I have recently been dealing with plumbing issues that dominated by thinking. I won’t go into detail, but terrible plumbing mistakes when we built our house 17 years ago left two major problems that led to dumping water into my crawl space. It has been very frustrating. Searching for a dependable, reasonably priced plumber is not easy. God has guided the process, helping me find the problems before they became major problems (and they could have), and then finding a good plumber.
That is typical of “first world problems”. “First-world problems” refers to minor inconveniences or frustrations experienced by people in developed countries, often considered trivial compared to the serious problems faced by those in less developed regions. Examples: Slow internet speeds. Long lines at the coffee shop. Difficulty choosing a restaurant. Poor mobile-phone coverage. Phone battery dying. Television remote not working. Not being able to find items in a shop. Getting a bad haircut. Water drain stopped up. Car won’t start. Misplaced air-pods. Nothing in the pantry or fridge that you want to eat. (You can add your first world problems to this list).” AI
Before thinking about 3rd world problems, I wondered “what are 2nd world problems?” AI: “The concept of “Second World” was a construct of the Cold War and the term is still largely used to describe former communist countries that are between poverty and prosperity, many of which are now capitalist states, such as Eastern Europe.” Examples might be Romania, Poland, or Hungary.
“3rd world country” is often used to refer to countries that are less economically developed, facing challenges like poverty, and inadequate infrastructure. Examples of 3rd world problems: Poor household amenities. ✦The lack of basic services like a clean water supply, rubbish collection and sewerage disposal mean that the risks of disease are very high. ✦Poor hospital facilities especially in far-flung places ✦No access to support, information and services.” Countries like Sudan .
I found this on wellsonwheels.co.uk
“Here, we share 5 third-world struggles that people from developed countries take for granted:
Education – without the right education, the path to progression is difficult. Adequate educators are needed in order for communities to reach their full potential. There are countless stats out there that show the incredible powers of education, but one of the most staggering is that each additional year of education can increase a person’s future income by an average of 10%. More income means more access to water, food, healthcare, and so on – so path toward socio-economic development starts here.
Water– it may come as a surprise that women of all ages still carry most of the world’s water which, over time, can lead to chronic neck and back pain as well as musculoskeletal disorders. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see women and children walking some 2 miles a day to collect water, carrying as much as 10kg buckets on their head. We’re tackling this problem head-on, offering a unique invention called The Water Wheel which carries 5x more water per trip without the need for heavy lifting.
Hunger – studies estimate that 1 in 9 people are affected by hunger worldwide. Factors that affect this are poverty, war, economy and even climate change. In developed countries, we are spoiled with nutritional facts on the labels, but in third-world countries, there are missing out on nutrition full stop.
Healthcare – from simple GP visits to hospital stays, developed nations have the best medical facilities available. Compare that to others less fortunate that don’t have the medical supplies, let alone not having the required medical staff to administer them.
War – war-torn areas aren’t safe for anybody to inhabit. Imagine fearing for your life each and every day in places with social unrest and lack of protection. For those who suffer these hostile environments daily will be affected not only with their physical well-being but also their mental health.”
So I had to remind myself that dealing with issues with our 3rd and 4th bathroom tubs is a 1st world problem. But this is not about giving us a guilt trip b/c we live in a highly developed 1st world country or that we have many, many luxuries that we consider to be needs, not luxuries. It is simply to get us to put our 1st world problems in perspective. One little book someone gave me was titled “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff”.
We should of course be grateful for what we have even when 1st world problems arise. Be grateful to God that you have a house, sewage disposal, clean abundant water (that we waste), electricity, cars, jobs, good income, good health care, plenty of food (that we waste), clothes (closets full), shoes (many pairs), furniture, hot water (my favorite), internet, cell phones, peaceful countries, police and fire protection, etc.
Use our resources, time, and energy to help others in need. Maybe a local food bank. Our church has 2 “closet days” each year where they give out tons of clothes. We can donate to many different organizations that are working with underdeveloped countries to provide food, clean water, health care, and education. The average church going Christian only gives 2-3 % of his/her income to charity or church. What about you? Do you at least “tithe” (10 %)? “For example, one study found that 13% of evangelicals tithe, while half give away less than 1% of their income annually. Estimates suggest that if all American Christians tithed, religious organizations would gain an additional $139 billion to $165 billion annually.” (AI) I am not suggesting that you tithe to a church which uses on average about 75 % of contributions on buildings and staff. I give all my contribution money to organizations that use at least 90 % of donations to drill wells for clean water, provide food, etc. That is where I would suggest that we give our charitable donations. On the average, churches use less than 20 % on helping 3rd world countries.
Of course, it is not enough to feed the poor and given them clean water. That should be a means to “remember the poor”. Multiple Bible verses tell us that God expects us to help the poor worldwide. https://www.brighthope.org/blog-stories/serving-the-poor/20-inspiring-bible-verses-about-helping-the-poor/ We should do that whether they become Christians or not. Jesus did have a time where he quit doing miracles for those who were only seeking miracles instead of seeking spiritual food (John 6). But it is important that we share the gospel with those who are given food and clean water. Many organizations do that. Missionaries follow up with the sharing of the gospel to those helped. Many are converted to Jesus. That is why I give to organizations that print Bibles in most of the major languages. One group (EEM) prints and distributes children’s Bibles. Some groups like VOM (Voice of the Martyrs) are dedicated to helping persecuted Christians worldwide.
So the next time you start to worry or complain about a “1st world problem”, go back and read this blog. I need to go back and read my own blog article on this every day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“For 51 years, J. Hudson Taylor poured his life into bringing Christ behind the closed doors of China. He founded China Inland Mission (to share the gospel in the “unreached” interior regions of China), and as a result, more than 800 missionaries were brought into the country (who started 125 schools and directly resulted in 20,000 Christian conversions, as well as the establishment of more than 300 stations of work with more than 499 local helpers in all 18 provinces). Hudson Taylor was a prayer warrior and a faith giant. He was able to speak several Chinese dialects and helped to translate the new testament into the dialect used in Shanghai, where he spent many years of his life. Unlike many European missionaries, Taylor was careful of Chinese culture, respecting their way of life and even adopting their clothing (and a pigtail typical of Chinese men). He faced sickness and loss with a spirit of unshaken trust, leaving behind a legacy that has inspired thousands of missionaries in all corners of the world. In his own words, “All God’s giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them.” From Kindred Grace Magazine
“When the Chinese Evangelization Society, which had originally supported Taylor, was unable to pay his salary, he decided to strike out on his own, trusting God alone to meet his financial needs.” (Gotquestions.org) “Taylor was known for his deep faith and reliance on prayer, believing that God would honor His name and provide for every need.” ““Ebenezer and Jehovah-Jireh”: Hudson and Maria Taylor had the two words inscribed on plaques which they always kept on the mantle wherever they resided. Every time supplies would become desperately low at a mission facility Hudson was famous for saying, “Then the Lord’s time for helping us must be close at hand.” “”Ebenezer” is a Hebrew term meaning “stone of help” or “thus far has the Lord helped us,” derived from a biblical story in 1 Samuel where Samuel erected a stone to commemorate God’s victory over the Philistines.” “”Jehovah Jireh” translates to “The Lord will provide” and is a name for God used in the Bible, particularly in the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, where God provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice.” From AI
What an amazing story! Do we truly trust in God to provide all our physical and spiritual needs. Most of us have jobs with good income, maybe a good retirement plan. We have pantries, refrigerators, and freezers full of food. We have medical insurance to cover medical needs. We have nice houses and cars. We have money to eat out a lot and go on expensive vacations every year. It is easy to take God for granted. A memory from the movie Shenandoah has always stuck in my mind. Jimmy Stewart is giving thanks at the dinner table with his children and this was his prayer: Lord, we cleared this land. We plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it. We cooked the harvest. It wouldn’t be here, we wouldn’t be eatin’ it if we hadn’t done it all ourselves. We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel, but we thank you just the same anyway, Lord, for the food we’re about to eat. Amen.
We would never pray a prayer like that, but the reality is that we might actually feel that way about all our physical blessings. Do we get up every day trusting God for food for the day, like Israel had to do every morning with the manna? Do we trust God every day for the money to pay our bills? Do we take God for granted?
I will close with a lengthy passage from Deuteronomy 8. Israel has come to the plains of Moab, ready to enter the Promised Land. Moses, in one of his last sermons to the people before he dies, gave this warning. Deuteronomy 8:6 Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
It often takes some tragedy to make us trust in God and not ourselves. Maybe a serious illness or an accident or a job loss or a devastating tornado or a house fire to humble us. But the warning in Deuteronnomy 8 is for when things are going well, when Israel was enjoying the physical blessings awaiting them in the Promised Land. When things are going well financially and physically is when we tend to forget God and trust in ourselves.
Paul gave us a warning also. 1 Timothy 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” American Christians are truly “rich” comparied to third world countries, and yet research indicates that the average American Christian gives around 2-3% of their income to church or charity. Studies suggest that only 5% of church goers give at least a tenth (tithe) to church or charity. That still amounts to billions of dollars given to church or charity, but if all American Christians at least tithed, there would much more.
“Father, help us to not trust in ourselves or our money. Thank you for providing for us so richly. Help us to use those riches to do you work, to help the poor, to drill wells for clean water, to provide care for orphans worldwide, to print Bibles to spread the gospel. Help us to trust you daily for all our needs and never take you for granted. In Jesus name, Amen.”
I’m 75. When I was young, we still watched home movies on a Bell & Howell 8mm projector. My wife’s dad had one of those. Then along came 8 track tape players in 1965. My dad installed one of those in my 1964 1/2 Mustang that he bought me (the first Mustang model ever sold). My future wife and I used to listen to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass tapes as we sat in her parents’ driveway. It was a cool car with a 3 speed stick shift in the floor. I could “pop a wheelie” with that little 6 cylinder. Then along came VHS tapes in 1976. I still have about 20 VHS of many important events in the life of our 3 kids. I’m trying to digitize them or at least DVD them. Then along came CD’s in 1982 for audio. I still have about 50 of those with all my “oldies” groups! Try to find a CD player! Then along came DVD’s in 1997. I remember the first DVD movie we rented to watch at home. I was accustomed to. watching movies on VHS where you had to be rewind the VHS before you returned it to the store or they would charge you extra. So we watched the DVD movie that first time and I asked “how do you rewind it before we take it back to the rental store?” Then along came Blu-ray Disc (BD) in 2006 that improved on DVD’s. Then along came 4k and 8k HDR Blu-ray. Then came streaming. Streaming services, as we know them today, began to take shape in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with key milestones including Netflix’s launch of its streaming service in 2007, YouTube’s founding in 2005, Amazon video in 2006. That’s the limit of my technological ability to even describe what they are doing now.
So what’s the point. We watched on VHS my oldest daughter’s high school pageant where her talent was twirling (she was a majorette) and her wedding. We watched on VHS my youngest daughter’s spend the night with friends acting crazy (one was her best friend who died in a car wreck the first week of her senior year). That was all on VHS. We might be able to digitize those memories, but that doesn’t change the memory at all. Digital would just improve the way it is communicated. What is we did not have VHS back when our kids were little? We might have vague memories but the VHS recording makes those memories come alive. My children’s children’s memories will be recorded on phones and digital videos.
God’s word is the same. For example, the gospel writers were relying on their Holy Spirit aided memories to write the gospel stories of Jesus’ teachings and miracles. John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Justin Martyr uses the term “memoirs of the apostles” to refer to what we now call the Gospels, specifically the accounts of Jesus’ birth, ministry, passion, and resurrection. We don’t have the original gospels. Since the originals, thousands of copies have been made in many languages. Then we had the audio gospels CD’s. Then we had DVD’s like The Gospel of John DVD which is great! The means of communicating those apostolic memories about Jesus have improved dramatically, but the memories are still the same. Seeing The Gospel of John, verse by verse, DVD is just amazing. It makes the apostolic memories recorded in the gospels come alive. But it is not about the technology! It’s about Jesus’ teachings and miracles. Just the written word in whatever translation, version, or paraphrase is an amazing memory of what Jesus did. The written word is the Holy Spirit inspired memories of the apostles and eyewitness accounts of all that Jesus did and his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Every time we read the word, the Holy Spirit is moving to get us to understand and apply the word to our lives in our culture. Before she died, my mother wrote some long letters expressing her feelings on some issues. When I read those letters, I can feel her presence in those letters. I can feel her looking at me from heaven, telling me that she wants me to do what she wrote in those letters. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the same.
So I encourage you to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as you read and meditate on the Word. It is amazing how many technological aids that we have. to study the Word. On Biblehub.com (and other sites) you can find the Greek and Hebrew words for every verse with the meanings and all the ways they are translated and used. You can find commentaries free online on biblehub, commentaires that I paid hundreds or even thousands of dollars to buy when I first started serious study of the Word. Make use of all those tools.
“Growing up in the slums of Aberdeen, Scotland, with an alcoholic father and little hope of changing your circumstances doesn’t seem like a promising start for anyone. But for Mary Slessor, her childhood taught her a tenacity and a strength that would serve her well in her years spent living in Nigeria. Mary grew up hearing her devout mother read the mission paper every month. In her heart grew a desire to share Jesus with others. She was 27 when David Livingston passed away, and she decided that she would go and continue his work to reach all of Africa. Mary’s work began in Calabar, and she lived and worked in places where no European had ever been. She faced life-threatening illness and hardship, but “Mighty Mary” did not once consider giving up. She lived with Okoyong and Efik people for 15 years, learning their languages and helping them settle disputes; working tirelessly to educate and overcome superstitions, such as twin-killing and women’s rights. She earned their love and respect and as a result was able to spread the gospel to areas no other missionary could.” Chaney from kindredgrace.com
I probably should have done David Livingstone first, but I am sitting here waiting for a colonoscopy, hoping I don’t go into Afib which might cancel the procedure! So “Might Mary”. Live update from the hospital! The anesthesiologist just came in and said they usually do the procedures even if someone is in afib, so I probably worried about that for a week for nothing! Isn’t that the way it is with most of our worries! Now I can worry about what they find in the colonoscopy! Just joking. I am not worried about that. You just want to know if you have colon cancer, and, if so, start treating it.
Back to Mary Slessor. Can you imagine her childhood with an alcoholic father. From Today’s Christian Living Magazine: “Mary’s childhood was riddled with trouble. When her alcoholic father lost his job, Mary went to work at the mill. She was just eleven years old. He would often abuse Mary’s mother, a godly woman, and kick Mary out onto the streets for days at a time. Working from 6 am to 6 pm at the mill didn’t leave time for Mary to get a formal education, so she taught herself to read when she was fourteen years old. When Mary appeared before the mission board in 1875, she was willing to go anywhere they needed her. She was thrilled when they sent her to Calabar. Few outsiders returned from the region, but Mary was undaunted. The Okoyong people were enslaved by evil. They killed all twins, believing the carried seeds of evil spirits. A wife was killed when her husband died so she could serve him in the afterlife. Violent brawls broke out incessantly. Mary began to rescue abandoned babies, raising the children as her own. She introduced trade to the tribe, opening the doors to good relationships with other tribes – which was instrumental in the Okoyongs’ openness to the gospel message. She started negotiating disputes and was eventually appointed tribal judge.
Once again against the advice of the local chief, Mary moved on – this time to the Azo people, a cannibalistic tribe. Though they were initially unreceptive to the good news of Christ’s sacrificial love, over time a whole village decided to follow the one, true God.
Over her nearly forty years of ministry, “Ma” Slessor fell ill several times. Each time she traveled to Scotland to recovered, then returned to her adopted home and ministry. Shortly after the onset of World War I, Mary fell ill the final time. She passed away in 1915.” From Today’s Christian Living Magazine A dream of carrying on David Livingstone’s goal of reaching all of Africa with the gospel. Working in places where no European had ever been. Wouldn’t that be scary? “Mary Slessor died as a result of malaria. She likely contracted the illness during her first mission trip to Nigeria, and she suffered with it for about forty years. The recurrent high fevers weakened her body over time, but she refused to give up her missionary work.” Can you imagine seeing people kill their twins born b/c of a superstition that twins were cursed by evil? “Mary Slessor stopped the twins’ killings by sending out twins’ missionaries to mission houses to take care of the rejected twins she adopted. She is famous for stopping twins’ killing in Okoyong in Nigeria, where people believed twins were an evil curse.” AI :”Earlier missionaries had been killed by local tribesmen. Local tribes often mistrusted each other and fought resulting in loss of life on both sides. Grudges were held over long forgotten incidents and slights. Slavery had been abolished in Britain in 1833 but was still widespread in Africa in 1876.” So Mary would have been under constant threat of being killed.
Mary Slessar was an amazing, courageous missionary. I can’t imagine going to a cannibal tribe area to spread the gospel. I would be scared to death!
I hope its ok to copy this picture of Mary Slessor from Today’s Christian Living Magazine. It puts a face to her story.
I won’t try to summarize the article so please read it. This quote tells what Mueller did: “He cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime,[ and provided educational opportunities for the orphans to the point that he was even accused by some of raising the poor above their natural station in British life. He established 117 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000.”
But the amazing thing about Mueller is not just what he did for orphans but how he did it. He operated on the principle of depending totally on God. When there was a need for food for his orphans, he would not go out and try to raise money as you might expect him to do. Instead he would pray to God for food and then just wait for God to provide, and God always provided what the orphans needed. That might sound a little extreme to us. A friend of mine is a fundraiser for EEM (Eastern European Ministries). I am not suggesting that his work for EEM is not needed. I am just pointing out the great faith of Mueller.
England had thousands of orphans, largely due to a cholera outbreak. There were no orphanages and the orphans would usually end up living on the streets, begging or thieving to survive. Some 6,000 ended up in prison for crimes. Mueller saw that and felt that God wanted him to open an orphanage, and he did. He totally depended on God to provide everything for that orphanage and the orphans in it. He would pray and then wait on God to provide, and God always provided. That first orphanage was opened in 1835, just two years before the publication of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens which publicized the plight of orphans and how poverty led to crime. You might enjoy reviewing the book at this time. As stated earlier, Mueller went on to care for over 10,000 orphans. I did not know how much he was involved in Christian education of orphans, so that was interesting to me since I am in Christian education.
Orphans have always been close to the heart of God. Psalm 68:5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” God has commanded His people to care for orphans. Deuteronomy 14:29 says, “And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.” He calls on His people to defend the “cause” of the fatherless. Psalm 82:3-4 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Deuteronomy 24:17Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.”
So are orphanages, either private or government run, the best way to care for orphans? As with any good institution, there can be abuse and neglect in orphanages. Many sad stories of orphanages in countries where the treatment of the orphans is horrible. But good orphanages are still needed due to the vast number of orphans worldwide. There is a worldwide “orphan crisis”. “There are over 153 million orphans in the world today. Major contributing causes to this staggering number are war, poverty, disease, accidents, malnutrition and natural disasters. Other complex factors to the orphan crisis are human trafficking, child prostitution, and child slavery.” (AI) Thankfully there are many non profit organizations that raise money for and care for orphans worldwide. In my opinion, churches should be spending more of the Lord’s money that they collect from members on taking care of orphans, drilling wells for clean water, rescuing children from being boy soldiers and young girls from prostitution, etc. In other words, using the Lord’s money on the people that God cares about such as the orphans, the oppressed, and the poor. Instead churches on average spend about 50-60 % on staff and another 20-30 % on buildings for their own edification and comfort. That’s 70-80 % of staff and buildings. That doesn’t leave much for caring for the poor, widows, orphans, and the oppressed, does it?
The best way to care for orphans might be for stable Christian families to adopt orphans, but most Christians in churches (including me) have not responded to the call of God to adopt an orphan. I’m not saying that every Christian is called on by God to do that, but just imagine how many orphans could be cared for if more Christians adopted an orphan. My son and his wife adopted a Down Syndrome little girl from China. My daughter and her husband adopted 3 children. It has been amazing to watch how God has blessed their families through adopting children. I feel a little ashamed that I have not been more involved with orphans, but I am so thankful that my children have been.
There is a saying: “Pray as if it all depends on God and work as if it all depends on you.” Supposedly this quote is from St. Ignatius. That might be the strategy I would prefer. I am a type A workaholic, so often I work for the Lord as if it all depends on me and neglect prayer and depending on God. That is so opposite to what I should be doing. Others lead nice prayers but aren’t willing to work hard for the Lord. James 2:14 What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” We say, “put your money where your mouth is”.
So the example of Mueller’s total dependence on God and his work with orphans should inspire us to take a closer look at our faith and whether we (and our churches) are doing God’s work like He would want us to do in regard to the orphans and oppressed and poor of the world. Please read he article about Mueller. A very inspiring story.
Luke 24 proves that Jesus arose from the dead on the first day of the week, Sunday, not on Saturday, the sabbath. You might be thinking, “We all know that. Who believes that He was raised on Saturday?” The Seventh Day Adventists believe he was raised on Saturday. Part of the misconception is Matthew 28:1 in the KJV: “in the end of the sabbath”… or the ASV “late on the sabbath…” The Greek for “late” is opse: Late, evening, after. So it can be translated as “late” on the sabbath, or “after” the sabbath which is how the NASB and NIV translate it: Matthew 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb.” Notice “as it began to dawn toward the first (heis: One, i.e. day one, Sunday, after the 7th day, Saturday, the sabbath) day of the week”. The sabbath was from 6pm our Friday to 6pm our Saturday, so it would not make sense that “late on Saturday, let’s say around 5pm Saturday, that “as it began to dawn toward Sunday” was true. It is not beginning to dawn toward the first day of the week late on a Saturday, but it beginning to dawn toward the first day of the week “after” the sabbath. The fact that the gospels say that the women came to the tomb on the first day of the week, Sunday, would not prove that He was raised on Sunday. But Luke 24 affirms that he was raised on Sunday. The 2 disciples were walking on road to Emaus, a village about 7 miles west of Jerusalem. They were discussing the recent events. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. One of them said, Luke 24:“Are You possibly the only one living near Jerusalem who does not know about the things that happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What sort of things?” And they said to Him, “Those about Jesus the Nazarene, who proved to be a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.” So the very day he said that was the 3rd day since Jesus was crucified. What day was it when he said that? Luke 24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.” No mention of the sabbath at all in 24:1, so the events on the road are definitely on Sunday. Sunday was the 3rd day since he was crucified. Jesus predicted that he would be raised on the 3rd day. If he was raided on a Saturday, then Sunday in Luke 24 would not be the 3rd day since he was crucified. Saturday would have to be the 3rd day and that would contradict Luke. Case closed: Jesus was raised on Sunday. The writings of early church fathers show that the early church assembled on Sunday. For example, “But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead” (First Apology 67 [A.D. 155]).
The Jews did not understand the Old Testament Scriptures very well! Jesus said to them, Luke 24:25 You foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to come into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures.” In Luke 24:36 He then appears to the ten apostles (minus Judas and Thomas): Luke 24:36 Now while they were telling these things, Jesus Himself suddenly stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be to you.” This is probably the same appearance mentioned in John 20:19 Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were together due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and *said to them, “Peace be to you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” That would be Sunday evening of the resurrection day, our Easter Sunday (which is coming up soon). At that Sunday evening appearance, he told them, Luke 24:“These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all the things that are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “So it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Everything predicted by the prophets “must” be fulfilled or else the Old Testament is giving false predictions. So where does the Old Testament predict that the Messiah (translated as “Christ” in the Greek: John 1:41 He (Andrew) first found his own brother Simon and *said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ)” would suffer, die, and be raised? Isaiah 53 clearly predicts that God’s Servant the Messiah would be crushed, pained, humiliated, wounded, pierced, oppressed, afflicted, anguished, cut off (killed), his life poured out to death, buried, and yet he wll “prolong his day” (be raised from the dead). Jesus said in John 5:39 You (Jews) examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me”. They studied the Old Testament Scriptures meticulously, and yet they failed to understand Isaiah 53. They did not expect the Messiah to be killed, not to mention be raised from the dead. Luke 24:21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” That shows how frustrated they were that their supposed redeemer Jesus had died. How could they miss the predictions in Isaiah 53 that include his death and resurrection? There are several really good videos of a Jewish Christian talking to Jews in Jerusalem, reading Isaiah 53 to them and asking who it sounds like fulfilled the Isiah 53 predictions. They all say that it sounds like Jesus. They are shocked that the predictions come from their own Jewish Old Testament Scriptures and not the Christian New Testament. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeeFe96-KnM It is critical to show that Isaiah 53 was written long before Jesus’ death and resurrection and not added “after the fact”, after the events predicted had already happened in order to make it look like he fulfilled OT predictions. Here is where the Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1948 are so important. A complete copy of Isaiah, the “Great Isaiah Scroll”, was found in the DSS that dates to at least 100 BC or earlier. Chapter 53 in that scroll is almost identical to the earliest Hebrew copy of Isaiah 53 which was about 900 AD (a thousand years later). The predictions about the Messiah were all in the Great Isaiah Scroll, proving they were written before Jesus was even born, and not “after the fact”.
The witnesses to the resurection of Jesus were reliable. Luke 24:11 But these words (the report of the women that the tomb was empty) appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe the women. 12 Nevertheless, Peter got up and ran to the tomb; and when he stooped and looked in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.” Even when some of them went to the tomb and saw that the tomb was empty, they were still bewildered b/c they did not actually see Jesus alive as some of the women did that morning. Luke 24:22 But also some women among us left us bewildered. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. 24 And so some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” The point is that these witnesses of the resurrected Jesus were not expecting Jesus to be raised. They found the report of the empty tomb and seeing Jesus to be “nonsense”. These are what we might call “hostile witnesses” who had to be convinced that Jesus really was raised from the dead. Some say the apostles made up the story of the resurrection, but what motive would they have had to do that? They gained nothing from being the witnesses of the resurrection for the next 40 years. As a matter of fact, they all died a martyr’s death b/c of their testimony. The same with the apostle Paul and James the Lord’s brother. Saul (later called Paul) was killing Christians who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. But he saw the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus and believed in Jesus and changed. James the Lord’s brother did not believe in Jesus’s miracles and was only convinced that Jesus was the Messiah after Jesus appeared to him after he was raised.1 Corinthians 15:7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me (Paul) also.” The eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus are reliable!
The last lesson from Luke 24 comes from today’s My Utmost devo. “We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, fires are set ablaze, and we are given wonderful visions; but then we must learn to maintain the secret of the burning heart— a heart that can go through anything. It is the simple, dreary day, with its commonplace duties and people, that smothers the burning heart— unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.” Jesus walked on the road with the 2 men and then broke bread with them late on that Sunday. Luke 24:31 And then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 They said to one another, “Were our hearts not burning within us when He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, 34 saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon!” 35 They began to relate their experiences on the road, and how He was recognized by them at the breaking of the bread.” Sure, they were super excited when they recognized that it was the resurrected Jesus who had been walking and talking with them. But notice that they said their hearts were burning even when he was speaking to them on the road while explaining the Scriptures about the OT predictions of his death and resurrection. So it was starting to understand the correct meaning of OT Scriptures that caused their hearts to burn, to get excited. If you believe the Scriptures, both OT and NT, to be the fully inspired Word of God, then it should get us excited intellectually and emotionally when we feel that we have correctly interpreted Scriptures, maybe even discovering truths we did not understand before. The goal is not to just tounderstand all Scripture perfectly, which is impossible. The goal is to understand Scripture correctly so that we can apply it. I will close with 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” When was the last time that your heart burned and got real excited when you dug into the meaning of a Scripture? When was the last time that your Bible study excited you as much as your college football or basketball team winning a big game? Or when you bought something new that really excited you? Or when you got a raise at work? Or when your child or grandchild won a big game in his/her sport? The excitement over understanding Scipture correctly led them to realize the presence of Jesus himself! Understanding Scripture will lead us to being in HIs presence through faith even though we can’t see him by sight. Don’t let the worries, riches, cares, doubts, and negative thinking smother the fire that burns in your heart for the Word and for being in the presence of Jesus.
I encourage you to watch the movie, Hell and Mr. Fudge (it’s on Amazon Prime). Our Bible house group saw it at a small Athens, Al movie theater when it first came out. It’s the true story of Edward Fudge’s life and his journey of studying doctrines that were controversial in his church. He mainly focused on two main doctrines: 1) Do the wicked burn forever in torment in hell? 2) Does God’s grace cover all believers in all denominations? Fudge, after much, much indepth study, concluded that the wicked do not burn forever in hell but are annihilated or destroyed at death. He also concluded that there were Christians saved by the grace of God in all denominations and that we should not let our views on non essential issues separate us from fellowship with other denominations. Carl Ketcherside influenced him a lot on the second doctrine while Fudge was attending a Bible college. I remember when I was a teen hearing from the pulpit that Ketcherside was a liberal b/c. of his teaching.
I don’t know where you stand on these two issues, but this article is not about debating the issues. I mainly just want to encourage you to watch the movie. It has many warm stories of Edward meeting and marrying his wife and having children, his relationship with his father, his enouragement in tough times from a very close friend, the support of his father, mother, and wife. It has some sad stories of the death of his father, the death of a teen friend whom Edward was told would burn in hell forever, getting fired from a church. It is a study of the character of a man who studied the Bible and went wherever his study led him even it got him ostracized by church leaders and preachers.
It is a study of sectarian legalism. What is that? This is my definition: it is when beliefs that are not heaven or hell issues are made tests of fellowship with other believers. It leads to judging and condemning those who disagree with you. It leads to splits within churches over issues like instrumental music, kitchens and eating in the church building, using church contributions to support orphan homes, using only one cup in the Lord’s Supper, having Bible classes, frequency of taking the Lord’s Supper, and many, many more. All doctrines are important but very few are heaen/hell doctrines. Some say we must draw the line on any doctrine. My stance is that we should never make an issue or doctrine a test of fellowship unless the Bible clearly makes it a test of fellowship. There are only a few doctines that are clearly heaven/hell doctrines. 1 John lists 3: 1) Belief that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins. 2) Love one another, love God with all your heart, and love all mankind. 3) Obedience to God’s moral commands as defined by the Bible. There are black and white moral commands that must be obeyed. For example, the Bible clearly condemns the LGBQT teachings. All other issues than these 3 are not heaven/hell issues in my opinion.
The movie shows the dark side of sectarian legalism in the way Fudge was treated by many preachers and church leaders. He said that he was ostracized by the churches in Limestone County, Al which is where Athens is located. He went on to have a successful career as an attorney in Texas and continued his preaching ministry. There is a sad part toward the end of the movie. His wife took the kids and left him fo a while b/c he was so obsessed with endless studying to get the answer to the eternal fate of the wicked that he was hard to live with. In his own words, he became obsessed with defending his beliefs to the neglect of his family. In 1 Timothy 1:4, Paul cautioned against focusing on “fables and endless genealogies” as they lead to questions and disputes rather than godly edification through faith. So Fudge is not without fault in this movie and that’s a good lesson for us.
How did the movie end? He finally felt that he found the “missing piece” in the doctrine of the “immortal soul”, i.e. the doctrine that every person born has an eternal, immortal soul that must live forever somewhere, heaven or hell, after one dies. He concluded that the Bible doesn’t teach that, but that this docrine came in from outside influences like Plato. He read Matthew 10:28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” and concluded that meant the annihilation of body and soul of the wicked. He noted that Jesus said that those who do not believe in him would “perish” not burn forever in agony (John 3:16). Romans 6:23 “the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life”. Paul promised immortality to believers: 1 Corinthians 15:53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” Fudge finally concluded that immortality was only promised to believers, not to the wicked. He felt the pressure of going against 2,000 years of church teaching on hell. He based his beliefs on the study of the Bible and not emotion, but he did beieve that the eternal suffering of the wicked in hell went against the loving character of God. He wrote a book “The Fire That Consumes” in 1982. All of his research is in that book and he deals with objections to his conclusions. He was reunited with his wife and children once he ended his research.
Does it even matter whether the wicked just cease to exist at death or do they suffer torment in heall forever? Well of course if the Bible clearly teaches that the wicked suffer forever in hell, then we should be teaching that. Fudge doesn’t believe it teaches that but you will have to decide for yourself if he got it right. To some, it isn’t enough punishment for the wicked if they just cease to exist. Some feel that the wicked deserve to suffer forever. Fudge would say that goes against the loving character of God. The wicked made their choices in life and they die, are annihilated, and eternally separated from the presence of God. Is that enough “punishment”? Some feel that we need the doctrine of burnig in hell forever to scare people into becoming Christians. I know I got baptized at 14 mainly to keep from burning in hell forever. Would a wicked person be less likely to become a Christian if he thought that the consequences of his unbelief was simply ceasing to exist at death instead of burning forever in hell? I don’t know. Maybe some would say, “Well, I think I will just enjoy my lusts without any moral restraints, refuse to obey God, and then just die and cease to exist.” But eternal life is for those who want to live forever with Jesus, the Father, and the saints. The love of God in sending Jesus to die for our sins should be sufficient motivation for us becoming Christians and not the threat of hell. The Catholic church used the threat of purgatory and hell for 1,000 years to coerce people into obeying the rules of the church and paying indulgences! Evangelicals have used the same threat to get people to accept Jesus.
So what about universalism, the doctrine that eventually God will save everyone including the wicked in heaven eternally? Would an appeal to the loving character of God take us one step further than just denying the eternal suffering of the wicked in hell? Would that lead us to conclude that God will eventually save everyone and not allow the wicked to suffer forever or even to cease to exist and therefore not be able to enjoy eternity in heaven? Many have adopted universalism today. Fudge may have even adopted some form of universalism later: I’m not sure about that. I am not a universalist. Immortality is promised to believers. One’s opportunity to believe is in this life. There is no promise of a future opportunity after death to believe. Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” To me, one’s eternal fate is sealed at death. I will not be disappointed if God decides to give the wicked a 2nd chance some day and save them in heaven eventually. I feel for people raised in Hindu or atheistic countries where it is so hard to leave the religion you are raised in. I feel for the many tribes in Africa that mabye don’t have the opportunity to hear the gospel fo Jesus like we do. I will allow God to decide the fate of all people. But I don’t find where the Bible teaches that He will just save everyone eventually. Is the character of God so loving that He will not allow the wicked to not live in heaven forever with Him? Or is that just wishful thinking? I’m going to make sure of my eternal life and immortality after death by believing in Jesus while here on earth. What about you?
This is a follow up article to the “Jesus came to conquer spiritual death” article so please read that first. Jesus did conquer spiritual death. But there is an apparent contradiction. 1) Paul said that the Ephesian Christians had already been raised from the dead spiritually before 70 AD (he wrote Ephesians in about 60 AD)? Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Likewise with the Colossian Christians: Colossians 2:12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings.” 2) But the last enemy, spiritual death, was not defeated until 70 AD according to 1 Corinthians 15 (again read the first article if you haven’t). If spiritual death, the last enemy, was not conquered until 70 AD (1 Corinthians 15), then how could the Ephesians and Colossians be raised from the dead spiritually before 70 AD. That is the “already and not yet” of the transition period from 30 AD to 70 AD. This is an excellent article by Alex Polyak on this topic: https://thebiblefulfilled.com/the-already-and-not-yet/. Thebiblefulfilled.com is his site and he has many excellent videos and articles. He also has an excelent book, “The End is Here” (amazon prime) that is very detailed and deals with all the objections to full preterism). Why reinvent the wheel? I can’t explain this any better than Alex did, so I will simply quote directly from his article and say “Amen”.
“The New Testament is filled with New Covenant realities that had already arrived in part (pre-AD 70), but had not yet arrived in full. Consider the following examples:
Salvation had already arrived in part (2 Tim. 1:9, Titus 3:5, 1 Cor. 6:11), but salvation still had to come in full (Rom. 13:10; 1 Pet. 1:5; Heb. 9:28).
Righteousness had already come in part at the cross (1 Pet. 2:24), yet Righteousness would not come in full until “the elements burned with fervent heat” / the new heaven and earth (2 Pet. 3:13; Gal. 5:5).
Redemption had already happened in part (Eph. 1:7), yet Redemption still needed to happen in full (Eph. 1:14; 4:30; Rom. 8:23).
The Adoption had already happened in part (Rom. 8:15), but the Adoption still needed to happen in full (Rom. 8:23)
The Kingdom of God had already come in part (Col. 1:13; Luke 11:20), but the Kingdom of God still needed to come in full (Mark 9:1, Luke 21:31, Rev. 11:15).
The Gathering of Jews and Gentiles into one new body, Christ, had already begun in part (Eph. 2:12–13), but the Gathering would happen in full at the second coming (2 Thess. 2:1–2, Matt. 24:30–31).
The New Jerusalem had arrived in part (John 4:23, Heb. 12:22–24), yet the New Jerusalem still had to come in full (John 4:21, 23; Rev. 21:2).
The (General) Resurrection had already happened in part (John 5:24–25; Eph. 2:1, 2:6; Col. 3:1–2), but the Resurrection still needed to happen in full (John 5:28–29; 1 Thess. 4:16–17; 1 Cor. 15:51–52; Rev. 20:13).
The New Testament is filled with such New Covenant realities that had already arrived in part, but had not yet arrived in full. In fact, some of these events are spoken about in both the present and future tenses in the very same passage, just a few verses apart (see the redemption example above)! Either the New Testament writers/apostles blatantly and repeatedly contradicted each other–and even their own statements–or there was something more going on here. The already/not yet concept explains this nicely. The New Covenant realities had already arrived in part (pre-AD 70)…but they had not yet arrived in full. And when would they arrive in full? When the Old Covenant age of types and shadows[1] completely vanished away, which would happen at Jesus’ second coming in AD 70.[2] Paul captured this sentiment beautifully in saying (in AD 62/63): “He who has begun a good work in you [saints in Philippi] will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).
Note: Just about all Christians acknowledge the “already/not yet” concept. However, while preterists[3] contend it refers to the time period between AD 30 and AD 70, futurists[4] argue it refers to the time period between AD 30 and today–a 2000+ year time period–which would negate the purpose for using such a concept in the first place!
The time period between AD 30 (Jesus’ earthly ministry) and AD 70 (the second coming) was a time of transition. The Old Covenant types and shadows were gradually passing away…and the New Covenant realities were gradually being built up. As the writer of Hebrews said in approximately AD 60: “In that He [God] says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first [covenant] obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away (Heb. 8:13). The Old Covenant was growing old…and the New Covenant was being built up.”
Now a few of my comments. If the futurists are correct, then we are still waiting for Jesus to return to conquer the last enemy death. Maybe they think that means that Jesus will return in the future to conquer physical death, but we have already seen that he did not come to abolish physical death. So if he hasn’t fully conquered spiritual death yet, then our redemption is not complete. I prefer to believe that he fully accomplished what He came to do, and that is to conqer spiritual death completely in my life and in the life of all believers. We are not living in the transition period (30-70 AD), still waiting for the completion of the redemption process in 70 AD. We usually read the New Testament as if we were living in the transition period, taking things written to those living in the transition period as if they were written directly to us.
I’m especially interested in the point Alex made about the kingdom. “The Kingdom of God had already come in part (Col. 1:13; Luke 11:20), but the Kingdom of God still needed to come in full (Mark 9:1, Luke 21:31, Rev. 11:15).” The spiritual kingdom of God, which is the church, was established in Acts 2 in 30 AD. Christians in the transtion period were added to that kingdom. Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” But then Paul told recent converts on his first missionary journey: Acts 14:21 And after they had preached the gospel to that city and had made a good number of disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.” So there was another phase of that kingdom that the believers were going to enter later. Most think that is heaven, but it is referring to the final phase of the establishing of the spiritual kingdom in 70 AD. That is what Jesus predicted in Luke 21:31 So you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.” Luke 21 is Jesus’ predictions about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. If the kingdom had already been established in 30 AD, how could he say that the kingdom would be “near” in 70 AD. B/c the final phase of the establishment of the kingdom would happen in 70 AD at the end of the transition period. The mistake that futurists make is that they are still looking for Jesus to establish a physical kingdom. They think that the final phase will be Jesus returning some day to establish a physical kingdom, but he never planned to establish a physical kingdom. John 18:36 Jesus answered (Pilate), “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
Another good point by Alex: “The New Jerusalem had arrived in part (John 4:23, Heb. 12:22–24), yet the New Jerusalem still had to come in full (John 4:21, 23; Rev. 21:2).” Isaiah had predicted the new Jerusalem. Isaiah 65:“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. 19 I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.” Hebrews 12 calls it the “heavenly Jerusalem” and is referring to the church, not to a physical city. Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.” The new Jerusalem, which is the church, was established in 30 AD in Acts 2. So how does John predict the new Jerusalem coming down to earth at some time in the future after he wrote Revelation in about 65 AD?? Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” He then adds: 21:9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God.” Again, “already and not yet”. There was another phase of the establishment of the new Jerusalem, i.e. the church, that would be completed in 70 AD. Why 70 AD? B/c the book of Revelation was written about 65 AD about things that. were going to happen shortly, soon, near (Revelation 1:1-3; 22:1-10). The book is about the destruction of the old Jerusalem in 70 AD, just as Jesus had predicted in Matthew 24. The final phase of establishing the new Jerusalem would be the removal of the old Jerusalem in 70 AD. So the transition Christians were already in the kingdom but would enter the completed final phase of the kingdom in 70 AD. But still it would be a phase of the spiritual kingdom, the church, and not some physical kingdom. Revelation 21:1-11 says that the new Jerusalem was the “bride of Christ” which of course is the church. The Hebrew writer spoke of this: Hebrews 13:14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.” It was still in the future for the transtion Christians, but not for us. We live after the final phase of the new Jerusalem, the church, was completed in 70 AD.
One last point from Alex: “Redemption had already happened in part (Eph. 1:7), yet Redemption still needed to happen in full (Eph. 1:14; 4:30; Rom. 8:23).” Paul said that the Ephesians had their redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us.” But just a few verses later he spoke of a future redemption for them: 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” In Luke 21 Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD in Luke 21. He spoke of the redemption of believers in 70 AD: Luke 21:28 But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” So the redemption process began in Acts 2 in 30 AD when the first 3,000 were baptized for the remission of sins, but the full redemption process was not completed until 70 AD when the last enemy, spiritual death, was destroyed, when they would receive their immortality whether dead or alive (1 Corinthians 15, read the first article). BTW this is what Paul was referring to in Romans 8:23 And not only that, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body.” There was a future redemption for the transition Christians he was writing to even though they had already been redeemed and forgiven of sins. Futurists say this future redemption has not yet happened. They say it will be a future recreation of the earth to its original Garden of Eden state at some future 2nd coming of Jesus and that believers will get some kind of a new physical body to live on earth for a millennium or maybe even forever. But notice Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory about to be (mello which always means something about to happen) revealed in us.” Their future redemption phase that Paul predicted in 8:23 was about to happen in their lifetime, so it could not refer to something that has not even happened yet some 2,000 years later! That future redemption for them was the final phase of redemption in 70 AD as predicted by Paul and Jesus. That is why the Roman Christians were so eagerly waiting for that final phase of redemption. Romans 8:19 For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God.” In 70 AD the identity of the true sons of God would be revealed. It would be shown once for all that God had rejected the unbelieving Jews and that the true sons of God were the Christians. The transition Christians had been told by Jesus and the apostles that all this was going to happen in their lifetime, so that explains why they were so eagerly awaiting their future redemption at 70 AD. I don’t know how much they understood all that would happen in 70 AD, but they were fully expecting it to happen within their lifetime and eagerly waiting for it. Again, we read transition passages as if they were written directly to us, but they weren’t. Romans 8:23 has already been fulfilled. The final redemption of believers has been available since 70 AD. We have that full redemption. When we die, we live on eternally in our spiritual bodies in heaven, wherever that is!
Hopefully this article explains the “already and not yet” concept. Again, I encourage you to read some of Alex Polyak’s articles and watch his videos on thebiblefulfilled.com.
One last note. Compare this transition period to our transition period in choosing a new president. We elect a new president in November but he is inaugurated in January. There is a transition period between the election and the inauguration. The newly elected president is called the president elect until his inauguration. He is the official next president once he is elected. He starts to form his new cabinet during the transition. The things of the old administration begin to b removed during the transition period, and are completely removed by the inauguration. But he doesn’t officially become the president until the inauguration. That’s the same as the transtion period in the New Testament. Jesus began his reign as king in his new spiritual kingdom in 30 AD, but he did not finalize his reign and his kingdom until 70 AD. He began removing all the remnants of the old Jerusalem, the old covenant, the old heavens and earth (i.e. the Jewish system), the old animal sacrifices, the old covenant priesthood, etc. during the last days of the Jewish Age (from 30-70 AD), but those things were completely removed in 70 AD. In about 60 AD, the Hebrew writer wrote: Hebrews 8:13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear.” That old covenant was about to disappear in 70 AD just a few years after this was predicted. Hebrews 9:8 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, 9 which is a symbol for the present time.” The final phase of the redemption process was not disclosed (phaneroó: To make manifest, to reveal, to make known, to show openly) until 70 AD after everything in the old covenant was removed. AI: “The verb “phaneroó” is used in the New Testament to describe the act of making something visible or known that was previously hidden or not apparent.” There had to be a lot of confusion about God’s final plan during this transition period. For 2,000 years God’s presence was built around the priesthood, the animal sacrifices, and the temple. But the Paul and others start preaching about a new covenant based on the blood of Jesus. So would believers in Jesus just try to obey both covenants? Should believers in the future do that? Just a lot of confusion. But 70 AD explains it all and brings the plan all together. This is what Paul was referring to in Ephesians 1:9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him, 10 regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.”
My wife suggested this one. I told her that no one was invisible b/c I can see them. But I really knew what she meant. We always eat our Egg McMuffins at McDonalds every Sunday morning at 7 AM. The one we eat at is especially clean and has great managers. They hire one man to do nothing but clean, mop, pick up trash, etc. He looks to be a very simple fellow although he might be the boss like in the TV show “undercover boss”. But he is there every week, so I don’t think he is the boss! My wife called him one of the “invisible people” that we seldom take notice of. AI: “”Invisible people” can include mentally challenged adults, disadvantaged, unwed mothers on welfare, runaway teens, ex offenders, uneducated and unskilled people, illegal immigrants who clean hotels or do menial jobs, residents in inner city projects, elderly, child orphans or foster children, homeless people or anyone who experiences a sense of being ignored or separated from society as a whole. It can include just ordinary people doing all the little jobs that make life easier for us, people that we take for granted. We might say “thank you” but that’s about it, or we might even tip a little. But often we just get our service from them and ignore them.
Jesus was good at not ignoring the invisible people. The woman at the well. Would you pay much attention to a woman who had been divorced 5 times, was living with someone not her husband, and who was a foreigner that many looked down on in society? Jesus did. He would not even “snuff out a smoldering wick or break a bruised reed”. He would try to bring out the best in everyone. He would draw out what little faith someone had. He would give hope to those struggling with life. We don’t know how that woman at the well ended up, but he gave her hope of a better life if she would accept the living water Jesus had to offer.
Jesus stopped to heal the blind men who were following him, even though they were crying out, making a disturbance. He talked with a sinful woman who anointed his feet at Simon the Pharisee’s house. Simon was appalled that Jesus would even let this sinful woman touch his feet. He laid his hands on and blessed the little children who were brought to him by their parents, even when his disciples were rebuking them for bringing the children. He stopped to heal the woman with the 12 year bleeding issue. He did not rebuke her for secretly touching his garment but praised her faith instead. Jesus took note of the demon possessed man who had been living in the tombs and cast the demon Legion out of him. The whole town nearby ignored this man and just hoped that he would stay in the tombs area. Jesus ate with the tax collector Matthew and his “sinner friends” even though he was criticized greatly for doing so. Jesus stopped to talk to the Syrophoenician woman even though his disciples were begging him to send her away b/c she was crying out loud, annoying them. He then challenged and drew out her faith and case the demon out of her daughter.
So the lesson today is for us to pay attention to the “invisible people” that we see every day. Not just pay attention to them, but seek them out. “To visit the widows and orphans is pure and undefiled religion” according to James 1:28. There are plenty of widows out there who might not need financial help but who would love to have some one come visit and talk to them. Each one has a story to tell. Go to some place like the House of the Harvest here in Huntsville on Saturday morning and you will find plenty of invisible people. Many of them speak Spanish and are delighted when I give them breakfast with a little Spanish conversation. Go offer to help someone who fosters children. They often have many challenges. Think through your own daily experiences and identify those invisible people in your life. Stop and take time to talk to them and help them if possible.
Remember, the invisible people are all very visible to God so don’t ignore them.
Are you always in a hurry? My wife and I have different hiking styles. I attack the trail to finish it as quickly as I can. She stops often, and I have to wait on her. She says that we should stop along the way to, as Jesus said, “consider” the great things God has created in nature. “Consider” in the Greek is katanoeó: To observe, consider, perceive, understand. (AI): “The verb κατανοέω (katanoeó) is used in the New Testament to denote a deep, attentive observation or consideration. It implies more than a casual glance, suggesting a thorough and careful examination or contemplation. This term is often used to encourage believers to pay close attention to spiritual truths or to the example set by others.” I am Type A: Type A individuals as outgoing, ambitious, rigidly organized, highly status-conscious, impatient, anxious, proactive, and concerned with time management. People with Type A personalities are often high-achieving workaholics.” My wife is Type B: People with a type B personality may be easygoing and laid-back, and approach tasks with less urgency. Type B personality traits include patience, flexibility, and an even temper. People with a type B personality may be more prone to procrastination or distraction from a task.” So combining a Type A and a Type B in marriage for 54 has been an experiment of patience with each other’s personality quirks. I won’t go any further in that discussion! I’m sure she has put up with a lot more of my quirks than I have hers. At least I am saying that for this article!
Back to hiking and life in general. Every day in an adventure with God if you will make it: the statement “everyday is an adventure with God if you will make it” suggests that embracing a life of faith and actively seeking God’s presence can transform ordinary days into meaningful and exciting experiences.” That means that we have to “stop along the way” and “consider” everything closely. We should ask, “What might God be doing in this situation? How can God use me in this situation? How can I be kind and help that person I see who needs help?” We can consider nature and everything God has created, and then praise God for creating it all, whether He did it in 6,000 or 6 billion years. Either way, it’s amazing to create everything from nothing with such amazing design. We can consider scriptures, looking more closely at what they meant to the original recipients and how they might apply to us today. Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” Most of us dont just quit our devotion to Jesus. We just “drift away” slowly, like a small boat drifts out into the lake when it is loosed from the dock. We are so busy with our “worries, riches, and pleasures” (Luke 8:14) that keep us from bearing fruit and spiritual growth. We just drift away from our devotion, praying less, meditating on God and His word less.
So, short and sweet. Make today an adventure with God, considering God’s presence in everything in your life today.
Nicky's Notes 