We Don’t Have To Fight Every Battle

Posted on March 19, 2013 by ronelfran

Sometimes, especially in the environment we face today, Christians think they must be on guard to defend every right and every principle against encroachment by our secular society. But in this, as in all things, we need to apply godly wisdom.

BibleMatt 17:24-27    When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” 25  He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” 26  Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

It’s interesting to me that when Peter was asked if his Teacher would pay the temple tax, he knew the answer. Apparently, Jesus had never discussed this issue with His disciples, since when Peter came into the house, the Lord took the occasion to explain why He would pay the tax. So, it must have been that Peter simply knew his Lord well enough to know how Jesus would handle such a situation, even though Jesus had not yet explained it to him.

Jesus took care to not offend the authorities in the matter of taxes. He made clear to Peter that He, the Son of the One who owned the temple, was not bound to pay taxes for it. He could have stood on His rights as an acknowledged prophet of God and refused to pay.

But Jesus was looking at the bigger picture. Even though by rights He could claim exemption, this was not a relevant battle for Him to fight. He did not want to give the authorities an opening to claim that He engaged in the purely human and selfish effort of trying to avoid paying due taxes. The reputation of His ministry was at stake. Refusing to pay the temple tax would have hindered rather than helped advance that ministry.

By this episode, the Lord teaches us that we don’t have to fight every battle. Sometimes it is more important to not offend people than to make them acknowledge our rights. The apostle Paul was willing to become all things to all people that he might win them to Christ, and it is that spirit that the Lord is demonstrating here. What’s more important – our prerogatives or our ministry?

As a matter of principle Jesus did not need to pay that tax. As a matter of ministry priorities, He did.

Ron Franklin

Posted in Behavior, Bible Study, Christian Life, Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Do Not Be Afraid

Posted on March 18, 2013 by ronelfran

To be fearful in the presence of God seems to be a natural human reaction. But believers never have to fear Him!

Matt 17:1-7   Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, Bible
and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”

When God the Father spoke from the cloud, the disciples who were with Jesus were terrified. Jesus told them, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”

That’s a pattern that we often see in Scripture. Whenever someone finds himself in the presence of God, the immediate reaction is fear. And the Lord, through an angel or speaking directly, has to reassure them – “do not be afraid.”

For disciples there is never any reason to be afraid of God! His purpose is not to hurt us but to bless us. The disciples felt comfortable in the presence of Jesus. He spoke of Himself as the Son of Man, identifying with us. He is still the Mediator between God and man. We can be comfortable and unafraid because we are in Him.

God is awesome – and to be in His presence should be an awe-filled experience. We should never forget or neglect the awe that is the proper response to His awesomeness. But Jesus, by the blood He shed on the cross, won for us the right to enter confidently into the presence of the Father, not as groveling supplicants, but as His beloved children.

We need never be afraid in the presence of our Father.

Ron Franklin

Posted in Bible Study, Christian Life, Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Working Through Luke and Acts – Luke 1, verses 26-38

Posted on January 14, 2013 by ronelfran

Bible students have often been puzzled by an apparent inconsistency in the events leading up to the birth of Christ. An angel of the Lord appeared and spoke a word from God to two parents-to-be. Both had similar responses, but got very different results.

When Zacharias was told that in his old age he would miraculously father a son, he had a question:

Luke 1:18  And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

Then the angel appeared to Mary and informed her that she would miraculously conceive a child who would be “the Son of the Highest.” She, too, had a question:

Luke 1:34  Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

The seeming inconsistency in these two accounts arises because when Zacharias questioned what he was being told, he was struck dumb for not believing the angel’s word. On the other hand, Mary’s questioning of the angel brought her no rebuke at all. The angel seemed to treat it as a perfectly natural question, and gave her a full explanation:

Luke 1:35-37  And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37  For with God nothing will be impossible.”

In one way, the responses of Zacharias and Mary to the angel’s announcements were very similar. In essence, both were saying, “What you are telling me is a natural impossibility, and I don’t understand how it can possibly happen.” So, if Zacharias’ response indicated a failure of faith worthy of rebuke, why didn’t Mary’s?

The short answer to that question (and the only one that is unquestionably true) is that God looks upon the heart rather than on the outward appearance. While the questions Zacharias and Mary asked may appear similar from the outside, God knew that two very different levels of faith were at work. I think Luke’s account provides some clues to that difference.

Luke 1:11-12  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

The angel appeared to Zacharias as he ministered in the inner sanctuary of the temple, a place where no other man could be. Yet, Zacharias apparently never asked, “who are you?” or “how did you get in here?” Instead, after hearing the angel’s remarkable announcement, which could have only come from God, Zacharias’ first response was to ask, “how can I believe what you are telling me?” To me, this indicates that Zacharias realized almost immediately that he was experiencing an angelic visitation. So, his issue was not confusion about who this person was, but rather whether he was to be believed, even though he was an angel speaking for God.

Mary’s case, it seems to me, was different.

Luke 1:28-29  And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

It appears that the angel “came in” to the location where Mary was. What she saw was a man, not a being with a halo and wings. It would have been similar to the angelic appearances to Abraham in Genesis 18, and Lot in Genesis 19. Both found themselves entertaining what appeared to be human travelers, who only later were revealed to be angels.

Mary saw the person standing before her as a man, and thus was surprised and troubled at the way he greeted her. She did not immediately perceive him to be an angel. So, when she asked how the things he said to her could be, she was asking a strange man what he was talking about, not doubting the word of an angel of the Lord. Once the man gave her more specific information, Mary realized who he was and immediately responded:

Luke 1:38  Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Once she knew it was God speaking to her, there were no questions, no doubts, just immediate and total acceptance, with great humility. “Let it be to me according to your word.” What a powerful statement of faith and faithfulness!

To me Mary’s response to the angel’s announcement shows faith of the highest order. She may have been young, but I don’t think she was naïve. She would have been immediately aware of what the circumstances of her pregnancy could mean to her. She was engaged at the time to Joseph, a righteous man, who in the normal course of events would have quietly ended his engagement to a woman who got herself pregnant by someone else. The angel didn’t explain to her that his next stop would be to make sure Joseph didn’t follow that course. As far as Mary could know at that moment, her life was on the verge of being completely turned inside out. Nothing would ever be the same for her again. Yet she could say, with no hesitation or reservations, “Let it be to me according to your word.” I very much admire that spirit.

When I am being honest with myself, I sometimes detect within me a little resistance to “let it be with me according to God’s word.” I want it to be with me according to my word! I want life to be comfortable and predictable and prosperous, with no unpleasant surprises or challenges, and as free of painful circumstances as possible. But I know that’s not the life Jesus promises to believers. He was quite clear about that:

John 16:33  These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Somehow Mary understood that long before Jesus ever spoke those words. She had not only peace, but joy and excitement about what God had purposed to do in her life. There would be a cost. But she knew, beyond any doubting, that to fulfill God’s calling on her life would be well worth the price she would pay. To me, that is faith in its highest degree.

Posted in Behavior, Bible Study, Christian Life, Faith, Luke and Acts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Working Through Luke and Acts – Luke 1, verses 26-28

Posted on January 7, 2013 by ronelfran

Have you noticed that whenever God wants to accomplish something in the earth, He usually does it in divine partnership with a man or woman of faith?

When God purposed to raise up a people who would love and serve only Him, He appointed Abraham to be their progenitor. When Abraham’s descendants were threatened with starvation, God placed Joseph in position to insure they were provided for through years of famine. And when His people cried out to be rescued from oppression and slavery in Egypt, God raised up Moses to be His instrument of deliverance. Divine partnership.

And when the greatest work of God in all of human history was on the horizon, God’s commitment to accomplishing His purposes through divine partnerships did not change. In fact, it came to full fruition:

Galatians 4:4-5   But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

“God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.”

The Son of God could have put on flesh and stepped fully formed onto the stage of human history. But that’s not how God has chosen to operate in accomplishing His work among us. So, Jesus did not just dramatically appear before the world one day. He came through a carefully chosen divine partner, a young virgin by the name of Mary.

Luke 1:26-28   Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

Mary seeing AngelMary was highly favored and blessed of God, chosen by Him as His divine partner to bring Messiah into the world. This would not be an easy responsibility for Mary to carry out. She would be misunderstood and probably scorned by some (“It was the Holy Spirit who got you pregnant? Yeah.”). She would be a refugee, having to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod’s persecution. And she would live to see her first-born child on a cross, dying in excruciating agony. So, this divine assignment was not without great cost to her. Yet, I’m sure that through it all, Mary would unhesitatingly affirm what the angel had told her at the beginning: by her service in partnership with God to carry forward His purposes in the world, she was indeed highly favored and blessed.

I believe that Mary is a very pertinent role model for God’s people today. Just as He called her to serve in a role for which she was uniquely prepared and fitted, God calls each of us to assignments for which we are His best available option. I believe that whoever and wherever you may be, if you, like Mary, are a committed and faithful servant of the Lord, He has already prepared for you a field of service in which you can accomplish great things for His kingdom.

For example, there is almost certainly somebody that you have contact with right now for whom you are in the best position of anybody in the world to influence that person for Christ. It may be a family member who, because they respect you, is influenced by your example. It may be a friend who will listen to you when they won’t listen to anybody else. It may be a co-worker who knows you are a Christian, and is covertly watching you, without you even being aware of it, to see how you respond to various situations that happen on the job.

In other words, we, no less than Mary, have the opportunity and the calling to work in divine partnership with God in bringing the deliverance and salvation of Christ to people who desperately need Him.

Ephesians 2:10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

It’s a privilege to serve! And when God extends to us that privilege, even though it may involve, as it did for Mary, some heartache or suffering or undeserved criticism, what the angel said to her applies with equal force to each of us:

“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you!”

Posted in Bible Study, Christian Life, Faith, Foundations of the Faith, Luke and Acts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Working Through Luke and Acts – Luke 1, verses 21-25

Posted on December 27, 2012 by ronelfran

Zacharias had just had what was literally the event of a lifetime happen to him. As he was performing his priestly duties, an angel of the Lord appeared to him to let him know that God was going to give him and his wife a child in their old age. Because he doubted the word the angel imparted to him, Zacharias was struck dumb, unable to speak. But when his wife, Elizabeth, heard the news, she did speak, giving God fervent praise for His graciousness to her. I think both their responses provide us with valuable lessons.

Luke 1:21-25   And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. 23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Two things strike me about how Zacharias and Elizabeth handled things in this passage.

The impact of the angelic visitation on Zacharias was obviously immense. I’m sure it took him some time to take in what the angel told him, and what was happening to him physically as his ability to speak left him. The actual conversation with the angel would not have taken a long time, so apparently Zacharias spent a good while just being stunned by what had happened. He was so long at this that the people waiting outside realized that he was taking far longer at his priestly burning of incense than he normally would.

But here’s what impresses me about Zacharias. After experiencing the greatest single event of his lifetime, and coming face to face with an angel of God; after learning from the angel that he and his wife were to experience the miracle of the conception and birth of a child by a couple who were clearly too old to have children; and, after being told that the child to be born to them would be great in the sight of the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb, and would pave the way for the coming of the Messiah; what did Zacharias do?

He went back to work.

Verse 23 informs us that it was only when the appointed days of his service were completed that he left his duties and went home. In the face of greater upheaval in his personal life than most of us will ever experience, he kept to his calling and fulfilled his responsibilities.

How many times are Christians today thrown off their game by what are, in the overall scheme of things, trivial events in their lives? How many times do we allow ourselves to willingly be pulled away from fulfilling our responsibilities because something out of the ordinary happens? Does it take something that is truly seriously disruptive to cause us to forsake our duty as a greeter or praise team member or Sunday School teacher? Or will the intrusion of some slight inconvenience do the trick?

I think it probably never occurred to Zacharias that an angelic visitation constituted a valid reason for not completing the fulfillment of his ministry responsibilities. It’s a lesson I think we all can take to heart.

Elizabeth’s response to the news the angel brought provides a different lesson. God was working out His plan for the ministry of His Son in this world, and Elizabeth’s pregnancy was an integral part of that plan. But that was not what she focused on. Her reaction was intensely personal:

Luke 1:25  “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Was Elizabeth being self-centered, so focused on what affected her personally that she was unable to see the bigger picture? I don’t think so.

Elizabeth well understood that there was a purpose behind her pregnancy that went beyond just answering the prayers of the parents. Obviously, Zacharias had shared with her what the angel told him about God’s plan for the son that would be born to them. But Elizabeth did not forget that God, in His sovereignty and love, had chosen to implement His plan in a way that was a tremendous blessing to her. Whatever else the Lord might be accomplishing, the fact was that she was being blessed, and she was properly thankful.

Elizabeth did not overlook the breadth of what God was accomplishing by giving her a son. When Mary, pregnant with Jesus, came to visit, Elizabeth’s response to the sound of Mary’s voice showed that she was excited about what God was accomplishing for His people and the entire world through the two of them (Luke 1:41-45). But neither did she forget that God had blessed her. And she made sure to express her thanksgiving and praise for that personal blessing.

Psa 103:2-5   Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

We, like Elizabeth, should not overlook all God’s benefits to us. Every day brings us new opportunities to give God praise for His individual blessings to us, even as He works out His plan of “good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.”

Psa 103:1   Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Posted in Behavior, Bible Study, Christian Life, Faith, Foundations of the Faith, Luke and Acts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thank God For Christmas!

Posted on December 23, 2012 by ronelfran

Have you given up on Christmas? Many Christians have. They have become so frustrated at the way the secular age we live in has converted a Christian “holy day” into a social and commercial “holiday” that sometimes they wish the whole thing would just go away!

What does the Christmas season really mean to our modern society? Merchants look forward to it as the time when they will collect at least half of their profits for the entire year. Shoppers, on the other hand, often dread it, knowing they will end up stressed out and frustrated over trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on their list without spending the next five years paying off the credit card bill.

And of course our children are trained from the very beginning of their lives in the true significance of Christmas. They quickly learn that they had better be good, not to please God, but so that Santa won’t disappoint them on Christmas morning. Franklin Graham, son of premier evangelist Billy Graham, sums it up this way. “Christmas is a time,” he says, “when we in North America generally eat too much, spend too much, and drink too much.”

I, too, have often complained, “Isn’t it a shame what the world has done to Christmas!” But recently I have been rethinking that sentiment. One thing that caused me to look at the world’s Christmas from a fresh perspective was when I noticed that not only is Christmas celebrated in the so called “Christian” nations of the western world, but it is also a definite hit in some distinctly non-Christian societies.

Christmas in Singapore

Christmas in Singapore

In Japan, for example, Christmas is very popular as a secular holiday, including  Christmas trees and decorations and the exchanging of gifts.  In South Korea Christmas is a public holiday, and non-Christians “sometimes engage in gift-giving, Christmas cards and trees because children enjoy Santa Haraboji or Grandfather Santa, their version of Santa Claus.” Christmas is also a public holiday in places as diverse as Hong Kong, India and even predominately Muslim Malaysia. In fact, people all over the world who have no Christian heritage of their own are now sending Christmas cards and exchanging Christmas gifts because of what the world has done to Christmas.

But what’s the good of that, you might well ask. Just this: I suspect that a sovereign God just might be able to use even the world’s corruption of Christmas to carry the message of the Cross where it might not otherwise gain entrance. Christmas raises issues in secular people’s minds that are rarely raised any other time. For example, Christmas challenges us to be loving, kind and forgiving. It stirs up our desires to be part of a close, intimate, and loving family. But most people eventually realize they cannot reach these ideals on their own. What an opportunity to tell them about the One who is love, and of the Father who invites every human being into His family!

So, maybe Christmas, even as the world celebrates it, isn’t so bad after all. Maybe God can use it to plant values and stir up spiritual needs that can only be fulfilled by the Christ of Christmas. And maybe that makes Christmas just the kind of world-wide evangelistic opportunity we all pray for.

Merry Christmas!

Posted in Christian Life, Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

Posted on December 22, 2012 by ronelfran

Christmas in America is an event filled with contrasts and paradoxes. It is by far the most popular and most joyous season of the year; yet it is also a time when many people become so depressed they seriously contemplate suicide. Although it was initiated by the Church as a spiritual celebration of God’s salvation through the coming of His Son, Christmas has become a secular observance that is now the biggest commercial event of the year. As shoppers crowd the malls or frantically search online, providing merchants with as much as half their yearly income, the commemoration of the birth of the Prince of Peace leaves many people harried and frazzled almost beyond endurance.

The Question About Christmas

Even aside from the growing secularization and commercialization of the holiday, many Christians have always been ambivalent about Christmas, due chiefly to the pagan origins of many of the customs that surround it.

The birth of Christ was never celebrated at all during the first two centuries of Christianity. The commemoration of His resurrection at Easter was considered much more important. December 25th was originally celebrated, by proclamation of the emperor Aurelian in 274 AD, as the birthday of the Roman sun god. When the emperor Constantine was converted to Christianity, he associated Christ, the light of the world, with the sun, and in about 336 AD the church in the Roman empire took over December 25th as the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. (By the way, Constantine also named the first day of the week, when Christ arose from the grave, Sunday).

To this day, the most treasured customs of Christmas are almost all of pagan, not Christian, origin. For example, merry making and the exchange of gifts was associated with the Roman Saturnalia, a festival in homage to the god Saturn which was held December 17-24. The decorating of houses with greenery and lights was part of the Roman new year celebration (January 1), as was the giving of presents to children. Even the exchange of Christmas cards can be traced back to ancient Egyptian and Roman customs.

Repelled by the commercial frenzy that characterizes the “holiday season,” and uneasy about the non-Christian origins of traditional observances, many believers today wonder about how, or even whether, they ought to celebrate Christmas.

The First Christmas Celebration

Although the Church did not formally observe Christmas until the fourth century AD, the first Christmas celebration was held long before that:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them … For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord … And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:8-14

God Himself arranged the first Christmas celebration! And He did it in style – an angelic chorus to issue invitations; a special star arising in the east to guide wise men to Bethlehem; gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh; and the joyful adoration of men and women who had waited all their lives for the appearing of Israel’s Messiah. So there is nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas. God set the pattern at the very beginning. By His example, He showed us not only that we should celebrate the birth of His Son, but He also demonstrated how it should be done.

How Christmas Should Be Celebrated

We can be sure of truly honoring Christ on Christmas if we approach our celebration in the same way God did His. Let’s look in detail at just what happened during that first Christmas.

When we read the biblical accounts of Christ’s birth (Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 2:1-40), one fact stands out. Everything focused directly on Jesus. The angels came to proclaim His birth as good news for the whole world. The shepherds, and later the wise men, traveled to Bethlehem to worship Him. Simeon and Anna felt that their lives had been fulfilled when God gave them the privilege of seeing His Anointed One before they died. Throughout all the accounts of the Nativity, the only object of everyone involved was to honor God by honoring Jesus. Obviously, then, the goal of every Christmas activity should be to somehow bring honor to Christ.

The first Christmas was a joy-filled time of high celebration. The angelic chorus rejoiced and the shepherds gathered together in Jesus’ presence to worship Him. One way we can follow their example is by making the effort to deliberately and explicitly center our thoughts, and our conversation, around the “good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” that Christmas is all about, rather than on frantic last-minute shopping for obligatory gifts.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with giving gifts – the example of the wise men demonstrates that. But we must be careful in our giving to remember who’s birth we are celebrating. In all our exchanging of gifts with one another, we should be sure that we find ways to give gifts to Jesus Himself. What gift of love or service to others can we give Him as we commemorate His birthday? How can we take advantage of the world’s fascination with the Christmas “holiday season,” a time of year when many people think more about God and His love than they do at any other time, in order to introduce individuals to the One who is the reason for the season?

The early Church knew how to celebrate Christmas. In 381 AD Gregory of Nazianus reminded worshippers of the Christmas they had just observed. They had, he said, followed the star, worshipped with the Magi, been bathed in light with the shepherds, glorified God with the angels, taken Christ in their arms with Simeon, and confessed Him with Anna. Everything they did was directed at honoring Christ. If we emulate their spirit, we can be sure that God will be pleased with the way we celebrate Christmas.

Posted in Christian Life, Foundations of the Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Working Through Luke and Acts – Luke 1, verses 18-20

Posted on November 28, 2012 by ronelfran

In answer to what was probably long years of praying for a child, God sent an angel to Zacharias to let him know that even though he and his wife Elizabeth were now well past child-bearing age, their prayer was about to be answered. But although Zacharias was a faithful man of God, this impossible promise was more than his faith could handle.

Luke 1:18  And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

Zacharias was a faithful man, but his response to what God said to him was not that of a faith-filled man. His immediate reaction was to assess this angelic pronouncement from the perspective of human limitations. It wasn’t that he didn’t know with whom he was dealing. He understood that the one speaking to him was doing so as the representative of God:

Luke 1:11-14  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

Zacharias was fearful at the appearance of a strange man where no other man but himself had a right to be. But the angel quickly put his fear to rest, speaking words that could have only come from God. And it’s clear that Zacharias quickly recognized that this was God’s representative. His question to this stranger who appeared out of nowhere was not, “who are you?” but “how can I believe what you are telling me?” Obviously, the “who” issue was already settled in his mind; he understood that he was experiencing an angelic visitation.

Zacharias and Elizabeth were godly people, totally committed in their love and service to the Lord. God had commended them for their walk with Him.

Luke 1:6  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Still, when God gave him an impossible promise through the angel, it was hard for Zacharias to respond in faith. God rebuked him for his doubt:

Luke 1:19-20  And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

Zacharias’ faith-failure was not in any way rebellious. He just was so used to evaluating the events of life from a human perspective that doubt in the face of a promise that was clearly impossible was the natural reaction for him. God’s rebuke was definite, but also loving and mild. It was to teach him, not punish him. But that rebuke did clearly establish the seriousness of unbelief. It is not something God overlooks.

Faith is not automatic, even for godly and committed believers. It must be deliberately chosen in the face of natural pressure to give more credence to our evaluation of the circumstances in light of our life experiences and outlook. Doubt is natural, and in fact built in if we view life from a human perspective. But God will not leave us in our doubt. He will do what it takes to give us opportunity to gain a faith perspective. It may not be comfortable, but it is certainly for our good. His rebuke, whatever form it takes, is an expression of His love.

God honored Zacharias and Elizabeth’s years of faithfulness to Him, but He still had to rebuke Zacharias for unbelief. In this case, unbelief didn’t derail the intended answer to prayer because God gave grace. But Scripture makes it clear that that is exactly what can happen:

Heb 10:35-36  Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

So, in the case of Zacharias, God was still teaching and highlighting the lesson of faith. Faith is crucial! God couldn’t let Zacharias’ unbelief go unchallenged because faith is so key to the believer’s life. God had to impress upon us, though this account, that even though He gave grace, the faith-failure that Zacharias experienced was not “OK.” The angel, Gabriel, emphasized the element of God’s timing:

Luke 1:20  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

The faith-failure that brought upon Zacharias the penalty of muteness was not that he and Elizabeth were no longer praying in faith. It was because Zacharias disbelieved the Word of God. God had given them a specific, personal word, and Zacharias questioned it. That was unbelief, and God had to deal with it.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

The answer to this couple’s prayer had been a long time coming because of the timing of God’s plan. They didn’t know about the plan, only about their desire for a child. So, they couldn’t know the reason for the delay (or even that it was a delay and not a “no”) – God had not during those years of praying explained what He was doing. But there was a plan, and there was a due time!

Gal 6:9  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Zacharias forgot that there is nothing too hard for God. If God says it, He can do it – and He will, for He can never fail to fulfill His word.

NEVER GIVE UP ON GOD OR ON PRAYER!

Posted in Bible Study, Christian Life, Faith, Foundations of the Faith, Holy Spirit, Luke and Acts | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Working Through Luke and Acts – Luke 1, verses 13-17

Posted on November 23, 2012 by ronelfran

God had sent an angel to Zacharias to let him know that the prayers for a child he and his wife, Elizabeth, had prayed for many years were about to be answered. But this angelic mission was about much more than just bringing joy to the hearts of these faithful servants of the Lord. God was also preparing this elderly couple for the critical role they were to play in bringing His plan to fruition.

Luke 1:13-14  But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

God was working out His purpose in bringing John on the scene. But He chose to do it in a way that was an answer to prayer, and which brought joy and gladness to Zacharias and Elizabeth. God doesn’t “use” people; He blesses them.

Luke 1:15-17  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

This detail about who their child would become contributed to the joy and gladness. John was destined to be great in the sight of the Lord, and to turn many back to Him. This, and not that he would be great in the world’s eyes or amass great wealth, fame or power, was the source of joy for his parents.

Many parents focus intently on preparing their children for worldly success, doing their best to insure they receive the best possible opportunities for education, sports and other activities. Yet they utterly neglect doing anything about helping that child become “great in the sight of the Lord.”

It astounds me, for example, how many “Christian” parents think it more important to have their children in a football or soccer league on Sunday morning than that they be in God’s house. They don’t seem to realize that they are thereby giving those youngsters powerful lessons about what their priorities in life should be.

How many parents are continuously and prayerfully on the lookout for those “teachable moments” when inquiring little minds are naturally open to hearing how God has shaped and operates in this world, and what He expects of them?

Deut 6:6-7  “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

The child God was giving to Zacharias and Elizabeth was His blessing for them, an answer to many years of their prayers. But John was to them not only a blessing, but a trust. God had the angel tell the parents of John’s intended destiny so that they would raise him every day with that destiny in mind. Knowing that God planned a great work for their child, Zacharias and Elizabeth could not help but be intently focused on helping him become the man of God he was prophesied to be.

Parents today may never receive an angelic message about God’s intended destiny for their offspring. But they don’t really need such a word, since Scripture is very clear on this subject:

Eph 2:10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

I’m sure that in rearing their child, Zacharias and Elizabeth never lost sight of God’s calling on his life. And Christian parents today can just as sure that God created every one of their children for good works that He has already prepared for them to walk in. There is a great destiny planned for each one.

And just like Zacharias and Elizabeth, godly parents today must be committed to consciously and deliberately raising each child to be “great in the sight of the Lord.”

Posted in Behavior, Bible Study, Christian Life, Faith, Foundations of the Faith, Luke and Acts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Working Through Luke and Acts – Luke 1, verses 5-7

Posted on November 22, 2012 by ronelfran

Luke’s account of how God blessed Zacharias and Elizabeth with a long-desired son is a story of the triumph of faith over doubt, and of faithfulness over disappointment. For many long years they did not receive what they prayed for. Yet God had not forgotten them, and He had not forgotten their prayer.

Luke 1:5-7  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

Was Zacharias still praying for a child, even though he and Elizabeth were “well advanced in years”? That phrase probably means they were in their sixties, well beyond child-bearing age. I’m sure that when they were younger, they prayed fervently for a child. It must have seemed to them by this point in their lives that their prayer had not been answered, and now the time when it could be answered was long past. The fact that even with that great disappointment in their lives, God could still commend them as “both righteous before God … blameless” is a great testimony to their faith and faithfulness. Their commitment to God was not shaken by what seemed to be unanswered prayer.

But I very much doubt that Zacharias and Elizabeth were still praying for a child at this point in their lives. Obviously Zacharias was very aware of and very influenced by their advanced age:

Luke 1:18  And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

It must have seemed to Zacharias and Elizabeth that their prayer was never going to be answered. They had probably given up on praying it, for if it were still a living prayer in their lives, Zacharias would not have questioned the angel’s assertion in such a non-believing way. Even if the couple did still pray for children, it would have been in a pro forma kind of way. As Zacharias’ reaction to the angel shows, there was no expectation at this point in their lives of that prayer being answered. Actually, I suspect that it had been many years since they prayed about this.

Yet God had not forgotten their prayer.

Luke 1:13  But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”

The angel made it clear that the son they were to be given would come as a result of their prayers. It appears to me that God was honoring all those previous years of praying, even though they were no longer, at this point, living prayers. God honored their prayers, and the faith that underlay their prayers, even though the real praying had been done years before.

God, remembering the couple’s years of faithfulness to Him, “finally” answered their prayer. But the timing of that answer was not according to Zacharias and Elizabeth’s timetable, but God’s. He had a plan for the child He would give them. That’s why the answer to their prayer could not come any sooner than it did. Yes, God wanted to bless His faithful children, but He was also working out His plan through them. They had no way of knowing this. What was required of them was to continue to be faithful until their “due season” arrived.

Gal 6:9  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Zacharias and Elizabeth’s desire for a child was matched up with God’s plan for the forerunner of the Messiah. They had been praying, but God’s plan went beyond simply blessing them. Yet, the fulfillment of God’s plan was also the answer to their prayer. The angel Gabriel seems to be indicating that God is responding to their prayer. If they had not prayed for a child, would John have been born to them, or would God have given him to someone else? So, Zacharias and Elizabeth’s prayers were effective, even though they also fit into God’s preexisting plan for bringing the Forerunner on the scene.

God is faithful to remember our prayers! We should never give up on prayer, no matter how delayed the answer may appear to be. As Jesus taught us,

Luke 18:1b … men always ought to pray and not lose heart.

Posted in Bible Study, Faith, Luke and Acts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment