Friday, May 29, 2020

EmmDev 2020-05-29 [Thinking about Ascension and Pentecost] 7. Jesus will return and restore the Kingdom


7. Jesus will return and restore the Kingdom

This passage links the return of Jesus to the "restoration of the Kingdom to Israel."

During the time of Christ, this expectation was highly politicised. The restoring of the Kingdom meant ousting the "Roman Oppressors" and seeing Israel reach the empire-like glory and majesty that it had when David was their king.
This was not a new expectation: the fervent hope and expectation that the Messiah would come and restore the Kingdom is found throughout the Old Testament. But in the Old Testament this expectation is richer and fuller and more beautiful than mere political power.

The Old Testament hopes and dreams are pointedly expressed in what the scholars call "eschatalogical prophecy." Eschatology has to do with the study of the "end of things." It has to do with the belief, hope and expectation that history is on its way to a definite conclusion and that there is a plan to it.
If the birth, incarnation, crucifixion and death of Jesus represent the steps of His humble descent into our humanity, then the resurrection, ascent, return, kingdom restoration and final judgement represent His rightful steps to His glorious enthronement as King and Lord of all.

Old Testament eschatology powerfully depicts the healing of a broken and sin-infected world with images of:

  • The lion laid down with the lamb
  • Trees bearing fruit along the river of life with food for feeding and healing
  • Nations streaming to the glorified temple for worship
  • And many other beautiful pictures.
Revelation 21 makes this hope even clearer:
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

The ascension is part of Jesus' plan to restore all things!

Hallelujah!

That brings us to the end of our series on the Ascension. You might want to watch our Ascension Day Service ( https://bit.ly/3etubKz ) which overviews the seven aspects of Ascension and emphasises three of them in the light of the Covid19 crisis and with special message for the children...

Next week we'll talk about PENTECOST...!

So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."      (Acts1:6-11)


Thursday, May 28, 2020

EmmDev 2020-05-28 [Thinking about Ascension and Pentecost] 6. He prepares a place for us


6. He prepares a place for us

There's not really much to add to this beautiful passage...

Imagine the picture Jesus is sketching for us here:
It's the picture of an innkeeper or housewife preparing a place for a special guest. It's an intimate and personal action.

Heaven is not about "becoming one with the cosmic consciousness" - the picture Jesus paints is of a place of being where individual attention is paid, where people matter and troubled hearts can be comforted.

To take this a little further:
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords has ascended into heaven and took His seat at the right hand of God, but when Steven was being tried by the Pharisees and about to be stoned, we see something very special: "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." (Acts7:55)

Why is Jesus standing?

Maybe it's because He's just come back from preparing Stephen's room...

So.....

"Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John14:27)


"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going."
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.      (John14:1-6)


Wednesday, May 27, 2020

EmmDev 2020-05-27 [Thinking about Ascension and Pentecost] 5. He entrusts His work to us


5. He entrusts His work to us

I love those action movies that start with "Your Mission should you choose to accept it..."

Having come from heaven to earth, compressing Himself into Mary's womb and then growing through the years of childhood to manhood, Jesus began His public ministry at the age of 30. Although He taught the crowds and did miracles among the masses, His real focus was on the 12 disciples He chose.

Of those 12, one betrayed, one denied and all ran away.

And Jesus, having risen victoriously from the dead, tells them that He will return to the Father. The disciples, horrified at the the thought of His departure, come to a desperate conclusion: "If He's going, it's because He is going to do the Messiah thing and chase the Romans into the sea and bring peace on earth and an end to all this pain." And so they ask: "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Jesus' answer isn't what they expected: He promises them power through the Holy Spirit and tells them that they must be His witnesses.

Then He ascended into heaven, leaving His name, His message, His reputation and the responsibility to build His church in the hands of the remaining 11 and their companions.

He entrusted His Mission to them.
From a business-strategic perspective it couldn't have looked good. One might imagine some of the angels shaking their heads and saying: "What was He thinking?"
But this is His plan! (And it has been working for 2000 years!)

Jesus counts us as co-workers and partners in His Mission. The Kingdom comes to those who live for God and love Him and have learned to pray: "Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done (in me!) on earth as it is in heaven.

The Ascension is a commissioning, an entrusting, a baton-passing.
It's calling us to do His work in this world!

So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.      (Acts1:6-8)


Tuesday, May 26, 2020

EmmDev 2020-05-26 [Thinking about Ascension and Pentecost] 4. He prays for us


4. He prays for us

When the (now) late Edwin Pons* retired, we asked him to conduct a retreat for ministers in the Port Elizabeth Presbytery. We were hanging onto his lips because he'd had a long and fruitful ministry, a happy marriage and had made a significant contribution. Here was a man who was finishing well and we wanted to learn from him. He conducted a very meaningful day long retreat but the highlight was when he shared what had been his greatest comfort in a long and very fruitful ministry.

His comfort came from this idea that the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, the victorious Son of God, prays for us and that His prayers for us come from His experience of our pain and heartache: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin." (Heb4:15)

Edwin had us meditate on this thought:

  • Jesus (think about who He is and what He did)
  • our great High Priest (think about what this role entails)
  • prays (think about what is involved in sincere prayer)
  • for me!! (My "stuff" matters to Him)
Think about it: Right Now - Jesus (along with the Holy Spirit in us) is praying for us - with understanding and sacrificial priestly love.

Go through the rest of the day comforted by this amazing thought.
Jesus, our great high priest, is praying for you!


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* Edwin Pons was one of the most well-loved and able ministers in our denomination. He was a past moderator, planted many churches, including Port Alfred which he planted with Glen Craig after his (Edwin's) retirement. I remember him as a warm and godly man who opened his home in Kleinemond to hungry theology students whenever they came to preach in the newly planted Port Alfred Preaching Station.

Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.       (Hebrews7:23-25)


Monday, May 25, 2020

EmmDev 2020-05-25 [Thinking about Ascension and Pentecost] 3.He sends the Holy Spirit


3.He sends the Holy Spirit

Jesus' ascension marked an important transition: the coming of the Holy Spirit. Up until this point, the Holy Spirit came upon kings and prophets temporarily for specific purposes at specific times.

Because Jesus made a full sacrifice for our sins and paid for our guilt, it is now possible for us to be indwelt by His Spiritdev. When Jesus "sat down" at the Father's right hand (indicating that His work was complete) He could send the Holy Spirit to indwell us in a way that had not been possible since Adam and Eve sinned.

Because of the completed work of Christ, we are able to receive the power of the Holy Spirit who is poured out on a redeemed world to do great and beautiful things in believers, in the church and in the world.

The prophet Joel put it beautifully:
"And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
(Joel2:28-29)

When Jesus was having the Last Supper with His disciples and preparing them for His death, resurrection and ascension, they were distraught at the idea of His departure.

But Jesus comforted them with these words:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. (John14:16-19)

In essence Jesus is saying: "I'm going so that you can have something better!!"
We've received a beautiful gift through the ascension!

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
... But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."       (Acts1:4-8)


Friday, May 22, 2020

EmmDev 2020-05-22 [Thinking about Ascension and Pentecost] 2. He takes our Humanity - God with Scars


2. He takes our Humanity - God with Scars

God with scars?

Seem unthinkable?

The incredible thing about the resurrection and ascension is that Jesus took our humanity into the Godhead.

We keep thinking of heaven as spiritual - that we'll float around as disembodied spirits. But Paul describes physical death as the planting of a seed: "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." (1Cor15:42-44)

Did you see that? "It is raised a spiritual BODY!" The plant is a continuation of the seed.

If you want to know what heaven will be like, look at Jesus. (Paul says that Jesus is the "firstfruits" of eternal life.) A physical body that could touch and be touched, that could eat with His disciples, yet could appear behind locked doors. A physical body but without limitations.

The incredible thing is that Jesus ascends into heaven with something He had taken on 33 years previously: our humanity. The God family (which we call "the Trinity") now has humanity integrated into it.

Jesus could have discarded our humanity like a dirty rag saying "I'm glad that's over with." But in an amazing and beautiful act of love and divine accommodation, He has maintained His link to our humanity as He continues to be our Great High Priest.

This is great love!

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
Stop doubting and believe."      (John20:27)


Thursday, May 21, 2020

EmmDev 2020-05-21 [Thinking about Ascension and Pentecost] 1.Our High Priest has finished His Work


1.Our High Priest has finished His Work

Jesus is our Great High Priest. A significant portion of the letter to the Hebrews explains this. Being both God and human, He represented God to us and then as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin, He represented us to God by being both our sinless high priest and also the once-for-all sin-sacrifice.

The ascension into heaven and being seated at God's right hand is an indication that His sacrifice was accepted, that His offering was complete and that His work is done.

On the cross Jesus said "It is finished."
The Ascension and being seated at God's right hand is the conclusion of the matter. It is God saying "Come sit at my right hand my Son - Your work is done!"

We could describe Jesus' work with three C's: The Cradle, the Cross and the Crown.
The Ascension is a culmination of all the enthronement psalms we read in the Old Testament.
The Ascension is the announcement of His success and His victory.
The Ascension is the confirmation that He is our great High Priest and King.

(Although His sacrificial work is done - Our Lord Jesus continues to take the priestly role of empathetic intercessor and representative, but that's a cool story for another dev...)

For now we take comfort in the fact that He "sat down" - His work is done and there is nothing more that needs to be added. This is our great comfort and hope!

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.      (Hebrews1:1-3)


Wednesday, May 20, 2020

EmmDev 2020-05-20 [Thinking about Ascension and Pentecost] Introduction to Ascension

Hi Everyone
I don't know whether to say "I hope you didn't miss the EmmDevs too much..." or "I hope you did miss them..." (Laugh out loud...) I was grateful for the break - there has been a lot of output during this time - but I'm glad to be back and hope that you are glad to see the mail in your inbox!!
God bless and Love,
Theo

Introduction to Ascension

In South Africa, Ascension Day used to be a public holiday and, because it was always on a Thursday, it created a long-weekend because schools closed for the Friday and we would use it as a Youth Camp weekend. These are good memories... So when we talk about Ascension Day in our context, the first thing people say is: "What a pity it isn't a public holiday any more..." But, if pushed, I wonder how many of us would know why the Ascension of Jesus is important to us.

I wonder if we suffer from A.D.D....
(Ascension Deficit Disorder)....

Over the next couple of days I'd like to share seven ideas around the importance of the Ascension. My hope is that our appreciation for the Biblical and theological significance of this event will increase and that we would be filled with awe and wonder and appreciation.

Just to whet your appetite, here are the seven thoughts that I'll be dwelling on:
  1. Jesus has completed His Priestly Ministry: He sits at God's right hand.
  2. He has taken our humanity into heaven.
  3. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit
  4. He entrusts His work (making disciples) to us.
  5. Jesus intercedes in prayer for us.
  6. He prepares a place for us.
  7. He will return and will judge the living and the dead.
For now though, I'd like you to put yourself in the shoes of the disciples. Jesus has risen from the dead. He has spent intimate time with the disciples for 40 days. (During those 40 days significant conversations, like the one with Peter on the beach in John 21, took place.)

Jesus must have felt that the disciples were ready.
I wonder if they felt the same...!

But just before He departed Jesus gave them a command and a very special promise:
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit... But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts1:4-8)

As we journey through the importance of the Ascension, let's also bear in mind that the Ascension is "pregnant" with the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Let's enter this journey with the same anticipation that we will be renewed by the working of God's Spirit in us.

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."      (Acts1:9-11)


Wednesday, May 6, 2020

In the meantime...

Hi everyone.

As indicated yesterday, I'm going to take a short break from the eDevs...

However, we also have a chapter-a-day Bible-reading challenge going on in the congregation.

We've already read through John, Ruth, Ephesians, Jonah and Habbakuk.

Currently we're on Hebrews (today was chapter 3).
I send out an intro to the book and every few days a little update... This is all done on WhatsApp rather than email...

I've pasted the Hebrews and Habbakuk notes below...

If you'd like to sign up for this, contact me and I'll arrange for you to be on the broadcast group.



God bless,
Theo


INTRO TO HEBREWS

We'll do the intro to Hebrews in stages...

AUTHOR
We don't know who the author is. One of the most popular theories is that there is a man named Apollos who we find in the book of Acts. He has a Greek name (which probably meant he had a Greek dad and a Jewish mom) and he was well-versed in the Old Testament which helped him debate with the Jews and prove that Jesus was the Messiah. This would explain the strong Old Testament flavour of the book and  the knowledge of obscure characters like Melchizedek. (More on him later...)

Date
We think it's written before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70AD because he talks about the sacrifice system in the temple in present and not past tense.

The Audience isn't specified but from the clues we see they were probably Jewish and were starting to experience persecution.

Main Theme
The theme of book, quite simply, is :
Jesus is greater
- than Moses
- than angels
- than the high priest
- than all the Old Testament rituals

 In chapter 1 we'll encounter Jesus as Son of God, but also as Son of Man (humanity.) And that he is greater than angels...

I'll send more background as we go along.

Enjoy Hebrews!



Hebrews 1,2,3.
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Hope you've enjoyed Hebrews so far!

In ch.1 we saw Jesus portrayed as the Son of God and greater than angels. I love that He is God's "Final Word" - He is all we need.

In ch.2  we see that humankind is the apex of God's creation and so, to heal creation, Jesus becomes human so that He can die in our place. I love the idea that He can help us when we are tempted because He was tempted too (but overcame).

(Ch.3...) But in His humanity, Jesus loses nothing of His deity. For Christians with a Jewish heritage there was no one greater than Moses, the lawgiver and Exodus leader. But Moses is a servant whereas Jesus is the Son. I love the line that Jesus is greater as the builder is greater than the house.

Chapters 2 and 3 are bracketed by warnings not to neglect, ignore or rebel against such a great salvation.

Tomorrow is chapter 4 (read to end of v.13) which explores the whole idea of the Sabbath which had become of optimum importance to the Jews and how they portrayed their uniqueness. Also when Moses led the exodus out of Egypt,  they saw Canaan (the land of milk and honey) as their "Sabbath rest", but they failed God and worshipped idols. So the Hebrews writer uses Sabbath to talk about Heaven...

Hope you're enjoying the journey.


BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO HABBAKUK

The book of Habakkuk deals with the problem of theodicy – a big word that literally means "the justice of God." Theodicy wrestles with the question "How can God, who is surely almighty, righteous and just, allow the righteous to suffer and the wicked to prosper?"

We don't know much about the prophet Habakkuk. He lived at the same time as Jeremiah - just before Babylon attacked Jerusalem and took the first batch of exiles to Babylon. His name could mean "to wrestle or embrace" (or little vegetable!😂)

The book is in three parts (which don't fit neatly into the chapters unfortunately…).

PART 1:  Habbakuk's first complaint and God's answer (1:1-11) Habbakuk asks "Why does God let evil flourish, especially among his own people?" God's  answer is that the Babylonians will be His "rod of correction" This is how God works in the history of nations. When a nation becomes corrupt they will fall at the hands of another.

PART 2: Habbakuk's second complaint and God's answer (1:12-2:20)
Habbakuk is horrified by God's answer. How can a righteous God use the pagan Babylonians who are even more evil than the Israelites? He argues that the Babylonians are intoxicated by their love of power.

Then comes the HEART of the book:  Habbakuk goes out onto the ramparts of Jerusalem's defences where he waits for God's answer. (Imagine a storm brewing, and him pacing up and down waiting for God's answer) But before He responds to Habbakuk's complaint, God makes two important points:

    1. We don't always get instant explanations when we wrestle with tough questions. Perspective sometimes only comes after a period of waiting and searching.
    2. We should not be too quick to demand answers as though we deserve them. Sometimes we have to walk by faith. We have to trust even when we don't understand.

Then God shows how Babylon's arrogance will also be dealt with. He tells Habbakuk that He will deal with Babylon's sins and that they will ultimately be punished. There are five "woes" and each of them deals with a facet of human brokenness.

PART 3: Habbakuk's prayer song.  The song reflects on God's deliverance in the past:
- God coming from Teman and Paran (Exodus)
- God rescuing the tents of Cushan (A scene from Judges)

Habbakuk uses the language of Theophany (God's displays of power in nature – probably a thunderstorm that Habbakuk experienced on the ramparts...) He uses the image of the storm to describe His ultimate majesty and victory. It points out that God frustrates the wicked -  often piercing him with his own spear like David did to Goliath.

His belief in God's power silences Habbakuk's earlier protests and he comes to a place of awestruck wonder and the book ends with a beautiful declaration of faith and trust in God.

There are four lessons to learn:
    • It's OK to struggle with pain in the world.
    • We have to learn to wait for God: 2:1-3
    • God is still and ultimately in control.
    • We can put our trust in Him and He will empower us.

I suggest you read as follows:

Day 1: Ch.1:1 - 2:1 
Habbakuk's first complaint and God's answer
and Habbakuk's second complaint.

Day 2: Ch.2:2-20
God's answer to Habbakuk.

Day 3: Ch.3:1-19
Habbakuk's prayer-song of praise and trust.

Enjoy this beautiful and honest book.
God bless, Theo


Tuesday, May 5, 2020

EmmDev 2020-05-05 [Perspective: God, Faith and Covid19] Stilled and Quieted


Stilled and Quieted

I want to end this EmmDev series with some fingers very gently pointing at myself. I started out this series wanting to answer some of the intellectual questions and theological struggles raised by the Covid19 Pandemic. I believe I was faithful and diligent in tackling some of the tough issues that arise from a crisis of this magnitude and a number of you expressed appreciation and support. (Thank you!) 
 
But I want to return to a point I highlighted in a series I wrote earlier this year that I called "Hungry Prayers."
=============================================================
Our reading is from Psalm 131 which is short but significant.

When we take an initial glance at the Psalm, it doesn't feel like a "powerful" expression of faith and hope in God. In fact, at first glance, it seems to be a prayer of desperation or resignation. But, the deeper one looks, the more one gets a sense that this is a rock solid prayer uttered at the coal face of struggle and pain.

The prayer uses the analogy of real hunger to help make its point.
To understand the Psalm we need to note the difference between a weaned and an unweaned child:

An UNweaned child feels hungry and cries. You can't tell an unweaned child "hold on 5 minutes, supper's on the stove, it's nearly ready." Unweaned children cry because they don't yet understand that their parents are faithful. They believe that they have to make the food happen by their effort. So they cry and wave their arms and legs and crinkle their faces. And they escalate!
Sometimes we're like unweaned children. We want peace and to be loved, but we think we have to work hard to get it...

Conversely, a weaned child has learned to trust Mom to provide a meal - even if it is not served immediately.
Oft times we are guilty of trying to be in control of our relationship with God. (Think about how nonsensical that is: us trying to "manage" our relationship with the Almighty.) But David warns us against this kind of pride.

We won't always be in complete control - we won't always have all the answers. We don't have to do all the talking and we don't have to understand everything. We have to grow up from being the insecure and demanding baby to the trusting child who has learned from experience that God is faithful.

The incredible beauty of this prayer is how clearly David sees that he does not have to "control" his relationship with God. He comes to this beautiful place of surrender which is revealed even in the brevity of his psalm. He's saying "I trust You Lord. I don't have all the details and I can't do it all. I don't know all the answers BUT I know that You love me and even when I am tempted to be frantic in my efforts to impress You, help me to know I am your child and help me to put my hope in You."


My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.      (Psalms131:1-3)

This brings this series to an end - I do hope it has been meaningful. I'm going to take a break from EmmDevs for a week and then start a new theme. Any thoughts or suggestions? Any questions or topics you'd like me to look at?
God bless and Love,
Theo