tag:iatpendragon.com,2005:/blogs/holy-mystery-advent-devotionalHoly Mystery Advent Devotional2023-12-25T15:06:52-06:00iatpendragon.comfalsetag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/73242302023-12-25T15:06:52-06:002023-12-25T15:06:52-06:00Day 25<p><span>Day 25</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””</span></p><p><span>Matthew 28:18-20 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>As we come to the close of this Advent season, I have one final mystery for us to delve into.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>He ascended.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>But surely He is with us.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Of all the mysteries and all the truths that we have wrestled through, nothing compares to the reality of His presence in our lives. At the incarnation, He came to us in a way that mankind had not experienced with our Creator since the Garden of Eden. When He ascended into the clouds, He promised His followers that He would be with us, even “to the end of the age.”</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>To the very end.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Through every trial. Through every difficult season that doesn’t seem to end. Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we don’t have anything to fear because He is with us.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Have you realized this truth in your life. Do you know Him? We could have a deep theological understanding of every mystery in scripture, but we’ll miss the point if we don’t know Him. Have you come to the same transformative revelation of the person of Jesus that the thief came to moments before His death? Have you known Him, but allowed the troubles and trials of life to shove Him into a couple hours of your week on Sundays mornings and maybe a weekday night? Does your heart long to know Him or are you satisfied with knowing of Him.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>He is the Holy Mystery; foretold in scripture and revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>I implore you. Know Him.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>There is no greater thing you could do in your life.</span></p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/73242282023-12-25T14:43:07-06:002023-12-25T14:43:07-06:00Day 24<p><span>Day 24</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.””</span></p><p><span>Luke 23:39-43 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>The penitent thief.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>I’ve seen many friends post his story over the years with some form of a commentary about how the apparent salvation of this thief could pose a challenge to what some Christians believe about how a person is saved. This thief had no good deeds to validate his conversion, no “fruits” to show that he had truly turned from his sinful lifestyle. The thief hadn’t even been baptized and yet, according to Jesus, entered into paradise on the direct invitation of the King of Kings. It’s a legitimate quandary for anyone who adds even an iota to the concept of saved by grace through faith, but it’s hard to find many who would deny that salvation is anything but a free gift outright. For most, the difficulty lies in the definitions of terms and two questions: What does it mean to believe and can a person believe without repentance. To answer these, let’s look back at the thief starting by looking at what the thief believed.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>The first response we hear from the 2nd thief is astounding considering who he was and where he was at. A thief, likely an especially heinous criminal or revolutionary of some kind considering the fact that he was receiving the highest form of capital punishment, moments from death and he is stricken with something that has befallen the hearts of countless men and woman staring down their own demise; the fear of God.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?’”</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>This utterance, alone is not necessarily a profession of faith in Jesus. Simply recognizing you are guilty and worthy of the punishment you are receiving is nice, but not necessarily life changing. Recognizing that you are guilty before God is definitely a further step in the right direction, but acknowledging your sin leads some to put their hope for salvation in their own works to balance out their misdeeds rather than see the futility of their striving and look for a savior.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>The thief could have been just one among the countless number of lost, trusting in their own goodness to save them in the end, but remember where he was - hanging on a cross. At this point, there are no more options, no more opportunities to make amends. But, he has heard the stories about this man next to him. He witnessed the crown of thorns being placed on his head and saw the sign reading, “Jesus, the Nazarene. King of the Jews.” He had heard the incomprehensible grace as the nails were driven through His hands and feet and yet He cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” As all of this unfolded before him, at some point it struck him and he realized, “This man is the messiah. This man is the Son of God!” This could all be speculative except for what the thief says next.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“‘And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’”</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>The thief has made some pretty huge theological claims in the matter of just a few lines. First, he says that Jesus had done nothing wrong. That wouldn’t seem too heavy of a claim, but remember what Jesus was being crucified for; His crime was blasphemy.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.”</span></p><p><span>Mark 14:61-64 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>When the Jewish thief says that Jesus was sinless in the charge of blasphemy, that means that he believed Jesus had to be who He claimed to be. Secondly, he appealed to Jesus as not only the king of the Jews, but also the King and Lord of the next life. “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” That was a pretty massive statement, especially considering that the Sadducees didn’t even believe in resurrection or an afterlife. And the words, “Remember me.” This was not a plea of, “when You’re sitting on Your throne, think back on me fondly.” He was pleading his case before His judge. He knew that very soon he would be standing before Jesus, not as the man, but as the Judge of his eternal destination and begging for mercy when that time came. In just a few sentences, the thief has covered more theological ground than many preachers do in a Sunday sermon! Clearly, the thief believed, but did the thief repent?</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>If repentance means do works to prove your saved, then he didn’t really have the opportunity for that, but is that how scripture defines repentance?</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>““Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.”</span></p><p><span>Acts 26:19-20 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Did you catch that? Repentance precedes works. So, logically, if repentance comes before works and works are the fruit of repentance, then repentance itself cannot be a work. To repent means to change one’s mind or for your thinking to be transformed. Up to the very last moments of his life, the thief had thought, or more directly believed, one way about his life and eternity and, upon seeing Jesus, realized he was wrong and this Man hanging next to him was the only way to be made right.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>That is it.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>That is repentance.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>There is obviously much more depth and richness to that realization, but this is the fundamental shift that occurs moving from unbelief to belief. This is the belief that saves. This is the belief that Abraham, Moses, David and all of the faithful in the Old Testament were saved by even though they didn’t know the name of Jesus or what He would do on their behalf. They didn’t have to have a fully fleshed out understanding of the coming incarnation or crucifixion, but they knew that they were not holy, that God is, and in His goodness, He would make a way for them somehow. This belief, this repentance, is a the kind that will most definitely produce fruit over the proper time as the Holy Spirit works in a person’s heart and begins the process of sanctification in their life. That fruit, by the way, is grown on His time table and in the order that He predetermined is best for their greatest good and His eternal glory.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>We are saved by grace through faith we believe in Jesus as the sole source of our salvation. When we realize that we cannot save ourselves and only He can, this is true repentance.</span></p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/73236302023-12-23T15:01:34-06:002023-12-23T15:01:34-06:00Day 23<p><span>Day 23</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.””</span></p><p><span>Daniel 3:24-25 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Immanuel. We know that the word means “God with us.” The story of the three young Jewish men in the fiery furnace is a very tangible example of what that means. Again, another Christophany where the preincarnate Jesus is seen not only by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, but by King Nebuchadnezzar, as well.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Babylon, in scripture, is consistently the root of so much evil and wickedness throughout both the Old and New Testaments. From the very beginning, the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11) was a demonically inspired affront to the sovereignty and Lordship of God on the earth and the final fall of Babylon the great is recorded Revelation chapters 17 and 18. Sandwiched somewhere in the middle of Babylon’s rise and fall is Israel’s exile, a period of time when nearly 5,000 Jews were taken into captivity and servitude of this nation which, from beginning to end, represented rebellion against the one true God.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>The events which preceded the appearance of Jesus in the furnace are well known, also. The king had erected a 90 foot golden statue and then commanded all of his officials to bow down and worship it. The 3 Jews would not bow before anyone except the Lord, which enraged the king and caused him to have them thrown into the fiery furnace. But, here is the part of the story that I love so much. Most of the time I heard about these events, I heard the focus being put on the incredible faith of the 3 as depicted in verses 16 and 17.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.”</span></p><p><span>Daniel 3:16-17 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Their faith and resolve was rewarded by the Lord when He rescued them from death and stood with them in the fire. That’s a good story. That’s the kind of story that inspires people to draw their own lines in the sand, standing in faith and knowing that because of their faith, God is going to come through for them and give them what they expect. That is the kind of faith that even a pagan king would recognize and it is not a bad thing, but it is also not complete. You see, the gods of the pagan nations were not just stone and wood and metal. Those were the images that they would sometimes inhabit, but there were real spirits, Elohim, who had been given spiritual dominion over geographical regions and would sometimes respond favorably when they were worshiped. (For reference, compare the Genesis 11 account after Babel to Deuteronomy’s description of that same event found in chapter 32, verses 7-9.) Of course, bowing down in front of their statues was on the lighter side of the kinds of worship they demanded, which included human and particularly child sacrifice.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>In these pagan kingdoms and nations, it wasn’t just that they attributed prosperity, sickness, weather and produce as coming from their gods, their gods did actually respond to them with shows of supernatural power. This is what makes the triumphal appearance of Jesus with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego inside of the fiery furnace so profoundly astonishing to the Babylonian king. This was the inaugural worship ceremony of this new idol and it was believed that the spirit they were worshiping would enter into the idol and inhabit it at this time. This is what made the refusal of the 3 young Jews so infuriating; they could cause the Elohim to not enter the idol or, worse yet, bring the wrath of the spirit on the people, not to mention the shame and disrespect shown to the king. Sacrificing the 3 troublemakers in response to their insolence was the obvious choice to try to keep these consequences at bay. And then, Jesus appears!</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Rather than being consumed by the flames that had risen to such an extreme level of heat that the guards ordered to throw them into the furnace died themselves, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were alive, unbound, walking among the flames and joined by a fourth man who the king identified as having the appearance of the “son of the gods.” This preincarnate appearance of Christ not only provided salvation from death for the 3, but put both the Babylonian king and the demonic gods he served on full notice, there is only one Most High, and you ain’t it.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Some of you may question whether these spirits, these Elohim, are still around and active today. Do they still have the same dominion and authority they held over the nations before the first coming of Christ? Many Bible believing Christians debate those questions and even how we should interpret these beings in scripture. Were they truly fallen angels or just human priests or princes who forsook their God-ordained positions of authority and responsibility in favor of elevating their own position? To me, it is clear in the world around us that, people are still worshipping these pagan deities. As paganism, Odinism and worship of the Ancient Greek, Egyptian and native tribal gods is starting to become more popular, are we also not seeing a rise in debauchery, perversion and people fighting for their right to kill their children under the guise of religious freedom as a Satanic ritual? (A tactic recently celebrated by the women’s magazine Cosmopolitan - </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a45613416/satanic-group-abortion-clinic-samuel-alito-mom/"><span>https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a45613416/satanic-group-abortion-clinic-samuel-alito-mom/</span></a><span>)</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>The difference today is not that these demons are gone, but that the Church is here. The Spirit of the Living God resides inside of each of us who is called by His name and bought by His blood. The same power that resurrected Christ from the grave lives inside of us! And the same Christ that put to shame the Babylonian king and his gods has given us the mandate to bring the Gospel to the nations that all dominion, all power and all glory is His, forever and ever.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Amen.</span></p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/73229532023-12-22T13:27:10-06:002023-12-22T13:27:11-06:00Day 22<p><span>Day 22</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.””</span></p><p><span>Genesis 32:24-30 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>You and I may have a few questions.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Why are we reading in Genesis if we’re supposed to be talking about the incarnation of Jesus?</span></p><p><span>Why did God, as a man, show up and physically wrestle with Jacob all night long?</span></p><p><span>What is the point?</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>This little snippet found in the first book of the Bible has always been so interesting to me. Probably, in no small part, because wrestling was/is my favorite sport. I’m not a “team sports” guy. I mean, I’ll play a pickup game of basketball or baseball or whatever, but the one-on-one challenge of combat, pitting yourself against one other person with a clear goal and no excuses… that, to me, is fun. Even so, the idea of heading out into the wilderness and lock into a grapple with God incarnate is a little daunting. Which brings us to the first question: Why are we reading in Genesis if we’re supposed to be talking about the incarnation of Jesus? This is one of those Holy Mysteries; the old covenant appearances of the physical embodiment of God.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>When God appears as a man in the Old Testament; to Abraham (Gen. 18,) to Joshua (Josh. 5,) to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Dan. 3,) and others, this is a preincarnate appearance of Jesus, called by Bible scholars as a Christophany. In most of these instances, God is appearing in the form of a man and speaking to people. This situation is unique as God, preincarnate Jesus, doesn’t just speak to Jacob but actually comes out of nowhere and starts an all night wrestling competition with him.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>That’s…different.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>I also find it interesting how we are not given any insight into the mind of God in this situation. The outcome of the Lord blessing Jacob could have come in a much more direct manner. Also, it is evident that He could have ended the match at any moment if He could put Jacob’s hip out of socket with just a touch. Apparently God knew what Jacob needed, and this was the divinely appointed way of giving it to him. The wrestling match, the hip out of socket, the blessing and change of name; this was all intended by God. Why? We’re not given any reasoning ahead of the altercation, but we can work backwards to understand; using the ends to clarify the means.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Before Jacob’s interaction with Jesus, he was one way. When he left with a blessing and a new name, he was quite literally a different person. Jacob became Israel and from him an entire nation was descended - a nation that persists to this day! From his line not only would we see the nation of Israel, but the line of Judah, which led to the line of David, which led to Christ, Himself, and through Christ, all nations will be grafted into the family of God.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>So, what was the point.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Honestly, I’m not 100% sure what the direct application is. There are principles and wisdom that we can glean from the very first wrestlemania, but we have to remember that we are not Jacob. We are not David. We are not Moses. These were real human beings who had real experiences with the real God of all creation. We can learn things from their lives, but their lives were not primarily for our educational benefit or to be the avatars of ourselves into the Biblical text. There probably isn’t another person ever who is going to have a literal wrestling match with God… this side of eternity, at least! But every one of us must reckon with the truth of the Gospel and put ourselves under submission to Him. We are all going to go through seasons when we feel like we are wrestling, spiritually, with God and we just don’t know all of the “why’s.”</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>What we can certainly take from Jacob’s strange battle is that, regardless of what we are experiencing, God does have His perfect reasoning which will ultimately end in blessing for each of us who is called according to His purpose.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>And, His purposes stretch far beyond anything we could ever imagine!</span></p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/73223292023-12-21T10:09:58-06:002023-12-21T10:09:59-06:00Day 21<p><span>Day 21</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”</span></p><p><span>Matthew 14:14 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>How does our Creator see us?</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>There is a significant difference between how we view ourselves, how we experience life, and how Jesus did. While it’s clear that during the time of His incarnation on the earth there were some things known to the Father which were veiled to Him for a time, He did still have knowledge about who He was, what His mission on the earth was and things that would happen to Him. For Jesus, the cross, and all of the pain and rejection that came with it, was always set before Him.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>With that knowledge came knowing who would reject Him, who would betray Him, who would soon be yelling crucify Him! How would you treat someone that you knew was only hanging around for a free meal? How would you have treated the trusted friend who stabbed you in the back if you had known about it before it happened? Jesus knew these things. He knew what they would all do. And when He saw them in pain, in sickness, in bondage, He was moved with compassion.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>God’s wrath is real, but it is not human wrath. He doesn’t punish us because we hurt His feelings. We incur His wrath rightfully through our repeated rebellions. The fact that we find the concept of God’s wrath offensive proves that we don’t understand how truly rebellious we are. We are like the child who gets angry that we are in trouble saying, “Well, he shouldn’t have been in my way!” even after the kid we just shoved is lying crying and bleeding on the pavement. That, times infinity, because the one we are shoving, spitting on, rejecting and abusing is Almighty God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. And God, seeing how we would treat Him, knowing the choices we would make before we even existed to be able to make them, looked at us in our sin, in our anger, in our rejection, in our rebellion, and was moved with compassion.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”</span></p><p><span>Romans 5:6-11 ESV</span></p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/73221022023-12-20T19:05:27-06:002023-12-20T19:05:27-06:00Day 20<p><span>Day 20</span><br> </p><p><span>“Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.””</span></p><p><span>Revelation 5:1-10 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>He is worthy…because He was slain.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Victory in seeming defeat. A death which shook the kingdom of darkness from its very foundations and ushered in a new covenant between the kingdom of heaven and the people of earth.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>The ministry of Jesus while He walked on the earth was far more monumental than even the most profound of theologians could comprehend. We throw around terms like, “Jesus died for my sins,” or “He died so we could go to heaven” and have no clue how much weight those statements carry. We have no idea what it meant for the supernatural to step into the natural, for the Divine to take on mortal flesh, for He who knew no sin to become sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. We. Don’t. Get. It.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>But even beyond all of that, there is still the matter of dominion. There are some strange passages in the Bible. Weird verses talking about principalities, powers and world rulers in this present darkness. Verses about territorial gods (little “g”) who wield supernatural influence, control and authority which manipulates events in the natural world. These are the fallen host, disgraced princes of heaven who have forsaken their rightful positions in order to wage an unseen war against the Most High. When Jesus came, He had business with them, too.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>This all may sound like some pagan mythology or pseudo-Christian mumbo jumbo, but if that were so, how are we to interpret the offer the devil made to Jesus in the wilderness?</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’””</span></p><p><span>Matthew 4:8-10 ESV</span></p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.4.8-10.ESV"><span>https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.4.8-10.ESV</span></a></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Notice, Jesus did not laugh and say, “Those aren’t yours to give!” There is nothing in the passage to indicate that this deal was outside of the devil’s ability to make. All the nations would be His and He wouldn’t have to die. But, the Creator cannot bow down before the created. The Almighty is infinitely humble but never humiliated. The devil could offer this to Jesus in vain foolishness, but Jesus knew how the story would end. There is a kind of death that the demonic horde fear, the kind that brings their judgement upon them and casts them into the abyss.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.”</span></p><p><span>Luke 8:30-31 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>These rebellious spirits dread the future judgement waiting for them. The devil looked for every opportunity to steal the right to judge away from the Son of Man, and when he failed to sully Him, he entered Judas and had the Jewish leaders crucify Him. But, it was exactly this death that became the undoing of all of the schemes of Satan.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>He is worthy…because He was slain.</span></p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/73213832023-12-19T11:36:46-06:002023-12-19T11:36:46-06:00Day 19<p><span>Day 19</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>“Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.””</span></p><p><span>Revelation 5:1-10 ESV</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>Who is worthy?</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>The book of revelation is possibly one of the most challenging and most debated books in the whole of scripture. It also happens to be one of my favorite. My understanding of the book has shifted and grown over the years as my perspective grew from what I had been told that it meant, to the point where I began to read it in broken parts and trying to make sense of the interpretations I had been given, to a more sober minded and wholistic approach, reading it as one letter with a coherent message and intended to be heard, read and understood.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>To me, Revelation, is another glimpse into the unimaginable complexity and yet, utter simplicity that is the nature of our God. He is so far beyond our understanding that we can’t begin to produce an accurate description that would not fall laughably short of our subject. On the other hand, He chooses to reveal all that we need to know about Him in order to not only come to salvation but to call this ultimate Being, this Alpha and Omega, “friend.”</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>But, when we look at the current state of His creation, it is evident that something is just not right.</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>We see rampant and unrepentant sin celebrated and propagated in every corner of society. We see the wicked appearing to prosper and the righteous left in want. We see truth being silenced and ridiculed while lies and deception not only being spread but readily accepted like dogs waiting for scraps and shards to fall from the table. We are told that disagreeing words are violence while babies being butchered both in the womb in the western world and outside of the womb in the Middle East, is hailed as reproductive rights and warranted casualties of battle. The earth is stained in blood and it’s as if you can feel the rocks preparing to break out in their own cries for justice. The heart cry of so many believers around the world is beginning to ring out in unison, “Maratha! Come, Lord Jesus!”</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>But, the only One who can right what is wronged, the only One who can make the crooked line straight and bring justice to the world is the same One who judges us. We each view the world through the individual lenses of our own experiences and all of the wrong out there. We sit in the judgement seat and see the fault all around us, AND THERE IS SO MUCH OF IT, but we cannot be the ones to make it right. Who is worthy? Our spirits cry out for a judgement that our flesh will not be able to stand under. Even the unbelieving world is crying out for justice, but not realizing or flat out ignoring their own acts of complicity and outright rebellion. Who is worthy?</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>There is One. One who is worthy to open the scroll. One who makes it possible for us to come underneath His covering so as not to be subject to the wrath that we have earned. John, the revelator, saw this One; the Lion or Judah. The Lamb, standing as though it had been slain. Just as it was told to John, when your heart is made low by the troubles and trials of this world, when you weep for the sin-blinded world that your children will have to grow up in: “Weep no more.”</span></p><p><br> </p><p><span>He is coming.</span></p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71283412022-12-25T13:53:48-06:002023-10-16T10:06:13-05:00Day 18<p>“But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”” </p>
<p>Matthew 26:63-68 ESV (Psalm 2:1–12, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22, Acts 4:25–28, Acts 13:33, Hebrews 1:5, Hebrews 5:5) </p>
<p>The Son of God. </p>
<p>Pause. </p>
<p>Just sit in the weight of that title. </p>
<p>We are so irreverent in our culture; in our humanity. We were made in the image of God and yet so often we cast God in the image of man. We would like to think that we are wise. We point to our technology and our accomplishments, but we forget that it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom. Where is our fear? </p>
<p>This isn’t even the main point of today’s devotional. I just can’t simply read the passage above and not be taken back by the arrogance of man in the face of God and not be reminded of my own sinful pride. </p>
<p>The Son of God. </p>
<p>One thing we have to understand is that “Son of God” is a title, an identifier of which Person of the Trinity that we are talking about, not a reference to some sort of eternity past birthing event. </p>
<p>In the ancient Jewish culture, the adult son had the full legal weight of his father to buy, sell and make deals and transactions in his father’s name. The son carried the authority of the father and it was assumed that whatever he said was coming from and on behalf of the father. In carrying the title “the Son of God,” Jesus was saying that the authority by which He spoke was from the authority of God. It wasn’t, “I’m the Son of God, so if you don’t listen to me, I’ll tell my daddy.” It was, “Everything I say and do has the full weight of the words of God.” </p>
<p>“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” </p>
<p>John 5:19 ESV </p>
<p>“Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” </p>
<p>John 14:9-10 ESV </p>
<p>This is a convicting truth for those who wish to unhitch from the Old Testament or who believe that Jesus is somehow saying anything different or inconsistent with the message of God throughout the first 39 books of the Bible. Jesus has not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it to completion. He is the image of the invisible.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71271562022-12-22T16:51:29-06:002022-12-22T16:51:30-06:00Day 17<p>“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”” </p>
<p>Matthew 21:12-13 ESV </p>
<p>It is so interesting to me that the first thing Jesus did after His triumphal entry in Jerusalem was to cleanse the Temple. This was actually not the first time that He had done something like this. Another, separate instance of Jesus cleansing the temple in this way is recorded earlier in Jesus’ ministry in John 2. At the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and immediately following His triumphal entry, days before His crucifixion, He made a very public point of casting out those who had turned the house of the Lord into a den of thieves. </p>
<p>These pictures of Jesus tend to clash with the “Jesus, meek and mild” that many of think about. Jesus, in His time on Earth, was an extremely polarizing figure to the outside world as well as to the religious leaders. Today, Jesus is still equally as polarizing. The problem many of us make is that we want to focus on the parts of Jesus that we like while ignoring the parts that make us uncomfortable. Some people don’t like “their Jesus” to turn tables, confront sin or speak of judgement. I’ve seen others use the first instance of Jesus cleansing the temple, the time when He fashioned a whip to drive the people out, as a green light for them to own guns and “own” their political rivals on social media. (That is not a statement for or against owning guns or engaging in politics, but pointing out that that is not what that passage is about!) </p>
<p>To be clear, Jesus is not “on” any of our sides. What we need to be heavily concerned with is, are we on His. Are His priorities our priorities? Jesus came in peace to Jerusalem and then started flipping tables in the temple. That is what happened. That should give us an idea of what peace with God looks like. There was plenty of corruption in the city. Ample opportunities for Jesus to upend the power structures, right various wrongs and set the record straight. While, over the next week He did confront the religious leaders and legal authorities, His mission was clear from the moment He stepped into the temple. </p>
<p>There is an important truth that we need to understand and make sure we get grammatically correct; The Gospel will affect every area of our lives but the Gospel is not about every area of our lives. The Gospel is about Jesus. His mission was to reconcile us to Himself; to create peace between us and God. When Jesus cleansed the temple, He was proclaiming a very clear statement that “this” is what it was all about. The temple was overrun with greed and corruption as people used the law as a means of extorting people trying to offer their sacrifices. Their sin became an obstacle, a hinderance that kept people from being able to be made right with God. The temple was the old covenant house of the Lord, but all of this was a foreshadowing of a greater reality that Jesus was ushering in. Jesus was zealous for the house of the Lord. (Psalm 69) He drove out the thieves who preyed on the people trying to worship God. In the new covenant, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 6:19) Jesus violently paid for our sins so that we can have a redeemed relationship with God, worshiping Him for all of eternity. </p>
<p>This was His mission, from the very beginning. Are we about what He is about or are we co-opting the aspects of Jesus that we like in order to fit Him into our way of living? May Jesus purifiy the temples of our hearts and remind us that it is all about Him.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71271182022-12-22T15:44:37-06:002022-12-22T15:44:37-06:00Day 16<p>16 - “Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”” </p>
<p>Matthew 21:1-11 ESV </p>
<p>“Jesus was so humble that He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem by riding on a donkey!” </p>
<p>Jesus is absolutely the most humble person to ever walk the face of the earth. That’s not in question. HOWEVER... His riding into the city on the back of a donkey is not actually representative – only – of His humility. Think about the rest of the scene – Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Does this processional sound like a particularly humble affair? Not really. In fact, it sounds a lot more like the entrances of the Ceasar’s when they would have entire parades as all of Rome ushered their ruler back from foreign wars. Those scenes were so NOT humble that there were literally men in the processional whose sole job it was to walk beside the emperor and cry, “Memento Mori” or “Remember your death” so the whole thing wouldn’t go to the Ceasar’s head. </p>
<p>Rather than being simply a declaration His humility, Jesus riding in on the back of a donkey was actually a declaration of both His royalty and His Messianic authority. Ancient Kings and dignitaries would enter the city gates similar to this frequently, but they would ride either horses or donkeys. If the leader was riding on a horse, it signaled to the people that he was on a militaristic conquest – that he was coming because he had conquered and was establishing his rule or that he was coming with the intent to conquer. However, if the leader was riding on a donkey, this signified that his entrance was done in peace and civility. Seeing either type of entrance, the people would instantly know what the intentions of the entering king were. By riding in on a donkey, Jesus was telling everyone that He was, in fact, the royal authority but that He had come to bring peace. He was inspiring people to come to Him safely rather than recoil from Him in fear. </p>
<p>His Messianic claim was evident to the Jews as His entrance was also in direct reference to and fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9. Not only was He saying that He was a king, but that He was The King; the long-awaited Messiah, the Savior they had been looking for! The people clearly understood this because of how they responded to His arrival. They were jubilantly praising God for the coming of their Savior King. Can you imagine the hope and joy that they were feeling in that moment? Jesus had come to bring peace, but it was not the peace they expected. They were looking for a Jewish Messiah who would overthrow the Roman occupation and make them great again. Instead, they were welcoming a King who, in just a few short days, they would be shouting to crucify. And He let them. He wasn’t the King that they wanted so they wanted Him dead. But, the crazy thing is, that was exactly the peace that He came to bring them and to us – an everlasting peace with God that could only come by His atoning sacrificial death. He came to bring us peace and, by His death, He did! </p>
<p>When He entered Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago, Jesus was humbly riding on a donkey as the King who had come to bring peace. Soon, Jesus will return again and when He does He will be coming on the clouds, riding a white horse and armed for battle – a conquering King, coming to conquer once and for all.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71270992022-12-22T14:33:16-06:002022-12-22T14:33:16-06:00Day 15<p>“Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” </p>
<p>Matthew 13:10-17 ESV </p>
<p>I must have read this passage hundreds of times before I actually took in what it said. I have even heard multiple sermons over the years who had taught that the exact opposite of what Jesus said here was true. “He spoke in parables to share spiritual truths in a way that was accessible to the common people.” “He talked about the things they understood – fishing, planting, harvesting – so that they could understand what He was saying.” Jesus said, “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” This is how smart we really think we are; Jesus can very clearly tell us exactly what He is doing and why He is doing it and we will ignore that and go on preaching the opposite. “There’s no way He could mean what He is very clearly saying here. Very sneaky, Jesus.” The fact is that Jesus spoke in parables with the express purpose being that not everyone would understand the message. The parables were like speaking in code, only those with the key could unlock the hidden truths. So, the obvious question that follows is, “Why wouldn’t Jesus want everyone to understand?” </p>
<p>It’s a legitimate question; if Jesus is sharing the truths which lead away from Hell and into eternal life, shouldn’t He want everyone to be able to hear, understand and enter in? Is Jesus intentionally being unclear so that only certain people whom He deems worthy or even just the ones that He likes can get in and everyone else can, quite literally, go to Hell? What kind of a good God is that? If even lowly, depraved sinners like us can clearly see that seemingly arbitrary and meritless picking and choosing like that is inherently wrong, then how can God be loving, just, righteous and good if this is how He treats the people He created? </p>
<p>Well, that escalated quickly. </p>
<p>Do you notice how what started as a fair and legitimate question quickly spiraled into rebellion? Or, to be more precise, do you see how quickly our own harbored rebellion can be brought to the surface when we are in situations we don’t understand? Questioning is not the sin, in and of itself, rather the questions we ask reveal what is in our hearts. From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34) When we come across situations in life that seem unfair, or even when we read passages in scripture that don’t seem to make sense, our true beliefs will be brought to the surface. It’s like when we read a text message from a friend; they could be sharing a harmless joke that they thought we would enjoy, but if I’m not in the right frame of mind I attribute that message with all kinds of ill-intended malice and choose to be offended by it. My response actually has little to do with the message and much more to do with what I choose to believe as the recipient. If we choose to read evil or wicked intent in how Jesus shared the Gospel message, it has nothing to do with the message, the Messenger or even the delivery but is actually a reflection of the hearer. Our response – what we choose to focus on versus the actual meaning of what was said – reveals to us the sin issues we have buried within. </p>
<p>So, what then is the message at the heart of this passage? </p>
<p>Jesus wasn’t being selective in who heard His parable; He presented it to the whole crowd. This particular parable was the parable of the Sower and the soil and everyone listening was one of the soils Jesus spoke of. He also told the disciples that they were, in fact, the good soil. What made them different? They didn’t understand the meaning of the parable, either. They were just as in the dark as everyone in the crowd. What made them different had nothing to do with their ability to understand. It also had nothing to do with Jesus singling them out; giving them special treatment that wasn’t available to everyone else. Here was the difference – when they didn’t understand the meaning, the disciples took their questions to Jesus. Not in an angry, accusing way assuming that their morality was greater than His, but in a humble way built on trusting that there was indeed an answer and that He was good enough to share it. Now, Jesus doesn’t give us the answers for every difficulty that we face in life, but He does give us more than enough for us to be able to trust His goodness even when we don’t get to see His reasoning this side of eternity. When our trials cause us to doubt, to worry, to respond to Him in anger, perhaps that is exactly why He allowed those tests to come; so that we can realize what we are truly believing underneath and allow Him to perfect our faith. (James 1: 2-4)</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71249402022-12-18T21:02:28-06:002022-12-18T21:02:28-06:00Day 14<p>“Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.” </p>
<p>Matthew 19:13-15 ESV </p>
<p>Once again, this is one of those passages that just seems so obvious to us that it’s easy to gloss over. “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world...” Of course, the disciples were being too uptight in keeping the children away from Jesus. That being said, I don’t think that most of us would have a much different response if we were in their position. </p>
<p>For those of us who have children or have already raised them and released them out into the world, you probably understand the social pressure that comes with parenthood. Our culture tends to see children as cute inconveniences. Kids get in the way of our plans. Toddlers throw tantrums at the most inopportune times. Children have no concern for decorum, for civility or for status. Childhood today seems like it is something that needs to be stifled and mitigated until maturity starts to set in. Our culture is task oriented, goals focused and driven to succeed. In fact, a number of prominent women in our culture have been particularly outspoken about how their choices to end the lives of their own children have freed them to have the lives that they wanted to live. They attribute their successes in large part to their infanticide. </p>
<p>We know that this is all wrong, and yet we continue on in small ways affirming this same mentality. In our church gatherings we shuffle kids off to children’s church so that we can have a civil adult service without the distractions. We (hopefully) attempt to train and disciple them to follow Jesus in the few moments we have after work, between meals and when they’re not driving us so crazy that we just need a few moments to ourselves. At the same time, we thoughtlessly send them off to be discipled by the world for at least eight hours a day by a school system that doesn’t share our faith, our values or our goals. </p>
<p>As a father, my goal is not only to let my children come to Jesus, but I also want to be careful not to hinder them from doing so in any way. Jesus loves our children more than we do. They are never a burden, an annoyance or a distraction. In fact, if we want to be able to come to Him at all, we need to come to Him the same way that they do. </p>
<p>2 “And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 18:2-4 </p>
<p>We seem to have this idea that we have something valuable to offer Christ in our service, our skills, our wisdom, our wealth. We have nothing. We know nothing. We’re kids. If we look at Jesus’ response to the disciples with any amount of surprise or even like He is doing them such a favor, we’re missing the whole point. Those children are us. The ones with nothing to offer and our sin was far more than an inconvenience to Him, and yet He bids, “let the little children come to Me.”</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71244592022-12-17T13:19:57-06:002022-12-17T13:19:57-06:00Day 13<p>“No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” </p>
<p>John 3:13-16 ESV </p>
<p>What did it mean for the Israelites to look upon the serpent that was lifted up in the wilderness? What does it mean to believe in the Son of God? Jesus intentionally tied these two thoughts together even though most modern Bible translation place a new sub-header starting at verse 16. In fact, this entire dialogue stems from Nicodemus asking about how to be born again. (John 3: 1-4) Everything that follows down through verse 21 is Jesus’ response to that question and it is in this context in which Jesus makes the connection from the fiery bronze serpent on a staff being lifted up for the healing of the Israelites in Numbers 21 to the soon coming lifting up of the Son of Man for the salvation of those who would believe. This connection is known as an example of biblical typology - a foreshadowing Old Testament event used as a prophetic picture of something greater still to come. There are numerous examples of this throughout scripture but what makes this one especially poignant is that we would not have this particular connection without the direct attention drawn to it by Jesus, Himself. Clearly, Jesus wants us to see that Old Testament story as an example of what believing in Him means and, thereby, how we are “born again.” </p>
<p>In Numbers 21, the Israelites were doing what they often did during their 40 years in the desert, grumbling and complaining against Moses and God. It’s easy for us to criticize their foolish behavior; they had just witnessed the plagues of Egypt, they had been led by a pillar of smoke and a pillar of fire, the had physically walked through the parting of the Red Sea, witnessed the lighting on Mt. Sinai and heard the voice of God and countless other demonstrations of His power and authority and yet the still revert to complaining every time they don’t like the way things are going. Like I said, it’s easy to criticize them but how many times have you and I been the unworthy recipients of God’s favor and kindness only to return to fear and doubt when things don’t seem to make sense? The Israelites are prime examples of the human condition; they are not humanity at their worst, they are humanity at our most common and natural state. Don’t underestimate how many times Jesus refers to us, his followers, as sheep. As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool to his folly and, more often than we realize or care to admit, we are those fools. </p>
<p>So, the Israelites complain against God. Don’t let the mundane commonality of this sinful act lull your senses; this is a lazy man’s rebellion but rebellion nonetheless. All sin is an act of rebellion against God and we are traitors to the Kingdom of Heaven! This is why sin carries the death penalty. God’s just response to the sin of Israel was to send flaming serpents in their midst to bite them and cause them to die. Why serpents? Potentially as a callback to the fact that it was a serpent who introduced the thought of the first act of rebellion to humanity in the garden. Why were the serpents on fire? Probably to distinguish them as an act of God and not just any old snakes. (Think of the flaming swords guarding Eden, the burning bush that was not consumed, the tongues of fire at Pentecost.) The Israelites were receiving their wages for, once again, rebelling against God, so what did they do? </p>
<p>“And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.” </p>
<p>Numbers 21:7 ESV </p>
<p>They repented. </p>
<p>So, what is repentance? </p>
<p>I know there are a good number of Christians who say that the only requirement for salvation is to believe in Jesus, as stated in John 3:16. I also know that there are many of committed followers of Christ who make the claim that we must repent and believe. (Mark 1:15, Acts 17:30) To repent is a dual action - it means to turn away from one thing while turning towards another. Christian repentance is to turn away from sin/rebellion and to turn towards Christ. So, is repentance necessary for salvation or is it just belief? </p>
<p>My answer? </p>
<p>Yes. </p>
<p>To believe is in Christ is more than just thinking that He existed. Remember, the connection that Jesus drew to the bronze serpent was to Himself being raised up on the cross as the perfect sacrificial atonement for our sins. That is what we believe about Him. But, that belief requires the understanding that I am a sinner and also that Jesus has paid the death penalty for my sin. This belief is a radical shift in theology or what we think about God. If sin is rebellion, then who is on the throne of our hearts and minds? Ourselves. If I believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be, then I know that I am wrong to sit in that throne and it is His rightful place of authority. When we are lost in sin, we do what seems right to us. We actually believe, to a certain degree, that we are right in doing whatever we want to do in that moment. We continue to do things our own way until the consequences of our actions begin to sprout and we are drowning in the wake of our sinful decisions.(Proverbs 14:12) To believe in Christ, it means that we see Him as our only means of salvation. We look upon Him to save us from death as the Israelites looked upon the brazen serpent, because He is our only hope. We cannot save ourselves, He can. We are wrong, He is right. This is what it means to believe. </p>
<p>Now, does this belief equate to immediate transformation into a sinless follower of Christ? No. For some, their salvation experience was a dramatic shift of every aspect of their lives like Zacchaeus and Paul, but even Paul described his internal conflict with sin as doing what he hates and not doing what he truly wants. Was Paul then an unbeliever or a backslidden Christian? No. Faith in Christ, or belief, is described as a seed which is planted and yields a hundredfold harvest. (Matthew 13:23) The process takes time and, often in the beginning, that process isn’t even visible to those around. Did the thief on the cross have any visible evidences of a transformed life. I would say, yes, but only if you know what you’re looking for. </p>
<p>“But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”” </p>
<p>Luke 23:40-42 ESV </p>
<p>He verbally expressed a fear of God, meaning He knew that God would judge them or that God was their true authority, not themselves. He also acknowledged that he was deserving of death and that Jesus was sinless. Then, he turned to Jesus and asked to be remembered by Him when He came into His kingdom. This isn’t a “remember me” like, “think about me sometimes after I’m gone.” This is an act of submission. He’s saying that Jesus will be the one rightfully judging him and is putting his hope, his faith, his belief in the only one who can save him from what he deserves. He didn’t have the opportunity to “go his way and sin no more,” like others in the gospel narrative, but the thief was surely repentant, believing and putting his trust in the only One who saves.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71225252022-12-13T23:24:42-06:002022-12-13T23:24:42-06:00Day 12<p>“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” </p>
<p>John 14:5-6 ESV </p>
<p>Guys! Jesus is the life! </p>
<p>I’m talking, “your best life, now!” But probably not in the American dream version of your best life you may have heard about on megachurch infomercials or on the covers of certain New York Times bestsellers. Apart from John, who enjoyed a luxurious oil bath, drank exotic liquids and then retired to the Greek island of Patmos to work on his apocalyptic literature, the disciples didn’t exactly live lives of health, wealth and prosperity. No, instead they experienced hardships, persecution, torture, imprisonment, regular beatings and agonizing deaths… and they counted it all joy! </p>
<p>It’s amazing how full our lives can become and yet be so completely empty at the same time. Especially around this time of year, the temptation to accrue more stuff is almost palpable. I mean, you literally have multiple people in your life asking you, “What do you want for Christmas.” When I was a child, I had no difficulty at all filling out a full page, front and back, for my Christmas wish list. Now, as a parent, my greater joy is found in being able to pick out gifts for my kids and seeing them opened. (Full disclosure, I am definitely the guy who wants my kids to open the presents as soon as I buy them because I just hate waiting, but my wife has taught me the discipline of patience in this particular area.) One of the things we are intentional with them about when it comes to Christmas presents is that we set a limit of just 3-4 gifts for each of them. We want to observe the holiday and celebrate by giving gifts, but we don’t want Christmas to become associated with getting stuff. We have our own family traditions that we keep and add to each year in order to keep our thoughts about Christmas fixated on the blessing of Christ coming into the world. The presents are fun, but our kids know that these little things will never bring them true and lasting joy. That can only be found in Him. </p>
<p>The real, nefarious message that can get wrapped up in the packaging of the presents we give in receive is the subtle belief that the joy of my life will be found in the accumulation of worldly treasures, but even deeper than that is the idea that our happiness is even the point. It’s not. Your best life, the life that Jesus presents, is not in conflict with the suffering that the disciples endured, but is actually part and parcel of it. It is, in fact, often our pursuit of happiness that conflicts with our experience of true joy. We fixate on what we want, what we are convinced that we need, that we don’t even recognize the immensity of what we have. There is an old hymn which sings of this truth, “Take the world, but give me Jesus.” He is the life. He is all-sufficient, all encompassing. We literally have no need but Him. If the Gospel we preach isn’t a Gospel that equally humbles and equally inspires hope to all - if its message cannot be an equally obtainable reality to the affluent lords of the western world and to the starving child in Sudan - then it’s not the Gospel at all. Jesus isn’t the means to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; He is the pot of gold, He is the rainbow, He is everything and from the moment of salvation, He is ours! We already have the greatest treasure of all time! We already have the final source for the fullness of joy! He is life! There is no substitute. What can man do to us? What circumstance could life throw our way? </p>
<p>Romans 8:36-38 </p>
<p>36 As it is written, </p>
<p>“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; </p>
<p> we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” </p>
<p>37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. </p>
<p>Jesus is the life! Amen.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71224762022-12-13T21:56:20-06:002022-12-13T21:56:20-06:00Day 11<p>“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” </p>
<p>John 14:5-6 ESV </p>
<p>Jesus is the truth. Well, if you believe in Him then I guess He is the truth for you. But, truth is subjective, right? </p>
<p>Well, that is the prevailing philosophy of the day. “What’s true for you is true for you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s true for me.” The claim is that truth is relative and those who make this claim will state it as absolute fact… You see how this can be logically problematic? It’s a nonsensical conclusion based in what it rejects and not founded on anything that it holds to. In essence, the concept of relative truth is actually just a simple rejection of absolute truth rather than a positive claim about reality. What they really mean when they make statements like these is, “I don’t accept your truth claims, but I’m pretending to be nice about it and I also don’t have any other grounded position to replace your view.” In other words, “You’re wrong, even though I have no good reason to believe your wrong.” At it’s core, it’s a very infantile form of argumentation. </p>
<p>So, if they don’t have another established view, why are they so adamantly against the Christian worldview? According to the Bible, the truth of God is made plain to the world. So, rather than being ignorant or unaware of the truth, people instead actively suppress it. In the first chapter of Romans, Paul has a strong word about a people who had done this that sounds almost like he was talking about our current world, today. </p>
<p>Romans 1:18-25 </p>
<p>18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. </p>
<p>24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. </p>
<p>People reject Christ as the truth because of what that truth means for how they live their lives. If Jesus is more than a nice or wise teacher, but actually the true Lord of all Creation, then that means that we are not our own masters. </p>
<p>Furthermore, in claiming to be the truth, not just truth in general or a truth amongst others, He is also making a claim of authority over reality. If we could fully understand this, our lives would look radically different. Our world, the one we experience with our five senses is not the deepest reality. Jesus preexisted on a plane of reality wholly outside of what we know. According scientific theory, if a being were to exist outside of our 3 dimensional universe, they would potentially be able to hold time itself like a physical construct; manipulating, acting and interacting with it in a similar way that we would hold an object or turn a Rubik’s cube. They would be able to see the end and the beginning simultaneously. A being on existing on a higher dimensional plane would be as incomprehensible to us as we would be to a two-dimensional stick figure we drew on a piece of paper. Now, if such a being were to enter into our plane of existence, they wouldn’t cease to be a higher dimensional being, but they would have to simplify their essence and translate themselves into a form that could exist in a lower dimensional state, but they would then be able to give us information from their perspective outside of time, space and matter that was 100% accurate as well as conceivably maintain the ability to manipulate our reality. If our existence is in reality, then they would exist in super-reality. If our universe abides by the laws of nature, they would be able to override those laws supernaturally. Now, this is some nerd stuff, for sure, but in this instance theoretical science might help us to develop a category for what it means that Jesus is the truth. He is so utterly beyond our levels of understanding that it’s not just what He says goes, it’s that our universe was entirely fashioned by His decree. When He makes prophecies, they are not at all predictive but definitive because He has always seen the end from before time began. </p>
<p>But, as Paul said, men exchange the truth of God for a lie and we worship creation, usually ourselves, instead of the Creator. If we continue to do this for long enough, God will give us over to the lies we want to believe. When I look around in our culture today, it’s hard to feel like that hasn’t already happened in large part. The good news is that Jesus is not just the way, and not even just the truth. Tomorrow, we will see what it means that Jesus is the life!</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71219342022-12-12T21:40:00-06:002022-12-12T21:40:00-06:00Day 10<p>“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” </p>
<p>John 14:5-6 ESV </p>
<p>Jesus is the way; what does this mean? </p>
<p>There is both a singularity and an exclusivity to this statement. First, Jesus said that he is the way. There is a quote from Mahatma Ghandi where he said, “I like your Christ, but not your Christianity.” This is a sentiment that I have heard from many people even today who have the idea that Jesus was a nice guy, a good teacher and potentially even a wise moral leader. I have a hunch, however, that many of the same people who say these types of things are not referring to passages like this one in John 14. Even the current pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, has made numerous statements that seem to imply that all roads lead to heaven. </p>
<p>“We must never forget that they (Muslims) "profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, who will judge humanity on the last day". </p>
<p>“The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, what about the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us first class children of God!” </p>
<p>Now, I do want to be fair. Defenders of the pope have stated that Christ paid for the redemption of all, not necessarily guaranteeing salvation for all. Others who take a more liberal approach, believe that Christ is the way, as in His death alone made a way for salvation, but that everyone goes through that door, regardless of their faith or lack thereof. So, what does Jesus mean when He says, “I am the way?” </p>
<p>“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” </p>
<p>Matthew 7:13-14 ESV </p>
<p>There is, in fact, a broad way that the great multitudes will travel by and pass through but, sadly, this way does not lead to life but destruction. There is one, exclusive way that leads to life and those who find it are few. This is a horrible reality and one that should drive those of us who have found the path to desperately want to share the Way with everyone we can!</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71219332022-12-12T21:39:31-06:002022-12-12T21:39:31-06:00Day 9<p>““Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”” </p>
<p>John 14:1-5 ESV </p>
<p>For my day job, I am often speaking in schools with teenage students. Often, I will ask questions for them to respond to which they already know the “right” answer to, but they don’t know exactly why it’s the right answer. I think, when it comes to understanding the Bible, those of us who have had the privilege of growing up in western culture where Judeo-Christian ethics and theology have had a profound, yet waining, impact on our worldview, we often know the answers but we haven’t done the work to understand why that is the answer. If you’ve ever been in a children’s Sunday school class, we always knew the answer was “Jesus” to every question. So, when we come across the wonderings of Thomas, it’s easy to forget that the answers we take for granted were, for the majority of human history, unknown. </p>
<p>Where would Jesus be going? </p>
<p>Backtracking just one or two verses, Jesus had told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house. We have to remember that, for as common as these phrases are to us, the first century Jews did not have a well developed understanding of God as Father, and definitely not one Who is accessible. They knew of the tabernacle. They knew of the temple. They knew of the bells the high priest would wear around his ankles just in case he was struck down dead during the sacrifices. When Jesus came, part of His ministry was to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. </p>
<p>“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” </p>
<p>Matthew 4:17 ESV </p>
<p>Jesus brought access, among many other things. For the first time, regular people had the ability to enter into a real, personal relationship with their Creator. This is one of those incredible truths that we simply take for granted, but to those who heard it first hand from Jesus, it was so completely different from everything they had known that they didn’t fully understand it until He ascended into Heaven. </p>
<p>For us, this is knowledge that has been handed down but, just like the disciples, we can hear without understanding. Pray that the Holy Spirit would illuminate the reality of what Jesus has done and what He is now doing on your behalf.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71201552022-12-08T21:29:21-06:002022-12-08T21:29:22-06:00Day 8<p>“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”” </p>
<p>Mark 4:39-41 ESV </p>
<p>Who or what do you fear? </p>
<p>For the disciples, they were moments ago fearing for their lives in the midst or a torrential storm. Now, Jesus has calmed the storm by speaking to it, He literally just told it to stop, and it did! Now, the disciples are experiencing a very different kind of fear. I did a quick survey of a few different translations just to see how they all phrased this moment and they all said something to the effect of “they peed their pants!” Exceeding fear, great fear, terrified! </p>
<p>Imagine a time when you were a kid that you talked back to your mom, not knowing that your dad had just walked in the front door and heard the whole thing? This is that kind of terror; you’re caught dead to rights and you and everyone knows it. Remember what the disciples had just done? They were almost scolding Jesus for sleeping and asked if He even cared that they were about to perish. It’s interesting that they knew who to turn to in their time of need, but they were coming at Him in the completely wrong way. They were casting their burdens onto Jesus alright, but in a questioning, condescending, self-important way that revealed they really had no idea who it was that they were talking to. </p>
<p>What do you think the disciples expected? Obviously, they sought Him as an answer to their problems. Did they expect that He would jump up from His sleep, grab an oar and start paddling alongside them? Did they think He would utilize His expertise in carpentry to quickly mend the ship so that they could make it to shore? Whatever they expected, it was not that He would stand up and speak to the wind and the waves and command them to be still. Remember, these were first century Jews. They were surrounded and even occupied by pagan worshippers with countless gods that they worshipped. There were gods of war, gods of wisdom, gods of prosperity, gods of love. Even the Greek god Zeus, king of the gods, was not all powerful, though. Now, these young Jewish men didn’t believe in the pagan gods of the people around them but that doesn’t mean that their cultural context hadn’t subtly changed their expectations of God, either. Also, being true Jews, seeing Jesus speak to nature and have it obey Him had to have reminded them of creation itself, when God spoke and all of creation came into existence ex nihilo, out of nothing. That realization will put you in your place real quick. </p>
<p>“I was just yelling at God.” </p>
<p>They also had the Jewish understanding of God’s presence, the Holy of Holies. Priests died during the performance of their duties for entering that place in an impure way. </p>
<p>Notice, also, Jesus’ response. “Why were you afraid? Where is your faith?” They had seen miracles at this point but, until that moment, they still weren’t getting it. Even then, they weren’t even sure how to process what they had witnessed. They were terrified, but at least now their fear was properly placed. </p>
<p>“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” </p>
<p>Matthew 10:28 ESV </p>
<p>“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” </p>
<p>Proverbs 9:10 ESV </p>
<p>Who is this that even the winds and the waves obey Him? He is God. Fear Him.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71201542022-12-08T21:28:51-06:002022-12-08T21:28:51-06:00Day 7<p>“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”” </p>
<p>Mark 4:37-38 ESV </p>
<p>Have you ever felt like God was sleeping while you were in the middle of a storm? Have you ever been in a place where you were so discouraged that you wanted to ask God, “do You even care that I am dying over here?” </p>
<p>You’re not alone. </p>
<p>All of us will walk through seasons of doubt when the storms of life not only seem constant, but increasing in severity until you don’t think you can take anymore and just as you think it might be over another wave hits. The Bible gives plenty of examples of people who came to the very end of themselves; David being hunted by Saul and faking insanity so that he could hide amongst his enemies, Elisha fainting under the tree and wanting to die, Job losing his wealth, his family and even His health for seemingly no reason. The list goes on. </p>
<p>God is so good and yet He allows us to sail right into the storms. And then, in the hour of our desperation, it seems like He is asleep at the wheel. </p>
<p>I have seen many close friends have their faith shattered in storms like these. I’ve seen it happen so often that I’ve also had the opportunity to see how God isn’t asleep at all and, in fact, is present and working even through the storms. Not in a happy ending, “God makes it all work out in the end,” kind of way but in a grace that doesn’t look or feel at all like the grace we typically think of. </p>
<p>When the disciples were being tossed back and forth by the waves, their beliefs were being tested more than the hull or the mast of the ship. What did they really think about this Jesus? At this point, they had seen Jesus heal lepers and cast out demons, so their question was not one of capability even though they didn’t expect Him to resolve the issue in the manner that He did. Rather than wondering if He could save them, instead they questioned if He even cared to. The test, to them, seemed cruel and bitter, like the sea around them. Their minds probably filled with the same types of questions ours populate with when we go through these seasons: “What kind of a God would allow this to happen to the people who follow Him?” </p>
<p>Like I said, I’ve sadly seen many friends crushed in these waves, swallowed by the sea of their doubts. Something hard comes - a setback, a sickness, a death, a loss, a failure - that shines a harsh light on what they believed. Many times, it was revealed that they had placed their faith in men, in ministries, in promises that God never actually made. These are idols. It’s hard when they look so close to the real thing, but God can see the difference in our hearts and allows the storms to come so that our true beliefs can be brought to the surface. When we’ve seen Him move in the past, we usually won’t outright walk away at first. We start by questioning His character. It’s a well worn playbook going all the way back to the garden; “Did God really say…God knows that if you eat it you’ll be like Him. He’s holding out on you.” Satan doesn’t get points for creativity but he definitely abides by “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” We question His character, then we question is authority and finally we choose to no longer trust in Him. I’ve seen it happen. </p>
<p>So, Jesus in His goodness allowed them to go into the storm and He even took a nap knowing what was ahead. They never had any real reason to fear; they had seen Him do miracles before. He let the storms come as a kindness because it pulled those doubts, those fears, those false beliefs to the surface. He knew there were much larger storms ahead and even bigger ones after that. They still resorted to fear, doubt and disbelief, but without this storm at this time, the storms that knocked them out of the boat later would have likely shipwrecked their faith entirely. </p>
<p>Does God care about the storms that we face? Not only does He care, but He has a reason for them and He accomplishes His purpose through them.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71192282022-12-06T22:29:02-06:002022-12-06T22:29:02-06:00Day 6<p>“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” </p>
<p>Romans 5:6-11 ESV </p>
<p>God’s wrath. </p>
<p>We don’t sing too much about that. Perhaps it is because our understanding of wrath is from human to human, where one unrighteous sinner is exacting vengeance on another unrighteous sinner. We know, on some fundamental level, that our wrath is almost always unjust at some level, with few exceptions. We teach our children that they should not unleash their unbridled fury against another child on the playground who didn’t take turns on the swing or pushed them out of line for the slides. We teach them to take their problems to mom or dad to mete out justice on their behalf. The reason is that, in their wrath, they go too far. The obvious implication is that, as adults, we would administer the proper amount of punitive judgement while restraining from the emotional outbursts that our children are prone to. </p>
<p>We carry this lesson into adulthood, “my wrath cannot be trusted,” but many times in polite society we take that to the measure of “all wrath is wrong and cannot be trusted.” We even apply this manner of thinking towards God. As children, the adults in our lives were the God given authorities whom we took our issues to. Unfortunately, sometimes those adults abuse their authority and release their unjust wrath on those they have been given charge over. We see the ramifications of the unjust wrath of man all around us, so much so that it makes it difficult to comprehend a wrath that actually is not only justified, but good. </p>
<p>The Bible, however, doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to the topic of God’s wrath. When Jesus spoke about Hell, He of course spoke about the unnamed rich man who begged Abraham for just a drop of water to ease his suffering. (Luke 16) There are probably a good few of us who can read that, think of some snooty rich person, privileged and greedy, and thumb our noses at them, knowing they deserve hell. I’ve recently seen more than one person with a tattoo which read, “eat the rich,” and I’m sure they would agree with this sentiment. On the other hand, do you believe the people who simply failed to enter by the narrow door described in Luke 13 deserved to be shut out in a place where there would be “weeping and gnashing of teeth?” </p>
<p>We seem to have this idea that we all start out basically good. That, of course we sin and no one is perfect, but in our hearts we are generally good people. Of course, good people don’t deserve God’s wrath! The problem is that we are most definitely NOT good people. We are sinners. Our hearts are desperately wicked, so wicked that they will even deserve our own selves. But, as much as we try to evade that truth, our wickedness comes out in lies, in abuse, in sexual immorality, in hatred, in traffic! We are not good people who sin every once in awhile, we are evil people who sometimes know how to give good gifts. (Matt. 7) </p>
<p>The truth is, we fully deserve God’s wrath. The fact that we question God’s rightfullness to judge shows that we have no concept of His holiness or our own sin. When God came into the world, by right He should have crushed us and it would have been completely justified. And yet, while we were still in the sinful act of rebelling against Him, He came with the intent to take all of the wrath of God on Himself. What’s even more crazy is that after this unspeakably glorious act of unmerited love for us, we still will scoff and question His goodness or even His right to judge us at all. In His long suffering, He endures it all so that all of those who will repent will have their opportunity in the fullness of time. </p>
<p>We deserve His good and righteous wrath, but instead He extends to us His love. God is so much better than you think.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71182612022-12-05T20:50:42-06:002022-12-05T20:50:42-06:00Day 5<p>““Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.” </p>
<p>Matthew 10:34-36 ESV </p>
<p>The Prince of Peace and a Rock of Offense. Do you ever read a quote from Jesus and think, “Ouch?” If you haven’t, you’re probably not reading your Bible right. The Gospels are full of the wisdom, the gentle encouragements, and the grace that Jesus offered. There are also plenty of occurrences when Jesus would drop some bombs! It’s become a super catchy modern teaching that Jesus’ strongest rebukes were reserved only for those in the pious religious leaders. Ok. Tell that to the Canaanite woman whom Jesus called a dog in Matthew 15. Or the multitude that He told to eat His flesh and drink His blood in John 6. </p>
<p>Now, in all of these instances Jesus was kind. He was giving each of them precisely what they needed to hear in those moments. But, it’s important to recognize that the kindness of God does not always feel “nice.” So often, we picture Jesus like He is meek and mild guy with the warm, inviting eyes just waiting for us to engage with Him. Very frequently in scripture, however, Jesus was the friend you aren’t always comfortable inviting to the party because He just might say the thing that everyone is thinking but doesn’t say so they don’t make people uncomfortable. </p>
<p>Make no mistakes about it; closeness to Jesus will make you very uncomfortable… until you learn to become more comfortable with Him than you are with your sin. </p>
<p>That’s the good type of uncomfortable. That’s the uncomfortable that we all need to become more comfortable with and, as you do, you’ll notice that certain people around will start to have problems with that. </p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong, we don’t need to go out of our way to be offensive. We should also be less inclined to say the harsher truths from a safe distance. Even when done in all sincerity, a convicting Facebook post aimed at the general mass of unbelievers on your friends list is almost always not the best way to go about it. That being said, when it is the right time to proclaim truth and shine your light into the darkness, be aware that few things are more offensive than turning on the lights in a dark room. </p>
<p>So, how can Jesus be both the Prince of Peace and bring a sword between us and our friends and families? The peace that Jesus brings is not the mediocre “peace” between family members who choose to overlook the truth in order to not ruffle feathers. No, He gives us peace with God. His atonement on our behalf has satisfied the wrath of God and allowed us to experience true peace with our Heavenly Father. When we enter into the kingdom of heaven, however, our former masters and those who still walk in darkness will be increasingly aware of their enmity with God when they see our relationship with Him as well as our unity and love for one another. This will either cause them to be convinced of their own sinfulness and coming destruction (Phil. 1:26-27) or cause them to hate you as they hate our Master. (John 15:18) </p>
<p>He is peace but He also divides.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71173542022-12-04T22:38:23-06:002022-12-04T22:38:23-06:00Day 4<p>“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” </p>
<p>Revelation 5:2-8 ESV </p>
<p>Jesus is the Lion of Judah; the fierce, powerful, majestic Lion. Jesus is also the Lamb that was slain. </p>
<p>This is one of the most seemingly contradictory descriptions throughout all of scripture. Top of the food chain. One of the most defenseless creatures you can think of. How can both of these images be talking about the same being and how can that being be the Son of God? The best one word answer: humility. </p>
<p>Yesterday, I shared about how immeasurably powerful our Lord is. The incredible immensity of His omnipotence is beyond anything we could strain to think of. When He walked on earth people saw a man but when He spoke, whether they knew it or not, they heard the voice of God. Men sought to contain Him, even the disciples at times tried to limit Him, and He would respond in ways that let you know you were on the wrong side of the Lion! </p>
<p>“Get behind me, Satan.” </p>
<p>How many times a day does it cross our minds to invite Jesus into our day? How frequently do we seek His input before setting the large and small plans of our lives? And how absurd would it be to approach a Lion with our day planner and let Him know we’ve decided to pencil Him in for 15 minutes after lunch? Do we even have the faintest notion of who it is that we are talking to??? The Christian life is not “inviting Him” into ours but recognizing that every breath in our lungs is His and then seeking to find how He wants us to utilize the next one. This is the proper way to approach the Lion! </p>
<p>And yet, He is also the Lamb. </p>
<p>To understand His humility, you have to start to understand the power that is being restrained. He, in His holiness - He who dwells in unapproachable light - chose to take on flesh and walk among His rebellious creation. We get glimmers of that restrained power when we read verses like these: </p>
<p>“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”” </p>
<p>John 10:17-18 ESV </p>
<p>“No one takes my life from me.” </p>
<p>The lamb was only slain because He chose to be. He chose it before time began. </p>
<p>I think we can sometimes get comfortable with the Lamb. We love the Lamb. We experience true sorrow at the death of the Lamb and joy at His resurrection, but we must never forget that the Lamb is also a Lion. </p>
<p>On the other hand, when John laments that there is no one worthy to open the scroll, He is told by the elder that the Lion of the tribe of Judah has come and He is worthy and then, in walks the Lamb that was slain. He is humble because He is the Lion who restrains Himself. He is worthy because He is the Lamb who was slain.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71166642022-12-03T18:43:47-06:002022-12-03T18:43:47-06:00Day 3<p>“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” </p>
<p>Revelation 5:2-8 ESV </p>
<p>The Lion and the Lamb. I don’t know how many songs I’ve heard utilizing this descriptive imagery. A lot. So much so that it’s easy to just hear the words, song along and not at all think about what is being sung. </p>
<p>Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah: the majesty, the fierce strength, the raw power. When we approach our Lord, it is right to draw near with a sober understanding that, as C. S. Lewis wrote of Aslan, “He is not a tame lion.” He is gloriously untamed and unbound by our whims and fancies. When you come face to face with a Lion, you change to accommodate Him. When he roars, you get low real quick! </p>
<p>So many of us have a very neutered view of God. Some have even bought into the notion that He needs us! Let me be perfectly clear; He does not. He needs nothing. He is completely self sustaining, fulfilled in the eternal co-existent relationship of the Trinity. No, God has no need for you or me. </p>
<p>How much more beautiful is it then that He wants us? </p>
<p>We have nothing to offer this King of kings, this Lion of Lions. And yet, He chose to create us because He wanted us. He did it knowing the cost. He did it knowing that we would rebel. He did it knowing that most would reject Him throughout their whole lives, all the way to the gates of Hell. But for those of us who would, He endured all the pain of the cross, all the rejection and rebellion of humanity, even our own sin even after we professed devotion to Him. By rights, by nature, we should have been eaten, but the Lion of Judah, has chosen to endure it all because the Lion loves us. </p>
<p>Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the Lamb.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71160312022-12-02T16:37:30-06:002022-12-02T16:37:31-06:00Day 2<p>Colossians 1:15-20 (ESV) </p>
<p>15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. </p>
<p>What does the phrase “firstborn of all creation” mean? Is Jesus the first created being? </p>
<p>A few years back, I was at my house on a Saturday morning when I heard an unexpected knock at the door. Most of us have probably gotten a knock like this at some point in our lives but, unlike most people I’ve talked to, I actually get really excited when I get to engage with these types of unexpected visitors. It was a young husband and wife couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses! </p>
<p>From that initial knock, we carried on a weekly meeting every Saturday morning for the next few months, comparing their beliefs with scripture, both sides hoping to convert the other. (We were both completely upfront about our goals in these interactions, so there were no false pretenses or misplaced expectations.) One of the clearest examples of the differences in our Christology came from this passage in Colossians. Their “translation” of the scriptures makes just a slight variation from the text, but that small change introduces a monumental shift in their understanding of Jesus. </p>
<p>Colossians 1:15-20 (New World Translation) </p>
<p>15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have been created through him and for him. 17 Also, he is before all other things, and by means of him all other things were made to exist, 18 and he is the head of the body, the congregation. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might become the one who is first in all things; 19 because God was pleased to have all fullness to dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all other things by making peace through the blood he shed on the torture stake, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens. </p>
<p>Ok. So, there are more than a few changes! Torture stakes aside, there is something even more subtle, a one word addition to the text, which changes everything. </p>
<p>16 because by means of him all other things were created </p>
<p>Did you catch it that time? All other things were created. According to JW doctrine, Jesus is not eternally God, but just the first being that God the Father created and whom then proceeded to co-labor with God in the creation of everything else. Christian doctrine, thoroughly presented in the Athanasian Creed, claims that Jesus, while distinct in personage from the Father and the Holy Spirit, is like them, God. This means He is uncreated, immeasurable, eternal, almighty and one being with them. Thus, we can say that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary roughly 2,000 years ago. We can also say that Jesus is God. It would become theologically precarious, however, to say that God was born about 2,000 years ago. Welcome back to the mystery. </p>
<p>So, just how important is it that Jesus is recognized as uncreated? Well, according to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, it is important enough that they will unjustifiably add a word into their text in order to alter its meaning and even admit to doing so because the accurate translation so greatly undermines their beliefs about Him. In their own NWT Study Bible, the liner notes make it clear as to why they added the word, </p>
<p>“all other things: A literal rendering of the Greek text would be “all things.” (Compare Kingdom Interlinear.) However, such a rendering could give the impression that Jesus was not created but was the Creator himself.” - New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), Col. 1:16 </p>
<p>If Jesus is uncreated, then He is eternal. If Jesus is eternal, then He shares one of the singularly divine attributes with the nature of God. In short, Jesus is God. He is not the Father. He is not the Holy Spirit. He is distinct in person but same in Being. Jesus is God. </p>
<p>So, what does it mean that He is firstborn of all creation? Terminologically, this word is not describing a birthing order (that wouldn’t even make sense since He came long after everyone written about in the Old Testament.) No, firstborn is being used in the Greek context of the time, a statement of rank. It is saying that He is preeminent, in the highest position of authority over all of creation. And the reason that He has the right to rule in that role of authority is because He is God.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71152082022-12-01T19:43:53-06:002022-12-01T19:43:53-06:00Day 1<p>For to us a child is born, <br> to us a son is given; <br>and the government shall be upon his shoulder, <br> and his name shall be called <br>Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, <br> Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. <br>7 Of the increase of his government and of peace <br> there will be no end, <br>on the throne of David and over his kingdom, <br> to establish it and to uphold it <br>with justice and with righteousness <br> from this time forth and forevermore. <br>The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. </p>
<p>Isaiah 9: 6-7 (ESV) </p>
<p>The book of Isaiah was written roughly 700 years before the birth of Christ. The passage above is just one of the many messianic prophecies tucked away throughout the pages of the Old Testament. Although most of the writers of these prophecies only understood in part what they were really writing of, it’s difficult for us today to read verses like these and think that they could be talking about anyone or anything other than Christ. The names and titles given to this prophesied child are wonderful, indeed, but can you imagine hearing all of this back then? A child will be born, a boy, and he will lead our government. Ok. We can follow that. This is probably a child who will be in the line of kings, a future prince who would one day become king, perhaps. “Lovely.” Wonderful Counselor. “Great!” Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace! “Wait, what was that?” Prince of Peace? “No. I mean that sounds nice, but before that.” Everlasting Father? “I mean, that’s potentially problematic, we’ll come back to that, but before.” Mighty God. “Yeah, that’s the one. How can God be born? It makes no sense!” </p>
<p>“Oh, how can it be? The birth of the Creator. King of everything. First breath of the breath of life.” </p>
<p>Holy Mystery, I Am The Pendragon </p>
<p>Dr. William Lane Craig, a prominent Christian apologist, teaches that in order to be the Creator of the universe, God must be “beginningless, changeless, immaterial, timeless, spaceless, and enormously powerful.” How can the beginningless be born? How can the changeless condescend? How can the immaterial become matter? How can the timeless enter time? How can the spaceless be contained in the body of an infant? How can the enormously powerful be a helpless baby? These seeming contradictions all perfectly coexist within the person of Jesus. These impossibilities are only possible if He truly is God. He has to be God! </p>
<p>In light of the chaos in our world today, most of us would gladly accept Him as Prince of Peace. Probably fewer but I would still bet a good number of us would even be willing to vote Him in and place the government on His shoulders (as if it was ours to bestow.) One of the true social pandemics of our age is fatherlessness, and there are countless abandoned children who would gladly accept Him as the Eternal Father who will never leave. But God? </p>
<p>God? </p>
<p>My friends, unless He is God, He can be none of the other things. It’s more than a package deal, acknowledging His deity is the cost of admission – you can’t enter in without believing that! </p>
<p>As you drive by the nativity scenes in your neighborhood, when you see the tiny baby in the manger, remember, “This is how God chose to enter the world that He created.” It’s probably not how you would have done it if you were Him. It’s definitely not the way I would have made my grand entrance, but we are not God. He is. And thank God that He does not do things the way we would. It won’t always make sense to us, but it is, in the end, always good. We can’t always see the end from the beginning; how He will work all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28), but He does it. This is just the beginning of understanding the Holy Mystery that is our God.</p>iatpendragon.comtag:iatpendragon.com,2005:Post/71152072022-12-01T19:43:01-06:002022-12-01T19:43:02-06:00Introduction<p style="text-align: center;">Holy Mystery </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Introduction </p>
<p>When I wrote “Holy Mystery,” I had a few specific goals in mind. For one, I am not a fan of the genre of “Christmas music,” although, if my wife had her way, we would be playing it year round. I definitely don’t like the commercialization of a holiday meant to celebrate the advent of our Lord, turning it into a shining city on the hill of self-indulgence and greed. I can appreciate the rich theology of the old hymns; “Oh, Holy Night” probably being my favorite for both its lyrics and the musical gut punch of the “Fall on your knees/Christ is the Lord” sections. For our song, I wanted to try to thematically pull from some of those same weighty concepts brought forth in the hymns, marrying those thoughts with our weird, loud, noisy genre of music that we play. Specifically, I felt that so many of the words have been sung so many times that they have lost much of the impact of what they truly mean. When we talk about the birth of Christ, we can say it with such nonchalance that the average listener would have no idea that we were speaking of the literal entrance of God the Son into the world that He created. We’ve become so comfortable with the sweet nativity scenes decorating our yards that we have largely forgotten how profound, how scandalous, how preposterous, how mysterious all of this actually is. (I use the word “preposterous” not in a critical or diminishing way, but in the way that our Lord uses foolish things to confound the wise. - 1 Cor. 1:27) It’s an absurd thought that the Almighty would condescend to the level of being born as a baby, completely dependent on his mother, needing to be fed and clothed and cleaned and changed. These types of befuddling juxtapositions are what I sought to capture in the message of this song. In that same vein, I will be sharing a daily advent devotional, each day focusing on one of these crucially counter-intuitive yet fully intentional aspects of our sovereign God and the first coming of Christ into the world. My hope is that you would be challenged, encouraged, strengthened and drawn closer towards Jesus, the Christ. We, as people, don’t typically do so well with tension and yet it is so often that we find it is in the tension that God reveals Himself to us throughout scripture. Join me over these next few weeks as we dive into the holy mystery that is the advent of our Lord. </p>
<p>-Jerrod Cunningham </p>
<p>12/1/2022</p>4:33iatpendragon.com