God Has Your Whole Lifetime to Make Sense

“God works with lifetimes.” (Dr. Tim Jordan, “Hope Deferred” audio).
Genesis 37-50

Joseph's life seemed to make sense when he was 17. As the favorite son of his father, he dreamed that his siblings would bow down to him—not all that far-fetched for a favorite son. However, his brothers had a plan to annul the dreams, and for 13 years his dreams made no sense. He served God faithfully, but was taken from his family to be a slave, and from his master to be a prisoner. What had become of his dreams? The only faint glimmers he would see of God's promise during that time would have come in the way in which God prospered him. As a slave, he was the head slave. As a prisoner, he was the head prisoner. Still, his dreams made no sense. Can you imagine what it must have been like to interpret the dreams of others—dreams that were so quickly fulfilled—and still be waiting and longing for the fulfillment of your own when each day seemed to make that fulfillment more unlikely? And then God made everything make sense. God is not limited to our yearly planner. Regardless of how far afield God's leading seems to have brought us, we must continue being faithful. Everything will make sense eventually.

Do We Proclaim an Urgent Message?

Many times our attempt to warn people of coming punishment in an eternal Hell mirrors Lot's failed attempt to get his prospective sons-in-law to flee the city. They thought he was jesting (Genesis 19:14). Certainly there was no conviction in his words, because there was no urgency in his own heart. He was not anxious to leave the city and would himself have been destroyed had the angels not forcibly removed him from the premises (Genesis 19:16). He revealed how little he understood the peril by begging to go to a different city, thinking that his life would be in danger in the hills, not realizing that his life was on the line with every moment he hesitated (Genesis 19:19, 20). He then apparently dawdled on his way to Zoar (Genesis 19:23). It was not until God's judgment fell that he grasped the seriousness of the situation (Genesis 19:30). But lest we stand in judgment of Lot, we should consider our own efforts at evangelism. John 3:18 clearly proclaims the truth that everyone must either trust Christ for salvation from the penalty of their sins, or else they will receive the condemnation under which they are already living. Matthew 25:41 and 46 says that this condemnation is eternal punishment in unquenchable fire. Why do we dawdle at warning people of their peril and directing them to the way of salvation? Do we even believe God's Word? Do we recognize how we ourselves have been snatched like dry twigs out of the fire? When will we forsake the meaningless pleasures of this life for the cause of winning souls? Must we wait until we see God's judgment fall before we grasp the urgency of the Great Commission?

Take Time to be Holy

As I was flipping through a hymnal yesterday, I took time to read the Hymn with the above title. As I did so, I was struck by the basic and essential truths contained in the poem. I would encourage you to read through the stanzas carefully, observing each thought that the author penned, for in them you will discover the practical fundamentals that should be true of every Christian's life.

“Take Time to Be Holy”
William D. Longstaff (1822-1894)
“As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy.” (1 Peter 1:15)

1. Take time to be holy, Speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, And feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children; Help those who are weak;
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

2. Take time to be holy, The world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret With Jesus alone;
By looking to Jesus, Like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

3. Take time to be holy, Let Him be thy Guide,
And run not before Him, Whatever betide;
In joy or in sorrow, Still follow the Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, Still trust in His Word.

God Leads His Dear Children Along

God has been at work in my life during the last few months with regard to planting a church in Green Bay. When I first received the call almost a year ago, my idea was that I would focus on Anglo people first, and then reach out to Hispanic people once the church was established. However, God has been redirecting my thoughts through His Word and through circumstances. Now it looks like not only will the church-plant target Hispanics right from the start, but that God will be using me to reach out to Hispanics at home in Marinette and in Green Bay prior to moving the latter city sometime in 2010. Here's why:

1. God began by surrounding me with people who could give advice.
As I looked toward Green Bay and began attempting to compile resources that would help me to plant a church, God began bringing person after person into my life who had a burden for Hispanic people, who knew how to minister to them, and who knew others who could provide additional advice and resources toward that end. I found this all to be very exciting, but there is a big problem--I do not speak Spanish. Granted, I hope to be ministering to Hispanics in the United States where many of them have learned at least enough English to get by, but I would either need to become fluent enough in Spanish to be able to communicate the Gospel, or God would need to provide someone who was fluent. I began praying for the latter.

2. God saved Brandon Gauthier.
Before I began praying for someone who was fluent in Spanish, God was already at work in Brandon's life. Brandon is a young man who has been a friend of my pastor's son for many years, but was unsaved until this summer. Through several big events God brought him to the point that he would be receptive to the Gospel, and he trusted Christ as his Savior. His salvation alone would be a great praise, but there is more, because in addition to the great zeal he has as a new believer to see other people saved, he is also fluent in Spanish, and has a particular burden for Hispanics having spent every summer of his teenage years in Peru.

3. God directed me toward Hispanics.
While the above events were playing out, I began praying that God would lead me specifically through His Word as to what people group I should make my focus in Green Bay. I remembered that when I had prayed about going to Green Bay in the first place, He had directed me through specific verses. I asked that He would do so again. The answer was quick in coming. Almost as soon as I began praying these words came to mind: "And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation" (Romans 15:20). This verse is significant because while there are not enough Bible-centered churches of similar faith and practice in Green Bay, there are none (to my knowledge) that reach out to Hispanics. This verse has continued as my answer with each subsequent occasion that I give thought to the topic.

4. God has put me in contact with Hispanics.
In addition to the other things that God has been doing, He has begun putting me in contact with Hispanics--primarily through Brandon, who delivers mail for the Post Office both in Marinette and in Green Bay. Last week my family was able to visit an unsaved Hispanic family in Marinette, and last night Brandon told me of a Peruvian lady in Green Bay who is a Baptist, but who has been unable to find a place to worship because she does not understand enough of the service. She asked if we would be willing to come down and do a Bible study with her and others of her acquaintence once a month. I look forward to meeting this lady and finding out more about her testimony and background. I am also praying for the salvation of the family I mentioned, as they have attended Twin City Baptist, and know a couple other families from the church.

Please pray for my family and I as we continue to pray for God's leading and follow the guidance He has given so far. Pray for us also as we begin learning Spanish.

Maclaren Quote

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle" --Ian Maclaren*

From the time we were children we have been consistently reminded that the world does not revolve around us--meaning that we should not take our own interests into exclusive consideration. Philippians 2:4 says it this way, "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." To be interested in aiding other people--to be actively seeking ways to serve them--reveals a loving heart. We should allow the confidence we find in God's Word while fighting our own battles to encourage others in the battles they are fighting--even when we do not know they are struggling. Then Psalm 119:74 will be true of us, which says, "Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word."

*(The above quote was found in Wiersbe's The Bible Exposition Commentary, Old Testament, Wisdom and Poetry, 321)

Psalm 119:165

"Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble."

Thank You, God, for Freedom

[On April 6 Stephen Harder posted a series of thought-provoking questions on his blog. I highly recommend reading it click here. One particular section of his post caught my attention since it had to do with the topic of persecution--a topic on which I have been thinking of late. I desired to respond to his article, but was unable to consolidate my thoughts enough for a comment. Hence, I decided to write several posts on my own blog in response. This is one of them. I should caution the reader in advance that none of these posts is intended to give the complete picture of my thoughts on the subject, so try not to judge me too quickly if I do not approach the topic in the same way you would. If you do not like one you may like the others, so stay tuned. I should also point out that though Stephen's article was the catalyst which caused me to write, and though I may reference it from time to time, I am not actually addressing what he wrote. If I appear to attack some wrong-headed thinking from time to time, it is probably my own that I have in mind.]

Nearly every Sunday at some point during the day I can count on hearing someone thank God for "the freedom to worship publicly." Here in the United States we do not have to worry about the police forcing their way into the service and dragging away our pastors and other church leaders. We do not have to worry that the visitor we see sitting in the back row might be an informer. We have it easy compared to many of our brothers and sisters around the world. Oftentimes I find myself saying that we have it too easy--especially when I hear of the plight of God's people in other places. However, I should remember that our religious freedom is a gift from God, and I should not carelessly overlook it in favor of some romantic view of suffering that I hold (and which will be further discussed this week).

I believe that 1 Timothy 2:1-4 speaks to this topic when it says:
"1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
In this passage Paul exhorts Timothy to pray for "all men", but he calls out rulers for special mention. The purposes for which he instructs Timothy to pray for them are 1. that they would be saved (v. 4), and 2. that Christians would be able to "lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence" (v. 2). I have listed the purposes in reverse order because I want to focus on the second one. The terms "quiet" and "peaceable" both speak to the idea of tranquility, which leads me to picture a dead-calm lake with no ripples or waves. God's purpose for this tranquility (the same tranquility for which he encourages us to pray) is not so that we would have stress-free lives, but so that we would be free to live our lives quietly in godliness and reverence, which are pleasing to Him. God has given us the opportunity to live out our salvation in just such an environment in the United States. This is not a permanent condition. Looking back, we find that religious freedom was unknown in early America as the different factions of Christianity built miniature kingdoms in the colonies in which they persecuted each other through the same means they had used in Europe. Looking ahead, we can easily envision a time when Christianity will no longer be accepted the way it is today. For now, however, God has granted us tranquility. May we not flatter ourselves with the idea of what we will do when persecution arrives, but instead be wise and thankful stewards of the opportunity God has given us in the era of religious freedom in which we live.

The Necessity of Divine Election

“ I have loved you,” says the LORD.
“ Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’
Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?”
Says the LORD.
“Yet Jacob I have loved;
But Esau I have hated,
And laid waste his mountains and his heritage
For the jackals of the wilderness.” (Malachi 1:2-3)

The above is a portion of the text on which I had the opportunity to speak yesterday as the adult Sunday school class continues its trek through the minor prophets. Clearly seen in the passage is the doctrine of election--a topic on which I have not taught in quite a while, and one that I do not feel I handled very well yesterday. At the conclusion of the lesson, one of the ladies in the class approached me with this thought:

"If God did not choose some people then no one would be saved. If He had simply placed a sign by the roadside that said, 'Whosoever will may come' we all would have rejected Him. People will not choose that which is abhorrent to them."

Certainly I have heard what she had to say in the past, but as I had forgotten, I am thankful that she reiterated to me such a clear and simple explanation of the importance of election.

Praise the Lord that He chose me!

So That I Can Find It Again . . .

Eventually I desire to articulate my views on fundamentalism to see if really am one. I think that I am, but I need to work through some of the issues to see if what I believe really makes sense in light of Scripture. Until then, I take notice when someone articulates viewpoints I should consider. An article posted on Sharper Iron on Monday is one of those articulations to which I will want to return in the future. Dr. Stephen M. Davis, the author, raises some interesting points concerning the strengths and weaknesses of fundamentalism. I found his article well-worth reading. Perhaps you will as well.

http://www.sharperiron.org/2008/03/24/fundamentalism-in-the-21st-century-an-opinion/#more-2489

God's Love Cannot Be Separated from the Rest of His Nature

"I do not think that what the Bible says about the love of God can long survive at the forefront of our thinking if it is abstracted from the sovereignty of God, the holiness of God, the wrath of God, the providence of God, or the personhood of God--to mention only a few nonnegotiable elements of basic Christianity" (D. A. Carson, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God, 11).

"A Test Case for Dispensational Hermeneutics"

Zechariah 14:8 and John 7:38

Perhaps the foundational rule in dispensational hermeneutics states, "When the plain sense makes sense, seek no other sense." In other words, when a student of the Bible reads a verse, and the language of the verse conveys a sensible message according to the normal understanding of those words, then no "deeper" meaning for the verse should be sought. Exceptions to this rule include (but are not limited to) situations in which the phrase or verse obviously conveys a figure of speech, or when the context of the verse indicates pictoral intent. It has been my desire throughout the study of Zechariah to apply this rule to the best of my ability.

Arriving at Zechariah 14:8, however, I encounter some difficulty with my standard practice of interpretation. In this verse I see every indication that the verse ought to be interpreted to mean that there will one day ("in that day"--a day that belongs to the LORD in a very special and significant way) be an actual, beautiful, wet river flowing from the geographical location of Jerusalem as one of the physical changes that will be made to the earth in the millennial reign. The words of the verse state this, the context of the verse supports this, and other uses of the Hebrew words for "living waters" confirm this. That being said, the case is not so completely and easily sewn up, because there is a rule of hermeneutics that states, "The New Testament is the best commentary on the Old Testament." One passage in the New Testament, which finds support in Old Testament references to "living waters", indicates a loose thread that threatens to unravel not only my understanding of Zechariah 14:8, but taken to an extreme could potentially make a shambles out of my dispensational way of thinking. If this verse (John 7:38) dictates that our verse in Zechariah must be understood in a typical manner (meaning that it stands for something other than what it actually describes), then the rest of the chapter, the rest of the book, and much of the rest of prophecy in all of Scripture is at least open to the possibility of meaning something other than what it appears to say.

Lest I lose anyone along the way, who thinks that the differences between literal (I prefer the word "normative") and allegorical interpretation are insignificant, allow me to list some of the ramifications that come to mind, if the normative method of interpretation is rendered inept:

1.Rather than immersing adults, I would sprinkle babies. (Ecclesiology)

2.Rather than listening for the trumpet, I would work to bring in the kingdom. (Eschatology)

3.Rather than accepting the plain sense, I would seek a deeper meaning. (Bibliology)

4.Rather than befriending Israel, I would seek peace at any cost. (Politics)

These are only some of the many things that would be affected if I were to adopt a non-literal approach to Scripture. I sincerely hope that my true desire is to be as biblical and as Christ-like as possible, and that I would be willing to change my method of interpretation, and accept all of the changes to my theology that would come with it, if God would use someone or something to demonstrate that the allegorical approach is the authentic approach to hermeneutics.

I have had to wrestle long and hard with the possibility that Jesus may have ascribed allegorical meaning to this verse in John 7:38, ". . . As the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." John makes it very clear in the following verse that Jesus was speaking of those who would receive the Spirit, and the flowing, living waters are the fruit of the Spirit evidenced in the lives of believers. If this statement hearkens back to Zechariah 14:8, then the interpretation of the verse is not that there will be an actual flowing river, but that God's blessing will bring spiritual renewal to the earth, and may have been partially fulfilled as the Gospel spread from" Jerusalem" to "Judea", to "Samaria", and "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

When all of the evidence is considered, however, I believe that Zechariah 14:8, as well as the rest of the chapter, is predicting a literal, physical fulfillment, and that John 7:38 does not significantly affect our understanding of Zechariah 14:8.

Having sufficiently introduced the text, let us now turn our attention to the verse itself:

"And in that day it shall be

That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem,

Half of them toward the eastern sea

And half of them toward the western sea;

In both summer and winter it shall occur." (Zechariah 14:8 NKJV)

I. The obvious sense of the verse cannot be set aside.

As was stated above in a different order, the context, the actual wording, and a comparison of the wording of this verse all lead the reader to the conclusion that the prophet anticipates a literal fulfillment of this verse.

A. The context of the verse indicates physical events happening prior to the establishment of the millennial reign.

These physical events will be listed in rapid order, without much explanation at this time. In no way is this list intended to be exhaustive, but simply to make the point that many specific references are given, which indicate that will be fulfilled literally.

1. A specific time.

"In that day" (v. 8), which hearkens back to the reference in v. 1 to "the day of the LORD." This is a day that is uniquely His. God is always sovereign and continually reigns over the affairs of men. However, there is a day coming that will be unlike any other day the world has ever seen, in which God will display His awesome power in overthrowing the "prince of this world" and his world system. Some of the events that will take place on that day are described in our present chapter (Zechariah 14).

2. A specific enemy.

The LORD will gather "all the nations" of the earth (v. 2) and will ultimately destroy them. The reference to "all the nations" prevents us from interpreting this passage as having been fulfilled in history. When Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70, for instance, the Romans acted unilaterally. That event was not a fulfillment of Zechariah 14.

3. A specific place.

God will gather the nations to fight "against Jerusalem"--an actual, identifiable place.

4. Specific devastation.

"Your spoil will be divided in your midst . . .

The city will be taken . . .

The houses rifled . . .

The women ravished . . .

Half of the city shall go into captivity " (vv. 1 and 2)

Each of the above events can easily be envisioned as taking place in actual warfare. Not all of them lend themselves to easy spiritualization.

5. Specific wonders.

Unlike the preceding elements in this passage, the events described in this section are more difficult for us to imagine because they describe Almighty God demonstrating His power on earth. However, it should be noted that the author still takes pains to give specifics about what will be taking place.

a. The Mount of Olives will split into halves.

b. There will be a day like no other.

There are many other specifics I could identify in this chapter, but for the sake of brevity I will not do so. The point that I am attempting to make is that each of these details can easily be understood as describing actual events that will happen in the physical world one day. Granted, attempts are made to explain them by other means, but the normal understanding of these verses anticipates a literal fulfillment.

The context is only the first argument for the fact that Zechariah 14:8 should be interpreted literally. Secondly, the words themselves argue in favor of a literal fulfillment.

B. The words of the verse are best understood as referring to an actual river.

Two words are used to describe this river: "living" and "waters". We will consider "waters" first.

1. "Waters"

The word "waters" (mayim) refers to that of which you normally think when you hear the word "water." It refers to the nourishing, reviving, life-giving, cleansing liquid that is commonly known to flow in rivers, rest in lakes, and fall from clouds. In the interest of fairness, I should point out that the word can be used figuratively, but the ways in which it can so be used do not have a bearing on this passage (cf. Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old Testament Words, 283). In other words, there is nothing arresting about the word "waters" that would lead us to think that the verse might be talking about something other than a physical river.

We will find the same thing about the word "living", but that will require a bit more explanation.

2. "Living"

The Hebrew word (hay) behind the English word "living" has at its root the idea of being alive. For this reason nearly every translation preserves the word "living" in our verse. However, in other contexts the word is translated differently, and focusing on the aspect of life is not the best means of understanding the word when it is used in connection with water. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon defines the word in this manner: "of water, flowing, fresh" (312). Vine's agrees with that definition and adds this: "Applied to liquids, hay means 'running'; it is used metaphorically describing something that moves. . . . The emphasis is not on the fact that the water flows but on its freshness; it is not stagnant, and therefore is refreshing and pleasant when consumed" (139).

Disclaimer: It is true that the word is occasionally used in a figurative manner in the O.T., but those instances are well-marked. The most significant passages to this discussion will be listed in the following point.

Since the word "waters" indicates water as we commonly know it, and the word "living" is best understood as referring to fresh and flowing water, we may conclude that the normal understanding of the words "living waters" indicates that an actual physical river is in view. Both the context of the verse and the words of the verse lead us to conclude that a literal fulfillment is in view. The same is true when we compare both the words and the idea with other texts in Scripture.

C. A comparison with other passages supports the idea that an actual river is in view.

1. Unless otherwise indicated, "hay" refers to flowing waters.

Genesis 26:19 records the first occurrence of "hay" when it says, "Also Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found a well of RUNNING water there." Obviously the intent of the passage is that Isaac's servants found literal, physical water. The same is true of several reference to "hay" in Leviticus 14 and Numbers 19:17, where running water is incorporated into the ceremonial worship of the Israelites. Leviticus 14:50 reads, "Then he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over RUNNING water".

The word, then, normally refers to physical water. However, we should notice that there are exceptions:

2. Context clarifies when flowing waters are used as a comparison to communicate a concept.

Two examples come to mind, as they are theological in nature:

Jeremiah 2:13--"For My people have committed two evils;

They have forsaken Me the fountain of LIVING waters,

And hewn them out cisterns--broken cisterns, that can hold no water."

Jeremiah 17:13--"O LORD, the hope of Israel,

All who forsake You shall be ashamed.

Those who depart from Me

Shall be written in the earth,

Because they have forsaken the LORD,

The fountain of LIVING waters."

Though these two verses identify God as living waters, they are different from our verse in Zechariah because the normal understanding of these verses does not take them literally. God is not saying that He is actually a fountain any more than He is saying that the people have sinned against Him by constructing cisterns to catch the rain water. What He is saying is that the people have deserted Him and all the blessings He offered, for a wretched, stagnant life of self-service. There is no such figurative language apparent in Zechariah 14:8, leading us to conclude that the passage should be taken literally.

Not only do the words of Zechariah 14:8 occur in other Old Testament passages, but:

3. The concept of a millennial river is found elsewhere.

See Ezekiel 47:1-12. We obviously do not have the time or space to consider this passage in its entirety, but did we have that luxury, we would see that the passage is describing a river--very similar to the one in Zechariah, but from a different perspective--which flows from Jerusalem, originating under the Temple, which grows deeper and wider as it moves downstream. This river revitalizes the Dead Sea so that fish will once again abound in its waters, and rejuvenates the land so that lush foliage grows along its banks. As with the context of Zechariah 14, there are many specifics given concerning this verse that are easy to interpret literally, but require a mental stretch to interpret otherwise.

[Cf also Revelation 22:1-5, which is referring to a similar river in the New Jerusalem on the New Earth.]

In light of everything that I can discover concerning the Old Testament passage, I believe that obvious sense of the verse is that there will be a literal river in the Millennial Reign. I do not think that the obvious sense can be set aside without a compelling argument from the New Testament. In addition, I do not believe that Jesus intended to make such an argument with His statement in John 7:38. The verse was quoted above, but let's take a look at it again in its broader context:

"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

'He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'

But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39)

II. Jesus' statement does not significantly alter our understanding of Zechariah 14:8.

Let's begin by considering Jesus' statement in the broad context of His ministry. As we look at the events of His life, especially the events that were beginning to unfold at the time He made His statements, we find that:

A. Jesus anticipated a literal fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy.

Events were already under way in Jesus' life that had been predicted by Zechariah, were understood by Jesus, and were about to be literally fulfilled. For instance:

1. The people were beginning to reject their Shepherd (John 7:1; Zech. 11:8).

2. Jesus was going to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey (John 12:14, 15; Zech. 9:9).

3. Jesus was going to be sold for thirty pieces of silver, which would be cast down in the Temple, then given to a potter (Matt.26:15; 27:5-7; Zech. 11:12, 13).

4. The Shepherd would be struck, and the sheep would be scattered (Matt. 26:31; Zech. 13:7).

5. The people would pierce Jesus, and would one day mourn when they see Him (John 19:37; Zech. 12:10).

Even a quick comparison of these verses reveals that Christ knew that Zechariah was to be understood as having a literal fulfillment--at least with regard to his first advent. Certainly it is difficult to see how He could deny a literal understanding of prophecies concerning His second advent even while He was experiencing the literal fulfillment of prophecies concerning His first advent (in the same chapter in which He makes His statement the Jews are planning to kill Him). Therefore, I do not believe that Jesus was giving a key to understanding Zechariah 14:8.

In addition, there is some difficulty in determining whether or not Jesus was even referring to the idea expressed in Zechariah 14:8 when He used the words "living water." That is because:

B. Jesus was not specifically quoting any Old Testament passage.

Though Jesus uses the term "as the Scripture has said . . ." He does not use an exact quote from any Old Testament passage. The closest quote we find in our Scriptures is that of Jesus in John 4:14, where He said, "But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." But Jesus could not have been quoting Himself because of the word He chose. He said "Scripture," which is a translation the Greek word "graphē," and means "writings"--referring to the Old Testament. It is best, then, to understand that Jesus is giving the sense of Old Testament teaching rather than a specific Old Testament quote. The question arises, "Which passages are the basis for the quote?" There are several possible answers to that question. Two will be considered here:

1. Jesus could have been referring to our passage in Zechariah 14, as well as Ezekiel 37, leading the reader to conclude that the proper understanding of those passages is allegorical and that the fulfillment will be spiritual.

Certainly that is an option (otherwise we would not be having this discussion). The actual wording of His quote seems to be rather close to the wording of the aforementioned passages. However, we have considered Zechariah 14:8 in some detail, and everything about it leads us to conclude it should be taken literally. We have seen that Jesus anticipated a literal fulfillment of Zechariah. We need a compelling argument to change our conclusions. The fact that He may have been referring to the passage is not a compelling enough argument--especially when the idea of His statement may be more closely matched by other passages in the Old Testament--passages that also match up with the event during which He spoke. That leads us to the second option:

2. Jesus could have been referring to passages in Isaiah that use water as a symbol for the giving of the Spirit.

The specific verses that I have in mind are:

Isaiah 12:3--"Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation."

Isaiah 44:3--"For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,
And My blessing on your offspring".

The people to whom Jesus was speaking were aware of these verses, and understood them to predict the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In fact, this understanding of these verses contributed to the symbolic activities of the feast at which Jesus made His statement. I will elaborate on the activities in just a moment, but first let me say this: Since Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit, using water as an illustration, at a time when the people were participating in events that portrayed the pouring out of the Holy Spirit like water, using the verses in Isaiah as a basis for their ceremony, then it makes sense that Jesus would be referring to these passages when He said, “as the Scripture has said.”

Now for a brief consideration of the feast, after which we will conclude.

C. Jesus was speaking in the context of a symbolic event (the Feast of Tabernacles).

John identifies the context of Jesus’ statement this way: "On the last day, that great day of the feast.” The feast of which he is speaking is the Feast of Tabernacles. The primary means by which the people participated in this event was by building booths and living in them for one week. In so doing, they remembered how God had kept them safe and provided for them during their wilderness wanderings. This resulted in thankfulness to God for the provisions He continued to provide. However, the feast did not only look backwards. Being the last feast on the Jewish calendar, the Feast of Tabernacles also looked forward to the time when God would permanently tabernacle with His people. As a result of looking forward in this manner, coupled with their understanding of the verses we have considered from Isaiah, the people included in their observance of the feast a daily ritual in which the priests would fill a golden pitcher with water from the pool of Siloam. The water would then be carried in procession with trumpet blasts and the singing of psalms through the streets to the Temple, where the water would be poured on the altar as an offering, and also as a symbol of the anticipated coming of the Holy Spirit. It was in this context that Jesus cried out, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” In so doing, He offered to them the Spirit they had been awaiting. Tragically, the majority of them rejected both their Savior and the Spirit.

In light of everything we have studied, I am convinced that though Jesus’ statement conveys a wonderful invitation, and even a description of what the Spirit will do through believers (though we did not really even begin to consider the significance of what He was offering, as that was not the point of this study), it is not intended to shed new light on Zechariah 14:8. I believe that the verse should be understood as referring to a physical river that will flow during the millennial reign. Further, I will continue to interpret not only the verse, but the entire chapter, and all of the book of Zechariah in a normative manner unless I can be convinced from the Scriptures that I am wrong.

Is My Worship Authentic?

One of the benefits of a revolution of any kind is that it highlights the faults of the entity against which it is revolting. The revolution may not head in the right direction, and in fact it may end up farther from the mark than was whatever preceded it, but in the process people are given the chance to evaluate the merits and faults of both sides. The same is true of the Emerging Church. The Emerging Church is a revolution against the status quo of Christianity. It recognizes some of the faults that are associated with traditional forms of worship and seeks to become more authentic in style and more relevant to culture than is the Church at large. I am very new to the discussion about the Emerging Church, but I already do not like what I see in it as to its direction and focus. Even so, I can be thankful that the movement questions the authenticity of my worship and the effectiveness of my evangelism--even as I evaluate it. D. A. Carson brought the matter into focus for me this way:

"We might wonder whether corporate worship is any more 'authentic' just because there are candles or centers for journaling. Certainly we must try to think through such matters fairly. But which of us can safely deny that a fair proportion of what goes on in many traditional evangelical churches--whether corporate worship, small-group Bible studies, and even prayer times--feels disturbingly inauthentic at times?
"You know the kind of inauthenticity I have in mind. We may go through meeting after meeting, and all of it is reassuringly familiar, but we do not come out saying, in effect, 'Surely we have met with the living God!' We start attending meetings because it is a habit, or because it is the right thing to do, or because we know that the means of grace are important, but not out of a heart-hunger to be with God's people and to be fed from God's Word. Sermons are filled with mere clichés. There is little intensity in confession, little joy in absolution, little delight in the gospel, little urgency in evangelism, little sense of privilege and gratitude in witness, little passion for the truth, little compassion for others, little humility in our evaluations, little love in our dealings with others. To expose such inauthenticity is a good thing; to hunger for authenticity in all our existence, not least our walk with God and with other Christians, is also a good thing."

--Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church, 49-50.

Preliminary Thoughts on a Christian Response to Illegal Immigration, Part 1

Introduction: I had a window of opportunity this week because of a special speaker who was going to teach the adult Sunday school class, so I decided to pursue a topic on which I have been meaning to write. It is my intention, from time to time, to address issues for which I must reach conclusions. (That way caring friends can identify my heresy before it gets out of hand.) The topic for today is that of illegal immigrants, and how Christians should view them. This is the first of what I hope will be a three part series, and should be the least controversial of the three.

Proposition: We ought to care for illegal immigrants because God is concerned for their souls.

This thought is more weighty than we may initially think. Let's look at it one more time: God, who is the almighty, all-knowing, eternal, everywhere-present Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign is concerned, to the extent that he radically intervened on their behalf through the life, death, and raising to life of His own unique and “beloved Son, in whom [He is] well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Specifically, He is concerned for their souls because the souls of men are eternal, and continue to exist—either in a place of eternal bliss in the presence of God, or eternal torment under the wrath of God—after the body becomes worn out and is laid to permanent rest in the ground.

Proof of God's concern for every individual is basic to the knowledge of most believers, and is clearly laid out in Scripture. Three aspects of that loving concern will be considered here. The first speaks of God’s desire to save anyone.

Aspect #1: God's saving love is universal.

Perhaps no verse in all the Bible is as well known as John 3:16, which states, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Maybe the simple fact that this verse is so well known partly demonstrates God's love because it contains the essence of the saving gospel (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3 and 4), which people must believe in order to be saved from the condemnation under which they already live (John 3:18). More than that, however, what an amazing kind of love this is! God was willing to give His own Son to suffer unimaginable physical pain as He was cruelly beaten until He was unrecognizable, after which He was savagely killed in the most gruesome manner that could be conceived. God was willing to suffer the infinite pain that both Father and Son experienced when He had to turn His back on His Son, Who, though sinless Himself, was bearing the sins of all people—a requirement for buying their salvation. What father would stand still and allow his son to endure such suffering? What father would turn his back on his son at the time of greatest need? Only a Father who knew the future, and was aware of “the joy that was set before” His Son when He succeeded in completing the trial (Hebrews 12:2). Only God, Who loved the world, and desired that everyone would have the opportunity to enjoy eternal life.

This incredible demonstration of love, this unthinkable sacrifice, was not reserved for any person, or any kind of person, but is freely offered to anyone who will believe. In fact, Jesus instructed His followers to bring the message of salvation to everyone (Matthew 28:19, 20) in all the world (Acts 1:8). We, who are Christians, however, misunderstand God's love and disobey His clear command. We somehow think that it is enough for us to realize that God loved us, and then we refuse to tell others about His love. We make excuses concerning the fact that they do not look like us, act like us, or sound like us, which brings us to the second aspect of God's loving concern for all. God desires to save anyone, regardless of his or her category.

Aspect #2: God's saving love is non-discriminatory.

The gospel is a great equalizer. This can clearly be seen in Galatians 3:28, which states, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Just as in the twenty-first century, first-century culture had its share of discrimination. Jews thought themselves to be better than everyone who was not a Jew. Slaves were thought to be less than human. Women were thought to be inferior to men. However, the arrival of the gospel changed all that. All who have believed in Christ for salvation are children of God. As such, they are equals before God, and God loves them equally. God loves men in the same way in which He loves women. He loves one ethnic group as much as He loves another. He values a slave as much as He values a master. People are people, regardless of their kind, and it would be wrong to withhold the saving message of the gospel from anyone. [Note: This should not be mistaken to think that God equips everyone equally for any responsibility once salvation happens. Different responsibilities were given to slaves than were given to their masters. Different roles were assigned to men than were assigned to women. However, God places the same value on all individuals—Christ died for all, and all may be equally saved.]

An argument could be made concerning illegal immigrants that it is not just their ethnicity that sets them apart. They are in this country illegally, and as such they are violating the law. Granted, their illegal status must be considered, (and will be considered in a Part II at some point), but the third aspect of God's loving concern reveals His desire to save anyone, regardless of their type of sin.

Aspect #3: God's saving love is unconditional.

Sometimes it seems as though believers look down on illegal immigrants as though they are the scum of the earth because of the fact that they are living in the United States of America illegally. That should not be. While it is true that they are sinning in that they are breaking the law, the fact remains that everyone is a sinner, and the gospel is powerful enough to rescue people from any sin. Notice how Paul addresses the topic of “vile” sins in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” If we were to stop reading there at the end of verse 10 things would look bleak for people who have engaged in such sins. However, the passage does not stop. Verse 11 shows the power of God's redeeming work in people's lives when it says, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” As we look at this list, we would find many of the sins much more repulsive than living in this country illegally, yet to God, one sin is the same as another (did you notice the sin of covetousness in the list?). God forgives any sin for anyone who trusts Him for salvation. The sins from which you and I were saved are no more sanitary than illegally living in a foreign country, or theft, or any other sin on the list. Neither should any sin disqualify anyone from hearing the gospel.

Well, my window of opportunity is now closed. I feel that I have rushed this first part, but the fact of the matter remains clear to me that God loves everyone, Jesus died for everyone, and everyone must hear the gospel. In part two (whenever the next window of opportunity opens) I will consider the believer’s responsibility toward illegal immigrants with regard to the U.S. government.

God So Loved the World

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Concerning this profound verse F. F. Bruce writes, "If there is one sentence more than another which sums up the message of the Fourth Gospel, it is this. The love of God is limitless; it embraces all mankind. No sacrifice was too great to bring its unmeasured intensity home to men and women: the best that God had to give, he gave--his only Son, his well-beloved. Nor was it for one nation or group that he was given: he was given so that all, without distinction or exception, who repose their faith on him . . . might be rescued from destruction and blessed with the life that is life indeed. The gospel of salvation and life has its source in the love of God. The essence of the saving message is made unmistakably plain, in language which people of all races, cultures and times can grasp, and so effectively is it set forth in these words that many more, probably, have found the way of life through them than through any other biblical text" (The Gospel & Epistles of John, pp. 89, 90).

Thank You, God, for Your limitless and incomprehensible love! Thank You for communicating that love to us. We were hopeless and helpless apart from Your radical intervention, but You did not leave us without a Savior. For that, we praise You now in faith and look forward to eternity wherein we may praise You in sight.

Read Any Good Books Lately?

I was at Northland this weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed browsing the shelves of the book store. With all of the good books that I was reading while I was a student, I cannot say that I appreciated what was available in the campus store. However, now that I am away, I do not commonly run across even a few dozen books that all catch my eye simultaneously, as happened at Northland, so it was a rare treat. After some time, I finally picked up two books: one of them (John, Acts from the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary) was recently recommended to me. The other one (To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson) was one that I have been wanting to get for some time.

In the process of browsing, I spent a little bit of time perusing a section that I have largely overlooked in the past--that of cross-cultural ministry and church planting. Because I am largely unfamiliar with books of this nature, but now desire to read some of them in preparation for planting a church in Green Bay, I was wondering if I could get some help from any of you who are more familiar with them. What are some of the best cross-cultural and church planting books you have read? I would appreciate your feedback (even if you do not read this post for several months, or if you should happen to read another good book in the future and should also happen to think of me).

How Do You Gage the Condition of a Church?

"The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged (sic) by its prayer meetings. So is the prayer meeting a grace-ometer, and from it we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God be near a church, it must pray. And if he be not there, one of the first tokens of his absence will be a slothfulness in prayer."--C. H. Spurgeon (Tom Carter, comp., Spurgeon at His Best. p. 155)

"If We Call Upon the Lord . . ."

"If we call upon the Lord, he has promised in his Word to answer, to bring the unsaved to himself, to pour out his Spirit among us. If we don't call upon the Lord, he has promised nothing--nothing at all. It's as simple as that. No matter what I preach or what we claim to believe in our heads, the future will depend upon our times of prayer" (Jim Cymbala. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. p. 27).

Thanks For the Reminder

I regularly read "Sharper Iron" as a means of staying current with what is going on in fundamentalism. I enjoy the exchange of ideas that takes place on that blog/forum, but I particularly appreciate postings that challenge me to be more Christlike. Today's piece was one of the latter. The majority of the article focuses on challenges to modern Christians, and acknowledges that the challenges will tend to increase in the near future. Nothing new there. However, Jeff Brown does not leave us bemoaning how bad things are getting, nor does he imply that we can overcome (or even survive) the world through our own means. Instead, he points us to our God--our source of comfort and our only hope. Jeff's solution in the article is good for not only surviving the world, which was his point, but in my opinion is also how we will overcome the world.

I recommend reading his article. I know that I will do so again several times.

http://www.sharperiron.org/2008/02/06/what-it-takes-to-survive-in-a-fierce-world/#more-2371

My thanks go to Jeff (who I am sure will never read this blog), but more importantly, they go to the Spirit Who prompts individuals to write and say things that will edify other members of the Body.

The Work To Which I Am Called

"As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."--Acts 13:2

In the weeks leading up to Missions Conference at my church last October, I began listening to messages online that would prepare my heart for what God might do either in my life or in my church during the conference. In the process, God began convicting me of areas in my life that needed to change, if I was going to fulfill His will for my life. However, all of my thoughts were in the context of what I should change while remaining in Marinette, WI.

When Adam and Heather Brandt presented their call to work with international people in Boston, MA, during the conference, I found myself asking, "Why am I not doing what they are doing?" Now, I should point out that this was by no means the first time that I had asked a similar question at Missions Conferences, but through prayer I had always been convinced that God wanted me to remain in Marinette. Sometimes the answer had come as God obviously closed the door to whatever opportunity I was considering, while at other times He simply gave me assurance that I was to remain where I was. This time around, however, the question did not go away.

A week later, when the next couple was presenting their call to Korea, the lady mentioned that she had not at first been open to going to the country where her husband was called. Immediately I thought of a burden that I had held for some time for Spanish-speaking people in Green Bay, WI. To my knowledge, there are no conservative, gospel-preaching churches of any stripe reaching out to them, though they now make up almost one tenth of the population of Green Bay. In addition, though I am aware of a solid church in the NW corner of Green Bay, clear Bible preaching is sadly lacking throughout much of the rest of the city, which is growing to the east. I wondered what Emily would say if I mentioned my burden to her in connection with the lady's testimony, because I knew that her burden (as it related to non-English speaking people) had always been for the French. In the end, I decided that it did not matter what Emily would think until I determined whether God was in the process of changing this burden to a call, or whether He would once again show me that I was to continue ministering in any way I could at Twin City Baptist Church.

In the succeeding days I spent significant time in prayer concerning the matter. I would pray as often as I thought of it throughout the day, and spent my lunch breaks alone with my Bible. I wanted to be careful that I did not make a rash, emotional decision in the excitement of the conference, so I attempted to think of every reason why God might not be leading me to do it. Against each argument that I presented, there quickly arose a verse of Scripture that contradicted what I was saying. At the same time, thoughts in favor of going to Green Bay were quickly confirmed by passages of Scripture that are well-known in the context of missions. Perhaps the most significant text that God used in my heart was Matthew 9:36a, "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them . . ."

Just before I finally decided that I must obey what I believed God was calling me to do, Emily asked what I had been doing on my lunch breaks. (Normally, I call her every day, but I had not been doing that during this time of prayer.) Though I did not give her specifics, I admitted that God had been working in my heart that week. She quickly realized that since Missions Conference was going on at the time, God must be working in my heart regarding missions. Fear shot through her as she imagined that I was going to be called to Africa, where we would live in a grass hut, with a mud floor, surrounded by bugs and snakes. However, God quickly used His Word to comfort her heart. One of the verses that came to mind was Joshua 1:9, which says, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." In a sense, Emily was called at the same time I was, simply in the fact that she is my wife. In another sense, though, God gave Emily a special call in that He assured her through His Word that He would give us the strength to do whatever He was calling us to do. Having already worked through the issue in her own heart, she was still relieved to hear that I was called to go to Green Bay--not Africa.

Since the time that God called us, He has confirmed that call over and over again through our devotions, messages that we have heard, and books that we have read. We are excited to follow through on what God has for us. If everything goes according to our plans, we will move to Green Bay in the summer of 2010, and will spend the time between then and now learning and growing as I serve on the deacon board of TCBC.

Counseling Quote

"I have found that about 90 percent of the time, the problems people describe to me are not their real problems. Therefore the challenge in all preaching and counseling is to get to the bottom-line spiritual issue"--Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, p. 127.

I believe that this is an important concept to keep in mind--both when we are attempting to help others, and when we are seeking help for ourselves. People always seek the easiest way to feel better. If they can appease their guilty consciences by meeting with someone to talk about a respectable sin (rather than the real sin) they will do it.