Offer Thanksgiving - Psalm 50:53 Verse of the Day

It's a gray day; early morning. I've finished my Bible reading and now sit in my workspace with my cat curled beside me, sipping a hot cup of coffee as I glance out at the world through the window. A split in the clouds reminds me of the crack in the wall on Dr. Who. But this split reveals the light blue sky beyond the heavy gray. It reminds me that above all the gray there is sunshine and blue skies. I thank God for that reminder and soon the split is larger and the tangerine highlights of the sun mark the bottom edge of the widening split. In the short time it took me to type this, that crack has turned into a large swath of blue sky with layers of lacy gray clouds drifting to the north. It reminds me of my favorite verse from my reading this morning.

Verse of the Day Psalm 50:53

 

With all that life throws at us, it is hard at times to "feel" thankful, but long ago, I learned to practice thanksgiving as a sacrifice to God, even when I didn't feel like being thankful.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:4-7)

My first memory of putting this into practice is from back in the 80s as I drove to work on a gray day in Northern Illinois. There were times we didn't see the sun for weeks and it could be depressing. I'd use driving time to talk to God, but that day I was in a bit of a funk. The sky showed no definition of clouds, it was like a ceiling painted a solid color. Light gray. I didn't feel like going to work, I didn't like the cold weather, and I could easily fall into grumbling about all the things I didn't like. But I was reminded that "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving..." And so I searched for something to be thankful for and looked at the sky. I realized it was the color of my favorite eye shadow at the time and I thanked God for it's beauty. As I scanned the world around me I realized I had much to be thankful for, and by the time I walked into work, it was with a new attitude, God was guarding my heart and mind. 

I am thankful. Amen

 

The Inheritance Coming of age Christian fantasy

Written within the allegorical tradition of classics like Pilgrim's Progress, The Inheritance offers a symbolic fantasy adventure with a Christian message. Ideal discussion starter for youth groups, homeschoolers, and families.

 

 

 

Review copies available upon request. Just ask for one in the comments below.

Why did God reject Cain’s offering?

The first book in the bible is Genesis, which means beginning. It starts at the beginning of creation and is filled with firsts. Today’s post takes a look at the first brothers, Cain and Abel, and more specifically at their sacrifices and the first murder when anger and jealousy consumed Cain when God rejected his offering but accepted Abel’s. If you do a cursory reading of the Genesis 4 account you might ask: Why did God reject Cain’s offering? I asked myself this question and did further study to find the answer.

 

Cain and Abel offerings

Cain and Able were the first sons born to Adam and Eve. In Genesis 4:2, we see that Abel was a “keeper of flocks,” and his brother was a “tiller of the ground.” In 4:3 Cain brings an offering of his first fruits and in verse 4, Abel brings the firstlings of his flock and their fat portions. So they both brought firsts. “And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell” (Gen. 4:4-5). I looked up the Hebrew meanings for the word offering in these two cases to see if there was a difference, but there was not. So why did God reject Cain’s offering? 

 

Why was Cain's offering rejected?

To find the answer to this question, we need to dig deeper. Hebrews 11:4 sheds light on the answer. “By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.” He still speaks? What is he saying?

His life/death is telling us the difference was and is a matter of faith. A heart issue. Pure faith produces works, but faith mixed with works is not a valid way to God.  Faith secures the approval of God (Hebrews 11:1-2), and “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). In this regard, Abel is the first man of faith.

As part of the study, I looked up Cain and Abel’s names in the Hebrew. Cain’s name comes from qana, and means “to get.” Abel’s name means breath, which is associated with God’s Spirit in both the Old and New Testaments. This portends that Cain expected something in return for his offering. 

What we can learn from Cain and Able offering?

The faith chapter in Hebrews was written to remind the Jewish people that salvation by faith is not something new. It proves it is something that goes all the way back to Abel. His offering was an exercise of his faith and thus a better sacrifice. God testified that this was evidence that he had been made righteous. Habakkuk 2:4 concurs that “The just shall live by faith.”

Bringing an offering to God was an act of worship. Genesis 4:2 says, “So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground.” Course of time in the original language indicates the end of a day, time, or year. So the bringing of the offering was at a set time. This is why both men brought offerings. It wasn’t just some willy-nilly idea. God prescribed a specific time for them to come to the place where they would meet God and present their offerings. There was a place, time, and way to worship. Abel understood and obeyed. Cain tried it his way.

The same holds true for us today. “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

Why didn’t God accept Cain’s offering?

The account of Cain and Abel offers an illustration of salvation. Cain wanted to come to God on his own terms, doing things his way. Abel recognized he couldn’t come to God on his own, but needed to come God’s way. Cain’s way represents religious human achievement and works. Abel’s righteousness was through faith. God’s demands for holiness haven’t changed. Neither has the way we are to approach him.

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Written within the allegorical tradition of classics like Pilgrim's Progress, The Inheritance offers a symbolic fantasy adventure with a Christian message. Ideal discussion starter for youth groups, homeschoolers, and families. 

Review copies available upon request in the comments below.

What does the Bible say about Jesus coming back?

In my conversations with people, I find confusion regarding what the Bible says about when Jesus is coming back and about the second coming. This uncertainty results from a lack of understanding of what the second coming of Jesus Christ is. For a quick overview, the New Testament tells us Jesus comes for his church (at the rapture) and then he returns at the end of the 7 Year Tribulation, with his church, to fight the final battle of Armageddon. Following that victory, he will usher in his Millennial Kingdom. Then, at the end of his thousand-year reign, there will be a final judgement on the world (the Great White Throne Judgement). The issue is that people connect the “second coming” with more than one of these events. This post will break things down using Scripture to make it easier to understand.

What is the rapture?

First let’s touch on what people refer to as the rapture of the church. Some people think this is a relatively new teaching. Others think it is not in the Bible at all, and the timing of the rapture is debated among those who do believe in it. Such ideas and misunderstandings are not new. Back in New Testament times, even the Thessalonians understood that Jesus was coming for his church but worried about those who died before He called his church home. The Apostle Paul addressed these concerns in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. (Also see: 1 Corinthians 15:51-53)

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

If you are looking for the word rapture in these verses you won’t find it. The use of this word can be traced back to the Latin word rapiemur used in the Latin Vulgate (Latin version of the Bible). Rapiemur has a future passive meaning that "we shall be carried away," or "we shall be snatched."

I could say much more on the topic, but for the sake of keeping this post short enough people will read it, I will distill the information. The Rapture is the event when Jesus comes and catches up His church. This includes all who have died (dead in Christ) and those who are still living (in Christ) at the time (those who remain). But His feet don’t touch the earth. Instead, he calls his church up. First the dead and then the living believers will be caught up and join the Lord in the air.

When is the Second Coming of Jesus?

Once the rapture occurs, the next thing related to the second coming on the end-times biblical calendar of events is what is known as the Great Tribulation. This is a time that lasts for seven years, and many details regarding this time of judgement are found in the book of Revelation, but you’ll find plenty of information elsewhere in the Bible. For instance, in Matthew 24:3 Jesus’ disciples asked “[…]what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus talks about the Tribulation time from verse 3 through verse 29, and then he talks of his return in verses 30-31.

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other" (Matthew 24:29-31).

At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus Christ returns with the hosts of heaven and will establish the Messianic Kingdom on earth. This time is also known as the Millenium, or Millenium Kingdom because it will last for a thousand years. During this time, the saints (the church) who returned with Jesus will “also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12). At this time, the Antichrist will be cast into the Lake of Fire and Satan will be bound for the thousand years. Christ will reign with firmness and impartiality as those who survived the Tribulation repopulate the earth. His kingdom will be marked by long life and blessings, since the curse upon the earth will be removed. But at the end of the thousand years, Satan is loosed.

Even with Christ on the throne physically on earth, His Messianic kingdom will close with apostasy and rebellion. Satan is released from his prison and deceives the nations to gather them together for the war. They surround the camp of the saints and the New Jerusalem, and fire comes down from heaven and devours them. Then the Devil is thrown into the lake of fire, where the beast and the false prophet are. There they will experience torment forever.

 

Why does any of this matter?

In Matthew 24, Jesus talked about signs we are to be looking for. He even compared them to labor pains of a woman ready to give birth meaning they would gradually become worse. Knowing these things matter, because today, we see more and more of these signs happening. So don’t get confused by the use of the terms “second coming” or “Jesus coming back” because not everyone means the same thing when they say those words.

However, the verses in 1 Thessalonians that provide details about the rapture (above), the next verse tells us to “comfort one another with these words” 1 Thessalonians 4:18. This is another reason knowing these things matter.

When the rapture happens, Jesus calls us up to him. When Jesus returns with his church it is to execute judgement. Yes, there is a thousand years of peace as Christ reigns but judgement comes before and after this. “[…] Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 14-15)

Everything will be destroyed by fire, and Christ will judge all who did not accept Jesus as their Savior during their life on earth. This is known as the Great White Throne judgement. Following this judgment there will be a new heaven and a new earth, a new Jerusalem, and those who are His will live in the everlasting presence of God among all the redeemed.

 

Photo credit: The Second Coming by Harry Anderson

 

 

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Meaning of Jehovah Mekoddishkem

In our study of the names of God, we’ve learned that the names express the nature and character of God. As we look at the meaning of Jehovah Mekoddishkem (God who sanctifies) and Jehovah Mekadesh (God who makes us holy) that point is reinforced again. These names are derived from the word kaddesh which means to sanctify.

Definition of sanctification

Before we delve into the name Jehovah Mekoddishkem, it is important to define the word sanctify within the biblical context. The 1828 Noah Webster’s dictionary definition of sanctification is: 1. The act of making holy. In an evangelical sense, the act of God's grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God. 2. The act of consecrating or of setting apart for a sacred purpose; consecration.

Be ye holy

Considering this definition, let’s look at holiness and what it tells us in relation to sanctification. First, God’s holiness distinguishes Him as the Supreme Being and represents perfect purity or integrity of moral character. He is without flaw.

It is hard to wrap our heads around God’s holiness, but it can be even harder to wrap our heads around Lev. 19:2. "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy."  How on earth can we be holy like God? 

Some might want to make the excuse that this was an Old Testament teaching and not for the church, but not so fast. In 1 Peter 1:15-16 we read “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

So we are back to the question of how do we do that? We find the answer in the sanctification process.

Meaning of Sanctify in the Bible

Let’s start with the Old Testament where every use of the word m'kaddesh is related to contact with the Holy God. For instance, the Sabbath day was set apart as holy because YHWH rested in it. Places where the Lord dwelt were considered holy (Zech. 8:3). The people of the Lord were to be holy (set apart) because He dwelt among them. When God set them apart as His people, they were intended to participate in His divine nature. This included His holiness as well as His other attributes.

God does not change. He is a righteous, holy God who loves us and desires a relationship with us. When Abraham believed, his faith was counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). This happened before the Law was instituted. James 2:23 claims that because of his faith Abraham became a friend to God. 

God who sanctifies

God still desires a relationship with each of us, but sin separates people from the Holy God (Jehovah Mekoddishkem). But thankfully He doesn't leave us to struggle in our own strength, trying to achieve a holiness impossible for us to attain. Instead, the holiness comes from Him. He is YHWH-M'Kaddesh, (The God Who Makes Holy).

How we are sanctified

Boiled down to the simplified version, sin is doing what we want instead of what God wants. At its core, it is a version of being your own god. When you repent (change your mind about God) and place your faith in Jesus you are justified by grace through faith (saved from the penalty of sin), sanctified (saved from the power of sin) and glorified (saved from the presence of sin).

When we become born again, we are a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17). It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that he produces the fruit of the Spirit within a believer. Titus 2:14 explains it this way. He “gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age. (Titus 2:11-12).

The sanctification process is instantaneous but accomplished in three stages: positional, experiential, and ultimate. Positional in that in Christ we are sanctified. Experiential has to do with our life from the time we are saved until we go to be with the Lord. We can’t be "good enough" on our own but He is willing to work it in us. It is about what God does in us not what we try to do. 

Many people get this backwards, thinking good works are a requirement on our part, when the good works that matter are really the natural fruit of spiritual regeneration (Phil. 2:8-10). The reason He has called us out of sin is so that we might live a righteous, pure, and sanctified life in Him. Think of sanctification as a refining process until we get to heaven.

“In Him” is the key to our holiness. As we walk in Him, when God looks down at us, He sees the holiness of His Son.