Tuesday 30 August 2016

Jude #3 -The Body of Moses Dispute?

Once in a while the Bible throws a curved ball at you.  In other words, something with no clear connection surfaces and it just so happens Jude is 'weird central' for this.  In Jude #2 I tried to fill in the blanks and offer a model of what may be happening with the opening three story comparisons.  For this it is easy to draw a blank! Nowhere is the Bible do we find another connecting verse or story:

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Just to correct the NIV here, the KJV includes 'contend' with and shows Jude is back to his main point of contending for the faith. Why don't we hear of this dispute before?  Is there any place we can hang our hat over this?  Here are some things we can draw from the above altercation...


  • Michael and the devil had a dispute
  • We don't get to see the nature of the dispute
  • In the dispute the devil brought a false accusation against 'someone.'
  •  It is not fitting for Michael to be the judge even when right
There have been many explanations for what this refers to and we can start by making a strong assumption.  Moses died having been banned from getting into the Promised Land.   He was buried (by God!) in an unmarked grave in the valley of Moab (Deut 34).  It was as if God had him die as the text says he wasn't really expiring.  Many feel this was harsh of God and some stumble to find out why this strange occurrence happened.  

What Moses demonstrated to Israel

On two occasions Moses was to draw water from a rock.  On the first occasion in Horeb he was required to strike the rock with his staff.  Water poured out from that rock and the people drank (Exodus 17).  The second time the people were thirsty and God commanded Moses to speak to the rock.  After attributing the miracle to himself (error number 1)  he struck the rock instead of speaking to it.  Paul helps us in 1 Cor 10 by reminding us that that rock was Christ.  So the story speaks of a very serious thing indeed.

Israel were party to the death of Jesus.  So we can say that Moses striking the rock (Christ) was his murder by the Jews and authorities. The plan was that the resurrection would underline Messiah and they would believe.  All they have to do is speak to the risen Messiah.  Moses actions in striking instead of speaking was a grave warning to Israel that striking Jesus a second time is rejection of Messiah.  In an enormous gesture towards warning Israel, Moses is denied entry to show that EVEN Moses, with all his God-accompaniment, heritage and calling HAD TO speak to the risen Messiah to gain salvation.   So this may form part of the dispute with Michael and the devil, i.e what is Moses status having been barred for the Promised Land?

Some simply say that the devil wanted to set up a shrine to Moses and was miffed because the location of his body was not known.  The devil knows people would flock to worship if they could find a gathering place.  All speculation but good to knock some ideas about.

By  far the most important thing to take from this verse is to NOT try to rebuke the devil or demons.  Stand firm.  Wear the armour (Eph 6).  The battle belongs to the Lord.

Gary Ward


Monday 22 August 2016

Called, Loved, Kept - Jude #1

So I did verses 4-7 before 1-3.  Jude points out in 4-7 that it is a grave situation to have 'certain men' invade the body of believers.  When we look at the opening of the letter we get a grasp of how Jude considers those who believe.  When we did this in our house group my son pointed out that Jude is describing the beloved believers before he enters into comparisons of what their 'settling alongside' really is about.  In the first of these observations on Jude we find the invasion isn't just a small matter but two realms that shouldn't have anything to do with each other.  Why such terms?

In verse 1 Jude used three terms that are better explained from the King James Version.   The KJV says:

Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

Here we find that Jude is comprehensively saying that these he is writing to are believers.  When someone believes on the Lord and has been forgiven the Bible says they are justified.  When this occurs we can safely say they are called out of this world to become separate from it.  The process of setting apart occurs throughout life and this is sanctification.  So 'called' and 'sanctified' are the terms that denote these are believers.   The third term included in this verse is wonderful.  In Greek it is 'tereo' and has the idea of 'protecting from loss or injury by keeping an eye upon.'  When we are called by God and He is working out his purposes He is also keeping an eye on us to protect us from a variety of things.  Isn't that wonderful to know the Lord cares about our safety!

Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

We can easily skip over this as one of those 'standard starts to a letter.' Let's just stop for a second to take on board the implications of being called, sanctified and watched over.  Peace with God is a result of being called out and justified.  Love is what has the Lord watch over us as we go.   Mercy is what we are under as we trip and stumble in the sanctification process.  Jude wants these, mercy, peace and love to be an increasing measure as the believers walk this out.     It's especially good to know mercy can increase if you are an Olympic stumbler like me!  

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

This is an example of how the Holy Spirit redirects someone who had their own intention but then changes to respond to an urgent and pressing burden.  How do we know it was the Holy Spirit and not just himself?  Because it is in the Canon of Scripture!  The theme of false teachers and invaders into the body of believers is a super-strong theme in the New Testament.  What is at risk is the 'faith'
or, the content to which you put your trust in.  From the word 'pistis' in Greek we see the crisis is what is our persuasion, our conviction.  The seriousness of putting faith in false, wrong or perversions of truth has obvious consequences.  

Jude holds the believers to be of another nature.  His esteem of 'salvation' is demonstrated that his original intention was to write to them about it.  He sees the believers in the highest regard, not 'of' this world and belonging to God as his possession.  Verses 4-7 has Jude use certain examples that have themes and connected subject matter that demonstrate the men who have entered in by stealth not only invade that which is not 'of' them but their intention in entering is to sow their seed amongst the people of faith in Jesus Christ.  We are to strengthen selves and others to be able to discern and oppose such teaching and those who teach it.  That is to 'contend.'  

Gary Ward



Sunday 21 August 2016

False Teachers and Jude #2

In Jude's epistle we see a general appeal to contend for the faith.  Let's take it from verse 4:
 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.
 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgement on the great Day
.In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
Italics, bold and divisions mine.

It is useful to know that the word 'Hebrew' means to travel, traverse, pass through.  This theme is something the Bible never stops talking about.  The Greek word that describes these men entering in has 'eis' which means to enter but with the idea of 'movement into.'  Jude uses the following three examples assuming the reader will fill in the blanks because they 'know these things already.'  

The people travelling towards the Promised Land were in the desert, a place of faith and obedience.  When they got to the proximity spies were sent in.  The report from the majority was a fear filled response and because of this a generation was wiped out.  Jude doesn't labour on the story and assumes the readers are familiar with the detail.  If I was to say 'Calvary,' what would readily appear in a believers mind would be several factors associated with Jesus' crucifixion. It appears Jude relies on this for the reader to make sense of the three passages.  God destroyed the people because they were not trusting him and thus could not enter the Promised Land.  Watch for this theme of 'entry-into.' 

Why did the people not believe?

Why does Jude go from the destruction of the unbelievers to the abandoning Angels?  Because one of the reasons they wouldn't enter was because of Nephilim, 'giants.'  Jude seems to assume the reader will connect the two because they are would readily bring to mind why they didn't enter.  The Angels who left their places and their habitation may be the 'Sons of God' in Genesis 6.  These Angels came into this realm and somehow impregnated beautiful women of the earth.  There are several other theories but Jude's Epistle, if I am modelling this correctly, confirms the Angelic theory and subsequent Nephilim race of half breeds.  This second example has a theme of entry into our realm and the pursuit of flesh not of their own, an entering-into theme. 

Why did the Angels leave their dwelling places?

The third example seals it for me. It is stated 'likewise'  or 'similarly.'  So something about the Angels abandoning their appointed places and Sodom and Gomorrah is similar.  What we find in this third story is the Homosexuals pursuing the Angels.  Jude has assumed the reader has looked at the abandoning Angels example, linked it to why they abandoned it, and seen the two occasions Angels and humans are involved.  The NIV fails here but the KJV tells us the homosexuals were 'going after strange flesh,'  another entering-into theme.  

All three examples have themes of the defilement of Divine entry that brings Judgement.  Because the whole subject matter is the men 'entering into alongside believers,' Jude is showing how serious and grave the situation is. False teachers, as these men turn out to be, are described as not just wrongly applying something of God.  It's not just people stuffing up... it is an abomination for them to be alongside God's blessed children at all.  The examples show the intent to pursue was to sow their seed among that which was not 'of' them.  Their intention towards and their being their at all are two themes here.  The people in the desert were pursuing a safety and security as they approached their entry point.  Unbelieving people cannot enter the Promised Land as the Promise requires faith.  They were not 'of' it in their unbelief.  The Angels were pursuing flesh not 'of' them.  The Homosexuals were also pursuing flesh not 'of' them.  In all the examples their intention was wicked 

The Men who crept in among the believers  'by stealth'  are not 'of' believers, yet entered anyway.   

A while ago I was talking to some friends who are believers and they couldn't see why certain characters are in my 'red' compartment.  I have a red / amber / green system for assessing whether someone is a false teacher or not.  Red is 'danger' as you'd expect.  Amber has people who are just slack in my opinion in certain areas.  Green is my larder of Bible Teachers.  There's a good selection in there and not all agree 100% doctrinally with me on some things.   These friends have not taken seriously the threat of false teaching and lets them off the hook.  Jude absolutely slams them in terms that couldn't be stronger.

It's a sign of the last days I'm afraid.  In Jude v17 we have a situation that pops up now and again where what is true of Jude's day will be especially true, or of increasing measure, in the last days.  Friends this is the end of days and there's more false teachers around than you think.  Ask God to give you a keen discernment and eyes to seek and rout out the invaders.  This is to contend.

Gary Ward
  

Tuesday 16 August 2016

The Theatre of Religion

Christianity is classed as one of the great Religions.  That is to say, it has been an option for someone seeking God to choose.  It has a Theology and characters that constitute its history. Christianity has many famous followers who did great things in their life.  Many feel they are a true Christian because they live in a Christian country, were baptised as a baby or they generally want good things to happen.    Even more serious people who actually go to church to worship would count that as their Christian faith.  I know people who don't believe Jesus was a real person or the Bible is God's word.  They just identify with the aspiration for high morals and ethical hygiene.  Millions of people around the world think that these things in and of themselves will make their souls be with Jesus when the inevitable death scenario comes about.  This Religion I have just described with not get you into Heaven the same way a supporter walking around Old Trafford on a visit doesn't make you a Manchester United player (google it).

A person who is truly born from above (John 3) means they have been confronted by the reality that Jesus died on the cross in their place because they are in rebellion against God.  The subsequent contrite asking for forgiveness from God is met with a fulfilment of the promise to give the new believer a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:24f).  Its an actual transaction that takes place as the sinner realises Jesus took the punishment for their sin.

So we have two things that are going on.  One is true conversion and journey of discipleship, the other is being in a category.  The Bible tells us in the last days there will be many who will be in a category rather than be actually walking in faith and repentance.  It happened in the Prophets where those professing faith were just playing out a scenario of religion, going through the motions, not really believers.  In Jesus day many of the Pharisees were walking out a version of faith but Jesus continually slammed them.  Today a great number of church goers are practising a membership to a fraternity instead of walking in a genuine child-of-God authenticity.

If you are a person who is in a category rather than in Christ you are in the theatre of Religion.  It has a stage, props, actors and a liturgy.  It is fake and being around things associated with Christ will forever keep you ticking the 'christian' box yet will never save your soul.  The sooner you come to reassess the events around Calvary, how Jesus came to ACTUALLY rescue your soul, the sooner you will see that merely playing a part in the play is futile.  When you truly turn to God for forgiveness of rebellion against Him, then you can take part in walking out God's will and purpose.  A believer who truly does this will escape the coming Judgement.  That is not theatre... it is reality.

Gary Ward


Saturday 13 August 2016

How God speaks...

One of my favourite things in the New Testament is seeing how the Lord moved people.  In Ezekiel 36 we are told that God had plans to give us a new heart and a new spirit and He would move us to follow His decrees.  In Jude we find he is wanting to write about one subject but is compelled to change the subject.  What we find is a canonical epistle... obviously God had other plans.  Jude was directly moved to write the letter but what are the ways in which God speaks to us?

1  Through His Word

The primary way God speaks is through His word, the Bible.  Some have argued that it cannot tell you where to go and be a missionary, if that's what is in your heart to do.  But it does work within us to help us have a heart that is receptive to God's leading.  God's word gives us examples of what God's sending actually is.  Many go without the preparation for the task.  The Bible has been clear, repeatedly, that anyone used of God will be subject to the heavy hand of preparation.  The great commission was given to men who had been prepared by Jesus.  That is the message:  God will prepare you and send you.' It isn't just 'go.'  Read Galatians and observe Paul's overview of his preparation.

2 The Leading of the Holy Spirit

In tandem with (1) The Holy Spirit will give desires and leading over certain things.  It feels like a nagging in the core self.  Sometimes God's will and purposes are something we find we are walking in and the process of being led has not been detectable.  What is for sure is that God lets us know if we are not walking in stride with Him and that can be a lack of peace.  If this happens we will be looking to the Lord for clarity.  Read all of Philippians.

3 Direct Word

Some people have heard an audible voice.  I haven't, but I have had words somehow spoken as a still small voice.  It was confusing because it was not a very important issue compared with some things I've had to walk through.  The lesson is that He wants us to walk out tricky scenarios because in this was we grow and have our faith increased.  Want God's voice?   He has spoken through his Son according to Hebrews, read the opening verses.

4 Council of the wise

After we have got green lights from (1) and (2) we would lay the thing before wise council.  Other people who have demonstrated their maturity can speak into the situation.  When I wanted to marry Helen the Bible says its a good thing, it felt like the Lord had brought her to me but I still laid it before the wise to get some perspectives.  Sometimes God can give you a leading that seems crazy to others so balance is needed with this one.  Think of two people you know will tell you the truth.  Just to be clear... your spouse IS the first port of call!  Proverbs tells us directly that we are to seek out wise council which includes God's word.

5 Circumstances

If you feel a calling to something but it isn't tied to things that make it possible it may be your own dreams.  God requires us to step out without resource but we must wave the white flag at some point when we are not seeing the venture being met by provision.  I got on a plane without a job to move to Australia based on God's leading.  I placed a six week limit on gaining employment before I gave up the ideals.  I got a job on day 1.  One guy at Bible College was wondering where the Lord wanted him.  On entering the Principals office he saw a packet of Brazil Nuts.  Eureka! I'm being called to Brazil!   Let's not take this as a stand-alone way God speaks.

6 Spiritual 'gifts'

The correct terminology is 'graces' and Paul speaks about the 'spirituals.'  So God enables us to issue forth spiritual things by His grace.  If we only rely on this, and some do, we are in big trouble.  People said things to me in the early days and I took it that it was a word from God.  Thankfully no-one said anything really directive.  One guy told me I was 'of the Devil' but has since apologised.  In combination with the other elements of God speaking, the gifts are confirmatory.  Jesus operated in the gifts and it is right to thing that we can issue forth withing the boundaries laid down by scripture.

7 Creation

Many see the Lord speaking to them through Creation.  Romans 1 tells us that everybody knows in their heart there's a God because of what is seen.  In that sense Creation speaks to everyone and it would probably be in the combination of the above to gain specific information.

Once God spoke to me through a movie and sometimes songs.  We can't really limit God except when we are not open to His voice.  By making Jesus Lord we prioritise what He thinks over our own opinions.  A lifestyle of submission, abandonment and yielding will set us in the ballpark for hearing God's voice and allowing it to override the voice of self.  Let me know if I missed any!

Gary Ward

Do Share











Tuesday 2 August 2016

Evidence you're saved?

Terminology crisis alert!  The word 'saved' is used by many Christians to describe how we become followers of Jesus.  It has some complexities to it that are well worth looking into.  Today however I wanted to describe something that will become evidence that you are.. ahem... saved.  Many report a strange interest in God's word, a deep conviction of sin.  Some a renewed appreciation of creation or a laying down of the will to make 'self' king of everything.  These are all valid experiences but it all comes from a scriptural process of what is really happening.

We call them the 'beatitudes' and they are at the beginning of Matthew 5.  Jesus was speaking to a people to whom the commandments had become a stick to be beaten with.  Instead of the Law being a list of boundaries in which to live a blessed life, they had become a threat to the people at the hands of Men.  So along comes Jesus and relays the 'blessed are...' statements.  At the end of the whole discourse people were astonished and amazed.  Some have argued from the Greek word for 'astonished' that it can read they were 'exceedingly and abundantly flattened out.'

 Once I was at a chiropractor in Leeds in the UK.  I had problems with the lower back for years and had MRI's etc.  So we had recommended a guy called Martin who it turns out was from South Africa.  I had an initial assessment where he did an experiment to demonstrate how my hips are twisted thus causing a leg to be a little shorter than the other.  This led to issues with walking, sciatica... I'm sure you don't want a run down of my medical exam.  Long story short, he suspected this was the issue and proved to me with a wedge under my right foot.  It solved the problem!  For so long I had wondered what was wrong, obviously being male suspecting the very worst diagnosis but Martin nailed it and showed me he had indeed nailed it.  It was simply a case of periodic treatment to realign my hips and tie my legs in knots for a couple of minutes.  I was amazed and relieved and not a little in awe of his ability and professionalism.  I sat dazed for a few moments as he filled some notes in as if I was lighter than air, all the weights, frustration and turmoil gone!   When he demonstrated what was happening I nearly fell over!  I can only imaging this is a fraction of the way Jesus' audience felt as He relayed the Sermon on the Mount.  People unable to articulate what they heard, they just lay on the floor smiling and laughing as the truth destroyed the years of baseball-bat handling of the Law.   At least that's what I imagine.

The 'Blessed are...' statements are not just random things left for us to decipher.  They are describing the modus operandi of the spirit led life.  In other words, you are blessed when {fill in the blank} because this is what happens to true believers.  So we can examine the statements and ask if they are happening in our lives.

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.

This is about measurement.  How do we see ourselves in relation to God Almighty?  There is no neutral position here.  Some will say they don't believe in God but that is because they think they run the show.  Ipso facto they have wrongly measured God and their own spirit is in contention with God.  When we come to the Lord having been implicated by Jesus death on the cross we are made able to see how God has planned for our rescue.  The very first thing we detect in ourselves is the realisation  of the holy and righteous God... He exists and he is omni-EVERYTHING!  For the person who has been accosted by God's Spirit, we bring ourselves low before Him.  This initial act is what is in line with God's will and purpose - to have all things to become calibrated towards the will of Jesus.  So, because we have begun that process of knowing He is the mighty God and we are not, we are immediately qualified for the kingdom of God, the place where Jesus is King in heaven and soon to come back to be King of the whole Earth.  So first we have right measurement which instantly brings the next response...

2. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted

Once we catch a glimpse of the power and might of God it instantly reflects quite badly on us.  We have to be faced with God's perfect holiness and righteousness.  This brings about a mournfulness, a grieving at our own shortfall, the impact of sin in the world.  We begin to research Jesus in the gospels we see something other-than.  With the help of the Holy Spirit we experience a deep desperation about our sin.  But this is the point when we have to realise we are in good hands.  The text tells us we will be comforted in this but let's not miss what's being said here.  Those who mourn will be 'called near' to God.    This calling near is how the Lord has us see two sides of the same coin.  Firstly we are wretched but also adopted children.  As we come to our Father broken and in recognition of that brokenness, we realise the Father already knew all about it and it's us who are shocked by our rebellion!  The Father lovingly deals with us.  If we won't do the next bit... we are in big trouble!

3.  Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the Earth

We have realised God is mighty yet Fatherly.  This leads to us laying down our own sense of strength.  Meekness is knowing you could affect this and that but choosing not to in favour of God's intervention.  In the 'poor in spirit' and 'mourning for sin two things are happening at once:  Our beings don't shape up alongside God (Poor in Spirit) but then our 'doing' is also horribly opposed to God (Mourning for sin).  It's an unpleasant predicament with only one desired outcome... yield, abandon and submit everything to God!  The freedom of handing all over to the Lord is quite a thing.  However, we have things that we haven't handed over or things we keep taking back.  This is when we get all self-resourceful.  Many of our struggles and being disciplined by God is because we won't submit, abandon and yield to God.  That's why some things have happened that fell flat on its face!  These three mechanisms in the spiritual life is to get you to this place....

4.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled

This is the place where the Lord wants us.  This is a core longing that has particular intensity.  It is a result of the first three working in tandem to create a longing to be like Jesus.  As we press into the Lord to satisfy this hunger and thirst we begin a lifestyle of faith and repentance.  Faith is needed to walk in the truths of what God says about us and Him in this fallen, counter-God world.  Repentance is needed because we will get tripped up by things along the way.  God has already imputed righteousness into all true believers but we can also be nudged towards righteous living as we stay in proximity to the Lord.

The rest of them

The rest of the 'blessed are...' sayings are the implication of walking in these Spirit led ways.  As we read the rest of them we find they are about attitudes coming out and flowing into the world you live in.  This is Jesus living through a person, countering the world that is opposed to peacemaking, purity and mercy.  We also find persecution as this is walked out.

If you are a believer and you have never encountered the strange discomfort of conviction of sinfulness or the inner desires described, I would check you have really come to the Lord in genuine contrition and received a new heart and a new spirit.  The spiritual poverty, mourning, unyielded strength and  deep desire to be like Jesus are all working in tandem as we walk this out.  As described, it can be demonstrated that one impacts another in order, but it really is a combination when walked out in life.  If this is all a mystery and you have never even tasted any of this, be concerned.  So many people have not truly repented and for one reason or another call themselves 'saved' yet merely belong to a category or religious institution.  On the other hand if you find yourself familiar with the above diagnostic, thank God!  You are a son who is being brought up by a loving Father.  Isn't it good that we have revealed to us the very process God would use to have us issue forth the Lord in this world.  We are SO loved.

Gary Ward