From Gary... Timing is EVERYTHING

When I worked for Degussa, a group of us used to meet in the biocides lab in the morning for the "unveiling". One of the chemists there had a daily calendar from Gary Larson's "Far Side" and made a production out of ripping off a page to read the latest cartoon.  And, sometimes they were VERY FUNNY!!!  One of the members of this little group was a field technical service representative, whose name escapes me for the moment (I will probably remember it before I go to bed tonight).  He had a saying:"Timing is EVERYTHING".  And, to a certain extent this is true. Positively true for the person who took this picture. But, hey, sometimes you are just in the right place at the right time.  The other day, Jay Whalen, who was my next door neighbor when we lived in Jamesburg, NJ, made a comment about one of my posts.  It seemed like "old times" to hear from him and so this morning when I looked at this picture, I was reminded that on Friday evenings about 7 p.m. the planes headed North (to New York City?) would fly over head.  So, we could have possibly taken a shot like the one above - who knows?  Sometimes, the impossible becomes reality and it God's case he can do ANYTHING THAT DOES NOT VIOLATE HIS NATURE!!!  This includes predicting the future and working in ways that are beyond our feeble capability to understand.  Admittedly, some of this is difficult to take in, but read on anyway...

Daniel, Chapter 9

 24 Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.  25 Know therefore and discern, that from the going out of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times. 26 After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and its end shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined.  27 He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate; and even to the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out on the desolate. 

Acts, Chapter 1

 1 The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,  2 until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.  3 To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom.  4 Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me.   5  For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 

  6  Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 

  7  He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority.   8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” 

  9  When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.  10 While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing,  11 who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.” 

Galatians, Chapter 4

 1 But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;  2 but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.  3 So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world.  4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, 5 that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.  6 And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”  7 So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Hebrews, Chapter 1

  1 God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.  3 His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;  4 having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have.  5 For to which of the angels did he say at any time, 

“You are my Son.

Today have I become your father?”

and again, 

“I will be to him a Father,

and he will be to me a Son?”

Bottom line, God said the Messiah would come and HE DID.  Not as an Earthly king as the Jews envisioned, but rather in a very humble way.  I have heard people rail against the Jews of Jesus' day because of the hardness of their hearts, but please try to be a bit forgiving; they just understood incorrectly.  For those who did (and will) correctly  understand, heaven awaits and when we are in heaven, I am sure God will explain everything to us.  But, for now, just realize that God has everything under control and will work things out - in his own time!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... Matthew 12:38-39: Give us a Sign

Matthew 12:38-39: Give us a Sign

When the Jews asked for signs they weren’t just asking for some gob-smacking wonders that dazzled them. They wanted something to show that God was on their side! They’d seen a lot of miracles from Jesus (compare Acts 2:22 and Matthew 11:22-24) and instead of receiving him as the Messiah the miracles became the very reason they should kill him (John 11:47-48). They didn’t want signs to prove that he was the Messiah! They wanted assurance that God was about to do what they wanted done and if Christ produced signs like that he would be the kind of Messiah they would want. They had an agenda, their God would see that that agenda was accomplished and if Jesus made their case with signs then they’d throw their lot in with him.

Healing people on the Sabbath couldn’t be a sign from God because it violated the vision they had of God. The God of their Sabbath wouldn’t do the things this Jesus was doing. Above all things the Jewish Sabbath marked them out as the elect of God but their Sabbath and this alleged Messiah’s Sabbath were light years and a whole world apart. So it was their views against views of Jesus Christ that really came into conflict and because that was the case the works of Jesus, which he said were the works of God, had to be from another source—Satan.

God wouldn’t do such things! God wouldn’t do such things, they said! They said this not because the deeds weren’t happening—they were happening and they couldn’t deny it! They said God wouldn’t so such things because they had created a God in the image of their own views, and before they’d change their views they’d change God.

Not only could God not come dragging a cross—that was scandalous—he couldn’t come violating his own purity and sabbatical laws. Not only could God not send a Messiah who’d end up a loser in a conflict with Rome he couldn’t send a Messiah who would undermine the religious structures that identified Israel as Israel, the elect nation of God.

The upshot of it all was that what they saw before their eyes couldn’t be the work of God. But there was the reality, what would they do with it? How about ignoring it and saying nothing? That wouldn’t work because everyone was talking about it. Say it was the Devil that did it. Where it was possible explain it as something natural (that would mean it wasn’t the work of God, don’t you know). Do whatever you have to do with it just as long as you keep God out of it!

"An evil and an adulterous generation seeks a sign," said the Christ (Matthew 12:39) but the only sign they would get was the kind they didn’t want, the kind that didn’t fit into their theological structures, the kind that spoke of their failure.

But had they had the heart to see they would have seen that the awful events of Golgotha was the most profound assurance the human heart could have wanted. All this dismissed because they had their own religious worldview.

It’s astonishing what we build our views of God on. Some say God couldn’t have done this or that because God wouldn’t work on the Sabbath. Others say God couldn’t have done this or that because God wouldn’t take away a little granddaughter’s favourite playmate and baby-sitter. Some say God couldn’t have done this or that because it would undermine our religious platform. Others say God wouldn’t do this or that because people might be offended at him and turn away from him.

"Give us a sign."..."No, not one like that, try again."...No, that won't work either, try again."..."look, let me tell you what I believe, now work a sign that fits into that."..."Oh, you won't? Well, you don't suit me. There's got to be another god around I can be happy with."

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Danger Of Religious Holidays (Galatians 4:8-11)

                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS"

               The Danger Of Religious Holidays (4:8-11)

INTRODUCTION

1. The observance of holidays is a common feature in many religions...
   a. Judaism and Islam have their many feast days and holy days
   b. Catholicism and Protestantism are known for their holidays like
      Christmas and Easter

2. Holidays in New Testament Christianity, on the other hand, are
   strikingly absent...
   a. The church did assemble on the Lord's Day (Sunday) to observe the
      Lord's Supper
   b. But there is no record of celebrating any holiday like Christmas,
      Easter, Lent, etc.

3. In fact, Christians were warned regarding religious holidays...
   a. Not to let others judge them regarding their observance - Col 2:
      16-17
   b. Concern was expressed regarding those who observed them - Ga 4:
      10-11

4. One might wonder regarding the New Testament and religious
   holidays...
   a. Why didn't the early church observe such holidays?
   b. Why was Paul concerned about their observance?
   c. Are there circumstances when Christians might observe religious
      holidays?

[To answer such questions, let's take a closer look at Ga 4:8-10 where
we learn...]

I. THEY CAN ENDANGER OUR LIBERTY IN CHRIST

   A. THEY ARE WEAK AND BEGGARLY ELEMENTS OF RELIGION...
      1. Paul refers to rites and ceremonies, such as found in Judaism
         and paganism
         a. He has in mind those who have come out of paganism - Ga 4:
            8-9
         b. Who evidently were being encouraged to observe elements of
            Judaism - Ga 4:10
      2. Mentioned specifically were those found in the Law of Moses
         - Ga 4:10
         a. Days - e.g., the Sabbath
         b. Months - e.g., the new moons
         c. Seasons - e.g., festivals like the Passover, Feast of
            Tabernacles, Pentecost
         d. Years - e.g., annual atonement, sabbatical years, jubilees
      3. They are described as weak and beggarly elements - Ga 4:9
         a. Weak - powerless to save the soul or justify the sinner
            - cf. Col 2:20-23
         b. Beggarly - unable to impart true spiritual riches - cf. Ep 1:3
         c. Elements - rudimentary, designed to be replaced - cf. Col 2:
            16-17; He 9:9-10
      -- Religious days, like other elements of the Law of Moses, were
         carnal ordinances designed to be replaced with a more spiritual
         form of worship - cf. Jn 4:20-24

   B. THEY CAN BRING ONE INTO BONDAGE...
      1. Those under the Law were under guard
         a. Like children under guardians and stewards - cf. Ga 3:23; 4:
            1-2
         b. In bondage to the elements of the world - cf. Ga 4:3
      2. Those in Christ had been redeemed (set free)
         a. God sent His Son for this very purpose - cf. Ga 4:4-5
         b. They had become sons and heirs - cf. Ga 4:6-7
      -- Observing religious holidays can be a return to bondage, when
         Christ came to set us free! - Ga 4:9-10

[Many believe observing holy days enhances their faith, when in fact it
can be a step backward from true spirituality!  From Ga 4:11, we learn
something else about the danger of religious holidays...]

II. THEY CAN ENDANGER OUR SALVATION IN CHRIST

   A. APOSTASY IS POSSIBLE...
      1. Otherwise, why would Paul be fearful?
         a. Doubtful over their condition? - Ga 4:11,20
         b. Aware of the possibility of his own apostasy? - cf. 1Co 9:27
      2. The Bible teaches one can fall from grace
         a. In the book of Hebrews - He 12:15; cf. He 3:12-14
         b. And in many other places - cf. Jn 15:2,6; 2Pe 2:20-22; 3:
            17-18; Re 2:5
      -- If we observe religious holidays based on the Law of Moses out
         of a sense of necessity for our salvation, then we have fallen
         from grace! - cf. Ga 5:4

   B. WORSHIP CAN BE IN VAIN...
      1. Paul described the vanity of "self-imposed religion" - cf. Co
         2:20-23
         a. Based on the commandments and ordinances of men
         b. Which were of no true value against the indulgence of the
            flesh
      2. Jesus warned against vain worship - Mt 15:9
         a. Such worship is based on doctrines commanded by men
         b. Especially when its observance displaces the commandment of
            God - cf. Mt 15:3-8
      -- If we impose religious holidays through man-made traditions,
         then we offer worship that is in vain!

[Perhaps we can see why observance of holy days was a major concern to
Paul.  But we should also note that he wrote of...]

III. CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THEY MIGHT BE OBSERVED

   A. ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS...
      1. Paul spoke of one observing a day above another - Ro 14:5-6
         a. Likely a reference to the Sabbath Day
         b. But generic enough to refer to exalting any day above
            another for religious purposes
         c. In the context, it appears to have been something allowed a
            weak brother
      2. Paul himself observed certain rites of Judaism
         a. He took vows, sought to attend the feasts in Jerusalem - 

            Ac 18:18,21; 20:16
         b. On one occasion, he even helped the completion of a vow
            involving animal sacrifices, evidently to accommodate weaker
            brethren - Ac 21:17-26; cf. Num 6:1-20
      -- Note carefully:  these were things done on an individual basis,
         not as a work or the worship of the church

   B. AWARE OF CERTAIN LIMITATIONS...
      1. They cannot save one, they cannot be done for the purpose of
         salvation
         a. This was the issue of the controversy in Antioch - cf. Ac 15:1,5
         b. This was Paul's point in Galatians - cf. Ga 5:4
      2. They cannot be imposed on others
         a. This was the conclusion of council in Jerusalem - cf. Ac 15:
            10-11
         b. This was illustrated by Paul in Galatians - cf. Ga 2:3-5
      -- Note carefully:  this is why religious holidays should not be
         church functions:  lest they leave the impression they are
         necessary, plus such functions are necessarily imposed on
         others

CONCLUSION

1. Christians need to be careful about their liberty in Christ... - cf.
   Ga 5:1
   a. Jewish Christians have been redeemed from the bondage of the Law
   b. Gentile Christians have been redeemed from the bondage of weak and
      beggarly elements

2. What liberty we have in Christ must be handled carefully... - cf. Ga 5:13-16.
   a. We should be careful not to impose our liberty in ways that cause
      division
   b. We should progress to a higher plane of spirituality, not regress
      to carnal forms of religion

What about your observance of religious holidays?  If Paul wrote to you
today, would he say: "I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you
in vain."...? - Ga 4:11

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011