Christianity

DISCLAIMER: I am not advocating for either candidate. How you vote is strictly your privilege as an American and I do not desire to try to influence anyone in any direction. But as one who loves the Lord and hates it when I hear someone say “Jesus Christ” as a swear word, I can’t stop from speaking out. I want to tell them “Please don’t do that. There are plenty of cuss words you can use but don’t invoke my Savior’s name like that.” So it has bothered me all weekend as the name of Jesus has been used, I think, for political purposes and I have to air my pain and, yes, even anger. If as you read this, I offend you, I am sorry.

Growing up in church, I learned the Ten Commandments early in life. One of them said (in the King James language) “thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.”

To me that meant I should not swear or use God’s name as a cuss word. No “God dam” or “Jesus Christ.”

While I still believe the commandment includes that, I realize today there is many ways we can take the name of the Lord in vain. Sadly, I have seen it done more and more in our highly divided political situation.

At a recent political rally some young people tried to interrupt the speaker by yelling “Jesus is Lord.” When the speaker moved on and rejected their calls, immediately the speaker was accused of being against Jesus.

When we say “Jesus is Lord” our motive should be one of praising Jesus and trying to bring glory to His name. It should never be to cause confusion or division. You would not go into a Hindu temple or a Jewish synagogue and cry that. You would understand they would not agree with you, and you would only cause a problem for everyone. It would not bring glory to Jesus.

So, in a crowd where someone is trying to speak on political issues it is not the place to interrupt with what is not really a praise to Jesus, but rather a disruptive tactic.

Jesus is Lord and should be praised, but his name should never be used as a political tool.

When we call ourselves “Christian” we are also taking on the name of the Lord. We are saying we are part of Jesus’ family. If our actions do not reflect the goodness of God, we are taking his name in vain.

As a young girl sometimes when my siblings and I would go to an event, my father would say, “Don’t do anything that would discredit the family name.” He was teasing us as he did not think we would do that, but still, it did make us stop and think about our actions.

My prayer is that I will live in a way that I never bring discredit to the family name of Jesus Christ. And I pray that we will not allow his name to be used for political gain.

We have examined the furnishings of the Holy Place. Now we look at the Most Holy Place.

The Most Holy Place was small, just 15 by 15 feet. There was a veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. This veil was woven from fine linen and made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn. Moses was instructed to have skilled craftsmen embroider figures of cherubim in the veil.

We first read about cherubim in Genesis where they were placed to guard the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve were evicted because of their disobedience. Ezekiel also mentions them in a vision. The creatures he describes are strange with four faces and attached wheels full of eyes. Could these be real creatures or only symbols? Some Bible scholars proposed that these were symbols showing God as all-wise, all-knowing, all-seeing. The fact that the wheels moved forward without turning express God’s righteousness and truth – he is faithful, never changing. However, we see similar creatures in Revelation that appear to be real beings that stand before the throne of God and worship him day and night.

Like the cherubim guarding the Garden of Eden, the cherubim in the veil appeared to be saying “You can come this far, but no further.”

Behind the veil was the Art of the Covenant. This was a box made from acacia wood 45 inches long, 27 inches wide and 27 inches high. Overlaid with gold, it was fitted with two pairs of gold rings with permanent poles inserted. When the Israelites moved, the poles were used for the priests to carry the ark. No one was to touch the ark because God had said His presence would dwell over the ark. (Exodus 25:22)

There has been much speculation through the years since the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, first by the Babylonians in 586 BC and later the Romans in 70 AD as to what happened the ark. Hollywood a few years ago made a movie called “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Totally nonsense.

The ark contained the two tablets of the Law that God had given Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 25:16), Aaron’s rod that had budded (Numbers 17) and a jar of manna (Exodus 16). The Law stood for the covenant between God and the Israelites. The rod reminded the Israelites of the danger of rebellion against God. The jar of manna reminded them of God’s providence for them.

They were to make a cover for the ark of pure gold the same width and length as the ark. On that cover were a pair of cherubim. While no one knows exactly what the ark looked like, from the description in the Bible, artists have tried to imagine it.

The cover of the ark had two cherubim facing each other with their wings extended over the cover. The space between them was called the mercy seat. God said He would meet with them over the mercy seat.

The Hebrew word for this mercy seat is kapporeth. This word speaks of a sacrifice that reconciles and leads to peacemaking. Under the Law, the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place only once a year where he made a sacrifice for the sins of the entire nation. Today, this special day is celebrated by the Jewish community. It is called “Yom Kippur” (Day of Atonement). This is the holiest day of the year in Judaism and is celebrated by making thing right (atonement) and repentance.

Think of the separation between God and the average person. Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and he could do so only one day a year. What a dilemma God told them to build a tabernacle because He wanted to dwell among them. Yet, because of man’s sinfulness and God’s holiness, they were limited in their relationship with Him.

What to do?

Enter Jesus. On His death, Matthew’s Gospel tells us the veil was torn in two. The way to God is now open for everyone.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.” Hebrews 10:19-20,

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice, he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Hebrews 10:11-14

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-

I am so thankful for what Jesus did for me. To know that I can enter confidently into His presence. To know I need no person to intercede to God for me. Jesus has opened the door and said, “Barbara, come on in. You are welcome!”

The door is open for everyone. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whosoever believes should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

In the Holy Place there were three pieces of furniture. Last week I looked at the golden lampstand.

/https://barblaneblog.com/2024/09/08/let-your-light-shine/

Today let’s take a look at the golden table of shewbread. Made of acacia wood and covered with gold, it was 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. There was a gold molding around the edges and four gold rings to hold poles that were used to carry the table when the Israelites moved from place to place.

The Table of Shewbread is called in Hebrew “lechem panim” or Bread of Face or Bread of Presence. The bread was set in the Tabernacle before the face or presence of God. The table was to hold twelve loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The bread was to be replaced every Sabbath and only the priests could eat the bread.

As the priests ate the bread, I think of our own homes as we gather around the table to share a meal. We do not just sit and eat, but we share with one another how our day has been, the latest political or sports news, our plans for the week, things that are of interest to us. Eating a meal together is part of most of our gathering with others – weddings, funerals, holidays all include a time of sharing food together.

With the table of shewbread and the priests sharing this bread every Sabbath, I think we can see it pointing to how God desires a time of fellowship with us also.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9

The bread was to be made of the finest flour. In order to make flour the grain had to be ground, crushed and sifted. This also points to the life of Jesus here on earth as he faced temptation by Satan, betrayal by his own disciples and finally a cruel death on a Roman cross.

Tradition says the bread was to be unleavened. Since all the other grain offerings in the Mosaic law were to be without leaven, it seems likely this bread would also be the same. Leaven in the Bible has many different meanings. One meaning, however, points to how a small amount of leaven in a pan of dough causes the whole dough to raise, so allowing a “little” sin in our lives can soon destroy our relationship with God.

“Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:15

Finally, I think it certainly points to Jesus who said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

We can celebrate this gift of life from Jesus and the fellowship with Him in many different ways. But one main way we do this is though communion. Depending on what church you attend, you may believe that the bread actually becomes the flesh of Jesus. Or, you may believe it is a symbol of his body, but not actually his flesh.

Regardless of how you view it, through partaking of the bread in communion we acknowledge the importance of receiving the forgiveness from Jesus made through his sacrifice on the cross.

I’m sure many of you have heard the story behind this song “It Is Well.” But if you have not, here it is. It is an inspiring testimony of how God is present in the middle of our tragedies. That does not mean a Christian feels no pain, heartache, sorrow. Rather it proclaims that God is present with us and gives us the courage and strength we need to face the problems life sometimes brings us.

This song has been a great encouragement to me at different times in my life. If you are struggling with a problem, I hope it will also encourage you to look to God for the strength you need.

The writer of the hymn, Horatio Spafford, was a successful lawyer and real estate investor in Chicago. Along with his wife, Anna, and their five children they were active in service to their church and their community in Chicago. In 1871 their young son died of scarlet fever and the great Chicago fire destroyed their real estate properties living them in difficult financial circumstances.

Two years later, in 1873, the family planned a trip to Europe. When business required his presence in Chicago, he sent his wife and four daughters on to Europe. On the trip, the ship was struck by another ship and it sank. His wife was rescued, but all four daughters were lost.

Spafford booked a ship to Europe to join his wife. As the ship neared the place where his daughters had been drowned, he wrote the words of this song.

“If you had gone to Buddha and asked him: ‘Are you the son of Brahma?’ he would have said, ‘My son, you are still in the vale of illusion.’ If you had gone to Socrates and asked, ‘Are you Zeus?’ he would have laughed at you. If you had gone to Mohammed and asked, ‘Are you Allah?’ he would first have rent his clothes and then cut your head off. If you had asked Confucius, ‘Are you Heaven?’ I think he would have probably replied, ‘Remarks which are not in accordance with nature are in bad taste.’ The idea of a great moral teacher saying what Christ said is out of the question. In my opinion, the only person who can say that sort of thing is either God or a complete lunatic….We may note in passing that He was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met Him. He produced mainly three effects—Hatred—Terror—Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.” C.S. Lewis

Last week I posted a recommendation for a book called “Cold-Case Christianity.” The author, a former atheist, is a homicide detective. His book is based on an investigation of the claims of the Gospel. The number one claim of the Gospels, and the basis of the Christian faith, is that Jesus died, was buried and rose again. If the resurrection is not true, Christianity loses its very foundation and is worthless.

C.S. Lewis expresses the importance of establishing whether it is true or false. “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance, the only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”

So – let’s look at the empty tomb. If the body of Jesus was still in the tomb, all the religious leaders had to do to shut up the disciples was parade the dead body of Jesus through Jerusalem and that would have been the end of their claims.

Clearly – the tomb was empty. What happened to the body of Jesus? Either there is an explanation of someone or some group taking the body – or a supernatural event took place. A miracle!

Some have suggested that Jesus did not really die on the cross, but after being placed in the tomb he recovered and appeared to His disciples. Let’s look at why this is hardly believable.

Roman soldiers were trained to kill by crucifixion. Their lives would have been in jeopardy if they allowed a criminal to live and escape. They were used to seeing dead bodies on the cross and would have surely known if Jesus was still alive.

When anyone finds a loved one dead, they immediately look for signs of life. (I know this from personal experience. It is hard to believe they are dead. You look for any sign that they are still alive.) Are they still breathing? Do they respond to me when I call their name or touch them? It would be hard to see where his disciples could take his body down from the cross, wrap it in burial clothes, carry it to the tomb and not notice any signs of life. From the beating he received to the crucifixion itself, if he were still alive he would surely have groaned from pain as they moved him. If he showed any signs of life, they would have quickly taken him somewhere to try to save him, not bury him in a tomb and leave him there to die.

The religious leaders who wanted him dead obviously believed he was. They demanded the Roman governor seal the tomb and place an armed guard on it so the disciples could not steal the body. If he had shown any signs of life, they would have demanded the job be finished and he be killed.

From what we read of Jesus it does not appear that he was some “super man.” How could a man who was brutally beaten, then nailed to a cross, had his side stuck with a sword be strong enough (if he were still alive) to roll back the stone on the tomb which probably weighted hundreds of pounds.

Even if he was able to do this impossible task, he would not have appeared to his disciples as a conquering victor over death, but a weak and broken man who would need to be nursed back to health.

Finally if he survived the crucifixion, where did he go? He disappeared after forty days never to be seen again by his followers.

A reasonable conclusion would be that Jesus was truly dead when He was buried in the tomb.

Later this week I will take a look at some of the other explanations given for the resurrection story of the Gospels.

My pastor spoke today on the importance of prayer. Prayer that is not a duty, something we need to do to be a good Christian. But rather prayer that is real communication between us and God. She is calling our church family to prayer.

This reminded me of a post I made some time ago on the importance of prayer. While I quoted several on this subject, I found a quote this week to add to the list.

“You can have revival without singing. You can have revival without preaching. But you can never have revival without prayer.” Dr. Wesley Duewel.

Let us never forget that the greatest thing we can do for God or for man is to pray.
“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that – it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.” – Charles Spurgeon
Prayer is partnership with God’s activities on earth…Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The greatest need is prayer. Without increasing the number of Christian workers or their financial support, we could see multiplied results if we would only multiply prayer…Wesley Duwell
One way of laying down our lives is by praying for somebody. In prayer I am saying “my life for yours.” My time, my energy, my thought, my concern, my faith—here they are, for you…Elizabeth Elliott
Praying takes personal time, energy and determination. No other personal commitment has been so hard to carry out.
Prayer is asking God to align you with His will rather than asking Him to be aligned with yours.
Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed…E.M. Bounds
“True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in cases of emergency. Make it a habit, and when the need arises you will be in practice.” – Billy Graham
I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day….Abraham Lincoln

Our nation needs a real revival. Not a series of meetings where we sing and hear preaching and then go back to life as normal. But a stirring of the hearts of people that causes us to change and become more like Jesus. A stirring that leads us to truly love our enemies. A revival in our hearts like Isaiah spoke of.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Will you join me in this prayer for our nation?

While reading through Genesis this year with my husband, I again questioned the story of Abraham.

Abraham is honored and recognized as an important part of three religions: Jewish, Christian and Islam.

James in the New Testament tells us he was “the friend of God.” His story is told in Hebrews 11 – the Faith Chapter – where we are told it is by faith that he left his homeland and journeyed to an unknown land. Over and over the Bible points to Abraham as an example of great faith.

Yet as I read the story of Abraham, I find a couple of times when I question “where was his faith” and ask myself “how could he do that?”

Twice in the story of Abraham we are told that he asked his wife to tell everyone she was his sister. There was some truth to that as it appears he was his half-sister.

“She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife” Genesis 20:12

But the reason he wanted her to tell people this “half-truth” was to protect himself and was therefore deceitful.

“As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, ‘I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you’”. Genesis 12:11-13

Genesis 20 tells us of a second time he asked Sarah to basically lie to protect his life. This time the ruler actually sent for Sarah and had her taken to his palace where he would make her his wife.

While protecting himself, what kind of protection was he giving Sarah? She could have been forced into having a sexual relationship with the ruler over her own objections.

In both of these situations God was merciful to Abraham and Sarah. In spite of their weakness, He miraculously protected both of them and allowed them to return to Canaan.

Clearly Abraham was not showing much faith in God’s ability to keep them safe. I wondered what Sarah felt in these situations.

As I read these stories my first reaction was “How could he be called a man of faith, a friend of God when he showed such lack of faith. How could he treat his wife this way?”

The more I thought about it, the more I realized Abraham’s story is a source of hope for me. Here is a man who had moments of doubt. A man who sometimes made wrong decisions. A man who sometimes was selfish. Yet here was a man who over all did trust God and seek to obey him.

In Abraham I see remarkable faith and incredible doubt. His story actually encourages me. Perhaps I can see myself. His story reminds me that even when I fail in my walk with God, God does not desert me. He does not cast me aside as totally worthless for His kingdom. It shows me that God uses imperfect people.

I began to think of others in the Bible who, like me, sometimes failed to live up to God’s standards, yet was still used of God.

“Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was depressed, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old, and Lazarus was dead…God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualified the Called!”….Vetus Ordo

His story reminds me no matter how long I may walk with God, how “spiritual” I am become, I am not perfect. I can make poor decisions. I can disobey. It reminds me to continually check my relationship with Jesus.

“Therefore let the one who thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12

The King James version of the Bible says “Take heed that you do not fall.” ”Take heed” means “to watch carefully, be careful, be vigilant, or be on the lookout.”

Thank you, Abraham, for encouraging me that God can and will use me in spite of my failures. Thank you for reminding me to watch carefully and be vigilant that I do not drift in my relationship with God.

More wisdom from my daily devotion book.

Salvation is not a self-help program.
What you worship is what you become
We are often so caught up in our activities that we tend to worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship.
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
Satan never fears the Christian whose Bible is covered with dust.
Religion is man searching for God; Christianity is God reaching down to man.
The greatest treasure a person can leave her children is an intimate knowledge of God.
Many people pray as if God were a big aspirin pill. They only come when they hurt.
Ministry is our love for Christ dressed in working clothes.
Some people dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them.

Eternity is too long to be wrong
Say “no” to sin and “yes” to God
Make no “appeal” for God until you “kneel” to God
God is not so much seeking those who can do everything as He is those who are willing to do anything.
Security is not the absence of danger, but the presence of God no matter what the danger.
We cannot look at the cross and still think our life is of no importance to God.
The only part of the Bible you believe is the part you obey.
Man sees your actions, but God sees your motives.
Satan never fears the Christian whose Bible is covered with dust.
Religion is man searching for God, Christianity is God reaching down to man.