Fight Through the Fatigue

 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”                              2 Timothy 4:7-8  NKJV

 

Something I have always attempted to do from my high school days until now is to be, and stay, in good physical shape. I will, of course, admit that it has gotten harder to do as I have aged but according to my doctor, I have managed to do a lot better than most people my age.  I must confess, however, that the last year or so has presented some challenges in this regard, and sometimes it seems to be a fight to finish my workouts.  I really can’t put my finger on it but my doctor described it best as feeling as if my “bubble isn’t in the middle”.  I had to laugh at that but upon reflection it really is an accurate description of what I have been experiencing. 

 

From conversations with others, and of course from reading the news, it is obvious that many in the body are struggling at this present time for many different reasons and from many different circumstances.   We have seemingly been on a downward spiral for the past couple of years with no light at the end of the tunnel.  If you choose to believe the news, it would seem that the future looks as bleak as it possibly could as there are those predicting shortages for just about everything and soaring energy prices just as winter is on the horizon.  In essence, life for many in the foreseeable future could best be described as a fight.

 

When I read this passage from Paul, the reference to a “fight” couldn’t help but catch my attention so I decided to look closer at the language to better understand what Paul might be trying to say.  Imagine my surprise to find that the Greek word for fight used here is “agon” which when translated not only means a fight, but any struggle or contest.   Interestingly, it was also was used to refer to an assembly or gathering, especially one to witness the fight.  We know from history that the Greek culture was the origin of our Olympic Games, and this word would be used at that time to refer to not only those national games, but the place of assembly to watch them.

 

Obviously from the context, we understand that Paul is talking about his life as a believer, and the struggles he has endured as he tried to share the gospel on his many journeys.  He chooses to describe his life in terms that anyone at that time would understand, but also makes the point that the believer also receives a crown as a reward just as the participants of the Greek games did.  Life as a believer is a struggle against the powers of Satan, and all the clever ways he knows to deceive, manipulate, and lead us away from the path we have chosen. 

 

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”                                     Ephesians 6:12  NKJV

 

The race Paul is referring to is of course the Christian life, which is lived much like a race in that just as when running we take steps towards a goal, life itself is a series of steps which eventually lead to the finish.  The question is, or the fight that we have, is do we take those steps in the power of the Spirit, our new life, or do we stumble along in the flesh, trying to live according to our old ways of thinking?  One thing that I believe Paul is telling us here which may often be overlooked is that by his choice to use the word “agon”, he is also letting us know our struggle is very public and we are being watched just as runners in a race are watched.

 

Notice too, that Paul wants to make the point that he has finished the race and arrived at the finish line.  When I first began competing in long distance races, I was surprised at how many participants begin the race, but for one reason or another drop out and fail to finish.  I began to understand that although everyone begins the race full of energy and strength, as the race progresses some find that their strength begins to fail them.  I have never seen anyone drop out at the start of a race, but it’s only as the race gets long and difficult that people begin to fail. Since Paul makes the point that it is important to finish the race, where do we as believers get the strength to carry on when we begin to tire?

 

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,”      Luke 18:1 NKJV

 

The word uses here for the phrase “losing heart” is “ekkakeo” which means “to be wearied out, exhausted, or spiritless”.  What Jesus is telling His listeners is that by praying we can avoid being weary, exhausted, and lose our spirit for serving Him as we run the race.  The older I get, the more I find myself using the rest stops along the way whenever I travel a long distance over a long period of time.  Unfortunately, I can also remember a time when I was young and those stops were not necessary.  As I see it, Jesus is telling us here that by continual prayer we can always be refreshed with what we need to continue our race without becoming tired and discouraged.

 

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”                        Revelation 3:10-11  NKJV

 

These words from Jesus to the church at Philadelphia contain the promise we all are looking for, especially at this time in this world’s history and that is the promise of the rapture of the Church.  As the events leading up to this event, and especially the time after begin to unfold before our eyes, how easy is it to begin to get weary and discouraged just before the end of our race.  This is the time that all of us as believers should be taking Paul’s advice and be praying continually for the strength we need to finish the race and obtain the prize He has set before us.  When Paul talks about the crown he will receive, I believe He is talking about the crown of righteousness that Jesus will award to all those who have longed for His appearing.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that what we are seeing today can best be described as our finish line.  As we struggle to arrive there, the attacks we must endure will grow stronger and probably more frequent.  The possibility of discouragement will probably never be greater, so the question is, are you going to give up with the finish line in sight, or will you pray continually for the strength you need to finish the race and obtain the crown?  Jesus is coming quickly, don’t give up.

 

Keep watching.

Will This Be The Season of Our Joy?

 

“Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that [are] within thy gates. Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice. Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:”   Deuteronomy 16:13-16 KJV

Growing up in Southern California, I was only familiar with two seasons; warm and hot. It took a move to the Pacific Northwest to experience what four seasons was really all about, and actually having four choices as to which one I enjoyed the most. I don’t know about any of you, but my favorite has always been the fall. Just to experience the relief from the long hot summer, feel the weather changing, doing yard work as the leaves change color and then fall, and especially looking forward to taking it a little easier in the winter all bring me a sense of enjoyment. I suppose it also brings me a sense of anticipation too as I enjoy listening to it rain, then watching as it slowly turns to snow.

The Feast of Tabernacles is the last of the seven feasts appointed by the Lord for the nation of Israel. It occurs in the fall between the 15th and the 21st of the month of Tishri, which usually occurs in late September and early October. It is also known by other names as well, some of these being Sukkot, The Season of Our Joy, and The Feast of Ingathering. It is the last of the three holidays in which all Jewish males were required to make the pilgrimage to the temple, yet as opposed to the others, the word joy (simchah) is used several times to describe it. I want to look at just a few reasons why this holiday is known as the “Season of Our Joy”, and consider the possibility it might prove to be a time we as believers need to “watch” with special anticipation.

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and [then] cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”   John 4:35 KJV

Also known as the Feast of Ingathering, the Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the last harvest in Israel for the year. Traditionally there are three harvests, these being the barley harvest, wheat harvest, and fruit harvest. In the fall, after these three were completed, you would celebrate the finish of your labors for the year. Obviously it was a time of celebration for your work was done, and you could look at the results sitting in your storehouse. How often did Jesus use the illustration of planting and harvesting in His teaching while on this earth? Could the Feast of Ingathering give us a clue as to when Jesus might return for His people?

“In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.”    John 14:2-3 KJV

Known traditionally as the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot, this feast also serves as a reminder of the time the children of Israel dwelt in the wilderness in “temporary” dwellings before they were delivered to the promised land. During this feast Jews will construct “Sukkahs” or temporary shelters and will stay in them to remind them of what the children of Israel went through during their wilderness wanderings. As believers, we know that our time on this earth and in these bodies is but temporary as well. Not only do we have the promise from Jesus that He is building us a new and eternally permanent home, but will at the rapture present us with new and eternal bodies as well. Could this feast again be a foreshadowing of that coming time when our hope in Christ will be rewarded?

“Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.”   John 7:2 KJV

“In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”   John 7:37, 38 KJV

One of the more interesting traditions associated with this feast was the drawing of water from the pool of Siloam. Every day a priest would fill a golden vase with water known as the living water (mayim hayim) and take it to the temple where it would be poured out on a corner of the altar. In these verses from John we see that Jesus used this time of celebration to announce to the world that He was, in fact, offering mankind the water of eternal life. John also makes it clear that this occurred on the “last great day” of the feast. This in fact is a reference to the eighth day which is known as Shmini Atzeret. It is not part of the Feast of Tabernacles, but is celebrated the day after and it is then that the people would begin to pray for rain for the coming year. Water has always been at a premium in Israel, and without it the land would become desert. Yet Jesus took this day as an opportunity to announce that He had come to save the world. Is it no wonder this celebration is also referred to as the "Season of Our Joy"?

This last feast seems to be both an end, and a beginning. It is a celebration of harvest and the end of the year's work, as well as the beginning of a time of rest to enjoy the fruits of labor. Jesus came to earth to do the "work" it required for us to obtain eternal life. How appropriate would it be for we as believers to experience the rest we so anxiously look forward to at this time of the year? If this year is the year the Father decides to take us home, and a great many believe that it is, the harvest season is right in front of us. Everyone is afforded a choice as to where they will spend eternity, and if your desire is to spend that eternity in Heaven with our Father, Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans exactly how to do that.

 

“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”    Romans 10:9-10  NKJV

 

I pray you have, or will, make the choice to accept the gift of eternal life offered to us all by the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Keep watching.

Still Here

 

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.”      2 Thessalonians 2:1-2  NKJV

 

One of the reasons I find this passage of scripture so interesting is that with all that we see going on in the world today, and we are certainly seeing a lot, some are repeating the same error the Thessalonians were making during their time of trouble.  The question many watchers have had over the years is just how much are we going to see and experience before Jesus returns to take us home to be with Him?  As things have been getting progressively worse, and wars and rumors of wars take center stage, it is entirely possible some might believe we have already entered the seventieth week of Daniel, which is just what the Thessalonians were thinking.

 

So what was the problem in the church at Thessalonica? Paul tells us immediately in verse 1 that the subject of the letter is about the rapture ( parousia ) of the Church, the time when Jesus comes to take us home to be with Him. Then, according to verse 2, Paul says they were "shaken" and "disturbed". This is one of those times where I think it's really important to look closely at the meaning of the words Paul uses. Shaken is saleuō in the Greek and means "agitate" or become "insecure" in mind. Disturbed is throeō in the Greek and means "clamor" or "tumult". So the picture Paul gives us is that the believers in the church are in an uproar, really agitated because they have become insecure in something they believed, but now have doubts about, and obviously it has to do with the rapture. Paul then identifies the reason at the end of verse 2 when he refers to someone claiming by "spirit, message, or letter" that the day of the Lord had already come.

 

The question then must be asked as to why were they so shook up? This is the part I think gets missed most often when studying this passage of scripture. They were shook up because they had been told by someone that the tribulation had already begun, and they had missed the boat! They were still on earth! This passage is one of the reasons I believe so strongly in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. The truth is, if Paul hadn't taught the pre-tribulation rapture these folks wouldn't be all shook up now would they? They were in an uproar because they were under the impression Paul had taught them wrong, or they had done something wrong to get left behind. At the time of this letter, the Church was undergoing persecution from Rome and it was easy for people to believe that the bad things they saw happening all around them fit the picture of events that the Bible teaches us take place during the Tribulation. Unfortunately, all it took to shake them up was someone to suggest that their belief in the pre-tribulation rapture was wrong. So it's up to Paul to set them straight again.

 

How does Paul go about doing this? He simply reviews the main points he taught about Jesus' return when he first started the church, and then later again in his first letter. What Paul chooses to "re-teach" is this. First of all, he differentiates between "the mystery of lawlessness" and "the man of lawlessness". The mystery of lawlessness is the evil in this world produced by Satan and his angels. The man of lawlessness is the coming world leader, or anti-christ, who will be revealed at the beginning of the tribulation. Paul makes the point that although evil forces were at work already, they are being held in check by "He who now restrains".

 

“And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.”                              2 Thessalonians 2:6-7  NKJV

 

We know that Paul is referring to the work of the Holy Spirit, alive in the hearts of believers today, and I like how Paul gently reminds these believers that they too "know" what is restraining. Paul goes on to say that even though the works of evil were occurring, the man of lawlessness had yet to appear, and could not appear until the Church along with the restrainer had been "taken out of the way".

 

How often do we too need to be "reminded" of what we have already been taught, yet somehow begin to forget or doubt? I know I'm guilty of that, so I certainly can’t fault the believers at Thessalonica. As we witness the events happening in the world around us, events we know are the signs Jesus said would occur at the end of the age, I'm sure there are those saying we have already entered the tribulation period. But, for the exact same reasons as we see in this passage written to the church at Thessalonica, we can't have entered the tribulation because as Paul so simply said, the Church is still here!

 

Evil is present, but so are we; the Church, the body of Christ. There is no doubt in my mind that we are as close to leaving this world as we can possibly be. If you find yourself in the same position as those believers back then, the best advice I can give you today is the same advice Paul gave the Thessalonica church:

 

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work”.                2 Thessalonians 2:15-17  NKJV

 

If you have never taken the step of asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart and save you from eternity without Him, I encourage you to do that right now.  Simply tell Him you are sorry for your sin, ask Him to forgive you, and accept the sacrifice He made to die for your sin, and He has promised not only to forgive you but to make you one of His own and come into your life and provide all the help you need to begin to live for Him.  I am convinced His return is much closer than we may think.

 

Keep watching.

Pattern is Prologue

 

“The faithful man has perished from the earth, And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net.”         Micah 7:2  NKJV

The Fast of Tisha B Av has begun in Israel along with another conflict between them and their enemies in the Gaza Strip.  Not surprising, while choosing to defend themselves from an imminent attack of which they had actionable intelligence, Israel has been labeled as the aggressor.  Many bible scholars have taught over the years of all that has occurred on this particular date in Jewish history, and the fact that it certainly seems obvious that the pattern will continue into the future.  This post is one I have shared before but in light of what is happening right now in Israel seemed appropriate to share with you again. 

There is a saying popular with many teachers of the Bible today which I find not only very true, but also extremely helpful in understanding both the Old and New Testaments.  You are probably familiar with it but even so I will repeat it here; “the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed”.  I am continually amazed as I study the scriptures to find how much of the New Testament is actually hidden in plain sight in the Old Testament, and this passage from Micah is a perfect example.  

The Hebrew word translated “perished” in the NKJV means “to vanish”.  From the teachings of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, it becomes obvious that what Micah is describing is the rapture of the Church, and the state of the earth after all believers have been taken.  What this world will be like during this time of tribulation should literally scare any rational person to the point of salvation, yet we know this is not the case.  The time, however, to which Micah is referring is the tribulation period and his words are a prophecy directed to the nation of Israel.

As such, it certainly appears to be a logical conclusion that Micah is telling Israel that there will be a “vanishing” before their time of trouble.  Of course, taking into account what Paul taught many years later, we as believers now know that this is most certainly a reference to the rapture. The fact that this occurs before the tribulation begins, begs the question of how important is it to be watching for the signs of the coming tribulation? Jesus made it perfectly clear in His teaching that the body of Christ, His Church, has a responsibility to be watching for these signs as the day approaches.

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. "So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors! "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. "It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. "Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— "lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping."And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

Mark 13:28-37 NKJV

 

I have personally always wondered if Jesus’ reference to “summer” is a clue as to the season the Church might vanish to be with Him forever.  As I have studied over the years it has become apparent that many others have shared this same feeling for a variety of different reasons.  It should have become apparent to you if you have followed my thoughts for any length of time that I am most certainly not a “date setter”.  I firmly believe in the doctrine of imminence, which is the belief that Jesus could return for His Church at any time, but that does not exclude the possibility that He could choose a certain season, month, or day to do just that.  That fact is why I share occasionally my thoughts and feelings about certain days that the Bible makes clear are special to God.

 

The term “dog days of summer” is familiar to most, yet many are probably not aware of what it means or of its origin. Actually, the answer to that question is hazy and debatable, while some believe it may date back as far as the Roman Empire. As to what it might mean, let me make a suggestion based solely on my own observations and educational experiences. Like many people, at one time I had a dog who was as friendly as the day was long. I also, though, live in a part of the country which experiences summers which tend to occasionally receive triple digit heat late in the season. I found it interesting that just like people, my dog got just a little testy during these days of excessive heat, exhibiting a marked lack of patience and a tendency to growl and lash out when disturbed.

 

As I considered that, I also was reminded of something I realized back in the day when I was a history major in college. Do you know the vast majority of conflicts in the history of the world have started during the summer months? What is my point? I can’t help but wonder if the conflict that God reveals in His Word concerning the future of Israel and the world, taken along with His command to watch with a reference to the season of summer, should be a major clue to those of us who choose to obey the command to watch?  Could it be that summer is the season that all the events we are told to watch for will converge and produce the conflict we are told so much about?

 

We have just begun the month of Av on the Jewish calendar and if you are at all familiar with the history of the nation of Israel you are aware of how important that month has proven to be in the past.  Many are familiar with the seven feast days appointed by God for the children of Israel to observe, but not all are aware that He also created four days of fasting to commemorate tragedies that occurred during Israel’s' history.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth [month], The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.' Zecharaiah 8:19 NKJV 

Zechariah goes on to say that when the Messiah comes, these fast days will become days of celebration and feasting, but for now they are still days of mourning.

The fast of the fourth remembers the day that Moses came down from the mountain to find the children of Israel worshiping the golden calf and then broke the tablets God had given him. The seventh commemorates the assassination of the governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to govern the Jews left behind in Israel after the destruction of the temple. The tenth recalls the day that Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. But it is the fifth fast, which occurs on the ninth of Av on the Jewish calendar that I would like to explore today.

Called Tisha B' Av, this day of mourning and fasting reminds Israel of the day that the temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Jews taken back to Babylon in captivity. This day has become, however, one of the most significant days in Israel's history due to the astonishing "coincidence" of numerous national disasters occurring on this exact day since its inception. These are:

1312 BC Spies return from 40 days in Israel with evil reports of the Land of Israel. Jewish people cry in despair, give up hope of entering the Land of Israel.

587 BC Destruction of First Temple by the Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezar. About 100000 Jews killed during invasion. Exile of remaining tribes in southern kingdom to Babylon and Persia.
 

70AD Destruction of Second Temple by Romans, under Titus. Over 2,500,000 Jews die as a result of war, famine and disease. Over 1,000,000 Jews exiled to all parts of the Roman Empire. Over 100,000 Jews sold as slaves by Romans. Jews killed and tortured in gladiatorial "games" and pagan celebrations.

71AD Turnus Rufus plows site of Temple. Romans build pagan city of Aelia Capitolina on site of Jerusalem.

135AD Bar Kochba revolt crushed. Betar destroyed - over 100,000 killed.

1095AD First Crusade declared by Pope Urban II. 10,000 Jews killed in first month of Crusade. Crusades bring death and destruction to thousands of Jews, totally obliterate many communities in Rhineland and France.

1290AD Expulsion of Jews from England, accompanied by pogroms and confiscation of books and property.

1492AD Inquisition in Spain and Portugal culminates in the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula. King Ferdinand of Spain issued the expulsion decree, setting Tisha B'Av as the final date by which not a single Jew would be allowed to walk on Spanish soil. Families separated, many die by drowning, massive loss of property. With funds provided by Ferdinand, Christopher Columbus, a Messianic Jew, sets sail to locate the land which will become a Jewish refuge.

1914AD Britain and Russia declare war on Germany. First World War begins. First World War issues unresolved, ultimately causing Second World War and Holocaust. 75% of all Jews in war zones. Jews in armies of all sides - 120,000 Jewish casualties in armies. Over 400 pogroms immediately following war in Hungary, Ukraine,  Poland and Russia.

1942AD Deportations from Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka concentration camp begin.

1989AD Iraq walks out of talks with Kuwait.

1994AD The deadly bombing the building of the AMIA (the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina) which killed 86 people and wounded some 300 others.

1990AD The First Gulf War begins in and as a result Saddam Hussein launches missiles
into Israel

The Bible makes it clear that the time will come when all of Israel's enemies will unite to attack them.  The past day has seen most of them make statements condemning Israel and threatening to take action to punish them.  Will this prove to be the time that the Word of God has warned us about? The next few days will certainly show us whether or not this will prove to be the case, but the fact that all these things are happening now on Tisha B Av cannot simply be a coincidence.

Obviously more than just coincidence, one can't help but wonder what, if anything, the future holds for Israel on this date?  While thinking about our call to watch for signs as believers in Christ, I can’t help but wonder if God intends for the rapture of the Church to be a sign to Israel that their time of judgment is near?  The sudden mass disappearance of millions of people would certainly not escape notice and it would, for the world as a whole and Israel in particular, certainly fulfill what Micah describes as the faithful vanishing.  However, the most important question you can ask yourself today is this; will you vanish or be left behind?

 

If you have never taken the step of asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart and save you from eternity without Him, I encourage you to do that right now.  Simply tell Him you are sorry for your sin, ask Him to forgive you, and accept the sacrifice He made to die for your sin, and He has promised not only to forgive you but to make you one of His own and come into your life and provide all the help you need to begin to live for Him.  I am convinced His return is much closer than we may think.

 

Keep watching.