The Names of Jesus Christ

From the December 18, 2012 eNews issue
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Names have great significance in the Bible. A name was not just the label that differentiated one person from another, but it often described something about the person. The name Abraham is translated "Father of a multitude," Ezekiel means "God strengthens," and David is "beloved". The most important names in the Bible, however, describe God Himself. Through His names, God expresses the reality of who He is. Our Creator does not cloak His identity and distance Himself from His creation. Instead, we have a Heavenly Father who desires to be known:

"... But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD." -Jeremiah 9:24

As we rush through the Christmas season burdened with busy schedules, may we take time to seek the man whose birth Christmas celebrates.

Who is Jesus Christ? Was he simply a good man, a teacher, or a revolutionary? Through his names, the Bible gives us great insight into the identity of the baby that was born in Bethlehem in Judea over 2000 years ago:

Jesus
From the name Joshua, or Yehoshua, which means "Yahweh is salvation".

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins". -Matthew 1:21

The Word
Logos in the Greek - God's living, breathing message of who He is, by whom He created all things.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." -John 1:1,3

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." - John 1:14

Son of David
The Messiah the King, the rightful heir to the throne.

"Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." -Isaiah 9:7

"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:"- Luke 1:32

"And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest." - Matthew 21:9

The Lamb of God: Innocent and pure, sent to die in our place.

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world". - John 1:29

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you..." - 1 Peter 1:18,19-20

I AM
The very name of the God of Moses, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Creator:

"Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."- Exodus 3:14

"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Am."- John 8:58

Emmanuel
From the Hebrew words Immanu - "with us" - and El - "God". Jesus is everything that the Father is, made into human flesh so that we can know what the Father is like through Jesus Christ. He truly is God with us.


"Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." - Matthew 1:22,23

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth...all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." -Colossians 1:15-17

"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?" - John 14:9

He is the Son of Man and the Son of God. He is the Rock, The Good Shepherd, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. May God be blessed for his goodness toward us, for "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved," (John 3:17).

That is who Jesus is.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:6

Related Links
• My King - Koinonia House
• Christmas Bible Study Resources - Koinonia House

Genesis 18-19

Notes compiled from my BSF group

GOD AND TWO ANGELS VISIT ABRAHAM (Genesis 18:1–15)

Abraham treats his visitors with the best he has (Genesis 18:6-8)
Abraham received the famous three visitors. This first was the Lord Himself, and the other two were angels who had an assignment the following day at Sodom and Gomorrah. When Abraham received them, he gave them "three measures of meal" (Genesis 18:6). From that day to this, in both the Jewish and Arab cultures, the "three measures of meal" are emblematic of a fellowship offering.

Along with three measures of meal, Abraham also brought out some of his best offerings: a choice, tender calf, curds, and milk.


God promises Abraham that in a year, he and Sarah will have a son (Genesis 18:10)


Genesis 17:21
"But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year."

Genesis 18:10
Then one of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."


Sarah doubts God's promise (Genesis 18:11-15)
Sarah listened to God reiterate His promise to Abraham in a hidden place. She expressed doubt because she did not think it was possible for such a promise to be fulfilled because both she and Abraham were well beyond child-bearing age. Sarah thought she was alone with her thoughts, but God still heard her and told her that He knew she doubted Him, despite Sarah lying about it to try and cover up her guilt (Genesis 17:15).

By faith, Sarah gives birth to Isaac

Hebrews 11:11
"By faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful who had made the promise."

Perhaps it was this incidence that allowed Sarah to finally be able to have faith in God's promise! By having faith in the fulfillment of God's promise, she became the mother of a great nation.

Luke 1:45
"Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"

With man, things may be impossible -- But with God, nothing is impossible
With Sarah, we see that often times, what we may not think is possible can be easily fulfilled by God. Our faith in God ought to be stronger than our doubts about human abilities, because God is UNLIMITED.

Genesis 18:14
"Is anything too hard for the LORD?"

Mark 10:27
"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'"

Luke 1:37
"For no word from God will ever fail."


ABRAHAM IS A FRIEND OF GOD (Genesis 18:16-19)

God reveals His plans to Abraham (Genesis 18:17-19)
Because Abraham was a "Friend" of God, God told Abraham about His judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah.

God reveals His plans to those who are His Friends
Abraham was a Friend of God in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the disciples were Friends of Jesus.

"Friend" is a title given to people by God who have complete faith in God and trust God completely. And to His Friends, God shares His plans with them.

Here, we see God telling Abraham about His plan to judge Sodom and Gomorrah. God did not have to reveal His plan to anyone. However, as we see here, God keeps no secrets from His Friends. This is why God told Abraham about Sodom. This is also why Jesus told His disciples about 

Have the ears to hear

In order to hear what God has to say, we must be willing to listen. We must be open to the truth. We cannot just choose to listen to what pleases us. If we are not willing to learn or to listen, then we will not hear from God.

Mark 4:24-25
'"Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.'"

John 16:13-14
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you."



GOD'S JUDGMENT (Genesis 18:20-33)

1. God pronounces judgment when there is grievous sin (Genesis 18:20).

2. God does not judge the righteous (Genesis 18:22-33).

Abraham intercedes for the righteous (Genesis 18:22-33)

Because of Abraham's intercession, Lot (Abraham's nephew) was saved.

Genesis 19:29
"When God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived."

BSF asked, "Since God already knew the number of righteous men in Sodom, why do you think He let Abraham continue in his prayers?"

The question should not "why do you think God let Abraham continue in his prayers." 

Prayers are our way of communicating with God, telling Him our problems and fears, just talking to God in general. God is not going to stop us from praying just because He knows the answer. A parent would never tell her child to stop going to her for help just because the parent knows what is going on.

As long as we seek God with a sincere heart, there is no reason to be afraid of going to God with our questions. We see in the passage that Abraham approached God with great sincerity. He did not mean to be annoying or joking around just for fun. Abraham was truly worried about the death of the righteous people, and he prayed to God to have those righteous lives be spared.

We are God’s children. We do not always know what’s going on, and through Abraham, we learn that when we don't understand what’s going on, we can ask God, and God will answer us.

The Holy Spirit guides our prayers

Romans 8:26-27
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God."

We may not always know what to pray for. And if we don't, ask for help. This should be our base attitude. Any time we do not know how to do a certain thing or if we don’t understand a certain thing, we should just go to God and seek for His understanding. Through the Holy Spirit, God will guide us to maturity, and we will learn the answers to the questions that we have.


LOT BARELY ESCAPES GOD'S JUDGMENT (Genesis 19)

Lot could not influence the men of Sodom (Genesis 19:9)
Lot asked the men of Sodom to not bother his visitors. However, they disregarded Lot's plead and told him to "Get out of our way" and went on to break down his door.

Lot could not influence his sons-in-law (Genesis 19:14)
When Lot told his sons-in-law to leave because God's judgment was coming, they thought he was joking. In contrast, Noah received full respect from his family and was able to save his entire family from the Flood judgment.

Lot could not influence his wife (Genesis 19:26)
Lot and his family were warned to not look back as they leave Sodom and Gomorrah, but Lot’s wife could not help herself. She looked back and became a pillar of salt.

By looking back, Lot's wife lingered for the materialistic belongings that she had left behind. Instead of looking forward to her eternal life, her behavior showed that she valued those short-lived worldly treasures more.

Lot should have heeded past signs
When Abram and Lot parted ways (Genesis 13), Lot knew people of Sodom were wicked and sinning greatly against the Lord (Genesis 13:13). However, Lot still chose to live among the wicked.

Had Lot followed God and heeded God’s warnings, Lot could have avoided such a tragic ending.

God shows Lot mercy
Despite Lot's bad choices, God still provided a safe pass to him. When Lot requested to be relocated to a small town nearby, God also granted his wish.

Build ourselves as Christians solidly based in Jesus

1 Corinthians 3:10-15
"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."

In this passage, Paul is telling us about how to build ourselves as Christians.

Our foundation is always based on Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:11). As we continue to build, we have the option of using "many different types of materials," from high quality gold to cheap straw. High quality gold is used to symbolize wise, godly decisions, whereas cheap straw is used to symbolize weak faith or the lack of God in our decisions. 

When we build with high quality materials, the house that we build will be able to withstand the worst kind of weather. That is, when we have solid faith, Satan may try and attack us and shake our faith, but we will be able to fight Satan off with our faith in the Lord. However, when we build with cheap straw, a simple small fire can burn the whole house down--the simplest of Satan's attacks would deter us from walking with Jesus.

"The Day will bring it to light"
Why does Paul say, "The Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."

The Day refers to the Day of the Lord, when God releases His Wrath to judge Earth and Earth-dwellers. During this time, the quality of what we have chosen to build our lives with will be revealed by God's Fire.

"If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward"
If we built upon Jesus and lived a life devoted to following God's Will, our faith will stand the test. We will not be judged at the Great White Throne but will be rewarded for our works at the Bema seat of Christ.

"If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."
If we have accepted Jesus but still go through life making ungodly choices, following our will instead of listening to God's Will, continuing to sin even though we ought to know better, although WE WILL NOT LOSE OUR SALVATION, we will, as Paul described, merely escape through the flames. We will suffer loss -- We will lose the worldly treasures that we hold dear -- but at least our salvation will allow us to survive God's fire.

The point Paul is illustrating here is do not be like the one who just barely escaped the fire. God gave us a strong foundation, and when we build upon Him, we should do so with care. We should choose carefully the materials we continue to build, as we become more mature Christians. If we were once an alcoholic, and we become a Christian, do we keep on drinking alcohol? No, we should switch over to a better material: Instead of relying on alcohol, we should start relying on Jesus with our worries and problems. When we have anger issues and are extremely impatient and unforgiving, and we become a Christian, do we still go on behaving in an ungodly manner? No, we should switch over to a better material: We should be more loving, more understanding; essentially, learning to be more and more like Jesus.

In Lot’s case, God had given him many blessings. However, Lot chose to live among the most ungodly people of Sodom. And look what happened to him: He barely escaped. His wife got turned into a pillar of salt and his daughters had incestuous relationship with him because they both lost their husbands (Genesis 19:30-38).

When we are not careful with the materials we choose to build our lives with, we will not lose our salvation, but we will end up in situations that leave us with very little comfort and a lot of trouble.

Paul warns us not to be those who barely escapes. Paul encourages us to be those whose works can stand the test of fire.


NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM DISOBEYING GOD

When Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hand and had a son, Ishmael, through Hagar, history shows that Ishmael became the father of one of Israel's greatest enemies.

Here, we see also that by not following God's will, Lot also gave rise to two nations (Moabites and Ammonites) that to this day remain enemies of Israel (Deuteronomy 2:9; 19; 23:3-5; Numbers 25:1; Judges 3:29; Ruth 1:4; 4:13-17; Nehemiah 13:1-2; Jeremiah 48:47; Zephaniah 2:9; Matthew 1:5-6).

Genesis 16-17

Notes compiled with my BSF group

GOD'S WILL, GOD'S TIME (Genesis 16:1-6)

God promised Abram and Sarai a son, one of the offspring of a great nation


Genesis 12:7
The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land."

Genesis 15:4-5
"A son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir… Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them… So shall your offspring be."

Genesis 15:13-21
"Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions… In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure… To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

Genesis 17:1-8
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers. As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations… I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

Genesis 17:19-21
Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him... My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”


However, Abram and Sarai were impatient for God's time and decided to do things their way
Abram showed faith in God's promise earlier: When God told him that his offspring will be as numerous as the number of stars (Genesis 15:4-5), Abram believed God, and God credited that faith to Abram as righteousness (Genesis 15:6).

However, in Genesis 16, we see how Sarai and Abram showed unbelief. Sarai was not patient enough to wait for God’s promise to be fulfilled and wanted Abram to have a son through Hagar. That is, instead of trusting God and leaving things in God’s hands, Sarai and Abram took the situation into their own hands. They did not operate on God’s time. They wanted to push things forward on THEIR OWN time.

Sarai’s actions did not show that she believed God’s promise to give Abram offspring. She took matters into her own hands by giving Abram Hagar as his wife to have children.

Sarai behaved like Eve, and Abram behaved like Adam
We can learn several lessons from Sarai and Abram.

1. Sarai behaved the same way that Eve did in the Garden. Instead of trusting the Lord, Sarai acted on her own will and convinced Abram to take matters into their own hands (Genesis 16:1-2).

2. Adam behaved the same way that Adam did in the Garden. Instead of being a good leader and guiding Sarai back to the road of righteousness, Abram followed Sarai’s sinful thoughts and had a child with Hagar (Genesis 16:2-4).

3. When we do things according to our own will, disaster results. Having a son should have been a joyful event, but because of the circumstances that Ishmael was born, everyone was upset. Sarai was upset because Hagar became prideful (Genesis 16:5). Abram was upset because Sarai was not happy. Hagar was upset because Sarai mistreated her (Genesis 16:6).

4. There are consequences to our selfish actions. In Genesis 16:7-12, THE Angel of the Lord appeared to comfort Hagar. ("The Angel of the Lord" is a term reserved for pre-incarnate Christ -- See Isaiah 63:9; Judges 13:21–22.) Hagar’s son, Ishmael, was also a seed of Abram. And because God promised Abram that his offspring will be as numerous as the stars, we see here that God extended that promise to Ishmael. Why? Because God is faithful.

However, look what this resulted in: Ishmael would become
the father of a nation that will "live in hostility toward all his brothers" (Genesis 16:12). The consequence of Sarai and Abram’s selfish actions resulted in the birth of nations that would rage war against Israel – And Israel today continues to suffer in wars with Ishmael’s descendants: the Arab nations, such as Palestinians, Iran, Iraq, etc.

If Sarai and Abram had just followed God’s will and operated on God’s time, Ishmael would not have been born, and Israel today may not have so many enemies!

Avoid selfish and prideful thinking. It is difficult to wait for God’s timing, and it’s tempting to think we have the better solution, but we should know by now that God’s solution is always the best solution. Disasters happen when we start thinking we can do better than God.


HAGAR HAD REASONS TO BE SAD (Genesis 16:7–16)
Hagar was unhappy because she was used and abused. 

Hagar wasn’t the one who wanted to have a child with Abram. Sarai gave her to Abram like a piece of property to have a child for Sarai. Hagar fulfilled her duty and indeed gave birth to a child for Abram, but that wasn’t good enough for Sarai.

Perhaps Hagar wasn’t a very graceful person, as she started to despise Sarai when she became pregnant (Genesis 16:4). However, what did Sarai expect when she misused and mistreated Hagar in the first place? It’s all just a mess that could have been avoided had Sarai been patient enough to act according to God’s will and time! 

At any rate, both Sarai and Hagar have done wrong, but Hagar does have a reason to be unhappy: She did what she was told, and she was punished for it.

"Go back to your mistress and submit to her" (Genesis 16:9)
Along with what we are taught in Ephesians 5:21-22, Hebrews 13:17, and 1 Peter 3:6–7, we need to submit to our superiors.

Back in those days, superiors are masters. Today, superiors are employers, bosses, all the way up to political leaders.

Paul said, "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God" (Romans 13:1).

In other words, ALL authority is established by God -- even the ones we think are horrible leaders and evil bosses! We may be tempted to ask why God would put bad people in leadership positions, but I think the bigger question is, why do we think we are the ones who get to set the standards? Why are we judging God? Who are we to judge God?

Before we go down that road, I would like to bring up these points:

1. God has a plan that is bigger than all of us. His plan is not to give us perfect jobs and wonderful bosses and luxurious lives. His plan is salvation for mankind.

2. As smart as we all think we are, we are not nearly as smart as God. God made the universe. We haven’t even figured out how the universe was formed. We study and research, and we can’t cure half the diseases around the world. Since it is clear that we are not nearly as smart as God, that we cannot see nearly as far as God, we really shouldn’t assume God ought to think like us and judge Him when He doesn’t. We should just trust Him. If He did things a certain way, there are reasons for doing it. When we meet up with Him in Heaven, ask Him. But in the mean time, operate on God's time, not our own time; on God's will, not on our own will.  

3. God is the ONLY judge. We may want to seek justice for the unfair things that have been done to us. However, when we take matters into our own hands, we become just as guilty and sinful.

Jesus said, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at [the prostitute]" (John 8:7).

People slowly walked away, and none threw a single stone at her.

The moral of this story? We are not the judge, because we are all sinful. Leave the judging to God, who is the only righteous judge. We just focus on ourselves, do our best to abide by God’s Word. When we are mistreated, trust in the Lord because He will right our wrongs. Do not take it into our hands, because that puts us right back in the boat of sinners! God will judge each and every one of us by what we have done, not by what other people have done to us.

Coming back to obeying our superiors, that is the same concept. We do not need to be best friends with leaders or bosses that we do not like. However, we need to respect the fact that they are our superiors. We need to submit to them and move forward with the heart of God. If we do not like working for them, then we need to find ways to part in a godly manner. It is not the heart of God to treat others with disrespect. Always remember, God is the only righteous judge.


SATAN IS ALWAYS READY TO ATTACK US AT OUR WEAKEST 

Satan will always attack us when we are in the most difficult hour and offer us his best and most attractive solution that he has so that we will follow him. He will always tempt us with an easier way out when we are in a touch spot.

When Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, he took Jesus to a very high mountain and offered to give all the kingdoms of the world to Jesus IF Jesus would bow down and worship Satan (Matthew 4:1-11). Why did Satan make such an offer? He was giving Jesus the easy way out. Satan knew Jesus would come as king and priest, and here, Satan is offering him just that: He would give Jesus the whole empire, and Jesus wouldn’t have to be tortured or die on the Cross! All Jesus had to do was to bow down to Satan. Isn’t that much easier than dying on the Cross?

Satan will always appear to us when we are at our weakest to offer us the easy way out. However, if we caved in, we’d become a slave of the Satan. If Jesus had caved in, there would be no salvation for us!

Don't choose the easier way. Don't choose the convenient way. Choose God.


"BE BLAMELESS" (Genesis 17:1–8)

We aim to be perfect, because we aim to be like Christ (Matthew 5:48). However, no one is perfect. Blameless is to behave with our heart completely following God, to walk before God faithfully. We may still sin and make mistakes, but those are always honest mistakes, meaning, we make mistakes by accident. However, because our heart is always following God, we will learn from those mistakes and become even more mature Christians.


GOD'S PROMISE TO ABRAM (Genesis 17:1–8)

- I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.
- You will be the father of many nations.
- I have made you a father of many nations.
- I will make you very fruitful.
- I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
- I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
- The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you;and I will be their God.

Some of these promises have been fulfilled:
- There are millions of Israelites around the world today.
- Abraham is the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.
- This will happen in the future, during the Millennium
- Today, Israelites know they are God’s people, and they continue to acknowledge the covenant between God and Abram.


CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART (Genesis 17:9–27)

God said, “My covenant will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year” (Genesis 17:21). To demonstrate his faith, Abraham, Ishmael, and every male in Abraham’s household, were circumcised.

Without heart, however, circumcision has no meaning (Romans 2).

Back in Genesis 3:21, we see that God made garments of skin for Adam and Eve. God was showing them that the only way to cover sin is through the shedding of blood. Through the shedding of blood, circumcision was a sign used to seal the covenant between God and His people. It is a physical sign to show people that they are God’s people, but it has to be backed by a heart that belongs to God.

We receive the circumcision of the heart by giving our lives over to Christ, by completely following Jesus (Colossians 2:11-15). The entire Book of James teaches us how our actions should reflect our heart condition.

1 Timothy 6

Bible study with Pastor Terry Gray


SPIRITUAL FITNESS (1 Timothy 6:1-10)

Correctly represent God (1 Timothy 6:1-2)
To Christian slaves under non-Christian masters, Paul commands: Treat the masters with respect so that the name of God will not be blasphemed.

To Christian slaves under Christian masters, Paul commands: Do not take advantage of the relationship by demanding special treatment. In fact, the relationship should not be strained at all but blossom with God's love shining through the relationship.

The concept here is ambassadorship. When we tell people we are Christians, we need to understand that the best way to show that through our actions. If we are to correctly represent God and His Word, we need to make sure that we not just know it but LIVE it as well.

In the case between a slave and a master -- or, in today's terminology, employee and employer, each position has duties to be fulfilled. As employees, we are taught to respect authorities because authorities are placed there by God. Even if we do not agree with their decisions, leave that in the hands of God's judgment. By judging others instead of leaving them to God, we're essentially calling God inadequate and claiming to know better than God. It is a sign of pride, and it is a sin.

As employers, we are taught to love others as Christ loves His Bride. Christ never uses His power and authority to force anyone to do anything. Instead, He loves everyone of us and guides us in the right direction. When we sin, He does not condemn us but welcomes us into His arms so that we can learn from our mistakes. And by loving Jesus back, we are motivated to refrain from sinning and become more like Jesus.

Our testimony is our behavior. How we treat people directly reflects whether we have the heart of God.

It's not about slavery -- It's about the heart
Why doesn't Paul speak against slavery? Why doesn't the Bible speak against it? 

The Bible does not approve nor condemn slavery. It simply addresses it from a reality perspective. Slavery was a reality when the New Testament was written. There were about 60 million slaves at the time. Wherever Christianity spread,  slavery and inequality in general were abolished. In fact, Christianity was the main reason slavery was abolished in the Roman Empire.

The key concept here is the heart.

When people have the heart of God, things go right. This is why Jesus' first two commandments revolve around love. Learn to love with the heart of God and things all fall into place. 

We can write as many laws as we want to make prejudice illegal, but you and I both know that if it was that easy, we wouldn't be living in the society that we live in today.

Slavery is just the manifestation of a sinful heart. The problem is not slavery -- it is one of the many consequences of a sinful heart! Hence, the only real solution is to check our heart, not write more laws.

Paul's intention was never to lead a military campaign, never to incite rebellion. Instead, Paul preached the gospel, because the gospel changed people's heart -- Changed heart leads to changed behavior. Saved slaves will work to the glory of God. Saved masters will lead to the glory of God. And slowly, we all learn to live as God's people. It then is no longer about job titles but about working together for the glory of God! 

Avoid ungodly people (1 Timothy 6:3-5) 
Avoid divisive, greedy, spiritual, religious, arrogant false teachers. Avoid anyone who does not understand the Word of God, those who twist the Word of God, those who do not care to know the Truth, those who pervert the Truth. They think they know everything, but they are completely ignorant of the Truth. Such false teachers often use religion for personal financial gain.

"Avoid" here is not to say we are to not interact with these people. After all, if we do not interact with those who are not in Christ, then who is supposed to bring the Gospel to them? Instead, we need to make sure that we can stand fast with the Lord first, so that when we interact with non-Christians and even false teachers, we won't be pulled in by them. If we are not mature enough in the Word of God to stand strong, then we must avoid false teachers until we are ready. The general concept here is we ultimately want to be out there doing God's work, bringing the Gospel to all who have not heard -- as exemplified by Paul. However, as we have seen through the life of Paul, Christians on the mission of God will meet GREAT resistance -- not just from man but from Satan as well. Hence, before we march out on to the battle field, we have to make sure we can protect ourselves from enemy attacks -- Because we are not going to very effective if we become the victims. This is why Paul tells us to put on the full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) before we enter the Spiritual Warfare.

Avoid money (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
We are not to be obsessed with getting rich. Many people often say, "Just let me finish school, and then I will serve God." Or, "Just let me get this promotion, and then I will be ready to follow God."

Remember the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-27). He already possessed all the riches in the world, and he still did not think that was enough. Jesus told him in order to inherit eternal life, he must leave behind all his worldly possessions (Mark 10:22). The rich young ruler could not do it, and he gave up eternal life for his worldly riches! We may think this is unbelievable, but when we put off COMPLETELY following God so that we can go after that raise, or car, or house, or boat, or whatever, we are just like the rich young ruler. We love money and the things it represents more than we love God.

"The LOVE of money is the root of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). Money itself is not evil. However, when we love it beyond anything else, that becomes evil. Why? Because it pulls us away from God, allowing Satan to come in and use it to his benefit. When we put worldly goods before God and are forced to make a decision between doing the righteous thing versus whatever benefits our worldly collection, it does not take much before we head down the path that is far removed from God.

Solomon said, "I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless--like chasing the wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:14). King Solomon have seen more riches than most of us have in a life time, and he has been to the bottom of the valley as well. And having walked through such a life, he looked back and said it is all meaningless. He is not being abysmally pessimistic. Instead, he is comparing the chasing of worldly goods to the eternal riches of God. He was a man who had accumulated more wealth than anyone can imagine, and at the end of his days, he knew it was meaningless if he was not saved in the eyes of God.

Do not place too value on worldly goods. Trust in the Lord and the eternity He promises.

Jesus taught us, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do NOT destroy, and where thieves do NOT break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).

Fight. Pursue righteousness (1 Timothy 6:11-21)
Exercise our faith! Being a Christian is not a passive walk. Look at all the action verbs Paul encouraged Timothy with!

"Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith" (1 Timothy 6:20-21).

Who's Afraid Of A December Apocalypse?

From the December 11, 2012 eNews issue
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December 21, 2012 on the Mayan calendar has been anticipated as the day Armageddon begins, and doomsayers are preparing for the worse. People around the world are stocking up on candles, kerosene, dry foods, and batteries, reminiscent of the days of Y2K when apocalyptic forecasters predicted all the computer clocks would reset back to the first century plunging the world into financial chaos. New Year's Day 2000 came and went, and nothing happened. Now, now the doomsayers fear the 21st will bring ultimate destruction, and the world will never see another Christmas.

NASA has so much confidence that the Mayan Calendar Apocalypse will be a non-event, the agency has already released a video, ten days ahead of time, explaining, "Why the World Didn't End Yesterday." There is no wayward planet Nibiru ready to crash into Earth, NASA says.

There are no known comets or meteors ready to destroy our planet, and while the sun is near its 11-year activity peak, "this is the wimpiest solar cycle of the last 50 years," according to Lika Guhathakurta, head of NASA's Living with a Star program.

Still, the recent spate of natural and other disasters across the world, from the Japan Tsunami to Hurricane Sandy, have encouraged a sense of doom about the future, and the end of the Mayan Calendar offers a collection point for fear.

Who Started It?
The Maya, written by Michael D. Coe in 1966, describes his fascination with the Mayan calendar. In the book, he predicted the end of the world would take place on December 2012, on the final day of the Mayan's 13th bak'tun or cycle, annihilating our present universe. This led other scholars and researchers to write their books and articles based on Coe's theory.

According to Mayan theology, the world came into being 5,125 years before present. The Mayan calendar was created more than 5,000 years ago and is based on several cycles, each counting different lengths of the year. The calendar used to predict the apocalypse is called the "Long Count" calendar. The ancient Mesoamerican culture developed a calendar system based on 260, 360, and 365 days in a year. The 260-day calendar was called the Tzolk'in, and the 365 day calendar was called the Haab'.

The Tzolk'in "count of days" calendar uses a cycle of 20 named days combined with 13 numbered days. Each named day is numbered up to 13 for 260 unique days in the year.

The Haab' is a solar calendar made up of 18 months; each month contains 20 days with an extra 5 days added at the end of the year. The last five days were thought by the ancient Mayans to be the most dangerous times of the year - the Wayeb or "nameless" days. The ancient peoples practiced certain customs and rituals to ward off evil spirits that tried to pass through the barrier between the spiritual and physical. It is estimated that the Mayans developed the Haab' about 550 BC during the winter solstice.

Every 52 Haab' years - 18,980 days - is considered a calendar round. Scholars have calculated back and traced the Mayan calendar day of creation to be August 11, 3114 BC on the Gregorian calendar.

The Long Count calendar uses the Mayan day of creation as a starting point. It counts its first 360 days of the year using a modified base-20 decimal scheme, instead of the Western base-10 scheme. This Long Count calendar used a 5 digit count system and was well suited for inscribing dates on Mayan monuments. On December 21st the Long Count calendar will reset to 13.0.0.0.0, ending the 13th bak'tun and preparing for the 14th bak'tun. While the most recent cycle is ending, there are 20 cycles on the Mayan Long Calendar. The day the Long Calendar will reset to 1.0.0.0.0 will be October 13, 4772. So for the ancient Mayans, the upcoming cycle may have been a day of huge celebrations marking the end of a cycle, equivalent to a millennial New Year's party.

Even NASA cannot tell the future, but it is most likely the world will still be spinning safely through space come December 22, and Christmas will come again. If it doesn't though, who will be here to tell NASA's scientists they were wrong?

Related Links
• Mayan Apocalypse: Panic Spreads As December 21 Nears - The Telegraph
• The Maya Calendar - Maya World Studies Center
• Confident NASA Release Mayan Apocalypse Video Ten Days Early - Daily Mail

Genesis 15

Notes compiled from my BSF group

GOD PROMISES ABRAM A SON (Genesis 15:1-5)

"O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless" (Genesis 15:1-3)
In Genesis 12:7, God promised Abram: "To your offspring I will give this land."

In Genesis 15:1, God told Abram that He was Abram’s great award, and Abram answered, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."

Abram knew God promised him offspring, but he had already lived a long life, and yet he was still without a child. To Abram, the best comfort and award was to have a son.

"Look up at the heavens and count the stars--If indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be" (Genesis 15:4-5)
Eliezer will not inherit Abram's estate. God promised Abram will have a son who would be his heir. In fact, his offspring, as God promised, would be as many as the number of stars.


THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY HIS FAITH (Genesis 15:6)

God credited Abram’s faith as righteousness (Genesis 15:6)
Genesis 15:6 and John 8:56 both show that God credited Abram’s faith as righteousness.

What do we learn from this? When we have the kind of faith in God that Abram exhibited, that is an example of righteousness.

Habakkuk 2:4
"The righteous will live by his faith."

This phrase is quoted 3 times in the New Testament: Romans 1, Galatians 3, and Hebrews 10.

The historical context of this verse is that God had told the prophet Habakkuk that Babylon would come and take over the Southern Kingdom (which indeed happened in 586 BC, where Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed). God also told Habakkuk that Babylon would not wipe out the Israelites completely. There would be a remnant that survives. And ultimately, Babylon would also be judged for its wickedness.
Habakkuk 2:4 therefore refers to the remnant, the justified, of Israelites that would be saved from the Babylonian captivity.

Paul used this phrase to explain the concept of salvation according to the Christian faith. Salvation therefore has 3 components:

1. Righteousness
Righteousness is achieved through living PERFECTLY according to God's standard. This is impossible to do on our own. Thus, we need God's guidance and support.

2. Faith (Galatians 3:2)
Faith is our complete dependence in God, our complete trust in God. We may not be able to know exactly what's going on, but we have unwavering faith in God that He loves us and does what's best for us.

3. Life
Eternal life is achieved completely through Jesus Christ, not by our works but by Jesus alone.

The amount of faith that Abram exhibited was declared righteous because despite seeing how impossible the situation was for MAN, he knew it was not impossible for GOD.

Abram trusted God despite the impossible consequences
Abram and Sarai were senior citizens (by today’s definitions) when this promise of God was given to Abram. Medically, it is very rare that a woman of Sarai’s conditions could give birth. However, just because this was nearly impossible in the eyes of man, Abram did not let that stir his faith in God. Abram knew that nothing is impossible for God, and if God made a promise, Abram knew that God would deliver. By having this amount of faith, that despite all difficulties, Abram continued to trust God, Abram showed us a great example of great faith.


BOTH PAUL AND JAMES STRESS IT IS FAITH THAT SAVES

Romans 4:1–5 says Abram was not justified by works. By contrast, James 2:17–24 speaks of proving one’s faith by works. Many people thus use this to show that Paul and James do not agree with each other. However, a deeper study will reveal that the two men of God both stress that it is FAITH that saves. The difference between the two perspectives is that Paul focuses on faith from the inside whereas James focuses on faith shown through our actions.

One of the main points that James illustrated in the Book of James was that the way we behave toward people reveals what we really believe about God. Paul focuses on the importance of faith, whereas James focuses on how we live in a way that SHOWS our faith.

Faith is a key doctrine in the Christian life
Dr. Chuck Missler said, “Faith is not belief in spite of evidence. Faith is belief in spite of convenience.”

Faith is the confidence that we know God's Word is true, and that acting on His word will bring a blessing. It's more than just believing. There is the critical element of trust.
What kind of faith saves a person? Is it necessary to do good works in order to be saved? How can a person tell if he's exercising true saving faith?

Matthew 7:16-23
Trees are measure by the fruits they bear. To those who have done things in His name, Jesus will not know them! Why not? HEART. Below, James elaborates on this.

Example 1: Dead Faith (James 2:15-18)
We can have faith, but that faith can be dead. We can have faith but be unsaved. For example, we can put our faith in a chair, but that chair isn’t going to save us. Think that’s a ridiculous example? Okay. We can put our faith in idols, but those idols aren’t going to save us. Isaiah nailed that topic pretty well. Our faith is only as good as the object we place it in. So… I’d argue it’s in our best interest to be certain that object is REAL.

We are called to help meet the needs of people. The example given by James here illustrates the cynicism of lip service: They provide no real help but send the needy away telling them to depart in faith and be warm and filled. This example points to those who have the vocabulary but not the commitment. People substitute words for authenticating deeds.

Galatians 6:10
Paul says for us to do good to all, especially unto those who are in the house of faith. Paul's point here is that we have an obligation as Christians. As Christians, we are manifesting, demonstrating, and professing the character of god by our conduct. When we fail to meet our obligations to help, we are casting a cloud on the image of God, who we are supposed to be witnesses of!

Matthew 25:40
This obligation to help applies to ALL, both believers and non-believers. However, it rests more heavily on the believers.

1 John 3:17-19
If we have a brother in need but we remain unresponsive, how can we say God dwells in us? Let us not love in word or tongue but in deeds and truth. Words are cheap!

Luke 10:25-37
Who is our neighbor? Anyone who is in need!

Any declaration of faith that does not result in a changed life and practical results is a false declaration.

James is not drawing a separating between faith and works. He is saying they are inseparable.

John Calvin: It is faith alone that justifies, but faith that justifies is never alone.

If it's real faith, it'll produce works. Faith without authenticating actions is in vain. This is James's true focus!

James 2:18
Actions speak louder than words. James is repudiating the separation of faith and deeds. Mere intellectual assent is not enough. I may believe the airplane may fly, but it's different between actually getting in and flying in it. The first scenario is mere believing, an intellectual exercise. The second scenario is having true faith. We may know the doctrines of salvation, but until we submit ourselves to God, the intellectual exercise is incomplete.

Example 2: Demonic Faith (James 2:19-20)
There are no atheistic demons. THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS.

The point James is making here is that not only do demons KNOW God, they tremble in his presence!

In a way, demons are ahead of many Christians whose belief in God is only an intellectual exercise! They have better theology than some of us! They believe in the presence of God. They believe in the deity of Christ. They witnessed of Christ: Whenever they are in the presence of Christ, they bore witness to His Sonship (Mark 3, Matthew 8, Luke 8)!
Yet, despite all this knowledge, THEY ARE NOT SAVED.
We can be enlightened in the mind and be stirred in the heart but still be lost!

James is making a very harsh but real point here: Demons know God intellectually, and they tremble in the presence of God. Yet, they are still lost. Knowing and trembling therefore is not a confirming experience of our faith! True faith is something more. It can be seen and recognized. It leads to a changed life.

Faith without works is dead. James makes his point three times in this chapter.

"Dead" = useless, doesn't work

Again, James is not drawing the separation of faith and works but is stressing that the two are inseparable.

Example 3: Dynamic Faith (2:21-26)
True saving faith is based on the Word of God, because we received our spiritual birth by it (James 1; Romans 10:17).
Again, faith is only as good as the object we place it in! We can have faith in a chair, but what does that mean?

Dynamic faith requires the intellect, the emotions, and the will. The mind understands the truth, the heart desires the truth, and the will acts upon the truth.

The Bible mentions many different types of works
- Works of the law: Galatians 2:16
- Works of the flesh: Galatians 5:19
- Wicked works: Colossians 1:21
- Dead works: Hebrews 9:14
- Good works

James talks about good works here and illustrates them with two situations.

Situation 1 (James 2:21): The offering of Abraham's son (Genesis 22)
Abraham's faith in God was demonstrated in His obedience to God, in his changed life. In Genesis 22, Abraham is demonstrating his saving faith. Abraham He wasn't saved in Genesis 22; he was saved in Genesis 15:6! (Galatians 3 and Romans 4 both make the same point.)

Genesis 22:15
Abraham expected Isaac to come back with him. Reflect on this monstrous faith Abraham had in God! Abraham knew that God had told him that Isaac would have children. Yet, God also told him to sacrifice God. If Abraham trusted in his human mind and his limited human knowledge, he would have never been able to understand how God could promise him both without causing a great paradox. However, Abraham just left it all to God. He doesn’t know how God is going to do it; he just KNOWS God keeps His promises. If God wants to sacrifice Isaac, then clearly, God will have to bring Isaac back to life to fulfill his destiny as the father of many nations. Abraham is showing us his faith in Isaac's resurrection.

Note also, that Isaac is an adult here. Abraham wasn’t sacrificing a child. Isaac went voluntarily. (The original Hebrew text doesn't just mean they went together. It means they went in agreement).

By faith, Abraham obeyed despite the consequences. Isaac being sacrificed could not have been an easy choice for Abraham. We humans don’t know how to deal with death. But that doesn’t mean God doesn’t. Abraham’s amazing faith in God shows us what it means to follow God’s commandment.

What’s impossible for us is not for God. When we run into troubles, we don’t try and depend on ourselves. We turn to God. God has made many promises, and He will keep all of His promises.

Believing despite the evidence is not faith. That is myth!
Genesis 22 is a foreshadowing of the perfect sacrifice
2000 years later, another Father would sacrifice His only Son. God sent Jesus to die for our sins.

Note also the many types we see in these passages. Abraham is a type of father. Isaac, a type of Jesus. Abraham’s servant, who was sent to find Isaac a bride, a type of Holy Spirit.

James 2:22
Trees are examined by the fruit they bear. We are examined by the fruit we bear as well. One of the main fruits we bear is our changed lives! Abraham was saved by faith and faith alone. He was declared righteous in Genesis 15, 15 years before he was circumcised in Genesis 7 and hundreds of years before the Law of Moses.

The Law didn't save Abraham. Circumcision did not save Abraham. Abraham’s faith saved him. And his works reflected his salvation.

Situation 2 (James 2:25): Rahab
James’s second example is Rahab, who is a very contrasting character compared to Abraham.

Joshua 2 & 6
The text suggests Rahab was an immoral person, and yet she was saved. She ultimately became the mother of Boaz who married Ruth. Ruth is one of the few Jewish
women who is named in the genealogy, the genealogy of Jesus Christ! Abraham was a Jew who was righteous.
Rahab was a gentile who was a prostitute. These are two very different people! Compare to Abraham, Rahab was significantly insignificant. Yet, she makes what we colloquially refer to as the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11)! James would probably call this the Hall of Works!

Hebrews 11
How do we know these men/women walked by faith? By their works! This passage didn’t just list the names off. The author further elaborated in what they DID by faith! What was Noah's testimony? His making of the ark! Was making the ark the important thing? No. It was the demonstration of his faith!

Luke 12:48
To those who have been given more, more will be expected!

2 Corinthians 13:5
Check our faith and prove ourselves!

Some propose that there are two stages to a Christian life:
1) Jesus is our Savior.
2) Jesus is our Lord.
We may be saved, but do we submit to Jesus?

What would James think about that? Judging by his writing, James would likely say that faith without submission to Jesus Christ is not genuine faith at all.

James is not calling for deeds instead of faith. He is calling for deeds in completion of faith. He is not calling us to do more. He is calling us to do things differently.

Abraham placed his son on the altar, because he loved God more than his son. Isaac laid himself on the altar because he loved God more than himself.

What do we put above God in our lives? We want to place on the altar. God is not number one on our lists of top 10. God is number one on our list of one!


GOD'S PROMISES ARE ALWAYS FULFILLED (Genesis 15:7-21)

Abram is the father of Israelites, fulfilling Genesis 15:4-5.

Genesis 15:13
Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.

The Book of Exodus describes the period of time when the Israelites were enslaved and mistreated by Egypt, a country not their own.

Genesis 15:14
But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.
In Exodus 7-13, we see how God led the Israelites out of Egypt through judging Egypt.

Genesis 15:15
You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.

In Genesis 25:7-8, we see that Abraham died at a good old age and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 15:16
In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

In Joshua 10, we learn that Joshua, returned to the land and defeated the Amorites.


Genesis 15:16
Romans 2:4-6
Revelation 14:18

God waits until the sin of people have reached its full measure before He judges people. God also waits because He is merciful. He gives people as much time as He possibly could to turn toward Him and repent.

Genesis 15:18
The river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates are the two rivers that mark the boundaries of the Promised Land. 
Israel does not possess all the land between these two boundaries today. In the Millennium, however, Jesus will restore Israel to this Promised Land.