Have you ever considered how God protected what Genesis 3:15 calls “the seed of the woman” through history? I can tell you that that seed was threatened many times. Although there are numerous examples, one example was that of Jeconiah. He was one of several wicked kings of Judah. When he was given a scroll containing the word of God -- which pronounced judgment on that evil man’s sins-- Jeconiah was not content to cut it up. He also burned it! As a result, God pronounced a curse on him and his descendants -- even though he was in the direct bloodline that was supposed to deliver a Messiah to the world at some future date.
So God had quite a dilemma. How was He going to let the Messiah come from David’s seed, as He had promised David, yet keep the blood of the evil Jeconiah from tainting the blood of the promised Messiah? How could that blood be worthy to later save you and me from our sins? But God is so wise! He simply let Mary carry the bloodline, biologically. Just like Joseph, Mary was also from the House of David. However, she was from the family of a different son of David, Nathan -- not Solomon, who was of the kingly line.
Yet, from a legal perspective, the king, i.e., the future Messiah, had to come from the bloodline of the son of David, and of Solomon, namely Jeconiah. Well, it was no problem to God. He caused Mary to get married to a man named Joseph. Joseph became Jesus’ earthly, legal father. Joseph WAS from the kingly line. So Jesus had the legal authority to be our coming King, but at the same time, His biological bloodline was that of Mary, from the line of Nathan, not Solomon and particularly not Jeconiah. God totally skipped Jeconiah -- from a biological perspective. Therefore, Jesus’ blood was untainted, undefiled, and uncontaminated. Only His blood was enough to cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness. Any other blood would have been a total waste.
Of course anyone else could have died on a cross, and many did in those days of Roman cruelty. But it would not have made any difference to us all these centuries later. Only the blood of Jesus of Nazareth was sufficient to forever remove our transgressions from us -- from as far as the east is from the west. Only His blood was enough to wipe out the rotten things in our past.
You may remember that I am an attorney who helps people who have experienced injuries due to car accidents. Before a client authorizes our office to file a lawsuit, I remind them that in a court of law, they will have virtually no secrets. All their “dirty laundry” will be out there -- fondled, sorted, and displayed by the defense attorney -- for all the world to see. I tell my client that there is really no one who is without skeletons in their closet. We all have things in our past which we wish had never happened -- things we wish we had never done.
While those things are still “alive” as far as the world is concerned, once we ask Jesus to come into our lives and dwell within us, to Him, it is as if they never happened. Theologians call it “justification,” or in other words, just as if you never sinned. When God sees us, He sees no dirty laundry. He sees no skeletons in our closet. He sees no faults. As Dottie Rambo wrote: “He sees us through the blood.” That perfect, pure blood of Jesus.
Oh how thankful I am for the blood of Jesus. If you have not already done so, ask Him into your heart today. Don’t go to bed tonight until you have made everything right with Jesus. Begin talking to Him, just as if He were in the room with you: “Dear Jesus. I am a sinner. I’ve made mistakes. I was wrong and I’m sorry. Please forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me from all of my unrighteousness. I give myself to you, heart, mind and soul. I pledge to serve you for the rest of my life.”
You will find the story of Jeconiah’s outrageous conduct in Jeremiah 36. I suggest you read it, perhaps even today. It shows us so many things, the importance of the blood, the importance of the Word of God, Jeremiah’s indefatigable spirit toward the things of God, and so many others.
May the world of God dwell in you richly today, and throughout eternity.
Your friend,
Roberta Potts
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Out of the Abundance of the Heart
If there was a “dark ages” for Israel, it began soon after Joshua died. The children of Israel had miraculously escaped Egypt. Despite wandering in the wilderness for so many years, they finally did reach the edge of the Promised Land in faith. Moses spent most of what we now know as the Book of Deuteronomy telling them what was expected of them once they crossed into the Promised Land. While he was not allowed to enter himself, he did leave the people with a well-prepared Joshua to lead them. And actually, as long as Joshua was at the helm, the children of Israel did pretty well.
Although they stopped short of conquering the entire plot of ground the Lord had set aside for them -- and although they refused to totally drive out the current inhabitants, for the most part, the children of Israel stayed true to the things of God. However, once Joshua went on to his well-deserved reward, the people were at a loss. The parents failed to teach their children about the things of God. Therefore, a new generation rose up with no clue as to the mighty things God had done for their parents. To my mind, the most haunting pronouncement in the entire book of Judges is this: “In those days ... everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) Sounds strangely 21st century.
You may remember that when the children of Israel first conquered their land, a few of the tribes stayed on the east side of the Jordan -- tribes like Manasseh and others -- as opposed to the majority of the tribes, who crossed the Jordan and conquered lands on the west side. Clearly the most famous part of Israel -- the Israel we think of today -- is all on the WEST side of the Jordan. However in the days of the judges, Israel had lands on the east side of the Jordan as well.
The land on the east side of the Jordan was as a whole referred to as Gilead (at least during this time in Israel’s history). The tribesmen in Gilead were at this time being terrorized by the Ammonites. If you were to travel to Amman, Jordan today you would be in the center of a geographical area in what was once controlled by the Ammonites. Like many 21st century Americans, when the Gileadites saw they had no other protection from these evil Ammonites, they at least knew enough to ask God for help. The Lord -- even with the knowledge that after the disaster was resolved, the people would return to their evil lifestyle -- graciously raised up a man by the name of Jephthah to deliver them. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah and sure enough, the Gileadites were in fact victorious against the Ammonites. In that decisive battle, they captured what the Bible refers to as the fords of the Jordan. The fords were critically important because they were the places where the river could easily be crossed. Certainly in the days long before airplanes and modern warfare, these areas were quite a catch for the conquering Gileadites!
At any rate, just when it seemed Gilead’s problems were over, the plot thickens when the Ephraimites -- one of the tribes of Israel living on the OTHER side of the Jordan -- crossed the river Jordan. Sadly, the ensuing conversation between the two groups sounds more like one between ten year olds than between warriors of Israel! I can just see the leader of the Ephraimites with his hand on his hips saying: “You didn’t ask us over here to help you fight the Ammonites!” Jephthah’s response was equally mature: “Well, we asked you over here once before to help us when we were in trouble -- and you never showed up!” Believe it or not, these fellow tribesmen actually fought a battle with each other over this dispute which could be only be referred to as trivial. The Lord must have felt rather like a father watching his two sons duke it out on the playground!
Well the winner of this second battle was Jephthah and the Gileadites. So picture the scene. Now the surviving Ephraimites, probably wondering why they ever bothered to cross the Jordan in the first place, attempt to “slink back” home with their tails between their legs. Now the Gileadites faced a dilemna. They certainly didn’t want the survivors of their present enemy -- the Ephraimites -- to escape justice by crossing the river. However, how were they to tell the enemies apart from their own men? After all, they were all Israeli tribesmen. It would be similar to putting a New Yorker and a Floridian in a room together. Would you stake your life on being able to distinguish which one was from which state? I wouldn’t! The Gileadites had the same problem.
But the Gileadites quickly came up with a system which has been used in warfare and even other contexts all through history ever since. Just like Americans, different areas of Israel had come to pronounce certain words a little differently. The Hebrew word for a stalk of grain such as an ear of corn, was “shibboleth.” If you were from Gilead, you pronounced the “sh” as we would pronounce “shoe.” However, if you were from Ephraim, the word was pronounced “sibboleth” -- without the “sh” sound.”
So when the vanquished Ephraimites attempted to escape across the river, I imagine something like this occurred: the Gileadite soldier would hold up an ear of corn and say: “What is this?” If the answer was “shibboleth,” the man would be allowed to pass unharmed. However, if the answer was “sibboleth,” he was held for further questioning ... or whatever!
Up until perhaps the last sixty or so years, most Americans knew what “speaking the shibboleth” meant. Somehow, the term seems to have fallen into disuse. At any rate, it basically means something in your language or speech which quickly distinguishes you from someone else. For example, if I were invited to a party for lawyers, since I am a practicing attorney myself, I might start say in a conversation with another guest: “Last week I had to interplead one of my cases” or “You won’t believe what the tortfeaasor did in one of my cases” or “I had to settle one of my contracts on a quantum meruit basis.” If the other party responded with a totally blank look on his or her face, it wouldn’t take me very long to realize that that guest simply was not an attorney. Why? He didn’t speak the shibboleth!
But this system of recognition or categorizing others has been used more often in military situations. I found an interesting story of a former American World War II nurse who was stationed in France right at the end of the war with Germany. She received a 3-day pass into Paris. Once she arrived at the checkpoint, however, she realized that she had forgotten the password and thought she would have to return to camp, thus wasting her three days. However, the American soldier at the checkpoint saved the day. He asked her to name ten baseball teams. Thankfully, she loved baseball and was able to name enough teams to convince the guard that she just could not possibly be a German spy. She spoke the shibboleth!
I suppose refraining from curse words and the like would be an obvious application of this story for us, however, I think the meaning to our lives should clearly stretch beyond what we don’t say to what we DO say, particularly in the 21st century. While perhaps refraining from usage of certain words was formerly a marker of a Christian, I am sorry to say that may not always be the case during these last days. Further, it unfortunately no longer sets us apart even to mention to the listener that we plan to attend an upcoming church service, for our pews seem to be filled these days with “Christian lookalikes, i.e., those who may talk the talk, but certainly do not walk the walk. Speaking the shibboleth as a Christian, then, must go beyond the above.
One way to definitively distinguish ourselves these days appears to be something like the following: A co-worker looks down in the mouth. After prodding, you determine that his wife is ill with cancer. Without any forethought, your first response is to ask for the spouse’s name -- “so I can be praying for her.”
In less than a minute of conversation, you have distinguished yourself as a believing Christian who actually cares about the needs of others. Obviously this should be said with a sincere heart, but the point is that without much hullabaloo -- like carrying around a huge King James Bible wherever we go! -- we can speak the shibboleth of the Lord. People can know almost immediately who we really are and what drives us. I think the story is an interesting reminder of the truth of Jesus’ words: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)
Although they stopped short of conquering the entire plot of ground the Lord had set aside for them -- and although they refused to totally drive out the current inhabitants, for the most part, the children of Israel stayed true to the things of God. However, once Joshua went on to his well-deserved reward, the people were at a loss. The parents failed to teach their children about the things of God. Therefore, a new generation rose up with no clue as to the mighty things God had done for their parents. To my mind, the most haunting pronouncement in the entire book of Judges is this: “In those days ... everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) Sounds strangely 21st century.
You may remember that when the children of Israel first conquered their land, a few of the tribes stayed on the east side of the Jordan -- tribes like Manasseh and others -- as opposed to the majority of the tribes, who crossed the Jordan and conquered lands on the west side. Clearly the most famous part of Israel -- the Israel we think of today -- is all on the WEST side of the Jordan. However in the days of the judges, Israel had lands on the east side of the Jordan as well.
The land on the east side of the Jordan was as a whole referred to as Gilead (at least during this time in Israel’s history). The tribesmen in Gilead were at this time being terrorized by the Ammonites. If you were to travel to Amman, Jordan today you would be in the center of a geographical area in what was once controlled by the Ammonites. Like many 21st century Americans, when the Gileadites saw they had no other protection from these evil Ammonites, they at least knew enough to ask God for help. The Lord -- even with the knowledge that after the disaster was resolved, the people would return to their evil lifestyle -- graciously raised up a man by the name of Jephthah to deliver them. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah and sure enough, the Gileadites were in fact victorious against the Ammonites. In that decisive battle, they captured what the Bible refers to as the fords of the Jordan. The fords were critically important because they were the places where the river could easily be crossed. Certainly in the days long before airplanes and modern warfare, these areas were quite a catch for the conquering Gileadites!
At any rate, just when it seemed Gilead’s problems were over, the plot thickens when the Ephraimites -- one of the tribes of Israel living on the OTHER side of the Jordan -- crossed the river Jordan. Sadly, the ensuing conversation between the two groups sounds more like one between ten year olds than between warriors of Israel! I can just see the leader of the Ephraimites with his hand on his hips saying: “You didn’t ask us over here to help you fight the Ammonites!” Jephthah’s response was equally mature: “Well, we asked you over here once before to help us when we were in trouble -- and you never showed up!” Believe it or not, these fellow tribesmen actually fought a battle with each other over this dispute which could be only be referred to as trivial. The Lord must have felt rather like a father watching his two sons duke it out on the playground!
Well the winner of this second battle was Jephthah and the Gileadites. So picture the scene. Now the surviving Ephraimites, probably wondering why they ever bothered to cross the Jordan in the first place, attempt to “slink back” home with their tails between their legs. Now the Gileadites faced a dilemna. They certainly didn’t want the survivors of their present enemy -- the Ephraimites -- to escape justice by crossing the river. However, how were they to tell the enemies apart from their own men? After all, they were all Israeli tribesmen. It would be similar to putting a New Yorker and a Floridian in a room together. Would you stake your life on being able to distinguish which one was from which state? I wouldn’t! The Gileadites had the same problem.
But the Gileadites quickly came up with a system which has been used in warfare and even other contexts all through history ever since. Just like Americans, different areas of Israel had come to pronounce certain words a little differently. The Hebrew word for a stalk of grain such as an ear of corn, was “shibboleth.” If you were from Gilead, you pronounced the “sh” as we would pronounce “shoe.” However, if you were from Ephraim, the word was pronounced “sibboleth” -- without the “sh” sound.”
So when the vanquished Ephraimites attempted to escape across the river, I imagine something like this occurred: the Gileadite soldier would hold up an ear of corn and say: “What is this?” If the answer was “shibboleth,” the man would be allowed to pass unharmed. However, if the answer was “sibboleth,” he was held for further questioning ... or whatever!
Up until perhaps the last sixty or so years, most Americans knew what “speaking the shibboleth” meant. Somehow, the term seems to have fallen into disuse. At any rate, it basically means something in your language or speech which quickly distinguishes you from someone else. For example, if I were invited to a party for lawyers, since I am a practicing attorney myself, I might start say in a conversation with another guest: “Last week I had to interplead one of my cases” or “You won’t believe what the tortfeaasor did in one of my cases” or “I had to settle one of my contracts on a quantum meruit basis.” If the other party responded with a totally blank look on his or her face, it wouldn’t take me very long to realize that that guest simply was not an attorney. Why? He didn’t speak the shibboleth!
But this system of recognition or categorizing others has been used more often in military situations. I found an interesting story of a former American World War II nurse who was stationed in France right at the end of the war with Germany. She received a 3-day pass into Paris. Once she arrived at the checkpoint, however, she realized that she had forgotten the password and thought she would have to return to camp, thus wasting her three days. However, the American soldier at the checkpoint saved the day. He asked her to name ten baseball teams. Thankfully, she loved baseball and was able to name enough teams to convince the guard that she just could not possibly be a German spy. She spoke the shibboleth!
I suppose refraining from curse words and the like would be an obvious application of this story for us, however, I think the meaning to our lives should clearly stretch beyond what we don’t say to what we DO say, particularly in the 21st century. While perhaps refraining from usage of certain words was formerly a marker of a Christian, I am sorry to say that may not always be the case during these last days. Further, it unfortunately no longer sets us apart even to mention to the listener that we plan to attend an upcoming church service, for our pews seem to be filled these days with “Christian lookalikes, i.e., those who may talk the talk, but certainly do not walk the walk. Speaking the shibboleth as a Christian, then, must go beyond the above.
One way to definitively distinguish ourselves these days appears to be something like the following: A co-worker looks down in the mouth. After prodding, you determine that his wife is ill with cancer. Without any forethought, your first response is to ask for the spouse’s name -- “so I can be praying for her.”
In less than a minute of conversation, you have distinguished yourself as a believing Christian who actually cares about the needs of others. Obviously this should be said with a sincere heart, but the point is that without much hullabaloo -- like carrying around a huge King James Bible wherever we go! -- we can speak the shibboleth of the Lord. People can know almost immediately who we really are and what drives us. I think the story is an interesting reminder of the truth of Jesus’ words: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
BEWARE -- NOT FOR ITCHING EARS
It is so incredibly easy to fret and complain about the selfishness in the world today. So many people seem so self-absorbed. Of course the moment I start complaining about such things, the Lord has a way of reminding me of my OWN selfishness! So in an effort to come up with a way to improve myself in this area, I decided to study 1 Corinthians 13 again. The only problem is that I’ve read it so many times in the past, I’ve heard the scripture recited in weddings over and over, I've heard the chapter quoted by pastors so often -- that the actual verses have almost become a litany -- without anything which actually soaks through my thick head. (Okay, I admit it. I'm a slow learner when it comes to this subject!)
Therefore, below is my rendition of that chapter -- with a twist. It’s sort of what you could call the Love Chapter “according to Roberta.” Now for all you purists out there, here's my disclaimer. (You are aware that lawyers are handy with disclaimers!) I am not adding to or attempting to change scripture. This is simply my attempt to change the wording just enough -- while keeping a Biblical thought pattern -- so that maybe, just maybe, it will have an effect on my conduct.
These days when I start to get huffy or difficult to deal with -- which my husband will tell you happens all too often -- I try to remember to re-read the following. So far, it seems to be helping. I would be interested in the comments of those brave individuals who have the audacity to continue reading from this point forward:
1. Say it in love. Otherwise, you just annoy others -- every time you open your mouth.
2. No matter how spiritual you think you are, you have little value to the Kingdom of God if you don’t show love.
3. If it isn’t based on the love in your heart, all your giving and sacrificing for the Lord is cancelled out. God is NOT impressed.
4. Be patient when you’re frustrated, something goes wrong, or you don’t get what you want. It’s not all about you!
5. Be kind even when you feel like having a hissy fit.
6. Don’t feel bad against someone who seems to have things easier than you. Trust God to work things out for you at the right time -- even if it takes years.
7. It’s okay to announce it to the people you love when you feel you’ve really done something great. However, tell the bare facts WITHOUT pumping yourself up.
8. Don’t think too much of yourself. Take a fresh, close look in the mirror often -- to see who you really are.
9. When you feel like spouting off, think of Jesus sitting beside you as you begin to open your mouth.
10. Be concerned about others’ needs more than your own. Put yourself in the OTHER GUY’S shoes.
11. Hold yourself back from flying off the handle, no matter what the provocation. Love DESPITE the situation.
12. Don’t keep a mental list of the faults and foibles of others.
13. Be happy when the truth is revealed.
14. Protect others from harm. Don’t pick on them.
15. Trust God for the faults of others to be corrected. You can’t be the Holy Spirit to them.
16. Hope for the best.
17. Keep at it. Don’t give up!
18. Grow up and get over yourself!
19. Someday we’ll understand lots of things that we don’t have a clue about today. For now though, recognize that there are all sorts of things happening that you have no way of knowing about. Let God work behind the scenes on your behalf. Focus on what YOU’RE supposed to do and not on the faults of others.
I hope this helps in YOUR quest to be full of love.
God bless you,
Roberta
Therefore, below is my rendition of that chapter -- with a twist. It’s sort of what you could call the Love Chapter “according to Roberta.” Now for all you purists out there, here's my disclaimer. (You are aware that lawyers are handy with disclaimers!) I am not adding to or attempting to change scripture. This is simply my attempt to change the wording just enough -- while keeping a Biblical thought pattern -- so that maybe, just maybe, it will have an effect on my conduct.
These days when I start to get huffy or difficult to deal with -- which my husband will tell you happens all too often -- I try to remember to re-read the following. So far, it seems to be helping. I would be interested in the comments of those brave individuals who have the audacity to continue reading from this point forward:
1. Say it in love. Otherwise, you just annoy others -- every time you open your mouth.
2. No matter how spiritual you think you are, you have little value to the Kingdom of God if you don’t show love.
3. If it isn’t based on the love in your heart, all your giving and sacrificing for the Lord is cancelled out. God is NOT impressed.
4. Be patient when you’re frustrated, something goes wrong, or you don’t get what you want. It’s not all about you!
5. Be kind even when you feel like having a hissy fit.
6. Don’t feel bad against someone who seems to have things easier than you. Trust God to work things out for you at the right time -- even if it takes years.
7. It’s okay to announce it to the people you love when you feel you’ve really done something great. However, tell the bare facts WITHOUT pumping yourself up.
8. Don’t think too much of yourself. Take a fresh, close look in the mirror often -- to see who you really are.
9. When you feel like spouting off, think of Jesus sitting beside you as you begin to open your mouth.
10. Be concerned about others’ needs more than your own. Put yourself in the OTHER GUY’S shoes.
11. Hold yourself back from flying off the handle, no matter what the provocation. Love DESPITE the situation.
12. Don’t keep a mental list of the faults and foibles of others.
13. Be happy when the truth is revealed.
14. Protect others from harm. Don’t pick on them.
15. Trust God for the faults of others to be corrected. You can’t be the Holy Spirit to them.
16. Hope for the best.
17. Keep at it. Don’t give up!
18. Grow up and get over yourself!
19. Someday we’ll understand lots of things that we don’t have a clue about today. For now though, recognize that there are all sorts of things happening that you have no way of knowing about. Let God work behind the scenes on your behalf. Focus on what YOU’RE supposed to do and not on the faults of others.
I hope this helps in YOUR quest to be full of love.
God bless you,
Roberta
Sunday, January 31, 2010
You Can Take This Stuff To The Bank!
When I was in college at Oral Roberts University, I majored in history. To some, that may seem like a strange choice, I mean, how boring, right? The truth is that at the time, I chose history because if I had to study anything, the most interesting and easy thing for me to learn was history. After all, if you got much beyond “2 + 2 = 4,” it was a sad story as I have always been a fuzzy, not a techie. It was not until years later, though, when I began to realize that history is incredibly more than a bunch of pointless facts and dates. The truth is that we have no hope of understanding the geopolitical, economic or even social situation of our world in the year 2010 without a decent grasp of history. If Hitler had understood European history, for example, he would have remembered Napolean’s terrible retreat across Russia in the wintertime. The Russians’ defense against Napolean in the 1800’s and later against Hitler in the 1900’s was what is referred to as their "scorched earth policy." Having apparently learned nothing from Napolean’s defeat, Hitler’s men repeated it, many dying in the snow in their summer uniforms. Hitler’s problem? He didn’t pay attention to history!
Similarly, we wonder if, due to the economic woes, we’re going to be jobless. We worry about whether or not we and our children will be safe. We wonder if we’ll have enough money to do what we need to do. Much of this could be avoided -- winter wools could be made available for us in the winter, if you will -- by studying the history of God. Consider the following:
God promised David that the Messiah would be one of his descendants, and He was!
Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would live in the Galilee, and He did!
The psalmist said the Messiah would teach using parables -- and He did!
David said the Messiah would be hated without reason -- and He was!
Zechariah said the Messiah would enter the City of Jerusalem as a king and yet at the same time appear to be gentle, riding a donkey, and He did!
The very fact that Jesus’ miracles included the healing of people who had lost their sight (as opposed to people with other maladies) was a proof in itself that when God promises, He delivers. Isaiah described the ministry of the Messiah as one in which the eyes of the blind would be opened. About 700 years later, Jesus healed a man born blind (see John 9). Even the evil leaders dared not deny this miracle when the man’s own parents confirmed it! Then look what the formerly blind man said when confronted: “Since the world began, it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.” The Old Testament includes some healings, for example, from leprosy, barrenness, and an individual with a withered hand. Both Elijah and Elisha even raised children from the dead. However, I cannot find any passage in the Old Testament where blind people were healed. That specific kind of healing was reserved for a later day, one which Hebrews 11:40 described generally as “something better for us.” And it happened!
Balaam, a reluctant prophet, predicted a star coming out of Israel. Not only did the star show up at Jesus’ birth as predicted, but it was seen by witnesses (the wise men) many miles to the east of tiny Israel!
Jesus' folks had to flee their homeland and go to Egypt, but God promised Hosea the Messiah would be called out of Egypt, and He was!
The sayings of Nostradamus and other so-called “seers” were so vague they are often claimed to have predicted many different events in just about every century since! For example, in Quatrain 4, he predicts “a king who will have little peace and a short life.” I could find any number of examples of such kings from world history. I mean couldn't he have been a little more specific? Conversely, God’s promises were quite explicit. If HIS promises hadn't been kept, it would have been a dead giveaway. For example, Micah could have simply predicted that the Messiah would be born in, say, the southern part of Israel. Instead, Micah stated specifically that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. Did you know there were two Bethlehems? One was in northern Israel and the other in the south, just a few miles from Jerusalem. So in fact, this promise was incredibly precise. It didn’t just say “Bethlehem.” It said: “Bethlehem Ephrathah." It stipulated which Bethlehem -- and of course that’s exactly where Jesus was born -- exactly like Micah said!
David said the Messiah would be betrayed and sold by one believed to be his friend; and Zechariah told us in advance the exact price of the betrayal (30 pieces of silver). It happened just as they said!
And the above represent only a few of the over 100 specific prophecies which were fulfilled precisely. So what’s the bottom line? When God promises you something, you can take it to the bank! You can rest in it because you KNOW it’s true. It’s not hope so, maybe so, I think so, if God’s in the mood. No, it will happen!
How do you judge someone’s character? By their history. For example, how do you know your best friend can be trusted? By what they have done or perhaps not done in the past. In the same way, God has revealed HIS character to us by HIS history.
Often when we are told of the numerous predictions of the Messiah, we see it as a “ho-hum” proposition. “Oh well, that happened centuries ago. That’s old news and has nothing to do with me today.” I submit, however, that it has a great deal to do with your life right now in 2010 -- for if God kept His promises in the past, He’ll keep His promises to you now. The promises to us now are just as true and just as real!
So don't be discouraged. Trust in Him, knowing that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Rest in that promise, knowing you can take this stuff to the bank!
Similarly, we wonder if, due to the economic woes, we’re going to be jobless. We worry about whether or not we and our children will be safe. We wonder if we’ll have enough money to do what we need to do. Much of this could be avoided -- winter wools could be made available for us in the winter, if you will -- by studying the history of God. Consider the following:
God promised David that the Messiah would be one of his descendants, and He was!
Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would live in the Galilee, and He did!
The psalmist said the Messiah would teach using parables -- and He did!
David said the Messiah would be hated without reason -- and He was!
Zechariah said the Messiah would enter the City of Jerusalem as a king and yet at the same time appear to be gentle, riding a donkey, and He did!
The very fact that Jesus’ miracles included the healing of people who had lost their sight (as opposed to people with other maladies) was a proof in itself that when God promises, He delivers. Isaiah described the ministry of the Messiah as one in which the eyes of the blind would be opened. About 700 years later, Jesus healed a man born blind (see John 9). Even the evil leaders dared not deny this miracle when the man’s own parents confirmed it! Then look what the formerly blind man said when confronted: “Since the world began, it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.” The Old Testament includes some healings, for example, from leprosy, barrenness, and an individual with a withered hand. Both Elijah and Elisha even raised children from the dead. However, I cannot find any passage in the Old Testament where blind people were healed. That specific kind of healing was reserved for a later day, one which Hebrews 11:40 described generally as “something better for us.” And it happened!
Balaam, a reluctant prophet, predicted a star coming out of Israel. Not only did the star show up at Jesus’ birth as predicted, but it was seen by witnesses (the wise men) many miles to the east of tiny Israel!
Jesus' folks had to flee their homeland and go to Egypt, but God promised Hosea the Messiah would be called out of Egypt, and He was!
The sayings of Nostradamus and other so-called “seers” were so vague they are often claimed to have predicted many different events in just about every century since! For example, in Quatrain 4, he predicts “a king who will have little peace and a short life.” I could find any number of examples of such kings from world history. I mean couldn't he have been a little more specific? Conversely, God’s promises were quite explicit. If HIS promises hadn't been kept, it would have been a dead giveaway. For example, Micah could have simply predicted that the Messiah would be born in, say, the southern part of Israel. Instead, Micah stated specifically that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah. Did you know there were two Bethlehems? One was in northern Israel and the other in the south, just a few miles from Jerusalem. So in fact, this promise was incredibly precise. It didn’t just say “Bethlehem.” It said: “Bethlehem Ephrathah." It stipulated which Bethlehem -- and of course that’s exactly where Jesus was born -- exactly like Micah said!
David said the Messiah would be betrayed and sold by one believed to be his friend; and Zechariah told us in advance the exact price of the betrayal (30 pieces of silver). It happened just as they said!
And the above represent only a few of the over 100 specific prophecies which were fulfilled precisely. So what’s the bottom line? When God promises you something, you can take it to the bank! You can rest in it because you KNOW it’s true. It’s not hope so, maybe so, I think so, if God’s in the mood. No, it will happen!
How do you judge someone’s character? By their history. For example, how do you know your best friend can be trusted? By what they have done or perhaps not done in the past. In the same way, God has revealed HIS character to us by HIS history.
Often when we are told of the numerous predictions of the Messiah, we see it as a “ho-hum” proposition. “Oh well, that happened centuries ago. That’s old news and has nothing to do with me today.” I submit, however, that it has a great deal to do with your life right now in 2010 -- for if God kept His promises in the past, He’ll keep His promises to you now. The promises to us now are just as true and just as real!
So don't be discouraged. Trust in Him, knowing that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Rest in that promise, knowing you can take this stuff to the bank!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
My Father - Oral Roberts
I suppose each of you know by now that my father, Oral Roberts, has graduated to Heaven. Of course there are many things I could say about my dad. Here are three of them:
1. All through his life, Dad made a decision to focus -- and his focus was on the needs of people. When he was asked to pray for a person with a need, he wasn't thinking about the meeting he had been in that morning, nor the sermon he planned to preach that evening. He wasn't looking over that person's shoulder to see who else might be in the room. He wasn't on Twitter, he didn't stop to answer his cell phone, he wasn't texting and he certainly wasn't thinking about what my mother might have needed him to pick up at the grocery store! He made a decision to focus on one thing and one thing only -- the need of the person for whom he was praying. Yes, perhaps some of that was a talent, but I believe most of it was a decision he made -- a decision to focus.
Our twenty-first century society could learn a lesson from my dad. In my view, multi-tasking is highly overrated. Have you ever walked into a restaurant and viewed two people (usually women, I am sorry to say) who are sitting across from each other at a table and both of them are on their cell phones talking to someone else? What about channel surfing on our televisions? Need I say that texting while driving is multi-tasking run amok?
The scripture talks about setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2). This tells me (among other things) that if we really desire to do so, we can choose to set our minds on one subject at a time -- similar to tuning a radio onto a certain station or choosing one channel on our televisions. Until we learn to focus on the needs of people, our value to God and to His Kingdom is limited.
2. Dad was asked in a recent interview what appeared to be a rather rare question for an evangelist: "Mr. Roberts, do you fear anything?" The question concerned me. I wondered how in the world Dad was going to respond to that! But he did not hesitate. He responded: "Oh, yes. I fear that I won't obey God."
Many people absolutely hated my father. Some made fun of him relentlessly. He used to say that when he died, no one would have to preach his funeral because the media had been preaching it for years! Conversely, others idolized him and made him sound like a god. They hung on his every word -- as if he had a more direct pipeline to God than could they. Of course now that Dad's no longer with us on the earth, people seem to forget all of their criticisms -- or at least they don't repeat them to my face! But honestly, the most dangerous comments -- in my view -- are those which tend to idolize him. He would have been the first to shun such words. The truth is that he was just a man who did his dead-level best to obey God. Did he obey God perfectly, every single time throughout his entire life? I doubt it. And yet, I can honestly say as one pretty familiar with his good points and his bad points, that he did everything he knew to do to obey God. No one who really knew him could honestly deny that he had feet of clay -- just like the rest of us. However, despite his faults, I can honestly say that obedience to God as he understood what God's voice was saying was the absolute hallmark of his life.
Dad always told me to be eclectic -- to take the good I see in others or maybe in a sermon I heard, throw out the bad and take action with regard to the good points -- or the truths therein. While it is serious error to make my father sound like a perfect human being, it is also a terrible mistake to throw out what he accomplished for the bodies and souls of the men and women of his generation. I would say the best thing each of us can do --particularly now that he is no longer available to us on the earth, is to become students of his example, one part of which was his incredible desire and success in obeying the voice of God. Each of us needs to ask ourselves whether we are in fact obeying God. Are we -- for the most part -- carrying out the vision He has put in our own lives? Are we doing what He told us to do? Is that our passion?
3. In the 1960's, college students in many American universities were burning down administration buildings all over the country. There was a tremendous amount of unrest on college campuses. It was during that time that Dad began building God a university. The Lord had spoken to my father many years before, stating that some day he was to build a university, however, the time for actually carrying it out did not come until the 1960's. Specifically, the Lord said to Dad: "Build Me a University. Build it on My authority, and on the Holy Spirit. Raise up your students to hear My voice, to go where My light is dim, where My voice is heard small, and My healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased." At any rate, with the help of the Lord and wonderful folks whom Dad referred to as his "partners," he did build God a university.
In 1969, I was privileged to attend Oral Roberts University where I obtained an undergraduate degree in History, then later, a law degree from the O.W. Coburn School of Law. While a student at Oral Roberts University I heard over and over that we were to go into every person's world. Dad used to talk about the fact that there were many different "worlds." For example, the legal world. While I did not totally grasp the concept as a student, I now realize that as a lawyer, I have an entree into the legal world. My clients listen to my advice because I have a law degree on my wall. I can call a lawyer who is a stranger to me and that lawyer will receive my telephone call -- because I am a fellow lawyer. The legal world is one which in many respects has its own language.
What Dad understood -- which many godly folks have not understood in the past -- is that without an education, we have no entree into many of the worlds which exist. Without an education, we have no way to possibly go "into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15). Certain worlds will not receive us. We have no entree. I praise God for Oral Roberts University. ORU's fight song, written by a beloved man of God, Vep Ellis, still rings in my soul: "May her torch still burn at the Lord's return, and count for eternity." I am grateful to the Lord for what the alumni of Oral Roberts University have accomplished previously, what they ARE accomplishing and what they will CONTINUE to accomplish to change the hearts of oh, so many.
Many non-Christians have said to me: Oh, I'm so sorry that you lost your father. My response: "I really appreciate your kindness. The truth is, however that I haven't lost him. I know exactly where he is. He's in Heaven and I will see him again one day soon!"
Do you know your way to Heaven? Please don't fall for the lies you hear on the news, in the movies and even from some preachers these days. The truth is that everyone is not going to Heaven for "there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Saved from what? Saved from Hell. While I will not describe in gruesome detail exactly what Hell is, suffice it to say, you don't want to go there. The Bible says that all you have to do to escape Hell is to believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God. Call upon His name, listen to His voice, and He WILL give you the gift of eternal life so that you can go to Heaven some day. I hope and pray that if you have not already done so, that you will call on the name of Jesus to save you today. If you make this decision, I hope you will contact me at : robertajpottslaw@att.net. God bless you.
1. All through his life, Dad made a decision to focus -- and his focus was on the needs of people. When he was asked to pray for a person with a need, he wasn't thinking about the meeting he had been in that morning, nor the sermon he planned to preach that evening. He wasn't looking over that person's shoulder to see who else might be in the room. He wasn't on Twitter, he didn't stop to answer his cell phone, he wasn't texting and he certainly wasn't thinking about what my mother might have needed him to pick up at the grocery store! He made a decision to focus on one thing and one thing only -- the need of the person for whom he was praying. Yes, perhaps some of that was a talent, but I believe most of it was a decision he made -- a decision to focus.
Our twenty-first century society could learn a lesson from my dad. In my view, multi-tasking is highly overrated. Have you ever walked into a restaurant and viewed two people (usually women, I am sorry to say) who are sitting across from each other at a table and both of them are on their cell phones talking to someone else? What about channel surfing on our televisions? Need I say that texting while driving is multi-tasking run amok?
The scripture talks about setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2). This tells me (among other things) that if we really desire to do so, we can choose to set our minds on one subject at a time -- similar to tuning a radio onto a certain station or choosing one channel on our televisions. Until we learn to focus on the needs of people, our value to God and to His Kingdom is limited.
2. Dad was asked in a recent interview what appeared to be a rather rare question for an evangelist: "Mr. Roberts, do you fear anything?" The question concerned me. I wondered how in the world Dad was going to respond to that! But he did not hesitate. He responded: "Oh, yes. I fear that I won't obey God."
Many people absolutely hated my father. Some made fun of him relentlessly. He used to say that when he died, no one would have to preach his funeral because the media had been preaching it for years! Conversely, others idolized him and made him sound like a god. They hung on his every word -- as if he had a more direct pipeline to God than could they. Of course now that Dad's no longer with us on the earth, people seem to forget all of their criticisms -- or at least they don't repeat them to my face! But honestly, the most dangerous comments -- in my view -- are those which tend to idolize him. He would have been the first to shun such words. The truth is that he was just a man who did his dead-level best to obey God. Did he obey God perfectly, every single time throughout his entire life? I doubt it. And yet, I can honestly say as one pretty familiar with his good points and his bad points, that he did everything he knew to do to obey God. No one who really knew him could honestly deny that he had feet of clay -- just like the rest of us. However, despite his faults, I can honestly say that obedience to God as he understood what God's voice was saying was the absolute hallmark of his life.
Dad always told me to be eclectic -- to take the good I see in others or maybe in a sermon I heard, throw out the bad and take action with regard to the good points -- or the truths therein. While it is serious error to make my father sound like a perfect human being, it is also a terrible mistake to throw out what he accomplished for the bodies and souls of the men and women of his generation. I would say the best thing each of us can do --particularly now that he is no longer available to us on the earth, is to become students of his example, one part of which was his incredible desire and success in obeying the voice of God. Each of us needs to ask ourselves whether we are in fact obeying God. Are we -- for the most part -- carrying out the vision He has put in our own lives? Are we doing what He told us to do? Is that our passion?
3. In the 1960's, college students in many American universities were burning down administration buildings all over the country. There was a tremendous amount of unrest on college campuses. It was during that time that Dad began building God a university. The Lord had spoken to my father many years before, stating that some day he was to build a university, however, the time for actually carrying it out did not come until the 1960's. Specifically, the Lord said to Dad: "Build Me a University. Build it on My authority, and on the Holy Spirit. Raise up your students to hear My voice, to go where My light is dim, where My voice is heard small, and My healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased." At any rate, with the help of the Lord and wonderful folks whom Dad referred to as his "partners," he did build God a university.
In 1969, I was privileged to attend Oral Roberts University where I obtained an undergraduate degree in History, then later, a law degree from the O.W. Coburn School of Law. While a student at Oral Roberts University I heard over and over that we were to go into every person's world. Dad used to talk about the fact that there were many different "worlds." For example, the legal world. While I did not totally grasp the concept as a student, I now realize that as a lawyer, I have an entree into the legal world. My clients listen to my advice because I have a law degree on my wall. I can call a lawyer who is a stranger to me and that lawyer will receive my telephone call -- because I am a fellow lawyer. The legal world is one which in many respects has its own language.
What Dad understood -- which many godly folks have not understood in the past -- is that without an education, we have no entree into many of the worlds which exist. Without an education, we have no way to possibly go "into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15). Certain worlds will not receive us. We have no entree. I praise God for Oral Roberts University. ORU's fight song, written by a beloved man of God, Vep Ellis, still rings in my soul: "May her torch still burn at the Lord's return, and count for eternity." I am grateful to the Lord for what the alumni of Oral Roberts University have accomplished previously, what they ARE accomplishing and what they will CONTINUE to accomplish to change the hearts of oh, so many.
Many non-Christians have said to me: Oh, I'm so sorry that you lost your father. My response: "I really appreciate your kindness. The truth is, however that I haven't lost him. I know exactly where he is. He's in Heaven and I will see him again one day soon!"
Do you know your way to Heaven? Please don't fall for the lies you hear on the news, in the movies and even from some preachers these days. The truth is that everyone is not going to Heaven for "there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Saved from what? Saved from Hell. While I will not describe in gruesome detail exactly what Hell is, suffice it to say, you don't want to go there. The Bible says that all you have to do to escape Hell is to believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God. Call upon His name, listen to His voice, and He WILL give you the gift of eternal life so that you can go to Heaven some day. I hope and pray that if you have not already done so, that you will call on the name of Jesus to save you today. If you make this decision, I hope you will contact me at : robertajpottslaw@att.net. God bless you.
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