The Spiritual is Always More Important than The Physical, Pt. 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 sensed a real need to stress and caution every chaplain and correctional minister to remember, that to God, even to Jesus, the God-Man, the eternal spiritual needs of people are always more important than their temporary physical needs.

This month I want to show you this again from a passage in Luke’s Gospel. That is significant, because more than any other of the gospels, Luke emphasizes Jesus’ compassion on the lowly, the outcasts and notable sinners of society. By application, that relates to the incarcerated people that you serve. Therefore, every correctional minister should be some what of an expert on the gospel of Luke.

In Luke 17:11-19, there is an incident recorded that I want you to consider. It is found ONLY in Luke. As we move through the passage we will see four acts to this dramatic incident. For this message I am using the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

Act 1. The scene – serious physical sickness, verses 11-13

11 While He (Jesus) was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between (along the border of) Samaria and Galilee.

12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him;

13 and they raised their voices (or possibly gurgled sounds), saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

According to Luke 9:51, knowing that His time to die and conquer sin and death - and then return back to His Father in heaven was near, Jesus - "steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem." So this scene opens with Christ on the way to the cross in Jerusalem. In the border area between Jewish Galilee and the ethnically different area of Samaria, Jesus was approached by ten leprous men. They recognized Him and went to meet Him. They sought Him out. The language indicates that.

The fact that they stood at a distance is noted because they had the most dreaded infectious disease of the time – a form of LEPROSY. According to Leviticus 13:45, they were supposed to keep their distance and inform anyone within ear shot that they were leprous by shouting "Unclean, unclean!"

To have this dreaded disease, where your physical flesh slowly rotted away was also accompanied by the added horror of being a public outcast. Lepers bore both a physical and emotional curse. Medical and historic records tell us often the nose, mouth and palate disintegrated so that speech was even effected. The literal word in verse 13 for voices is "sounds." They may have only been able to gurgle their plea to Christ for His miraculous mercy.

Most Bible teachers and commentators stress the fact that they all had faith in Jesus as the Messiah, to be able to completely heal them and make their skin and flesh clean. I believe the next act of this unfolding drama in our text, was a complete and miraculous healing AND A RESTORATION of the body parts that had decayed and fallen off their physical bodies.

ACT 2. The sign – a superlative miracle for all. Verse 14

14 When He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they were going, they were cleansed.

"Go show yourselves to the priests." You should ask, “Why did Jesus say that?” Because in a Jewish context, that was a key to affirming that the leprous state had truly been removed and the victim had been completely cured.

In Leviticus 13, God gave instructions to lepers or those that might have a flesh eating disease - to go have their infected flesh examined by the priests. To the priests He gave the information on what to look for so that they could pronounce the victim cleansed and cured, or not cured.

This would also be a great testimony to the Jewish religious leaders, the priests, as to just Who Jesus really was. More than likely, their cured and restored flesh would be something they had never seen before! Who could accomplish such a thing? Only the Messiah and Lord, the very One whom Jesus claimed to be.

I should note the language in verse 14 shows they had absolute trust in Jesus as a healer of leprosy. Jesus tested this faith by not healing with a word or a touch but rather healed them as they, in faith, OBEYED HIS DIRECTIVE to head towards the priests’ location. They were healed "as they were going" towards the priests.

Now in verse 15, we see the sad truth of this incident. Ten were healed, but 90% of them looked only at the physical gift and forgot the spiritual Giver!

Act 3. The spiritual response – of ONLY one. Verses 15,16

15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice,

16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him ( a present participle, meaning he repeatedly gave praise and thanks to Jesus. He worshiped Him) . And he was a Samaritan.

This last sentence in verse 16, together with a statement in verse 18, shows us the other nine were Jewish persons. THAT’S SIGNIFICANT. All of Jesus’ disciples were Jewish. They witnessed this incident. And now, in verses 17-18, Jesus had a message for them in the form of three questions.

Act 4. The sermon – to Christ’s servants. Verses 17-19

17 Then Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine--where are they?

18 "Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner (can be translated - this man of another race)?"

The first question directed their attention to the miracle. Men with the most dreaded physical disease had been totally cured. "Were there not ten CLEANSED?” They had been delivered from the deterioration and loss of body parts caused by leprosy and the stigma associated with it.

The second rhetorical question focused them on the fact that 90% of those physically delivered had not given their Deliverer a second thought. “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, EXCEPT THIS MAN OF ANOTHER RACE?” They had not responded to His physical help with a spiritual thought. Only one did. Which transitions to the third question.

Only a man of a race and culture, that head LESS of God's word than the nine who did not respond rightly, did. Since the disciples were all Jewish, and the nine that failed to return and worship and give thanks to God were of that privileged culture, the nation to whom all of the written word came, the lesson is rather pointed. The one who had LESS INFORMATION FROM GOD, RESPONDED CORRECTLY, EVEN SPIRITUALLY.

Warn those whom you teach God’s word. The more they know about the Bible the more they are expected to respond to Him positively. If they, like the nine Jewish lepers that were healed focus only on the physical, God will exact a greater judgment on them.

In another passage in Luke dealing with judgment, Jesus said: “…that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. FOR EVERYONE TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, FROM HIM MUCH WILL BE REQUIRED; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:47-48 NKJV)

With Christ’s disciples looking on, the incident closes with Jesus’ final words to the worshiping ex-leper, in verse 19.

19 And He said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has made you well."

The phrase “has made you well” can be translated – “has saved you.” Young’s Literal Translation, the Darby Translation, and the Spanish Reina-Valera translation all render it this way.

Obviously there was a difference between the faith of the unthankful nine and this non-Jewish worshiper. Jesus wanted to teach His disciples that. The others had faith in Jesus as a PHYSICAL NEED PROVIDER ONLY. It is my personal opinion they were ONLY saved physically from the disease of leprosy. This one who returned to give God glory and worshiped Jesus, was saved physically AND SPIRITUALLY!

Leprosy kills the body, but sin damns a soul in isolated separation from God for ALL ETERNITY. The spiritual is more important to pay attention to than JUST the physical. Jesus also wants His disciples today to KNOW THAT.

The biblical record shows us that often EVEN those who do look in faith to Christ to save them from their sin eternally, fall into a sad pattern of elevating the temporary and the physical above the eternal and spiritual. TAKE HEED and tell all you teach to likewise be careful not to do this.

Consider Matthew:16:21-21. It shows this sad switch in priorities. It says:

21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"

23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, FOR YOU ARE NOT MINDFUL (Jesus used a present tense verb here, meaning repeatedly Peter fell into this way of thinking) OF THE THINGS OF GOD (spiritual things), BUT THE THINGS OF MAN (temporary physical things).

Even though he traveled around Galilee and Judea with Christ, normally he didn’t see things from God’s point of view. Rather he usually, normally saw them from man’s self-centered point of view.

Wow! So many Christians fall into the same error as the Apostle Peter did. They think in a way consistent with an unspiritual world view – held by most of the society around them. As far as I know, the ONLY CURE is to be in the word of God until the Holy Spirit transforms our whole value system and our way of seeing things - and from that, our way of living here below!

We just celebrated our Lord’s victory over sin and death in His resurrection.

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek (keep seeking) those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set (keep setting) your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Col. 3:1,2 NKJV

Rich Hines

Aurora Ministries – Minister To Chaplains

Remember, the Spiritual is Always More Important Than the Physical

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.

As I have pointed out from time to time, the very etymology of the word, "Chaplain" makes it mean – a minister of compassion. Christ had compassion on the downtrodden and the suffering people. In compassion He helped them – even with His miraculous deeds. BUT, HE NEVER STOPPED THERE.

As important as the physical problems of people were to Jesus, THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF PEOPLE WAS ALWAYS A GREATER CONCERN TO HIM. That same concern, in the same way, should always be mirrored by you in your ministry.

I am NOT SAYING, the physical and emotional suffering and needs of human beings are not important to Christ. A statement like that would be UNBIBLICAL. It is unchristian and wrong for us to ignore physical needs. BUT, IT IS JUST AS WRONG TO STOP THERE, AND NOT ADDRESS THE SPIRITUAL PROBLEMS OF THE PEOPLE YOU MINISTER TO.

I want to say it again, even though this may offend some of you who are reading or listening to this message, THE SPIRITUAL IS ALWAYS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PHYSICAL!

How you react to what has happened and is happening in Haiti or Chile is a good example. Catastrophic disasters resulting in human tragedies on a scale not seen before. What should the response of Christians and their ministries be?

I ask this because ever so subtly, I am hearing on “Christian” radio more of a social gospel than a biblical one regarding our expected response to these tragedies. Specifically in regards to Haiti, there is little or no mention of getting them the gospel. The focus is on meeting physical needs. I am hearing “Christian” speakers say things like, “we don’t just want to give them a fish, we want to teach them how to fish for a living.” PERIOD, the end.

Don’t be influenced that way. Rather, THINK BIBLICALLY. Look at Peter and John, Apostles of Jesus Christ encountering a crippled beggar (born crippled) in the temple area in Jerusalem, in Acts 3:1-26.

1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;
3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”
5 So he (the cripple) gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones RECEIVED STRENGTH.
8 So he, LEAPING UP, stood and walked …

You know it was a doctor who was writing this historical account. The Amplified translation reads: “And at once his feet and ankle bones became strong and steady, and leaping forth he stood and began to walk,” note the anatomical wording for the full healing, by Dr. Luke.

The Christian ministers certainly had compassion on the invalid. As first century Apostles with special sign gifts, they ministered to his PHYSICAL need. This healing miracle done by the power of Jesus Christ’s Spirit was complete in a physical sense, BUT the Christian ministry DID NOT END THERE. Pick up the narrative in Verse 11 and read on:

11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John (not because he needed them as a crutch, but because he was identifying with them – compare verse7b and 8a – his healing was complete), all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed (astonished).
12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

Then, instead of merely explaining the compassion and power of Jesus Christ, their Christian ministry went straight to the greater spiritual need of the people – even STARTING WITH THE FACTS OF THEIR SIN! Note it in verses 13-16, and then in conclusion in verses 19 and 26.

13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom YOU delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go
14 But YOU denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
16 And His name (the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth – verse 6), through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
…
19 Repent therefore and be converted (to Jesus as Christ), that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
…
26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him TO BLESS YOU, IN TURNING AWAY EVERY ONE OF YOU FROM YOUR INIQUITIES.”

The GREATER DEED done that day at the temple was giving people the gospel! You are a Chaplain or volunteer minister in a facility that houses prisoners, or indigent people. But, let me ask you a very basic question, ARE YOU CALLED BY God to be Christ’s messenger? Your answer should be a strong affirmative, “Yes!”

If He has placed you there with the spiritual gifts He has given you - to do the ministry He wants done for Him, then you should apply Acts 26:17-18, where Jesus was speaking to Saul who became the Apostle Paul, TO YOURSELF!

17 ‘ … I NOW SEND YOU,
18 TO OPEN THEIR EYES, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

YOUR GOAL should ALWAYS be to see them accept the spiritual help God offers in Jesus Christ alone. Yes, you may have an opportunity to help them in other ways, and you should when you can, BUT YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION IS NEVER FULFILLED APART FROM HELPING PEOPLE SPIRITUALLY.

I want to stress this theme - with a look at our Lord’s ministry in the gospels. He clearly made the point that the spiritual and the eternal is always more important than the physical and the temporary.

The episode I want you to consider and even show others, began in Mark 6:30 with Jesus’ Apostles coming back to Him to report on the results of a ministry He sent them to do.

As they reported, Jesus commanded them in verse 31 to “come aside ... to a deserted place and rest a while.” So together with Jesus, they got into a boat and slipped away. The narrative then continues at verse 33 and following.

Mark 6:33-34

33 But the multitudes saw them departing (from Capernaum see Mt. 8:5; Luke 7:1), and many knew (recognized) Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.
34 And Jesus, when He came out (meaning of the boat), saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. (This means He focused on their spiritual needs).

What then ensued in Mark 6:35-44, was the miracle commonly known as the feeding of the 5,000.

John 6:15, picks up where Mark 6:44 leaves off – after the crowd of possibly 20,000 people (Mt. 14:21 tells us there were 5,000 men and many women and children besides) had been fed and were fully "foddered up," as he later said in John 6:26.

But the thinking of the crowd was on the physical, not the spiritual, so we read in John 6:15

15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

On the very next day then, and in the same geographical area, we read in verses 22-27:

22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea (the NE side, where they had been fed) saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone—
23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place WHERE THEY ATE BREAD after the Lord had given thanks—>
24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum (the NW side), seeking Jesus.
25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?" (in other words ‘how did You get here?’)

That’s amazing. They never considered He was supernatural - the very God over nature, even though He miraculously fed them the day before. Yet verses 16-21 explain He came by way of walking on the water, stilling the storm and by possibly a third miracle – transporting the boat immediately to Capernaum’s harbor (verse 21)!

Now pay attention to what the Lord over creation, and storms and physical provision - said to them, when they asked Him “when did You come here?” in John 6:26.

26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw (meaning, noted with understanding) the signs (the miracles), BUT BECAUSE you ate of the loaves and were filled (literally, ‘foddered up’ - like a brute beast).

The point is don’t seek Jesus for simply the temporary physical needs you have, rather seek Him for something else, the spiritual provision that He alone offers. That this was the meaning of His teaching here is confirmed by what He said in the very next verse. -

27 DO NOT LABOR (literally, stop constantly laboring and expending energy) FOR THE FOOD WHICH PERISHES (i.e. physical stuff) BUT FOR THE FOOD WHICH ENDURES TO EVERLASTING (eternal) LIFE, which the Son of Man (Jesus, the Christ) will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

Did you notice there were two sets of opposites laid before the crowd seeking Jesus here? The first set is - STOP CONTINUALLY LABORING or struggling for one thing - versus - DO LABOR (implied), or do struggle for something else. The second set is - THAT WHICH PERISHES - versus - THAT WHICH IS CONSTANTLY ENDURING.

So many people SEEK Jesus and Christian ministries FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS. Your job is to follow Jesus’ example and challenge them to seek Him for the right reasons. People need the Lord Jesus as their Savior from sin. Their greatest need anybody has is spiritual, that is - how they are going to relate to God. In relationship to their real life of sin, He will either be their Judge or their Savior. That is spiritual and eternal.

This is not an isolated passage. Other passages show Jesus making the point of the eternal and spiritual being higher in importance than the temporary and the physical. Look up Matthew 16:5-12, where Jesus rebuked His disciples for missing the spiritual and only focusing on the physical. Check out Mark 7:14-23, and note Jesus’ response to the disciples question; and lastly John 14:1-9, focusing on Thomas and Philip and notice Jesus’ responses to them. In effect, Jesus was saying, “Why are you so focused on the physical and miss the spiritual?”

But, we may well ask, then why does He want us to also attend to the physical needs of people, just like He did while on earth two millennia ago? One answer is BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, THE PHYSICAL AND THE SPIRITUAL ARE CONNECTED.

Sin (which is a spiritual issue) was committed through our physical bodies. The curse of dying physically is directly linked to mankind’s sin. Even eternal judgment for sin will be experienced in physical eternal bodies. Jesus’ resurrection body which we are about to celebrate, WAS PHYSICAL. Luke 24:36-43 proves it. The bodies the truly saved will get someday will be physical glorified bodies in which they will inhabit heaven forever (See 1 Cor.15:20-23, 42-44, 50-58; Phil. 3:20-21 and 1 John 3:2).

Tell your inmates to think about that on April 4, 2010, as they come to celebrate Resurrection Day. In conclusion, do good - even in the temporary and physical areas when you can BUT ALWAYS, ALWAYS LINK IT TO THE GREATER SPIRITUAL AND REAL NEED THAT ONLY THE BIBLICAL JESUS MEETS!

At our last Chaplain Enrichment Seminar, Steve Camp was driving home the point of presenting the real Jesus and the main thing He came to do as over against the other Jesus’ people are inventing for themselves to follow. He calls that Jesus a “Plastic Jesus.”

He even wrote a song that addresses this issue. He uses the word “plastic” to mean phony. Here are a few of the lyrics, which I think connect with what I’ve been saying:

“Burn your plastic Jesus, your social worker for the poor. He’s your red-letter Christian, your moral politician, He’ll be you friend but not your Lord. He’s you presidential slogan, your bumper sticker god, He wants to make you happy with your best life now.”

“Oh, but it aint no plastic Jesus who was virgin born, and it aint no plastic Jesus who was beaten and scorned. And it aint no plastic Jesus who suffered death, and it aint no plastic Jesus who drained the cup of wrath. And it aint no plastic Jesus who reigns from heaven’s throne, who’s King of kings and Lord of lords, the Sovereign over all. And it no plastic Jesus who rose up from the grave, and it aint no plastic Jesus who’s the life the truth the way.”

“He’s got all power, He’s got real love. There is a tomb that He broke through. He’s got all power, He’s got real love, He’s got a cross that He bled and died on. There is a tomb that He broke through, He aint no plastic Jesus, He aint no plastic Jesus, this aint no plastic Jesus - but He came to save the plastic me and you.”

If you wish you can listen to Steve sing this song in its entirety. Go to our web site, www.ChaplainHelp.org and click on the Enrichment Seminars link under the Navigation Menu. Then, scroll to the bottom of that page and click on the blue link that reads “Pictures Gallery and Audio Recordings.” The song is at the beginning of Session 4, “The Glory of Christ.” With your sound on, click the arrow to the right of “Download Audio.”

Next month, I will focus on yet another passage that shows Jesus wants physically hurting people to seek Him for their spiritual needs even more than their physical ones.

Until then, keep on rejoicing in our Risen Lord!

Rich Hines - Aurora Ministries, Minister To Chaplains

Confront Empty Worship - The Lord Despises Outward Religiosity

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.

From my 20 years experience in pastoring inmates, I came to understand some of their ways. So, the issue which I want to deal with this month, is an issue with all types of people in free society as well. It just seems magnified with some of those incarcerated.

A lot depends on the kind of spiritual leadership they have. And yes Chaplains and volunteers, that means you!

The issue is: only an outward displaying of piety, or religiosity. God calls that hypocrisy. It is EMPTY WORSHIP. Within a correctional setting, this is sometimes heightened around special holidays, like Christmas or Easter. Especially if there is an inmate choir or a special program to be led by inmates.

Inmates, eager to feel better about themselves want to show off their talents. It’s true many of them have excellent singing voices and others have highly developed artistic drawing ability. BUT, the Bible teaches this important principal: THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE ACT OF WORSHIP IS DEPENDANT UPON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE WORSHIPER.

This is a very important truth for them to get a hold of. They need TO BE CONFRONTED BY IT. One good place for you to start would be Psalm 24.

In this Psalm, verses 3-6 are talking about salvation from sin and about the eternal worship in heaven, which is the culmination of that salvation. It reads:

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. Selah (pause, stop and think about it)

When verse 4 speaks of clean hands and a pure heart, we need to understand this is a poetic way of saying before we can worship the true God, we need sincere cleansing, both of our outward deeds and our inward motives. Hands represent the outward acts. Hearts speak of inward desires and motives.

The last phrase of verse 4 flows out of having clean hands and a pure heart. Because this worshiper is genuine and pure inwardly, they have not been praying to what is false (like an idol) and they have not been in the practice of deceiving others with lying promises, even as one translation puts it “lying under oath.” Because of this, their worship shall be accepted by god.

Note then again the promise of verse 5 to such true worshipers – they receive blessings (according to the riches of God’s grace), and most importantly IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD THEIR SAVIOR! Verse 6 is saying these types of people are the true spiritual Israel (Jacob). Their life is characterized by a constant seeking of God’s approval, which is part of what it means to seek God’s face.

If we could see God’s face, would He be frowning or smiling at us? We would want Him to smile at us - in approval.

Compare this teaching from Psalm 24 to 1 Timothy 2:8, where we read:

8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

The practice of lifting up of the hands in prayer and worship goes back to ancient times. There are many Old Testament references to it. Psalms 28:2; 63:4; Lamentations 2:19; and 3:41 are some examples of this.

Lifting up hands physically portrayed the giving up the whole life to the LORD – even for His examination, and also an expectation of receiving good things from the LORD.

When David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties (anxious thoughts); and see if there is any wicked way in me, …” He may well have raised his hands, as if to God - for their inspection.

I remember explaining this one time to an inmate Bible class. Many of them had their hands raised up, but when I explained the inspection aspect, the fact that their raised hands needed to be HOLY HANDS, many of those hands came down quickly!

James 4:8 says:

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded (literally: ‘two-souled’).

We need to give all of our soul to one Lord and Master. With God our heart is only cleansed by true confession of all known sin and repentant faith in His provision – our one true substitutionary Sacrifice – the Lord Jesus Christ.

As you teach the inmates, next show them what David said in his prayer of repentance in Psalm 51:6 and 51:16-17

6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
…
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. (these were Old Testament outward forms of worship)
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite (sorry) heart— these, O God, You will not despise.

You may be even now planning an "Easter Program" for Resurrection Sunday, April 4, 2010. Be careful with which inmates have key roles in reading Scripture and singing solos. If they are not first genuine in heart and purified of all known sin, the Lord will not accept their worship. Then too, they may well assume they are right with Him when they are not, BECAUSE you allowed them this leadership role in worship. Think about your responsibility with a thing like that!

Remind the inmates and residents of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:23-24.

23 “Therefore (on account of His teaching in verses 21-22 about unholy anger against someone being equal to murder) if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, (in other words there is an unsettled rift with someone)
24 leave your gift there before the altar, (don’t yet enter into worship) and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (then come and worship)

Explain to them that the Lord despises, even hates, the outward worship of those who continue to practice their sin. It is empty. Show them this from passages like Amos 5:21-24 where God said:

21 “ I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies.
22 (Even) Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear (accept) the melody of your stringed instruments.
24 But (first) let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Apparently, there was all kinds of unrighteous injustice going on all over the place, yet they thought they could just come worship the LORD.

One of the worst things a Christian Chaplain can ever hear is a report of some ongoing sinful attitude and actions “back in the dorm,” or “pod,” DONE BY THOSE WHOM HE (OR SHE) HAS ALLOWED TO HAVE SOME LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE CHRISTIAN MEETING.

Challenge them with such hypocrisy, that it would not take place. Seek the Lord. And, if they are not ready to repent, tell them to keep seeking until they are, but don’t pretend to be His true worshiper.

One final passage that shows God’s rejection of worship when the heart and life is not right is found in Isaiah 58. There He confronted the empty worship of Judah.

1 "Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. (this is God’s instruction to His prophet. His preacher. This is good advice for chaplains, for preachers)

(Then the LORD said)
2 Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching God.

Then He quotes the people:

3 ‘ Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls (like when fasting), and You take no notice?’

… (Now God answers them) "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure (meaning in your labor, your business), and exploit all your laborers.
4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high.
5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? (Note the sarcasm)

Verses 6-14 then call for a change of behavior, which is a call for repentance. Then they promise blessings that will always ensue:

6 " Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ "If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
13 " If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words,
14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken."

So always challenge those you teach like God did through His prophet Jeremiah. Note Jeremiah 4:3-4

3 ..." Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, (it is an inward operation) you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings."

The main issue is always the true innermost being getting right with the Lord. When that is fixed, then He loves to receive our acceptable worship. But never before! I pray you may have the courage to confront empty, evil worship.

Rich Hines
Aurora Ministries’ Minister to Chaplains

Put On Christ – Clothe Yourself With His Likeness, Even His Love

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 as I was thinking about giving a Christmas message, I considered what I might say. I thought of all the decorations that go up. Beyond that, I thought of how many people decorate themselves in bright Christmas colored and Christmas patterned clothing.

So, I thought of doing a message on that theme. "What are you wearing for Christmas?" would be a good title for a message on our inner life and attitudes - that do show a watching world either Christ or something else during the hustle and bustle and crowdedness of that time of year.

This is also a good thing to fix our minds on as we begin a new year of ministry for Christ and the furtherance of His gospel. Many Bible passages come to mind.

Matthew 5:14-16 – where Jesus said to His disciples:

14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Think about 1 Peter 3:3-4, where the Holy Spirit through Peter speaks to Christian women,

3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—

4 rather let it (your adornment) be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

Or, 1 Timothy 2:9-10, where through Paul, God similarly says-

9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,

10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, WITH GOOD WORKS.

Again, the metaphor of dressing up, or how someone is clothed, comes out in 1 Peter 5:5, which is addressed to all believers –

5 Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for " God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

Next, consider these two passages on Christ-like virtues that believers should be clothed with:

FIRST - Colossians 3:12-15

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering (patience);

13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

THEN - Romans 13:8-14

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.

14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

It’s all about showing Christ to others through His love reaching out from us. Our treatment of others should be like Jesus’. He lived what He taught and He taught us to do good to our enemies.

In 2010, I want to re-commit myself to putting on the Lord Jesus (Rom 13:14) and showing Him to His enemies who do not know Him. I want to challenge you as ministers of His gospel to do the same thing.

Through the indwelling Holy Spirit who has been given to every one of His true children, we can show His critics something of who He really is. So look with me again at a familiar passage, it’s one from His sermon on the mount, in Matthew 5:43-48.

As a correctional or rescue chaplain, I want to urge you to be drastically different from an unsaved, religious social worker. I say that because – in the historical context of the gospel of Matthew, and specifically the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was exposing the Jewish religious leaders’ faults. He exposed their misrepresentation of God to the people whom they were supposed to lead to the knowledge of God.

In contrast to that, be a real Christian, a real citizen of the Kingdom of God. Be His ambassador to those you come in contact with. Show them the real God – by your actions.

The religionists our Lord exposed HAD NOT SHOWN GOD’S LOVE AT ALL. Here, in Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus taught His disciples FOUR THINGS they were to show others about God’s love.

To begin, Jesus said to His disciples both then and now:

43 "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

1. So the first thing Jesus said we are to show a watching world about God’s love is: a difference in doctrine and duty.

We are to show a difference in what we teach and then live out. The religious leaders’ sin was that they did not explain God’s written word, that’s sinful. In addition, they were also guilty of adding to it their own sinful lack of love. Let me explain.

In verse 43, they misquoted Leviticus 19:18 which said: "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF: …"

They (the Pharisees) did not explain the phrase "Your neighbor," which meant anyone that you come across in daily activity, and they left out the explanation of love. They even omitted the words "as yourself" out of their Scripture quote. That was a deliberate deletion of God’s message in the Scripture. They did that because they always loved themselves more than anyone else.

Then, they also added to Scripture their own sinful thinking – in violation of the command to NOT take vengeance – they added "HATE YOUR ENEMY." God’s word never said that!

So, in verse 44, Jesus’ taught His followers, His disciples, a different doctrine from what the twisted religionists had taught. He taught them, "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES."

Notice the extra wording in verse 44 past the command to "Love your enemies" - “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” So this is more than just a different way of thinking. It is Jesus spelling out our DUTY to do this in applicable ways towards our enemies.

His further statement means these people are those that always try to persecute you. You are to love them in practical ways. You, as a Christian, are to do good to them. That’s agape love (the original word). It never depends on the worthiness of the object it loves.

Most importantly you are to pray for them. Pray for what would truly help and benefit them. Their best, ultimately means that they would make peace with the God who through Jesus Christ has already taken the first step towards making peace with them! (See – the July 2008 Chaplain’s Corner message on 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.)

The very word used for "enemies" is so important that I need to comment on it. The root of the word is the word "hater." This word pictures a hateful adversary charging you with hateful screams and profanity. Jesus says we are to love and do good to those that hate us for whatever reason.

2. Next, by mirroring the love of God, Jesus said His disciples would give people A Definition of who you are – God’s true children. Note that in the first part of verse 45.

45 that (in order that) you may (appear to) be sons of your Father in heaven;

A physical child, the "offspring" of their parents, has physical traits that mirror their own parents’ looks. Think of the familiar phrases, "He has his father’s nose," or "She has her mother’s cheek bones." Similarly, as a result of spiritual birth and life, the same is true. We can’t help mirroring our heavenly Father’s traits.

God’s love through you MUST leak out towards His enemies. So, the Holy Spirit in us drives us to do good to our enemies in similar ways as God does towards not only those who are righteous, but ALSO are evil.

45 … for He makes His sun rise on the evil (this word means malignantly evil – the worst kind of evil) and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

3. Then, in verses 46 and 47 Jesus went further to explain this love through A Difference in your response to others –

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

Here Jesus used a teaching style that compares things from the lesser to the greater. "Tax collectors" represented the lowest, vilest people in the contemporary society of Jesus’ earthly life. Yet even they loved those who first showed them love. So, as His disciple you and I have to do MORE. We have to do better.

Jesus was talking about how we react and respond to the people we come across. He pictured two situations of personal encounters and the ensuing responses. Both are pleasant. The first was with someone who has showed us love, the second was with those that we see often who are of our own kind. They think just like we do, and we call them "bro" or "friend." Women call other women of this type, "girl-friend."

But, by contrast, what Jesus really meant in these verses is we have to do better than that. Remember it is the lesser to the greater inference in His words.

You and I MUST LOVE those who don’t love us and don’t want to befriend us. They do not consider us part of their world or party. We are NOT IN THEIR CIRCLE. To them, WE ARE THE ENEMY. When we actively reach out with sacrificial deeds of love to these people, Jesus clearly implied we will have a "REWARD." This reward will be from God, not men.

Lastly, and summing it all up, in verse 48 Jesus taught His disciples that they must show - 4. A Duplication of God’s true character. Are you one of His true disciples? If so, you MUST show your enemies God’s loving character. Note verse 48.

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

The word twice translated "perfect" in verse 48, can have one of two meanings. The first is complete, or full - in the sense of brought to an expected end. This is why in certain contexts it takes on the meaning of being fully matured. The second meaning is full of integrity and virtue.

Since God the Father cannot grow or mature because from eternity past - He is - all that He is, - the meaning here would lean toward the second meaning, full of integrity and virtue. God is consummate GOOD. As His true representative and with the help of His Spirit, you are to reflect that goodness to all you come in contact with! You are TO BE full of His virtue.

How do you and I do that? We put on Christ, clothe ourselves with His love – even and especially for our enemies in 2010. I close with a story from John MacArthur’s Commentary that illustrates what Jesus taught His followers about loving their enemies.

"In 1547 King Philip II of Spain appointed the Duke of Alba as governor over the lower part of the nation. This man was a bitter enemy of the newly emerging Protestant Reformation. His rule was called the reign of terror, and his council was called the Bloody Council, because it had ordered the slaughter of so many Protestants.

It is reported that one man who was sentenced to die for his biblical faith managed to escape during the dead of winter. As he was being pursued by a lone soldier, the man came to a lake whose ice was thin and cracking.

Somehow he managed to get safely across the ice, but as soon as he reached the other side he heard his pursuer screaming. The soldier had fallen through the ice and was about to drown. At the risk of being captured, tortured and eventually killed – or of being drowned himself – the man went back across the lake and rescued his enemy, because the love of Christ constrained him to do it. He knew he had no other choice if he was to be faithful to his Lord."

Rich Hines

Aurora Ministries, Chaplain Help Ministry – Minister To Chaplains

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