Shall sit down . . . in the kingdom of heaven

 

Greek Banquet Relief

I looked for the title verse after reading from In Touch Ministries:

da Vinci’s portrayal of the Last Supper is so widely acclaimed that it’s often how we imagine the original moment recorded in chapters 13-17 of John’s gospel. But in clinging to the master’s rendition of this divine meal, we miss one critical and interesting detail: Jesus and the disciples weren’t sitting that night. They were reclining.

Reclining during a meal had been around for a few centuries, as shown in the Greek relief above, and lasted about a thousand longer. whether we have couches or chairs or something else in heaven, I sure am looking forward to the wedding supper of the Lamb!

The verse was a bit longer than this title:

And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 8:11 KJV)

This is part of a larger story, and must be taken in context:

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. (Matthew 8:5-8 KJV)

This Roman military officer trusted what he heard about Jesus. He believed that Jesus had only to speak the word to heal the centurion’s servant. Take a moment and answer as honestly as you can – do you (and I ask myself) believe that Jesus is able to heal with a word? Not many in Israel in Jesus’ time did:

When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. (Matthew 8:10 KJV)

The faith of a Roman centurion was greater than any Jesus found in Israel. Sadly, in verse 12 Jesus speaks of many without faith:

But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 8:12 KJV)

Jesus was sent to the Children of Israel, the Kingdom of Israel, first. He said so just a few chapters later when it appears He declines a non-Jew:

And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 15:22-24 KJV)

The Son of God refusing to heal a non-Jew? Not so much. It is a lesson, pointing out the prejudices that His own disciples clung to in spite of what they had seen before. Note, too, that the Canaanite woman did not take His ministry to be so limited. He answered her as most Jews of the time would:

Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. (Matthew 15:25-27 KJV)

Again, Jesus honored her faith:

Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. (Matthew 15:28 KJV)

Faith is the basis of Christianity:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

How do we get this faith:

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! . . . So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:13-15, 17 KJV)

I am so grateful that we are able to read the word of God any time we want. Available in book form, digitally over internet sites, and multiple apps for tablets and phone. Pick your favorite and read daily. It’s good for the soul.

Truth With Love

For millennea the heart has been used to show love, as shown in the above Google search. But, it isn't an accurate picture, as shown below with both real and graphic "heart":

To understand love it is necessary in order to follow this verse and grow in understanding Christianity:

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (Ephesians 4:14-15)

Speaking the truth, even with love and in love, in today's world will offend a great number of people. For a person to state the name of an individual (who was born over two decades ago, had the "Sex" or "Gender" entered on a birth certificate as "Male," who now believes by changes in his mind he is now a "Woman," with the pronouns "She/Her" or "They/Them") is determined as "deadnaming" and will get that person removed from social media along with labeled "transphobic."

Yet each word in that paragraph is factual. No lies - I promise. No attempt to convince anyone, even those who accept changed genders will tell you it is factual - but they will also tell you that deadnaming does indicate a transphobe. As much as this current culture is rewriting history, it is also rewriting dictionaries. Instead of hatred, -phobia means:

The form -phobia comes from Greek phóbos, meaning “fear” or “panic.” The Latin translation is timor, “fear,” which is the source of words such as timid and timorous.

Medically, -phobia is used:

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. It is a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little or no real danger

Let me assure you, there is no panic in my life, no physical fear. But, there is great concern that a large portion of my country wishes to deny religious freedom to those of us who not only believe there is a living God who created our universe, but that the Bible is God's inspired word for mankind. To teach our children that we are wrong does not instill fear, but it does cause us to require our man-given rights to continue to support those our founders determined as God-given rights and included such in our founding documents.

Thus we speak truth in love. everything I've written above is true. I also believe the following verses were spoken by our deity and continues to apply today:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18 KJV)

Because I do love my fellow man, I share truth. I condemn no one, nor do I judge anyone by my own standards. However, I can discern what God has inspired. From a positive viewpoint, God created male and female, and defined marriage. People in the Old Testament did not utilize the definition, but Jesus mentions it:

But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Mark 10:6-9 KJV)

Of course I'm an oddity - my husband and I celebrated sixty years of marriage last year, and I can name a large number of other people who never divorced and were only parted by death. We are not as few as people would like to believe. Why? We believe this is pleasing to God. There are many verses in the Bible that tell us what is pleasing to God. 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 and 1 Timothy 1:8–11 have lists of those whose beliefs "will not inherit the kingdom of God." Not my writings, but are my beliefs.

I cannot pick and choose which portions of the Bible to believe. As Paul, what I write all the counsel of God. To do otherwise would be to lie. Thus, with Paul, I can say:

For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. (Acts 20:27 KJV)

Oh, part of the full counsel of God is those lists in the above scriptures, which have but to do with one thing about becoming a part of the eternal kingdom of God - believe what Jesus said: whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Those who believe will be a part of God's Kingdom. The lists contain definitions of those who will not be in the Kingdom, because:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

I certainly cannot depend upon works, for I really have sinned and come short - but: I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (2 Timothy 1:12b)

Do you know what day I mean? It is part of why I speak truth with love for all who stop here.

Commitment

 

When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. (2 Timothy 1:5 KJV)

A grandmother, a mother, both committed to themselves to teach a child their faith - and Paul saw in the youth what they taught him.

Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. (2 Timothy 1:11-14 KJV)

Paul saw in Timothy the ability to do what Paul was doing - to tell others what Paul believed, how he was persuaded that God could keep what Paul had commited to Him, no matter how things appeared to be going wrong. 

For Paul, men would think things had gone terribly wrong, for he was in prison in Rome for the second time. Soon, Timothy would hear that Paul had been executed. Christian persecution had changed during Paul's lifetime - now Romans wanted Christians gone as much as Jews had wanted Christ gone.

Paul had made a commitment to God after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul knew God had made a commitment to Him, too:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18 KJV)

Prior to that trip to Damascus, Paul believed he had to earn the right to know God. He had to keep every commandment that God had given Moses, plus the interpretation given by Pharisees as to how to keep them when there was the slightest question of "How do I keep this law, because . . ." Basically, because all of us are looking for away around one of the Commandments.

Through Christ's cruxification, we no longer make blood sacrifices for our sinfulness. Believe me, we all are sinful. Psul knew that, too:

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:19-24 KJV)

I highlighted verse 23 simply because no one here on earth is capable of keeping all of God's laws. Even as a man after God's own heart, David's sinfulness is written in the Bible for all to read. And his plea after all knew it:

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:9-10 KJV)

David had a contrite heart, and that's what he offered:

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalms 51:16-17 KJV)

Each of the people above knew God and made commitment to Him because He kept commitments. Believe Him. He is worthy.

What Does Our Nation Need?

There we are, but you can't tell what is "us" by lines on this picture. Nations for millenia have defined lines and created areas under specific governing criteria. There is no way to discern from this photo where the 50 states of the United States of America are, but they do exist.

At the time Christ lived here on earth, it was Rome that defined the area around Jerusalem. No thought was given to land unseen by Rome, but if Rome saw land, the governing entity determined to invade, and proceeded to do so. Greeks had done that before. Babylon, Egypt, Persia, and a multitude of others did the same. Saul, David, and his descendants, did the same - sometimes they won, often they did not. 

Look through the New Testament and you'll only find one instance where Jesus mentioned Rome government:

Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. (Matthew 22:17-21 KJV)

Jesus came for individuals. He called His disciples, knew them by name - even the ones that heard of Him and came to see if what they heard was true:

And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. (John 1:46-51 KJV)

Go ahead, think about what God knows about you, your family, your friends, your government. He knows and can use them, even when that government doesn't believe. That is shown over and over again in the Old Testament. God also allows governments to do horrible things. Wars in our lifetime makes that obvious. What Hitler did has become unspeakable - except when one ideology wants to defame another - and we wonder "Why?" I cannot begin to understand.

However, one thing changed in the Middle East that was prophesized for multiple millenia. Remember, I use the verses that speak to me - there are many, many more and if you search you will find them. Hopefully, you will also find the God who inspired them:

Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Isaiah 43:4-11 KJV)

From being taken by Rome, Israel served other governments for two thousand years, until being recognized as a sovereign nation again in 1948. From other nations came Jews to inhabit Israel. From Sar-El Tours & Conferences:

There were only about 40,000 Jewish people in what was known as Palestine at the turn of the twentieth century. By 1948, when Israel declared their independence and statehood, there were about 500,000. Today there are about 7 million and the number is still growing. 

We were not chosen to be a part of that return, but Christians are to be an example of God's love for everyone. Jesus came to bring individuals to God, not countries. The Beautitudes are for individuals, not countries. God allows rulers:

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (Romans 13:1, 7  KJV)

God used that same criteria for Sodom. Read Genesis 18:17-33 to see how Abraham prayed to God for the city to be spared, and God was willing. Then read:

The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. (Genesis 19:23-25 KJV)

Lot - apparently the only righteous man in Sodom - had protected angels and had God's permission to flee to safety. No one else did when brimstone and fire ... overthrew those cities. 

What does our nation need? People who love God, will serve Him, and share Him with others. That part is simple and it is timeless.

Symbols and Reality

First Baptist Church of Cottondale - 2019
 

An empty cross is a symbol used by Christians to remind us of our Lord's death and resurrection. As you can see, as our sanctuary was being remodeled the cross over the baptistry was finished early in the process. It certainly isn't the real cross, but it reflects our doctrinal belief that Jesus was crucified, as the Bible says

And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; (Matthew 27:35-36 KJV) 

As prophesied:

For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. (Psalms 22:16-18 KJV)

Southland Christian Ministries, led by Mike Herbster, visited our church last Sunday and sang "It's Still the Cross," which brings us to reality through the lyrics (visit the full lyrics here):

It's still the cross,

It's still the blood of Calvary;

That cleanses sins,

And sets the captives free.

It's still the name,

The name of Jesus,

That has power to save the lost;

It's still the cross.

You will find references throughout the New Testament to the blood spilled at Calvary. Paul mentions it often:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:23-25 KJV)

The reality is that the Bible tells us Judaism was looking for the Messiah from their beginning - and Christians have been worshipping the Messiah since His resurrection:

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. (Matthew 28:6-8 KJV)

Paul told this over and over again, writing about it, too, in his own letters to churches:

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. (Acts 17:1-3 KJV)

Paul's witness to Agrippa in Acts 26 tells of his conversion experience as well as the good news he preached:

Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. (Acts 26:22-23 KJV)

We are looking forward to Easter, this year April 17, with a sense of sadness for what our Lord experienced and with a sense of joy beyond expression for what He did for mankind.

It may be difficult for some to believe, but I hope they will continue to question because the answers are available. Jeremiah prophesied for the nation of Israel, but the reality is this continues to apply:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13 KJV)

Take time to read the 11th chapter of Hebrews (I know, I've mentioned that one often) and you'll find:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

Seek the Lord:

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (Isaiah 55:6 KJV)

That's my prayer for those who read here - that have found God to be near and dear to them, ready for what comes next in our lives. That's reality.

Reality

  

Do you like that pretty flower? I did when I took that picture. There were many of them and they looked so lovely in bright sunshine. They were such a contrast to the empty lot at the edge of a small town on an Interstate where they grew, and I'm certain they were considered weeds, along with other wildflowers growing there. It did remind me that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, but surroundings often detracted from the beauty.

I've taken such photographs for years. Once my Mom sent me a picture of a beautiful yellow flower. She had seen it as they approached - it stood out because it was a bright color along a desert road that lacked greenry. She wrote that she knew I would take such a photo and she wanted me to see the same beauty she did.

Both incidents helped me understand how God can see beauty in all of His creation, in each of His children. David was inspired to write of God's care for our life:

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! (Psalms 139:16-17 KJV)

That love of God isn't confined to kings. Those who love the Lord see His work in their lives:

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. (Luke 2:25-26 KJV)

Do the next verses amaze you? They did me:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. (Luke 2:30-32 KJV)

Simeon was a good man - just in his dealings, and devout toward God. He desired to see the Messiah - and the timing was right for him to see Jesus brought to the Temple to be presented as an every day event, for every Jewish child in Jerusalem. But the Holy Spirit opened Simeon's eyes to this one special child. For certain, God had precious thoughts about Simeon, didn't He?

Yet, Simeon had more to say:

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Luke 2:34 KJV)

How many people have you heard speak against Jesus, against the sign of the cross that symbolizes the death He suffered for the cleansing of our sinfulness - mine, yours, and every person that born before and after that event. The mind cannot encompass the number who acceepted God's gift. Nor can we accept the number that reject Jesus, His message, His reason for being born, His death, and most certainly His resurrection.

We know few are chosen for historical remembrance as those mentioned as witnesses in Hebrews 11, but we all do have the same opportunities to seek God, as those in Jeremiah:

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:12-13 KJV)

Even in a field of weeds and wildflowers, bloom beautifully by calling upon God, pray unto Him, seek Him, and find Him when searching with all your heart.