Nebuchadnezzar: the King Who Learned the Hard Way

The warning signs are like flares in the night

Still I proceed my greed is in spite of the fire

I know that's bound to burn

Why is it that I always gotta learn the hardway

~ DC TALK

Maaari namang matuto nang hindi na nasasaktan pa, subalit sadyang matitigas ang ulo ng marami sa atin. Taon-taon ang babala ng Kagawaran ng Kalusugan: “Huwag magpaputok!”, pero bakit may mga tao na kailangan munang mabawasan ang daliri bago matuto? Si Haring Nebuchadnezzar ay isang halimbawa ng taong may katigasan ng ulo; kung hindi pa siya papaluin ng Panginoon, hindi siya matututo.

Hindi niya kilala ang tunay na Diyos na nagpakilala sa bayan ng Israel. Iba ang kanyang relihiyon; iba ang kanyang mga diyos. Subalit siya ay isang makapangyarihang hari. Malawak ang kanyang imperyo.

Bagamat wala siyang pagkakilala sa Diyos, kumikilos ang Diyos upang magpakilala sa kanya. Bagamat hinayaan niyang malupig ang kanyang bayan, masisilip na natin na may ginagawa ang Diyos. Nang pumili ang Babilonia ng mga kabataang Israelita na kanilang aalagaan, isiningit ng Panginoon sina Daniel, Hananias, Mishael at Azarias (Belteshasar, Shadrach, Meshac, Abednego) upang kanyang gamitin sa pagpapakilala ng kanyang kaluwalhatian.

The first chance of  Nebuchadnezzar for painless learning is when Daniel gave the interpretation to his dream demonstrating that the God of Daniel is the true God. The king even made a great confession about YHWH-- (Dan.2:47). Akala mo natuto na, pero hindi pa pala.

Next, he made a giant image-- 90 feet high, 9 feet wide. He ordered that everybody must bow down before the image and whoever refuses will be thrown into the furnace. He was furious when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego didn't comply. The flames were made seven times hotter so even the soldiers who pushed the three to the furnace did not survive. Yet  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were unharmed, and a mysterious fourth man accompanied them. Only the ropes that were used to bind the three were consumed by the flames.

For what Nebuchadnezzar witnessed, he issued another great confession about Israel's God (Dan.3:29). Akala mo natuto na, pero hindi pa pala

The king wasted the opportunities for painless learning. So he must learn the hard way.

Sa kalagitnaan ng kapayapaan at kasaganaan, nagkaroon siya ng isang nakababagabag na panaginip. At dahil hindi pa nga siya natuto, muli siyang sumangguni sa mga salamangkero, manghuhula at engkantador ng bayan-- bumalik siya sa mga taong hindi naman nakatulong sa kanya noon. Ipinag-utos pa nga niyang patayin sila noon, pero ngayon ay muli siyang umaasa sa kanila (Dan.2:12). Gaya ng dati, wala nanamang naitulong sa kanya ang mga salamangkero, manghuhula at mga engkantador. Sa puntong ito, ipinatawag niyang muli si Daniel.

The dream severely affected Daniel emotionally that for a while he was unable to speak. Perhaps his facial expression and body language is so unusual so the king urged him to speak out; and he did. Though he won't compromise his faith, Daniel's loyalty to and compassion for the King is unquestionable. After bringing the bad news, he earnestly urged the King to turn from his wicked ways (4:27), but it fell on deaf ears.

Lumipas ang 12 buwan. Gaya ng mayabong, malaki at luntiang puno sa panaginip, ang hari rin naman ay payapang nagpapahinga; masagana ang buhay; walang suliranin; pa- relaks-relaks lang. Ibinuka niya ang bibig ng pagmamataas:

"Talagang dakila na ang Babilonia. Ako ang nagtatag nito upang maging pangunahing lunsod at maging sagisag ng aking karangalan at kapangyarihan." (4:30 Bagong MBB)

Kasunod niyan ay isang tinig mula sa langit:

"Haring Nebucadnezar, pakinggan mo ito: Aalisin na sa iyo ang kaharian. Ipagtatabuyan ka sa parang at doon maninirahan kasama ng mga hayop. Kakain ka ng damo tulad ng baka. Pitong taon kang mananatili sa gayong kalagayan hanggang sa kilalanin mong nasa ilalim ng kapangyarihan ng Kataas-taasang Diyos ang kaharian ng mga tao, at maaari niyang ibigay ito kaninuman niyang naisin." (4:31-32)

At ang mga ito ay natupad nga. Nawala sa katinuan ang pag-iisip ng hari; nawala rin ang kanyang trono at kapangyarihan. Naging asal hayop siya at ang hanap niyang pagkain ay mga damo sa parang. Hindi na rin niya naalagaan ang kanyang sarili kaya lubha siyang pumangit. Hinayaan niyang humaba at kumapal ang kanyang mga buhok at mga kuko. 'Yan ang nangyari sa taong kinikilalang pinakamakapangyarihan sa kanyang kapanahunan.

Lumipas ang mahabang panahon-- pitong oras upang maging eksakto. Bigla na lang bumalik ang katinuan ng pag-iisip ni Nebuchadnezzar. Kinilala niya ang Diyos ng Israel bilang siyang tunay at walang kapantay sa kapangyarihan. Nakapagtataka pa na tila walang naghangad sa trono niya sa loob ng pitong taon gayong ang tao'y likas na sakim sa kapangyarihan. Nakapagtataka rin na hindi kumupas ang katapatan ng kanyang mga tagasunod sa paglipas ng pitong taon. Ito'y pagpapakita lamang na pinamahalaan ng Diyos ang mga pangyayari maging ang puso ng mga tao sa loob at labas ng palasyo. Siya ay iniluklok muli sa kanyang dating mataas na kinalalagyan.

I don't wanna learn the hard way. May Nebuchadnezzar's story be enough to teach me about the sovereignty and loftiness of God, and the proper place for me, a mere creature.

Proper Attitudes Before the Sovereign and Lofty God

1. We must have an attitude of worship. We owe him our love, devotion and service. We must acknowledge him for who he is.

2. We must have an attitude of humility. This is really a barrier to worship. How can we worship him when we are too amazed with who we are and what we have?

3. In promotion, we must faithful. In demotion, we must trust his wisdom.

Sandra McCracken's "In Feast Or Fallow" (acoustic)

When the fields are dry, and the winter is long

Blessed are the meek, the hungry, the poor

When my soul is downcast, and my voice has no song

For mercy, for comfort, I wait on the Lord

In the harvest feast or the fallow ground,

My certain hope is in Jesus found

My lot, my cup, my portion sure

Whatever comes, we shall endure

Whatever comes, we shall endure

On a cross of wood, His blood was outpoured

He rose from the ground, like a bird to the sky

Bringing peace to our violence, and crushing death’s door

Our Maker incarnate, our God who provides.

When the earth beneath me crumbles and quakes

Not a sparrow falls, nor a hair from my head

Without His hand to guide me, my shield and my strength

In joy or in sorrow, in life or in death

"How long will you waver between two opinions?"

1 Kings 18:21

"How long will you waver between two opinions?

If the LORD is God, follow him;

but if Baal is God, follow him."

Two wedding ceremonies were held; for the groom was a Methodist and the bride was a Hindu. Someone asked the man, "How are you going to raise the kids?" The reply was, "That is an unsettled issue yet, but I hope we could come up with some sort of a combination."

How could that be? What kind of combination could they possibly formulate?

Methodism teaches trinitarian monotheism. How could you combine that with Hinduism's pantheism?

Methodism teaches that the universe and everything in it are real things created by God. How could you combine that with Hinduism's view that the material world is a just an illusion, and have its origin in the eternity past as God's thought or his radiation?

Methodism teaches that man's problem is sin-- his rebellion against God that made him worthy of condemnation. How could you combine that with Hinduism's teaching that man's problem is his lostness in illusion in the material world  which seems so real to him.

Methodism teaches that man's solution to man's problem is believing in Christ's person and finished work. How could you combine that with Hinduism's solution: finding God within and realizing our godhood?

Methodism teaches it is appointed unto men to die once and after that, judgment. How could you combine that with Hinduism's thousands of reincarnation for each individual until they are reunited with Brahman, the Divine Totality, like a raindrop falling into the ocean.

It is the view of many today that while Christianity is good, there are also some good things in other belief systems so they should not be totally rejected. Men should pick the good from every religion, mix them together and come up with their own customized religion.

In 1 Kings 18:21, we see the same problem. The people hasn't totally rejected YHWH. Yet while they believe that serving YHWH is good, they also consider serving Baal as equally good. They want to worship YHWH and Baal at the same time. Elijah, YHWH's prophet confronts the people. He tells them that they should make a decision. They have to make a choice. If YHWH is the true God, then they should serve him wholeheartedly without competition. And if Baal is God, then he is the one worthy of their full devotion; they must forsake YHWH.

Joshua, Moses' successor addressed the same problem during his lifetime. After all the miraculous deeds and mighty acts that God has done, the hearts of that stiff-necked people are still attracted to the gods of the Egyptians and the Amorites. Joshua asked them to choose once and for all; but as for him, his stand is fixed and firm. He and his household shall serve the YHWH (Joshua 24:14-15)

Even if you are not attracted to false religions, if there is anything in this world (treasure, dream, career, leisure, etc) that competes with God for your affection, then you should make a choice too. Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (Matthew 6:24)

God demands our total allegiance. He is too majestic to receive a half-hearted love. He is too glorious to receive partial devotion and his splendor deserves nothing less than a complete zeal. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

LOL Lunes: Amerikano pala si Luther

Magmula noong natuklasan ko ang Calibre Ebook Management software, naging "bisyo" ko na ang maghanap ng hindi lamang mga ebooks kundi maging mga magagandang book covers. Sa paghahanap ko ng book cover para isang aklat na isinulat ng Dakilang Repormistang si Martin Luther, sa halip na isang Aleman ang lumabas ay isang Amerikano.

Source: http://www.blackberrysoftware.us/bin/s/blackberry-software_1605.jpg

Books by or about the German Luther:

1. Tabletalk: Luther's Comments on Life, the Church and the Bible

2. Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional

3. Martin Luther: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought (Stephen J. Nichols)

4. Here I Stand (Roland H. Bainton)

The Love That Must Be Stopped (an exposition of 1 John 2:15-17)

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17, NIV 2011 update)

There is this idea that love is a matter of the heart and not of the head. That it is an emotion beyond the power of the will. The cultural usage of the phrase "falling in love" suggests that it is uncontrolled and inevitable. In his book What Jesus Demands From the World, John Piper confirms that love is indeed an emotion, but he adds: "Jesus does command the feelings. He demands that our emotions be one way and not another".¹

To support  his assertion, Piper marshals these Bible proofs:

a.With regards to rejoicing, he demands that we rejoice in persecution (Matt.5:12)

b. With regards to fear, he demands and that we fear not those who can harm only our bodies but fear him who could kill the body and send you to hell (Luke 12:5)

c. He demands that we not feel shame over him (Luke 9:26)

d. He demands that and that we forgive from the heart (Matt. 18:35)

In verse 15 of our text, God through his apostle John issues another command regarding our affections: "Do not love the world or anything in the world". Since this is a command, it demands our obedience. As followers of Christ we are told to not love the world, and if we feel we are having some sweet affair with the world, we have to stop² it at all cost.

But first we have to clarify what this command does NOT mean. The command to not love the world and the things in the world does not mean that we are to hate the physical created universe. After all, it is God who created this universe and was delighted to see its beauty (Gen.1:31). It does not mean we cannot enjoy works of art like secular music and movies (there could be expressions of worldliness in them but not necessarily). It does not mean we have to distance ourselves from pop culture. This is not about hairstyles or fashion. It does not also mean we have that we hate the unbelieving world. After all, we were commanded to love our enemies even those who persecute us. We are mandated to reach the world with the gospel of grace.

What does it mean then? The word "world" in this context means:

"an organized earthly system controlled by the power of the evil one that has aligned itself against God and his Kingdom" (Daniel Akin)³

"This is not a reference to the physical, material world but the invisible system of evil dominated by Satan and all that it offers in opposition to God, his Word, and his people." (John Macarthur)⁴

Whenever you see the prevalence of anti-God ideas and anti-God agenda, that is a part of worldliness (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Wanna feel the power and influence of this system? Go to U.S.A. and speak against the evils of the LGBT agenda. They will surely gang up on you.

Another verse to consider is Romans 12:2a "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The Greek word translated as "world" here is different from the Greek word translated as "world" in 1 John 2:15. Some say that it should be translated as "age". Yet when correlating bible verses, you just don't match words; you also match concepts. The concept Paul is conveying here is the same or at least very close to the Johannine concept of worldliness:

"Better translated “age,” which refers to the system of beliefs, values—or the spirit of the age—at any time current in the world. This sum of contemporary thinking and values forms the moral atmosphere of our world and is always dominated by Satan"⁵

In his exposition of Romans 12:2, James M. Boice mentioned several -isms of worldliness. The -ism of course is a suffix added to a word conveying distinctive doctrines or ideas. Not all -isms are worldly like Calvinism or Dispensationalism, but many of them are. Below are some of the -isms in Boice's list⁶ :

humanism-- humanity is of prime importance, not divine or supernatural matters.
relativism-- no absolute truth; it may be true for you but not for me.
hedonism-- the pursuit of pleasure is the highest goal
materialism-- physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life
pluralism-- all belief systems are valid; Christianity is okay but it needs supplement from other systems

These are just examples of worldly expression of man's hostility to God and his revelation in Scripture. If you subscribe to any of these ideas, you love the world. 

You Might be a World-lover if...

1. You want to fulfill your desires outside of God's revealed will ("the lust of the flesh"  verse 16)

The lust of the flesh is "any sinful desire, any sinful interest, that draws us away from God or at least makes continuing fellowship with him impossible"- Gary Burge⁷

There is nothing wrong with the desire to earn more, for the sake of your family and for the needs of others; but if you earn by dirty business deals or other corrupt means, then you might be a world-lover.

There is nothing wrong with the desire to have a partner but if you want to fulfill it by marrying a unbeliever, then the world could have had captivated your heart.

There is nothing wrong with watching movies, surfing the net or playing video games; but if these activities cause you to neglect prayer, personal bible study and other spiritual disciplines, you  might be in love with the world.

2. Visual delights arouse your desire for sinful acts ("the lust of the eyes" verse 16)

This point is closely connected to the previous one because the eyes are "often the means by which sinful desires are introduced into the mind of the individual." (Danny Akin)⁸ -- Sinful desires could be awakened by sound or smell and other senses but the most often means is the sense of sight.

~ Eve stared at the forbidden fruit and it was pleasing to the eye (Gen.3:6).
~ Achan stared at a luxury robe, silver and gold, and kept them against the Lord's instruction (Joshua 6-7)
~ David stared at bathing Bathsheba, and ends in adultery (2 Samuel 11)
~ The trick is so effective the devil even tried it on Jesus (Matt. 4:8)

Two Philosophers could be helpful here: Plato and Augustine⁹

For Plato: the good, the beautiful, the true, the real is essentially the same thing. That is if there is one beautiful, it must also be good, and true, and real. Using this criterion, the woman on the magazine cover may be visually pleasing but if her appearance is devoid of goodness and truth, then it is not beautiful

Augustine added a Christian flavor to Plato's musings. For him, there is only one good; only one real; only one true; only one beautiful. In saying this, he was not denying that there are other things good, true, real and beautiful. They do exist but only as reflections of God's infinite perfections. Because of that:

a. God is the SOURCE of anything good, true, real and beautiful
b. God is the JUDGE of what is good, true, real and beautiful
c. God's glory is the CHIEF END of all things good, true, real and beautiful.

Thus, when you are captivated by what you see but fail to honor God, you are in love with the world.

“The problem is not that God created the material things in the world. The problem is that people have made these things into idols” (Daniel Akin)¹⁰

3. You measure the worth of yourself and the worth of others by possessions and accomplishments ("the pride of life" verse 16)

The pride of life is "an attitude of pretentious arrogance or subtle elitism that comes from one's view of wealth, rank, or stature in society. It is an overconfidnce that makes us lose any notion that we are dependent on God"-- Gary Burge¹¹

I'm somebody because of my assets and income.
I'm somebody because of my degree and alma mater.
I'm somebody because of my position.
I'm somebody because of good looks.
I'm somebody because of my medals and trophies.

Some Biblical examples
~ Nebuchadnezzar's pride on his projects (Daniel 4:30)
~ Herod's pride on his oratorical skills (Acts 12;21-22)
~ Even religious people can be guilty of this like the Pharisees who were proud about their religious standing and looked down on others(Luke 18:9-12)

Reasons for Breaking this Kind of Love

1. Because if you love the world, you don't love God

I John 2:15b "If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them"

The text says that you either love God and hate his rival or love his rival and hate God. Take one of the world's ideas-- materialism for example, "the idea that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life"¹². The Lord Jesus says,

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

James 4:4 says "... don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God"

If we are divided between loving God and loving the world, it will not end in a 50-50 division. Rather, it will end 0-100, that is zero for God and 100 percent for the world. And if you have two hearts, you will not give one heart for God and one heart for the world. Rather, you will give both hearts to the world.

The Psalmist seems to have understood this, so he prayed "... give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name". (Psalm 86:11)

2. Because of this love's unhappy ending

Fairy tale endings are quite predictable. When the Prince finally marries his Princess, expect the last line to be "and they lived happily ever after". I guess it is a time-tested formula for fictional love stories. People like happy endings.

Soon, unbelieving people will realize that they pursued worthless things. Soon they will see that they have invested in the wrong place. The text says "the world and its desires pass away" (verse 17 a). It's like enjoying your stay at Sodom and hoarding possessions there, only to realize later that you will perish with them. For one of the reasons why God burned Sodom and Gomorrah is to make them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly (2 Peter 2:6).

If you want a happy ending to your love story, love God. Scripture says, "but whoever does the will of God lives forever" (verse 17b). What he prepared for those who love him is not just a happy ending but an eternity of endless joy in his presence.

"May thy dear Son preserve me from this present evil world, so that its smiles never allure, nor its frowns terrify, nor its vices defile, nor its errors delude me."  (The Valley of Vision)¹³

-----------------------------------
NOTES

1. John Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World
2.  In his online free bible commentary on the Johannine corpus, Bob Utley says that the grammatical construction conveys the meaning "to stop an act that is already in progress"
3. Daniel Akin, 1,2,3 John, New American Commentary

4. The Macarthur Study Bible
5. The Macarthur Study Bible
6. James M. Boice, Mind Renewal in a Mindless Age
7. Gary Burge, The Letters of John (NIV Application Commentary)
8. Daniel Akin, 1,2,3 John, NAC
9. See Albert Mohler's "A Christian Vision of Beauty, part 1"
10. Daniel Akin, 1,2,3 John, NAC

11. Gary Burge, The Letters of John (NIVAC)
12. American Heritage Talking Dictionary
13. The Valley of Vision's Facebook Page, March 5,2012 

Ang Simpatya ng Ating Pari sa Langit

 Hebrews 4:14-16

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (NIV 1984)

"Huwag kayong tatalikod!" 'Yan ang pangunahing bilin ng manunulat para sa mga orihinal na tumanggap ng liham na ito. Mangyari kasi, matindi ang pag-uusig laban sa kanila kaya naman malakas ang hatak ng tukso na sila'y bumalik na lamang sa dati nilang relihiyong Judaismo.

Isa sa mga argumento ng manunulat upang hikayatin silang manatili sa Kristiyanismo ay ang paghahambing sa pagkapari ni Hesus sa pagkapari ng mga naglilingkod sa templo ng Judaismo.

Nasaan ang mga pari ng Judaismo? Nasa ibabaw ng lupa.
Nasaan ang punong pari ng Kristiyanismo? Nasa langit.

"... we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God... "

Sinu-sino ang mga pari ng Judaismo? Mga taong mortal.
Sino ang punong pari ng Kristiyanismo? Ang Anak ng Diyos.

"... we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God... " (Hebrews 4:14)

Sa pagkakasulat ng talata 15, tila lumalabas na tumutugon ang manunulat sa isang pagtutol o di kaya ay inuunahan na niya ang isang posibleng pagtutol sa kanyang itinuturo. Komentaryo ni Homer Kent, Jr., "The negative way in which this statement is introduced suggests that rebuttal is being made to an objection."¹ At ang pagtutol na ito ay sa punto ng simpatya. Ano yung simpatya? Ito yung nakaka-relate ka sa nararamdaman ng kapwa mo. Kayong mga mapuputi, malamang ay wala kayong simpatya sa mga taong maiitim na pinipintasan ay inaalaska. Diyan ako lamang sa inyo, nakakasimpatya ako sa kanila.

Ang pagtutol ay ganito:

    "Kung siya ay nasa langit at kami ay nasa lupa, hindi kaya mas maigi na ang lalapitan naming mga pari ay ang mga kapwa namin taga-lupa? Sila ang makakasimpatya sila sa amin."
     "Kung siya ay Anak ng Diyos at kami ay mga tao lamang, hindi kaya mas maigi na ang lalapitan naming mga pari ay ang mga kapwa namin mga tao rin? Sila ang makakasimpatya sila sa amin."

Heto ang sagot ng manunulat sa pagtutol na iyan: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin." (v.15)

Ang punto ng manunulat, si Hesus bagamat siya ay Impeccable, ibig sabihin bilang Diyos ay hindi siya nagkakasala, ang pinagdaanan niyang mga tukso ay mga tunay na tukso. Ang mga tagumpay niya laban sa kasalanan ay pinaghirapan at pinagsikapan. Komentaryo ni Leon Morris:"... though Jesus did not sin, we must not infer that life was easy for him. His sinlessness was, at least in part, an earned sinlessness as he gained victory after victory in the constant battle with temptation that life in this world entails."² Mas matindi pa nga ang mga pinagdaanan niya kasi tayo, konting effort lang ni Satanas, bumibigay na tayo sa kasalanan samantalang siya, hindi bumibigay. Ibig sabihin, todo-effort si Satanas sa pagtukso sa kanya. Dahil naranasan niya ang hirap ng pakikipagtunggali laban sa kasalanan, nakakasimpatya siya sa ating mga kahinaan.

Mahirap bang magpakabanal sa mga oras na...
    ... ikaw ay gutom at walang maisaing? Dinaanan ni Hesus 'yan at nanatiling banal (Mateo 4:2)
    ... ikaw ay mawalan ng mahal sa buhay? Dinaanan ni Hesus 'yan at nanatiling banal (Juan 11:33-36)
    ... ikaw ay traydorin, ipagkanulo o iwanan ng mga kaibigan? Dinaanan ni Hesus 'yan at nanatiling banal (Mateo 26:14-16; Luke 22:60; Marcos 14:50)
    ... ikaw ay pagbintangan ng kasinungalingan at pagkaitan ng katarungan? Dinaanan ni Hesus 'yan at nanatiling banal (Mateo 26:60)

At dahil marunong makisimpatya sa atin ang ating pari sa langit, ito ang pinagagawa ng manunulat sa atin: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. " (4:16 a)

Sa ilalim ng matandang tipan, ang "high priest" ang nag-iisang tao na maaaring lumapit sa presensya ng Diyos. Subalit sa bagong tipan, lahat ng mananampalataya ay may kalayaang lumapit sa kanya.

Sa ilalim ng matandang tipan, nakakalapit lamang ang high priest minsan sa isang taon tuwing Day of Atonement.  Subalit sa bagong tipan, malaya tayong lumapit sa Diyos anumang oras.

Idagdag mo pa diyan ang katotohanang ang mga sinaunang hari ay hindi basta-basta maaaring lapitan. Maging ang Reynang si Esther ay nakipagsapalaran nang lumapit siya sa asawa niyang hari na hindi naman siya ipinapatawag. Subalit dahil sa ating pari sa langit, malaya tayong lumapit sa ating hari. Ang trono ng Diyos para sa ating mga mananampalataya ay hindi "throne of judgment" kundi "throne of grace". Ang matatanggap natin ay grasya at habag.

"Pero hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin ko sa aking paglapit sa kanya." Nakakapagpagaan ng loob na tayo ay sinasabihan na lumapit ng may "confidence". At ayon pa nga sa isang pang iskolar, ito raw ay maaaring isalin bilang "bold frankness"³; malaya tayong maging honest sa kung ano pakiramdam natin at kung ano ang saloobin natin. Siyempre hindi ito nangangahulugan na tayo ay lalapit sa kanya nang walang kalakip na paggalang at pagsamba. Diyos pa rin siya na dapat sambahin. Pero ito ang tiyak, hindi niya kamumuhian ang sinumang lumalapit sa kanya nang may pagpapakumbaba (Awit 51:17)

--------------------------------

 NOTES:

1 Homer A. Kent, Jr., The Epistle to the Hebrews, p.91

2 Leon Morris, Hebrews (EBC)

3 William Lane, Hebrews (WBC). Cited in George's Guthrie's Hebrews (NIVAC)

Enter In

Petra

The Curse and the Cross

May isang pangungusap na madalas kong marinig sa usapan ng ibat ibang tao. Tila ba halos lahat ng nasa paligid ay marunong magsabi ng "God bless you" o ang mas maiksing "God bless".

Kasabay ng kaway pamamaalam, sinasambit nila "God bless!"
Sa chat, "Sign-out na ako, 'God bless na lang'
Sa text messaging, "TY po! GBU" (pinaiksing thank you at God bless you)

Halos lahat yata ng bati ay ay puwedeng dugtungan nito.

"Happy Birthday, God bless!"
"Best Wishes, God bless!"
"Happy Graduation, God bless!"

Bukod sa pagsambit nito para sa mga indibiduwal, puwede rin ito para sa mga grupo. "God bless the PNP" o "God bless the AFP"


Naririnig ko ring sinasambit ito para sa mga bansa. Sa takot ng mga Kano matapos ang 9/11 terrorists attacks, madalas nilang sabihin "God bless America!" Mula naman kay Bro. Eddie Villanueva at sa mga tulad niyang walang kasawa-sawa sa pagpapapaniwala sa mga bulaang propetang nagsasabi na may "prophetic destiny" raw ng bansang Pilipinas, madalas kong marinig ang "God bless the Philippines!"

Tulad ng ibang mga pangungusap na bukambibig ng karamihan, maaaring sa iba ay "expression" na lang ito na hindi na napag-iisipan kung ano ang kahulugan. Subalit kung ito ay nauunawaan at sasambitin ng taos-puso para sa iyong kapwa, ito ay napakaganda. Nagpapahayag ito na nais mong maranasan ng iyong kapwa ang kabutihan, habag, pag-ibig at kagandahang-loob ng Diyos.

When we are sincere in saying "God bless you", two things could be said about us. First, we mirror the character of our God who is perfectly kind. Sa Genesis pa lang, makikita mo na agad na siya ay isang mapagpalang Diyos:
     a. In Creation-- 1:26-28
     b. In the Post-Flood world-- 9:1
     c. To Abraham and his descendants-- 12:1-2

Second, We fulfill the New Testament command "bless and do not curse"-- even to those who perseute us (Rom. 12:14)

Having mentioned Rom.12:14, I would like you to notice that an antonym for "bless" is right before us; it is the word "curse". The Greek word is kataraomi which is defined by Louw and Nida's lexicon as:

"to cause injury or harm by means of a statement regarded as having some supernatural power, often because a deity or supernatural force has been evoked."¹

In the ancient times, and even in the modern times, people believe that by uttering words, you either bring good or bad on other parties. We have a biblical example for this in Numbers 22 where Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel. We have pop-culture examples like Alice Bungisngis, the teenage witch whom  I saw on TV one day who said "Madapa ka sana!" at nadapa nga yung kaaway niya. And sadly we have examples from our own camp, professing evangelical Christians who adapted the lies of Positive confession (false) teachers like Kenneth Copeland who preaches messages like "You are the prophet of your own life" and Kenneth Hagin who tells his followers to declare "I am healed" no matter how severe the symptoms are.

However, one thing I am happy about is on the realization that man-made curses have no effect on those whom God has blessed (Num.22:12; Gen. 12:3). A dozen witches may form a coalition to cast spells against you but if you are blessed by God, no amount of man-made or even Satanic curses can harm you. For God is sovereign; when he stretches his hand, no one could turn it back (Isaiah 14:27)

But here is our real problem: the whole world is not under a man-made curse, but a curse from God himself.

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." ~Gal.3:10

Objection Bro. Manny! God is love. God is good all the time; and all the time God is good. He gives blessings. He never curses.

Objection overruled (Gen. 3:19, 8:21, 9:11, 11:25, Deut. 28:15 ff.)

R. C. Sproul suggests the simplest way to understand what it means for a Jew to be cursed is to reverse the meaning of the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24-26

The Priestly Blessing:

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

The Priestly Blessing reversed:

"May the LORD curse you and abandon you.

May the LORD keep you in darkness and give you only judgment without grace.

May the LORD turn his back upon you and remove his peace from you forever"²

To be cursed by God then is not just him withdrawing his favors but him working against you.

One key verse is Galatians 3:13: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

Sa mga karatig-talata nito, lumalabas na may mga bulaang guro na nakapasok sa iglesya sa Galacia; at kanilang ipinagkakalat na kung nais mong mapabilang at manatiling kabilang sa mga taong kinalulugdan ng Diyos, kinakailangang ikaw ay magpatuli at sundin ang mga nakasaad sa Mosaic Law. Kinagat ito ng mga tao.

Prideful man takes delight in the thought of being able to secure right standing before God by what he does. Human nature hasn't changed. This is confirmed by our experience in using Evangelism Explosion's diagnostic question #2: "Suppose you were to die today and stand before God and he were to say to you 'Why should I let you into my heaven?' What would you say?

Ang mga kadalasang sagot nila ay: "Sinisikap ko namang magpakabuti" o  "Wala naman akong tinatapakang tao" at iba pang works-based soteriology.

Paul saw such attitude as directly opposite to the gospel of grace. In verse 10, he asserts that those who rely on their merits measured by their adherence to the law are under a curse. He supports his assertion by quoting the law itself! (Deuteronomy 27:26). Thomas Schreiner reduced Paul's argument in a syllogism:

Those who don't do everything required by the law are cursed (v.10b)
 No one does everything required by the law (implied)

 Therefore, those who are of the works of the law are cursed (v.10a)³

James M. Boice comments:

“The law- is not a collection of stray and miscellaneous parts, some of which may be conveniently disregarded. It is a whole, and must be kept in all its parts if it is to be considered kept at all. The point is not that justification cannot come by keeping the law, at least theoretically, but that a curse is attached to any failure to keep it, no matter how small. Since all fail, all are under the curse. Paul is assuming the universality of sin in this quotation.”⁴

Woe is me! I am under God's curse. How can I escape from it?

Paul's answer is through Christ who gave his life on the cross to take the curse in behalf of those who would believe in him. The curse motif is very close to the penal substitution facet of the atonement. In my place, cursed he stood. The reversed priestly blessing was applied on Christ instead of being applied to me. He who has always been with the Father from eternity past, enjoying the sweetness of Trinitarian Fellowship was abandoned by his Father, because of the curse which was supposed to be upon us.

Moreover, he did not only rescue his people from the curse, he also placed them in a state of blessing (Galatians 3:14)

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Footnotes:

1 J.P Louw and Eugene Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains

2 R.C. Sproul Sr., The Curse Motif of the Atonement, 2008 T4G Conference

3 Thomas Schreiner, Galatians (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), p.204

4 James Boice, Galatians, Expositor's Bible Commentary

Kenneth Copeland: Visiting the Facebook Pages of Prosperity Preachers, part 4

Quotes from John Piper, J.C. Ryle, and The Valley of Vision. These are what I usually see in my news feed. The insights they offer are truly edifying; truly soul-nourishing.

I wonder what if the Lord has not enlightened me on the evils of the Word-of-Faith Movement? What if I was left in darkness listening and reading these dangerous teachers? What would appear on my news feed if the Lord has not kept me away from their clutches?

On March 30, 2012, I decided to visit the Facebook Walls/Timelines of some of the big names in the movement.Their Facebook posts appears in red in this series.

"The force of faith that comes from the Word in your heart brings life and health to your flesh."

In the Historic Protestant view,, biblical faith has three essential elements: Notitia, Assensus and Fiducia. This is how R. C. Sproul's Ligonier Ministries define each  element:

Notitia. Notitia refers to the content of faith, or those things that we believe. We place our faith in something, or more appropriately, someone. In order to believe, we must know something about that someone, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Assensus. Assensus is our conviction that the content of our faith is true. You can know about the Christian faith and yet believe that it is not true. Genuine faith says that the content — the notitia taught by Holy Scripture — is true.

Fiducia. Fiducia refers to personal trust and reliance. Knowing and believing the content of the Christian faith is not enough, for even demons can do that (James 2:19). Faith is only effectual if, knowing about and assenting to the claims of Jesus, one personally trusts in Him alone for salvation.

Kenneth Copeland radically redefined faith and so distanced himself not just from the Reformers but the entire evangelical community. Copeland says, "Faith is a power force. It is a tangible force." According to Copeland's Facebook post, this force brings life and health to the body. And the way to release this force so you can benefit from it is by the words you say because "Words are spiritual containers" and "force of faith is released by words."

Copeland's god is not omnipotent because he himself is dependent on this force. Copeland explains "God cannot do anything for you apart or separate from faith... faith is God's source of power." He says that the proper translation of  Mark 11:22 is "Have the faith OF God". Furthermore, he teaches that God created the world by HIS own faith and uses Hebrews 11:3 as a (twisted) proof text.

In Evangelism Explosion's "The Chair Illustration", the goal is to show the prospect how to transfer trust from personal good works to trust in Jesus Christ and to what he did on the cross. This is done by leaving one's chair and transferring to another chair.

Faith then has an object, and the object of faith must be  God himself. The question then is, in Copeland's view, who is the object of faith? It cannot be God because he himself is dependent on this faith. The answer: the object of faith in Copeland's system is faith itself. It is faith in faith. This is the chair upon which Copeland sits on: an impersonal force.