After three years of ministry, Jesus purposefully began moving toward Jerusalem in order that the plan of God could be fulfilled, namely to go to the cross. To put it another way, Jesus knew that His “hour had come” (John 13:1). The hour that was planned before the foundation of the world had finally arrived for Jesus. He knew that He was about to drink the “cup” of God’s wrath poured out on Him for sinners on the cross. As Jesus moves into the Garden of Gethsemane the morning of His arrest, the Apostle John makes a marvelous statement. In John 18:4, John writes, “Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward.” John recognized that Jesus had a divine knowledge. The events that were about to happen to Jesus were not unknown to Him. Being God, Jesus knew the future. All the events that were about to happen to Him were predetermined in eternity past. Being in the eternal counsel with God, all the events that were about to happen to Him were established.

This foreknowledge of Jesus is revealed clearly in the Gospels. Matthew records for us that Jesus predicted the details of His trial, flogging, crucifixion and even resurrection. In fact, Jesus tells His disciples four times that He was going to Jerusalem and that the Son of Man would be “delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they [would] condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he [would] be raised on the third day” (Matthew 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:17-19, 26:1-2).

Open Theism
The classic theological position of God’s knowledge is that He is omniscient, that God is perfect in knowledge. The Apostle John says that God “knows all things” (1 John 3:20). Elihu said that God is the one “who is perfect in knowledge” (Job 37:16). So, this means that God knows Himself (1 Cor 2:10-11). It means that God knows everything that happens, and everything that is in existence (Heb 4:13). It also means that God knows the future, so that God can say, “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient time things not yet done” (Is 46:9-10). Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that “your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt 6:8) and even knows the number of “hairs on your head” (Matt 10:30).

One of the most dangerous heresies of our day that has been developed in the late 20th and 21st century is a doctrine known as “Open Theism” (also known as Openness Theology” or even “Free Will Theology.”). Clark Pinnock was perhaps the movement’s leading advocate in the 1990’s. In short, Open Theism argues that “God’s foreknowledge of future events is limited and that God sometimes changes his mind in the face of unforeseen circumstances brought about by his creatures. They posit that God has left the future open; even he does not know the future exhaustively, because the future has not yet happened. Therefore, there is nothing about it that can be known” (“Is Open Theism Still a Factor 10 years after ETS vote (https://www NULL.thegospelcoalition NULL.org/article/is-open-theism-still-a-factor-10-years-after-ets-vote/)”, Jeff Robinson, TGC. This is a great article.).

Open Theism can easily be refuted by simply examining what the Bible says about the true nature of God. To reject the classical position that God knows all things including all future events is a dangerous slippery slope that the evangelical Church must fight against. Open Theism undermines the sovereignty and majesty of God. The God of Open Theism is NOT the God of the Bible but a god of people’s own imagination. The theology of this false doctrine is an attempt to make God be more like man!

It should be noted that the doctrine of Open Theism makes several points that are attractive to the natural man. For example, advocates make it clear that a god who is participating in history appears to be more loving than a god who dictates history. It is easier to swallow an idea of a god who is interactive rather than determinative in this world. By being open or receptive to allowing human decisions and actions to contribute to how history unfolds, God is depicted as being more loving rather than providentially dictating history. Second, advocates of Open Theism believe that by limiting God’s knowledge, God is alleviated from being the one to blame for tragic events or even evil in the world. Again, in Open Theism, God appears more loving to humanity, because in His limited knowledge, God only reacts to evil with love and support, rather than being the one who actually causes tragic events.

Classical Orthodoxy
It is a dangerous thing to stray away from the orthodox position of the Church concerning the nature of God unless there is ample evidence in Scripture to warrant such a radical shift. As evangelicals who are committed to the Word of God, we must never formulate a view of God that is simply from our imagination or what makes us feel good.  Instead we must allow the Word of God to show us who and what God is like. The Open Theism position doesn’t stand the test of Scripture. Scripture is clear that God is sovereign and providentially in control of all things. Unlike the Deist position that believes God put the earth in motion and then set it aside to be governed by fate and chance, the orthodox position believes that “God sits in the heavens and does what He pleases” (Psalm 115:3). Divine providence assumes that God is governing with wisdom, love and care for all things in the universe. The Scripture is clear that God is sovereignly in control of the universe as a whole (Ps 103:19), the physical world (Matt 5:45), the affairs of nations (Ps 66:7), human destiny (Acts 17:24-31, Gal 1:15), human successes and failures (Luke 1:52), and the protection of His people (Ps 4:8). The Heidelberg Catechism (Question 27) clearly defines the providence of God:

“The almighty and everywhere present power of God, whereby, as it were, by his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth, with all creatures, and so governs them that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, all things come not by chance, but by his fatherly hand.”

There are many stories in Scripture that point to the providence of God being worked out in history. Joseph clearly understood that all of the bad things that happened to him were being orchestrated by God (Genesis 50:15-21). Judas Iscariot is another example of the fulfillment of God’s plan (Luke 22:22, John 17:12). It is clear that God is working “all things together for good for those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28).

Response: Guard & Glorify
What shall be our response to the fact that Jesus “knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward?” First, we must guard against allowing our hearts to gravitate to an aberrant theology that relegates God to manlike character. Be on guard and exercise extreme caution and discernment when you read books that may be popular even among so called Christians. Evil and suffering in the world are difficult questions to address, but changing our view of God is not the answer. Avoid books written by Open Theism advocates (Clark Pinnock, Richard Rice) who challenge the orthodox view of God.

Second, we must bask in the glory of our God, and the fact that He is in total control. We may not understand all of the details surrounding the providence of God and how God still allows us to make decisions in life. But we must surrender to God and allow Him to be God in the world. This is His world. And seeing what Scripture says about God should cause us to worship Him, just as Paul did at the end of Romans 11 when He wrote:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)

 

It is true that God loves the entire world. But just as every parent has an attraction and special love for their own children, Jesus also has a special love for “those whom the Father has given him.” It is apparent that the Father has given “love gifts” to His Son (Jn 17:6,11). These gifts were possessed by the Father in eternity past (Eph 1:4), but given to the Son for Him to save. Jesus has a special love for those who have “believed” in Him. In fact, He doesn’t pray for the world, but prays for believers alone. Jesus has an incredible love for His own sheep who have been called out of the world and this love is the basis for every believer’s safety in the world.

While we are left in the world, and may experience every potential harm (Acts 14:22), Jesus prays for us (John 17). The High Priestly prayer that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for His disciples (v. 6-19), and for every believer in the Church age (v. 20-26) was one of the most thrilling prayers ever prayed. And the content of that prayer is certainly the content of Christ’s prayer for us even now as He sits at the right hand of the Father “interceding for us” (Rom 8:34). We often forget that the ministry of Jesus extends beyond the atoning work that He accomplished on the cross. For sure the major earthly atoning and forgiving work of the cross was the central focus of His love toward us. But we must never forget that Jesus’ ministry continues for us in heaven as He prays for us! John 17 gives us an indication of exactly what Jesus is praying for us right now!

Prayer for Glory: We often wonder why we are not taken straight to heaven once we are saved. Jesus certainly wants us to be with Him, and that is His ultimate goal (Jn 17:24), but He specifically leaves us here knowing that “[He] is glorified in [us]” (Jn 17:10). The purpose of saving us is that we might magnify the glory of Jesus to the world. Jesus leaves us in the world with the task of telling others the truth of the Gospel (2 Cor 5:18-21). Paul said that we are to live “in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil 2:15). We are to be the light of the world set on a hill that cannot be hidden (Matt 6:14). Jesus is praying for us right now that we would glorify Him.

Prayer to be Kept: While on the earth, Jesus promised that the will of the Father who sent Him was that He would “lose nothing of all that He [had] given [him], but raise it up on the last day” (Jn 6:39). When He prayed in the garden, He prayed to the Father specifically that those whom the Father had given Him would be “kept” (Jn 17:11). While Jesus was with the disciples on the earth He “kept” them and “guarded” them so that none of them were lost, except for Judas, which was prophesied according to the Word of God (Ps 41:9, Ps 109). Currently Jesus is praying for all of us that we would be preserved in our faith. He is praying that we would not be lost. And we can be sure of this, that the Father hears His prayers and answers Him. Yes we will have tribulation in the world, but we can have assurance that we will be saved in the end because Jesus is praying for us!

Prayer for Joy: Furthermore, Jesus is praying right now that we have His “joy fulfilled in us” (Jn 17:13). This joy transcends the pains and difficulties of this life. This joy is much bigger than happiness that is tied to the circumstances of our lives. This joy is given to us by the Holy Spirit and is a supernatural gift. It is a joy that is rooted in hope! This hope looks forward to the promises that will be ours in heaven, where we will receive not only eternal life, but an eternal inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-9).

Prayer for Protection from the Evil One: Not only is our soul protected by Jesus, but Jesus is praying for us specifically that we would be protected from the evil one (17:15). The evil one is certainly Satan and his demons. When Peter was on the earth, Jesus reminded him that Satan demanded to “sift him like wheat.” But Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail (Luke 22:31-32). Satan has no authority or power of his own, but has to be granted permission to do anything. Satan is simply a pawn in the hands of the omnipotent Father who does what He is told. Satan’s number one goal is to destroy our faith. He only attacks our health, wealth, and possessions in order for us to lose faith. This was his goal with Job (Job 1-2). But we can have confidence that we will stand firm against the wiles of the devil (Eph 6:11), because Jesus is praying for us even now.

Prayer to be Sanctified: The last prayer that Jesus prayed for us in the garden was a prayer for sanctification. He prayed, “sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth” (Jn 17:17). To be sanctified means 1) to be “set apart for God as a peculiar people and for God’s service.” As the special people given to Jesus, we have been set apart and taken out from the world. To sanctify also means 2) to be made holy (Lev 19:2). So, Jesus’ prayer for us is that we would be taken out of the world and be purified, cleansed, and made to look like Jesus. Unlike justification which happens in a moment, sanctification is a life-long process. And the primary means for that sanctification is the Word of God. It is the Word of God that is able to train us for all godliness.

Remember Whose We Are
So then we are safe in this world because we are “love gifts” given to Jesus by the Father. The Father loves us as much as Jesus loves us. They have no intention of losing any of us who are true believers. Jesus gloriously finished His earthly task and currently continues with his heavenly ministry of prayer for all who are His. And those prayers of Jesus are that we be kept, protected from the evil one, and sanctified in this world. We must never forget whose we are and what Christ has promised for us. When we know that we are safe in this world, we will live more productive lives. The joy that Christ has promised us will also be experienced.

 

Once again it is time to give thanks! Americans have been celebrating this national holiday since the time of the Colonies in the 1600’s. The holiday was established by George Washington in 1789, but became a federal holiday under Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Lincoln established the holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November, stating it to be a day of “thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” It wasn’t until 1942 that the holiday was established on the fourth Thursday of the month of November. Early in our country’s establishment, our leaders recognized that thanksgiving should be offered to God in heaven from which every good blessing comes (James 1:17).

Like many of the holidays we celebrate, Thanksgiving has fallen prey to the culture and has lost much of its meaning. Thanksgiving is often celebrated only as a gathering of families, eating turkey and watching football. While these activities are certainly important and make the holiday special, we must not forget the importance of giving thanks to God above for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us, especially our salvation that comes to us through faith in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross (Eph 2:8-9). By giving thanks to God, we magnify the goodness and glory of God. King David writes in Psalm 69:30, “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.”

Be a Human Telescope
The word “magnify” can be used in two different senses. Microscopes and magnifying glasses are used to enlarge the smallest objects making them appear bigger than they really are so they can be seen properly. On the other hand, telescopes are used to magnify very large objects and bring them closer to the naked eye allowing them to appear as magnificent as they actually are. It is this second sense which the Psalmist has in mind. God is not some small object but is rather glorious and beyond magnificent. We who love God are called to help the world see the greatness of who God really is. Everything we do, whether we eat or drink should be for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), which means that our desire is to make God look as great as He truly is. We are called to be telescope Christians for the world helping them see the infinite starry wealth of the glory of God.

Giving Thanks
The Psalmist tells us explicitly that we can magnify God by simply giving thanks! When we give thanks to God from our hearts, God is magnified and glorified. The reason for this is simple: givers are more glorious than receivers. When we give thanks to God we recognize that God is the source of our blessings. Giving thanks to God recognizes that He is greater and more glorious than we are. It is certainly not natural to give thanks to God. Most people in the world do not want to give thanks to God because it detracts from their own glory. People, by sinful nature, love their own glory more than the glory of God. The root of all ingratitude toward God is the love of one’s own greatness. The natural man loves to recognize his own self-sufficiency and hates to think of himself as someone who is needy, helpless and dependent on God to provide. But the man who is truly heavenly minded will understand that everything they have is from God above, and out of humility of heart will inevitably give thanks to God.

Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
The Psalmist tells us that God prefers thanksgiving over extravagant gifts like oxen or bulls. In Bible times, an ox or a bull was an expensive gift that was often used as a sacrifice to God. But the Psalmist says that those expensive gifts are less valuable to God than simply a heart that offers genuine thanksgiving. God is not pleased and is actually insulted with such expensive gifts because it is possible that the giver thinks that they are contributing to God as though He needed something. God owns everything including every beast of the forest and every cattle on a thousand hills (Ps 50:10). What God wants most from us and what magnifies Him is recognizing that we have nothing to offer Him, but that He has everything to offer us.

This Thanksgiving begin by offering thanks for your great salvation which comes to us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as a gift. Thank God for your family, your job, your provision, and everything you can think of. In all things give thanks to our good Father in heaven and you will magnify His glory to the world.

 

The Gospel writers reveal that Jesus had continual communion with His Father in prayer. Jesus made it the habit of His life to pray early in the morning (Mark 1:35). He would often retreat to the mountain top or the wilderness and pray alone to His heavenly Father for extended times (Mark 4:46, Lk 5:16, 6:11-12). While we know that Jesus prayed often, the content of those prayers is largely unknown. We only have limited snippets of His prayers (Jn 11:41-42, Luke 22:42). Furthermore, we shouldn’t be mistaken that the prayer of Matthew 6:9-15 was a prayer that Jesus prayed. Customarily, that prayer is called “The Lord’s Prayer” but it is really the “The Disciple’s Prayer.” Jesus used it to teach His disciples how they should pray. Certainly, it’s a prayer Jesus never prayed, being that it includes asking for forgiveness of sin. While most of the prayer life of Jesus is hidden from us, we do however, have the last prayer that Jesus made to His heavenly Father recorded for us only in John 17. The prayer of John 17 should actually be known to us as the real Lord’s prayer. In this prayer, in the last hours of His life, Jesus prays intently for Himself (17:1-5), for His disciples (v. 6-19), and for believers throughout the ages (v. 20-26).

Glorifying the Father
Jesus opens His prayer by praying for Himself, and the supreme passion of His opening words to His heavenly father is all about glory. Five times Jesus mentions the word glory, and the one petition that Jesus has is simple, “Glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you” (Jn 17:1). To glorify someone means to praise them to the highest degree, or to make their glory known to the fullest. The Psalmist said that “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps 19:1), that is the heavens make God’s glory known in the universe. The heart of Jesus was to make the glory of His Father known, and He knew that the only way to do that was to go to the cross.

The cross was the plan of the Father from eternity past (Rev 13:8). Peter was clear when He preached his first sermon (Acts 2:23) that Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” So, the death of Christ on the cross was not a mistake, nor the simple outworking of bad circumstances. In fact, as Jesus entered into Passion Week (the last week of His life), He said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:23-24). The hour that had come was the hour that all of history had been moving toward. It was the hour that the Father had planned in eternity past, and the hour which Jesus agreed to accomplish. Jesus knew clearly that the plan for His Father to be glorified was for Him to go to the cross and die for sinners. This is why He had come (Mark 10:45).

The Cross Magnifies God’s Glory
Certainly, the cross of Jesus is foolishness to the world (1 Cor 1:18). They don’t understand how the shame of such a horrible death could have been planned by God. But for us who have been saved, we see the glory of God in the cross. The cross of Christ supremely puts on display God’s glory by magnifying every attribute of God to its fullest. Consider the following attributes that are magnified by the cross of Christ.

• Holiness of God: The cross shows us that there is an infinite chasm between a holy God and unholy man. The cross is the testimony that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all, and that no sinner can come into the presence of a holy God.
• Righteousness of God: In the cross we see the righteousness that is required by God for anyone to enter into His presence. No one can be righteous enough by keeping God’s Law. We have all broken the Laws of God and need a righteousness outside of us. The righteousness of God is made available through the cross that sinners might come into His presence faultless to stand (2 Cor 5:21). The righteousness of God is given to us by faith in the work of the cross (Rom 3:21-26).
• Love of God: It is easy to see the love of God at the cross. God demonstrated His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). God loved sinners enough to send His Son to die for them in their place as a substitutionary atonement (1 Cor 15:3, 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18, Is 53:5).
• Grace of God: The cross is the undeserved payment need to cover the debt sinners owe to God. That debt is forgiven as a “gift” given to those who receive it by faith (Eph 2:8). No one deserves salvation, but it comes to sinners by grace.
• Eternality of God: Scripture is clear that Christ was slain before the foundation of the world (Rev 5:9, 12, 13:8). The cross was not an afterthought or plan B, but was devised in eternity past in the purpose and plan of God.
• Immutability of God: Immutability means “unchangeableness.” God never changed His plan, but for centuries worked out his plan of salvation for all humanity. Down through the centuries the one plan of God was to provide a sacrifice for sin, someone who would destroy sin. God’s plan began in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:15) when God promised to provide the “seed of a woman” who would crush the head of Satan.
• Wrath of God: The cross supremely displays God’s wrath against sin. The Father poured out His vengeance on His own Son and crushed Him as Jesus bore our sins (Is 53:4-5, Matt 27:46). In that moment, Christ took God’s wrath for sinners, and therefore we will never experience it.
• Sovereignty of God: The cross displays the sovereign work of the Father from eternity past, in which His plan of redemption was fully worked out as the second member of the Trinity, and He became a substitute for all who would believe in Him.

The Glorification of the Son
Not only did the cross glorify the Father, but it also ultimately ended in glorification for Jesus. Jesus prayed that the Father would glorify Him through the cross. This is more clearly seen when Jesus simply prayed, “glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (Jn 17:5). Jesus longed for the glory of his eternal origin (see Proverbs 8:22-31).  When Jesus entered the world, He stooped with humiliation and took on human flesh (Phil 2:6-8) and, in a sense, lost glory by being made a human! Now as He plans to go to the cross, He knows that these days of humiliation are over! Once Jesus fully obeyed His heavenly Father by going to the cross, His prayer was that He would once again return to the glory that He had before He came. And this is exactly what happened. After providing a sacrifice for sin, being buried and raised from the dead, Jesus ascended back into heaven where He once existed (Acts 1:6-11). The Father has now “highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11).

Our New Passion
Since the glory of God was the passion of Jesus, it should also be our number one passion. When we become children of God by faith in Christ, we should have new passions. Having been given a new heart, and becoming a new creation we should no longer desire to exalt ourselves. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor 5:14-15). Our new passion is to exalt Christ in this world. Our focus must change! Our mission must be for Christ to be glorified (1 Cor 10:31). Just as Jesus prayed for Himself that the Father might be glorified in His work, so we must also intensely pray that our work and lives would also bring glory to God (Col 3:17, 23).

Last words are often profoundly important! This is definitely the case with the very last words of Jesus to His disciples. Moments before Jesus was about to be arrested, tried and crucified, He spoke words that still ring loud and clear for all disciples of Jesus. He said to them, “In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). This one statement includes promises that may cause our hearts to tremble, but at the same time should cause us to rise up with a persevering hope!

Tribulation is Certain
Expectations are important. If Christians are to persevere to the very end, we must know what we are getting into when we sign up. Unlike what the prosperity gospel teaches, Jesus assures all of us that we will experience tribulation. The prosperity gospel teaches that if we have enough faith we will escape trouble and live luxuriously in this life. The true Gospel is quite the opposite. Scripture is clear that those who follow Christ and desire to live a godly life in this world will be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12). Jesus promised that His disciples would be hated in this world (Jn 15:18-25). In his epistle Peter promised Christians that they would suffer but must entrust their souls to a faithful God (1 Peter 4:19). Tribulation is inevitable.

Not without Hope
But we are not left in this world without hope. Jesus tells His followers to “take heart.” This is not an empty pep talk from someone who doesn’t understand. But rather, Jesus being the Son of God gives us reason to have hope. Our hope doesn’t reside in what we can do, but rather what Jesus has already done! Moments away from going to the cross, Jesus told His disciples that He had “overcome the world.” He didn’t say that He was going to overcome the world in the future. Rather Jesus spoke with a past tense verb implying that this overcoming was already complete. Jesus was anticipating His powerful work on the cross and the defeat of sin, death, Satan, and the world by resurrecting from the dead. By rising from the dead, Jesus proved victorious over the grave (1 Cor 15:55-57). He destroyed the work of the devil (1 Jn 3:8). His resurrection proved victory over the world and the system of the world.

United with Christ
Since we have put our trust in Christ, we are united in Christ’s victory. “Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 Jn 5:4-5). Christ always leads us in triumphal procession (2 Cor 2:14). By believing in Christ, we become overcomers. Sin, Satan and this world no longer have a hold on us. While we will die physically, we will be resurrected and live forever with Christ (Jn 11:25-26). We also will reign with Christ in the world to come when Jesus comes to set up His new throne on the earth (Rev 20:4-6).

Therefore
Since we have been united with Christ in victory how shall we live? The Apostle Paul commands us, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58). Since we have victory in Christ we must live differently.

We must be steadfast & immovable: Steadfast means literally to be seated implying that we are settled and firmly situated. We must not be moved away from the truth of the Gospel by the onslaught of diverse teaching in a pagan culture. We must remain firm in the Lord and the Word of God and not waver. In other words, we must be immovable and not easily swayed.

We must be abounding in the work of the Lord: We must also continue in the work of the Lord. This means that we must be bold and confident in sharing the Gospel and the contents of Scripture. We must edify one another. We must fight the good fight of faith, obeying all of God’s commands. We must abound and exceed in these things. Life is so short and we must not waste our lives on trivial things.

We must know that our labor is not in vain: We must labor with our lives freely in service to the Lord. He knows our work and our work on this earth is never useless. It may appear that no one notices, but Jesus knows and sees. Our prayers, edification of others, evangelistic efforts, and service are never wasted.

 

Songs are powerful in that while they may be simple, they convey profound truths. If you grew up in church, most likely you sang many children’s songs. A few of my favorite ones were always about having the joy of Jesus in my heart. They were fun to sing, but they also were songs that reminded us of the profound promises of Jesus to His disciples. The lyrics of one song declares, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart to stay! And I’m so happy, so very happy, I have the love of Jesus in my heart.” Another song says, “I’ve got joy down in my heart, deep, deep down in my heart. Jesus put it there and nothing can destroy, …stroy, …stroy it!” Both of these little tunes are theologically profound and are simply the promises of Jesus found in John 16:16-24 for His disciples.

A Little While: Resurrection!
As Jesus was going to the cross, He predicted that the disciples would not see him in a “little while” but then again in a “little while” they would see Him again. The context of this passage confirms that Jesus was clearly speaking about the events that were soon to happen. By a “little while” Jesus meant in the next twenty-four hours something was going to happen which would cause the disciples to no longer see Him. And that “little while” would only last 3 days, as Jesus would be crucified and buried in a grave. But then in a “little while” they would see Him again. This certainly is a reference to His resurrection.

The disciples were overwhelmed with trouble in their hearts about the prediction of Jesus leaving them and going back to His Father (Jn 14:1, 16:6). And those emotions would be increased once they would see their long-awaited messiah die at the hands of the Romans (Luke 24:17). But gloriously Jesus said that they would see him again in just a “little while” and that their hearts would rejoice” (Jn 16:22). Jesus knew that He was going to rise from the dead. And indeed, the disciples did see Jesus just three days later when He appeared to them in the upper room (John 20:19-23). It was at that time that their joy was restored. When they saw Jesus, they were full of rejoicing (Jn 20:20).

The resurrection is the foundation of every believer’s joy. First, the resurrection proves that Christ has power over death, conquering it once and for all. The resurrection of Christ proves that God the Father accepted the atoning sacrifice that is the basis of every believer’s salvation. Second, the resurrection is joy for all true believers because it means that we will also never experience the second death. Jesus promised that those who believe that He is the “resurrection and the life” will also never die (Jn 11:25). The resurrection proves that all of the promises of Jesus are true.

Irrevocable Joy
Jesus promised that when this joy came to His disciples, “no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16:22). This is a profound promise. There are not many things in this life that are irrevocable. But this joy that comes from Christ is a binding, irreversible, permanent joy. People cannot take joy away, nor can any horrible circumstance! This divine gift that comes to us at our conversion is certainly the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us (Gal 5:22). This is why the Apostle Paul can command believers to “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice” (Phil 4:4). Paul could command this while he was sitting chained in a prison cell because this joy resides in the heart of every believer never to be taken away, even amid the worst of circumstances.

Veiled Joy
For sure the joy we experience in this life is a veiled joy, shrouded with the sorrows and difficulties of this life that are common among all men. But there is a day coming when ultimate joy will be experienced in full. King David wrote that “in His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps 16:11). There is a day coming in the next life when we will experience the full measure of God’s joy in heaven, in the presence of Jesus our Savior. At that time every tear will be wiped away, death shall be no more, and there will be no more mourning, crying, pain or death (Rev 21:4). While we only know the joy of Jesus in our hearts in part, the promise of Jesus is that we will one day know that joy fully in heaven. Sadly, the opposite is true for unbelievers. This life is the only joy they will ever experience. When they die, unbelievers will only experience everlasting sadness and sorrow. This is why we must tell others the good news.

Motivated to Tell Others
In a world of so much sorrow, sadness, sickness and death, we should be motivated to tell others about how they can have this real joy. Joy is not found in material possessions. No one is ever comforted on their death bed with their possessions. The world is seeking joy in all the wrong places. But we have the answer! God made mankind with a desire to have fullness of joy. We must be ready to share the good news to others when their hearts are full of trouble. Hopefully they will see that the trouble of this life never robs us of our true joy. And when they ask us why we have such peace and joy in the midst of life, we must be able to tell them: “It’s because of Jesus!”

 

One of the blessings of being added to the Church and being baptized into Christ (1 Cor 12:13) is that every believer is given a spiritual gift (1 Cor 12:7). These gifts are sovereignly distributed to every believer to be used for the advancement of Kingdom work, and the edification of the Church for the “common good” (1 Cor 12:7, 14-26). Every believer has been given a gift and is valuable to the entire body of Christ.

The list of spiritual gifts can be discovered in four main passages: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 28-31, Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Peter 4:10-11. Depending on how the gifts are categorized, there are approximately 20 gifts, excluding the gift of marriage and the gift of celibacy found in 1 Corinthians 7:7. While Peter seems to categorize his list of gifts into “speaking” and “non-speaking” gifts, theologians have also classified the gifts into permanent and temporary gifts. In most cases the majority of the gifts seem to be actively used in the current Church age. However, upon closer examination, some of the gifts are certainly not intended to be active today. Typically, the gifts under question are the following: The gift of apostleship, the gift of miracles, the gift of healing, the gift of tongues, and the gift of interpretation of tongues. Sometimes the gift of prophecy and discernment of spirits is also added to the list depending on how they are understood.

Cessationism
A cessationist is someone who “believes that certain miraculous spiritual gifts ceased when the Apostles died and Scripture was complete” (Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudum, pg 1237). To be clear, cessationists don’t believe that God no longer does anything miraculous or that the Spirit cannot give a miraculous ability today. What is called into question is whether or not the actual gifts are given to individuals today as a normative pattern. Cessationists believe the Holy Spirit no longer sovereignly gives individual believers the miraculous spiritual gifts that were present in the first century. Since the Apostles died, the miraculous gifts also passed away or “ceased” as being normative for the current Church age. Following are a few of the main arguments for cessationism:

1. The qualifications of Apostleship demand that the office is no longer in operation. The office of Apostle was a very unique office that could only be occupied by men who qualified. The qualifications of an Apostle were three-fold. First, to be an Apostle a man had to be an eye witness of the resurrection of Christ (Acts 1:22). Second, the man had to be personally appointed by Christ Himself (Acts 1:2, 24). Third, Apostles were given the ability to perform miracles (Matthew 10:1-2, 2 Cor 12:12). It is clear that there are no Apostles today. We should be concerned if someone claims to be an Apostle today, and should guard against false teaching and the abuse of authority.

2. Miracles have always been unique and were used to authenticate authority and introduce new eras of revelation. Thousands of years of history have proven that the gift of miracles was not common. Biblical history reveals only a few periods in which certain prophets were given the gift of miracles. Moses (and Joshua) was given the ability to do miracles in order to authenticate him before Pharaoh and the people of God (Exodus 4-17). The prophets Elijah (1 Kings 17-21) and Elisha (2 Kings 2-13) were also given the ability to do incredible miracles. While other miracles were performed sporadically (Jonah, Isaiah, Daniel), the only other major period where miracles were largely accomplished was the time of Jesus and the Apostles. It is clear that the miracles of Jesus were not simply for evangelistic reasons but to prove that Jesus was indeed God’s final and ultimate messenger (John 5:36, 6:14, 7:31, 10:24-26, 37-38). In the same way, the miracles of the Apostles authenticated them as genuine (2 Cor 12:12, Hebrews 2:4) and gave them the authority to speak on behalf of God and write Scripture. Not only did these miracles authenticate, but also were an indication of the introduction to new revelation from God by these men. Whenever God wanted to pour out His Word, He authenticated His chosen vessels through extraordinary miracles. There is certainly a major disparity between the amazing biblical miracles compared to the claims of the modern age. While God still does miracles today, it appears that the gift of performing true miracles has ceased. There is no need for further authentication of God’s men because there is no new revelation, and Jesus Himself was last messenger and final Word from God.

3. Since the foundation of the Church was laid by the Apostles and Prophets of the New Testament, no further revelation is needed. It is clear that the Apostles and the Prophets in the age of the New Covenant were given by God to the Church for the purpose of laying the foundation of the Church (Eph 2:20). By nature, when a foundation is laid no further foundation is necessary. The foundation that was laid by the Apostles and prophets was certainly the revelation that God gave to them. The foundation was the teaching of Jesus revealed to them that they passed onto the Church through the writings of the New Testament. Since that foundation is laid and Scripture is complete, no further revelation (prophecy) and no further authentication is necessary. By default, the “sign” gifts which were given to the Apostles also passed away with them. Their work was completed and their role was done.

4. Since the Scripture is complete there is no further need for “sign” gifts. This is the logical conclusion of the above arguments. God has always authenticated his chosen men through “signs” and miracles and wonders. But since the Bible is complete and sufficient there is no need for these signs. The gift of tongues was a gift of proclamation, particularly of the Gospel (Acts 2:1-11) articulated in a known tongue or language. God miraculously gave the gift of tongues in order for His good news to be proclaimed so that the nations could hear about the saving work of Christ. But once the Scripture was complete having a full written record of the Gospel, there was no need for the gift of tongues. It shouldn’t be surprising that the gift of tongues is not mentioned in any of the later epistles (every letter of Paul after 1 Corinthians) and is surprisingly missing in all of the pastoral epistles which were written as an instruction manual for “how to do church” (1 Timothy 3:15).

If you are interested, Tom Schreiner, a professor of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary writes a great article for the Gospel Coalition, “Why I am a Cessationist (https://www NULL.thegospelcoalition NULL.org/article/cessationist/).” Tim Challies also summarizes Tom Pennington’s 2 part sermons at the Strange Fire Conference, “Strange Fire Conference: A Case for Cessationism (https://www NULL.challies NULL.com/liveblogging/strange-fire-conference-a-case-for-cessationism/).” You can also listen to Tom Pennington’s sermons here (https://www NULL.gty NULL.org/library/sermons-library/TM13-7/a-case-for-cessationism-tom-pennington). All of these are good resources. If you would like to hear the opposing view, Sam Storms offers his article for the Gospel Coalition called, “Why I am a Continuationist (https://www NULL.thegospelcoalition NULL.org/article/continuationist/).”

 

Today’s News & Biblical Views: Marriage & Divorce (https://vimeo NULL.com/363026059) from WBPH (https://vimeo NULL.com/wbph) on Vimeo (https://vimeo NULL.com).

This interview was recorded September 20, 2019 and aired on WBPH (cable TV)  Sept 29, Oct 1, and Oct 3, 2019.

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (Jn 15:18). If you do a survey of the book of Acts, this prophecy of Jesus certainly came true at lightning speed. From the opening chapters every Apostle and the Church experienced incredible persecution. Weeks into preaching, Stephen became the first martyr (Acts 7). James was beheaded by Herod (Acts 12). The Apostle Paul experienced incredible hatred from every city that he entered (2 Cor 16:23-29).

The prophecy of Jesus has not ceased. Even today Christians all around the world are experiencing the hatred of the world. According to Open Doors Ministry, “a staggering 11 Christians are killed every day for their faith in the top 50 countries ranked on the World Watch List.” Just about four years ago (2015) 21 Coptic Orthodox Egyptian Christians were beheaded for their faith in Libya by ISIS. It was so hard seeing the pictures of these uncompromising men on their knees in orange jump suits willing to be martyred for their faith in Christ.

Why Aren’t We Hated More?
Since Jesus clearly told us that we would experience the hatred of the world (Jn 15:18-25), the obvious question is why aren’t we experiencing it on a more regular basis. For certain the United States is a unique place on the planet. Unlike the rest of the world, Christians are protected. God has been gracious in this time of history giving our country all kinds of religious freedoms and protections preventing persecution. But even with all of these graces, we should expect some “minor” forms of persecution such as verbal attacks, discrimination, avoidance, loss of friendships, hardships at work, etc. We may not be “hated” but shouldn’t we expect, at a minimum, to be “disliked?” Consider the following four reasons a professing Christian may not be experiencing hatred from the world.

1. We are really “of this world.” Jesus was clear that the world loves their own (Jn 15:19). Darkness loves darkness and hates the light (Jn 3:19). The old adage is true, “Birds of a feather flock together.” Everyone likes to be with their own kind. The world loves fellowship with people that are just like themselves, which approve unrighteousness and unholiness. The light hurts the eyes of those in the dark and they have an aversion to those who remind them of their sin. But they heartily unite with those who join in with their philosophy of life, worldly entertainment and fleshly desires (1 John 2:15-17). It is possible that some who claim to be Christians may indeed be “of this world” or “friends of the world.” They have not changed, but look and sound just like every other person in the world because indeed they are truly unregenerate and are in fact “enemies of God” (James 4:4) and controlled by the “Prince of the power of the air….[living] in the passions of [their] flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind” (Eph 2:1-3). If we have never made a lost person feel uncomfortable or given them reason to dislike us in the slightest way, it may be true of us that we are “lost” just like them. At some point our love for Christ and desire to please Christ should cause us to shun the dark and live holy lives among a lost world. Inevitably that holy lifestyle will cause some conflict, even if simply at a minimum having the world “speak against us” (1 Peter 2:11-12).

2. Our commitment to the Lordship of Christ is lacking. Jesus said that the world will hate us because Jesus is our master and we are His servants. Just as they hated the Master so they will hate the Master’s servants (Jn 15:20). As servants of Christ we simply do what He commands of us. He is not only our Savior, but also the Lord of every area of our lives. His agenda is our agenda. His will becomes our will. The lack of hatred from the world can be traced back to this issue. It is possible that there are some significant areas in our lives that have not come under the Lordship of Christ. In other words, we are believers who are in need of serious sanctification. We have been saved and are truly called out of the world, but we are lacking in our conformity to Christ. Without being legalistic, our lives should be as holy as possible. This means that our dress, our entertainment, out language, our friendships, our associations, our financial dealings, our activities, our eating habits….EVERYTHING should come under the Lordship of Christ. When the Church begins looking like the world, it is no wonder that the world doesn’t hate us!

3. Fear has overcome us. Fear is a real temptation for all of us. Jesus commanded us, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28). Fearing man rather than God can be a real snare to the Christian and cripple his ministry and influence (Prov 29:25). It is true that the world can do some very hurtful things to Christians (Jn 16:2-4). But God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love and self-control (2 Tim 1:7). We overcome fear when we entrust our lives to our faithful God (1 Peter 4:19).

4. Our influence is limited. We are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matt 5:13-14). But what good is salt that has lost its saltiness or a light that is hidden under a bowl? By our very nature we are called to have a strong influence in this world. We are not “of” this world but we are still to live “in” this world. This means that we are to rub up next to people on a regular basis who do not know Jesus Christ. We are not to be friends of the world, but we are to make friends in the world for the sole purpose of continuing the ministry God has given us. We are not to be hermits and retreat back to our homes and our churches. Indeed, we need places of retreat and places where we find comfort and strength with fellow believers. But we must also go into the world. We must talk boldly, live visibly and influence profoundly. We must speak the Gospel to those around us who are lost. We must live holy among the godless and entrust that God will do His work in their lives. We must be careful that we are purposeful in finding ways to infiltrate the world. The Lord would be pleased with us if we would be a little more creative in finding ways to make non-Christian friends for the sole purpose of evangelization. Maybe we are not being hated more often in the world because we aren’t “salting” or “lighting” the world around us.

Don’t Go Searching
For certain none of us should go searching for hatred. As we live in this world we are to be as “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16). There is nothing worse than an abrasive and annoying Christian. We should strive not to be hated because we are arrogant, annoying or abrasive. The only reason we should be hated is because of the truth of the Gospel we stand for and the holiness that we promote. We shouldn’t have to go looking for hatred, it rather will come to us naturally if we are truly living the Christian life in this world. In this time of peace that the Lord in His sovereignty has given us, may we “lift our dropping hands and strengthen our weakened knees” (Heb 12:12) so that our faith will be strong when it is truly tested. We will all be hated at some level as Christians in this world. May we be found faithful when it does happen and may we rejoice that we have been considered worthy to suffer for Christ’s sake knowing that we have great rewards in heaven (Matt 5:11-12).

 

2019 Community Weekend
What a wonderful weekend we had at Ebenezer! This was our 4th annual “Community Weekend.” It began on Friday night as we watched “Mary Poppins Returns” under the huge tent. While this was simply a fun activity for our kids (and adults), we were able to connect with a few new people that night. The Coffee House was a tremendous blessing! It was a joy to hear the incredible musical talent from the saints here at Ebenezer. All of the music and songs were so focused on bringing glory to God and encouraging us all. We also had a few new faces Saturday night. And then Sunday morning was incredible as 630 people gathered under the tent to worship our Lord Jesus Christ. There were so many new people that we were able to meet. The worship time through music was so wonderful. The food was incredible for the picnic. We are so thankful to Mark Florentine & George Hardy and all their volunteers who helped make the picnic such a wonderful event. So many volunteers helped set up chairs, the stage, the sound, tables, the movie screen, and so much more. Overall, the weekend was a tremendous blessing. Most of all I believe we glorified our Lord and were able to meet many new guests who were introduced to our church.

Ebenezer: God’s Plan for the Lehigh Valley
As we read in Ephesians on Sunday morning, the Church is the mystery of God revealed in this age. A mystery is a once hidden secret that now has been revealed. The Church was not an afterthought but the plan of God from the beginning to be revealed to us in this age, the age from Christ’s resurrection until now. We call this time we are living in “the Church age.” God’s plan was to “make known to us the mystery of His will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph 1:9). This uniting of all things was not revealed to previous generations, but now has been made known and revealed to the Apostles, namely that the “Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph 3:6). Ebenezer Bible Fellowship Church is simply God’s unfolding and revealed mystery to the Lehigh Valley. As I looked over the congregation on Sunday, I saw people from many different walks of life. I saw many different colors. I saw a beautiful picture of what Christ’s church is supposed to look like. Christ is building His church here in the Lehigh Valley and He is using us to accomplish His work.

Entrance by Faith Alone
The reality however is that not everyone will be added to the Church. The terrible reality is that those outside the Church are 1) separated from Christ, 2) alienated from the blessings of God’s promises & covenants to Israel, 3) without hope, and 4) without God in the world (Eph 2:11-13). But the hope is that these great obstacles can be overcome. They are not overcome by joining a local body, or being baptized, or becoming religious. The only entrance into the Church is by faith in Christ alone (Eph 1:13, 15, 2:8, 3:17). When someone puts their faith in Christ, everything changes. Blessings come and the Lord Jesus Himself “adds [them] to the Church” (Acts 2:47).

The Analogy of the Church
The blessings of being added to the Church are specifically seen in three analogies that the Apostle Paul uses to describe the Church in Ephesians 2:19-22. Those who have put their faith in Christ become 1) citizens of the Kingdom of God, 2) family members in the household of God, and 3) living stones in the Temple of the Living God.

Citizens of the Kingdom of God (v. 19a). Before faith in Christ we were strangers and aliens, but now we have become citizens of God’s Kingdom (Phil 3:20). Our new birth in Christ has made us a natural citizen of God’s Kingdom where we now live under His rule and have new responsibilities and new privileges. The Church is not the Kingdom of God, but is the product of the Kingdom. And the Church is the instrument & custodian of the Kingdom (Matt 16:19) proclaiming the good news for sinners that they can be added to the Church. No one can become a member of God’s Kingdom without first entering into the Church by faith in Christ Jesus alone.

Family in the Household of God (v. 19b). The second analogy is an advancement of the blessing. It is one thing to be a citizen of a Kingdom along with millions of other citizens, but it is another thing to enter into an intimate family household. When we enter into the Church we become members of the household of God, whereby He is our Father and we are His children (1 Peter 2:9-10). The Church then are family members with one another whereby we call each other “brother” or “sister.” Family is important. The Church is simply an imperfect gathering of the family of God on earth, a foreshadowing of the perfect family who will be in heaven (God’s heavenly household) forever with Christ.

Stones in the Temple of the Living God (v. 20-22). The third metaphor is even a further advancement of the blessing. Being a part of the Church means that we are indwelt by God as a holy temple. In the Old Covenant, God literally indwelled a physical temple with His Shekinah glory (2 Chronicles 6-7). But now the Spirit of God indwells the Church. Every member is a stone, cut out and hand placed into the Church. And the Spirit of God lives within the people of God, not a building. Of course, the foundation of this building was laid by the revelation of Truth given by the Apostles and Prophets. And the first stone laid was the cornerstone who was Christ Himself. All other stones are laid upon Christ. He was the first fruits of many (1 Cor 15:20-23).

Let’s Continue to be a Blessing!
My prayer is that Ebenezer Bible Fellowship Church will continue to be a blessing to the community around us. We don’t have anything to offer the community except what God has made us. We must continue to hold fast to the teaching of the Apostles never changing what they have laid. And we must guard against trying to be something for the community that God did not intend. We are not to lure the community into our gathering by entertainment, or temporal blessings. Ebenezer will continue to be a blessing as long as we remain focused on being who God made us. Let’s continue to pray that God will use us in the community. When the newcomers return next Sunday, let’s reach out to them and encourage them. Let’s also rejoice that God is building His Church, His Family, and His Temple one stone at a time!

More photos of Community Weekend are available on Facebook (https://www NULL.facebook NULL.com/pg/ebenezerBFC/photos/?ref=page_internal).