Antipas Prayer Force Devotionals: 9/22/13

Thursday, September 26, 2013

"A God...Tied Too Closely To Our Limited Understanding of...the Universe" (Bonhoeffer)

"Then they said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping.'" (John 20: 13)

This quarter is about to end, and so is my reading of the Gospels. Each Gospel concludes with the Resurrection of Jesus and the Great Commission, better stated, the Great Command. Most people, however, do not believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus, even though eyewitnesses tell us that Jesus ate fish before them, showed them His nail-scarred hands and feet and wounded side. It just does not make sense to modern "enlightened" man. Mary did not believe it; Peter and John did not believe, and verse 9 tells us why, "For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead." And herein lies the great fallacy of humanity, "....they [do] not know the Scriptures." It is even as Jesus Himself said to some First Century religious people, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." Mary's weeping was due to the fact that, "....as yet [she] did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead."

Bonhoeffer said, "The progress of knowledge can never edge out the reality of faith in a God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. It can only edge out a God whom we have tied too closely to our limited understanding of life and the universe." This "limited understanding of life and the universe" affected Mary and the disciples. It has infected not only humanity in general over the centuries, but also far too much of Christendom in particular. The "whys" of life are continually invading the private lives of many of those in churches. So many of the "struggles" in life come from allowing "our limited understanding of life and the universe" to trump a very thorough, unlimited obedience to the Bible, "the Words of God."

Bonhoeffer's statement should be a constant, much stated and life-style axiom of ours. Most humans are, "mistaken (and thereby very "limited") not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." The challenge to you and me today is to resist leaning on our very, very limited knowledge and "understanding of life and the universe," and walk in obedience in Jesus---------- Who has none.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I readily confess I have very little "understanding of life and the universe." I surrender to Yours. Amen.
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You can read of how Assad is making a fool of America: jhs58.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Lord "Showed Me" Something

"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb....And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him....And they shall reign forever and ever." (Revelation 22:

Scientists are now saying that the earth will end in 2.5 billion years. They say by then the sun will have expanded to such an extent to basically burn up the planet. I find it interesting that Peter said basically the same thing. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." Peter just doesn't say when.

Our text basically tells us not to worry about it. Whatever happens whenever, there is no greater comfort than the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ and His comforting promise to us. What mind can fathom the glories and beauty of Heaven, of eternity in the Eternal One? Yet it and He are ours and we are His, "No more curse," and no tears, pain, suffering. For some generations now, the only thing most can say of just glories is full of cynicism, e.g., "pie in the sky by and by," or, "I need something now," or whatever an unbelieving heart can come up with. I choose today, "....the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him....And they shall reign forever and ever." Even though it may be "pie in the sky by and by," at least those of us who, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes," those who are surrendered to Jesus Christ will have "some." Look at the world without Christ today. What "pie" do they have?

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for, "I go to prepare a place for you...." Help me to make the most of this "place." Amen.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Warming Ourselves?

"Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself." (John 18:25)

My Great Grandfather, Thomas Sherwood, was wounded in the Battle of Peach Tree Creek during America's Civil War. He was a Quaker who signed up (volunteered) for service in the Union Army. He was in the Ohio 79th Division, and fought under General William Tecumseh Sherman. I once spoke with a black man who was speaking in a seminar about the abolitionist movement during the Civil War; I told him about my Great Grandfather. He told me that my Great Grandfather was what they call a "White Abolitionist." Thomas Sherwood's church was against war, i.e., pacifistic. But Thomas Sherwood saw the evil of slavery and "got involved." He too could have stayed home and, "warmed himself." He chose, however, to sacrifice warmth and comfort for principle. This same sacrifice would decades later be manifest in a young German pastor and theologian.

We are too often hard on Peter. I think the reason is that we too soon forget our own frailty. I have heard preachers say that this is Peter before Pentecost, as though the Baptism in the Holy Spirit cures everything about human weakness, temptation and the like. It was only Peter and John who had gone this far with Jesus; the others, "forsook Him and fled." Peter was certainly confused, distraught, afraid. We know that he later finally denied even knowing Jesus. Just a few hours before, Peter was ready to take the head off anyone who would harm Jesus. Now, "Then he began to curse and swear, 'I do not know this Man of whom you speak.'" What contradictions, what inconsistency. Yet it was not over for Peter.

We know that Jesus' compassion and forgiveness is Who He Is. We read that after the Resurrection, Jesus sent a, "young man," Heaven's Throne room messenger, to the startled women at the tomb, "But go, tell His disciples-- and Peter-- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you." Peter was included. Peter was forgiven. Peter, the one who once preferred self preservation and comfort to principle, was now brought back. He had gone out and, "wept bitterly." Now he knew he was, indeed, he had never lost, "accepted in the Beloved." Peter recovered, and instead of the Simon Peter who, "stood and warmed himself," he became the Simon Peter who laid down his life for Jesus.

Thomas Sherwood could have been killed at the Battle of Peach Tree Creek; I am thankful he wasn't, and thankful for the thousands of men and women in American history who chose principle over "warmth." Even though I too have, "warmed [my]self" at seasons in my life, I have repented and been restored, embarrassingly more times than I would like to consider. Yet I continue to, "press on," that warming myself will not rule, but rather, "take up the cross, and follow Me."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for the heritage of Thomas Sherwood, who refused to, "warm[] himself," but chose to give himself for others. May I be the same. Amen.
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Fa ll Mission: October 27-November 23