Thorns

The following is part of a study I'm doing on the Parable of the Sower. This part of the parable resonates deeply with me, since we are where we are in history, and the kind of society we're living in. I think this parable, found in Matthew 13, along with the other two passages cited, Luke 14:15-24 and Matthew 22:1-14, serve as a clarion call to the church here in these last days. I've always been blown away by the time Jesus said that we can't serve two masters, because we'll hold to the one and despise the other. He said, "you can't serve God and mammon," as if these are the two main gods that people worship. Of all the idols in the world, I've always found it fascinating that Jesus would choose to pit these two as opposites in that particular sermon. That says something about man: that in pursuit of money he would be more than happy to abandon the one true God. The aforementioned passages deal with this god of men's hearts, and serve as a great reminder and warning to keep our priorities straight. I hope you enjoy it, but moreover, I hope it challenges you.

#3 Thorns

When the word of God falls among thorns, Jesus tells us in verse 22 that it’s the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches that are represented. These are the things that choke out the word so that that person becomes unfruitful. The same parable in Mark adds, “and the desires for other things.” I’m convinced that in the church today (in America anyway), these three things are the number one distractions for Christians. This society is so loaded down with marketing and consumerism that you would think the key to a person’s eternal fulfillment is the acquisition of more stuff. It certainly is not, but those who excel at the science of marketing would have us believe otherwise. After all, the economy depends on it.

There’s a parable in Matthew 22:1-14 and Luke 14:15-24 that serves as an excellent cross reference for further study on this type of heart attitude. This is the story that Jesus relays about a man who throws a big banquet and invites many. Matthew’s account states that this is the marriage banquet of a king’s son. This king throws a huge party for his son’s wedding and invites many, but we quickly see the hearts of those who were invited. Matthew’s account renders it this way:

“But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business….”

Luke’s gospel says it this way:

“But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them, I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’”

Interestingly enough, in the Matthew account, the word “business” in the original language could be interpreted “merchandise.” So while one refused to go to the party and went to his farm, the other went back to his “merchandise.” If we look at the excuses of those who were invited in Luke’s account, we see that they have a similar thread running through them (buying property and livestock), at least the first two.

The fact of the matter is, we have all been invited to the greatest party of all time. God invites us to take part in the wedding feast of the Lamb of God. The question then becomes, are we excited about this eternal banquet, or are we so distracted with our temporal merchandise and the other stuff we have going on, that we make light of the invitation we’ve been given? Do we make light of God’s invitation? I certainly hope not.

The Time Is Short

Today was a pretty serious day of reflection for me. I have this sense that the time is short. As such, I'm feeling such a huge burden for those around me that are lost. I don't really have the words to describe the sense of urgency I have. Right now we have time to share the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection with our families, friends, and neighbors. But I really don't know how much time or how many opportunities we have left. This feeling has driven me to prayer, asking God (even begging) to give me a voice, to give me an open door to share this good news. I really don't know what kind of opportunities might come my way, but I want to be mindful of sharing the gospel.

If you've happened upon this blog and don't believe in Jesus Christ, I'd like to have a minute of your time. When you look around at all the things that are happening in the world and line them up with scripture, it really is quite possible that we are living in the last days...the days just prior to the return of Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom. Before He sets up His kingdom, there is going to be a serious time of trial and tribulation that comes on this earth to wake people up. It will be a time of judgment and great suffering. Some will actually turn to Christ at this time, but some will raise their fists in anger to God and refuse to repent. This time will reveal what's in men's hearts.

The good news is, you can still turn to Christ before all this begins. If you've been looking for forgiveness, restoration, a new start, a relationship with God, it all begins with Jesus Christ. He is the one that took the penalty of our sins by dying on the cross. His resurrection shows His defeat of death and the fact that God accepted His payment for your sins. Because of His death and resurrection, we can have forgiveness and a new life. The only thing you have to do to receive His forgiveness is admit to Him you're a sinner. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you and rose again, and you will be saved. You should confess your new found faith to someone-get into a Bible-believing church and talk to the pastor.

Again, please understand that the time is short. Jesus may not be returning this very hour, but He will come at some point. He is not going to let this planet go on forever like this. He will eventually deal with everyone.

In light of all this, I want to leave you with this passage from 2 Peter:

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise [to return], as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

The Love of Money

The following are a couple of verses that really concern me regarding the state of the church (in America):

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. (Mat. 13:7)

And here is Jesus’ interpretation of this part of His own parable:

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (Mat. 13:22)

This is the second verse:

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…. (2 Tim. 3:1, 2)

And finally:

Because you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing”—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. (Rev. 3:17, 18)

Putting these three verses together serves as a serious warning to the church regarding our focus while we are still here on this earth. I’ve been taught that the seven churches in the early chapters of Revelation were actual churches with their own issues and problems. And we can see that Jesus is revealing certain things to John about these churches, and that these churches needed to take certain steps and precautions in following the Lord Jesus. It’s also been postulated that these churches (along with their problems and predicaments) represent the church’s history as a whole: we should take note that there are seven churches listed, (and with the number seven being the “number of completion”) it’s quite possible that we have here a “complete” view of the history of the church. If this is the case, then the Laodiceans being last might indicate the state of the church in the last days. If this is true, and if we believe we are living in the last days, then this letter is every bit as much written to each of us as it was to the Laodiceans. We should then take careful note of their state.

They (we) say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.” Really? Are we guilty of saying/thinking the same thing? Are money and self-sufficiency the identifying characteristics of the church today? I really think we ought to think long about this sentence and not just glaze over it without giving it lengthy consideration:

Are money and self-sufficiency the identifying characteristics of the church today?

Note Jesus’ reaction to their (our) assertion: “[You] do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” My pastor has said on numerous occasions, “Don’t underestimate your capacity for low self-awareness.” These people (we) really thought they had it together: they had wealth and no need for anything. My hunch is that, if we were measuring this church’s state of being by the world’s standards, we might all come to this conclusion, that they have need of nothing. But, as is true in the kingdom of God with everything else, the world is completely backward and diametrically opposed to the things of God. And this is why Jesus, in His loving way (see Rev. 3:19), sharply rebukes these people. They (we) are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

Jesus then goes on to give them some advice: “Buy from Me gold refined in the fire….” They were all about getting wealth. Jesus is telling them to get real gold, which is an authentic faith. 1 Peter 1:7 talks about faith being more precious than gold and being tried in the fire. Here Jesus is telling them to have faith in Him rather than in worldly wealth. Make no mistake: having a real faith in Jesus Christ is what saves, not the riches of this world. He then goes on to say, “Buy from Me some white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.” This is another allusion to having faith in Jesus Christ. These people are naked, and I think the case can be made that these people have never entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. They are naked like Adam and Eve were in the garden and have not been clothed by God. These people were not only about getting wealth, they were about getting costly clothing (a sign of wealth that is still highly valued in America’s culture today). Jesus tells them they’re naked. Finally He also tells them to anoint their eyes with salve so that they can really see what’s going on. It still baffles me today as to how utterly blind people can be to the things of God. The question is, are they blind because Satan has blinded them, or are they blind because they choose to be blind (like an ostrich putting its head on the sand)?

If you read to the end of the letter to the Laodiceans, you’ll see that Jesus is standing at the door and knocking. It scares me to the core that at this church, Jesus is on the outside knocking, wanting in. If Jesus is on the outside wanting in, then they (we) as a church have a very, very serious problem.

The 2 Timothy passage is also disconcerting. The first part of it says, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money….” It’s a sure sign of the last days when men are lovers of themselves and lovers of money. Well that’s all fine and good, and to be honest, what would we expect from the world? If they’re not living for God, what is there to live for? Themselves? Sure. If this is all there is, then we’re living a short, temporary life, and it really is no wonder that our selves would easily find their way onto the thrones of our lives. Ever more people are becoming increasing opposed to the idea that there even is a God, or that we might be accountable to Him, so it should be no surprise when we become our own gods, and our lives revolve solely around making ourselves happy. We love ourselves, and in short order, we love money, because when we have it (or so we’ve been led to believe), we have infinite power to make ourselves happy with as much consumer product as we want. We are our own gods, and we worship ourselves with money.

But what’s so disconcerting about this passage is, if you put it together with Jesus’ warning to the Laodiceans about their attitudes toward wealth, it’s not such a stretch to say that the warning in 2 Timothy could also be a warning about the church in the last days. After all, verse 5 of the same chapter says, “…having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

And finally, if we put these two verses together with Jesus’ parable of the sower, we see that the idolatrous desire for and unholy love of money is an absolute brick wall that stands in the way of following the Lord:

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (Mat. 13:22)

When it comes to money, let’s remember this: the world is insanely in love with money. Think about it: how much of today’s news has to do with the economy? How much time does our own government pour into developing laws and programs that seek to revive our economy? The way I see it, it’s all about jobs, earnings reports, stocks, home values, unemployment, Social Security, national debt, the dollar’s performance against other world currencies, etc, etc, etc, as if there’s nothing else in the world going on. If we could just fix the economy, I bet everyone would be happy.

But I’m not so sure this is what God wants. What if we have idolized money so much in this country that God is trying to teach us the pitfalls of trusting in uncertain mammon? It’s almost as if we’re in a room, with all our money stacked up high on a table, and as we have bowed down to it, God has seen fit to just blow on it and send it flying in a million different directions. I’m really not sure if this is the case, and I don’t claim to be a prophet, but I do know that the Bible warns against trusting in uncertain riches.

Now as it pertains to the church, if we have done the same thing as the world, we are truly guilty of idolatry and find ourselves in the same state as the Laodiceans: we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. There is no recourse but to repent and ask for His forgiveness. He still wants in! He still loves us!

This morning at church we considered a message regarding who Jesus really is. Do we really know who He is, or have we made Him into someone He’s not? The thought occurred to me, have we, as part of the church in America, gotten Santa Claus and Jesus Christ confused? Are we here to serve Him, or do we think He’s here to serve us? Do we think He’s there to give us more money? Do we think He’s there to make our lives on earth better? It would do us well to heed the warnings in these three passages.

Watch

A few things have become evident to me over the past few weeks in talking with people and listening at church. Those things are:

1.) Spend time reading the Bible. It's becoming more and more critical to be able to discern the truth for yourself as these days come and go (I would check out 1 Timothy 3:1+). We each need to spend time reading our own Bibles and hearing from the Lord ourselves. I cannot emphasize this enough.

2.) Watch. We need to be watching. We need to be paying very close attention to what is happening in society. We need to remember the words of Jesus in Luke 17:26, 27. I don't think we can be watching too closely. Maybe Jesus won't come back today or tomorrow, or even this week, but I assure you, there will be a week we start and don't finish. I can't emphasize this enough either, especially in light of Matthew 25:5. Watch!

Enoch - One of the Two Witnesses?

In Revelation 11, we read about these two people referred to as the "two witnesses." I've heard a few theories about who these people might be. These are the possibilities I've heard:

Enoch - In Genesis 5:24, we see this person as someone who actually did not die. He walked with God, and God took him. I'm not too sure what that means; it could be something similar to what happened with Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11.

Elijah - This guy was the epitome of the office of the prophet. He did incredible miracles and spoke with amazing authority. We know from 2 Kings that he did not die, as I said before.

Moses - This guy was the epitome of the law, so much so that his name is synonymous with the word "law" in the New Testament. We do have record of his death (Deut. 34:7, Josh. 1:2), which may well make him less likely as one of the two witnesses. At the same time, I don't really know why it would be a prerequisite to never have died in order to be one of the two witnesses.

John the Apostle - We don't have a record of his death. Some people theorize that he might be one of the two witnesses because of what Jesus said in John 21:21-22.

I've heard people teach that one of the possibilities is that Moses and John may be the two witnesses because Moses would be a representative of the Old Testament law, and John would be a representative of the New Covenant of grace. I can understand that line of reasoning. Others say it could be Moses and Elijah, as we would have a representative of the law and the prophets. Could the transfiguration in Matthew 17 be some kind of foreshadowing of this? I've also heard that it could be Enoch and Elijah, because these are the two guys that were taken to heaven without dying. I've even heard that these two witnesses could be just some future people not from the past.

As far as I know, this is all speculation. Actually, I'm not sure it's terribly critical to get this pinned down. It is fun to think about though.

Last weekend I went to the Creation Museum in Kentucky. There was a lot about how the creation took place in six literal days. There was a lot about Noah's worldwide flood. There was a lot about how, especially in these days, we need to take great care in NOT compromising on what the scriptures say. I watched a short video about the danger in compromising on the first few chapters of Genesis, and how that carries huge theological implications for the origin of sin and death and the need for a Savior (see Romans 5).

And there was this exhibit that jogged my memory of 2 Peter 3, especially verse 5:

"For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water...."

(This has everything to do with my discussion on the two witnesses, I promise!)

During my time at the museum, I realized something: that as more and more people reject God and especially the creation account, the more they are fulfilling one of His prophecies about the last days. I find it ironic that as people deny God's existence and the fact that He created the universe, they are, in effect, becoming part of the fulfillment of the prophecy found in 2 Peter 3. Incredible!

And that's exactly why I think it's probable that Enoch will be one of the two witnesses. How awesome would it be if Enoch, having been a contemporary to Adam himself, would be one of the two witnesses to tell the world that creation really did go down the way it's described in the early chapters of Genesis? It would be "in your face" to a world that had been saying all along what 2 Peter 3 describes. It would be an act of grace on God's part to give the world a witness who was really there, just to try to wake them up to the truth.

So I've got another reason to believe Enoch will be one of the two witnesses: he will witness to the fact of a literal six day creation, and that all ties in to the prophecy of 2 Peter 3.

"Good" Friday

When I was a kid I was a little confused about Good Friday and Easter Sunday. After awhile, I realized that Sunday, the first day of the week, is when Jesus rose again from the dead. Shortly thereafter, I found out that Good Friday is the day we remember the Lord's death.

I specifically remember thinking, "Why do they call it Good Friday if that's the day they killed Him? Maybe they should call it 'Bad Friday'." It wasn't until later that I realized what was so good about Good Friday. And it wasn't until February of 1998 that I appropriated what He did in my life.

Here's what's so good about Good Friday: propitiation.

Okay, so what's "propitiation"?

Propitiation is the act of having the punishment of your sins paid for. It's the act of Jesus standing in for you. Since you cannot redeem yourself, He stood in for you.

Without the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope or redemption for humanity. There is no reconciliation for mankind back to God. Since Jesus paid the price for your sins and mine, there is now hope. And this is why Good Friday is so good.

As you go throughout this weekend, I sincerely hope you keep at the forefront of your mind the significance of these days. It's not about eggs or candy or bunnies. It's about your redemption and reconciliation back to God.

The Old Testament

My wife and I just got done reading the Old Testament together. It took us about 70 days. Here's what I took away from that reading:

Israel messed up, big time. They were so entrenched in idolatry it wasn't even funny. One thing that struck me particularly was the practice of causing their children to "pass through the fire to Molech." The image had a place for building a fire in it, and it had outstretched arms. The people would build a fire in there, heat the thing up red hot, and place their children in the image's arms. Human sacrifice...to a god that wasn't even real.

As a side note, before we get too grossed out by these "primitive people," we still have the same practice today. It's called abortion.

God really let 'em have it in Malachi. I definitely want to come back to that book.

Idolatry: anything that takes your heart away from God.

Reading chapter after chapter after chapter of God's warnings to these people really made me question, on a daily basis, do I have any idols that take my heart away from God? I did some real soul-searching then.

God said on a few different occasions: "Return to Me, and I will return to you."

A nation cannot indefinitely get away with wickedness.

The essence of the law: Love God, love others. Defend the widows, fatherless, and poor.

Don't pervert justice.

There's an obscure OT law that says you're not to return a runaway slave to his master. Yet Paul did this very thing in the book of Philemon. Why would Paul knowingly violate the law?

Something that I keep thinking about is what God said to Abraham: "I am your Shield, your exceedingly Great Reward."

Sweet verse in Jeremiah 29: "And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you."

I could go on, but I think I learned more than I realize!