The Carpenter's Chapel (6)

Excellent posts guys, Thank you.

 

Wednesday, 19th January, 2005

On deliverance through the blood of Christ.

Most of us freely acknowledge the wonderful work of the shed blood of Christ in covering our sins. This little thought caused me to consider how I view the blood of Christ on a day to day basis. Jesus paid the ultimate price by shedding His own blood for me. The work of that shed blood did not end at the day of my salvation. It is His shed blood covered my sin once and forever therefore it’s work carries on day after day.

When I see the mercy of God – do I remember His shed blood?
When I am corrected by my Saviour – do the blood of Christ make me humble?
When I am serving Him – does His blood make me zealous?
When I am tempted – does His blood make me watchful?
When I see my circumstances – does His blood make me content?
When I see others – does His blood make me useful to Him?

May the blood of Christ do more than cover our sin – may it motivate us daily to walk in the light of its work.

 

Well said Jim!

 

Friday, 21st January, 2005

On the righteousness of Christ.

What does it mean to live near the cross? I think Fanny Crosby sums up “cross living” well in her hymn “Near the Cross.”

May we all be reminded of the cross and live daily in it’s shadow.

 

Thanks Roger.
It is, as the great hymnal says, "The emblem of suffering and shame" and yet, "Holds a wondrous attraction for me."
It is deeply saddening that the Son of God suffered so for someone like me, but I am oh-so grateful that He did.

 

Saturday January 22, 2005

Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. (John 7:40-52)

Now let's look at the responses of the people that heard Jesus' great offer. Jesus had stirred up the conversation of the crowd with a few declaring Him to be "the prophet" (compare 6:14).
Others were ready to believe that Jesus was the Christ, but still some rejected His words and miracles because He grew up in Nazareth.
They knew the prophecies concerning the Messiah which declared His birthplace to be Bethlehem as He was of the seed of David. No one had ever asked Jesus of His lineage; they just assumed (wrongly) that He was born in Nazareth.
The last verses of this chapter show us the true intent of the religious leaders. They had already determined to kill Jesus and were waiting for an opportune time to arrest Him. Evidently some of the guards had been placed in he temple since the last encounter with Jesus (7:14,26) with instructions to seize Him. Yet these hardened soldiers were amazed by His words to the point that they could not apprehend Jesus. They replied, "Never man spake like this man." I can't help but look ahead six months to the Cross when a soldier would declare, "Truly this man was the Son of God." (Mk. 15:39; Luke 23:47; also John 18: 4-6)
Now the focus is turned from the soldiers directly to the religious leaders. Since they had been schooled by the rabbis, they held a superior attitude above the common people. They must know it all because they are of course, college professors! Yet all that their degree tells us is that they listened to their professor and recited enough back to pass the courses. (Some professors grade by the pound.) We see their true colors as they accuse and intimidate both the soldiers and the crowd declaring one to be deceived and the other accursed.
Today we have some "learned men" who can't refute the arguments of creation. Their main attack is upon the learning of their opponents. If a man stands for God or creation in some major colleges today, he will have a difficult time graduating because of his professor's bias.
From the midst of these Pharisees stands Nicodemus, which is confirmed to be the one mentioned in John chapter 3. He challenges the others to not make a judgement before the facts are tried. We don't know if Nicodemus was saved at this point. We can only assume that sometime before the Cross, Nicodemus accepted Christ as then he was willing to risk his life and his whole future to help bury the body of Jesus.
The response of the Pharisees was interesting as they show their desire to stamp out any resistance with peer pressure. Then they show their ignorance as they claim "For out of Galilee ariseth no prophet." Again, they were presuming that because Jesus grew up in Nazareth, He could not fulfill the prophesy that the Messiah must come from Bethlehem.
At any rate, there had been a number of prophets that had come out of this region: Jonah, Nahum, Hosea, Elisha and Elijah came out of this region that is at this time called Galilee.
More important was the prophecy of Isaiah 8:18-9:7, which was partially quoted by Matthew in 4:13-16: And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is on the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulon and Nephthalim. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet saying, "The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up." The Jews should have realized that Isaiah 9:1-2, which speaks about the work of the "Light" among the darkness of the Gentiles would be the "Son", the Messiah to which they looked.

 

Sunday January 23, 2005

If I may, I will leave the Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to John for one night. I do so that I may speak on a very unpleasant subject. This weekend marks the anniversary of one of the darkest events in the history of this nation. The anniversary of the day that seven men determined that it was the law of the land that the unborn can be slaughtered by whim.
As those that name the name of Christ we should listen to what God says on an issue and not what men say when there is a conflict between the two.

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. (Ex. 1:17)
The commandment of the king was for the midwives to put the male children to death. If only there was this fear of God among abortionist's today!

If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine, And if any mischief follow, then shalt he give life for life, (Ex. 21:22-23)
Now the liberal would say here that such punishment was due if something happened to the mother. But by the context of this law, not to mention that it has always been regarded by the Jewish leaders that this commandment says such punishment was due to the one responsible if EITHER the mother or child suffers harm. If that baby died, the one responsible paid with his life.
This is how serious God regarded this subject in the law.

But thou art He that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breast. I was cast upon thee from the womb; thou art my God from my mother's belly.
(Psa. 22:9-10)
And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be His servant..." (Is. 49:15)
For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink neither wine or strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. (Luke 1:15)
It makes no differeence where you stand on the doctrine of grace, we are the Lord's, and the Lord has a purpose for us while we were being formed in the womb. (Of course, even before that!)

But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. (Mark 10:14; also Mt. 19:14 and Luke 18:16)
You sure can't suffer them to come to Jesus those that are aborted.

Distressing to me is that there are those that warm Chuch pews, who, supposedly name the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that are for abortion.
No, it is not for me to judge you, judge yourself if ye be in the faith, if the love of the Lord Jesus indeeds dwells in you and you are not troubled by this great slaughter.

 

Tuesday, 25th Janaury, 2005

And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

Job 1v13-20

After a recent bout of challanging news a young man in our service, the son of our future co-workers, shared this passage in church. It was one of those times when the full realisation of a Bible truth was illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Job's news could not be worse. Yet, we read that he worshipped God as an immediate result. Job was suffering very real pain, yet he chose to worship God at that low time.

If bad news comes your way today, will worship be your response? With God's help. may it be so.

 

Wise words -- Jim -- thank you!

 

Ohhhh, how many times Jim, have I been stung grabbing for wasps!

 

Thursday, 27th January, 2005

Wasp stings. What a great topic. As rotten as I am bees and wasps avoid me , but I have seen the affect they have on others. Never pleasant, but a part of life which we are to go through as a part of God's plan.

Our spiritual wasp stings hurt as well. When they happen we are often like the child in Jim's story from yesterday, wailing and bemouning our fate. We can do that and let the affect roll on and on. Or, we can do what Paul did and reminds us of in 2 Corinthians 2v8-10.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Our God is in control, even when we get stung by a wasp. Why does the wasp sting? Puzzling sometimes. While they may be perplexing, may our wasp stings never leave us in despair.

 

Very witty and very well said, no BONES about it!

 

Saturday January 29, 2005

We have before us now a passage that is deep in controversy, as it is missing from so many manuscripts, that many wonder whether it belongs here at all. Today we will look at the passage and tomorrow take on the controversy

And every man went unto his own house.
Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
(John 7:53-8:11)

This section begins with the crowd dispersing (7:53) and Jesus heads to the Mount of Olives and probably the garden of Gethsemane. This garden was often the bed of the Saviour. The next morning Jesus was back at the temple teaching the people who had gathered. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught "in the very act" of adultery. They threw her down before Jesus and recited the Law of Moses which required her to be stoned. Then they ask Jesus what was His view. Their plan was to force Jesus into a corner in which any option would cause Him to be caught in His own words. If Jesus would agree to stone her as the Law said, then they would turn to His teaching and witnessing to those who were sinners. Also, the Jews were not allowed to stone anyone, as they had to take Jesus to Pilate for execution. Or if Jesus would say, "Let her go", then He would be accused of ignoring the Law of Moses.
The trap had been laid, but Jesus knew their hearts. These religious leaders did not care about following the Law, unless it was to their benefit.
It is worthwhile here to look at the particular Law that they spoke of:
"And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death." (Lev. 20:10). Moses later said in Deut. 22:22: "If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel." One plus one does not equal one, but rather two. If she was caught in the "act" of adultery, then where was the man? One can only conclude that they knew who he was. Could the unknown man be one of the very leaders before Jesus? It is plain to see that it was a trap.
But Jesus refused to answer their rigged question and knelt down and began to write on the ground. We do not know what Jesus wrote on the ground, but it probably was something which all could read. The Old Testament told of God writing the ten commandments with His finger (Exodus 31:18). We also have the account of Belshazzar's death sentence written on the wall by a finger of a hand (Daniel 5:5). The Pharisees and scribes continued to pester Jesus until He turned to them and said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." He then returned to writing on the ground. What did Jesus write this second time? Could it have been the ninth commandment found in Exodus 20:16: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." It was the duty of the witness of the crime to be the ones to cast the first stone (Deut. 17:5-7). Could it be that He wrote the name of the missing man? Dr. McGee suggested that He started with the eldest man's name and listed a hidden sin next to it. In the Psalm of Moses we read: "Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance." (Psalm 90:8). One by one beginning with the eldest unto the last, each judge walked away guilty before God.
Jesus now turns to the woman and asks a key question, "Hath no man condemned thee? This is an important question, for we too stand as sinners before God. The law tries to condemn us, but as we place our trust in the shed blood of Christ we can find forgiveness and pardon!
John 5:24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." Romans 8:1: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
For her response, "No man Lord" we can hope that she too found her Saviour in those words which were written in the ground. Jesus' words of "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" are similar to His response to the man healed at the pool in 5:14 "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee." In both cases we are left in the dark to whether or not they trusted Jesus as their Saviour.

NOTE: Someone sent me an email regarding my January 1, 2005 devotional, where I mentioned Joshua’s pillars. I, at first, saved your email, intending on getting back to you, but then later inadvertently deleted your email. I hope that you are still reading. The answer to your question is in Joshua 4: 4-9.

 

Sunday January 30, 2005

And every man went unto his own house. Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
(John 7:53-8:11)

Before we continue with John chapter 8, we must note here that many have questioned the authenticity of this portion of John: 7:53-8:11. The New International Version notes: "The earliest and most reliable manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53-8:11."
The problem is that this passage has been omitted in "the four oldest manuscripts-the newly discovered Codex Sinaiticus (s), the Alexandrian (A), the Vatican (B), and the Ephraem ... As well as upwards of fifty Cursive manuscripts." (JFB Commentary, p. 400-401)
But these Bible critics only present their view. The JFB Commentary also gives us the rest of the story:
First, two of these older manuscripts have, "a blank space, as if something had been left out." They also go on to say: "Of the four most ancient manuscripts which want (lack) this section, the leaves of two at this place have been lost - of A, from 6:50 to 8:52; and of the Ephraem from 7:3 to 8:33. We have, therefore no certainty whether those manuscripts contained this section or not. It is found in above three hundred of the Cursive manuscripts, and above fifty more with an asterisk or other mark of doubt. Of versions, it is found in the Old Latin...and it is found in the Vulgate; while Jerome, to whom we owe that revision of the venerable Old Latin, states that in his time-the fourth century, and we have no manuscripts of an older date than that-this section was found 'in many manuscripts both Greek and Latin'."
"Turning now from external to internal evidence in favor of this section, it appears to us to be almost overpowering. Requesting the reader to recall the exposition of it, we confidently ask if historical authenticity is not stamped upon the face of it-admitting that some such incident as this might not be beyond invention-whether the very peculiar and singularly delicate details of it could be other than real. And if the question be, whether supposing it genuine, there were stronger motives for its exclusion, or if spurious, for its insertion? No one who knows anything of the peculiarities of the early Church can well hesitate. The notions of the early Church on such subjects were of the ascetic description, and to them the whole narrative must have been most confounding. Augustine accordingly says, 'Some of slender faith, or rather enemies of the true faith, have removed it from manuscripts, fearing, I believe, that an immunity to sin might be thought to be given by it." Nor was he alone in ascribing the omission of it to this cause. Such a feeling in regard to this section is sufficient to account for the remarkable fact that it was never publicly read along with the preceding and following context in the early Churches, but was reserved for some unimportant festivals, and in some of the service-books appears to have been left out altogether. In short, to account for its omission, if genuine, seems easy enough; but for its insertion, if spurious, next to impossible." (ibid., p.401)
They go on to say that some scholars try to place it following Luke 21:37-38 instead of in John 8.

One thing is absolutely certain: The One Who said the following, would never excuse or condone adultery.
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Mat 5:27-28)
As it says in our passage:
“This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.”
I heard it suggested that what he wrote on the ground the first time was the actual law, that both the man and the woman were to be stoned. Then the second time He wrote the man’s name, perhaps even one of them among them.
It is curious that they, “went out one by one, beginning at the eldest” The older ones should have known not to have involved themselves in this.
Excusing adultery? No;
Seeing through and exposing their con-game? Yes.

 

Charles - thank you for this weekend's devotionals!