Main, Mission, Strategy, Work

1777 Revisited

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The world is looking for Christians. Let them know when any show up.

The year is 1777. It is late December. You are at a place called Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. You are in the Continental Army led by General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Looking over a barren plateau, a day’s march from Philadelphia, you only have a mental picture of what will soon become reality. You have to build your living quarters, mess hall, command center, and supply huts before you can occupy them. You’re cold. You’re tired. You are hungry and your clothes were nothing more than glorified rags. Still, having a spark of fighting spirit and determination, you muster all the strength you have and put yourself to the task of building your encampment knowing that just 18 miles to the southeast there lies the enemy. The city that was stolen by the British that must be taken back.

As far as the building project goes, the officers formed the men into construction squads and instructed them to build cabins according to a 14-foot by 16-foot model. The army placed the 2,000-odd huts in parallel lines, and according to one officer, the camp “had the appearance of a little city” when viewed from a distance. Most agreed that their log accommodations were “tolerably comfortable.”

Being a professional soldier in the Army took a lot of training as well. My career started with Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, and progressed to Advanced Training at Fort Knox, KY. I was in a total of 8 years, and even after I graduated from my advanced training to be proficient in repairing tanks, I still had to train at my permanent duty station in Kirchgons, Germany. As we prepared for conflict in the Persian Gulf, we had to learn a little Arabic, enemy tactics and what he used as weapons, and we trained for desert fighting since most of us have never been in the desert. We were given playing cards with pictures of enemy vehicles on them so we could memorize them and recognize them when we saw one. Yes, terrain and tactics may change, but our training proved itself in victory 35 years ago when we liberated Kuwait.

One of the weaknesses of the Continental Army of 1777, as told to us by General George Washington himself, was that too many commands were heard during campaigns that confused the militia. It is said that many a battle may have been won had it not been for someone to randomly yell, “RETREAT,” and the men would scatter. Can you see how that would disorient the soldiers? Valley Forge would change all of that. A German by the name of Baron Heinrich Wilhelm von Steuben was put in charge of drills and marksmanship. His tactics are still in use in today’s military. He taught them how to march in ranks. How to turn and pinwheel and advance or retreat on command. Besides the sounding of “Charge” and “Retreat,” the military still uses bugle calls beginning early in the morning for waking up with ”First Call,” for the raising of the flag with the playing of “Reveille,” the morning and afternoon mess, the lowering of the flag with “Retreat” and “To the Colors,” and for lights out by the playing of “Taps.”

Why does the training never stop? The enemy is always changing his tactics, his frontal assaults, and the use of his arsenal. Discipline builds confidence. Knowing your equipment and how to use it is vital. The gas chamber helped us understand how a protective mask keeps out dangerous chemicals. We learned about military operations, but most importantly, we learned about ourselves. When our heads were spinning with questions, our confidence made possible through discipline and training, kept up moving forward.

As Christian soldiers, we have an arsenal as well—the Full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18). The greatest offensive weapon ever entrusted to mankind is the Sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God. Added to that is the Shield of Faith that can deflect any projectile the enemy has to throw at us. Don’t let your guard down. We can’t let our shields to be shattered. King Ahab found out a weakness in his armor when a random arrow found its mark through a crack and took his life (1 Kings 22:34-36).

Proper use of God’s Word comes from training and practice. Training is staged at our church gatherings small groups. Just like listening to a coach, or a drill instructor, the application of what we learn during our training in practice can determine our success or failure in real life combat. We have to remember all the battle plans, trust in our authority, and how and where we have to go when an attack is launched against our position. When given orders, we have to know the Authority of the one who has charging us with those orders and when the trumpet blows at the order of the Commander, what to do. “For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8).

Following God’s plans for the church and for families is very important to our success here on earth. When we memorize Scripture, or parts of it, we have embedded God’s word in us. I had two professors in seminary who challenged themselves with memorizing the entire New Testament. I personally knew these men: Dr. Lewis Foster, Dr. Wilke Winter, and a preacher friend named brother Ed Bousman. I know two of them succeeded. One of them was asked to speak in a country in which is was forbidden to be seen with a bible—Albania in the 1980’s. During that time, Christian leaders were being executed for their faith. Dr. Lewis Foster, who also helped translate Luke and Acts in the NIV, traveled to Albania and preached the bible from memory.

We may not always have a Bible near us. Sometimes we need an answer to a situation immediately. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is within you with gentleness and respect.” When we have the Word of God in our minds and on our hearts, we have God’s answer to the situation. This way, we will know what God would want us to do. The Bible says to hide the Word of God in our hearts so that we will not sin against God. Knowing the Bible allows us to follow Jesus and to be sensitive to His leading.

Psalm 119:9-16 is one of my favorite Scriptures from Psalms. Imagine us praying to God to know more of His ways than to learn how to avoid them.

The takeaway for today’s message, discipline and training made the difference in the Continental Army. It increased their confidence, courage, and proficiency, which gave them greater hope, faith, and victory.

A quote attributed to Baron von Steuben as he entered the emcampment at Valley Forge was, “I’m here to train soldiers. Let me know when any get here.” May it never be that someone should walk in among us and say, “I’m looking for faithful Christians. Can you please tell me where I can find some.” What does the Christian life look like? God gives us all we need to serve Him: mind, eyes, mouth, hands/arms, feet/legs. We’ve been using them wrongly for too long. Let go and let God show you how to use them rightly.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left His house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. (Mark 1:35)

Fatherhood, Main, Marriage, Mission, Strategy, Work

The Path to Discipline

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“I’m here to train soldiers. Let me know when any get here?” (Attributed to Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben)

These are words that paraphrase the sense of humor of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben when he entered the complex of Valley Forge in the winter of 1777 and found the Continental Army battered and demoralized. It did not resemble an army and the men had no likeness of being a soldier.

“I’m looking for Christians. Can you please tell me where I can find some?”

In our classrooms and churches, among the Body of Christ, where are those disciplined enough to take a stand against the enemy? I see more evidence of sympathizers of the enemy than soldiers of the cross. We are fraternizing with the wicked one and the evidence is in our tolerance, identification, and assimilation with the wickedness of the world. It is a symptom of a lack of training and being undisciplined.

To Baron von Steuben, training was of utmost importance. Training not only engages the enemy with confidence, it also instills confidence in those standing next to us in the ranks of many others who stand firm for the same cause.

In the wake of the battles of Brooklyn, the British taking Manhattan, and the surrender of Philadelphia, the Continental Army was reduced to a ragtag force of no cohesion and low morale. Along with these lows, dissertation was becoming more of a problem.

I happened to be fascinated by military history. The movement of ranks beginning with squad, to platoon, to company, to battalion, to brigade, to division, is a discipline of order.

In the Gulf War, my trucking company was one of only a few heavy transport companies that could carry loads of sizes up to and including the M1A1 Main Battle Tank (MBT). At the beginning of the conflict, Desert Shield, in January 1991, we were certain all troops were deployed along lines from which the coalition forces would launch an invasion into Iraq and Kuwait. Suddenly, orders came from VII Corps that the divisions that we delivered needed to be re-deployed. Everyone needed to flip-flop. All we knew is that it needed to happen NOW. Yes, we could question motives, but never strategy since we were not privileged to see the whole Theater of Operations. We did it and it became clear why it had to be done and the proof was in the victory.

Reflecting on the poem by Tennyson “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” and I paraphrase, “ours was not to reason why.” When it comes to deciding between morality and immorality, the Christian should have no other option but to flee immorality and impurity.

The Bible contains metaphors of athleticism (mostly from Paul) and the discipline needed for the individual to succeed in the ONE RACE. Note how I did not say TEAM. Physical discipline produces mental and psychological confidence. But a resolved acted on solely by our own strength will prove futile.

Rosie Ruiz. How many of you know her name? She crossed the finish of Boston Marathon as one of the fastest female runners of all time. It was discovered later that she never completed the race. She rode the subway until the very end of the race where she jumped out of the crowd and accepted the winning medal. After it was discovered that she cheated, the race committee tried to recover the medal but she never gave it up to her dying day. She never confessed to any wrongdoing. Her physique should have betrayed her, but despite that she entered the race without qualifying claiming she had brain cancer, so they gave her a medical exception. Her life was a lie. Here own efforts at success, brought her to defeat.

Personal ambition and conditioning in the spiritual realm is different. Spiritual self-discipline isn’t a pursuit that we simply force into habit; for if that were the case, there would be little need for the Holy Spirit in our lives. Physical habits work like that, like what we call “muscle memory.” Remember Galatians 5 then, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit.

We wouldn’t have it without the Spirit as it is His gifting and work in us. This realization begs the question then: How do we become more self-disciplined in our spiritual lives?

Consider what Jeff Iorg puts forth in his book The Character of Leadership, “No fleshly effort will please God or build true discipline. Self-discipline refers to self as the object of discipline rather than its source. Even though discipline is learned, and self is the object of the discipline, the motivation and power to develop discipline comes from the Spirit.” It’s in the daily surrender, the daily opportunity, the daily service, as Paul frequently refers to being “slaves” for Christ.

In order to become self disciplined, we need to stop trying to take on the Spirit’s role as the source of life-changing power and rely on the strength He will faithfully work IN us. By allowing the exercise of the Holy Spirit in us, we will gain a faith and confidence in our training that is the fruit of obedience and this will equip us for future victories, and eliminate failures.

Paul told Timothy to be strengthened by the Grace of Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1). If our motivation isn’t coming from the Holy Spirit, then we will continue in vain and fail in the practice of self-discipline. You know what I’m talking about. You’ve tried to kick a bad habit. You try, and try, in vain, and in all your physical ability, you fail. I’ve been there. Remember what I said, we are the object of the discipline, the motivation and power to develop discipline comes from the Holy Spirit. We can not be conformed into the likeness we want. He is the Potter and we are the clay. Like the old song, “Have Thine Own Way” says, “mold me and make me, after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded, and still.”

The great early American preacher, Jonathan Edwards, when he was only 19 years old, made this declaration of personal resolve, as recorded in his Diary on Saturday, January 12, 1723.

“In the morning. I have this day, solemnly renewed my baptismal covenant and self-dedication, which I renewed, when I was taken into the communion of the church. I have been before God, and have given myself, all that I am and have, to God; so that I am not, in any respect, my own. I can challenge no right in this understanding, this will, these affections, which are in me. Neither have I any right to this body, or any of its members: no right to this tongue, these hands, these feet; no right to these senses, these eyes, these ears, this smell, or this taste. I have given myself clear away, and have not retained anything, as my own. I gave myself to God, in my baptism, and I have been this morning to him, and told him, that I gave myself wholly to him. I have given every power to him, so that for the future, I’ll challenge no right in myself, in no respect whatever. I have expressly promised him, and I do now promise Almighty God, that by his grace, I will not.”

Our motivation will be of an eternal scope when we press into the Holy Spirit, and He will give us the strength to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

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No Exception. Divorce and The Weakness of Moses.

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Before Moses, divorce was already a wrong choice.

He (Jesus) said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.”

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Mt 19:8.

Why was divorce allowed in the OT? This was a question that Jesus turned on the Jewish leaders in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 19 when they asked Him if is is lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason. Jesus here reinforces the idea that divorce was not an option from the beginning since from the beginning a husband and wife are one flesh when previously they were two. Moses allowed it due to the “hardness of their hearts.”

Prior to this, the covenant was preserved as any vow or oath stood, and not as a contract. Malachi warns against “dealing treacherously with the wife of your youth” (Malachi 2:14). Following these words in Malachi, the prophet continues speak on behalf of God. God’s position on divorce is very clear, “he hates the putting away [divorce]” (v. 16) said Mala­chi.

Malachi, like Jesus, had to remind Judah of God’s original plan in marriage, “And did not he make one?” (v. 15). Man and woman were to leave their fathers and mothers to become “one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). In creating man and woman God was still left with the “residue of the spirit” (2:15). Why did God make them one? For the fruit of godly offspring. Has not God been ONE Father to us all? Has not ONE God created us? (Malachi 2:10). He has not adulterated Himself to any and His offspring are to be ONE.

Now, concerning the ONE thing, let’s explore the unity of the flesh of Adam and Eve. Adam, we know, was created from the dust of the ground. Eve was formed from the “side” of Adam. The Hebrew for “side” sela can be interpreted as something from his inside, as in a “rib,” but more than that, his “side.” The word is used for hillside, mountainside, and extension of a building. It’s a architectural term meaning to split, as in section. It could easily be seen as Adam being cut, or sectioned, (in half) and from the two halves came a man and woman. And the two were one “flesh.” The Hebrew word for “flesh” is bassar. It is a word can not only apply to human and animal flesh, but with sacrificial ordinances and covenant obligations (Lev 7:17).

And Adam said:

"This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman (Heb. Ishaah),
Because she was taken out of Man."(Heb. Ish).

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ge 2:23.

Why does God hate divorce so? Because it violates His original and intentional plan for marriage (Gen. 2:24; Mt. 19:4-6) and brings untold hard­ship on those involved, destroying both the family and society. Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience who understood marriage would be first engaged then consummated. If the exception clause exists, it is to ensure that virginity is the emphasis when selecting a spouse. Putting someone away for porneia ensured that if one is discovered to have not been a virgin at marriage, then the consummation must not be allowed. Jesus emphasized it when He said, “Anyone who marries a divorced woman/man is guilty of adultery.” To harmonize the Old Testament Mosaic exception, we have to find agreement with this since Deut. 22:22; Lev. 20:10-18 reveal to us that adultery is punishable by death.

Main, Mission, Strategy

Execute Order “6-7”

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SO, do you think group mindedness and collective consciousness is the thing of Science Fiction? Think it could mean a Psy-Op infiltration into the minds of our youth? Maybe it’s not a mere conspiracy theory. May I present this theory for your “collective” approval.

Here is what Grok AI has produced when I inserted the words, “Psychology, Group Mindedness, Collective Consciousness, Symptoms of the Phrase ‘6-7’, Social Media” into the search engine.

The phrase “6-7” has been interpreted as a potential symptom of a collective consciousness phenomenon, particularly within the context of digital culture and generational shifts. Proponents suggest that the repetitive, seemingly nonsensical chanting of “six-seven” is not random but rather a form of synchronized collective focus that generates a shared energetic or symbolic field, known in occult circles as an egregore—a thought-form created by the concentrated attention of many individuals. This phenomenon is described as a modern manifestation of belief creating reality, where the repeated utterance of “6-7” functions as a ritualistic frequency that taps into a liminal space between the material and the transcendent.

The number 6 is symbolically linked to the physical, the mundane, and the structured—representing human labor, confinement, and the six directions of space. In contrast, the number 7 is associated with transcendence, the spiritual, and the breaking of patterns—such as the seven days of the week, seven chakras, and the seven seals in Revelation. The transition from 6 to 7 is thus interpreted as a symbolic threshold, representing a generational or existential shift from the material world to a higher state of awareness. This duality mirrors broader philosophical and psychological concepts, such as the Jungian idea of the collective unconscious, where shared archetypes and symbols emerge from the shared psyche of humanity.

The viral spread of “6-7” across platforms like TikTok and its depiction in media, such as the South Park episode where Cartman is physically repelled by the phrase, are seen as evidence of a deeper cultural or psychological resonance. The reaction of adults—mocking, banning, or dismissing the trend—is interpreted not as proof of its insignificance, but as confirmation of its power, since systems built on stability (6-energy) are threatened by forces that question, break, and transcend (7-energy). This aligns with the idea that collective consciousness can manifest through shared symbols, behaviors, and narratives that evolve beyond individual intent, forming a kind of emergent intelligence or shared reality.

While some view this phenomenon through a spiritual or occult lens, others interpret it through a more pragmatic or psychological framework, seeing it as a reflection of social norms, cultural conditioning, or even distributed cognition—the idea that societal structures and behaviors emerge from the collective interaction of individuals rather than a single, unified mind. In this sense, “6-7” may not be a literal signal from a higher consciousness, but a symptom of how shared attention and repetition can create powerful social effects, akin to the way memes or viral trends shape collective behavior.

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Daniel’s 70 Weeks

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Daniel’s Amazing 70 Weeks

Daniel 9

Needless to say, there are literally millions of people today who do not believe that the Bible is God’s word. Daniel can help in this. There are people who admit that the Bible is a good book for moral instruction, but find value only as an accumulation of myth, fantasy and legend. At the same time juxtaposed against the non-believers are the fanatical dogmatists who deliberately seek to make more of the book of Daniel as apocalyptic and make it a stumbling block to the uninformed laity who have not the wisdom and discipline of eschatology. It is too bad that neither of these millions who stand misguided have not taken the time to study the facts, for if they only examine the facts with an open mind they would see how wrong they really were. One of the greatest proofs of the authenticity of the bible is fulfilled prophecy. It is fascinating to examine bible prophecies in light of later history to see how each of the prophecies were fulfilled in the most minute detail. A thorough study of Daniel alone would be enough to convince even the most hardened skeptic, because Daniel is literally filled with many tremendous prophecies which were fulfilled in the most marvelous ways. That the book of Daniel is grounded in history is seen in the fact that the opening of chapter 9 is the fulfillment of a prophecy that had been given years before. Daniel had been studying a scroll of the prophet Jeremiah and found in 25:1 that the people were to be in captivity 70 years. Now Daniel realizes that this 70 years is up, and he prays that God would now keep his word and allow he people to go back home. God’s answer comes through Daniel, and Daniel got more than he bargained for. Gabriel not only says that God has heard his prayer, but he also is revealed one of the most amazing prophecies in all of God’s word! Let’s read Daniel 9:20-27 and see why this is one of the most amazing prophecies found in Scripture. (READ)

  1. IT IS AN AMAZING PROPHECY because IF TELLS US EXACTLY WHEN THE MESSIAH WOULD COME. Here in verse 24, Gabriel says that there would be “70 weeks) more to God’s time schedule with his people. What does the term “70 weeks” mean? We know first of all that this word “week” means “a unit of seven” (just as there are 7 days in a week). So then it means there are 70 units of 7 that Gabriel is talking about, and that figures to 490 “days” or units of time. It was this same year-for-a-day principle that was used in Numbers 14:34. Because of unbelief, the Israelites were to wander for 40 years in the wilderness, a year for each day that the spies were absent searching out the land. This same scale was used in Ezekiel 4:4-6: “I have appointed thee a day for a year, a day for a year.” God historically remembers times and Genesis 15:13-16 and Exodus 12:40 and Acts 7:6 (400 years and four generations). We must be convinced of a fulfilled interpretation of the kingdom work of Christ or we will fall to the futurist understanding where an ambiguous antichrist will make a covenant with the Jews who will in turn rebuild the temple and offer sacrifices once again. A Christian could not deny that Christ is the all sufficient sacrifice and that if the Jews were to build an altar and a temple, their worship would be to a pagan god. It should be clear from as early as Malachi that God’s plan for a Messiah was in high gear as the people of Israel rejected him. The 70 weeks are divided into three parts, according to words of Gabriel (“man of God”). The parts are, according to verse 25: 1) 7 weeks, 2) 62 weeks, and 3) 1 week.
  2. IT IS AN AMAZING PROPHECY ALSO BECAUSE IT TELLS EXACTLY WHAT THE MESSIAH WOULD DO

1. “TO FINISH THE TRANSGRESSION”, or literally, “to finish transgression.” As Jesus was dying, he cried: “It is FINISHED.” At Calvary, Jesus finished transgression by becoming sin for us. No future sacrifice can ever finish transgression; it was finished at Calvary (Heb. 9:15). “He was wounded for our TRANSGRESSIONS” (Isaiah 53:5).

2. “TO MAKE AN END OF SINS.” Here the basic thought is repeated. If we understand the glorious significance of what was accomplished at Calvary, we know that here there was truly an end made of sins.

Jesus, who came “to save his people from their sins”, accomplished this when he “put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Mt. 1:21; Heb. 9:26). “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins… But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever…hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified…And their sins… remember no more” (Heb. 10:4-11). The old system of sacrifices could never make an end of sins, but Christ—by the sacrifice of himself—did make an end of sins, even as the prophecy had said!

John announced him as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). “Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3). He “bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (l Peter 2:24) and “hath once suffered for sins” (3:18). “He was manifested to take away our sins” (l John 3:5). This “end of sins” was accomplished at Calvary.

This is the first of two events that must take place in Scripture to be a sign of the Kingdom’s arrival. The first sign is the “Sign of Elijah.” John the Baptist IS the sign of Elijah, which is confirmed in Matthew 11:13, 14, Mark 9:9-13, and Luke 7:27.

The second sign that follows is the “Sign of Jonah.” (Matthew 12:34-41)

All of this does not mean, of course, that right at this point men quit sinning. This was not the case. But what the scripture does mean is that at Calvary the eternal sacrifice for sin was made, so that any and all—past, present, or future —who will be forgiven of sins will be forgiven because our Lord’ s death almost 2,000 years ago made an “end of sins”!

3. “TO MAKE RECONCILIATION FOR INIQUITY.” The word reconciliation used here is the same word that is used so frequently in the book of Leviticus where it is rendered “to make atonement.” This, too, was part of our Lord’s redemptive work. Surely “reconciliation” is a present reality—because of Calvary!

Jesus, “our merciful and faithful high priest” made “RECONCILIATION for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2:17). “Having made peace through the blood…to RECONCILE all things unto himself…and you, that were sometimes alienated…hath he RECONCILED…through death” (Col. 1:20-22; Eph. 2:16).

“God was in Christ, RECONCILING the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of RECONCILIATION” (2 Cor. 5:19). Plainly, “reconciliation for iniquity” was accomplished by Jesus, for he “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all INIQUITY” (Titus 2:14), and “the Lord hath laid on him the INIQUITY of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

4. ”TO BRING IN EVER LASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS.” This too was accomplished by the redemptive work of Christ! The great redemption chapter of Isaiah 53 had prophesied: “My righteous servant shall make many RIGHTEOUS.” Paul put it this way: “By the righteousness of one…shall many be made RIGHTEOUS… unto eternal life by Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17-21). He who came “to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt. 3:15) and who “loved righteousness, and hated iniquity”, was “anointed” of God (Heb. 1:9) and made unto us wisdom, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto RIGHTEOUSNESS” (1 Peter 2:24). “Even the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God…through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his RIGHTEOUSNESS for the remission of sins” (Rom. 3:21-26). “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “Everyone that doeth RIGHTEOUSNESS is born of him” (1 John 2:29).

Taking all of these verses into consideration, we ask: Did Christ in his coming to earth provide righteousness through his redemptive work? All Christians acknowledge that he did. We ask then: Was not this righteousness that he brought in everlasting? Of course. Surely no Christians would deny that the righteousness of Christ is “everlasting righteousness.”

“By his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION “—everlasting righteousness—” for us” (Heb. 9:12). This eternal or everlasting righteousness is contrasted to the old sacrifices under the law which were only of a temporary nature. But Christ, once for all time, offered himself—thus providing, as the prophecy of Daniel had said, “everlasting righteousness.”

One only has to read the great redemption passages of Romans, Corinthians, Colossians, Ephesians, and Hebrews to see how an “end” of transgressions and sins, “reconciliation for iniquity”, and “everlasting righteousness” were all accomplished at Calvary by our Lord Jesus Christ!

In view of this, we see no basis for the futurist teaching that none of these things have yet been fulfilled, but are to be linked with a supposed seventieth week at the end of the age! To teach such is contradictory and tends to take away from the glory of that great redemption of Calvary which so beautifully and completely fulfilled these prophecies!

5. “TO SEAL UP VISION AND PROPHECY”, or literally, “to seal up vision and prophet.” The use of the metaphor “to seal” is derived from the ancient custom of attaching a seal to a document to show that it was genuine (See 1 Kings 21:8; Jer. 32:10, 11; cf. John 6:27; 1 Cor. 9:2). Christ “sealed” Old Testament prophecy by fulfilling what was written of him.

Repeatedly we read concerning him: “…that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets.” Acts 3:18 says: “Those things which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer he hath so fulfilled:” Truly Jesus fulfilled what was written in the visions and prophecies of the Old Testament concerning him, and thus he “sealed” them—showed that they were genuine. ‘They are they”, he said, “which testify of me” (John 5:39). “All the prophets and the law prophesied until John” (Mt. 11:13), then John presented Jesus as he that was to be “made manifest to Israel.” Jesus was the one that was to come—and we look for none other. He is the fulfillment of vision and prophecy.

6. “HE SHALL CONFIRM THE COVENANT.” When Jesus instituted the Lord’ s supper, representative of his shed blood for the remission of sins, he said: ‘This is my blood of the new testament [covenant], which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:28). The word “testament” here and the word “covenant” are translated from exactly the same word in the New Testament. “How much more shall the blood of Christ…purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament [covenant]” (Heb.9:14,15).

Jesus is called the “mediator of the new covenant” (Heb. 8:6), the “messenger of the covenant” (Mal. 3:1), and his shed blood is called “the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Heb. 12:24). Our Lord Jesus is the one who confirmed the covenant through his redemptive sacrifice at Calvary. And how beautifully this harmonizes with what we have already seen.

7. “HE SHALL CAUSE THE SACRIFICE AND THE OBLATION TO CEASE.” This too was fulfilled in the death of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, as we have mentioned, sacrifices were repeatedly made. Each of these was but a mere type looking forward to the time when the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God, would be offered. Once this would be accomplished, God would no longer require or accept any other sacrifice.

The perfect sacrifice was Jesus Christ. The old system of repeated sacrifices (types) could only end at Calvary—when Christ became the perfect, eternal, and final sacrifice (See Heb. 9 and 10). In addition to Calvary’s sacrifice, “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Heb. 10: 18, 26).

For a few more years, the Jews continued their sacrifices, but these were not recognized by God. Such cannot be termed sacrifices in the true scriptural sense of the word, for the death of Christ provided the perfect, and therefore, the final sacrifice for sins forever.

Further proof that this was fulfilled in Christ is seen in the time element, for the prophecy said that sacrifice would cease in the middle of the week—the 70th week. This was when Christ died, for the 69 weeks measured unto Messiah and his death came after a ministry of three and a half years.

That this was the length of our Lord’s ministry may be seen by a study of the gospel according to John in which mention is made of four passovers that occurred during our Lord’s ministry: John 2:13, 5:1 (see Footnote 1), 6:4, 13:1. Eusebius, a Christian writer of the fourth century, pointed these things out: “Now the whole period of our Saviour’s teaching and working of miracles is said to have been three-and-a-half years, which is half a week. John the evangelist, in his Gospel makes this clear to the attentive.” (Footnote 2)

And so, after three and a half years of ministry as the Christ—the anointed one—Jesus was cut off in death, in the middle of the 70th week of seven years. As Augustine said: “Daniel even defined the time when Christ was to come and suffer by the exact date.” (Footnote 3)

Understanding this, we can now see real significance in certain New Testament statements which also speak of a definite established time at which Jesus would die. For example, we read: “They sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come” (John 7:30). In John 2:4, Jesus said, “Mine hour is not yet come.” On another occasion, he said, “My time is not yet come” (John 7:6). Then just prior to his betrayal and death, he said, “My time is at hand” (Mt. 26:18), and finally, ‘”the hour is come” (John 17:1; Mt. 26:45).

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 18:31–33.

Notice Luke 18:31-33:

31 “Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.
32 “For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon,
33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.'”

These and other verses clearly show that there was a definite time in the plan of God when Jesus would die. He came to fulfill the scriptures, and there is only one Old Testament scripture which predicted the time of his death—the prophecy which stated that Messiah would be cut off in the midst of the 70th week—at the close of three and a half years of ministry! How perfectly the prophecy was fulfilled in Christ!

But those who say that the confirming of the covenant and causing sacrifices to cease in the midst of the 70th week refers to a future Antichrist, completely destroy this beautiful fulfillment and are at a complete loss to show where in the Old Testament the time of our Lord’s death was predicted.

The prophecy of Daniel 9 stated that Messiah would confirm the covenant (or would cause the covenant to prevail) with many of Daniel’s people for the “week” or seven years. We ask then, when Christ came, was his ministry directed in a special way to Daniel’s people —to “Israel ” (Dan. 9:20)? Yes!

John introduced him as he “that should be made manifest to ISRAEL” (John 1:31). “I am not sent”, Jesus said, “but unto the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL” (Mt. 15:24). And when he first sent out his apostles, they were directed: “Go not into the way of the Gentiles…go rather to the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL” (Mt. 10:5,6).

The first half of the “week”, the time of our Lord’s ministry, was definitely directed toward ISRAEL. But what about the second half—the final three and a half years of the prophecy—was it also linked with Israel? Did the disciples continue to preach for the duration of the remaining three and a half years (as Christ’s representatives) especially to Daniel’s people—to Israel? Yes, they did!

Jesus had told the disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mk. 16:15; Mt.28:19; Acts 1:8), YET—and this is significant—after Christ ascended, the disciples still at first preached only to Israel! Why? We know of only one prophecy which would indicate that this was to be the course followed. It is the prophecy of the 70 weeks which implied that after the death of Messiah there would still be three and a half years that pertained to Israel!

Bearing this in mind, we can now understand at least one reason why the gospel went “to the Jew first” and then later to the Gentiles (Rom. 1:16). Peter preached shortly after Pentecost: “Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant… unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities” (Acts 3:25, 26). “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you” (Acts 13:46).

In person, Christ came to Israel during the first half of the “week”—three and a half years. Through the disciples—for the three and a half years that remained—his message still went to Israel, “the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following” (Mk. 16:20). In a very real sense of the word, the ministry of the disciples was a continuation of the ministry of Christ.

Then came the conversion of Cornelius which completely changed the missionary outreach, outlook, and ministry of the church. Though the New Testament does not give an exact date when this happened, apparently the time for special exclusive blessing upon Daniel’s people had drawn to a close. The gospel which had gone first to the Jews was now to take its full mission—to be preached to all people of all nations!

This time of changeover was marked by a number of supernatural events. Cornelius received a heavenly visitation. An angel appeared to him and told him to call for Peter “who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:14). God showed Peter a vision which caused him to know that the gospel was now to go to the Gentiles and not to Israelites only. All of these things were timed perfectly—showing that God’s hand was accomplishing a definite purpose.

Returning to Jerusalem, Peter explained what had happened. “When they heard these things, they… glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18). From this very point, more and more, there was a turning to the Gentiles with the gospel message. God’s measurement of 490 years pertaining in a special way to Israel had obviously been completed.

And finally,

8. THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE. This part of the prophecy was not dated within the framework of the 70 weeks as was the time of the appearance of Messiah to Israel, the time of his death, etc. Nevertheless, living on this side of the fulfillment, we know that the predicted destruction found fulfillment in 70 A.D. when the armies of Titus brought the city to desolation.

With Adam Clarke we say: “The whole of this prophecy from the times and corresponding events has been fulfilled to the very letter.” (Clarke’s Commentary, note on Daniel 9)

(Footnotes:)

1. In this verse the feast is not mentioned by name. However, by taking John 4:35 about the “four months” into consideration, it is possible to determine that this was the feast of the passover (See Boutflower, page 208).

2. Eusebius, The Proof of the Gospel, bk. 8, chapter 2.

3. quoted in The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1, page 487.

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Immeasurably More

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Immeasurably More 

At the beginning of the year, I had all the students line up, and one by one stand with their backs to the wall and have their height measured. A line on the wall represented how tall they stood in comparison to others in their class. Next to the line I wrote the student’s name and date. It is at the entry way to the room where they can see their progress. Some students have only two lines, one for the beginning and one for the end of the year. Other have more than two lines that were recording throughout the year at the student’s request. Some, you see, were more interested in details of their progress than others were. 

It’s not unlike what we have perhaps done in our homes. Parents will often designate a special place to do the same thing, usually in a common area with regular traffic. It is a physical reminder of growth of our stature. 

It’s fun to do something like this because we can step back from that wall and see tangible evidence of our physical growth. It is a record, represented in units of measurement of the heights we have gained. 

There is no ruler on earth to measure spiritual growth. There is no diet craze, nor vitamin supplement, nor physical exercise that can promote our spiritual growth. In our bible classes, we talked at length about how spiritual growth can be measured, and it comes partly with the cooperation of others. We all can contribute to the spiritual growth of each other as illustrated in Scripture by the progress of walking. Since it is spiritual growth we are talking about, I call attention to Galatians 5:25, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” 

The growth of Christ is recorded in Scripture: 

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52, NIV) 

Spiritual leadership is not a complicated things learned only by biblical scholars with a university degree. It is simply identifying mile markers in another person’s spiritual journey and helping them make it to the next step of their spiritual maturity. On the road of life, you may be the person to which another has been led to be the encouragement they need to press onward. You might be the light in a dark place. And, maturity will be seen by its fruits. 

2 Peter 1:5-8, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

There is in fact a ruler that we have to put our lives against and measure where we stand. It’s called the “Canon” of Scripture. “Canon” literally means “measuring rod.” How does your life measure against the rule of God’s Word? We should be just as interested in the progress of our spiritual growth as young people are of their physical growth. Against the rule of Scripture the heights of your growing potential are immeasurable. 

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20, NIV) 

I like the KJV, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” 

 Lord willing, I will be present with you at your high school graduation. I will see much taller people. More than that, it is God’s desire, and mine, that the witness of your spiritual maturity will be just as evident as you let God do immeasurably more with you. 

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The Sin of Dissatisfaction

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Why Worry? (Matthew 6:22-25)

Kingdom Culture. One of the biggest hindrances to the cultivation of God’s Kingdom is our failure to appreciate its value. Why are we not satisfied with God’s Kingdom? Because the truth of the matter is we have not found it satisfactory enough.

AND, dissatisfaction brings with it anxiety and worry. Inadequacy is a fruit of dissatisfaction. We’re dissatisfied with our appearance. We’re dissatisfied with our performance. When we judge ourselves through the eyes of the world, we will always fall short. When we see ourselves, and others through the eyes of Christ, we will discover a value beyond measure. God sees more value in you than the world ever will. What is worry?

It is a lack of faith in God’s promises. The roots of worry come from the seed of dissatisfaction. We question God when the questions of life are not answered when we want it and how we want it.

Can we all agree that God values our lives? We should all agree that He wants all good things for us:

Indicators are: 1) He created us and gave us life, and 2) He redeemed us for life again through Jesus Christ.

Reality: Bottom line, He will meet our: 1) physical needs, and 2) spiritual needs

Satan, the deceiver, is emboldened by our worry over this; by our boredom, and dissatisfaction. Satan wants us to NOT be satisfied. Anxiety and worry are fruits of discontentment. In other words, lack of being satisfied. We are going to look more into this in a second.

In Matthew 6, there is a discussion about serving two masters. It uses the sense of vision to make a point. In verses 22 and 23 it calls the “EYE” a “lamp to our bodies.” If the EYE is clear, the whole body is full of light. If the EYE is bad, or clouded, then the whole body is filled with darkness. The end of verse 23 says, “And GREAT is that darkness.” What’s in the eyes is on the mind

The one with clouded vision is serving a master other than God, who is light. Verse 25 goes on to say that the one with clouded vision is the one who worries because he is not content, nor is he satisfied. Serving the wrong master blinds you leaves you and without the ability to see long range, you will not have faith. Faith is living the reality of the future in the present.

The first sin ever recorded was also the result of dissatisfaction when Lucifer revolted against God because was not satisfied with his place in God’s order. It is believed that the story of this is what Isaiah is referring to in Isaiah 14:13–14 — “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”

The first human sin ever recorded in the Bible, committed by Eve, was a sin of discontentment. Why were they not satisfied with everything God provided for them? The distraction of the ONE tree was fertile soil for the Serpent. Many many times, temptation begins with: WHY? And BECAUSE. Eve had it in her heart to question WHY it was forbidden to eat at which time she opened herself up to dialogue with the “father of lies” when, “Because God said so” wasn’t enough.

How do we question our parents’ authority? By asking, “WHY?” Our parents most often reply with the default answer, “Because I said SO.” And because we are not satisfied with “because,” we go find someone who can tell us what we want to hear. It’s a practice not unlike many adults who church shop or doctor shop. Our pursuit of resolving our dissatisfaction with the commands of God can cloud our vision and erode our faith. Chances are, you will find the wrong counsel that will tell you that if you choose disobedience, you will have the same authority as the parent since you have replaced their authority with another. Yes, the temptation and desire for a child to have the authority of its parents is alive and well today, isn’t it? Like the two Masters of our story, we give AUTHORITY to whomever, or whatever, we CHOOSE. And, it will either be light, or darkness.

There are two things in life over which we have control. Our ATTITUDES and our ACTIONS.” Worry can tempt us to sin and sin can result in guilt and that is the SEED of ANXIETY. Yes, anxiety grows from guilt, ESPECIALLY not doing what we should be doing when we should be doing it. We’ll save that for another day.

Look at our story. Verses 25-34 says the ones in the light will never worry about eating or drinking; about the clothes they wear or the measure of their days. Worry belongs to the ones of cloudy vision. In fact, verse 32 plainly states, the ones who are NOT God’s people are the ones who will never be satisfied. The godless will never be satisfied. How is it that God’s people on the other hand would ever think about putting hope, contentment, and satisfaction in perishable things? Ahh, but we DO and it comes from US wanting the authority to choose. (perishable things will never satisfy and an endless cycle worry, disobedience, guilt, anxiety, etc., continues).

When God says, “Because,” when we ask “WHY,” why are we not satisfied? Going back to what I said at the beginning, does God value our lives? YES. Why do we doubt His commands, especially when they don’t make sense? The world does not know you better. Read Psalm 139 sometime. That’s a WHOLE other message right there. The Bible includes dozens of stories about God’s commands NOT making any sense. A Kingdom Culture will be made up of committed believers whose ATTITUDES and ACTIONS bring LIGHT into the body. Desiring God’s Kingdom FIRST will eliminate dissatisfaction, discontentment, worry, and pride. Keeping our place as the Master’s slaves, we will be satisfied in knowing He values us and will provide for every need. We willl walk in faith.

Worry’s worst enemy is FAITH. Faith exists when we exercise belief, trust, and commitment.

Jesus preached on contentment many times in the use of His parables. Remember the parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price? Both are found in Matthew chapter 13. The hidden treasure was found by accident and the pearl was found by seeking. It’s a reference to God’s Kingdom being available to everyone, not only to the Jew but to the Gentile. That’s how much God cares for everyone. Are we, like the persons in the parable, willing to give ALL we have to possess God’s Kingdom, and not look back?

Sometimes we accuse God of having weaknesses. What? You never do that? When we question His authority and disobey, we are calling God WEAK. “If God had only removed the potential for sin from the Garden of Eden, everything would be okay. That tree, that one tree. You know the tree I’m talking about? That single tree that bore fruit that was a delight to the eyes. That single tree that was off limits to eat. Eve understood it well enough that she even convinced herself that not only should they not to EAT it, but also not to TOUCH it. The temptation was in the eyes. You remember the eye? The lamp of the body? So, every day Adam and Eve walked around in the garden with God, as friends would walk and talk, and every day their eyes were drawn to THAT TREE. The FORBIDDEN TREE which had fruit of the most delectable appearance, but a sign was hung on it, “DO NOT EAT.”

The purpose of that potential to make the wrong choice and therefore, sin, not only brought mankind to its lowest point in DEATH, but most importantly, elevated the love of God to its highest point in LIFE. If our lives were lived in a linear plateau with a consistent state of “happiness,” how would we understand the layers, and depths, of God’s love for us? How about the fullness of our faith? The first family sure found out that what God said is TRUE. You know what? And so did the Devil. If we didn’t have the freewill to choose God, what kind of love would there be? God WANTS us to choose Him above all else because above all else, there is NO ONE greater than He.

To finish up, let me leave you with the same encouragement Paul left to the Philippian church. Philippians 4:19: “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

(Separate thought to conclude)

Anxiety—not doing what we should be doing when we should be doing it. Therefore, anxiety is guilt.

When someone comes to you and asks you for help, try saying, “Yes, I’d be happy to help you with that.” Do not decline an opportunity to serve others. I learned the most by saying, “YES!” Don’t serve the master of future guilt and failure over something you haven’t even tried. We often serve distractions from the Kingdom and blind ourselves to the faith that can be increased.

The Christian’s NEED to live without distractions–

Mark 4:19 – but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced

James 1:14 – But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

We have others to think about and less of ourselves. Romans 8:19-21—”All creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” That’s sowing, cultivating, and reaping the Kingdom Culture on earth.

If you are not a Christian, or you need to re-commit your life to Christ because you want to exchange your dependency on the world and find satisfaction only in God, I invite you to come and speak with a staff member who can help you get to that place.

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The Shallow Field of the Earth’s Harvest

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Colossians 2:8

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

World’s philosophy will generally stop with the heart. The attitude of happiness and it’s fullness is the litmus test of satisfaction. We have found ourselves failing to attain the deeper, meaningful, relationship with God and others. Our foundation leaves only to serve ourselves.

This is the weakness of the foundational ground laying that many Christians cease to build upon, or they build without precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:12). 1 Corinthians 3:1, 2 mention leaving the milk of the Word and moving to maturity.

Who can forget the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who dreamt of a day when his children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. We are a people who judge others on the surface. To have a “color blind” society, we have to judge others by a deeper character. Those of color must understand they are not limited by the amount of melanine of their skin just as whites are not “privileged” based on the unequal portion of melanine in their skin.

Marriage is less understood when divorce is so easily attained and the elementary counsel of friends is so easily followed. People divorce because they are unhappy, or the emotion of love ceases to bind them. The false hope in seeing others who have done it only betrays our immaturity further.

Life’s remedies would be best served in having the deeper understanding of why such things divorce is wrong. We will understand why such things as the need to forgive, show grace, have mercy, be compassionate, and love others will solve so much of our cultural issues and offer healing to ourselves and others.

We are taught byu society to be limited and shallow. It is our habit not to grow. It is our shackle from which we must be freed.

2 Peter 1:5ff states that every Christian must be in the process of maturing. We must work in the faith of our perfection. We must exercise the eternals of faith, hope, and love.

We flounder with thinking God is LOVE and God is GRACE and that simply is not deep enough when the limits of that understanding demands no change on our part.

Beware of phrases like, “Follow your heart,” “Love is feeling,” “Your happiness matters most.” “You deserve your just rewards.”

The heart is desperately wicked and deceitful in all things (Jeremiah 17:9). Guarding it is of the utmost importance since the appeal at the emotional is the fertile ground of temptation.

“Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died.” (Mark 4:5-6)

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To What Interest Do We Serve?

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Something of a sermon outline here that I’d like to share.

“Saved by Grace Through Faith” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Formula for healing and salvation, if so inclined, as God is inclined, toward those who are in opposition to Him

What if this principle were applied to MARRIAGE, FAMILY, CHURCH, and SELF

Saved—made whole; preserved from destruction

Grace—favor on behalf of the other with no thought of self

Faith—living presently in the reality of the future best

Reconciling to our SPOUSE

are we interested in securing the BEST in our MARRIAGE

Reconciling to members of our FAMILY

are we interested in securing the BEST in our FAMILY

Reconciling to the KINGDOM OF GOD on earth

are we interested in securing the BEST in God’s church

Reconciling to YOURSELF

are we interested in securing the BEST in YOURSELF

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Dead in Christ

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When involved in Desert Storm it was a common attitude to think that we could not have done better with our lives than to offer it freely for a cause of another, or a cause outside of ourselves. A friend of mine who also served in Vietnam confessed the reason for his volunteering for the Persian Gulf War. He said, “You don’t appreciate life the most until you are withing seconds of losing it.” Our life’s end could not be more nobly spent than for the benefit of others. Many have been curious as to how they will meet their life’s end. Think about this. Choosing life to its fullest by living for the best interest of others determines what end you will face. Abraham Lincoln said it best, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Make for a good death.