My Soul

“Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation” (Psalm 62:1).

There is a lot wrapped up in that one little word, “waiteth”. Elements of confidence, silence, patience, endurance, trust, love, faith and belief all are part and parcel of it.

More importantly, notice what it is that “waiteth”. It’s not the body. It’s the soul.

All too often when we hear of waiting or patience, we think in terms of idly and reluctantly biding our time, suffering time as it slowly drags on. Images of sitting on a hard plastic chair in some waiting room for hours on end comes to mind.

But that’s the flesh thinking. The flesh, by its very nature is impatient and will always try to avoid pain and effort of any kind, even when it’s just waiting.

We are dealing with the soul here, not the body. And we are dealing with a bundle of Godly attributes such as love, faith and trust. This bundle is perfected over time with patience and endurance. All of this is cause for our salvation.

When our soul “waiteth”, (that bundle of Godly attributes and commitments suffered over time), when our soul waiteth upon God, it is clearing the pathway to Him. The cobblestones of the pathway to God are His attributes made manifest in us.

What do you have to “do” to be saved? Have your “soul waiteth upon God”

Bill Hitchcock

When The Bible Interrupts

The Tanakh (Hebrew Old Testament) starting using verse divisions in the 15th century. Later, the Archbishop of Canterbury employed chapter divisions in the New Testament. The 1599 Geneva Bible, which predates the King James Bible, was the first Bible to employ both chapter and verse divisions.

As helpful as these verse and chapter delineations are, sometimes they are ill placed and disrupt the message. The break between James chapter 3 and chapter 4 is such a case.

James chapter 3 ends with:

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:17-18).

James chapter 4 begins with:

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1)

Chapter 3 ends with peace and righteousness within the Church body. Chapter 4 immediately begins with what (or rather who) disrupts that peace. Chapter 5 is the resolution to it all. It is impossible to receive the complete message of James without reading all of these chapters.

The Message

“And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace”

What is righteousness? To answer that let’s look how it was originally written. Righteousness was first written as rightwiseness or rightwise (right-wise). Right (God’s way) and wise (God’s wisdom) gives a better contextual representation of the meaning. More to the point, righteousness is whatever is acceptable to God and conforms to His will.

What is the “fruit of righteousness”? The fruit is none other than the manifested qualities of righteousness. These include integrity, virtue and purity of life. These fruits are produced by those who think, feel and act in accordance to God.

All of this; God’s will, God’s way and God’s wisdom, all of this is sown in not just peace, but in those who make peace.

Remember what Jesus said about peace and those who make peace during His Sermon on the Mount.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

Here is where the third chapter of James ends. The message, of course is invaluable. It is also incomplete. Chapter 4 continues on.

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1)

We have transitioned from righteousness and peace to lusts and “wars and fightings”.

“Wars” is used, “hyperbolically of private quarrels” (Vines).

“Fightings” are quarrels and contentions, usually in regards to legal or property matters.

“…lusts that war in your members”

The Apostle Paul spoke of the righteous body (self) and its lustful members (limbs) within that body (Romans 7:13-25). James is speaking of the same premise and principle but with the entire body of Christ, (the church), with people as the members of the body.

James further highlights the lustful, sinful “members” or individuals throughout chapter 4. Notice that in almost every verse of the chapter how James is singling out individual members of the Christian body. These are the sinners within the righteous body that create “wars and fightings”.

James 4

2. Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses….

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God….

8. …Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord….

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren…

12 ….who art thou that judgest another?

13 Go to now, ye that say….

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow….

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will….

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings….

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good…..

“If true religion existed among all men, there would be no more war. War always supposes that wrong has been done on one side or the other, and that one party or the other, or both, is indisposed to do right. The spirit of justice, equity, and truth, which the religion of Christ would implant in the human heart, would put an end to war forever” (Albert Barnes).

So let’s get back to the original topic. Sometimes the divisions placed by man in the Bible interrupt the message. Chapter 3 ends with the righteous and peace. Chapter 4 begins with the unrighteous (lustful) and war, or better put, the turmoil they create. Chapter 5 offers the resolution to the war between the righteousness of chapter 3 and the sin(ful) of chapter 4.

James 5

11. “…Behold, we count them happy which endure.”

12. “…but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation”

16. “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

20. “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”

Bill Hitchcock

Am I in the Place of God?

Joseph had eleven brothers that mistreated him badly. They hated him because their father, whose name was Israel, loved Joseph more than all the rest. Joseph also had the gift of prophecy and dream interpretation which fueled the fire of their hatred even more.

“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more” (Genesis 37:3-5).

The brothers attempted to kill Joseph by throwing him into a pit, but later sold him to passing Ishmeelites who were headed for Egypt.

While enslaved in Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, “an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard” (Genesis 37:36).

A series of events unfolds over the course of many years in which Joseph demonstrates certain skills and abilities of one truly guided and blessed by God. As a result, Pharaoh raises Joseph to the level of second in command in all of Egypt.

Joseph prophesied a seven year period of abundance followed by seven years of drought. He prepares Pharaoh’s kingdom by filling the storehouses with grain during the seven year abundance and selling it to the people during the seven year dearth.

As God would have it, Joseph’s brothers, who were suffering from the consequences of the famine, approached him for food. The brothers begged Joseph for forgiveness and, “fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants” (Genesis 50:18).

How did Joseph respond to his brothers pleas? After being brutally mistreated, left for dead, and then sold into slavery, did Joseph respond by exacting his revenge on them?

“And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive”, Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. (Genesis 50:19-21).

“Fear not: for am I in the place of God?”

Joseph could have reacted in one of two ways. He could have exacted his revenge on his brothers and punished them as he saw fit. After all, Joseph was in the right. He was unfairly and unlawfully treated by his brothers. Now Joseph was in a position of authority with the right and might to do whatever he saw fit to do.

Or, Joseph could demonstrate Divine authority and show mercy and forgiveness. Which would he do? Exercise his earthly power and get his revenge? Or exercise divine authority and show mercy?

Punishment or mercy?

“Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee” (Proverbs 20:22)

That’s exactly what Joseph did during all the time he was mistreated and abused by his brothers. Joseph waited on the Lord.

“To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste” (Deuteronomy 32:35).

Joseph also knew that vengeance and retribution (recompence) belongs to God and God alone. Vengeance and retribution are things too big for man. They are the swords of justice. So big are these swords that they will not only destroy the enemy, but will consume and control the man wielding them as well. Only God is just. Only God is capable of handling those swords. The smartest thing anyone can do if they find these weapons of total destruction in their hands is to immediately turn these swords over to God.

The Apostle Paul understood this.

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

Paul here is desperately trying to get the swords of vindication and retribution out of the hands of man and into the hands of the one just God.

The Jewish Publication Society of America (JPSA) in their English version of the Torah have translated a key verse differently than the King James Version (KJV). Instead of the KJV, “am I in the place of God?” the JPSA, translating from the original Masoretic text reads, “Am I a substitute for God?”

The KJV is more of a reference to position of authority; as in, “Am I in the seat of God?”

The Jewish translation connotes a proxy; “Do I represent God?”

Probably one of the best renditions that most accurately reflects the sentiment of Joseph comes from the 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV).  The GNV poses a question and the answer all in one; “for am not I under God?”

The GNV expresses, why would Joseph do evil to his brothers when he is a child of God? Why would Joseph do anything but love his brothers since he was a child of God? Love is God’s will for us. Joseph knew not to be, “overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

Punishment or mercy? Punishment (vengeance) belongs in God’s hands. Love (mercy) in ours. To love is to know God.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).

God is love. As, “he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). In a very real way, Joseph is demonstrating the epitome of “Philadelphia” or brotherly love. Joseph was in God and God in him and demonstrated that God within him by loving his brothers through the mercy he afforded them.

“…for am not I under God?” is more a statement of amazement than anything else. It’s like Joseph is saying, “Of course I’ll show you love, mercy and kindness. I’m a child of God!”

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven…. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-45, 48).

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).

Brotherly love, think how Joseph loved his brothers even though they treated him harshly, cruelly, and to the extent (and with intent) of killing him.

Joseph demonstrates for us all the will of God for man and the point and purpose of the Bible. We are to love our fellow man, yes, but only through God. This love can only come by righteousness, not emotions or lusts. God is love. God is also, “righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works” (Psalm 145:17).

Man could not figure this out on his own. God had to send His only Son, Jesus Christ to show us the way, the truth and the light.

I’ll leave you with the following passage from the Apostle Paul. This describes perfectly the person and love that was Joseph. It is the message of the Bible to us all; love God, love your neighbor and your brother as yourself.  

“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:9-21).

Bill Hitchcock

The Angel of the Lord

“And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” Genesis 22:15-18).

“Angel of the Lord” is used 17 times throughout the five books of Moses and used multiple times thereafter. Many call, “the angel of the Lord” a Theophanic angel, which is God manifested in a tangible, perceptible form. Some interpret the “angel of the Lord” as Christophany, which is the pre-incarnation of Christ, or more to the point, a non-physical manifestation of our Savior.

The primary reason for these beliefs is when the angel of the Lord says, “By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord”. It is understood by some that when the angel, says “I” when speaking of the Lord that in fact the angel is speaking of himself.

But the angel of the Lord is neither Theophanic or Christophanic, but rather it means and says exactly as it was written.

Angel or the Hebrew, “malak” means messenger or representative. The Lord is “Jehovah”, with the literal translation being, "the existing One". Jehovah is the name for the one true God.

The phrase, “The angel of the Lord” then, literally translates to “The messenger of God”. It is a representative of our Lord, not Jesus nor God Himself that is in the presence of, and speaking to, Abraham.

So, what is the message of the messenger being delivered to Abraham?

First, the angel of the Lord tells Abraham that God will bless him.

Second, God will, “multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore”.

Third, “thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies”. The word “enemies” is defined as “being an adversary”. The word adversary comes from the Arabic word, “satan”. The messenger of God is telling Abraham that the children of God will “posses the gates” currently ruled by Satan.

“…possess the gate….” The English translation of the Torah by the Jewish Publication Society of America uses the word “capture” instead of “possess”. The Septuagint, according to Adam Clarke uses the word, “cities” instead of “gates”.

“By the gates may be meant all the strength, whether troops, counsels, or fortified cities of their enemies. So Matthew 16:18; : On this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it - the counsels, stratagems, and powers of darkness shall not be able to prevail against or overthrow the true Church of Christ; and possibly our Lord had this promise to Abraham and his spiritual posterity in view, when he spoke these words” (Adam Clarke).

“Gates” can be a reference to many things including an entrance to a city, the city itself, powers (armies) and any general location.

Without getting lost in the weeds, the message is pretty straightforward. The children of God are to be priests, governors, masters, magistrates, rulers of the lands, including the demonic occupied territories. (Remember Chapters 18 and 19 of Genesis dealt with the demonic controlled Sodom and Gomorrah).

Fourth, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed”. There’s the promise of God. His children, God’s children, will be present and blessed in all the nations of the world. There will be no nation, no corner, no group or tribe of people where the blessing of the Lord will not be found.

“Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people” (Psalm 96:3)

“Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation. Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations” (1 Chronicles 16:23-24)

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Revelations 14:6-7).

The great command of Jesus Christ: “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28: 18-20).

The promise God made with Abraham is our mission as put forth by Jesus Christ.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations”. 

It’s our history. It’s our present. It is our future. It is the promise, will, and command of God.

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb” (Revelations 7:9-10).

Bill Hitchcock

So What Is Truth?

“Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you” (1 Samuel 12:24).

“Fear” and “serve” are two words that mankind does not like. They seem to rub Americans particularly in the wrong direction. You know, land of the free, home of the brave, liberty for all, don’t tread on me, Give me liberty or give me death-Freedom!

Fear is usually a manhood check. The less the fear we have in any given situation then the greater the “man”. At least that’s what Hollywood would lead us to believe. But there are some 150 verses throughout the Bible that say we are to fear the Lord so it must be important.

To fear the Lord is simply to be in awe of Him and His being. It is to revere and respect who and what He is, and to act in accordance to His supremacy.

Our servitude to God is always voluntary. Nothing is forced.

God is the truth. This means that God, no matter how spiritual or mystical He is, God is also reality and fact. Simply put, God “IS” and everything else is a by-product of that state and condition.

God is also always true. He “is”, He is faithful and pure. There is no variance or inconsistency. God is the great, “I AM”.

We are to “serve him in truth with all your heart”. How do we serve God in “truth”? What is truth? This question is not as easy to answer as some might think. Pontius Pilate is a good example.

“Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all” (John 18: 37-38).

It is very interesting to note that Jesus said that everyone that is of the truth hears His voice and immediately after Christ uttered those words Pilate asks, “What is truth?”

Pilate was not of the truth so he couldn’t hear the truth and he certainly could not recognize it while staring directly into the face of truth in Jesus Christ.

So what is truth? We all know that Jesus said that He was the way, the truth and the life. By definition the Hebrews thought of truth in context of faithfulness and reliability.

The Greek idea and ideal of truth is rooted and founded in the genuine, the unconcealed or what is made manifest. This brings in the significance of light and darkness. Light exposes, reveals and makes known.

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:5-10).

“Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake” (1 John 2:8-12).

Back to the question, what is truth? Really, so far what we have had is truth described to us as light, something genuine, faithful or something made manifest.

Maybe the following from Thomas Aquinas better defines truth.

“And since God is the first intellect and the first intelligible, the truth of any given intellect must be measured by the truth of His intellect-if, as the Philosopher (Aristotle) teaches, each thing is measured by that which is first in its genus. The divine truth, therefore is the first, highest, and most perfect truth.” (Thomas Aquinas/Summa Contra Gentiles/Chapter 62).

So we’ve come full circle. God is truth and all truth is measured against the standard of God. But how do we err with God’s truth?

“The intellect does not err in the case of first principles; it errs at times in the case of conclusions at which it arrives by reasoning from first principles. But the divine intellect, as we have shown above, is not ratiocinative or discursive. Therefore, there cannot be falsity or deception in it.” (Thomas Aquinas/Summa Contra Gentiles/Chapter 61).

It’s as simple as that. God is truth. Everything else is compared to the God standard.

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:3-5).

All of this passage from John relates to truth. God is truth. It is His essence. It is the light that shines, shows and reveals what is manifest and genuine. It is the way and the life itself.

Bill Hitchcock

As I Have Thought

“The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand” (Isaiah 14:24)

The above passage was pulled from the Book of Isaiah. It is concerning the prophecy God made about Babylon. It is part of an oath from God, intended to offer consolation and comfort to the Jews that the promise He made to them will come to pass.

What is significant to note in the passage is the process of God, how He creates and causes things to happen.

“Surely as I have thought”. As I have meditated upon and thought to have happen.

“…as I have purposed..” What I have determined to accomplish.

“…so shall it stand”. So it shall be established.

The following from Samuel Smiles, although not written about God, may be the closest we can get to how God creates and establishes things. It certainly is God like and something we all should attempt to do.

“Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”

― Samuel Smiles

A thought, an act, forms the character to which paves the path of our destiny.

It is also interesting to note that God will state His objectives and inform man before doing them. Man knows in advance what God is going to do. This should bring sin into perspective. We’ve been warned. We know what is going to happen if we remain a sinner. We also have been told what is going to happen if we repent of those sins. It’s all been established.

Man knows in advance what God is going to do. If in doubt what happens next, just read the Book of Revelations.

God determines, establishes and then announces. This process can best be summed up with God announcing to Moses who He was.

“And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am” (Exodus 3:14).

I AM.  I exist! I am present. I am omnipresent. I am omnipotent. I am universal. I am Alpha and Omega. I am from everlasting to everlasting. I am the way, the truth and the life. All of this and more was expressed perfectly by God in the two little words, “I AM”.

God simply “is”, and that’s difficult, actually impossible for man to wrap his head around. That’s why we must understand God “to be” through faith alone. We are also to accept what He does and why He does it by faith as well. God’s existence, His thoughts and His actions are simply too big for man to grasps in totality. See Romans 11:33-36.

So, we have a God that, “is”, let’s now look at how He creates. God’s process of creation was expressed perfectly in the very first verse of the Bible.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

Man’s starting point concerns space, time and matter. This is why God is confusing to man because God is before all of that. God created space, time and matter.

“In the beginning (Time) God (He who was before everything) created (God is the first cause of everything) the heaven (Space) and the earth (Matter).

Man trips up on this first statement. Man’s solution to the creation of everything is the Big Bang Theory. This theory tries to explain creation with a sudden and abrupt “explosion” of elements in an outward direction into space, thus creating the universe. The three glaring problems with this theory are:

1. Where did these elements come from? How did they get created?

2. Where did space come from?

3. What was the first cause? Not only do we need to know what created the elements and space, but what created the initial energy, the force, the explosion that set everything into motion?

None of these things can be explained by man.

The only way to explain it is that God simply is” and God simply “does”. His existence, His reasons and His actions must simply be taken on faith.

Fear not! Rest assured that what God has created and established is for the benefit of His children and will come to pass!

“Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand”

Our promise has come in Jesus Christ, our path has been established through His word.

Bill Hitchcock

Saying None Other Things

“For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 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 26:21-23).

The Jews wanted to kill Paul. Why? All he was doing was, “saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come”. In other words, all Paul was preaching and teaching were the prophecies of the prophets of the Old Testament. Stop and think about that for a second. The Jews wanted to kill Paul for preaching what we today know as the Old Testament, which was strictly Jewish. Why would the Jews want to kill him for that?

The answer is simple. The Jewish religion is much more than just the Old Testament. Their religion includes ceremonies, traditions of men, rabbinical writings and much more. Plus, the Jews interpreted the Old Testament differently, often incorrectly, usually in support of, and to the advantage for their Jewish faith.

Paul gives us a perfect example of this misinterpretation. The Apostle proclaims only what Moses and the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) were foretelling; that Jesus Christ would come, be crucified, rise from the dead and be the light of the world and the only pathway to God. This infuriated the Jews, to the point of wanting to kill him, because what Paul was preaching was considered blasphemes. What Paul was preaching was also all true, actually it was history. Remember Paul came after Jesus’s ascension into heaven. The prophecies of Moses and the prophets came true in Jesus Christ. All Paul was saying had already happened. It was recent history. What Paul preached as history was foretold and documented in the Old Testament writings.

But there is something else quite significant when Paul said, “saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come”. It was the content of his preaching, something rarely see even today.

Paul did not deviate from the written word of the Bible. “Saying none other”, Paul didn’t embellish, create, add or subtract from the written word. Neither did Jesus.

“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him” (Luke 4:14-20).

The scripture that Jesus read was from Isaiah 61.

The Bible shows us how and what Jesus and Paul preached. It was strictly and directly from the pages of scriptures. Jesus and Paul preached to, “both to small and great” and “the people, and to the Gentiles”.

Here Paul is very subtly demonstrating the Jewish mindset at that time. The Jews are called “people” while all others are called “Gentiles”. The word Gentiles is transliterated from the Greek, “ethnos”. It’s where we get the word ethnic from. Ethnos is a reference to a multitude of people, more specifically, it is a reference to heathens.

So in short, the Jewish “people” wanted to kill Paul for preaching the prophecies made by Moses and the prophets. These were prophecies that came true of the death, resurrection and the light of Jesus Christ. Paul preached these truths to everyone, of all statuses and statures, including the heathens.

This is why the Jews wanted to kill Paul. But it still seems a bit odd though, doesn’t it? Why did the Jewish nation consider these things to be just cause to kill Paul? It is important to recognize the devil working within the Jewish nation.

We have a great example of this Pilate at the feast of the governor where it was customary to release one prisoner. Look how the Jews react to the possibility of Christ being set free.

“Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matthew 27: 17-18 & 22-25).

The devil had caused envy and rage to permeate the Jewish leaders, Rabbi’s and the Jewish people. It was so obvious that Pilate recognized the uncharacteristic nature within them.

We see the devil working within Peter.

“Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him (Jesus), saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” (Matthew 16:23).

Demonic possession was common during Jesus’s time. The purpose and goal of the devil was destruction, death and to stop God from illuminating the world through His Son.

“And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way” (Matthew 8:28).

And when the devils couldn’t accomplish their goal on humans, they then worked their deeds of Hell on dumb animals.

“And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters” (Matthew 8: 29-32).

Reading straight from the Bible and, “Saying none other”, was a common practice. Another example of this can be found in the Book of Nehemiah. Ezra and several scribes and Levites read scriptures to the congregation.

“And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8:5-8).

Do this the next time you go to Church. See how much time is dedicated to “Saying none other”. See how much time is dedicated during the service to actual reading of the scriptures. You’ll find probably a minute possibly two minutes during the entire one hour service.

It would be wonderful to return to the practice the Church used to have where the entire Bible was read through each and every year. The Church had a format and plan of action to accomplish this goal. I have sitting beside me a copy of the 1559 Book of Common Prayer. This book, among other things, sets up a schedule to follow so that everyone can join in and quite literally, be on the same page during the course of the Bible reading year.

I’ll end with this. Few Christians have read the Bible cover to cover, nor do they read the Bible on any regular basis. Few Churches dedicate any substantial amount of time on scripture, but rather most of the time is dedicated to song and dance, fund raisers, ceremonies and at best, lengthy exposition on a verse or two.

This needs to change.

Bill Hitchcock

If God Will

The Evangelist said, “And this will we do, if God permit” (Hebrews 6:3). 

James said, “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:15). 

The Apostle Paul said, “But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus” (Acts 18:21). 

If God permit, if the Lord will, and if God will. It sure sounds like we have to ask God permission to do just about everything, doesn’t it?

If you had to boil down what exactly is the problem between God and man, it would boil down to the battle of the wills. It is not a battle between God and the devil, for we know that fight has been fought and won. No, it’s the very thing that got mankind in trouble in the first place, Eve’s will against God’s will. The devil just instigated, encouraged and helped facilitate the sin. Pride was the leverage the devil used to motivate and encourage Eve’s will, then Adam’s will to sin.

The entire human race is now sin stained, “and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15). This is the goal of the devil; Death!

So, are we to simply take orders from God? How is that having “free will”? Well first off, “free will” is a contradiction in terms and a misnomer. If we truly had free will then mankind would be nothing more than a carnal beast. Freud called it the Id. It’s the lustful devil inside each of us.

But do we really want to forfeit our will for God’s will? Yes we do, in fact we pray for it.

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).

God’s will be done in earth is what we pray for. Why? Because God wants us to live!

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die….But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye” (Ezekiel 18:20,21,23,31-32).

As James and God have pointed out; sin equals death. So it is quite simple. God wants to, and will, lead us back home to Him, if we let Him.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

How do we do this? We must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and follow Him in spirit, essence, truth and love.

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

Now, we can exercise what is called our free will. We can ignore the call of Christ and the will of God. We can let the carnal beast out. But we will not like what happens, because we will get exactly what we ask for.

 “But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!” (Psalm 81:11-13).

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 1:24-25).

Notice that God didn’t punish the unrepentant sinner. He gave them up to their sins. He let them have what they wanted. When we let go the inner sinful beast, we are not releasing our self, but rather imprisoning our self to lust, desire and sin and eventually death.

It should be obvious by now that God knows better than us. His will is our protection and life. Stepping away from the cover of God leaves us victim to something worse than the enemy. It leaves us victim to our selves!

“The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore” (Psalm 121:5-8).

“The choice of the will then, is truly free only when it is not the slave of vices and sins. God gave to the will such freedom, and now that it has been lost through its own fault, it cannot be restored save by Him.” (Augustine, The City of God Against the Pagans)

Remember what James said. “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15).

God’s way is the pathway to righteousness and to life. Freedom of spirit and will only come’s through salvation.

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not” (1 Corinthians 10:23).

Bill Hitchcock

For the kingdom of God

“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20)

“For the kingdom of God…”

The kingdom of God, the rule and reign of Christ our Lord. Not restricted to a place, domain or territory, but rather Christ’s authority and Lordship over all space, time, matter, all things visible and invisible, over all principalities and powers.

“…is not in word..”

“He says that this kingdom does not consist in word, for how small an affair is it for any one to have skill to prate eloquently, while he has nothing but empty tinkling” (John Calvin).

The Apostle Paul made it quite clear that he was not an eloquent or refined speaker when he said, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4)

Paul possessed no particular oratory skills. He knew the reason for the great impact of his words was due to the power within them. That power being the Holy Ghost.

 “…but in power”

Power, the cause to the effect. The force of the miracle within the word. It is the essence of the Christ and the kingdom of God. This power can manifest in many ways, materially and spiritually.

The Greek word for power is transliterated “dynamis”. It is the root word for dynamo, dynamite and dynamic. This “Power” is the dynamic and intrinsic essence of the Holy Ghost.

Bill Hitchcock

Illegal Aliens

Why do some consider having a job, longtime resident and being a nice person just cause for absolution of a crime?

If an employed nice guy is later discovered to be a murderer, would his job and demeanor be justification for forgetting his crime and letting him go free?

If a bank robber is found 10 years after the fact, but everyone likes him at the manufacturing plant he works at, should the bank robber be left alone and not incarcerated?

Of course not. Both the murderer and the bank robber must be arrested and tried for their crimes.

So, why do people give illegal aliens a pass based on the same reasons? Nice guy, has a job, been here awhile are usually the justifications given for permitting a criminal to stay.

Why?

Bill Hitchcock

Transubstantiation

The Roman Catholic Church believes in transubstantiation. This is the belief that the Eucharistic, the bread and wine offered during communion, transforms into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ upon consumption.

This belief stems from a 14^th century literal translation of a passage from the Book of John.

“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him” (John 6:53-56).

It also comes from a very interesting interpretation of what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25).

The crux of the Roman Catholic Church’s argument for transubstantiation hangs on the word “is”. It is their belief that when Jesus said “this IS my body” and “this cup IS the new testament in my blood”, that Jesus was speaking literally about the bread and wine.

But how do we live? By faith! How do we worship? In spirit!

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23).

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

The “flesh profiteth us nothing”. True worship is in “spirit”, not in some temporal form or fashion. Communion or the Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of the fatal and voluntary self-sacrifice that Jesus Christ made. This opened the door for His children to walk through and unto everlasting life. The choice of eternal life for us, like the choice of temporal death by Christ, are both voluntary, a decision each individual must make on their own accord.

Christ is received by faith and in spirit, not physically or materially.

Bill Hitchcock

Fetch Them Home

“Merciful God, who hast made all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made, nor wouldest the death of a sinner, but rather he should be converted and live: Have mercy upon all Jews, Turks, infidels, and heretics, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word: And so fetch them home blessed Lord, to thy flock, that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites, and be made one fold, under one shepherd Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth, etc.” (From the 1559 Book of Common Prayer)

“And so fetch them home blessed Lord, to thy flock” reveals the true spirit and intent of a Christian. We don’t want anyone to die. We spread the gospels in hopes that you will “chose life” (Deu.: 30:19) and live! The offer goes out to everyone. And what some call judgment and condemnation is actually your pathway of repentance to salvation.

Bill Hitchcock

Let Us Consider

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Look how wonderful this is. We are to, “consider one another” which is to truly care for, pay attention to, and understand others. We are to gather together, to be sociable, and to incite others, “unto love and to good works”. That’s a Christian. That’s the Christ inside of us being made manifest. 

The onus is not on self, but rather on other people; To uplift and magnify them; To love them and encourage and direct others to do likewise. Halleluiah!

Bill Hitchcock

Jesus and the Pope: When Attacked with a Weapon

The Pope tweeted over this past weekend, “Do we really want peace? Then let’s ban all weapons so we don’t have to live in fear of war.”

That’s an illogical statement and runs counter to the basic law of cause and effect. The Pope is claiming that weapons (cause) creates war (effect). No, that’s backwards. But this isn’t a philosophical debate. It’s purely spiritual. 

Let’s take a look at something Jesus did and said when attacked with a weapon.

“And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” (Matthew 26:47-52).

“Put up again” comes from the Greek, “apostrephō” means to return back. In this case, to return the sword back to its sheath.

“…for all they that take the sword…” “Lambanō” is the Greek word for “that take” and means to take with the intent of using. In this case the sword was taken in hand with the intent of forcibly using it. It is a reference to those who lead with the sword and use the sword as their first option and recourse.

But Jesus had a divine option as His first course of action as revealed in the next verse.

“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53)

Do you know what Jesus was being in this situation? Meek. He wasn’t being meek when he called for the sword to be put away. He was being meek when he withheld the twelve legions of angels.

Meek does not mean passive as we would interpret it today. Meekness, as displayed by Jesus here, is a controlled, calm, inner strength that comes from the Holy Spirit within. If the roles had been reversed, Jesus would have never pulled out the sword, but the “one of them which were with Jesus” would have unleashed all of heaven’s helpers on Judas.

The Old Testament Hebrew word for meek is, “Anav” which means afflicted, miserable and by implication, humble.

The New Testament Greek word for meek is, “Praÿs” which means a settled, calm and controlled spirit.

When you stop to think about it, what else could calm you and guide you wisely other than the Holy Spirit within when confronting the devil?

We learn in John 18:10 that it was Simon Peter who drew the sword, striking the servant and severing his ear. Peter, although reacting out of love for Jesus and wanting to protect Him, also reacted carnally and rashly out of a disquieted spirit.

This spirit within Peter was this same spirit that caused him to try to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem.  When Peter learned that Christ must go there to be crucified, buried and resurrected he said, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee” (Matthew 16:22).

Jesus reacted to Peter trying to stop Him by saying, “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” (Matthew 16:23).

Now let’s bring this full circle. Over the weekend the Pope said, “Do we really want peace? Then let’s ban all weapons so we don’t have to live in fear of war.”

The Pope is thinking like Peter, which would make sense because the Catholic religion, or more specifically the papal position is based on the continuation of the role of Peter. But the Pope doesn’t want the sword put back into its sheath and under the control of a meek, controlled and Holy Spirit filled person. The Pope wants the sword and sheath gone, eliminated. The only problem is, is that Judas and the devil are still coming.

Remember, Jesus didn’t just refrain from using the temporal sword, He also held back the full force of twelve legions of angels. He could have unleashed not Hell, but something much more powerful, Jesus could have unleashed Heaven! Now that’s being meek!

So it is odd that the spiritual leader of the Catholic faith is thinking in terms of earthly options. The Pope is reacting like Peter. Peter tried to save Jesus by attempting to stop the forthcoming crucifixions. He tried to save Jesus from the devil himself inside Judas. Peter relied on temporal, earthly things and did not put his faith in Christ or reliance on the Holy Spirit. Consequently his actions were rash and of a disquieted spirt, so disquieted that Jesus saw what was happening said, “Get thee behind me, Satan”.

Live by the sword, you’ll die by the sword. In other words, someone who lives violently, will most likely die in said fashion.

Jesus once sent His disciples out into the world with no money and no sword. He did this so they would learn faith and reliance in Him. Afterwards Jesus said, “But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one” (Luke 22:36).

So you see, when eyes are opened and faith is learned, Jesus instructed His followers to buy and carry a sword. Why? Because evil exists, the prince of the air, the devil, is in this world. But it takes a person imbued with the Holy Spirit, a child of God empowered with meekness to wield or sheath the sword.

Bill Hitchcock