occurs 1,853 times.
The middle chapter and the shortest is Psalm 117. It contains only two verses.
The middle verse of the Bible is Psalm 118:8
The middle book of the Old Testament is Proverbs.
The middle chapter of the Old Testament is Job 29.
The shortest verse in the Old Testament is I Chronicles 1:25; the longest, Esther 8:9.
The middle book of the New Testament is Second Thessalonians.
the middle chapter in the New Testament is between Romans 13 and 14.
The middle verse in the New Testament is Acts 17:17.
The shortest verse in the New Testament, in English, is John 11:35; in Greek, I Thessalonians 5:16.

NUGGETS FOR NOURISHMENT: (Sermon Outlines)
Title:  Text: Philippians 2:12-18
Introduction: At the turn of 19th century the fishing industry of Southern California began what would be a booming industry.  Its fishermen would ply the waters off the Pacific coastline and catch varieties of fish.  The then practice was to discard at sea, the waste products of the fish processing. This was a bounty to the local population of Pelicans who found an abundant and dependable food source.  Ironically, December 7, 1941 changed this whole dynamic.  Japanese subs plied the waters along the American Pacific coast and almost overnight bankrupted the west coast fishing industry.  But more devastating in the weeks and months ahead were the bodies of starved Pelicans that washed ashore, who had lost their ability to fish for themselves.  Later, after the war Florida Pelicans were introduced to replenish the nearly depleted California Pelican populations.  What are the spiritual and life lessons from this story?

I. You Can Have Too Much Done For You...
    (The easy food supply was gone as the Pelicans had come to             know it.  They were impoverish by lack of knowledge.) 

II. The Opportunity Is Really Always There For Success...
    (Despite the loss of easy pickings, the sea was full of fish!!
    The Pelicans could not access the supply.)

III. To Succeed You Must Associate With Winners...
    (The newly introduced Florida Pelicans had fishing techniques         for survival that insured future generation of Pacific Pelicans) 


BIO-FROM OHIO:
   My name is Dr. Keith J. Wise.  I am a native of Steubenville,Ohio.  I have been an ordained minister in the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ since 1971.  I have ministered in Ohio, and now Michigan.  It has been a privilege to preach and teach Ancient History at Wilberforce University, Ohio University (Ironton Campus) and for the last 24 years at Alma College in Alma, Michigan.  I am married to Sharon D. Wise (a retired public school teacher) and we have three children: Adam, Aaron and Amber.  I am semiretired from the located ministry but continue to teach on the adjunct faculty at Alma College.    This blog will appear on the last day of each month, and we pray it edify and challenge you in your Christian Life.  God bless.