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Kill-Plot & a Beautiful Thing

December 9, 2015 / Allan Babcock

The air turns ominous and the pace picks up as we step into Mark’s Gospel chapter 14.

At week’s start Jesus had triumphantly entered Jerusalem. The paraders hoped he was Messiah. Yet why a little donkey, not a majestic stallion? The next day Jesus had angrily shut down the temple business, which led to Jewish authorities debating him in the temple courtyard the following day, hoping he’d incriminate himself. He hadn’t (11:1–12:44). Leaving the city late Tuesday afternoon and stopping on the nearby Mount of Olives, Jesus predicted wars, famines, earthquakes, false messiahs, persecution for the future, and then the temple would be ravished (13:1-23). It fell to the Romans 40 years later. Finally, Jesus told of an indeterminate period after which heavenly bodies would quake before the Son of Man’s coming with great power and glory for his chosen ones (13:24-27). They must “stay awake” (13:28-36).

Now in 14:1-11 Mark shows us an unexpected scene of beautiful adoration sandwiched between two covert kill-plots.

Kill-Plot Scene One. It’s Tuesday night. Chief priests and law-teachers are meeting privately . . .

Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot” (12:1,2).

The Greek word translated “sly way” is dolos—literally “bait for fish.” The authorities still want to “bait” Jesus so he’ll “hook” himself on his own words and they can arrest him. He’s been on their kill list for years , way back when he first broke the Sabbath law (3:6). According to Exodus 31:14, that called for the death penalty. But now, since he desecrated the temple, their plot takes on greater urgency. Still, they must wait until after Passover and the seven-days of Unleavened Bread or his followers will riot and bring down the Romans on them all.

A Beautiful Thing. Meanwhile, Jesus and his disciples are spending the night, as usual, in nearby Bethany.

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (14:3-9).

Mark (informed by Peter) doesn’t identify the woman. Who she is is less important than what she does. She carries a white, translucent jar of very valuable perfume extracted from the nard plant (native to India). Approaching Jesus at the table, she breaks the top of the jar and pours the costly oil on his head. As the scent fills the room, disciples rebuke her for such waste when the oil could have been sold to help the poor.

Jesus silences them. “She has done a beautiful thing to me.” Ignorance: the disciples are ignorant of the authorities’ plot; the woman is ignorant of the hour’s darkness. Events rush inexorably toward Jesus’ death. Unknowingly, the woman has “poured perfume on [Jesus’] body beforehand to prepare for [his] burial.” A beautiful thing. An act of adoration. She has played a precious part in the heart of the Gospel. “She did what she could.” At worst, it seemed a waste. At best, an inconsequential act. Jesus called it “a beautiful thing to me.” And promised her humble homage would be told wherever the gospel would be preached.

Kill Plot Scene Two. That same night, while the chief priests were meeting . . .

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over (14:10,11).

Judas would find a way to hand Jesus over. The priests were delighted and they would pay the traitor. From that moment on, he would watch for the right moment.

The Continuing Contrast. The authorities, whatever their motivation, are assassins. They’re asking, “How can we kill Jesus?” The woman, whatever her motivation, is a worshiper. She’s asking, “How can I show Jesus my love?” And both are acting at the same moment.

Except perhaps for radical Islamists, I doubt many people want to do away with Jesus today. More typically, Jesus gets treated with indifference (except for emergencies). Like clicking “off” on a TV remote, people mostly turn him off. A bloodless form of rejection by people who want to manage their lives as they wish.

Are there many unknown women today? Women who approach Jesus with whatever their best is? Women who break open their hearts and pour out words of devotion and praise? Doing what they can to honor him, even if no one else understands?

I’m an old man of little consequence. In the world’s cities the wealthy and powerful rule the nations—and fight to keep their prominent places . They don’t know whom they’re rejecting. Meanwhile, let me be content to go to Jesus in a simple house and bring him the best I have. Let me give him words of adoration and a life of love that spring humbly from my heart. And may Jesus say in response, “He’s done a beautiful thing to me.”

Image result for pictures of woman with alabaster box

Fig Tree Alert! Stay Awake!

December 7, 2015 / Allan Babcock

Sounds like a traffic alert. Fig trees on the highway! Be alert! Jesus talks about fig trees and staying awake in today’s text (Mark 13:28-37). But, before we go there, let’s recall how we got here.

How We Got Here. On the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem. Jesus answered disciples’ questions. It all started when Jesus prophesied the towering temple would all come tumbling down. “When?” they wanted to know. “And what sign will point to it?” (Mark 13:1-4).

Jesus identified signs. False messiahs, wars, earthquakes, famines, and persecution (13:5-13). The sign of the temple’s imminent destruction would then appear: “the abomination of desolation” (a reference to the Roman army besieging the city and ravaging the temple). Then, after an indeterminate time, cosmic signs would appear: dark, falling and shaking bodies in the sky. Finally, “they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send out the angels and gather his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven” (13:26,27).

Notes About the Signs. As I see it, all the signs up to the cosmic pertain to the first century, climaxing with the temple’s destruction in 70 A.D. (13:5-23). Cosmic signs and Second Coming remain future, even to us.

But those pre-cosmic, first-century signs (13:5-13) seem to mark the entire period from the first century to the Second Coming. They appear in that indeterminate time between Mark 13:23 and Mark 13:24, which includes our time.

Look at the news. Wars in the Middle East, terrorism metastasizing globally, famine on the African continent and earthquakes all over the place. (No kidding. Google “earthquakes” and see.) These current events, then, have sign value. That brings us to Jesus’ . . .

Fig Tree Alert!

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree:
As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out,
you know that summer is near.
Even so, when you see these things happening,
you know that it is near, right at the door.
I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away
until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will never pass away” (13:28-31).

A blossoming fig tree signified summer’s start (the fig tree being a late-Spring bloomer), so“these [signs} happening” show “it is near, right at the door.” In fact, “this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things happen”.

Jesus’ fig-tree-alert raises three puzzling questions about what Jesus means(1) by“these things” which signify “it is near”? (2) by “it” that “is near, right at the door”? (3) by “this generation”? that “will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened”?

Commentators are as divided as Congress and suggested interpretations as numerous as Obamacare regulations. I’ll just set out what I understand. Two things lead me to believe the pre-cosmic, first-century signs continue throughout these last days until the end. One, is history (including Acts) and current events. Two, Jesus said, “These are but the beginning of the birth pains” (13:8), implying “birth pains” will continue.

Then, we have the questions what “it” and “this generation” refer to. Remember Jesus is answering “When will the temple be destroyed?” and “What signs will precede its destruction?” Therefore, I take “it” (which “is near, right at the door”) as referring to the temple’s and city’s fall in A.D. 70. In that case, ” . . . this generation” which won’t pass away “until all these things happen”, then refers to the disciples’ generation. “These things” would happen within 40 years. Cosmic signs and Second Coming lay outside that time frame.

Stay Awake!

“No one knows about that day or hour,
not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,
but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert!
You do not know when that time will come.
It’s like a man going away:
He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge,
each with his assigned task,
and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
Therefore keep watch
because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back–
whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!'” (13:32-37).

It seems to me (not a polished,professional prophecy professor) that what Jesus taught here refers primarily to his Second Coming (13:24-27), though it can include the temple destruction secondarily (13:14-23). (Interpreting prophecy is like being a politician: I try to cover all the bases!)

In the 1840s, William Miller proclaimed Jesus would return and the world would be burned up between March 1843 and March 1844. As many as 100,000 “Millerites” sold their belongings and headed to the mountains to wait for the end. Needless to say, they were disappointed, though Miller came up with a later date—and was wrong again.

This is precisely what Jesus warns us not to do with his prophecy. Since no one but the Father knows the day or the hour, it’s useless to waste time trying to figure it out. Miller, Harold Camping, Hal Lindsay are only a few who refused to see that.

What Jesus does urge us to do with his prophecy he states three times in this paragraph: “Stay awake.” Does that mean always have someone on duty watching the sky? Of course not. Each of us is a servant of our Lord with our own work to do. That means preaching, praying, driving a truck, teaching school, changing diapers, running a business and so on, in ways that bear witness of the good news of the kingdom of God at hand in the Son. And it means doing it aware that our Master is returning to call us to account.

I laugh at the prophecy professionals with their wall-to-wall charts onto which they squeeze and stomp everything in Scripture and life. But it’s not really funny. Become obsessed with prophecy and you overlook what Jesus wants us to do with it.

We may disagree about the details of Jesus’ prophecy in Mark 13. But there are three things we must not do . . .

Fight, criticize and divide.
Ignore the urgent lesson of the fig tree. Jesus will fulfill his prophecies soon, even if his “soon” seems slow.
Fall asleep at the wheel or be distracted by the trivial. Instead, “stay awake” in a world that yawns at Jesus. In other words, faithfully do what Jesus calls us to do as his servants who one day soon will give an account to our Lord.

The Son of Man Is Coming

December 2, 2015 / Allan Babcock

(Save video ’til the end!) If Jesus’ prophecy is true (and I believe it is), it will end the world as we know it. Sounds extreme, no? But it’s the best way I can introduce this momentous event beyond imagination.

Lets’ briefly set the scene. It’s (still) Tuesday before Jesus’ Friday crucifixion. Every brand of Jewish authority has verbally attacked Jesus through the day in the temple courtyard, trying but failing to force him into self-incrimination (Mark 11:27-12:34 & previous posts).

As they had left the temple, the disciples had been awed by its wonders. Not one stone will be left standing, Jesus had replied. Later, outside the city on the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked when this would happen and what signs would precede this cataclysmic destruction. Jesus told what lay ahead: wars, famines, earthquakes, false messiahs and persecution (13:1-13). One sign would be critical—“the abomination of desolation” standing where he shouldn’t. That’s when you must flee to the mountains, Jesus had warned. Tribulation on Jerusalem would be unequaled (13:14-23).

“But in those days, following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds
with great power and glory. And he will send his angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens” (13:24-27).

Yeah, right. Religious crazies. It’s been, what, 2000 years? I know, I know. I’ve heard prophecies like this since I was a kid. And the sun still shines. No “Son of Man” in clouds. The time-factor mightily disputes these end-of-the-world words. So does this whole apocalyptic prophecy itself. Dark sun. Murky moon. Fallen stars. Whole lotta shakin’ going on in the sky. Son of Man coming powerfully and gloriously to gather his chosen people from Australia to Alaska.

The Time Factor. Okay. I agree. 2000 years is a long time, especially when my computer takes maybe 60 seconds to power up and a pop-up moans, “Too slow.” Maybe Jesus miscalculated. Or author Mark misheard Peter (from whom Mark got this stuff) or Peter misheard. Maybe instead of putting his foot in his mouth as he was prone to do, he stuck it in his ear.

Peter answered the time-factor dispute like this:

. . . scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing,
following their own sinful desires.
They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming?
For ever since the fathers fell asleep,
all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation . . . ”
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years,
and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness,
but is patient toward you,
not wishing that any should perish,
but that all should reach repentance.
(2 Peter 3:3,4,8,9)

Jesus’ word “But” concurs. It translates the Greek alla which indicates a strong break with what preceded it and implies Jesus is now speaking of a new time period. Indefinite and long (as we’ve seen) to be sure, but sharply disconnected in time from the temple’s end in 70 A.D.

Apocalyptic Content. What Jesus predicts for the sun, moon, stars and sky sounds crazy. But so would a prediction on 9/10 of 9/11. Who would have imagined the twin towers would fall and make the southern tip of Manhattan a ghostly war zone?

Will the sun really go dark and the moon reflect no light and the stars all shoot to earth and the whole heavens shake like an otherworldly earthquake? Why wouldn’t they if the One through whom they were created was coming to judge the world?

I used to wonder how people throughout the earth could all, at the same time, see Jesus coming in the clouds. When TV went global, I thought that’s how. Some of us will see him in the flesh, others on live, cable TV. I’ve changed my mind. I still don’t know how Jesus will pull it off, except to say that, since he’s coming with “great power and glory”—not just “power and glory” but “great” (Greek mega)—I’m sure he’ll find a way. (Can you imagine what Jesus considers “great power and glory”?)

Good News: Gathering. The first part of Jesus’ prophecy implies bad news for Jesus’ enemies (including all who refuse to follow him in faith). But the second part—“And he will send his angels
and gather [together] his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens” is good news.

I see Jesus’ followers at work in office buildings, in hospitals, on farms, in nursing homes, in families around dinner tables, or alone at a kitchen table. All activity has stopped. Eyes on every continent are lifted toward the great power and glory of the Son of Man coming. Then angels move among people from every tribe, language, people and nation, approaching a man here, a woman there, a child there, saying “Come, he’s calling you.” And like a massive, holy, loving and joyful exodus the chosen stream together to the Son. Somehow, though they seem to be more than the sand by the sea, he welcomes each by name.

(Now, listen to the video, trust his words, and rejoice in praise!)

Rubio On Jesus (& More)

December 1, 2015 / Allan Babcock

I’m curious whenever a politician is asked about Jesus. So when I found this video from Marco Rubio, I watched and listened—and was thrilled to hear his witness.

Donald Trump brought his childhood Bible to a campaign rally to show the world he’s a good Methodist. (Please!) Rubio, on the other hand, articulately seems to speak from his heart about a relationship with Jesus founded on God’s Word and infused with the Holy Spirit. Some may wish he had left the Roman Catholic Church behind. But who are we to say where God can be doing his saving work?

I post this today not to endorse Rubio (though he and Dr. Ben Carson are running neck-and-neck in my mind). I post this because I usually view politicians with a healthy dose of cynicism. Not here. At least by his words and what I sense from his heart, Rubio really knows Jesus. He’s to be applauded for speaking openly about him.

Secondly, I post this today to encourage us all. God is at work in some of the most unlikely of places. That should keep us praying for those needs that seem most unlikely to be met.

Abomination of Desolation

November 29, 2015 / Allan Babcock

In 66 A.D. the full-scale revolt began. Jews in Jerusalem, infuriated by Roman rule that buried them with taxes and blasphemed their holy places, united, rose up and drove the oppressors out. The Romans soon returned, this time from the north, 60,000 strong. They crushed Galilee. One hundred thousand Jews were killed or enslaved. The Romans then swept south through the country and laid siege to Jerusalem. In the summer of 70 A.D. they finally breached the city walls. The temple was burned and hundreds of thousands were executed, many who had fled into the city for safety. When Jerusalem fell, the Jewish state collapsed, not to be established again until 1948. (The video above is a 59-minute, dramatized BBC version of the conquest; I found it worth watching.)

Forty years earlier, it’s Tuesday in Jerusalem, three days before Jesus’ crucifixion. It had been a day of verbal conflict in the temple courtyard as chief priests, scribes, elders, Herodians, Pharisees and Sadducees unsuccessfully tried to ambush Jesus into incriminating himself (Mark 11:27-12:37).

As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” (13:1-4).

Before leaving the temple, Jesus had prophetically warned many deceivers would come in his name; disciples must not be misled. Wars, earthquakes and famines would strike; disciples must not fear or presume the end is near. Deadly persecution would arise; disciples must continue to preach the gospel to all nations and endure to the end (13:5-13). Then Jesus prophesies an unthinkable coming disaster:

But when you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong– let the reader understand– then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now– and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect– if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time” (Mark 13:14-23).

What is “the abomination that causes desolation”? That ominous phrase comes from Daniel’s prophecy in the 6th century B.C. Here’s one of several texts referring to it . . .

“And the people of the prince who is to come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary . . .
Desolations are decreed . . .
And on the wing of abominations
shall come one who makes desolate,
until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
(Daniel 9:26,27b)

The prophecy was fulfilled in 167 B.C. when a Greek-influenced Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes (“God Manifest”) offered sacrifices to Greek gods in the Jerusalem temple in order to put an end to Judaism. Now in 30 A.D. Jesus picks up Daniel’s prophecy and predicts another fulfillment when another “abomination” will desecrate the temple and bring desolation to the city. Forty years later Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled by the Romans as cited above.

I take three lessons from this.

One, tribulation marks the end of this age. False “messiahs”, wars, famines, earthquakes, and Christian persecution characterize these last days (Jesus’ Incarnation to his Second Coming). It’s obvious from history and current events that the end of this age is full of tragedy and troubles.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal
that is taking place among you to test you
as though something strange were happening to you.
(1 Peter 4:12, NKJV).

“We must go through many hardships
to enter the kingdom of God”
(Acts 14:22, NIV).

Two, Jesus prophesied to warn us. Biblical prophecy isn’t given as a game or for insider-information. It’s given to encourage us and warn us. This one Jesus gave to warn his disciples, so they might be ready and kept safe from “the abomination of desolation.”

“. . .let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Let no one on the roof of his house go down
or enter the house to take anything out.
Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women
and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter . . .

if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’
or, ‘Look, there he is!’
do not believe it . . .
So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time”
(Mark 13:14b-18,21,23)

Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence,
they still would not believe in him
(John 12:37).

Three, Jesus’ prophecies come true. This one certainly did. The disciples saw it. 30 A.D. prophecy. 70 A.D. fulfillment. Of course, people who disbelieve the miraculous manufacture “reasonable explanations”—like the disciples wanted us to believe their gospel so Mark composed this prophecy after Jerusalem fell!

Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence,
they still would not believe in him.
(John 12:37)

These are pretty dark words. Let’s leave off with words of light. Tribulation does mark these last days. Jesus gave this prophecy to warn us. And his prophecies do come true. So let’s hear his prophetic words given to encourage us, which will indeed come true (and which we’ll consider next time) . . .

“But in those days after that tribulation,
the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in clouds with great power and glory”
(Mark 13:24-26, ESV).

AND THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
WILL BE FORGOTTEN HISTORY!

Thank Who

November 25, 2015 / Allan Babcock

I’ve always wondered who most people thank on Thanksgiving. Christian Smith’s research (Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers) shows we’ve pretty much made God a moral–therapeutic deity, who sits in his heavenly firehouse ’til we sound the alarm. So, unless he put out a holocaust for us last year, whom will we thank tomorrow?

Perhaps in some homes where parents want to instill a gratitude attitude in their children, everyone in turn will say thanks to someone else at the table. “I want to thank Mom for feeding us all year.” “I want to thank Dad for working hard so we can have what we have.”

That’s a far cry from the apostle’s admonition . . .

” . . . be filled with the Spirit . . .
giving thanks always and for everything
to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . ”
(Ephesians 5:19a,20)

Thank who? God the Father. Practically from cover to cover, the Scriptures make God the “who” of giving thanks.

But the unregenerate heart balks. In fact, the apostle makes refusal to thank God a step downward to depravity.

“For although they knew God,
they did not honor him as God OR GIVE THANKS TO HIM,
but they became futile in their thinking,
and their foolish hearts were darkened”(Romans 1:21).

Therefore, we need the regenerating work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to awaken us to the reality of the “giving-ness” of God and to enable us to respond with heartfelt thanks.

Of course, this “thank you” to God shouldn’t be reserved for one American holiday. ” . . . giving thanks ALWAYS and FOR EVERYTHING”, Paul urges us in Ephesians 5:20 (above). Earlier he wrote similarly to the Thessalonians . . .

” . . . give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

“In all circumstances.” “For everything.” The latter phrase might mean for every good thing. But the former makes it uncomfortably clear that no matter the circumstances, God wants us to thank him. Does that mean I should thank God for every circumstance, as in “Thank you, God, for this illness”? If “for everything” means literally what it says, it does. That’s lunacy, unless we believe Romans 8:28 (which is not always easy to believe!). But, even if God isn’t telling me to thank him for my illness, he is telling me to give him thanks in all circumstances. “Thank you, Father, for Jesus, through whom you have reconciled me to yourself and thank you, Father, for the Spirit who indwells me with your holy, transforming presence.”

Question. Does God “will” us to thank him because his ego needs massaging? (“Hey, look. I’ve given you lots of good things and I’m not feeling real appreciated. So, how ’bout a great big THANK YOU, GOD!”) Or does he want us to say thanks to teach us good Christian manners? (“It’s not polite to not say thank you to me!”) No, he wants us to thank him, because he deserves our thanks. But, perhaps even more, he wants us to thank him because it does our heart good. There comes a sense of fullness–of fulfillment–that makes the joy of receiving from God complete when we thank him.

This isn’t a commercial brought to us by God for a happy American Thanksgiving. As we always hear, we should give thanks all year. True. But perhaps we can in some way make tomorrow a particular, even memorable, thanks-giving to God our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because . . .

“Every good gift and every perfect present
comes from heaven;
it comes down from God,
the Creator of the heavenly lights,
who does not change or cause darkness by turning.”
(James 1:17, TEV)

Okay, everybody sitting round the table. Before stuffing mouths with turkey stuffing, let’s give one big shout-out to God . . .

THANK YOU, GOD!

Oh, we can do better than that! One more time—bigger!

THANK YOU, GOD!

Squanto: A Thanksgiving Miracle

November 25, 2015 / Allan Babcock

Maybe you’ve heard this story before. Even so, it’s worth reading again (as it was for me). You may even want to read it around the Thanksgiving table. I’m indebted to Eric Metaxas who brought it back to mind on the “Wall Street Journal” Opinion page today (http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-miracle-of-squantos-path-to-plymouth-1448406073).

About 1608 (12 years before the Pilgrims arrived) an English ship arrived at what would become Plymouth, Massachusetts. Friendly Patuxet Indians welcomed them. But the sailors’ intention wasn’t friendly: they brutally captured a number of the braves, took them to Spain, and sold them into slavery.

One became the property of some Catholic friars, who treated him well and set him free. He began dreaming of somehow returning to the New World. He managed to get from Spain to London where he stayed with a man named John Slany who taught him English. In 1618, the he found a ship that would take him to the New World, if he would work as an interpreter.

So it was that after ten years, the Indian returned to his village. But when he arrived, he was shocked to find it deserted. The Patuxets had all died from a disease (smallpox?) brought by ships from Europe. Captivity almost certainly saved his life. But for what? To live alone in the woods?

Two years later, in 1620, Pilgrims, fleeing religious persecution in England, arrived on the Mayflower. Their original destination was Virginia. But, unable to go that far, they chose instead to settle at Plymouth. It was November. Harsh conditions—frigid temperatures, wet ground, little food—brought illness and death to many. How could God have led them to such suffering? They considered returning to Europe.

Then after the dark cold winter, one spring day in 1621, an Indian walked out of the woods. He spoke English. He had lived in London. And he had grown up on the land where they now stood. He knew how to plant corn and squash, how to find fish, and how to survive in the wilderness.

His named was Squanto.

Lucky for those Pilgrims, huh? In Metaxas’ telling of the true story he calls it “an outrageous miracle of God.” The Pilgrims certainly believed so. The Plymouth Colony Governor William Bradford wrote in his journal that Squanto “became a special instrument sent of God.”

We can be sure on that first Thanksgiving the Pilgrims gratefully gave thanks for more than food. In a typically mysterious God-way, he provided for his people’s survival in the New World.

Outrageous miracle indeed!

Oh, we should remember that God—our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ—
still acts “outrageously” today.

reenactment of the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Mass. (AP/Plimoth ...

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
(Ephesians 3:20,21)

Alone with Jesus

November 24, 2015 / Allan Babcock

My private prayer time is suffering. Whenever I pray, my illness tugs at my mind—like metal to a magnet—and won’t let go. I need help to return to God-centered praying. The following blog, published by “Desiring God,” spoke to me. Perhaps it will to you too.

One thing. I wish Chan had shared lessons he’s learned about private prayer. Here are a few of mine. (1) Begin with a minute or two of quieting down to become conscious of coming before the Lord. (2) Dump your read-through-the-Bible-this-year program. (It’s valuable, but, I, at least, tend to rush through the reading. Instead, pick a Bible book you’re interested in. (3) Ask the Lord to speak to you through it. (4) Read a small portion or until something “stands out” to you. (5) Be still and meditate on that portion or your “stand out” verse. Repeat it over and over in your mind. (6) Ask the Lord to enable you to believe it or obey it or whatever the appropriate response .

Okay, enough from me. Here’s what Chan wrote (with thanks to “Desiring God”) . . .

The Greatest Thing You Could Do Today
Francis Chan / November 23, 2015

Imagine walking up a mountain alone. But it’s no ordinary mountain. The ground beneath you is shaking, and the entire mountain is covered in smoke. At its peak is a thick cloud with lightning and thunder. God descends onto the mountain in fire, and each time you speak to him, he responds in thunder. This is what Moses experienced in Exodus 19.

Now compare that experience to your last time in prayer.

Distracted, obligatory, ordinary — I doubt any such words came across Moses’s mind as he ascended the mountain. But some three thousand years later, we rarely marvel that God permits imperfect humans into his presence.

How did the shocking become so ordinary to us? Is it even possible for our experiences with God to be that fascinating?

Going Up the Mountain

A mentor of mine lives in India. Last year, he called me on the phone crying, distraught over the state of the church in America. “It seems like the people in America would be content to take a selfie with Moses. Don’t they know they can go up the mountain themselves? Why don’t they want to go up the mountain?”

When was the last time you enjoyed meaningful time alone with God? Time so good that you didn’t want to leave. It was just you, reading God’s words, in his holy presence.
I was fifteen years old when my youth pastor taught me how to pray and read the Bible alone. Now, more than thirty years later, I still can’t find a better way to start my days. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t refocus daily by going up the mountain.

It is alone with him that I empty myself of pride, lies, and stress.

• Pride: standing before a Person clothed in unapproachable light has a way of humbling you (1 Timothy 6:16).
• Lies: speaking to an All-Knowing Judge tends to induce honesty (Hebrews 4:13).
• Stress: kneeling before the God who causes men to fail or succeed replaces our anxiety with peace (Psalm 127:1).

Professional Gatherers

We often spend a lot of time and effort gathering believers together. We’ve become experts at gathering Christians around great bands, speakers, and events. Where we have failed is in teaching believers how to be alone with God. When is the last time you heard someone rave about their time alone with Jesus in his word? Gathering believers who don’t spend time alone with God can be a dangerous thing.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in Life Together:

Whoever cannot be alone should be aware of community. Such people will only do harm to themselves and to the community. Alone you stood before God when God called you. Alone you had to obey God’s voice. Alone you had to take up your cross, struggle, and pray, and alone you will die and give an account to God. You cannot avoid yourself, for it is precisely God who has called you out. If you do not want to be alone, you are rejecting Christ’s call to you, and you can have no part in the community of those who are called.

The word community is thrown around quite a bit in Christian circles today. But our gatherings can be toxic if we do not spend time alone with God. I’ve been in many groups where people share their insights. The problem is not only that our insights are not as profound as we think they are, but that we’re so eager to share thoughts originating in our own minds, when we have a God who says,

My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8–9)

I want to know the thoughts of God. I want to gather with people who have been reading God’s words, people who have prayed and interacted with him. I want to fellowship with those who fellowship with God. I couldn’t care less if you have a doctorate in theology or sixty years of life experience. I would rather talk with a fifteen-year-old who has been in the presence of God.

Can You Love Sermons Too Much?

There is so much discussion around books, sermons, and conferences. I’m not against those. After all, I’ve given a significant portion of my life to preaching sermons and writing books and going to conferences. But sometimes I wonder if it’s time to shift our focus.

We have to look at the facts. American Christians consume more sermons and books than any other group in the history of the world, but consider the state of the church. Has the increase in resources led to greater holiness? Greater intimacy with Jesus?

You could argue that the state of our churches would be even worse without the resources. Maybe that’s the case. Or could it be that these resources (and even this article) has the potential of distracting people from the Source itself? Maybe all of these books and sermons about Jesus have actually kept people from directly interacting with him. It may sound blasphemous to suggest our prayer lives may be weakened by all of the consumption of Christian material. Nonetheless, I want to throw it out there.

We live in a time when most people have a difficult time concentrating on anything. We are constantly looking for the quick fix and for faster solutions. So the thought of sitting quietly to meditate on Scripture and praying deeply in silence can be eagerly replaced by listening to a sermon while driving to work. While it’s definitely better than nothing (considering all of the other messages we are bombarded with daily), the point of this article is to say that there is no substitute for being alone with God.
We must learn to be still again.

Something Has to Go

It was simple for Paul. He loved being with Jesus. “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
Knowing Christ deeply consumed him (Philippians 3:8). There is no substitute for being alone with God. If you don’t have time, you need to quit something to make room. Skip a meal. Cancel a meeting. End some regular commitment. There is literally nothing more important you could do today.

God literally determines whether or not you take another breath. “He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Could anything be more important than meeting with the One who decides if you live through this day? Could anything be better? How can we not make time to be with the Maker of time?

What plans do you have today that you think so important that you would race past the Creator to get to them?

Labor Pains

November 21, 2015 / Allan Babcock

I couldn’t believe my eyes. A World Trade Center tower, hit by an airliner, its fuel a blazing inferno, was collapsing under its own weight in a thunderous cloud of ash (see video).

The Jerusalem temple described by Josephus, the 1st century Jewish historian: “The outward face of the temple in its front lacked nothing that was likely to surprise either men’s minds or their eyes, for it was covered all over with plates of gold of great weight, and, at the first rising of the sun, reflected back a very fiery splendour, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn their eyes away, just as they would have done at the sun’s own rays. This temple appeared to strangers when they were at a distance, like a mountain covered with snow, for, as to those parts of it that were not gilt, they were exceedingly white.”

For 40 years King Herod had been rebuilding Solomon’s temple (destroyed by the Babylonians, 586 B.C.—Jeremiah 52), more stunning and secure than ever. Magnificently ornate, it occupied 1/6 of Jerusalem’s land area. Here sacrifices for sin were made. Here God’s presence dwelt among his covenant people. From here his blessings flowed. The temple was the religious center and capital of the nation. Its destruction was as unthinkable as terrorists taking down the towers. Were it to happen, it would mark a life-change for Israel too dreadful to contemplate.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” (13:3,4).

Jesus with his disciples had walked east-southeast out of the city through the narrow Kidron Valley and up the Mount of Olives where they enjoyed a panoramic view of Jerusalem and the temple. Mount of Olives 259x100 Mount of Olives

Four of them pulled Jesus aside and whispered anxiously, “When will this happen and what signs will show they’re about to happen?” Jesus’ answer challenges correct interpretation because, like all biblical prophets, he mingles the immediate future with the distant, so we have what scholars call “double fulfillment.”

I hold the view that Mark 13:5-23 applies to the first century believers. Within that segment, Mark 13:14-23 predicts the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in 70 A.D. (about 40 years after Christ). And Mark 5-13 describes events characteristic of the time leading up to that fall and after. Here are those three paragraphs . . .

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains (13:5-8).

“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. When you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved ()13:9-13).

The Fall. “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong– let the reader understand– then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now– and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect– if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time” (13:14-23).

At the same time, I believe in Mark 13:5-8 and Mark 13:9-13 Jesus gives signs that indicate all history’s movement toward its end. Signs: (1) false Christ’s (or spreaders of false “truth”), (2) wars, (3) earthquakes and famines, (4) Christians’ persecution; (5) the spread of the Gospel toward the end of all nations’ hearing.

In view of those signs, Jesus gives his disciples and us these exhortations:

“See that no one leads you astray” (13:5). The spirit of antichrist is in the world. False worldviews, false philosophies and false “truths” abound. The media pound them into our minds. The only objective truth we can trust is the Bible, God’s Word. We must not be misled from it however popular the alternative and however few hold to it.

“Do not be alarmed” (13:7). America’s main security threat is terrorism. We drift between assuming it can’t happen here again to fearing it will happen to me. Jesus tells us not to be alarmed, because the worst they can do is kill our bodies.

“Be on your guard” (13:9). I don’t think I’m being fanatical when I say Christianity is being less and less tolerated in America. By this warning Jesus doesn’t mean, “Keep your faith a secret”, but, “Know that going public may get you in trouble.”

“Don’t be anxious . . . what you are to say” (13:10b). We may be questioned, interrogated even. The questions may be honest or hostile. In any case, Jesus couples his encouragement with this assurance:
” . . . say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit” (13:11b).

” . . . the one who endures to the end will be saved” (13:13b). This is an eye-opening warning—endurance may be required. “Endurance” is “the ability to deal with pain or suffering that continues for a long time.” This is also an eye-opening promise—the consummation of God’s saving work through Christ awaits those who endure!

Finally, Jesus makes a compelling statement at the end of 13:8—“These (false Christs, wars, etc.) are but the beginning of the birth pains.” By this Jesus cautions us not to look at world conditions, then grab our white robes and stand waiting on the highest hill for his imminent coming. At the same time “birth pains” is a glorious term. Every mother knows labor pains are excruciating. It’s the one time I say, “Thank God I wasn’t born a woman!” I haven’t felt your pain, but I’ve heard your screams. Its Birthing Time | Earth End - New Beginning However . . .

“A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world” (Jesus, John 16:21).

So Jesus’ caution contains a full-of-wonder expectation. Breaking into the darkness and death of this age’s last days ” . . . they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with power and great glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven” (13:26,27).

The new creation will be born!

DAILY GRACE: BRAND NEW

Poached Egg

November 21, 2015 / Allan Babcock

“Robins fly south for winter over sprinkled ice cream cones so tasty on a warm summer’s day.” I used to think Jesus’ teaching to the temple courtyard crowd seemed almost as loony.

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”‘ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight. (Mark 12: 35-37).

Who is “The Lord” and who is “my Lord”? Who’s putting whose enemies under whose feet? David calls who Lord? What’s the point of the whole lesson? And what difference does it make to me? Hint: It all has to do with who Jesus really is.

It’s still Tuesday. In the Jerusalem temple courtyard air hangs heavy with excitement and tension. Since Sunday, when Jesus “triumphantly” entered Jerusalem, Jewish authorities have vainly tried to verbally beat him into self-incrimination. Friday they’ll do far more: crucify him.

The words Jesus quotes are the first verse of a familiar messianic psalm. Here it is in its entirety . . .

1The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” 2The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. 3Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth. 4The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” 5The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. 6He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. 7He will drink from a brook beside the way; therefore he will lift up his head (Psalm 110:1-7).

In 110:1-3 King David prophesied how the Messiah-King would fight and rule over his enemies. In 110:4 David prophesied how the Messiah-Priest would intercede for his people forever. And in 110:5-7 how the Messiah-Warrior would fight and crush the rulers of the whole earth.

We know the Jews expected a political Messiah who’d deliver Israel from Rome and establish a David-like kingdom in Jerusalem. However, when Jesus says, “David himself calls him ‘Lord'”, then asks, “How then can he be his son?”, Jesus is identifying Messiah as both king and priest forever who will extend his rule beyond the Middle East to “the whole earth.”

Unlike most preachers (and bloggers) today who wish to leave no question unanswered, Jesus leaves the crowd with a question to answer for themselves: “If King David calls this one Lord, how can he be his son?” Answer: the one about whom Psalm 110 speaks is far greater even than King David. He is David’s descendant, but David bows to him as Lord because he is THE LORD!

In this teaching to the temple crowd, Jesus identifies his lineage (he’s the son of King David) and his destiny (to provide sacrifice for his people’s sins and to rule the whole world). In short, he will be enthroned as the divine King-Priest of (the new) creation forever.

I have trouble connecting that to “the real world” today. For example, when I see TV news reports of the Middle East wars, of radical Islamist terrorist attacks (like Paris, the Russian airliner, the hotel in Mali West Africa), of the massive migration from Muslim countries into Europe, of famines and floods on the African continent, and of ever-present racial and political divides in America, Jesus the Messianic Warrior doesn’t come first to mind. I think, “Trump or Hillary would make the mess worse” or “Which Republican would be best equipped to deal with these crises?”.

I remember I mustn’t think of Jesus as merely a religious king. I must see him as the King who is the world’s only hope. Just as first-century Israel groaned for a leader to free them from Roman oppression, I should be groaning for the Leader to free us from the oppression of this evil-one empowered world. Sound fanatical? That brings me finally to this profound quote from C.S. Lewis . . .

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Or is there a Rapture at all?