Thursday, February 28, 2019
Thursday, January 31, 2019
FEBRUARY EDITION- 2019- Wonderful Words of Life- By Dr. Keith J. Wise
Introduction: I looked at my February blog last year in which I began talking about aspects of this time of year. It is winter, and at the writing of this blog in 2019 we are in the grips of some cold temperatures and a storm this last week of January for February. A number of postings in the popular press sought to try and make us feel better by a little history lesson on the winter storm of of 1978. It was at that time, that the meteorologist were registering the lowest barometric number in the continental United States. Our son Aaron was a year old and the back of our neighbor's garage had blown off. WOW...what a night and day that experience was for a young couple in Northeastern Ohio.
That storm and that experience is now a faded memory and we fill our minds with the Springs and Summers and Falls since those eventful days. It is much as this life has been. Jesus told us that "...in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
We have a new world coming with no sorrows or disappointments. Our temporary difficulties here will be substituted with glorious renewal and hope beyond our expectation. Let this February be a month in which you focus on our "blessed hope" even Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank God daily for small aspects of your life and you will have a healthy perspective and hope for the future.
II. Remembering Our Presidents...
A lot can be said about the qualities and preferences of our Presidents. February is Presidents month and Black History month. The model of the first President George Washington set the course of what some American Historians have called, The Common Bond. It usually goes something like this in its rendering. At Valley Forge in the American Revolution- they pledged their cause of human dignity- a rag-tag army was saved from military disaster. At Philadelphia it was saved from political disaster. More than a century later, at Ford River Rouge project, it was saved from possible economic disaster. This area near Detroit took over ten years to construct, (1917-1928)- It included 93 buildings and housed 120 conveyors over 900 acres.
The heroes at Valley Forge were George Washington and his small, frozen band of Continental soldiery. At Philadelphia the heroes were the members of the convention which gave birth to the United States and our revolutionary Constitution. At River Rouge the heroes were Henry Fort and his pioneer assemblers who demonstrated the revolutionary technique of mass production that made the automobile the envy of the world.
Each step in the progress of our great American Revolution has brought emancipation to people- more from the participating in and sharing. Said Washington: "I can clearly foresee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our nation by consolidating in a common bond of principle." Lighted by these words, the pattern of our unfolding Revolution becomes clear- from the drafty cabins at Valley Forge to the crowded parking lot at River Rouge.
The key to our way of life is participation, partnership in human dignity. That is the meaning of freedom-military, political, economic- as we Americans have come to enjoy it. This is the "common bond of principle" we, as free men and women, must consolidate and carry into the future hope based on a living God.
III. Digging Deeper...Why Do We Appeal to Fulfilled Prophecy To Document Inspiration?
Over the years as a minister and a college professor, I have been asked to prove or present a defence for the scriptures being trustworthy as a reliable feature of faith. The sources have always been out there and have been noted over at least the last century. The Apostle Peter, after testifying that he had seen Jesus Christ in all His glory, said, "And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts..." (II Peter 1:19, NASB). Peter is here seeing to appeal to the position of fulfilled prophecy as a witness to the truth of Scripture.
The Bible itself gives the purpose of prophecy, "Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done..." (Isaiah 46:9,10-NASB).
The New Testament spoke of the coming of Jesus Christ, "Which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures" (Romans 1:1-4, RSV).
The testimony of the scriptures is that the purpose of prophecy is to let us know that God exists and the He has a plan for this world. By the foretelling of persons, places and events hundreds of years before their occurrence, the the Bible demonstrates a knowledge of the future that is too specific to be labeled a good guess. By giving examples of fulfilled prophecy, the scriptures give a strong testimony to their own inspiration.
A good example of this would be the prophecy of King Cyrus the Persian.(Ish.44:28; 45:1). The prophet Isaiah, writing about 700B.C. prior, predicts Cyrus by name as the king who will say to Jerusalem that it shall be built and that the temple foundation shall be laid. What is truly remarkable about this prophecy is that at the time of Isaiah predicted this event, the city of Jerusalem and the temple were standing. About a hundred years later is when we have the record of King Nebuchadnezzar destroying the city and temple in Jerusalem and the seventy year exile of the southern Kingdom of Judah had officially commenced. (Approx.586B.C.)
As we read the story of people, places and events in the seeming hopeless situation of the children of Israel, we know they would be rescued in a remarkable fashion. The last king of Babylon, Belshazzar, finds himself surrounded by a Persian army and the city of Babylon passing into the hands of Cyrus. Just as predicted by Isaiah, one hundred and sixty years after his prophecy, king Cyrus by edict, recorded on the Cyrus Cylinder, allow the Jews to leave Babylon and rebuild the temple. Later, under another Persian King Darius, the Cupbearer Nehemiah would rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
This is a small sliver of the many prophecies that predicted the will of God in the life of Israel in the preparation for the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ to save the world. If you are a reader of the New Testament there is a marvelous testimony of who Jesus was and is to us. In the fourth chapter of John there is the wonderful story of the women at the well. She has a magnificent encounter with Jesus at Sychar in Samaria. However, it is most telling to us that the Samaritans of that area pleaded with Jesus to stay with them and for two days as he taught them because of the testimony of this women. In fact that two day Bible Study provoked a marvelous response that predicts the awesome expanse of Jesus' kingdom. The Samaritans say in verse 42 "...They (the Samaritans) said to the women, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." (NIV)
Think about this, before the faith of the Apostles, the preaching of Pentecost, these Samaritans who were so despised by the Jewish community declare a Christian message of salvation with Jesus Christ in their presence. Certainly this is not the end of the story, for if you read on in the New Testament in Acts 8 in the first twenty five verses, you read about the great revival of Philip the Evangelist to the Samaritans.
IV. Did You Know? Luke is an Accurate Historian.
In his Gospel and Acts, Luke names 117 separate living people, 114 towns, provinces, islands, seas and other identifiable places, and 25 policatial, military, social religious events in history.
Luke's order of events and location of towns and provinces, his knowledge of Roman administration, censuses and regiments, his naming of national and local officials and of Jewish rituals, law and festivals, are all faultless.
Any number of noted historians and scholars with no particular ax to grind, have provided persuasive and noted sources for the historical, meaningful and reliable sources. Often noted as a celebrated scholar, Sir William Ramsay who after long detailed information said: "Christianity did not originate in a lie and we can and must demonstrate this."
It comes as a surprise to many that in the first century multitudes of adults were literate. For instance, every Jewish male was expected to be able to read and it was common for civil servants and other to use 'notebooks' for their work. Matthew, Zacchaeus, the centurion, and the estate workers in the parable of Luke 16:6 were each able to read and write. Archaeology has produced marriage and divorce documents, food lists, orders for merchandise, soldier's pay slips, legal documents and graffiti and so on. Moreover, texts were often written in more than one language. The text above the cross was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek (John 19:19-20).
The now discredited idea that the New Testament gospels and literature were not written until well into the second century, has been largely rejected. With a PhD in Greco-Roman studies, I can tell you that the culture of the first century in which Jesus appears was sophisticated, educated, and responsive to the Christian message that change its world and ours. We can speak and proclaim with confidence the truth of Christ and the events surrounding his life. We have an enduring message.
V. Nuggets of Nourishment... Sermon: Prayer-The Knowledge of His Will
Text: Colossians 1:9-15
Introduction: Paul, like Jesus, was a man of prayer. He was constantly praying for others. (Rom. 1:9; Phil. 1:4; and I Thess. 1:2). He asked the local congregations to pray for him. (Eph.6:19; I Thess. 5:25). He also noted that there were some universal elements of prayer. In short, the passage above presents these elements described as:
A. Spiritual Vision: (vs. 9 above)
1.)Receiving the truth- "asking God."
2.)Realizing the truth- "knowledge" and "spiritual wisdom."
3.)Relating the truth- "understanding."
B. Spiritual Vitality: (vs.10 above)
1.) In the walk ("live a life") of the Christian Life.
2.) In the work ("bearing fruit in every good work") of the Christian life.
3.) In the wonder ("growing in the knowledge of God") of the Christian life.
C. Spiritual Victory: (vs.11-15)
1. Its secret-(vs. 11-13) "...giving thanks..." (vs.11-13).
2. Its success- (vs.14) "redemption" (vs.14).
3. Its source- (vs. 15) Christ- "the image of the invisible God..."
Conclusion: A man once confessed he had trouble falling asleep. He asked his Christian friend if he ever had such a problem. He inquired, "Do you count sheep?" No replied the Christian man, "I talk to the Shepherd." So may we each one of us talk to the shepherd of our souls.
VI. Quotable Quotes... Some short but profound truths to live by...
Some thoughts on Laughter: by Wilfred A. Peterson
In the midst of a cold February have you taken any time to just laugh at yourself or read a humorous story? Take a tip from Will Rogers, who observed people with laughter in his eyes and love in his heart and declared: "I never met a man I didn't like." Learn laughter from little children by thinking their thoughts, dreaming their dreams, and by playing their games. Practice the advice of a the psychiatrist who gives his normal patients this prescription: "Don't take yourself too seriously." Remember the old proverb: "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." Inject laughter into tense situations to save the day; laughter calms tempers and soothes jangled nerves. Guard yourself against the gloomy outlook by recalling the wise statement of Henry Ward Beecher: "A man without mirth is like a wagon without springs...jolting so disagreeably by every pebble in the road." Most of all, learn to laugh at yourself; meet each day with a sense of humor, and be guided by the words of the poet who wrote: "I laugh, for hath happy place for me. If my bark sink, 'tis to another sea." Laughter is the best medicine for a long and happy life. He who laughs...lasts!
Monday, December 31, 2018
JANUARY 2019 EDITION... HAPPY NEW YEAR... WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE...
By Dr. Keith J. Wise
I. INTRODUCTION: According to our calendar we are entering the year 2019. Have you ever wondered how our modern calendar was established to mark out our days, months and years? Historically, Julius Caesar under the Roman calendar revised that calendar in 46B.C. His goal was to fit it to the time elapsing each year, which was exactly 365 days, 5 hour, 48 minutes, and 45.51 seconds. Inasmuch as a year is approximately 365 1/4 days long, Caesar decreed the fractions should be taken care of by adding a day to the calendar every fourth year. There was a slight error in his calculations and the calendar was ten days ahead of astronomical time. By A.D. 1582, Pope Gregory righted the mistake by advising the omission of "Leap Year" at the end of each century, except those divisible by 400. Since then our present calendar has been known as the Gregorian Calendar.
II. DIGGING DEEPER... EXTENDING THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE...
The Christmas message is a message of hope for a world that is destined for death and destruction. It speaks of hope and resurrection. These have been the longings of the human heart since the fall of man. Confusioningly, the methods and systems have been blurred by man's clouded reasoning, sin, and ignorant religiosity. God in His infinite wisdom began a gradual and recorded systematic revelation to fulfill His promises to mankind. This would be done at first by Patriarchs, then a special people known as Israel, and finally the Son, the Messiah himself in Christ Jesus. In short, LOVE CAME DOWN AT CHRISTMAS. How does the awe of Christmas continue in the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ?
We have been looking at the Gospel of Matthew in retrospect to see just one recorded avenue of this divine methodology. John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, is preparing the way for a message and method that was prophesied that would change the world. If we read Matthew chapter 1:1-12, we see a challenging message for his hearers and ourselves as we prepare our hearts for the message of Christ. In his context, John lives and preaches in the wilderness, wears clothing made of camel's hair, and eats locusts and wild honey. Yet, and here is the contrast, he is popular: He draws "the people of Jerusalem and all Judea." Furthermore, he manages to attract members from the two major religious parties, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The people listen to John the Baptist and consequently, they are baptized by his baptism after they have confess their sins. There is undoubtedly something in John's message that makes sense for them and meets their genuine religious need and expectation.
John's message is powerful but becomes more specific and incisive. He denounces the dishonesty of the Pharisees and challenges their self-assurance and religious pride about salvation on the sole basis of their Abrahamic ancestry. You would think this would have resulted in a reduction of his crowds. On the contrary, John will not alter and adjust his message for anyone since it comes direct from God. His alternative is to prepare them for a greater capacity through the Word himself, revealed to man as a man as we identify as Jesus. God's love is expanded as the fallow hearts of men are broken open and exposed in that will bring true redemption and life. John the Baptist does not compromise on the demands for repentance, just as he does not compromise on the good news he has come to announce: "The kingdom of heaven has come near." The good news proclaimed by Jesus will be no different, and his demands no less challenging. We must remember, this is the beginnings of the GOOD NEWS!!! Stay tune, there is more to come.
If we continue reading in Matthew 3:13-17, God is no less dramatic in his timing after the birth of the Christ than on that night the Shepherds heard and obeyed, and a year or so later when the Wise Men arrived at a house in Bethlehem.(Matt.2:11)
Now, John the Baptist has begun preaching repentance and is baptizing a baptism of repentance. Surprisingly, out of the crowd walks a different personality who has never committed any sin and in John's eyes he is unfit to baptize. Our Lord respondingly, in verse 15, will inform John that this is "to fulfill all righteousness." This was Jesus' personal choice, showing his great desire to identify with his own people and to faithfully observe God's covenant. Jesus is the righteous one, the perfect Servant of God, willing to serve God's people as well.
This baptism is as dramatic as any event we can read in the four Gospels. The significance of the episode, though, it is delivered by a heavenly vision--- the opening of the heavens and the descent of the Spirit of God---and by a "voice from heaven." The baptism of Jesus, in a sense, turns to a anointment scene: Hereafter, the Spirit of God will rest upon Jesus and lead him in his public ministry. If we accept Jesus as God we see in this scene the three in one of the trinity in one place and at one time acknowledged.
Ironically, Jesus came to the Jordan River as one among the crowd, and he now gets out of its waters as the Beloved Son of God, the true Servant in whom God is well pleased. All of these contrasts are for us to see and affirm in our hearts and believe in "the only begotten of the Father."
III. NUGGETS OF NOURISHMENT... A New Year's Message...(Sermon Outline)
Title: New Clothes Befitting the Christian-
Text: Colossians 3:8-17
Introduction: In a number of churches in Chennai, India, the Christian women in a this vast city, prepared all year to present their children's clothing and publically illustrate their hope for the new year. These clothes are ceremonially taken off and given to the poor of the community and especially families of orphans without parents. Interestingly, the Apostle Paul in the book of Colossians gives a similar picture of putting "on" and "off" clothing as qualities of the Christian life.
A. To Live the Christian Life...We must put off the old garments of the old man. (vs. 8)
B. To Live the Christian Life... We must put on the new man with better garments. (vs. 10)
C. To Live the Christian Life we ask, "What do these garments look like?"
Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, Patience-(vs.10)
D. To Live the Christian Life...We do so by "bolstering" these qualities as we put them on. (vs. 13-17)
Conclusion: As Christians, we are to be sensitive to the changes God is bringing to our lives as we seek His daily strength. These "encouragements" tell us to not respond in our flesh, but now we respond in the spirit. Our new garments are now bond together in Love. Here are some lyrics to a chorus we use to sing...
(BIND US TOGETHER)- "Bind us together, Lord, bind us together with chords that can not be broken. Bind us together Lord, bind us together Lord bind us together in love."
IV. QUOTES AND OBSERVATIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR AHEAD...
The Clock Continues to Tick
My grandmother once had an old clock that seemed to constantly continued to tick on the wall. The hands moved. Second, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months faded away into eternity. The sun rises and the sun sets. The season come and the season go. The earth, the home of man, circles the sun and overhead in the heavens the stars look down.
And man with his more powerful telescopes search the heavens as more and more stars become visible. Behold, the vastness of outer space lay out before us. Man has landed on the Moon and we send probes to Mars. We feel we are pretty brilliant and self aware. On the earth, man walks on this globe and investigates the seas and continues to learn, analyze and reach certain conclusions. But still as one learned scientist has said, "...the more we learn the more we learn we don't know and the questions continue to grow." Without God we are particles of animated dust. Is this our plight and portion? I think not, we are made in the image of God prepared for greater purposes than we can imagine.
From roaming the universe our thoughts come back again to the old clock ticking on the wall, and the wisdom of the ages whispers to us that weight on the scales of life's experiences. All the arts, sciences, and the 'ologies are outweighed by far through a kindly smile, a kindly word, a kindly handclasp, or a kindly wish. Therefore, as time is the stuff of which life consist, may the giver of life give us no more and no less than all the joy and happiness we need for a new year. And as we not only strive for a purpose driven life, but we also seek a meaning driven life in the short time we have in love and sharing in those seconds, minutes, hours, and days.
V. QUOTES WITH MEANING...
1. Henry Halsey Starrett- "The greatest of all arts is the art of losing ourselves in the service of others."
2. Wordsworth- "The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love."
3. Unknown: "The most utterly lost of all days, is that in which you have not laughed."
4. Translated from Latin: "Spare moments are the gold dust of time. Of all the portions of our life, the spare moments are the most fruitful in good or evil."
POETIC TIME PIECES FOR A NEW YEAR... JUST FOR TODAY...
JUST FOR TODAY... I will exercise my soul in three ways:
I will do somebody a good deed, and not get found out.
I will do something I did not want to do...just for the exercise.
And today, if my feelings are hurt, I will not let anyone know but learn.
JUST FOR TODAY... I will look as well as I can, talk pleasingly, be courteous, limit my criticism, and try not to improve anyone except myself without being self centered.
JUST FOR TODAY... I will have a proactive strategy; I may not follow it exactly but I will have one. Thereby I will be saved from two pests: hurry and indecision.
JUST FOR TODAY... I will have a quiet time by myself for meditation. The best book I have found to prime and refresh my mind and spirit will be the Wisdom Literature of the Hebrew Scriptures. (excerpts from Psalms, Proverbs etc.) In this quiet time I will be refreshed by looking at my life and reflecting on the good gifts I have received in people, employment and life in general.
JUST FOR TODAY... I will not be afraid; I will cultivate courage and faith in the future because I have a God who goes before me. He allows me to see the beauty in the lives of people around me. I will sow good things in my environment so that as I sow I know I will also reap. As scripture teaches, "...be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good."
Saturday, December 1, 2018
DECEMBER EDITION... 2018... by Dr. Keith J. Wise
INTRODUCTION: The month of December has in our memory always been associated with Christmas. But as one considers the descriptions of the Middle East and especially the area of Israel, it was probably either late in summer or early fall when the angels appear to the shepherds. We can't help but be overwhelmed by the vast preparation that God the Father made for Christ the Son to arrive and complete the plan of redemption for the world. His coming was foretold, announced and almost hurmously revealed as we look more closely at the notice made to the Priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth in Luke chapter one. John the Baptist who would latter say that he would proclaim "...make straight the way of the Lord," was the symbol of prophet Elijah.
John the Baptist's coming was nearly as miraculous as that of Jesus as we compare his received announcement of having a child in old age and that of Mary, a virgin, receiving her visitation as a young virgin women. These events of John the Baptist and Jesus our savior can teach us a number of important lessons.
A. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. How may we prepare the way so Jesus the Christ can reach others through us?
B. John the Baptist warned some of his listeners to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. What is this fruit and how do we produce it?
C. Some of John's Jewish audience mistakenly trusted in their blood relationship with Abraham to save them. Do we ever trust in other devices to save us rather than simple obedience to Christ in his sacrificial death, burial and resurrection?
D. John the Baptist used agricultural illustrations to give meaning to great spiritual lessons. He noted the picture of the Lord separating the wheat from the chaff? How do we make sure we are wheat and not chaff?
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: LUKE 1: 5-45 FOR STUDY. (See below)
II. DIGGING DEEPER... "A census of the entire Roman world."
God has always used earthly circumstances to direct his heavenly will and purposes. If we read Luke 2:1-3 Caesar Augustus having consolidated the Mediterranean basin after years of civil war, was determined to unite his empire beyond simple military conquest. To to this a census was ordered to determine his population and access. The archaeology now confirms this and many other census' were taken over the years of what has become known as the Pax Romana.
Skeptics tend to confuse the ancient calendars with modern ones and sometimes forget to compare apples and oranges. The scriptural notation is 'This was the first census while Quirinius was governor of Syria'(Luke 2:2). We know from Roman archives that in fact, Sentius Saturninus was governor of Syria at the time of the census in 4B.C. when Jesus was born. So how do we reconcile this contradiction?
Renowned archaeologist, Sir William Ramsey, discovered that while Sentius Saturninus was governor of Syria at the time of the census in 4B.C.(the majority of scholarship place Jesus' birth between 6-4 B.C.), Quirinius controlled the armies and directed the foreign policy of Syria. There are numerous examples from Roman History of such an arrangement. Quirinius was the senior of the two officials. Thus, both of these statements are true at the same time and not contradictory. Luke makes reference to the already recognized arrangement.
A. BACK TO GOD'S PREPARATION: Earlier we discussed the experience of Zacharias and Elisabeth in regards to John the Baptist. Zacharias was a priest (Luke 1:5) in Jerusalem, and Josephus tells us there were more than twenty thousand priests living in Judea "in the days of Herod the king." These priest were a mixed lot by the time we get to the New Testament record. Any number were like those whom Malachi denounced as degrading the Temple services of the day(Mal.2:1ff.). On the other hand, we are told after the resurrection that "a great number of the priests were obedient to the faith." (Acts 6:7) As we can see on several occasions in scripture, God raises up good people in the worst of times.
We are thus introduced to the priest Zacharias. He had been careful to observe the law regarding the marriage of priests (Lev. 21:7ff.). He had married the devout daughter of a priest. She was a descendant of Aaron. She was named Elisabeth after the wife of Aaron.(Luke 1:5, Exodus 6:23). Their home was an example of domestic harmony. Their personal lives were beyond reproach. Everything they did brought glory to their Creator. Yet they were childless.
As Zacharias was performing the ritual before the Holy of Holies of burning incense, suddenly there stood before him was no mortal man, but and angel of the Lord (Luke 1:11). He was on the "right side of the altar." This would place him between the altar and the golden candlestick. On the left side of the altar was the Table of Shewbread (Ex.40:22). The angel identified himself as Gabriel.(Luke 1:19).
In the presence of the supernatural, Zacharias "feared and trembled" (Luke 1:12). The angel used the lovely phrase which was to become almost the theme song of the gospels, "Fear not." Then he informed Zacharias that his prayer was heard. Did I miss something...what prayer? As we read on we know he and Elisabeth had prayed for children, but instead of responding to the angel in faith he produced a grinding excuse of pathetic dimensions. He said, "I am an old man, and my wife is well stricken in years" (Luke 1:18). He expressed almost a reluctant hopelessness attending this experience. Had he forgotten about Abraham and Sara?
The offering of incense was symbolic of prayer (Revelation 5:8, Malachi 1:11). The people worshipping in the courts of the Temple were praying while the sweet-smelling smoke was rising from the altar within. The leader chanted the age-old prayer, "May the God of mercy enter the sanctuary, and be pleased to accept the sacrifice of His people." The response of the congregation was, "Blessed be the name of the glory of the Kingdom of God forever."
When the priest re-entered the courtyard from the Holy Place, he dismissed the people with the traditional Benediction. "The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace" (Numbers 6:24ff. KJV)
On this occasion, the people grew restive waiting for Zacharias. It was not merely that they wanted his blessing so that they could go home. It was contrary to all precedent for a priest to prolong his stay in the Holy Place. They did not know what kept him (Luke 1:21).
When he finally appeared before the assembly, he was unable to pronounce the Benediction. He stood before them silent. He had to dismiss them with signs. They went away understanding that "he had seen a vision" (Luke 1:22).
Zacharias returned to his wife in the Judean hills. The name of the city is not mentioned. Several oral traditions exist concerning the days and weeks before the "visitation of Mary" to the house of Elisabeth. (Luke 1:39-55) In due time, John the Baptist was born. On the occasion of his circumcision, the speech of his father Zacharias was restored. "Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit," and sang the glorious song known as the Benedictus (Luke 1:67ff).
In a footnote of interest, the biblical record now has Zacharias fading from the scene. However, several of the early Church Fathers, including Origen, identify him with the Zacharias who is mentioned in Matthew 23:35. They further allege that this brutal murder was the work of Herod. If that is so, then Herod the Great murdered Zacharias, and Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, murdered John the Baptist, son of Zacharias. (Matthew 14:1ff.).
III. NUGGETS OF NOURISHMENT... "When Jesus Came..."Angels" (Sermon)
Text: Luke 2:13-15
Introduction: The Bible has much to say about Angels. In this episode of the Angel announcements to the Shepherds, we see a distinction between "An Angel of the Lord" and a "multitude of the heavenly hosts." (vs. 9 and verse 13) At first glance we do notice that dramatic difference in English. However, in the Old Testament "the angel of the Lord" appears several times and in several special places. He appeared to Hagar (Gen.16:7ff.); to Moses at Horeb (Ex.3:2); to David at the threshing-floor of Araunah (I Chron. 21:6ff.); to Balaam (Num. 22:22); to Gideon to lead Israel to victory (Judges 6:11ff.); to the mother of Samson (Judges 13:3ff.) to answer Hezekiah's prayer for deliverance from the hand of Sennacherib(II Kings 19:35); finally to Zechariah the father of John the Baptist (1:10-11ff.). If you think about the Christmas story and the announcement of the Angel to the Shepherds, it is anything but a "Silent Night" as a popular hymn so sentimentally like to refrain.
I. It was not silent in Bethlehem- (Luke 2:7) The hope of the ages was born. The Jewish view of Shalom, encompassed the community. There would have people outside the door, even if Mary and Joseph were alone.
II. It was not silent in the Judean hills- (Luke 2:8-12, 16-20) The news and command of the angle suddenly "changed the plans of the shepherds." They were going to see "this thing which had come to pass."
III. It was not silent in the realms of Heaven- (Luke 2:13,14) Joining the Angel of the Lord was "a multitude or company of heavenly host praising God and saying, 'glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of whom his favor rests."
IV. It could not have been silent in Hell- (Genesis 3:13-15)- The promise made in the beginning with the fall of man was now coming to bear it's eternal fruit. The "seed of women" was born and would "crush" the serpent's head. The enemy knew his time was short. The "Lord Immanuel" was born. The promise of peace by the prince of peace was coming to fruition. We now so sing adoringly "...Oh, come to us, abide with us our Lord Immanuel."
Conclusion:
IV QUOTES AND QUIPS FOR CHRISTMAS....
OH COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL... The origin of the world's most widely known Christmas carol was hidden as a mystery until the early decades of the 20th century. From the discovery of a manuscript by an English vicar, it now appears that the words were composed and set to music by a John Francis Wade in 1744.
It is truly an international carol. Wade, an Englishman living in France, wrote the words in Latin. It was later known as the Portuguese Hymn. This may be because it was early used in the chapel of the Portuguese London embassy.
The song has been translated into 120 languages. Although more than forty English translations have been made, the best known today was done by Frederick Oakeley in 1852. The majestic melody captured the imagination of Americans, and has seen service as a tune in other than Christmas settings. Sung to the words of "How Firm a Foundation," it was a favorite of such national leaders as Theodore Roosevelt and Robert E. Lee.
Word-pictures are painted so clearly by the song that children dearly enjoy singing it. Many learned the Latin words, too, which begin "Adeste fideles..." as this melody expresses the triumphant message of the incarnation.
JUST THINKING... (A Quote by Daniel Webster)- "If we work upon marble, it will perish. If we work upon brass, time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble into dust. But if we work upon man's immortal souls, if we imbue them with high principles, with the just fear of God and love of their fellow men, we engrave them on those tablets something which no time can efface, and which will brighten and brighten through all eternity."
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER...
As we end the year of 2018 and look to 2019 I want to thank everyone who reads and appreciates my efforts of enriching your lives. Ministers who use the sermons and quotes, scholars who "fact check" me, thank you. For the common, yet splendid reader who just appreciates positive and meaningful enrichment.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
NOVEMBER EDITION... 2018
I. INTRODUCTION: What a great month, November. Of all the months so many people love to enjoy, it seems by November people begin to slow down and appreciate what they have received. It has also been a time do a bit of reflecting. America has in its tradition a focus of Thanksgiving as a holiday. Think about this my friends and readers. Here is a holiday that commemorates no hero, celebrates not battlefield, support no lobby that is behind it; no group or sect or party claims it. Yet, Christmas cannot dim it nor July 4th steal its glory. And all America loves it with quiet and intense affection that is reserved for it no other day of the year.
What makes Thanksgiving different? What makes it beloved? What makes it real?
Perhaps the answer is simple: Thanksgiving is an affirmation. It is our heart's testimony to a deeply held conviction-- the conviction that these things we call free and decent and American did not just happen to us. We did not get them because we were wiser, or more clever, or even luckier but another gracious hand was involved.
This conviction is the sum of many beliefs and experiences. The belief in the dignity of every human being. The belief in a real right and wrong. The belief in decency and honesty and integrity. The belief in a responsibility, under God, to our fellow-man, wherever he/she may be. For these beliefs, and the American way of life, Thanksgiving and the day we celebrate these realities is our joyous affirmation to a kind Providence for His blessings and guidance.
II. DIGGING DEEPER... "A WELL WATERED DESERT?"
Abraham's cattlemen and those of his nephew Lot were carrying on a feud among themselves. Abraham, the man of faith, said to Lot,the man who lived by sight, "The whole land is before you. Take what you want and I will occupy what you do not want." The Scriptures states: "Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah" (Gen.13:9,10).
The environment has definitely changed. Today the Jordan Valley is 1291 feet below sea level, the lowers place on earth. The temperature sometimes reaches 130 degrees in the middle of the day. Why all the contrast from an earlier period? We in twenty-first century have become well away of environmental changes. This should come as no surprise to us. There is an answer for the skeptic.
The discoveries of the archaeologists show that the Jordan Valley was well populated in the time of Abraham and Lot. (Approx. 2500-2000B.C.) A mound discovered at the south end of the sea of Galilee (Khirbet Kenak) shows the presence of a large city existing at the time when Lot "beheld the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered." Potsherds indicate that the city was occupied about the period mentioned above.
William F. Albright and Melvin Grove Kyle did archaeological work in the Jordan Valley in 1924. Their archaeological investigations "have proven that the most prosperous period of history of this was in the early Bronze Age (3000-2000B.C.) and that the density of its occupation gradually declined until it reached the lowest point in the early Iron II Age." (1) Nelson Glueck's exploration in the Jordan area before and after 1940 showed that this area had been densely populated. "He discovered more than seventy ancient sites,many of them founded more that 5,000 years ago...Thus the archaeological discoveries have shown that no one who knows the facts can set aside as inaccurate the Biblical record of Lot's choice of the Jordan area." (2) It is evident that Lot chose the part of Canaan popular with most people went there to live. Like so many carnal Christians of our time, he was "following the crowd."
The Word of God shows how a "well watered" plain can soon vanish. "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not just after evil things, as they also lusted." (I Cor. 10:6). "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matt. 16:25). We could go on and one and quote such passages as: I Tim. 3:3; I John 2:15-17. These are for our instruction.
Lot looked on the well watered plains of Jordan and walked by sight. His paradise was destroyed. Abraham lived by faith and obtained a city with foundations. We have choices to make as well. Let Abraham be our example.
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1.William F. Albright, The Archaeology of Palestine and the Bible (New York: Fleming H. Revell Co. 1933), p. 134.
2. Joseph P. Free, Archaeology and the Bible History (Wheaton: Van Kampen Press, 1952), p. 56.
II. DID YOU KNOW!!!
"The U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between rails) is four feet, eight-and-one-half inches. Why such an odd number? Because that's the way they built them in England and American Railroads were built by British expatriates. Why did the English adopt that particular gauge? Because the people who built the pre-railroad tramways used that gauge. They in turn were locked into that gauge because the people who built tramways used the same standards and tools they had used for building wagons, which were set on a gauge of four feet, eight-and -one-half inches. Why were wagons built to that scale? Because with any other size, the wheels did not fit the old wheel ruts on the roads. So, who built these old rutted roads? The first long-distance highways in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been in use ever since. The ruts were first made by Roman war chariots. Four feet, eight-and-one-half inches with the width of a chariot needed to be able to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses. Maybe "that's the way it's always been." Think about this as you think about good traditions built on a perfect God and transient man. Many of man's changes are often needed and in need of constant change. But God knows when His changes are needed through love and grace.
III. NUGGETS OF NOURISHMENT... A Thanksgiving Outline Sermon
Title: The Road to Thanksgiving: What a Child can Teach Us...
Text: Psalm 131 and Psalm 75:1
Introduction: There is great joy in the simple and profound aspects of scripture. Psalm 131 is one of the "Pilgrim Psalms" also known to many readers as "The Psalms of Ascent."(Psalms 120-134) This means they were Psalms sung as the Jewish pilgrims made their way up the mountain paths toward the city of Jerusalem and its festivals. Their purpose was to prepare the heart for worship as hymns and choruses do today in Christian worship today. This Psalm(131) has great lessons for us as children learning more about ourselves and about God.
A. Humility- vs. 1- Humility is a strange quality. You do not know when you are truly humble. If you feel and say and tout humility, then in short your are not humble but proud and the direct opposite of humility. Our culture does not prize humility and in fact gives it low value. Remember the bumper sticker so noted a few years ago..."The one dies with the most toys wins." A wise friend of mine use to respond to this quaint phrase above by saying, "So what? Dead people do not play with toys." A healthy step on the road to Thanksgiving is "Humility." Consider the words of the Apostle Peter I Peter 5:6.
B. Simplicity- vs. 2- When a child is born, they soon seeks nourishment from their mother's breast. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner all come from the same place. Her milk and comfort will place a cranky crying child back to sleep. (consider EL Shaddai in language definition) "Shad" is the Hebrew word for "breast." The baby doesn't seek a food bar with a variety of options, but seeks nourishment and comfort from one place. So it is with our souls, nothing can satisfy our souls like God in all realms of our existence. The mother's milk will eventually dry up but God's nourishment through His Word will never quit giving us all we need for health and strength and meaning in our lives. Jesus told the tempter in the wilderness "...man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God..."
C. Integrity- vs. 3 The advice in this third verse is genius. We are to put our hope or "confidence" in the Lord. As a child grows it seeks out the mother's advice and wisdom. It puts confidence in her responses to the questions of life for a young mind. As the child sits on the mother's lap or at her feet a "confidence" or "hope" is generated. He or she seek to be "near." A wise child of wise parents will wean their child/children off of the world's pablum, and on to the word of life in scripture. This "confidence" we speak of will pay dividends for the future in the life of the child. A true epiphany occurs. When troubles come into life, being "Near Him" is the answer. When joys abound, it is being "Near Him" that really satisfies. This is what integrity is all about as our lives show forth peace and hope for the future. We decide in daily life through these God given instruments that "life is about decisions!"
Conclusion: Consider then this great short but profound Psalm. Earlier we read in Psalm 75:1 "...We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near." (NLT) Remember, God loves you and seeks you daily.
IV. WORDS OF WISDOM CONCERNING "GRATITUDE."
Here is a group of wisdom words brought by W. Waldemar Th.D.(1900-1960)
What if?
1. What if nobody cared to call us friends in those plastic years of youthfulness!
2. What if nobody cared when we return at nightfall, worn and frayed by the strain of daily toil!
3. What if nobody cared when thieving years robbed us of youth, health, substance, and security!
4. What if nobody cared when we slip out into the silence of eternity!
5. What if nobody cared to enfold our loved ones in comforting arms when we have made the twilight voyage!
However, because we do care, let us "do unto others as we would that others do unto us." You see, Thanksgiving always blesses others while Apathy leaves us void of virtue.
Saturday, September 29, 2018
OCTOBER EDITION...2018...WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE...
BY Dr. Keith J. Wise
I. INTRODUCTION: The month of October is a month of preparation for winter in most of the midwest of the United States. Here, people are cleaning up their yards and putting away the summer lawn furniture, cleaning up dying gardens and conditioning the tools for next Spring. We have as a society over the decades selected certain days of the month as special days. In my blog a year ago I listed about a dozen or so special days in the month that we as a people celebrate. This year I would like to note just one important date of celebration, and that is Columbus Day.
Columbus was Italian by nationality and explored for Queen Isabella of Spain. His main directive was to search out a totally new yet in most part, uncharted waters and lands. It would be much like our first flight to the moon. It was not always clear as he traveled where he was going, but he persevered with his primitive instruments as he reached the Western Hemisphere. As many of you know, he traveled with three ships, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Although he traveled for the Queen, many in the shipping industry of his day laugh as such a venture. However, I always remember a quote from my 6th grade teacher Mrs. Huestis, "If Columbus had tuned back, no one could have blamed him, but no one would have remembered him!" His discovery of a new world, with new people and new dimensions changed the course of world history for both good and bad. Furthermore, it gave birth to redefining the concept of "NEW" in the minds of many Europeans, while providing a rich history beyond Europe and giving people, yet unborn, opportunity. So in this month of October we can celebrate Columbus Day on October 12 of our calendars in a way that celebrates the spirit of adventure and discovery.
II. DIGGING DEEPER... The hand of God concerning King Cyrus of Persia...
The days of old Babylon were over as the Meads and Persians entered the city with little to no resistance and captured by King Cyrus, a splendid wealthy city of antiquity. Within the captured populations that Cyrus inherited were the Children of Israel or the Jews. They had been in exile seventy years and by God's providence would again be displayed as king Cyrus the Great directed a proclamation, a release of these captive people along with any number of captive peoples of the Babylonians. The Bible records in three separate locations this momentous event: II Chronicles 36:23; Ezra 1:2-4 and Ezra 6:2-5.
Secular history and archaeology have since confirmed this event by finding in 1879, a clay cylinder about 9 inches long known as the Cyrus Cylinder. You can search this on your computer and see pictures. Written in Akkadian Cuneiform, it is today a national treasure of the country of Iran and is on display in replica at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Furthermore, it has been translated into all the official languages of the UN. Part of the inscription reads: 'I returned them unharmed to their cells, in the sanctuaries that make them happy. May all the gods that I returned to their sanctuaries...ask for a long life for me, and mention my good deeds...' Although the Jews are not mentioned by name, they are suggested by being a captured people and noted in their sacred history to preserve them as a people.
II. A DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW-
Matthew is the first gospel in our Bibles of the New Testament. It connects the last book of the Jewish Scriptures of Malachi to a revelation of the God's Son in Jesus Christ our Lord. In fact it proclaims Him as the fulfillment of prophecy and the King. In verses 1 to 18 of chapter one, we begin reading in a strange way the introduction to a book containing a family tree of genealogies. In part it reads, "...An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham..."
Matthew has a strong cycle of Jewish roots and backgrounds and convincingly displays the list of some biblical heroes and figures from the Jewish Scriptures. We call this the Old Testament, (42 generations), but also with the opening lines gives textual pride to the place of David and Abraham. Verse 1, quoted above, has a lot to do with a new heavenly revealed theology of Christ the King as the Word that became flesh. In his conclusion, Matthew sums up some eighteen centuries of history in three equal rounds of fourteen generations: 1.) From Abraham to David, from 2.) David to the deportation to Babylon and 3.) from the deportation to Jesus Christ. Ironically, how can fourteen generations account for such unbalanced periods of time, from approximately 1750-1000 B.C., from 1000-598 B.C. and from 598-6B.C.? Seeing it another way, fourteen is two times seven the perfect number. Consequently, perfected fullness multiplied by two. It is in truth, another way of representing Jesus' coming as the fulfilment of history.
III. NUGGETS OF NOURISHMENT- A Sermon for Righteous Affirmative Living-
Title: Affirmative Living in the Life of Joseph
Text: Genesis 37:12-28
Introduction: Do you have a dream? You need one. Our dreams, hopes and aspirations drive us to fulfillment. They display a powerful image of what life can be and often we have let people, circumstances and life in general degrade or destroy our dreams. It is my personal opinion that even after age sixty you should have a dream and still be used of God in your Christian life.
Joseph was called, derisively, the "dreamer." Some of his dreams were prophetic and some if not for any other reason were interesting. Joseph dreamed of using his considerable talents to do great things for God and his family. He remained faithful from the family business, to the house of Potiphar in Egypt and from the pit to the palace to be only second in honor to the Pharaoh. What his brothers meant for death God used for life in his time frame and in eternity. In other words, Joseph's dreams enabled him to live affirmatively. How do we live affirmatively and what does it mean?
A. Affirmative living means recognizing the presence of God in your life.
1. Whatever happened to Joseph never caused him to give up on God. In fact, everything that happened to him seemed to only draw him closer to God.
2. Do you notice the presence of God in your life? As a Christian, the Holy Spirit is a testator to your position in Him. With the many distractions we endure in our daily schedules, quiet time and focusing on God will help us recognize and realize how He wants to work in us. I believe God has a plan for your life and mine and having a dream to trust in His will can accomplish this for us. One of the distractions we can face can be the past. The past has two elements of destruction in distraction: Guilt- over what we have done in remorse as sinners, and the Hurt and Pain- what others have done to us. Joseph kept his focus on God so at least as we have recorded, these two powerful distractions did not control him.
B. Affirmative living means making the best of bad situations.
1. Joseph was hated and sold into slavery. He was unjustly accused and placed into prison. Though forgotten, it is never recorded he lost hope.
2. But whatever happened to Joseph, he kept on making the best of his circumstances. He was sold into slavery only to become the head servant in the house of Potiphar. Enticed by Potiphar's wife, he was unjustly accused and thrown in prison. Here he interpreted the dreams of the Butler and the Baker and eventually interpreted the colossal dream of the Pharaoh which saved Egypt, Israel(Jacob and his family), and that part of the world from famine.
3. Are you faced with what may appear as surmountable difficulties and challenges? If you are, dream again. Look up and let the living God provide a fresh look at your circumstances.
C. Affirmative living means maintaining your principles even when inconvenient.
1. Joseph had to face deceptive brothers, corrupt officials, unjust circumstances and an alien culture. He could have made all kinds of excuses and given in at any point, but he did not do so. He was willing to do what was right and in the will of God ignoring the consequences.
2. Have you been mistreated and in unfair circumstances? Dream again and trust God...He is still the answer to every aspect of your life.
D. Affirmative living means recognizing God is in final control.
1. When Joseph was finally reunited with his brothers, he said to them, "What you did to me you meant for bad, but God used it for good." Joseph recognized that God can "turn around" any situation and make it right and whole. Remember only God can make such dramatic changes "...all things work together for our good."
2. Have you wondered if God has deserted you? Have to had doubts if your life has any purpose at all? Stop and dream again that God is good and that he will provide the path to the future. I have a formula that if you look at Joseph, Moses, David and even our Lord Jesus Christ we see the following.
a) HEARING... Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
b) TRUSTING... Trust what God has said, we have examples in scripture.
c) OBEYING... The Lord will never lead you wrong. He is always right!!
CONCLUSION: Can you dream again? Yes... He will give you what you need. He has provided all the tools to see beyond your circumstances and life in general. Jesus said, "Ask, Seek, and Knock." Beloved He is the way, the truth, and life for all of us.
IV. QUOTABLE QUOTES FROM AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY
1. Oliver Wendell Holmes: "Great things in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are going."
2. Henry David Thoreau: "I had three chairs in my house- one for solitude,two for friends, and three for society."
3. Thomas Jefferson: "The wise know too well their own weakness to assume infallibility; and he who knows most, knows how little he knows."
4. Woodrow Wilson: "Character is a by-product; it is produced in the great manufacture of daily duty."
5. Horace Mann: "Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day, and at last we cannot break it."
V. JUST A THOUGHT HERE AND THERE THAT CAN INSPIRE...
1. Our Potential: "A plain bar of iron is worth about $5.00. This same bar of iron when made into horseshoes is worth $10.50. If made into sewing needles it is worth $4,285. If turned into balance wheels for watches it becomes worth $250,000. " This illustrates in another sense the worth of you. Many times your value is what you do with yourself with the help of God.
2. The current of time carries us on inevitably to our destiny. No single moment can be relived exactly except in memory, and then only vaguely.
3. He who has energy to root out vice, should go a step farther and plant virtue in its place.
4. Blessed is the man who is too busy to worry in the day-time and too tired to lie awake at night.
Saturday, September 1, 2018
1-14
SEPTEMBER EDITION- 2018- WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE
By Dr. Keith J. Wise
Introduction: We meet the month of September as a real period of beauty in a new and wonderful way. The trees in the midwest are beginning to turn their glorious colors and the temperatures are coming down to comfortable levels. The Native Americans or Indigenous populations of America had names for all the months and their moons. September was for many of them named "The Moon When the Calves Grow Hair." In scripture, God gave Noah and his family a promise after the flood found in Genesis 8:22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest,cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
Here are few historical dates of importance in September: (1st) Beginning of WW II (1939), (2nd) Japan Surrendered (1945), (3rd this year) Labor Day, (10th) Admiral Perry defeated British fleet on Lake Erie (1813), (17th) Constitution of the United States signed (1787), (23rd) First day of Autumn or Autumn Equinox. Also: Birthstone- Sapphire, Flower- Morning Glory.
September is a great time to get you and your family back to church and regular worship. The vacations are usually done and a mark of a committed Christian is wanting to please the Lord. Hebrews 10:25 encourages us with these words. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (NIV)
I. DIGGING DEEPER... A Lesson on Judgement from Joshua and Beyond-
Under Joshua's leadership the Israelites set up the tabernacle at Shiloh (Joshua 18:1) and until the time of the Judges it remained the central place of worship and the locality of the yearly festivals (Judges 21:19). It was kept under the charge of Eli the priest. The Philistines defeated the Israelites there and captured the ark, keeping it in their possession for some time (I Sam.4). Later it was returned, but not to Shiloh. The ark was first taken to Beth-shemesh (I Sam.6:12) and then to Kirjath-jearim (I Sam.7:1). Later, in the time of David, it was brought to Jerusalem. The family of Eli was later found at Nob (I Sam.22:11) but never at Shiloh. Why was the ark not returned to its place in Shiloh?
It is likely the Philistines destroyed the city when they fought against Israel, and thus there was no place in Shiloh for the Israelites to bring the ark. It is evident the city was destroyed before the time of Jeremiah because the prophet, declaring God's message, said, "But go ye now into my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel...Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth" kjv (See Jer.7:12-14 and 16:6-9).
The Arab village at Seilun, located not far from Shechem (Jud. 21:19), has been identified as the ancient city of Shiloh. It was partially excavated between the years 1926-29 by a Danish archaeological expedition under the direction of Hans Kjaer. It was discovered that the city of Shiloh was inhabited and flourished in the 12th and 11th centuries B.C., and was destroyed in about 1050B.C. After this period it was deserted for several centuries. "The pottery indicates no settlement at Shiloh from about 1050B.C. until about 300B.C., although the possibility of an unimportant town at the site cannot be ruled out. (1)
Archaeology not only confirms the biblical record that the city was destroyed, but points out another item of interest not contained in scripture: "The potsherds reveal no evidence that there was ever a Canaanite settlement at Shiloh. The Hebrews appear to have founded the settlement after the conquest of Palestine." (2) Thus, they evidently built the city as a place to put the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant dedicated exclusively to Yahweh. There was no city there before that time.
Although the Bible does not record every detail in the historical record, what it does record is true and dependable. "The archaeological discoveries at Shiloh are all the more significant because scholars holding the critical view frequently assert in the past that the story of the tabernacle at Shiloh was a late fiction...However, what the Danish excavations revealed was that Shiloh was at the height of its prosperity in the period of the judges, as indicated in the Bible, and that it was destroyed by a fire in the days of Eli and Samuel (c.1050B.C.), it was evident that the skeptical attitude toward the historicity of these events was "sheer nonsense."(3) The excavations at Shiloh confirm and supplement the biblical record. The declarations of Scripture lead us to declare that God has spoken the truth. Therefore, we are to believe what God has said. As the prophet Amos said, "...seek the Lord and live..." The discoveries of the archaeologists confirm, and add weight to declare that God's Word is trustworthy. As we trust and search the Word of God, more of it will be understood and none of it will become contradictory.
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1. Charles Fl Pfeiffer (ed.), The Biblical World (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966), p. 523.
2. George A. Barton, Archaeology and the Bible (Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1937), p.128.
3. Joseph P. Free, Archaeology and Bible History (Wheaton: Van Kampen Press,1952),p.149.
II. NUGGETS OF NOURISHMENT- Sermon: GOD IS STILL SEEKING...
Text: Matthew 22: 1-14
Introduction: In the year 1973 the then President of Great Lakes Christian College John Hasty, tells the story of being in Chicago for an Educators Conference. He recorded his impressions of activities in the City Hall Square in his college paper.
In one edge of the square a crowd passed out handbills, chanting, "Impeach Nixon Now!!" On another corner a group of Arab and Palestinian sympathizers were chanting against the American involvement in the Arab-Israeli War. Still louder in the middle of the square, a young women declared she was going to bare her breasts in protest of sexism in America at noon sharp. A team of policewomen abruptly stopped her show and escorted her into a waiting patrol car.
While watching all this activity, Mr. Hasty became aware of some music coming from the spire of the Temple Church. The carillon was playing its noontime concert. Above the din of the activity in the square the music tune of "Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross" filled this world of confusion.
There amidst all the hate, sensuality, conflict and wantonness was the Christian message of salvation. However, no one was listening. The Wedding Feast of our text today suggests a similar theme: The feast was prepared, the messages sent out, but no one was listening. As verse 5 says: "But they paid no attention and went off...one to his field, another to his business." Not listening to God can have dire consequences.
Today, we need to consider some aspects of God's invitation to us who are Christian and a world in desperate need of repair, restoration and hope.
I. God Invites Us To A Celebration- The kingdom of heaven resounds with the music of festival. When we recall the pictures of rejoicing of the lost being found; we see the shepherd who found the lost sheep, the women who recovered her lost coin, or the father whose prodigal son returned home to receive a ring, a robe and the feast of the "fatten calf." The impulse here is to "throw a party."
Even more than today, weddings in Jesus time were an occasion of celebration. Fathers saved for years to provide hospitality for as many guest as possible in the small communities that dotted Israel. Such said Jesus was to be the atmosphere of God's Kingdom. In our parable the invitee was not just anyone but the king!! The recipients however were too busy with their lives of immediate gain, and were not willing to forsake their selfish pursuits for an eternal festival. (Lesson: Short Term vs. Long Term thinking and investment is important.)
II. God's Invitation Is To A Social Occasion- The parable reflects the fact that our Christian faith is "not" a solitary experience. The Kingdom of Heaven is an uncomfortable place for those who want to express faith "alone." God's fellowship goes contrary to the old gospel song "On the Jericho Road." "...On the Jericho Road there's room for just two: No more or no less, just Jesus and you." (Acts 2:42) (Lesson: This is not a command to come but an INVITATION to ATTEND!!)
Just a thought: The king in the parable has the right to "command" his subjects to come to the wedding feast but he does not and only invites. He prefers the company of those who want to be with him in fellowship.
APPLICATION:
I. Our King's Message Is An Invitation- He invited Israel through the Law and the Prophets to prepare for the festival through His Son as he now invites the world.
II. God Allows Us To Accept Or Refuse As With The Invitation to Israel- In our parable Jesus tells us the initial guests refused. Some were openly hostile, as throughout the history of Israel records and they rejected the King's invitation and murdered the messengers. (vs. 5) We see here a case of simply being "indifferent." They were busy with their own interests and themselves in their daily life. Likewise today our culture worships at the altar of "self" indifferent to the invitation of God.
To this unbelievable rejection of the King's Invitation, he sent his armies and destroyed such thankless subjects. (vs.6) In application the city of Jerusalem was destroyed twice in its history: Once under the Babylonians and later under the Romans. Indifference, selfishness and thanklessness can bring destruction. But we lean a third lesson.
III. God Will Continue Seeking Until He Finds Suitable Guests- In our parable it is instructive that the whether we accept the invitation or not, the party will go on. God and His eternal purposes will be fulfilled in his eternal wisdom and perfect completion. There are the cynics, rebels and haters of God; but they can not thwart the King(God's purposes). Remember, in chapter 21, the King sends is own son to inspect the vineyard and the "tenants" kill the son. God has paid a price of the "right" of invitation beyond our selfish schedules and lives!!
Lesson: When the time came for the wedding feast, the King sent out His servants to invite the "good and bad" or now symbolic of the Gentiles and the world to this feast with his invitation. Under normal circumstances the upper classes and middle classes in Israel were given a "wedding garment" to wear at the dinner or feast. Here it was a requirement in our parable. To not wear it was akin to "rejecting" the King's invitation. We must attend the feast on the King's terms. As the King observed the crowd he notice an obnoxious guest who was not clothed in the King's wedding garment. This guest had no response to the King's question: "Friend...how did you get in here without wedding clothes?"
Short Talking Points: The Question of "Worthiness" or "Unworthiness."
1. What made the first guest unworthy? Answer: Only their refusal to accept the King's invitation.
2. What made the "obnoxious" guest unworthy? Answer: He did not come to the feast through the King's channels or obedience by not wearing the King's wedding clothing.
3. What made the all the other guest "Worthy?"- Answer: They simple accepted the invitation of the King and his channels of obedience. Later in the New Testament this is called "...putting on Christ."
Conclusion: The invitation to the great feast is open 24/7 and as Christians we must obey the channels of obedience directed by the King. Look in the New Testament and see the plan of salvation: Faith, Repentance, Confession, Baptism in water for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit all will sustain us in our journey to bear fruit and growth in Christ to the great Supper of the Lamb that is coming. By Faith we know the King is Coming and table has already been set for the whole world. (Amen)
III. QUOTABLES FOR YOUR DAY...
1. A noted writer of the 1950's and 60's was Ruth Smeltzer from Denver, Colorado. Some of her quotes were called "Smeltzerisms." Here are a few.
a. "The unlovable child needs love most."
b. "Kindness is not enough. The Bible says, "loving kindness."
c. "If you are too busy to be kind, you are too busy."
2. Peter Marshall, one of the most celebrated Chaplins of the U.S. Senate left us with a great number of sermons and prayers from his tenure in this position. From one of his noted prayers comes this excerpt: "Give us clear vision, that we may know where to stand and what to stand for- because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything."
3. A mental health tip: "Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength. It does not enable us to escape the evil; it makes us unfit to cope with it when it comes. God promises that "as thy days, so shall thy strength be." (Deut. 33:25) Also consider I Peter 5:6-7.
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