Ask Pastor Steve

How close are we to the end times?

2010-07-10T01:53:00.000-04:00

To give a quick reply, in Jesus' Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24-25) he gives the "signs" that will foretell the end of times. To summarize:

1. Many false claimants to be the Messiah will come.
2. Global instability (Wars and rumors of wars)
3. Famines
4. Earthquakes.
5. Great persecution of Christ-followers.
6. Increasing wickedness causing "the love of most to grow cold." (seems to be referring to the love of God.)
7. Global preaching of the gospel (leaving no one without an excuse)
8. Desecration of the Jewish Temple. The "Abomination of Desolation" refers to a desecration of the Temple like that of Antiochus IV of Syria (165 BC) who sacrificed a pig on the altar of the Jewish Temple and dedicated the Temple to the pagan god Zeus. The AntiChrist is being foretold as one who will do something even worse. Obviously, this prophecy requires a rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem which has not yet happened.
9. Great distress.
10. False prophets will perform many signs and miracles.
11. The final sign is disturbance in the skies. Sun darkened...moon as blood...stars fall from sky. These are phenomenological descriptions (what is seen is being described, not what has happened.) In other words, something like a nuclear holocaust will cause dramatic effects in the perceived sky. Jesus is using the language of the day to describe these cataclysms.

Jesus follows up this list with the following instruction:

32"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Here is our time marker...the generation which sees these signs will not pass away before the completion of events. In other words, once the Temple is erected, these events will take place within the lifespan of a man. A generation can be reckoned in a variety of ways. The generation under judgment in the wilderness was 40 years. The generation of captivity in Babylon was 70 years. The upper maximum of a man's life is fixed now at 120 years (Gen. 6).

Back to your question. How close are we? We already see indications of most of these signs. Certainly we see great political instability in the world. We see many global disasters, both natural disasters and famines. Wars and rumors of wars abound. Radicalized Islam has certainly contributed to this global instability. There are several signs which have not taken place. However, the plate is set and these signs could progress rapidly.

The two limits that I see are the lack of a Jewish Temple and the failure to complete the message of preaching the gospel to all people. There are still many unreached people groups, although the work of Bible translation and missions work is moving forward. Computer technology has propelled this process. There are ongoing Temple excavations. Zionists in Israel are highly motivated to see the Temple rise, not so much as a religious institution, but a national symbol. This may explain how the AntiChrist will make quick inroads into the Temple, if it is largely a secular cathedral. I would say when we see that Temple rise, start counting.

Jesus does give us a warning near the end of Matthew 24:

36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Jesus warns us not to be too precise in our attempt to date these events. Yet, at the same time, the apostle Paul warns us not to be clueless. In 1 Thessalonians 5 Paul seems to contradict Jesus:

1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
I don't believe that this is a contradiction, but rather the other side of a continuum. Jesus speaks of a thief in the sense that the events will go zero to sixty...there will be a quick escalation of these signs of the times as they start to unfurl. Paul is addressing Christ-followers and reminds us that Jesus has given us signs to interpret the times. We should not be clueless in discerning these signs.

I'll give you one other marker to look for. The book of Revelation describes 144,000 Jews for Jesus, 12,000 from each tribe. As of yet, the modern State of Israel has not subdivided itself into territorial districts. However, it makes sense that at some point they will do so. It also makes sense that when they do, they will "resurrect" the old tribal names. When you see a modern map of Israel with names like Asher, Naphtali, Levi, Judah, Reuben, Simeon, etc., we are inching closer to these events.

Bottom Line: We are getting close, but not yet. Keep looking on the evening news...the signs will be obvious.

Was Mary Magdalene a prositute?

2010-04-25T11:47:00.002-04:00

Question:

Is there truth to the theory that Mary Magdalene had a shady past? If so, where does the bible support this? If, not where did this idea come from?

Answer:

Mary Magdalene was a woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons (Luke 8:2). The name Magdalene likely indicates that she came from Magdala, a city on the southwest coast of the Sea of Galilee. After Jesus cast seven demons from her, she became one of His followers.
Mary Magdalene has been associated with the "woman in the city who was a sinner" (Luke 7:37) who washed Jesus' feet, but there is no scriptural basis for this. The city of Magdala did have a reputation for prostitution. This information, coupled with the fact that Luke first mentions Mary Magdalene immediately following his account of the sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50), has led some to equate the two women. John 11:2, however, identifies the women in Luke 7:36-50 as Mary of Bethany, not Mary Magdalene. NOW, A BIT OF HISTORY!!!

In 591, Pope Gregory the Great stated that all three Mary's described in the gospels, they were in fact one woman, Mary Magdalene, and this is how she became labeled as a prostitute, or the unnamed sinner. However the Second Vatican Council removed the prostitute label in 1969 after much debate and Biblical evidence that there was more than one Mary and that Mary of Magdalene and the unnamed sinner were two different figures.

Are there incompatible callings of the Disciples?

2010-04-25T11:41:00.004-04:00

Question:

The book of John describes Jesus meeting Simon after his brother Andrew found him and told him about Jesus. Jesus then calls him Peter. Matthew, Mark and Luke describe Jesus seeing Andrew and Simon fishing and calls them to follow Him. Does this mean that Andrew and Simon did not follow Jesus after the encounter described in John and went back to fishing until Jesus called them later in the encounter described in the other Gospels or is there another answer?

Answer:

No need to reinvent the wheel on this one. I came across an excellent answer on Apologetics Press' website. The key assertion is that the synoptic (Matthew, Mark, Luke) gospels and John's gospel describe different events with calls with a different purpose. Click on the following link for a fuller explanation:

http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3344

Deliver such a one over to Satan

2010-01-21T14:10:00.000-05:00

Question:

My question is in reference to 1 Corinthians 5:5 which says "I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." This "such a one" is apparently someone who has taken his father's wife? What is Paul saying here? By delivering this person to Satan for the destruction of his flesh his spirit may be saved?

Answer:

Clearly, this passage is, at first blush, counter-intuitive. Our instinct would be to remove an unrepentant sinner from any leadership, but keep this person engaged in church so that there is an ongoing influcence. This makes sense to us within the context of our "tolerant" culture, yet it is clearly not Paul's teaching. Paul, in several of his writings, makes a sharp contrast between God's kingdom and the kingdom of Satan. This is especially apparent in Ephesians 2:1-2:

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

By "delivering one to Satan" Paul is speaking of excommunication, removing a person from the kingdom community of the church. How does this serve to "destroy the flesh" and save the spirit?

Tragically, this concept of destroying the flesh in order to promote spiritual salvation was misapplied by Grand Inquisitor Torquemada and others during the Spanish Inquisition resulting in the barbaric torture of many thousands and the death of 3-5,000 people. What was Paul saying, if not setting up an "inquisition." It seems clear that Paul is referring to the destructive effects of sin, including the toll it takes on the body. Consider Paul's words in Romans 1:

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

In essence, Paul is saying, do not allow an unrepentant sinner to "play church" and go on sinning. Exclude such a persona and let him or her reap the physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of their sin. One can see how such "separation" safeguards the body. But how does it result in salvation...a real spiritual benefit for the excommunicated one? Sometimes we have to hit bottom before we can or will make a change. In the recovery community there is talk of "raising the bottom." For example, if the spouse of an alcholic stops covering for them and enabling their bad behaviors, the substance abuser comes to their bottom more quickly. They may lose their job, because you don't help them lie to their boss, but say, "Yeah, Joe's here, but he can't come to work...he is sleeping off a binge!" That's raising the bottom by making a "functional" alcoholic unable to function with the addiction. I believe that is what Paul is talking about...tough love.

There is a challenge that we face that makes it difficult for us to gain the full benefits of this text. During the early first century, there was a unified church under strong apostolic leadership. Discipline worked as God intended. Tragically, the church is now fractured and greatly weakened. Our church maintains high standards and we do practice discipline when needed. However, rarely does this "tough love" result in the positive impact Paul described. The unrepentant sinner just finds another church and maintains the same sinful behaviors in secret. Rarely is there coordination of discipline between churches. Furthermore, in our society, such coordination would be deemed "blackballing" and would probably result in a lawsuit. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is not subject to our culture or our laws and precedents. God has many means by which to raise the bottom on us, even in the current situation. And God's purpose is always redemptive and motivated by love.

Cliff-hanger

2010-01-14T13:53:00.001-05:00

Question:

Why are there seemingly contradictory accounts as to how Judas died? In Matthew 27, Matthew states that Judas hanged himself. However in Acts 1, Luke states that Judas fell from a cliff and burst open. Which is true, and what do we do with the other one if all scripture is infallible?

Answer:

In Acts 1:12-26, Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, describes the process by which the vacancy left by Judas was filled. Luke was a medical doctor and we often find that he provides details that other biblical authors do not…Luke was a trained observer used to documenting his findings. The detail that Luke provides has to do with the circumstances of Judas’ death. Matthew gives a very brief account in Mt. 27:5:

So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Luke provides a much more detailed account, and a seemingly contradictory one:

18(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

It is interesting that Luke adds the detail that Judas hanged himself over the very field that was bought with the money by which Jesus was betrayed. It is confusing that Luke mentions Judas’ body falling headlong and bursting open, a completely different description than Matthew’s brief one. Bible scholars suggest that this was probably a complex event. Judas hanged himself from a tree, perhaps stretching over a cliff. The bough was weak, the branch broke and Judas died in the manner Luke described. Other scholars have suggested that it might be that Luke is describing a post-mortem, CSI style. Judas hanged himself, but as his body decayed it bloated, burst and he fell headlong. These may seem like fudges. However, we have to take the overall reliability of Scripture into account. It is not hard to believe that there is a way to harmonize these accounts when you consider the trustworthiness of Scripture as a whole.

If you want to listen to this explanation as part of a broader discussion on the selection of Matthias as a replacement to Judas, listen to the January 2nd edition of Soaring Through the Bible.

http://www.southshorechurch.com/uploadimages/MP3/soaring_20100102.mp3

Vain Repetition in Prayer

2009-12-09T13:33:00.000-05:00

Question:

After reading Mat. 6:7-9 I am confused as to how I should pray. Could you please clarify.

Answer:

There is an important context here. The Pharisees encouraged lengthy prayers. Dave Guzik shares the following quote:

“Rabbi Levi said, ‘Whoever is long in prayer is heard.’ Another saying has it: ‘Whenever the righteous make their prayer long, their prayer is heard.’”

Scripture is at variance with this attitude.Ecclesiastes 5:2 shares these words which are the inspiration of an often sung worship song:

Ecclesiastes 5:2: God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.

The word "vain" indicates that which is empty or purposeless. Thus, vain repetition is when we are speaking because we enjoy the sound of our own voice.

Jesus own prayer, intended to be an example of how to pray, shows a great economy with words. I think Jesus is teaching us something about God. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we pray. We don't need to exhaustively explain our needs. There is a danger that is especially prevalent in corporate prayers: sometimes we are praying for the people in the room rather than talking to God. Brief prayers are often more humble and reflect our faith in the omniscience of God.

The great prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon once said, “Christians’ prayers are measured by weight, and not by length. Many of the most prevailing prayers have been as short as they were strong.”

Hope these reflections help you to sort out the exhortation in Matthew 6.

Are there different levels of sin?

2009-12-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

Question:

Are there different levels of sin, or is all sin the same?

Answer:

The confusion to this is actually a result of the fact that there are differing perspectives in the Word of God. The difference is not an inconsistency, but rather a matter of theme. When addressing the question from God's perspective, God's Word emphasizes a leveling off. For example, in Isaiah 64, the prophet says:

5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

The Hebrew text is most graphic. The filthy rags are actually menstrual rags...that is the image that God paints of man's righteousness. God is not teaching that he despises righteousness. That would be an odd message given the fact that the Bible continually calls us to righteous living. Rather, God is dealing with the attempt to earn salvation. When it comes to earning our way into heaven, our very best still falls woefully short.

So, from God's perspective all sin is the same with regard to the gaining of salvation. However, from man's perspective, there are differences that matter.

In Numbers 15:30-31 we read:

30 ”‘But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people. 31 Because he has despised the LORD’s word and broken his commands, that person must surely be cut off; his guilt remains on him.’”

In the Hebrew, the word translated "defiantly" is actually a phrase, "byad ramah" which means with a "high hand." The image is the person who sins purposefully, with his hand clenched and raised against heaven. There is no sacrifice in the Law of Moses to atone for such a sin. The only path back is the kind of repentance David shows after his sin with Bathsheba:

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51)

In 1 Corinthians 6, the apostle Paul makes a distinction between sexual sin and other types of sin:

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Notice that Paul is not saying that sexual sin is "worse" from God's perspective. However, he says that in a unique way it is damaging to us personally...it can tear us apart and tear others apart as well. Ask any family that has gone through an affair or a divorce and this thesis is proved.

Jesus described his own "high handed sin." He categorized the sin against the Holy Spirit as unpardonable (Matthew 12, Mark 3). In a similar vein, the author of Hebrews gives one of the most sober warnings in all the Bible.

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10)

These are difficult texts, but they do make it clear that there are certain sins which are particularly deadening to the soul. In Exodus we see that after Pharaoh hardened his heart several times, God further hardened Pharaoh's heart. It would seem that some sins are especially harmful to us both physically and spiritually.

So what is the conclusion? From God's perspective all sin is fatal. From man's perspective certain sins are more damaging than others. However, the answer to all sin is the grace of God, who takes the first and most important step, and the repentance of man, by which we receive God's atoning sacrifice.

Discerning God's Will

2009-12-08T20:20:00.000-05:00

Question:

How do I discern God’s voice or the voice of the Holy Spirit from my own thoughts? I’m thinking practice but I’m wondering if any scripture addresses this….Thanks!

Answer:

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I found an excellent devotional on this topic by Rod Best. His devotionals can be found on http://www.rodbest.com. Here are his comments:

DISCERNING GOD'S VOICE

1 Kings.19:12

“11The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”

Elijah was expecting God to speak in a certain way. Do we think God speaks when we see Him display His awesome power? God may speak this way but usually He speaks in ways that aren’t the obvious – we can miss what He is saying. If we expect God’s voice and really need His voice,and are diligent in learning how to recognize His voice, He will speak to us regularly and sometimes in amazing ways that are unexpected to us.

Besides God, there are at least three other voices that speak to us - the voice of our emotions, the voice of darkness, i.e, the enemy, the voice that comes through the pressure we feel from family, friends and others. This raises the question – “How do you know when the voice is God’s and not another’s?”

Get To Know Him Intimately

It is one thing to know what God does, but another to understand How he works. We understand Him as we know Him intimately. We will only hear Him speak to us as we spend time with Him and we don’t have to have any special gifting or special anointing for God to speak to us apart from getting to know Him and stilling our hearts before Him. All He requires is that we listen and are obedient.

How Does God Speak To Us?

God speaks to us through: 1) Scripture (Rom. 10:17); 2) Fervent Prayer; 3) His Audible Voice; 4) Circumstances; 5) Our Thoughts; 6) Dreams and Visions; 7) People He sends into your life.

Ask these questions:

i) Have I prayed for God to speak to me? We have not because we ask not – look to our own reasoning.

ii) Am I willing to obey God's message no matter what? - It is no use asking God if you’ve already decided in your mind what you are going to do.

iii) Am I open to all means by which God may speak to me? - including Him speaking through those I don’t wish to hear from.

iv) Have I removed any barriers that would hinder me from hearing God? - These include:

a) Certain attitudes or insecurities - When God told Moses to go to Pharaoh, Moses told God to find somebody else for the job. (Ex 3:11). Ever do that? Ever say to God, “What about my past failures? Or my inexperience? Or my lack of finances? Or my present circumstances?;

b) Distractions – caught up with the unimportant. talking to someone but they aren’t listening because they are pre-occupied;

c) Not hearing Him because He is speaking more than we want to hear - Jonah didn’t like what God told him, so he ran away. Are you doing that?;

d) Ignorance of the varied ways in which He speaks;

e) Just as happy to hear from God’s servants than from God Himself - An example is in Exodus 20:19 where the Children of Israel indicate they are happier to hear from Moses than they are from God. V19 says “And said to Moses, Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” We often listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to tapes and sermons or testimonies from others, but we don’t take the time for God Himself to speak to us. This can be the easy way out – because we are too busy, or because we know that when God speaks, we must die to certain things in our lives that we don’t want to die to. If it is one of God’s servants speaking, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative.

Conclusion

God is as close as our cry to Him – He says “Call unto Me and I will answer Thee........" Do you know Him intimately enough to hear His voice, and if not, what are you doing to change the situation? Are you cultivating your spiritual ears to hear God’s voice? When you have heard from God, will you be a doer of His Word?

Rod Best

Does the Bible give conflicting advice on answering fools?

2009-11-23T09:08:00.000-05:00

Question:

In Proverbs 26:4-5 the Bible gives conflicting advice as to whether you should answer a fool or not. Could you explain?

Answer:

First, let’s clearly set forth the problem by citing the texts in question:

Proverbs 26:4-5:

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you will be like him yourself.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Bible critics cite this as a particularly disturbing example of the Bible speaking out of “both sides of its mouth.” Is this a glaring contradiction in the Bible?

It is important that we bear in mind that Proverbs is not exclusively written by Solomon. Solomon writes many of the Proverbs himself, but the Proverbs are largely an edited collection. So, there are numerous uncited authors and Solomon is drawing from their works and arranging them into a single compilation of wisdom literature. That means that it was quite intentional that these two proverbs with conflicting counsel would appear right next to each other. This is not an “accidental error” but an intentional conflict.

Before resolving the conflict, let’s make sure we understand each proverb in its own right. Verse 4 teaches us that in responding to every statement of a fool you lower yourself to his level and give him more credibility than he deserves. I am reminded of the foolish man from the tribe of Benjamin, Shimei, mentioned in 2 Samuel 16. Shimei, a member of King Saul’s family, resented David’s rule and cursed him repeatedly. Shimei cursed David, and threw stones at him and even through dung at him. One of David’s generals wanted to kill Shimei. But David chose to ignore him, and even ponder whether the Lord had some purpose in Shimei’s foolish rants and raves.

Verse 5 tells us to answer a fool…cut him down to size or he will be puffed up and may even gain influence. I am reminded of the boxing legend Cassius Clay. He had amazing speed, accuracy and strength. We know him better by the name he used later in his career, Muhammad Ali. Near the end of his boxing career, Ali began to lose much of his hand speed and some of his strength. So, he developed a strategy to weaken his opponent. Ali would stay against the ropes and cover up and let his opponent punch him until his arms got tired. He called it, “Rope a dope.” For a while it worked, but Ali took great punishment and ultimately suffered severe brain damage. The problem with “Rope a Dope” is sometimes the dope doesn’t get tired of hitting you. When the abuse reaches a certain level, it becomes necessary to answer a fool and stop the abuse. I found a very balanced statement in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary:

"-in negligible issues one should just ignore the stupid person; but in issues that matter, he must be dealt with lest credence be given to what he says (Plaut, p. 266) The text presents two sayings together that each contain an aspect of the whole truth. Whybray says they are put together to show that human problems are often complicated and cannot always be solved by appealing to a single rule (Book of Proverbs, p. 152). The meaning of the two together is that one should not lower himself to the level of a fool but that there are times when the lesser evil is to speak out than be silent."

Although it appears as a contradiction, Solomon is actually presenting two sides of a coin, and both sides are a valuable part of God’s counsel in dealing with fools.

History and Culture of the Bible

2009-11-05T21:49:00.000-05:00

Question:

How can I gain a better understanding of the history and culture of the Bible?

Answer:

Here are a few suggestions on better understanding the history and culture of the biblical texts.

1. The classical book on this topic is Alfred Edersheim's "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah." (1883) Edersheim was a Jewish convert to Christianity and his insights are amazing. A big book and not an easy read, but a great resource.

2. Here is a fun read, a historical novel entitled "The Flames of Rome" by Paul L. Maier. It is a real page turner, but in the process you learn an incredible amount about the first century church. Maier also has a book about Pontius Pilate that I plan on reading.

3. If you want to delve into a more ancient resource, Flavius Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews will tell you numerous extrabiblical stories about the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes who were the major Jewish groups of Jesus' day. You will also learn about the intertestamental period, those years between Malachi and Matthew during which Alexander the Great conquered the world. The story of Hannukah is told here. Not easy reading, but an amazing resource.

4. Let me put the cookies on a lower shelf. I gain great insight by reading the commentaries of David Guzik of Calvary Chapel. They are available online http://www.enduringword.com/library_commentaries.htm Guzik has written a commentary on most of the biblical books and often shares historical and cultural insights. Best of all, it's free!

5. If you want another easy way to gain a better understanding of the first century Roman world, rent the BBC series "I Claudius" which tells the story of the Roman Emperors. It is based upon the accounts of the ancient Roman historian Suetonius. However, it is a fun series to watch, and a real education.

Can something I do prevent someone from coming to know Christ?

2009-09-15T01:54:00.000-04:00

Question:

I heard an illustration during a sermon I was listening to the other day. It describes a lighthouse keeper who was repairing a piece of glass that broke. He did not have a replacement for the glass so in the place of where the glass would go we put a piece of plywood. During the night a ship was appraoching at just the right angle to where the light was blocked by the piece of plywood and the ship crashed into the reef. He used this describe how some things in our life could block out the light of Christ to others and cause them to crash. This illustration got me thinking. Could something I do or a mistake I make prevent someone from coming to know Christ that would have had they never been affected my my mistake or something I did?

Answer:

There is a reason that you are conflicted about this issue. God's Word does include a tension at this point. On the one hand, it is clear in Scripture that our behavior can negatively impact the spiritual well-being of others. One of the clearest examples of this is found in Matthew 18:

⁴Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. ⁶But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 18)

We also see that we can positively impact the spiritual well-being of another:

¹⁹My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, ²⁰remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5)

We are even responsible for addressing the missteps of others and told that if we fail to issue a warning, others may die, but we are responsible. Look at the watchman passages in Ezekiel chapters 3, 18 and 33.

Now that you are afraid to go outside and mess someone up royally, let's look at the other side of the issue. Let's not forget that God is involved in drawing sinners to himself. Romans 5:8 asserts the priority of Jesus in drawing us to God:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

One of my favorite passages is found in John 6. I love this passage because it demonstrates both sides of redemption's coin, God's sovereignty and man's responsibility and choice:

⁴³"Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. ⁴⁴"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁴⁵It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.

We see both here. God draws, but we have a responsibility to listen and learn.

Now, let me answer the breadth of your question. Could you injure a seeker's journey towards God by some act of hypocrisy that "darkens" their soul to the light of Christ? YES. That is a sobering thought which we need to keep in mind. However, don't assume that you are the only way in which God will influence this person. It has been found that the typical person rejects the gospel invitation, either actively or passively 5 times before saying yes to Christ. If your witness is ineffective due to sin, or just a lack of knowledge, God will raise up other voices. No sincere seeker will be left without an opportunity, especially for us in this land where we are exposed to the gospel on so many levels.

Is it true that God never gives us more than we can handle?

2009-09-15T01:33:00.000-04:00

Question: A common christian saying is "God never gives you more than you can handle". Some may use 1 Corinthians 10:13 to support this idea, but this verse is talking about temptation. Is this saying correct? Is there scripture to support this saying?

Don't dismiss this verse too quickly as only referring to temptation. In our language, the concepts of trial and temptation are quite different. However, in the Greek language, there is a word which has a very broad range of meaning. We don't have a word in English with this broad semantic range of meaning. The word is peirasmos (πειρασμός). Peirasmos can mean either trial or temptation. In fact, in James 1:12-13 we see this same word used in both senses:

JAS 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

JAS 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;

My conclusion is that 1 Corinthians 10:13 can refer to a variety of challenges, since peirasmos is used in a very broad sense throughout the New Testament.

What generation is Jesus referring to in Matthew 24:34?

2009-09-15T01:14:00.000-04:00

In this text, which is part of Jesus' Olivet Discourse, Jesus says:

I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

The obvious challenge is that the first century came and went without the full expression of the eschatological events described in Jesus' sermon, and we are still awaiting these events 2000 years later. If Jesus was mistaken concerning something as vital as the timing of these events, doesn't that cast aspersions upon His overall reliability?

One of the keys to interpreting this text has to do with the identification of "this generation." We have a tendency to assume that this automatically refers to the first century. However, it is very possible that Jesus is referring to "this generation I am talking about" rather than "this generation I am talking to." In other words, Jesus is saying that once these final cataclysmic events start, that generation will not pass until the rest of the foretold apocalyptic signs take place. This is my preferred interpretation. There are, however, a variety of questionable solutions and at least two other good solutions. For a fuller treatment of this question, cut and paste the link below into your browser. There is an excellent article that goes into great detail. I have read it and found it to be solid theologically.

http://www.thingstocome.org/whatgen.htm

Can Our Dead Relatives See Us From Heaven?

2009-09-02T08:20:00.000-04:00

Question: Can people who have died see, watch over or contact those who are still living? What does the bible say about this and the people who claim to be able to contact the dead?

There is a growing interest in the idea of an ongoing connection between the dead and the living. In the movies, popular movies like Ghost portray this idea of a relationship with the dead. On T.V. it’s shows like Crossing Over with John Edwards, or the Discovery Channel series, A Haunting. There is a growing fascination with the paranormal. But what does the Bible have to say?

A good beginning point is Leviticus 19:31. In the midst of a long list of various laws, God issues this terse decree:

Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

Exodus chapters 7-8 describe the wickedness of the Egyptians practicing magic, sorcery, and speaking to the dead. In Exodus 22:18, the prohibition against occultism includes the ultimate legal penalty:

Do not allow a sorceress to live.

But is the Bible consistent? There is one occasion where God allows a necromancer to contact the living with a word from God? In 1 Samuel 28, a wicked King Saul finds that he is no longer hearing from God. So he, who had earlier killed many of the mediums and spiritists contacts the witch at Endor and asks her to raise the recently deceased prophet Samuel from the dead. The witch is reticent, fearing that this is a trap by Saul. But Saul swears an oath to the LORD that she will not be harmed and she succeeds in raising the dead prophet. The witch shrieks when Samuel appears, suggesting that she may have been a charlatan and was herself surprised that an actual spirit was speaking. Samuel proceeds to express annoyance at being disturbed and reiterates his own prophetic announcements that Saul has been rejected and that the kingdom has been transferred to David, as far as God is concerned. Some argue that 1 Samuel 28 is proof that the Bible is at best conflicted with regard to the occult.

Other supporters of spiritism cite Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man in Luke 16, which portrays a conversation between two people in the afterlife, Abraham in glory and the Rich Man in hell, as a prooftext that conversations with the dead are sanctioned.

It is important that we note that there is a very real difference between the descriptive and the normative. It is true that God allowed the witch of Endor to summon Samuel. However, this is not an indication of God’s approval of occultism. Rather, it is permitted by God as part of this process of pronouncing judgment against Saul and stripping him of his rule. Saul receives no words of comfort and no blessing. Within a very short while he will be dead on Mt. Gilboa and David will be king. The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man is just that, a parable. And when the Rich Man pleads that he be permitted to contact and warn his brothers, Abraham refuses to allow this contact…they have Moses and the prophets…let them listen to them.
The bible is very clear that necromancy, the attempt to contact the dead through occultic channels is forbidden and spiritually dangerous.

However, part of this question has to do with the righteous dead in heaven. Can our dead relatives in heaven watch us? This question has been on my heart, especially since my Dad died in July of 2006. Can Dad see Erik and Deanna growing up? Will God allow him to see them graduate school? Get married? But, let me finish the question to draw a fuller picture. Will God allow my Dad to see my sins and short-comings? Will he have to sit through every one of his son’s blunders? Will he watch me die? Or does God permit us to see some things from heaven, and not others? The Bible does not answer these questions. However, I would venture one thought. Every description of Heaven seems to indicate a focus on God and his throne, not earth and its goings on. It is only natural that we, with our earthbound perspective, would assume that this is where the action is. However, I suspect that those in heaven have better things to do than watch us. And for those in the eternal kingdom of God, our homecoming to heaven is just a little bit away. We get a since of how different time is perceived from an eternal perspective from many passages of scripture. In 2 Peter 3:8-9, Peter says:

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

We see this same perspective as John the Baptist describes the nearness of the kingdom:
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 3:2) Jesus spoke in the same way. From our perspective, time passes slowly, but from God’s perspective, a perspective shared by those in heaven, time passes differently.

On the basis of these thoughts, I conclude that those in heaven are not “missing us.” They are looking forward to our return, in much the same way that a parent looks forward to their child coming home from school in a couple of hours.

The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men in Genesis 6

2009-08-04T08:49:00.000-04:00

Question:

Just listened to the Soaring devotional on Genesis 5 passage. Now maybe you can explain the first few lines of Genesis 6 about the Sons of God and daughters of men....

Answer:

Sons of God is a metonym for the godly line of Seth (Adam's third son).
[Metonym: a word that denotes one thing but refers to a related thing;
"Washington is a metonym for the United States government"; "plastic is a
metonym for credit card"]

Daughters of men refers to the ungodly line of Cain. Genesis 6 is not saying that
the "Sons of God" are demons who had babies with humans...they are fallen
spirits. Only the Spirit of God can "overshadow" in such a way as in the
conception of Jesus.

Why then do giants result? This fact is what has led to the assumption that
something supernatural is going on. But, remember that this is the same period
where people are living 900 years. There seem to have been greater extremes
possible in a human genome which was only recently damaged by sin's effects.
There were giants not because demons impregnated human women. There
were giants because this kind of extreme stature was possible at this time.

Long Life Spans in the Bible

2009-08-04T08:18:00.000-04:00

Question: What's with the extra long years for everyone's age? 896? 800? Am I crazy or does that seem just a bit longer than the average life span? Could you please explain how they are measuring time in the Old Testament?

Answer:

Over the years, there have been Bible scholars who have attempted to
reconcile these long ages by suggesting a different reckoning of time.
Maybe they were counting months and calling them years back then.
Such an explanation runs into other problems:
1. It doesn't explain why there is a gradual decrease in these
lifespans. If this were about differing standards of time, we should see
people living until 900, and then 80. However, there is a gradual
decrease 900...800...700...600, etc. By the time of Abraham, we see
people living to 175. By the time of Moses, some are living like Moses
and Aaron to 110-120. By David's time the lifespan looks like today.
Unless there were multiple standards, it is not likely that we can
explain this in terms of time standards.
2. If we make the years months, or short enough to fit within our
lifespans, there will be a problem with some of the birthdates of the
sons. For example, Kenan, who has a son at 70, would be as if he
were 9.
3. Abraham, who lives to 175, was a Sumerian. The Sumerians had a
lunar calendar.
So, if we can't explain this in terms of standards of time measurement,
how do we answer the question? I would suggest that there was a
gradual contraction in the life span. The entry of sin into the world
introduced a process of genetic breakdown which would culminate in
death. But it didn't happen all at once.
There is some good science to back up the possibility of longer
lifespans.
1. New research into aging shows that there is a cap on our
chromosomes called a telomere. It becomes shorter with every
division. That is why we age, despite the fact that we are constantly
replacing cells. When the telomere gets too short, the cell is subjected
to serious damage. If God's original design for Adam and Eve was for
them to live without death, then it seems reasonable that they would
have had telomeres which do not shorten.
2. Scientists also point out that a gene pool of perfect individuals
would not degrade immediately. It would take many generations for
genetic defects to build in sufficient numbers to compromise the
longevity in a serious way.
3. There is also evidence that senscense (aging) is heavily effected by
cosmic radiation. This radiation produces free radicals which slam into
our cells and cause major cell damage. There is evidence that the
amount of cosmic radiation was much lower until 30,000 years ago.
4. Research into aging has proven that a lower caloric intake
increases lifespan. It is not due to a simple reduction in metabolism.
There is a more sophisticated system, but the bottom line is that a diet
rich in plant foods and a more limited caloric diet could have been a
piece of this longevity puzzle.
The Biblical account of these long lifespans may not be as fantastic as
it seems. That's a quick synopsis. For some additional reading, click
on these links:

http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/1978
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/longlife.html

This second site is rather technical, but has some awesome proofs.
Hope that helps.
Steve