Uncategorized – Page 15 – Wisdom From the Word

Draw Me Away

There is an interesting phrase early in the Song of Solomon. Chapter 1 verse 4 begins with the phrase “Draw me away!” There is ardour inherent in this expression of a desire for the heart to be drawn to following the one we love. Whether we view the focus or intent of the Song of Solomon as being primarily about Israel and Yahweh, Jesus and the church or a bride and bridegroom, we can know one thing, as believers we are called to passionately love Jesus with everything we have (Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:30). Thus, the Song of Solomon can teach us about the love relationship we are called to have with Jesus.

The bride begins by expressing a heart cry, the desire to be drawn away by her beloved, to be with him. Later in the book we find her desire compromised by inconvenience.

² I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, “Open for me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one; For my head is covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.” ³ I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them? ⁴ My beloved put his hand By the latch of the door, And my heart yearned for him. ⁵ I arose to open for my beloved, And my hands dripped with myrrh, My fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the lock. ⁶ I opened for my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. Song of Solomon 5:2–6 (NKJV)

In this scene the bridegroom came for the bride but she found it inconvenient to respond even though she longed for him. As a result, she lost out. If we carry that over to our relationship with Jesus, He sometimes calls our hearts to engage with His at inconvenient times. I know at times I have not responded because I was ‘busy.’ What a foolish choice. Other times my heart has simply responded to His drawing and I have rested in His presence, even in the midst of activity. I don’t need to stop and assume the right posture or breathe the right way to know and enjoy His presence. I can simply let my heart encounter His.

In the above scene the bride was left with myrrh on her fingers, scented oil. In our walk with Jesus the scented oil represents anointing and the fragrance of His presence. We can be left with a measure of anointing even if we miss responding to His presence but it will fade over time. We need more than a reminder of His presence; we need to daily walk closely with Him knowing His heart.

The danger of not responding to His call is found in Revelation and Hebrews. In Revelation Jesus commends the church at Ephesus for many things but chastises them for their failure in their call to love Him.

² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Revelation 2:2–4 (NKJV)

The primary message in this warning is that good works are no substitute for a good relationship. Jesus may be pleased with our works but what He desires is our hearts. Similarly, in Hebrews 2:1 we are warned of the danger of drifting away. Not walking away, drifting. We see that with the bride in the Song of Solomon. Her passion was intense in her desire to be drawn away but then when the bridegroom came for her later, she failed to respond with the same intensity. She had to some extent drifted away.

We too can drift away simply by becoming caught up in other things or being busy doing things ‘for Jesus’ rather than being with Him. The good news for the bride in the Song of Solomon is that she came to the place where her one desire was the bridegroom and she gave expression to it when she asked not to be drawn but to be set as a seal upon his heart (Song of Solomon 8:5-6).

For us, we may start by asking to be drawn and we may then drift. Yet, if we look at the pattern in the Song of Solomon, when we renew our pursuit of Him we find Him and again find ourselves in the place of intimacy with Him. I don’t know if can we be sealed in this lifetime, I do know we can always reorient our heart to pursuing His presence and thus His purpose. I pray we all remain sensitive to His call and respond when He calls.

As I reflected on what I had written He brought a well known hymn to mind, here are the last two verse of an 18^th century hymn by Robert Robinson, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, they capture what I have tried to write quite well.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

Here’s my heart
Oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

The Restrainer Removed

I recently commented on a Facebook post in a Christian theological group. The poster was asking about the identity of the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2 and whether it was the Holy Spirit, the church, an angelic force or something similar. I commented that for over 30 years I have believed that the restrainer is something evil not good. My comment was the only one that didn’t identify the restrainer as something positive. Since I hadn’t looked in the past, this time I decided to review some commentaries, including the Ancient Christian Commentary that I have. The church fathers also saw the restrainer in a similar manner as the Holy Spirit or similar with some viewing the retraining force as the government. I did find a solitary comment in a Dallas Theological Seminary commentary that said some people saw the restrainer as satanic or evil but they stated this wasn’t a tenable viewpoint. I will let you decide.

Over the years when I have shared my view with people many said it made sense of the passage. To explain why I believe what I do I will dig into the passage below and you decide if it makes scriptural sense.

¹ Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:1–8 (NKJV)

This passage is about the end time return of Jesus and gathering of the church to Him. Paul gives the Thessalonians an indicator of when the church would be gathered. The timing is tied to a falling away that happens in conjunction with the man of sin being revealed. Paul is here echoing Jewish thought and Messianic expectations. The teaching in Judaism in Paul’s day was that there would be a great apostasy and an anti-Messiah, a great deceiver, just prior to the Messianic age. Thus, Paul is affirming a belief he was culturally familiar with but applying it to Jesus and the church.

In this passage the temple in verse 4 is a focal point. The Greek word translated as temple is just that, temple. It is the word used to refer to the temple in Jerusalem throughout the gospels. The exception being how Jesus uses the term to refer to His physical body. As we move into the letters in the New Testament the word temple refers to the church, the body of believers both individually and corporately. There is a good deal of teaching in the church that the lawless one/antichrist will take a seat in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem so many see the temple reference in verse 4 as referring to a physical temple.

There is a problem with this interpretation. When Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians, some of his earlier letters, along with Galatians, the temple in Jerusalem was still standing (it was destroyed by Rome in 70 AD). Yet consistently Paul referred to the individual believer or corporate church as the temple, not a physical structure in Jerusalem. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16 and Ephesians 2:21 present this view. Jesus uses the same type of language.

¹⁸ So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” ¹⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰ Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But He was speaking of the temple of His body. John 2:18-21 (NKJV)

Paul is consistent in using the term temple to refer to the church (individually or corporately) but those who believe Paul was referring to a physical structure in 2 Thessalonians 2 would have us believe Paul suddenly changed his use of the term. That approach violates the context. If we think of the temple as the church then we can make sense of Paul’s reference in 2 Thessalonians. First a little history.

In the intertestamental period during the time of the Maccabees, Antiochus IV Epiphanes (his name means God Manifest) a Greek ruler desecrated the temple in Jerusalem by sacrificing a pig on the altar, the abomination of desolation (Daniel 11:31, Matthew 24:15). Matthew 24 deals with tribulation and persecution which Jesus referenced as future. The one referenced by Daniel with Antiochus was the template.

Now back to Thessalonians. Expecting a rebuilt temple and someone sitting in it claiming to be God or the Messiah is one option. Another option is that this scenario plays out in the church, His temple in this age. For someone to take on that role would require great deception within the church, the working of darkness. However, we wouldn’t expect someone to stand up in the church and declare, “I am the man of lawlessness, please follow me!” People within the church would need to be deceived to follow someone like that. This leads us to the restrainer or restraining force.

In Greek restrains and restraining are the same word, katecho. The word means to hold back, hinder or prevent. Revealed is apokalupto, meaning to reveal, uncover or disclose. A very literal meaning is to ‘take off the cover.’ Applying this think of the man of lawlessness working undercover, being hidden and then revealed when the cover is taken off. Think of the restrainer as the cover, hiding what is taking place. For decades I have looked at this passage as describing the work of a demonic principality or principalities covering up or hiding the work of the lawless one in the church and preventing many of us from seeing what is really happening. I have seen the ‘restrainer’ as restraining us from seeing the truth rather than preventing the work of evil. After all the theme of 2 Thessalonians 2 is Paul warning about the danger of being deceived.

We have historical examples. In the early decades of Protestantism and the ongoing conflicts with Roman Catholicism this is exactly what was described. Protestants leaders saw the Pope or Papacy as the false Christ leading a deceived church. Much of the ‘rift’ between Catholicism and Protestantism was repaired in the 20^th century with Vatican II and the Charismatic movement spilling across conflicting church boundaries. Without regard to what we may think of the issue I share it to highlight a pattern. There have been many movements in church history where movement A has viewed movement B as heretical and vice versa.

A current example is ‘progressive Christianity,’ which denies most of the basic tenets of Christianity but claims that it is Christian. Those who have embraced the movement have ‘fallen away’ from basic scriptural truth. We walk in wisdom by exercising discernment. As noted in an earlier post, for decades I have defined discernment as ‘seeing the reality that lies behind appearances.’ Discernment is what is needed to apply what Paul taught in 2 Thessalonians.

In 2 Corinthians 2:11 Paul spoke of not being ignorant of Satan’s devices and in 11:14 spoke of Satan transforming himself into an angel of light, not looking like the darkness he actually represents. I see this pattern in church history, Satan actively working in the church and his work being hidden from many. In operating this way he is sitting in the temple of God mocking God by deceiving His people. Just like Antiochus mocked by sacrificing a pig, something unclean, on the altar in the temple. Movements like ‘progressive Christianity’ mock God by working in His church to affirm what He denies and deny what He affirms.

Whenever Satan’s work is revealed, our eyes are no longer restrained from seeing how he is deceiving us. So, let us exercise discernment and in intercession ask the Father to open our eyes so that in His church we see the reality that lies behind appearances and love the truth and take pleasure in it (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). This is our protection in these times.

Building the Wall Part 2

In my last post I used the example of how Nehemiah rebuilt the wall in Jerusalem to look at the importance of rebuilding an actual scriptural worldview in the church. I noted the need to assess our own worldview to identify whether we hold a worldview at odds with scripture (most of us do), seek the Lord in intercession and then respond with a plan of action. As noted in Part 1, research demonstrates the terrible lack of a scriptural worldview in the church. Thus, using my definition of worldview, ‘The lens through which we view and interpret reality’ let’s take a look at our lens to determine whether we individually hold a scriptural worldview.

We begin by acknowledging the obvious, for the most part, the church rather than influencing the culture has been greatly influenced by the surrounding culture. It is like the idea of a ship in the sea. If the ship is in the sea, it can travel and navigate. If the sea is in the ship, it may sink or flounder. It is certainly difficult to navigate! Now that the need is so glaringly obvious let’s get the sea out of our ship by applying what Paul presented.

¹I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)

If we apply Romans 12:1-2 our right thinking should lead to right behaviour. The challenge of course is that there is a difference between professing a belief and living out a belief. In theological terms the distinction is between orthodoxy (right beliefs) and orthopraxy (right practice or actions). I can tell you from surveying a broad spectrum of Evangelical doctrinal statements that our issue in the church is not our doctrine, it is clearly our practice! Broadly, as the church, we profess a lot that the majority of us don’t live out.

In looking at how to shift our worldview to align with scripture a critical point is that we tend to think with rather than about our worldview. Knowing the stats and research we have the opportunity to intentionally think about our worldview in order to shift it. Making a shift in our thinking, examining whether something is unscriptural or unfamiliar, requires reflection. This requires a conscious choice, stepping back from our regular practices (thinking with) and thinking and reflecting (thinking about) on what has led us to our present beliefs in order to determine whether they align with scripture. Applying this idea takes us to Paul’s first letter and a verse I referenced in Part 1. Paul’s ongoing apostolic heart cry throughout his ministry is summed up in this verse.

¹⁹My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, Galatians 4:19 NKJV

In the normal course of Christian growth Christ should be formed in us after we come to faith. That is, we reflect His nature and character. This process requires our active and intentional cooperation and that is what most in the Western church have failed to do. Though we may find the idea of change and growth daunting, consider those who followed Jesus in the gospels. They had to stand against the familiar beliefs of their culture and embrace beliefs at odds with how the majority of their culture understood scripture. We are now in a similar place in our culture. Christians and the scripture are not held in high regard by most of our culture and to truly walk with Him requires the church to once again become a counter culture.

To the end of bringing about a worldview shift here is a tool for self assessment. I have covered orthodoxy, orthopraxy and samples of different worldviews. Review them, prayerfully reflect on whether what you believe and how you act is aligned with scripture so you can determine the change required. In areas where change is needed make a plan, review the scriptures and act on the plan.

Statements of Orthodoxy

I believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
I believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His future personal return in power and glory.
I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling power I am able to live a godly life.
I believe in the future resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.

Statements of Orthopraxy

I give regularly to support the ministry of the church.
I regularly read the Bible and desire to align my behavior with what it says
I regularly pray for myself, my family and others.
I have a clear sense of what Jesus has called me to do in my daily life and seek to be faithful to His call.
I regularly speak to others about my faith and the importance of knowing Jesus.

Worldview Examples

I believe in what I can see, feel and touch. These things are what are truly real.
I believe there are influences beyond what we can see, feel and touch that have an effect on my behavior and that of others.
I believe that truth is truth no matter where I am in the world and that I am objective in what I believe.
I believe that my life experiences and culture give me my truth and you have your truth.
I believe that while my experience and perspective is subjective and different than yours that truth is objective and can be known.

The numbers below correspond to the Worldview Examples above.

1. Reflects Materialism.

2. Reflects a Scriptural Worldview.

3. Reflects Modernism.

4. Reflects Post-Modernism.

5. Reflects a Scriptural Worldview.

Take and prayerfully assess your beliefs and practices in light of what I have shared above. Ideally, engage others and begin a shared journey of aligning or realigning your views with scripture. If want more detail in my book (Worldview: The Adventure of Seeing Through Scripture available on Amazon) I include the role of repentance and plausibility structures in the change process.

Building the Wall Part 1

Whenever we hear teaching regarding the book of Nehemiah the subject of the wall around Jerusalem is generally raised (okay, pun intended). In reading Nehemiah, we discover that his major focus as a leader was the rebuilding of the wall to protect the city. He had a God-given mission birthed in intercession, that was rooted in his concern for Jerusalem. If you are not familiar with the book of Nehemiah, once he started rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, he monitored progress, encouraged others, dealt with opposition and remained focused until the task was complete.

We see Nehemiah’s mission come about in chapter one (1:1-8) when he identified the problem and responded with intercession. In chapter two he acted when given the opportunity to do something about the problem he saw (2:1-8). We see Nehemiah’s motivation here.

³And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” ⁴So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:3-4 (NKJV)

Let’s connect rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem to rebuilding a scriptural worldview. If you are not familiar with the concept of worldview, think of it like wearing glasses. Our prescription determines how we see. In my book, and daily life, I define worldview simply as, “The lens through which we view and interpret reality.” For us as the church to change our worldview to align with scripture, we, like Nehemiah, first need to do an assessment of the present state of the worldview of the church. This requires an honest look at what Christians believe to understand how badly the “walls” of our worldview have been neglected. Warning, the numbers are sobering and the walls are badly in need of repair!

Here is some of what Christians believe about their world. The following statistics are excerpts from my book, Worldview: The Adventure of Seeing Through Scripture (available on Amazon). The statistics highlight the problem in the church regarding what Christians believe.

In the 2018 State of Theology Study sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, LifeWay Research polled 3,000 Americans and asked them a number of questions about God, Christian ethics and religion in general. They found:

32 percent of those with evangelical beliefs say their religious beliefs are not objectively true.
51 percent of those with evangelical beliefs also believe God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
78 percent of those with evangelical beliefs also believe Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.

Many Americans who hold evangelical beliefs about the Bible, salvation, and Jesus Christ, also hold beliefs that are not (in) keeping with Scripture.[1]

More recent research on worldview continues to paint a bleak picture. Here are some highlights from the 2021 worldview survey completed by George Barna and the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University in Glendale, Arizona and released August 31, 2021. The CRC uses the following categories in their research.

“The segments explored include those who call themselves Christian; self-identified born-again Christians; self-described evangelical Christians; people who theological beliefs establish them as born-again Christians; and people who possess a biblical worldview (referred to as Integrated Disciples).”[2]

The percentages who hold to biblical worldview is very telling. The study found that only 6% of those who claim to be Christian hold to a biblical worldview, that is those who live their beliefs. I won’t go through the data on every category. Samples will suffice. Here is what those who profess to be Christians believe that is at odds with scripture. Among the errant perspectives most widely embraced are:

• 72% argue that people are basically good

• 71% consider feelings, experience, or the input of friends and family as their most trusted sources of moral guidance

• 66% say that having faith matters more than which faith you pursue

• 64% say that all religious faiths are of equal value

• 58% believe that if a person is good enough, or does enough good things, they can earn their way into Heaven

• 58% contend that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity

• 57% believe in karma

• 52% claim that determining moral truth is up to each individual; there are no moral absolutes that apply to everyone, all the time.[3]

By contrast, those who embrace a biblical worldview, the Integrated Disciples, hold to the following. There are a number of issues for which a shockingly large minority of Integrated Disciples challenges biblical principles include the following beliefs:

• 25% say there is no absolute moral truth

• 33% believe in karma

• 39% contend that the Holy Spirit is not a real, living being but is merely a symbol of God’s power, presence, or purity

• 42% believe that having faith matters more than which faith you pursue

• 52% argue that people are basically good[4]

These stats highlight the errant beliefs that the best of the best in the church hold. While the above stats are from the US, there is reason to see a major difference in Canada given how much our two countries are affected by similar cultural and social media influences. This is sadly the present state of the church.

However, if we follow Nehemiah’s process, we in the church can rebuild the wall of our worldview. We can assess our own worldview to identify whether we hold a worldview at odds with scripture (most of us do), seek the Lord in intercession and then respond with a plan of action. To that end in my next post (Part 2) I will look more specifically at a plan of action regarding how we shift our worldview to align with scripture based around Paul’s great apostolic heart cry ‘Until Christ be formed in you’ (Galatians 4:19).

[1] Aaron Earls https://factsandtrends.net/2018/10/26/what-do-evangelicals-believe-about-god/ Accessed March 5, 2019.

[2] CRC_AWVI2021_Release06_Digital_01_20210831.pdf (arizonachristian.edu) Accessed September 24, 2021

[3] CRC_AWVI2021_Release06_Digital_01_20210831.pdf (arizonachristian.edu) Accessed September 24, 2021

[4] CRC_AWVI2021_Release06_Digital_01_20210831.pdf (arizonachristian.edu) Accessed September 24, 2021

The Transfiguration

In my last post I looked at what was actually taking place in reference to Jesus’ announcement in Matthew 16 regarding the gates of hell. Here we will look at the significance of Jesus transfiguration from two perspectives. The significance of the geographic location and the significance of the timeline in Jesus earthly ministry.

Like the famous Schwarzenegger movie line, “I’ll be back!” or Nicholson’s “You want the truth, you can’t handle the truth!” another famous movie line came from Clint Eastwood, “Go ahead, make my day.” A line that provoked a response. This is what took place on Mount Hermon, provocation by Jesus, and a response. Understanding this requires a bit of background information. In my recent posts I referenced the descent of some of these fallen supernatural beings, principalities and powers, at Mount Hermon. This was their entry point or gateway to physicality and the further corruption of humanity.

They had taken on flesh and interacted with humanity at Bashan/Hermon. This was their territory. In Matthew 16 Jesus had announced that He would build His church right at the gate of hell, taking back territory from them. Now Jesus goes further. Matthew 17 presents us with the transfiguration and describes it as follows.

¹ Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; ² and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. ³ And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Matthew 17:1–3 (NKJV)

Jesus unveiled His glory so that there was no doubt about who He was and He had a meeting with Moses and Elijah, who represent the Law and the Prophets, the Old Testament. Though Bashan/Hermon is not named in the text, it is the only high peak in the area (There is presently a ski hill there that operates in the winter months).

In unveiling His glory on what the spiritual opposition considered their territory Jesus was in effect saying, “Go ahead, make my day” and stirring up spiritual opposition. Knowing the fate awaiting Him at Jerusalem, in being transfigured on Mount Hermon Jesus poked the hornets’ nest and stirred up the spiritual opposition that brought about His crucifixion, leading to His glorious resurrection.

We see the opposition intensify immediately with a counter attack. As soon as Jesus, Peter, James and John descended from the mountain they encounter spiritual opposition in the form of a failure on the part of the other apostles to deliver and heal an epileptic boy. While Jesus immediately brough healing and freedom (Matthew 17:14-18), the previously successful apostles (Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6) were puzzled by their lack of success (Matthew 17:19). The battle had intensified. In Jesus bringing healing and deliverance to the boy He demonstrated His authority and power over the increased opposition, another provocation.

We know from Luke 9:31 that in addition to being transfigured Jesus discussed His pending death in Jerusalem with Moses and Elijah, He knew what He was doing. These events were a turning point in the gospel narrative. Jesus from here headed to Jerusalem, had His triumphal entry (Palm Sunday) followed by the rising spiritual and political opposition leading to His arrest and crucifixion. Though Jesus provoked these events to fulfill scripture and His purpose, our redemption, the principalities and powers did not understand what was happening until it was too late. Paul references this in 1 Corinthians.

⁶ However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. ⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, ⁸ which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:6–8 (NKJV)

When Paul speaks of the “rulers of this age” he is referencing the evil principalities and powers that opposed Jesus. He uses the same language in Ephesians 6:12 describing the principalities and powers as, “the rulers of the darkness of this age”

In conclusion, Jesus provoked the conflict that led to His crucifixion because He was serving a higher purpose and seeing what needed to transpire from the perspective of His Father. In our walk we may at times need to stir things up, not for the sake of controversy but to walk in obedience. Let’s be found faithful and use our authority to demonstrate and extend His kingdom on the earth.

If you would like more information on these ideas, some of what I have written about recently is covered in the videos series below where Michael Heiser teaches on the origin and significance of what is referred to by many as the Divine Council Worldview (DCW). Dr. Heiser readily acknowledges that while these views are not well known, they are not original to him but are rooted in the extensive writings we now have from the writings of the intertestamental period and are the culture in which our faith was birthed.

Video series with Dr. Heiser teaching – https://www.live-in-context.com/

The Gates of Hell

Here we are going to look at the famous Matthew 16 passage and the rock that the church is built upon. I will provide the traditional Protestant and Roman Catholic interpretations then show why I am convinced that both are incorrect, based on history most of us have never been taught.

¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18–19 (NKJV)

The Roman Catholic interpretation is that Peter was the first Pope and the rock the church was built upon, which is why he was given keys to bind and loose (never mind that this same authority was given to all disciples in Matthew 18:18). The general Protestant interpretation is that with Jesus’ wordplay regarding rocks Peter (petros, a rock or boulder) and upon this rock (petra, a large mass of rock) that the rock is the revelation of who Jesus is.

To actually understand this passage, we need an Old Testament context and some knowledge of the writings from the intertestamental period. It is often said that between the Old and New Testaments there were the 400 silent years. While no scripture was written they were far from silent. A great deal was written. The writing from that period informs us about the culture and context. We will get to the significance of that after we look at the location and the timeline in Jesus’ ministry.

The events took place in Caesarea Philippi, about a two day walk north of the sea of Galilee. On the surface this may not seem significant but in the region, there was a pagan temple known as the “Gate of Hell” at the foot of Mount Hermon (also referred to at times as Bashan). This was one region in Israel where the giants dwelt and scripture informs us that Og King of Bashan reigned over the area, ruled Mount Hermon and was a one of the giants (Joshua 12:4-5). The other significant fact is that the intertestamental writers said that Mount Hermon was where the rebellious sons of God descended to earth and had children with the daughters of men and there were then giants (Nephilim) in the earth and great wickedness (Genesis 6:1-5).

The gate of hell and Hermon were associated with rebellion. All cultural facts the disciples would have grown up knowing. Peter and Jude reference the events of Genesis 6 and quote Enoch (Jude 6, 14-15, 2 Peter 2:4). The scholarly consensus is that Enoch as we have it today was written in the intertestamental period. While it is not scripture it does inform us about the cultural context that the early church was familiar with. Beyond the first century, in the second century the early church fathers, notably Justin Martyr and Irenaeus affirmed the view of the rebellious angels producing offspring through human women (Genesis 6:1-5). Irenaeus is the author of the famous tome Against Heresies. He was a disciple of Polycarp who had been a disciple of the apostle John.

We are now in a position to make sense of Jesus statement “on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” The gate of hell, the place where the rebellious released great wickedness, would not prevail, would not stand up against the church. Here is the Randy paraphrased version of what Jesus said, ‘Right here, at the gate of hell, on this rock, Mount Hermon, the place of the great rebellion, I am going to build my church!’ The church need not tremble in the face of hell, just the opposite.

Knowing this we can take a closer look at the Great Commission in light of what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection. Though we only have snippets of it in the gospels most scholars believe Jesus quoted Psalm 22 while on the cross. Whether He did, it certainly describes what He went through in His crucifixion. The verses below are describing what Jesus experienced on the cross and we can see the significance knowing what took place at Bashan (Mount Hermon).

¹² Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. ¹³ They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. Psalm 22:12–13 (NKJV)

These rebellious spiritual beings surrounded Jesus on the cross and mocked Him thinking it was their victory when in actuality it signaled their defeat. In His resurrection Jesus demonstrated His victory over His spiritual enemies ‘bulls of Bashan’ (Colossians 2:15). Thus, when Jesus says we have authority and we are to ‘go’ and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20) we can go being confident that we are helping to build the church right at the gate of hell! Like Jesus, let us be about our Father’s business.

Making Peace

In my last post I looked at wisdom, here we will look at peace coming from wisdom by focusing on two verses from a longer passage I highlighted in my previous post.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17–18 (NKJV)

James referenced righteousness being sown by those who make peace. James didn’t reference those who maintain peace, those who seek peace or those who want peace. James spoke of those who make peace. Jesus made a similar statement.

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 (NKJV)

Understanding the role of peacemakers requires looking at the process of actually making peace and the outcome. James said that righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. The words and concepts in verses 17-18 are relational. Take the phrases ‘without partiality’ and ‘without hypocrisy.’ Here James is getting at our motivations. Being peacemakers and sowing peace requires that we be fair and just (see also Micah 6:8). That is inherent in these statements. We are also required to be merciful. In essence sowing peace is a calling to walk in integrity and compassion.

Being a peacemaker is also a call to exercise discernment and apply wisdom from above in situations that may be fraught with conflict. Exercising discernment is also a call to walk in love.

⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9–11 (NKJV)

After all Paul informed us that faith works through love (Galatians 5:6).

Putting all of this together tells us two things. The first is that we can find the same message woven into the scriptures in a variety of places. The second is that we cannot walk into situations that require peace thinking we already ‘know’ no matter what information we possess. We need to seek His wisdom to navigate the situation. For example, having mediated for decades I have seen the impact of assumptions and judgments over and over. The fruit is lawsuits not peace. In my experience getting people to actually listen to one another rather than judge one another is often the path to resolution.

If we are to respond to our calling to be peacemakers let us seek His wisdom from above and look for the fruit.

Seeking Wisdom

Scripture often highlights the importance of wisdom and Proverbs often links wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

¹⁹ The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; ²⁰ By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew. Proverbs 3:19–20 (NKJV)

³ Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; ⁴ By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3–4 (NKJV)

As I have written before I connect these two passages to 1 Corinthians 12:28 where Paul speaks of the importance of apostles, prophets and teachers in building the church. As a practical application I regularly pray for apostolic wisdom, prophetic wisdom and teaching understanding. I see a distinction between practical wisdom, which we all should be seeking, and wisdom from above.

Over the years in conversation, I have many times made the distinction between wisdom and knowledge using the example of being on the road in the path of a moving vehicle. If I simply possess knowledge, I have the awareness that I need to move out of the way. Wisdom is moving. In our current cultural context, we know all of the things coming against the church. We need to apply wisdom to rightly respond. Yet we need more than practical wisdom. We don’t want to set aside or lose practical wisdom, we want to add to it wisdom from above.

James does two things in relation to wisdom, he exhorts us to ask God for it and he also contrasts earthly and godly wisdom, wisdom from above.

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 (NKJV)

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:13–18 (NKJV)

In contrasting these two types of wisdom James provides an easy way to discern the source of the wisdom. Earthly wisdom produces confusion, is sensual (literally soulish, in Greek) and doesn’t produce peace. Wisdom from above is marked by meekness (not weakness), purity, gentleness and a willingness to not fight over the wrong things. Wisdom from above is marked by peace rather than contention.

Now, we need to be careful to not confuse wisdom from above with passivity. Paul demonstrated wisdom from above in Galatians 2 when he publicly confronted Peter over his hypocrisy in relation to the gospel. Most of the New Testament letters are addressing issues in the church, applying wisdom from above. We are called to stand for truth. What James is getting at is not being contentious for the sake of furthering our own agenda.

Now, practical application. As I walk with Jesus, I cannot walk down the road of my culture where it is at odds with Him. This includes the current gender agenda, abortion and numerous other things. If I simply apply practical wisdom, I may speak out against them or simply refuse to endorse them. My actions may be different if I am seeking wisdom from above.

I will share a practical story I heard Steve Thompson share a few years ago. A friend of his was praying about what to do regarding an abortion clinic in his area. The Lord told him to become friends with the owner of the clinic (wisdom from above?). He reached out and began to develop a relationship. Over time he was to meet with the fellow one day and the Lord gave him a vision where he saw the man sitting at his kitchen table contemplating a plate of blue pills. When they met, he shared his vision with the man who ran the abortion clinic. The man who ran the clinic shared that he was suicidal over his lifestyle, repented, gave his heart to Jesus and closed the clinic. Wisdom from above. We may not be engaged in something this dramatic. We do however need to know how to respond to the many things we encounter in our daily walk in our culture. Let’s seek wisdom from above.

Whispers in our Spirit

Here I am going to look at whispers and how we discern the of the Lord. Whispers could also be described as little internal nudges or a sense to do or share something. The obvious issue that needs to be addressed is clarifying why the Lord isn’t clear in His communication. One response is something C. S. Lewis wrote many decades ago, “He cannot overwhelm. He can only woo.” The idea inherent in what Lewis stated was that there is an element of faith on our part and an element of drawing seeking hearts on His part. Adding to what can seem confusing is what scripture tells us. Look at the verses below.

¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 (NKJV)

¹⁹ Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 (NKJV)

³⁴ All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, ³⁵ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.” Matthew 13:34–35 (NKJV)

We see here that ‘repent’ and ‘follow Me’ are quite clear commands. We then have the obscurity of parables to the multitudes and then teachings in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) to the multitudes, which were quite clear.

Sorting through this requires recognizing that Jesus calls us into relationship with Himself and part of that relationship is learning to know His word, know His voice and develop a sensitivity to His presence. It is clear from the scriptures that we can and should hear His voice.

¹⁶And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. John 10:16

(NKJV)

²⁷My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27 (NKJV)

⁸Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8 (NKJV)

¹⁴For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. ¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, ¹⁶Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. Job 33:14-16 (NKJV)

Knowing He speaks and recognizing when it is Him speaking requires some understanding. We have likely all had the experience of sensing the need to call or reach out to someone and hearing something like, ‘I was just thinking about you.’ I have at times had an internal sense to call or write and encourage someone with something specific and have had them affirm that was just what they needed to hear. It requires faith/risk and I generally present what I am hearing by offering rather than telling.

My most recent experience in hearing His whisper in regard to praying for someone was in a church service this previous Sunday. During the worship time I had a sense I was to pray for a lady behind me and what I was to pray. I at first thought it was my own idea but there was a sense of persistence with it so I went back, asked if I could pray for her and when she agreed I prayed what I had felt I was to pray. She was very appreciative and said that what I had prayed was an answer to what she had asked the Lord about the previous day.

I have learned that when these ideas won’t ‘go away’ and carry of sense of ‘importance’ or ‘urgency’ that the prompting is from the Spirit. This comes out a relationship that has been cultivated over time. Another example comes from a recent interview I listened to with Carol Wimber. She was reflecting back on the events of the Vineyard when John was around. At one point she referenced how John received words of knowledge for others. She said they were simply impressions he had in his mind but he recognized that they were thoughts he wouldn’t think and they would benefit others so he assumed it was the Lord’s voice and acted accordingly. Something worked because from the time John Wimber began to lead the Vineyard in 1977 to his death in 1997 it grew from a handful of house churches to 700 congregations around the world. It wasn’t all about ‘whispers’ but a lot of it was.

Most of us likely want a little more than nudges or impressions. We want clarity and certainty. However, He doesn’t work that way for most of us. He woos us, He draws our hearts, and in many ways whispers, ‘Trust Me.’ When we do and take risks with what we think we are hearing we come to know His heart, which is really what this is about. We discern His heart for others and His heart for us. We come to understand that He wants all of us to participate in the building of His church. Given that His church is composed of people that means encouraging and building up one another through listening to whispers from His heart to ours.

So, listen for His voice. Ground yourself in His word. Weigh what you hear through His word and through godly counsel and go partner with Jesus in building His church!

A Talking Snake?

If you know your bible you obviously get my reference to Genesis 3. This is our introduction to the serpent in scripture. One of the tools atheists use to mock believers is to derisively refer to the foolishness of believing in a ‘talking snake.’ Holding to the importance and value of scripture and truth I think it is important to have a deeper understanding of the context of Genesis 3 and what happened. Like the atheists, I don’t believe in a snake coming up to Eve for a friendly dialogue.

The context is a good beginning point. The events of Genesis 3 took place in Eden. The rest of the planet was not like Eden, hence the command for humanity to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28). Eden was a garden and when we move forward in scripture, we discover that it was also a mountain (Isaiah 14:13, Ezekiel 28:14). If this is a new thought for you, it highlights the importance the ancient near eastern worldview of the culture in which Genesis was written. In the culture of the day the ‘gods’ lived in gardens and mountains. They were a place of abundance and remoteness. Much of the culture was subsistence based and people saw the ‘gods’ as having a much better life, hence the abundance of the garden and the inaccessibility of the mountain. We also have the reality that the cultural stories were also rooted in something real, creation and the fall.

As I write this I am in the mountains and the serious spring melt has not yet begun. When it does there will be an awful lot of water flowing to the valleys from the mountains. Eden had four rivers flowing out of it (Genesis 2:10). Physically my own view is that the ‘mountain of God’ had the garden at the base. Given that it was made inaccessible after the fall, and later disappeared at the flood, we won’t know in this lifetime. My point is really to place what happened in Genesis 3 within the historical cultural context.

Now, if you delve a little further into the population of the garden, like me, you may have had an image of Eden as a garden that was populated by Adam and Eve and a huge number of birds and animals. This is how I once viewed it with God visiting in the evening to walk and talk with Adam and Eve. The mountain and the garden represented God’s place of government on earth so there was likely a lot more going on then we tend to think. Hang onto your theological hats as I propose something. First some scriptures.

⁹ “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; ¹⁰ A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened. Daniel 7:9–10 (NKJV)

¹ After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” ² Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. ³ And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. ⁴ Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. ⁶ Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” ⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ¹¹ “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:1–11 (NKJV)

These two scriptures passages both depict throne room council scenes in heaven and in a limited way describe the myriad supernatural creatures that form Yahweh’s heavenly family and government. If Eden was God’s throne room on earth, then there was likely far more that Adam and Ever were exposed to than just the animals in the garden. Obviously, given their interactions with Yahweh, prior to the fall Adam and Eve could interact with more than the natural realm. While it is unlikely that they saw anything like Daniel and Revelation describe, these things were happening around them and they were likely exposed to other supernatural beings. Which brings us back to the serpent.

We begin to understand the serpent by examining Genesis 3:1.

¹ Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 (NKJV)

We have two important words here, serpent and cunning. Before looking at them I want to look at how we read this verse. I think in general when we read ‘any beast of the field’ we think of it as ‘any other beast of the field.’ However, the point being made is that the serpent was more cunning and was different than the beasts of the field. Some bible translations say ‘any other beast…’ but that reflects the theology of the translators not the Hebrew text. We aren’t dealing with a talking snake; we are dealing with a supernatural cunning being that either embodied a serpent or was a luminous being that looked like a serpent. We see echoes and memories of the Genesis event in a number of the surrounding cultures in that in them the serpent was a god or associated with the gods, a tree and wisdom.

The word serpent is nachash and refers to a snake or serpent and has hissing sound at the end of the word, as in the hissing of a snake. The word cunning is aruwm and refers to being cunning or subtle in a negative sense. While we know from Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 that this serpent is Satan, the adversary, all Eve knew was that she was interacting with a divine being who knew things beyond what the creatures of the field knew. My purpose in presenting all of this is twofold. One, there is often more going on in scripture than a casual reading suggests. Two, we need to discern, see the reality that lies behind appearances, and respond accordingly. The serpent’s agenda has not changed throughout human history. He seeks to comes to us and cast doubt on God’s word to make us stumble or rebel in our thoughts and actions. Let’s be alert, discerning and thus confident in His leading as we come to His word and interact with Him in the place of prayer.