Three Views of Christmas

This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain or a gospel minister in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.

All Scripture quotes are usually taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs (). These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages, or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s culture.

ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize words in a text, or to make a comment about a biblical text, or emphasize a statement.!

It’s the time of year we celebrate Christmas. I have been thinking that there really are three, not two, kinds of Christmas celebrations. Three different ways people have of looking at December 25th, and the season surrounding it.

FIRST, there is the totally secular Christmas, or what seems to sound better to those that worry about being politically acceptable, "The Holidays." This view of Christmas ignores Jesus and focuses on winter traditions, present getting and parties.

Some inmates, like a great part of American society, want to be part of this type of Christmas. They don’t know or care that the word Christmas has to do with the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Christ. If free, they might enjoy decorating their homes with lights, but would deliberately avoid any display that might suggest Jesus.

This view of Christmas might even include those that state they are moderate followers of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Because they classify themselves as moderates (or if Jewish, "reformed") they are not threatened by their family or their religious center for taking part in the secular Christmas.

They ignore the word Christ in Christmas - and see the holiday as having very little to do with the biblical Jesus. Their interest and involvement centers of Santa, winter scenes, seasonal food and of course, presents.

Biblically they come under verses like Psalm 10:3-4.

3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; he blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD (this LORD is the God revealed in the Bible – the great covenant keeping "I Am")
4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.

NEXT, there is the view of Christmas that only includes Jesus. I call it the religious Christmas. It acknowledges some things about Jesus, but it is not completely Christian or accurately biblical. Those that are part of this observance love to sing the great Christmas Carols, but they don’t seek to understand, or believe and obey the message of the songs they love to sing.

Recently I heard a man outside a store singing, "No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found…" And then, with even more enthusiasm a few minutes later he sang, "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose…" That’s an example of what I’m saying.

The Jesus of this type, or view of Christmas, can be called, a plastic Jesus. Celebrators enjoy decorating their homes with lights and even displays that include Jesus, but for them the real Lord, Jesus - the Christ, is lost under the other trappings and decorations.

Not too many inmates go for this, but their families might. One good thing about inmate culture is that it doesn’t like hypocrisy of any type. Inmates generally despise "Posers."

Ezekiel 33:30-32 describes this type of observance of the truth of God. Note it.

30 "As for you, son of man, (here a reference to the prophet Ezekiel) the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’
31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. (They pose, and pretend in their own minds to be God’s people)
32 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.” (In other words, your messages are just entertainment to them, not something to act in obedience upon.)

The words of Jesus about the religious climate of first century Israel also apply. See them in Matt. 15:8 and Mark 7:6, where He quoted and applied Isaiah 29:13, to them.

"This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me."

In addition, the Religious CHRISTMAS likes to focus ONLY on the baby Jesus. That’s interesting. You see - as a fragile human baby boy, He can be sung about and admired, but He is not owned as Lord and Judge and Savior from sin.

Some may point to the shepherds’ adoration and worship in Luke 2, and then the Magi (the wise men) that came much later in Matthew 2.

But, you need to counter any idea of admiring and worshiping infancy for the tenderness of the scene alone, with the fact that these worshipers were not worshiping His infanthood. They worshiped Him rather because of WHO HE REALLY WAS, AND WHAT HE CAME TO DO! Even as a baby, He was still Lord and Creator and Savior!

Depictions of Him as a baby in the manger do not look powerful and threatening. The risen from the dead and glorified Lord as seen in Revelation 1:10-18, DOES! Somehow, in most people’s minds, the infant Jesus doesn’t HAVE TO be responded to in the way He commands, but the true biblical Jesus demands obedience!

That brings us to the third and final view of Christmas. It is the celebration of what the written word of God says about the eternal Word of God coming into the world as a human flesh and blood baby boy, who then grew up and proved He is Lord over everything – even over death. He conquered sin. This is THE TRUE, or BIBLICAL CHRISTMAS. The gospel IS the main part of the biblical Christmas.

This view is presented in the Gospel of John. This written Gospel record tells of the entrance into the world of Jesus the Christ in a deeper way. It is not that the other Gospels are less spiritual. They focus more on the real and deep humanity of Jesus. That’s why Matthew and Luke begin with Jesus as a newborn human baby, and Luke stresses the newborn Christ in the manger in a barn in Bethlehem.

In contrast to Matthew and Luke, the Apostle John presents Him as God through and through from the very outset of his gospel, even in his first verse. The prologue of John’s gospel is then ALSO a Christmas message. The birth of the Christ, in John’s gospel happens in 1:14a.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,"

We know the one called "the Word" is Jesus because the end of verse 14 says the Word that became flesh was FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH, and then because verse 17 says - "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

In his introduction in John 1:1-18, John mentions Jesus by His names, His office and by pronouns that apply to Him, no less than 30 times! The biblical Christmas is ALL AND ONLY ABOUT JESUS! The other Christmases aren’t.

Here - in 18 verses, the Apostle stresses FIVE FACTS that relate to Jesus’ arrival on planet earth or, five biblical facts about Christmas. Note them and teach them to your inmates or residents this Christmas season.

1. Who came – verses 1-3

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Who came? The One who always was the eternal God and Creator. He was uncreated, and He made everything else. His eternality is stressed by the wording of verse 1, "In the beginning WAS." Whenever the beginning was, He already WAS - THE ANCIENT OF DAYS! He is eternal.

2. What He brought – verses 4-9

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (margin - or, overcome) it.

The darkness doesn’t understand Jesus and though it tries to put Him out, it cannot!

Now verses 6-9 tell the reader of the ministry of the one who prepared the way before Him - as He (the Word) came into human society.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
We know from other gospels and verses 19-27 in this chapter, that this was John, the Baptizer.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness to the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

What did the One John (the Baptist) spoke about bring? He brought light and eternal life. He brought these things into a world of spiritual darkness and death. Our world is the same today - especially in prisons or on the streets.

3. What He offers – verses 10-13

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, (a repeat of the message of verses 1-3) and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right (authority) to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
13 Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but (born) of God.

What does He offer? He offers a new birth into God’s family to true believers. I use the present tense, because He is STILL offering this light and life through a new spiritual birth, from above.

4. How He came – verses 14-15

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred (here the tense and sense of this verb is – HE HAS TAKEN RANK ABOVE ME) before me, for He (always) was before me.’ "

How did He come? He came as a flesh and blood fulfillment of ALL the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testyament. The words translated "dwelt among us" can be translated "He temporarily pitched His tent among us." But again, as in verse 1, verse 15 stresses WHO He was and forever is! He is the eternal Highest One – God, THE Christ – Prophet, Priest and King. That is His true rank.

5. Why He came - This is the reason for true joy about His coming. Verses 16-18.

16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, (earlier manuscripts read the only begotten God) who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (Truth)

Why did He come? He came to bring believers God’s grace as the perfect sacrifice for their sins (That’s grace, right?). He also came to reveal the ultimate truth of God.

Really, these last three verses of John’s introduction and Christmas story say it all. He came to enact God’s grace at the deepest level – dying as the sinner’s substitute and thereby making the one final acceptable and ONLY EFFECTIVE SACRIFICE TO GOD.

Actually all three of His Messianic offices are reflected in these 18 verses. His rank and Godhood show in fact He is LORD and Sovereign over all. His human name given Him at the very first Christmas, "Jesus," means Savior. His title "the Christ," "the Messiah," the Anointed One - mean He is all three - Prophet, Priest and King.

The order in which John’s gospel gives these offices of Christ are:

PROPHET – as God’s Final Communication and Explanation of Himself to man. He is THE WORD OF GOD. This is stated in verse 1 three times and again in verse 14, AND IS AGAIN ALLUDED TO in verse 18 where we read: "He (God the Son) has DECLARED (or it can be translated, fully explained) Him (God the Father)."

Then KING, as co-equal with God in verse 1 and again as we see His rank alluded to in verse 15, where the baptizer John literally said, "He who comes after me has been made (by Himself) to take rank over me," .

But lastly, in verses 16 and 17 His HIGH PRIESTLY office as Sacrifice Maker and Savior is brought out. Messiah is not only Prophet and King. He is also, PRIEST. A priest’s office was to offer sacrifice. Jesus offered Himself as the Perfect Sacrifice for sin. His earthly human name "Jesus," means Savior or Salvation.

This is further brought out in later in John 1, in verse 29.

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (This is the grace He brought)

Verse 30 then sums up again who He really is –

30 This is He of whom I said, (back in verse 15) ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred (from the verb meaning TO BECOME SOMETHING – HE HAS TAKEN RANK ABOVE ME) before me, for He was before me.’ …"

With that I want to close and challenge you to warn your listeners with are the words of Hebrews 2:3, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation;".

Said another way – "How shall you or I escape IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT A JESUS?"

This MUST be part of your Christmas message, because it is part of the biblical message of Christ’s entry into the world. This is the One presented in John’s Christmas story. This One, this Jesus, should be the focus of everything celebrated at Christmas.

Call people to reject the secular view of Christmas which omits Jesus. Also, call them to reject the religious Christmas that only includes Jesus in some of its celebration, but refuses to worship Him alone. Call them to believe in and worship Christ alone!

In eternity – ONLY HE MATTERS.

Rich Hines,
Aurora Ministries – Minister to Chaplains

Giving Thanks to God is the Opposite of Self- Sufficiency

This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain or a gospel minister in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.

All Scripture quotes are usually taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs (). These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages, or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s culture.

ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize words in a text, or to make a comment about a biblical text, or emphasize a statement.!

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 136:1-3,

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:

This month we celebrate the national holiday called “Thanksgiving.” The origin of this November observance each year goes back to our 16th President. After listing some national blessings, Abraham Lincoln continued to proclaim:

“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

Lincoln was responding to the commands in Psalm 136:1-3 to thank God for His goodness and tender mercies. So, he went on to proclaim -

“It has seemed to me fit and proper that they (God’s gracious gifts) should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

That said, two experiences this year have served to remind me how unthankful to God our contemporary society, the “American People,” really have become. The first was at my granddaughter’s Junior High graduation. The second was just last month on a domestic flight.

1. My granddaughter was one of three students chosen to give a speech at her graduation in June. She has been raised in a Christian environment, goes to a Bible teaching church and professes Christ as her personal Savior. For those things we humbly thank and praise God, because He made all of that happen.

Her speech was way different from the other two speeches. She expressed thankfulness to her teachers and for the benefits she had been blessed with. The other graduates lauded themselves and proudly spoke of THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, saying more than once, "I’m really, really proud of myself."

Being at a public school, the teachers heartily approved of the self-sufficient, self-centered speeches. I think that was because humanism is what their teaching stresses and leads to. I believe humanism is what they have been trying for years to drum into their students.

Those other students are not being taught to acknowledge God. By the absence of a daily reminder of the ultimate truth, they are growing up to trust in self, and pat their own selves on the back!

2. The second situation, the one on the airplane, was in reading an article in the airlines’ "Sky" magazine. The October edition was all about breast cancer awareness, or what they call "Pinktober." While the edition called on readers to be aware of this terrible disease, nowhere did it ever suggest we ought to pray to God because of it.

The edition included an article about a well known lesbian "gay rights activist," who is also a rock star and a breast cancer survivor. The title of the article is alarming for a Bible believer. It is, "Speaking her truth."

Basically, this article highlighted the direction further down the road, that the teachers and at least two of the Jr. High graduates are headed – humanistic self-sufficiency. Here are a few quotes from this cancer survivor:

"I was a very busy, stressed-to-the-gills woman, successful, BUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT LIFE’S ALL ABOUT,…"

Then, she said she discovered she had the cancer, and as a result came to "understand THAT THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG, NO EVIL, NO NEGATIVE… it’s just how it is."

The article’s author says the experience (of cancer) "helped her further her new positive mindset and strong belief that ‘YOU create your own reality through YOUR thoughts and desires.’ "

That’s self-sufficient humanism, where each human is the be all and end all of their own existence. There is no real belief in God or reliance upon Him. He doesn’t even need to be acknowledged. People with that mind set will not, and simply cannot THANK GOD, because He is crowded out by their own self-thankfulness and supposed achievement.

The female author of this article went on to say of her subject: "That strong self-direction has given rise to a constant description of … as ‘authentic.’ It makes her laugh." Then, this cancer survivor is quoted as saying, "Because of what people project on me – ‘She’s so authentic,’ ‘She’s speaking her truth’ – all of a sudden, the greatest weapon I have is to seek it and speak it."

Then, this ungodly and shocking statement comes from this woman who doesn’t know or acknowledge that it is the mercy and grace of a God she continues to reject, that has allowed her to survive cancer and continue in her sin against Him, even to the point of her interview. Her homosexual pride and practice - is a sinful rejection of her Creator.

She says: "I’M DRUNK WITH POWER! EVERY TIME I SPEAK MY TRUTH, I AM LOOKED UPON AS BEING ‘COURAGEOUS’ AND, REALLY, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT OUR SOCIETY? WHY ISN’T THAT THE NORM?"

Her interview closes with the following quotes, "Cancer is an opportunity to sit down and LOOK INTO YOURSELF AND FIND THE ANSWERS." "ONLY YOU DEFINE YOUR LIFE."

How tragic and far from the ultimate truth of God. But why, you may ask such a long introduction to this message? Because, those you minister the gospel to are constantly bombarded with the same set of lies and they need to repent and turn from them and become THANKFUL to God for the truth that is ONLY in Jesus.

Giving God thanks is the opposite of humanistic self-sufficiency. See that in these verses from Romans 1:18-25,

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
21 because, although they knew (about) God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Now, these next two verses are an apt description not only of lost humanity, but also of the cancer survivor, I just spoke about.

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man

—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (Note that “man” is the first thing on this list! They un-god-ed God, and deified man.)

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature (like self) rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Teach your Bible students that thanking your self instead of the true God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) IS WORSHIPING THE CREATURE rather than the Creator - who according to Col. 1:14-16, and Heb 1:1, IS JESUS. But that’s always what humanistic self-sufficiency leads to.

On this twisted lie of self-sufficiency look briefly with me at Revelation 3:16-18, where Jesus said to the professing church at Laodicea:

16 … I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say (present tense - repeatedly say), ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

Let me explain. The people of ancient Laodicea were known for their proud independence. Their area produced highly prized Phrygian wool and was the source of expensive black garments. They also were the source of the most expensive and best eye-salve in the ancient world, made from chemicals found in their region.

As a result they were so wealthy that when an earthquake destroyed most of their town, they refused financial aid from Rome and rebuilt it with their own funds! Hence, they thought they needed nothing from anyone outside themselves.

Sadly, this attitude invaded the professing church there. It is my personal opinion that most of them were not truly saved, they were "Christians" in name only. They were self-sufficient so they could not be thankful to God. Listen again to their repeated statement:
"I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing."

In his excellent book “Crazy Love,” Francis Chan quotes Frederick D. Huntington, who wrote the following words in Forum Magazine, IN 1890!

“It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity.” That statement way back in 1890 describes self-centered, self-sufficient Laodiceanism!

The professing believers in ancient Laodicea had as we do today, Psalm 100. Look at it briefly. It is addressed to "ALL YOU LANDS" (meaning all peoples), therefore the message of this Psalm is addressed to both the saved and the unsaved sinners. It can be taken then in an evangelistic sense.

In five short verses it has seven commands from the Creator of all human beings.

1 Make (imperative) a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
2 Serve (imperative) the LORD with gladness; come (imperative) before His presence with (loud joyous) singing.
3 Know (another imperative verb) that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made (possibly even more than in the sense of created, but also in the sense of prepared us - brought us to this point) us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter (imperative) into His gates with thanksgiving (that word a noun, means a song of thanks), and into His courts with praise. Be thankful (imperative) to Him, and bless (an imperative verb meaning to bless) His name.
5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

I simply want to bring out from verses 3 and 4, that God’s word teaches every human being this truth - YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BLESSINGS OF YOUR LIFE, GOD IS! Everyone has been commanded by God to KNOW THAT. Therefore, He also commands every human being to GIVE THANKS TO HIM, AND NOT TO THEMSELF. Laodicean like people are disobedient to that command BECAUSE in their mind they are self-sufficient.

Four commands from God are in these two verses alone. The first, in verse 3, is to know some things about God and know some things about our selves. The last three in verse 4, are TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT KNOWLEDGE. All people are commanded to come to a place of recognizing His presence and while in that place or state, to verbally give thanks to Him and to bless all that He is and has done (His name).

To put it more succinctly, all people are commanded to be worshipers of their Creator. BUT to truly worship Him, one MUST be cleansed of their sin, and they cannot cleanse themselves. SO THEY MUST BELIEVE IN HIS SACRIFICIAL CLEANSING OF THEIR SIN IN THE ONLY SUBSTITUTE HE HAS PROVIDED - JESUS CHRIST THE MESSIAH!

With all that said, my Thanksgiving Bible exposition will be from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. You might use some thoughts from it with inmates or residents. It is one sentence. It reads:

16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Three imperative verbs divide the sentence into three parts and a concluding statement applies to all three commands. I want to explain the final statement at the end of verse 18, first.

"this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

The word for will here is the word for desire. This is what God wants, even longs for some to do. But, TO whoM are these commands to rejoice, to pray and to give thanks addressed?

The end of verse 18 and the context of the first inspired epistle to the Thessalonians, makes the answer very clear. These commands are to true believers!

The Amplified Bible brings out the sense of the original language. It says: "for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus." When we think about it, who else could really rejoice and pray and truly give thanks?

So God WANTS believers in Christ to rejoice, so He COMMANDS it in verse 16. We have so much to rejoice over and about. Even when our current TEMPORARY circumstances are hard, we have eternal victory over sin in Christ Jesus! So, teach believers they are to normally have an attitude of joy and rejoicing.

Joy is internal, rejoicing is external - expressed and spoken. WE OUGHT TO BE THANKFUL TO GOD FOR THIS UNSPEAKABLE JOY. WORDS CANNOT FULLY EXPLAIN HOW A BELIEVER REFLECTING ON THEIR SALVATION FEELS ABOUT IT. But, we need to express it in words as best we can, TO HIM.

God WANTS and therefore COMMANDS believers to PRAY. Giving thanks to God is saying something to Him about our gratitude for who He is and what He’s done for us. So, thanksgiving TO God IS PRAYER.

Note the words that go with the three commands to do something: rejoice ALWAYS, pray WITHOUT CEASING, and IN EVERYTHING give thanks. Those modifiers fittingly go with the present tense commands to keep on doing these things. They really are all part of one another. In fact, according to the prescription for Christian prayer given in Philippians 4:6, all prayer should INCLUDE thanksgiving!

In teaching inmates and residents 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 this year at Thansgiving, tell them the intent of that Scripture is to direct all obedience to these commands TO GOD FIRST.

Look at it and teach it this way:

16 Rejoice (TO GOD) always,
17 pray (TO GOD) without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks (TO GOD); for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

As this passage is directed to believers, a fitting Old Testament passage to close with and remind the believers you minister to, is Psalm 107:1,2 -

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For his mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, …

Praise God He bought believers back and out of sin with the precious blood of His Son. In doing so, He has freed them from their first father – our true enemy – the devil. Every saved person ought to be continually thankful to Him for that.

Rich Hines
Minister To Chaplains, Aurora Ministries

Teaching Inmates the Sovereignty of God

This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain or a gospel minister in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.

All Scripture quotes are usually taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs (). These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages, or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s culture.

ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize words in a text, or to make a comment about a biblical text, or emphasize a statement.!

When we began these monthly messages to Chaplains and volunteer ministers back in 2000, one of the early messages instructed you to teach inmates about the sovereignty of God (see December, 2000 and the teaching from Philemon 15 in the "Text Message Archive").

The sovereignty of God is a very important biblical truth for your inmate disciples to camp on. For some indeed the very word "sovereign" is unknown and that makes it a little bit of a challenge.

Some Christian leaders even feel that ministers to inmates and mission residents should not even bother to bring up the subject. They say it’s too abstract. I respectfully disagree. They MUST know about the God they are connected to in Jesus Christ.

The key is in the approach and the manner of communication. The main thought is ABSOLUTE CONTROL, and THE ORDERING OF ALL EVENTS. God is in control and ultimately, He calls all the shots. This truth is VERY PRACTICAL, especially for those you are reaching or trying to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God is sovereign. He does things His way. He is not a genie in a lamp that submits to anyone’s every wish. Inmates really need that truth to change the way they approach God! For one thing, they will be lest demanding of Him.

Let me tell you why I say that. I remember visiting an inmate, as a minister on a “ministerial visit.” I had known him before he got into trouble. When he saw me his one and only, even repeated demand was, "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" He knew nothing of the sovereignty of God. If he had, he would not have responded like that.

The world system educates people in it to think they are in charge of their own lives, or at least have a lot of sway on how things will go. So, it is no wonder that unsaved people think they are the sovereign of their own lives. Worldly people know nothing of the sovereignty of God.

The essence of worldliness is forgetting God, acting as if He doesn’t even really exist, and thinking we are in control of our own lives. This is the conscious life of the unsaved. Note it in Psalm 10:3-4,

3 For the wicked (hostile to God) boasts of his heart’s desire; he blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.
4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.

This is also what James 4 is talking about, when it speaks to those who name Christ as their God. Note it in James 4:4 -7, and 13-18,

4 .... Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"?

Verse 5 is a hard verse to translate into English. Therefore, it is hard to understand exactly what the text means from the English. The Amplified Bible helps us with this translation: "The Spirit Whom He HAS CAUSED TO DWELL IN US yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love?" The general sense is that God is righteously jealous for our undivided love for Him.

6 But He (the Holy Spirit) gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
7 Therefore submit to God.

…
13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good (in context, to submit to the will of the sovereign Lord) and does not do it, to him it is sin.

The quickest way to flee worldliness is to humbly recognize IT IS GOD, not we ourselves, who is in control of our lives. He is the SOVEREIGN. We need to consider what He wants, not what we want, EVERY DAY. In approaching inmates with these truths, possibly the best biblical place to start is with the story of king Nebuchadnezzar. After all, they love stories.

He was a proud, self-centered idol worshiper whom the true God in His grace and mercy put in his place. In doing so, He taught this man the lesson of who he wasn’t, and who the true God is. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar became a believer in and a worshiper of the Most High God.

As you begin his story, I suggest you tell your listeners that even an atheist has a god. That god is ultimately self. Nebuchadnezzar was an idolater, even a polytheist. BUT, his greatest god was not even Marduk, the national god of the Babylonians, or Bel another chief Babylonian deity after whom he renamed Daniel, - it was NEBUCHADNEZZAR.

Like an atheist, Nebuchadnezzar’s ultimate god was self. But, in grace and mercy the real and true God changed all that. He could do that because He is sovereign.

You should probably start by taking your inmate Bible students back to Daniel 1:8-10. This is the record of the response to the resolve of the teenage Daniel and his three friends, NOT TO EAT the food prescribed by this king. Point out that Nebuchadnezzar was an absolute human ruler who apparently had beheaded many that disobeyed his orders in the past. He was a man that was known to be violent to those who dared to disobey him. Violence and fear were in the wake of his pride.

Further, you should also show them Daniel 3:1-12. This is the record of an idol Nebuchadnezzar had erected, and then how he decreed (stress the word, DECREE from verse 10) that all should join in its worship. This passage closes with the king’s jealous advisors turning in the three godly young men, who REFUSED TO WORSHIP THE IDOL. You should point out from verses 13 through 15 how Nebuchadnezzar had been a raging, arrogant, proud human monarch (or sovereign) who thought that he himself was the absolute ruler of everything and everyone.

Note this fact in verse 15, where Nebuchadnezzar said to them:

15 … "if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"

In effect, he was challenging the true God who he did not know, to a contest of wills and power. Many inmates may in some ways, be doing the same thing! Point out that they need to repent of that.

Moving forward, Daniel 4 records what actually happened to bring Nebuchadnezzar down from his self-adulation and pride – to become a humble worshiper of the One he afterward called the "Most High God."

Verses 1-3 and 34-37 are Nebuchadnezzar’s words about the True God, AFTER his true repentance and conversion. In the reprinted text below, I have made those verse numbers bold face type. In addition, to make the story flow towards our more chronological order of thinking, I have put verses 1-3 with verses 34-37 at the end of this message.

Verses 4-33 are the record, mostly from Nebuchadnezzar’s own mouth, of what happened to him. Let’s briefly look at them.

Verses 4-6, FROM PEACE TO PANIC.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. (he was at peace)
5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled (frightened or alarmed) me. (That’s panic)
6 Therefore I issued a decree (an official order, a royal edict) to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

Verses 7-9, THE PROBLEM, AND THE PROBLEM SOLVER (God’s man).

7 … but they did not make known to me its interpretation.
8 But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; [here a reference to Bel] in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying:
9 "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation. (note a new humility in Nebuchadnezzar beginning here)

Verses 10-18, THE PICTURE IN HIS HEAD (the dream).

10 "These were the visions of my head while on my bed: I was looking, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
11 The tree grew and became strong; its height reached to the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
12 Its leaves were lovely, its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, the birds of the heavens (air) dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 "I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.

This "watcher" was a holy angel. This "watcher" is called a "holy one" both here and in verse 23. The plural, "watchers" in verse 17 are called "holy ones." These holy angels are used by God throughout Scripture to execute His judgment. A good example of this is in Matthew 13:30, 38-42.

14 He (the angel) cried aloud and said thus: ‘ Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, and the birds from its branches.
15 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let HIM (hint, the tree is a person) graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.
16 Let HIS heart be changed from that of a man, let HIM be given the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass over HIM.
17a ‘ This decision is by the decree of the watchers, (This is a different word than the one in verse 6. Here, and again in verse 24, "decree" means a sentence or judgment of God)
17b … and the sentence (a synonym for "decree") by the word of the holy ones, IN ORDER THAT THE LIVING MAY KNOW THAT THE MOST HIGH RULES IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN, AND GIVES IT TO WHOMEVER HE WILL, AND SETS OVER IT THE LOWEST OF MEN.’ "

This verse is the key verse of the entire Book of Daniel. It is what his message is all about. This last part is repeated THREE TIMES in this record given by Nebuchadnezzar (in verses 17, 25 and 32). It is also alluded to in verses 26 and 35.

18 "This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you."

As you teach verse 18, you could point out the past experiences Nebuchadnezzar had with Daniel giving him God’s truth about his dreams, such as in chapter 2:10-47.

Verses 19-27, THE PICTURED PROPHECY- INTERPRETED.

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished (stunned) for a time, and his thoughts troubled (the same word as in v. 3, alarmed, frightened) him. So the king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies!
20 "THE TREE THAT YOU SAW, (verses 20 and 21 basically repeat the details in verses 10-12)
22 IT IS YOU, O KING, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.
23 "And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’;

24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is THE DECREE OF THE MOST HIGH WHICH HAS COME UPON MY LORD THE KING:
25 They (Who are "they"? They are holy angels) shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and SEVEN TIMES shall pass over you, TILL YOU KNOW THAT THE MOST HIGH RULES IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN, AND GIVES IT TO WHOMEVER HE CHOOSES.
26 "And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, (but, note it - only) AFTER YOU COME TO KNOW THAT HEAVEN RULES.
27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins (THAT IS, REPENT) by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity." (This is not a reversal of God’s sentenced decree, but a postponement of it)

But sadly, in verses 28-30, NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S SELF-WORSHIP (his sin) WAS PURSUED.

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon.
30 The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"

That was frankly a very stupid thing for Nebuchadnezzar to say. Especially because a year before his proud statement, he had been warned by the true God, and had been told by His prophet to repent. He had twice been told the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and that it is He who gives promotion and wealth!

Nebuchadnezzar let his human successes go to his head. He kept falling back into a pattern of thinking that said he himself was the highest power and authority, and that all he had was as a result of his own doing. In making himself the daily god of his life, HE FORGOT THE TRUE GOD, WHO REALLY IS the MOST High!

Verses 31-33, THE PRONOUNCEMENT AND FULFILLMENT OF JUDGMENT.

31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!
32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times (meaning seven years) shall pass over you, UNTIL YOU KNOW THAT THE MOST HIGH RULES IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN, AND GIVES IT TO WHOMEVER HE CHOOSES."
33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

But, after seven years God brought him back to a sound mind and gave him back his temporary earthly kingdom - to rule UNDER the TRUE GOD’S RULE. So, later Nebuchadnezzar wrote to all of his subjects:

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.
2 I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.
3 How great are His signs, and HOW MIGHTY HIS WONDERS! HIS KINGDOM IS AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM, AND HIS DOMINION IS FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

34 And at the end of the time (the seven years of lunacy caused by holy angels) I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.
35 All the inhabitants of the earth (here Nebuchadnezzar included himself!) are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, "What have You done?"

36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

His sovereignty is eternal and His Lordship over all His creation is from one generation to the next! The sooner we all learn and apply that to our everyday living the better we will be. Tell your Bible students to take that from an ancient king who learned who really was the Most High God!

Things certainly run smoother and are more peaceful when God’s control and directions are rightly responded to, both now in the present and certainly for our eternal future!

The Sovereign of the universe has commanded all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. End your teaching on God’s sovereignty with a call to repent and believe that!

Rich Hines
Minister To Chaplains – Aurora Ministries

Christian Hope - Part 2

This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain or a gospel minister in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.

All Scripture quotes are usually taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs (). These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages, or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s culture.

ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize words in a text, or to make a comment about a biblical text, or emphasize a statement.

Last month I began a two-part message on Christian hope. I want to continue with part two of that message. Now I would like to bring out some things about having this hope from Hebrews 6:11-20.

The background and historical context of the book of Hebrews is important. It was written to professing believers in Christ Jesus who were living in Jewish communities. They had professed to own Him as Messiah and Lord. Some were genuine and others were false professors and were not yet truly saved.

They were living as Jewish Christians before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. Therefore, they had been persecuted by their own religious and ethnic culture. Under that persecution many of them were being swayed back to the traditional Judaism of their time which included the Old Testament sacrificial system. That system rejected Jesus as the fulfillment and final sacrifice for sins. The fact that they re-converted to Judaism proves many of them were not truly saved.

In the last half of Chapter 6, the ones that were sincere believers were examples for the unsaved to follow or "imitate." Therefore the unsaved ones were (and by application, are) being called upon to make an all out commitment to faith in Christ alone. At the same time the truly saved were being called to persevere against their unsaved religious culture and keep on growing in their faith. This included the importance of not letting go OF THE HOPE SET BEFORE THEM as part of their faith.

There are many applications for 21st century believers here. In America today and more specifically in the correctional system, more and more of the prevailing culture is going to persecute true followers of Christ. Like the unsaved Jews that were being called to a genuine commitment to Jesus, there are many who are stuck in false religion today, and by application this passage also is calling out to them.

Last month I spoke of three truths true Christians have to look forward to in hope. They are: 1) the return of Christ in glory, 2) the glorification of their own body and 3) being with God in His presence, forever.

I explained that HOPE is faith that looks forward to the fulfillment of these promises of God that cannot fail, because He cannot lie. This hope always accompanies true saving faith in Christ.

In Hebrews 6:11-20 we see FOUR great encouragements that relate to the third aspect of Christian hope I just mentioned. It is TO BE WITH GOD IN HIS PRESENCE IN HEAVEN FOREVER. That’s what salvation is for. That’s what salvation looks forward to, being with God in His presence forever.

I believe that is the thrust of this passage, which guarantees the promises of God to a true follower of Jesus Christ. I believe this because verse 19 speaks of ENTERING THE Presence (a Hebraism, meaning the glory of God’s presence) BEYOND THE VEIL.

Of course, the writer is using Old Testament tabernacle and temple imagery in reference to "behind the veil," to speak of being in the very Presence of God. The first encouragement is to truly embrace Christian hope. It comes in verses 11 and 12. It is evangelistic. It is:

A Great Prompting – to Have a Saving Faith and Hope in Christ - that Perseveres

11 And we desire that each one of you (that are not yet saved) show the same diligence (as the true believers, referred to in verses 9 - 10) to the full assurance of hope until the end,
12 that you do not become sluggish, (slow, dull, lazy) but imitate those (the true believers) who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

In verse 11, the word "diligence" which gives the idea of an eager strong effort, is a very energetic term. In this verse, the writer and his true fellow believers are urging even prompting the unsaved professors of Christianity to truly embrace Christ with all haste. They were doing so with great desire.

This Christian writer and his fellow believers (the "we" of v. 11) wanted them to have the same FAITH EXHIBITED BY HOPE as they and others true believers do. That faith is characterized by an endurance that never gives up! Christian hope perseveres to the end. This hope, faith that looks forward to the fulfillment of the promises God has made, never quits or gives out. It remains firm until the end to inherit the promises.

It is interesting to compare the word "diligence" in verse 11, with the word "sluggish," in verse 12. They are opposites. Great effort and haste are included in the original word translated as "diligence" - whereas boredom, laziness and slowness to move, are part of the original word here translated "sluggish."

Those who truly embrace Christ and His gospel put forth effort to hold on to God’s promise in Christ to inherit the blessings of His presence. On the other hand those who repeatedly hear the gospel but still haven’t truly come to Christ are dull and sluggish about laying hold of that promise in true saving faith.

I think you need to press the point brought out here to the inmates that are the "fence sitters." They come to Christian Chapel services and your Bible studies for many reasons (some of which are not good) yet they fall short of truly grabbing hold of the gospel. You see this by their waffling back to false religion and by a lack of Christian fruit.

A great point here is that true Christian faith and hope PERSEVERES. It hangs on until the blessing is realized. It never gives up. Look at what Hebrews 10 :35-39 says:

35 ... do not cast away your confidence (this includes faith that embraces hope in the promises of God being fulfilled), which has great reward.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37 " For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
39 But we (true believers) are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

NEXT, in verses 13-15 we see the example of Abraham, a true believer. In faith he hoped and patiently waited for the promised child, who was the start of the nation through whom would come the Savior of the world. As such he is a great example of faith that hopes.

So in Abraham we see - A Great Pattern – to Pursue

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
14 saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you."
15 And so, after he (Abraham) had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

The fact that God made a promise was good enough. God cannot lie. But here, in verse 13, and 14 the text points back to Genesis 15, where God confirmed His prior promise to give Abraham a son who would become a nation and a land and eventually through his line the Blessing of a Savior for the whole world. Compare also Genesis 12:1-3.

God did not need to confirm His prior promise, but He did. Verse 13 makes the point, God made a promise TO Abraham BUT He made it WITH Himself. God’s covenant was really with His own perfect holy nature. I will explain this momentarily.

But first, the point I want to make here is in regard to Abraham. He believed and had a hope that endured patiently. Christian hope does that, and thank God He gives us many examples in His word of people like Abraham who "contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations," Romans 4:18

You need to be constantly giving inmates and residents GOOD EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO NEVER LOST HOPE IN GOD’S PROMISES. Then you need to CHALLENGE THEM TO BE LIKE FORMER HEROS OF THE FAITH - LIKE ABRAHAM.

Give them illustrations of people whose faith endured. They are the good patterns to follow, to pursue. A great list of them is found in Hebrews 11, but that great Chapter is introduced by Hebrews 10:38,39.

38 Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
39 But we (true believers) are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

The opposite of “drawing back” is persevering in faith believing in the hope God has set before us – just like Abraham who “patiently endured.”

As Hebrews 6 continues, it focuses the reader again on God’s gracious promises and an incredible confirmation through an oath pledged. Here in verses 16-18 note God’s Gracious Promise – that He Pledged

16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.
17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel (the unchangeableness of what He said), confirmed it by an oath,
18 that by two immutable (unchangeable) things, (God’s promise and His oath) in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation (or, that we might be gripped tightly with encouragement), who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

Wow! What a great God! Let me explain my emotional response to what these verses are talking about. In Genesis 15, God reconfirmed the promise He made to Abraham by entering into a customary practice of his time. In Abraham’s day when two men made a covenant, which had binding obligations on both parties, they sealed it through a special ceremony.

It was done in this way - the two men would sacrifice an animal and split its carcass in two. Then, the two men that were making the covenant, would set the two parts of the carcass opposite each other and WALK TOGETHER THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TWO PARTS - TOGETHER. This signified it was a covenant made with blood. In effect the two men were saying if either one of them reneged on their responsibility to keep their part of the promise, they deserved to have their own life’s blood poured out, just like the animal sacrifice.

So in Genesis 15, God graciously answered Abraham’s question, "Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” “IT” is a reference to the land for the nation that would bring the Savior of the world. God then answered Abraham IN this way -

9 ... "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

What an act of condescension on God’s part to Abraham – and by extension to us!

10 Then he (Abraham) brought all these to Him (the Lord GOD) and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other;

Then, in Genesis 15:17 we read: "And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a SMOKING OVEN and a BURNING TORCH that passed between those pieces." The “smoking oven” and the “burning torch” were manifestations of the Presence of God! This means, contrary to custom - God did not walk through the carcass pieces with Abraham, BUT WITH HIMSELF! Ultimately, God’s promise to keep His covenant with believers (like Abraham and all his spiritual descendants) DOES NOT DEPEND ON THEM KEEPING THEIR PART OF THE BARGIN. Rather, it depends on God’s faithfulness with Himself! WOW!

Lastly, our Hebrews 6 passage ends with A Great Illustration – Pictured in verses 19,20.

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Our hope as true believers is the truth Jesus’ gospel. To be saved we have had to "lay hold" of it. We have had to believe the gospel facts as true, and believe in Jesus. He is even described in another verse, as our very hope. Note 1 Timothy 1:1, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,"

But here, in Hebrews 6:19 the anchor is our faith and hope in Him and in His gospel. Then there is a beautiful word picture of Jesus in verse 20. He is called "the forerunner" and in the NASB, "a forerunner for us."

In the ancient Roman world a FORERUNNER was actually a little boat. When a ship was in troubled waters, and hidden reefs or rocks made navigation into the harbor of safety very dangerous, this boat – the forerunner, would be sent ahead WITH THE ANCHOR INTO THE HARBOR OF SAFETY.

Once safely there, the sailors would drop and fix the anchor. So, even though the ship and cargo and the mariners were being battered by the waves outside the safe harbor, they knew they were safe BECAUSE THE FORERUNNER HAD GONE AHEAD AND SECURED THEM!

The Amplified Version brings this out as it renders verses 19 and 20 this way:
"(Now) we have this (hope) as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul (it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it – a hope) that reaches farther and enters into (the very certainty of the Presence) within the veil, where Jesus has entered in for us (in advance) a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek."

Wow! What a picture of the security of the believer’s future hope! In conclusion, we have four encouragements to continue to believe in the Christian hope of being with God eternally. From Hebrews 6:11-20 they are:

1. Our true saving faith is proven by our PERSEVERANCE IN HOPE.
2. We have some great examples of people like Abraham, whose faith ENDURED PATIENTLY IN HOPE.
3. God has graciously PLEDGED to keep His promise to save believers. He did this by taking part in a confirmation of a human oath. That ought to give us great hope!
And finally -
4. Jesus has securely fixed BELIEVERS HOPE AS AN anchor in the inner sanctum of God’s PRESENCE.

Rich Hines - Aurora Ministries – Chaplain Help Ministry

Christian Hope - Part 1

This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain or a gospel minister in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.

All Scripture quotes are usually taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs (). These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages, or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s culture.

ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize words in a text, or to make a comment about a biblical text, or emphasize a statement.

When outsiders visit a jail or prison, or even a rescue mission, often their initial impression is that this is a gloomy, sad, place. They see the results of what sin does in a life still being lived out on earth. BUT, by contrast, if they see residents that are true believers and followers of Christ, they should be stunned by their overall attitude of joy.

Biblical Christianity produces real, lasting joy - even in the midst of suffering and hardship. That is a reality because true believers have HOPE. This month I want to begin to speak about Christian hope. I think ministers of the gospel should teach this hope to all those who are seeking Christ - even in jails, prisons and rescue missions.

Throughout the Bible, hope always looks forward to the promises of God being fulfilled IN THE FUTURE.

Psalm 43:5 says:
"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall YET praise Him (note the future tense there) the help of my countenance and my God."

Proverbs 14:23 likewise looks forward when it says in the King James version: "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath HOPE IN HIS DEATH."

Then Jeremiah, who was in the midst of suffering, had this to say in Lam. 3:21-24,

"This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’"

When the New Testament speaks about the Christian’s hope it is talking about the sure future awaiting all true believers. As a verb in relationship to believers, hope never means something they wish for - that might not come true. Rather, it means their confident expectation of the fulfillment of the promises of God, who CANNOT lie.

Romans 5:1-5 says:
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and REJOICE IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 Now HOPE does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The Amplified Versions renders the first part of verse 5 this way: "Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us." Furthermore, most of the verses in the New Testament about the believer’s hope refer to one of three things which are really connected to each other. They are:

1. The return of Christ in the clouds in glory - e.g. Titus 2:13, or 1 Peter 1:13.

2. The glorified body that all true believers will have someday - e.g. 1 Thess. 4:13-17 with 1 Cor. 15:50-52.

and
3. To be with God in heaven for the rest of eternity e. g. Rom. 5:2 and 1 Thess. 4:17

There then is a sense in which Christian hope looks to the final stage of salvation that cannot fail to come to pass for the believer in the future. Even though according to verses like John 5:24, a believer HAS ETERNAL LIFE FROM THE MOMENT OF THEIR TRUE FAITH IN CHRIST, there is yet a greater sense of enjoying that eternal life IN THE FUTURE. This is why verses like Titus 1:2 say:

"In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began."

The Apostle Peter meant the same thing when by the Holy Spirit he wrote in 1 Pet.1:3-5 .
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith FOR SALVATION READY TO BE REVEALED IN THE LAST TIME."

Paul echoed the same thought in Romans 13:11 when he said: "For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed." This is why believers, even though incarcerated, have a joy that cannot be explained naturally. Through the hope given them by God, they KNOW FOR SURE THEY HAVE A BETTER FUTURE.

The same Apostle, speaking for true Christians said: "... I consider (meaning, I have weighed it all together and calculated everything and come to the conclusion) that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

That adequately describes the Christian’s future outlook and hope. Note the certainty in those words - "which SHALL BE revealed in us." That’s in their better future. To help you teach inmates and residents about the Christian’s hope, I want to show you two passages.

I will only deal with the first passage in this Chaplain’s Corner, and then next month, Lord willing, I will unpack the other. So, you can hope to hear more of what God’s word teaches on hope! The first passage is Romans 8:16-25. The context in that chapter of Romans is about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. Picking up in verse 16, we read:

16 the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

The Holy Spirit produces results in the lives of those He indwells. So much so that they can objectively point to them and then know for sure they have been brought into God’s family. The idea in verse 16 from the two preceding verses is that they can be assured that God has "ADOPTED" them. That means God has PLACED THEM as sons or daughters into His eternal family. Verse 17 then continues:

17 and if children (meaning children of God), then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

The logic here is inescapable, and wonderful. IF you are a son or a daughter of God, THEN you are also an HEIR of God. An HEIR HAS A FUTURE INHERITANCE to look forward to. True Christians will one day inherit Christ’s inheritance - which is GLORY. Note it at the end of verse 17, and in verse 18.

... if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (with Him).
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

And the point is - IN HOPE, believers should long for the day of their glorification and the reception of their inheritance. To stress that point, God reveals something wonderful to think about in verses 19-22. The earth itself will be delivered from the curse He placed on it - in the future, when the saved enjoy their eternal glorified state.

In this part of our passage, creation, or what is called "nature" today, is given personality. The first century readers would be used to this rhetorical device, especially those with an Old Testament background. Here are a few examples:

Isaiah 55 looks forward prophetically to the time of Messiah’s reign, and says in 55:12,
12 The mountains and the hills SHALL BRAK FORTH INTO SINGING before you, and all the trees of the field SHALL CLAP THEIR HANDS.

Similarly, Isaiah 35:1,2 says:
1 The wilderness and the wasteland SHALL BE GLAD for them, and the desert SHALL REJOICE and blossom as a rose;
2 It shall blossom abundantly AND REJOICE, EVEN WITH JOY AND SINGING.

With that understanding, look at the text in Romans 8:19-22 -
19 For the earnest expectation (ardent desire) of the creation (here a reference to the inanimate earth and the plants and animal life) eagerly waits for the revealing (the unveiling) of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility (this word means that it could not be what it was supposed to be, or it has not been successful), not willingly, but because of Him (God) who subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption (due to the curse God brought on it because of mankind’s sin, see Genesis 3:17) into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

From this thought of creation having emotion and hoping for deliverance from its curse the passage turns back to true believers in verses 23-25.

23 Not only that (or, ‘it’ meaning the creation), but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, EVEN WE OURSELVES GROAN WITHIN OURSELVES, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Just like possessing eternal life and true salvation, adoption into God’s family has a FUTURE AND FULLER ASPECT TO IT. Believers are right now God’s adopted children, BUT in the future they’ll look like it - even physically - in their new glorified bodies. This is what 1 John 3:2 is talking about. Note it:

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that WHEN He is revealed, (at His appearing) WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM, for we shall see Him as He is.

Now our passage in Romans 8 continues in verses 24 and 25:
24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

The act of faith includes the idea of hope. Hope is faith that looks forward. Our believing God means we trust Him for the present AND FOR THE FUTURE.

John MacArthur had this to say about verse 24 in his excellent commentary: "HOPE is inseparable from salvation. Our salvation was planned by God in ages past, bestowed in the present, and is now characterized by HOPE for its future completion. ... The believers HOPE is not based on wishful thinking or probability, but on the integrity of the clear promises of the Lord. ... Our HOPE is not that we might not lose our salvation but that, by our Lord’s own guarantee, we CANNOT and WILL NOT lose it."

Teach the believers you are discipling that they need to EAGERLY WAIT and long for their GLORIFIED BODY. That’s Christian hope. Verse 25 teaches believers are to wait for it with PERSEVERANCE.

That means to wait for their glorification with patient longsuffering, with endurance through the tough times here below. Remind them that Jesus told His disciples in John 16:33, "In the world you will* have tribulation; BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD." (* the earliest manuscripts simply read: ‘in the world you have tribulation.’)

May we who truly know and trust Christ, REJOICE in the SURE HOPE He has given each one of us. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Rich Hines
Minister To Chaplains – Aurora Ministries

Christian Character Matters – Confront Lying and Teach Truthfulness

This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain or a gospel minister in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.

ll Scripture quotes are usually taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs (). These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages, or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s culture.

ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize words in a text, or to make a comment about a biblical text, or emphasize a statement.

Being a Christian Chaplain or a Christian Prison/Jail minister means a lot. Among other things, it means representing a God of all truth and taking a stand against every form of lying. The greatest truth and most important eternal reality is Jesus Christ and His program.

Our society seems to be given over to lying. I have noticed it a lot recently, and I sense it is increasing. Just think about the everyday slang terms which normalize lying that have surfaced in recent years. Phrases like “spin doctoring,” “cover up” and “damage control.”

And then there’s the old phrase that we hear with ever increasing commonality: “It was just a white lie.” Before God, there is no such thing. I am sure the economic stress of our times adds to this. Under that category there seems to be a sense that it is all right to mislead and misrepresent, just to make a sale.

The inmate culture goes even farther. I just bring up the fact of our society normalizing lying because it makes teaching inmates to be truthful that much more challenging. But this is part of your ministry - to help establish the gospel in their hearts.

The gospel that centers on Christ’s substitutionary death and resurrection must also make men holy. It must make us that truly believe it – different. You must tell professing believers that their Christian character is important. It should matter a great deal to them. Therefore, I offer this study to help you get started teaching truthfulness to inmates and residents. Remember, telling the truth is totally counter-culture to the normal culture inside the walls of incarceration.

To begin, it is important to see that lying is part of fallen human nature. It gets its source from every human’s original spiritual father, the devil.

Jesus said of him, “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 (NIV).

The devil is also the main influencer of unsaved society. 1 John 5:19 says: “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”

The term “the world” as used in many texts like the one above, means unsaved human society – and the way it thinks. With that in mind, before we get to some specific texts to teach your Bible students, look at the Scripture in 1 John 2:15-17. It says:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

This is a strong statement! The Spirit through the Apostle was speaking to those that professed to be Christians, literally “born ones” (1 John 2:1). Verse 15 begins with a command to NOT do something – do NOT BE LOVING THE WORLD OR ITS THINGS.

The second sentence in the verse is also very strong, and fits with the Apostles' overall theme, which is how to know for sure you have eternal life.

“If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

This teaches us if anybody continually loves the world they do not posses God’s love. This is another way of saying they do not have eternal life or true salvation. Compare the thought of not having God the Father’s love to 1 John 4:8 which says -

“He who does not love DOES NOT KNOW GOD (another way to say they are not saved), for God is love.”

Upon closer examination of the original language, we discover something amazing in verse 15. Without looking at the Greek text I always assumed the word for love here would be in the “phile” family of Koine Greek words for “love.” “Phile” is the love of attraction, of fondness for or liking something or someone because of perceived beauty or value. It is aesthetic love.

At first reading, I expected the original word to be a reference to THIS kind of love. If that were the case, God would be saying in 1 John 2:15, something like do no be fond of worldly things, let them lose their attraction for you.

But, upon inspection of the original truly God-breathed-out (inspired) word I was shocked to see that every word for “love” in 1 John 2:15 is a form of “agape” love. It's there three times as a verb and once as a noun.

That fact broadens the command. “Agape” love is the love of ALL OUT COMMITMENT! It sacrifices for the thing so loved. Whereas “phile” love may be conditional, “agape” love is always UNCONDITIONAL. “Phile” is based more upon the thing loved, whereas “agape” is based on the nature of the one who so loves. “Agape” love is total devotion to something, even if the thing or person (humanly speaking) is not worth the love poured on it.

So God is saying in 1 John as a test of true spirituality, Christians cannot be those continually devoted and committed to the world or any of its things - including its VALUES. The world of lost society loves lying, that is one of its VALUES

The system at work all around the earth in the hearts and minds of natural unspiritual people is totally committed to self and therefore it follows, totally committed to telling untruths. Lying is popular. In the culture of prison thinking, it is even seen as an art form to be further developed!

In 1 John 2, verses 16 and 17 go on to clarify the matter.

16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

17 And the world is passing away (the passive voice of the verb “passing away” makes this is a veiled reference to its judgment), and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

So why be constantly committed and devoted to sin? To the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the boastful pride of the self-life? It's all sin that is about to be judged by God!

According to verse 17, the ones who don't love the world or its ways - including lying, will not be judged with the world, they will turn from loving sin and will inherit an eternal home with God.

Before we move on, I want to point out two other things from verse 16.

1. Greed and covetousness are evidenced by lying to try to satisfy “the lust of the eyes.”

2. Covering sin by lying about it really comes under the category of “the pride of life.”

The world of lost sinners is committed to those things, but saints of God cannot be like them. They are to be committed to telling the truth.

Now more directly on the subject of being transformed from being a liar to being an honest person who tells the truth, I want to consider FOUR passages.

First look at Revelation 22:14-15. The context all the way forward from Rev. 21:1 is talking about the new heaven also called “the New Jerusalem” or the “city.”

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments* (*the earliest manuscripts read ‘wash their robes’), that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city (heaven, the New Jerusalem).

15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

The word for “loves” in verse 15, is a present tense verb form of “phile” therefore, this refers to being continually attracted to the practice of lying.

Next, compare this to Revelation 21:27 (in the NASB translation)

27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it (the ‘city’ of heaven), but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's (or Jesus’) book of life.

From these verses in Revelation, show those who listen to your Bible teaching that the issue of telling the truth, and turning away from lying is very serious.

Their relationship to habitual lying shows where they’re headed for all eternity! Those who die in their sin of unbelief, rejecting Jesus as Savior from sin and Lord over their life - evidenced by continual lying, will not go to heaven.

The final two passages I want to go over this month, to help you teach inmates that THEY MUST TELL THE TRUTH, are related. They are both addressed to born again Christians.

Colossians 3:9 – the context from Col. 3:1 is talking about living the heavenly life even now on earth. This is part of the realization and evidence of what the Spirit through the Apostle calls “the new man.”

9 Do not lie to one another (this could be translated ‘stop lying to one another’), since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

Putting off the old man is in this verse – a done deal. The old self or old man DIED at conversion. Therefore, to practice lying is to resurrect the old worldly life and its ways.

A true Christian would never WANT to do that. They might struggle with worldly temptation and their yet unredeemed flesh that tells them it’s OK to tell a lie, but they cannot continue practicing any sin habitually, non-stop. Therefore, they do not want to tell lies.

Verse 9 actually is at the end of a long list of sins that are to be completely stripped off, like polluted clothing.

Verse 7 states that before the believers’ new birth they lived in these sins, then verse 8 says “BUT NOW,” in other words - after your true conversion to Christ, these sins are to not be practiced any more.

Lastly, look at Ephesians 4:20-25, which contains the key to stopping the practice of telling lies. After a few verses (4:17-19) describing the thinking and lifestyle of the unsaved idol worshipers, the text turns and states a contrast to their way of living. It says:

20 BUT (that’s a hinge word) you (plural) have not so learned Christ,

21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him,

These phrases – to “learn Christ,” to “have heard Him,” and to “have been taught by Him,” are all references to dying to self and coming to life IN CHRIST, through the new birth. They refer to a proper response to His gospel.

Now, note something special at the end of verse 21, where it says -

21 … as the truth is in Jesus:

The believer’s Lord and Savior is the God of all truth. He is the God who according to Titus 1:2, “cannot lie.” Hebrews 6:18 says “it is impossible for God to lie.”

So, just like the truth is always in Jesus it is fitting for the believers –

22 that you (plural) put off, concerning your former conduct (way of life), the old man which grows corrupt (or, is always being corrupted) according to the deceitful lusts,

23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

That’s the KEY TO CHANGING FROM BEING A HABITUAL LIAR TO BEING A HABITUAL TRUTH TELLER – BE BEING RENEWED IN YOUR MIND!

How does an inmate or any former lifestyle sinner do that? They stay in God’s written word. The Psalmist questioned and answered this way, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” Psalm 119:9.

As the mind, the way of thinking, is RENEWED BY GOD’S WORD, the change takes place. Note it in verse 24 -

24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

So, just like in Colossians, the Spirit inspired Apostle draws the mental picture of stripping off infected clothing and then putting on fresh new clean clothes. In verse 25, he begins a detailed list of the old infectious lifestyle, that must be stripped off right away! Heading the list is the sin of lying.

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

This fits with the presentation of the King of kings and the believer’s Master, Jesus, in verse 21 as the source of truth. It also contrasts with the end of verse 22 which stated that the old man was continually corrupted by the DECEITFUL (or LYING) LUSTS.

Those lusts are part of the world that died for the Christian at the point of His true birth from above!

These teachings are counter-culture to inmate life. That’s a good thing. Though this is hard for inmates and others to hear, remember, the Lord by His Spirit is able to do what from a totally human viewpoint, is impossible.

The Holy Spirit can turn habitual criminal liars (or any other liars) into consistently honest truth tellers! He will do it to the glory of His grace and mercy and for a testimony to the watching but still lost world.

Rich Hines

Minister To Chaplains – Aurora Ministries