People tend to scoff at this Biblical record of the star of Bethlehem, saying “this star is doing things a star cannot do.” They’re likely referring to Matthew 2:9:
When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
“How does a star “stand over,”or stop,” people say. So they assume this story is a fable. Well, science has the answer to that question. Of course,if we can "prove" it, they would ask “Why do you think you can introduce some new facts now, when we haven’t heard anything convincing in all of history?” Science has a reason for that too.
A little background: The author of the CD this is taken from is Professor Larson--but he is a lawyer, not a reputed scientist. But he was interested in astronomy—movements of stars and planets and constellations. (Not the same as astrology, which is often abused as predictive, often telling you how to run your life). Scripture praises astronomy: it insists the stars tell us things from God. But Scripture condemns astrology. Note Job 9:9:
He (God) made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south.
And note Psalm 19:1-2:
The heavens declare the glory of God…2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.
Thus, the stars communicate. God wants us to study the heavens to see what He might announce or tell us. Prof. Larson found Biblical proof that left his class agog (see also his website, bethlehemstar.net), and God blessed his impact so that he is now requested to speak even overseas on this subject. Now you’ll surely ask, “Why isn’t he supported by reputable scientists?” Well, why do most of our scientific minds believe in evolution instead of creationism? And what happens to scientists who believe in creationism? They often don’t get promoted, and they have no world-class media outlet (which are owned by non-Christian money). The fact is: The world’s basic fundamental “truths” are anti-God. If those in power are rational, why did they kill Jesus?
Final background: Johannes Kepler in 1619 discovered the math behind the movements of the solar system. With hundreds of hours of effort, he could map how the sky appeared on any date, past or future, since all movements of everything in the sky are predictable. But the effort required was ponderous for math and science geniuses of his generation. Now we have the advent of computers; so these movements have been incorporated into software programs. How the sky will appear from any location on the planet for any given date can now be found in seconds—in fact, the computer can even animate their movements through a period of time. So we are only now able to answer the big question: “Which of them is the star of Bethlehem—if any?” There are, it is estimated, 100 billion galaxies, and 100 billion stars in each—how can you find the Bethlehem star in such a crowd?
Here is the relevant Bible passage, Matthew 2:1-9, from which we will draw necessary characteristics for the Bethlehem star:
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.
From these verses, the Star of Bethlehem has to fulfill 9 qualifications:
a. Has to indicate birth (2:2)
b. Has to indicate Kingship ( 2:2)
c. Has to be Jewish (2:1)
d. Rising in east (2:2)
e. Appears at an exact time
f. Herod didn’t know when it appeared ( 2:3)
g. Endured over a considerable period of time (2:2, 9)
h. Went ahead of magi as they traveled south to Bethlehem ( 2:9)
i. The star has to Stop! Over Bethlehem ( 2:9)
It couldn’t be a meteor, which doesn’t rise in the east, and it isn’t long-lasting. It couldn’t be a comet because omens are perceived as foretelling doom. But Jesus’ birth is good news. Also, there were no comets in 3-2 BC (those were the conception/birthdate, see below). It couldn’t be a nova—a spectacular exploding star--Herod wouldn’t ask “when”—his scientific advisors (who may also have been astrologers) would’ve told him—along with their “interpretation.” Also, there were no novas for 3-2BC.
Based on what we just excluded, and from (f) above, the “right star” wasn’t spectacular—but it must have been moderately bright. It so happens, a conjunction of planets, or planet/star, would fulfill that. Let’s look at Jupiter, the King Planet (as it is so-called—and, it is the largest in the planet system). If Jupiter is involved, it would help us meet requirement (b) above as well. As it so happens, Jupiter, the King planet, was conjoined to Regulus (the King Star, how “coincidental”) in September of 3 BC. Since a magus had likely seen this 2-3 times before (this conjunction happens every 12 years), that by itself is not a big enough deal to get the Magi to pack up their camels and travel. Nor is it a big enough deal for Herod to hear from his scientific advisors.
A scientific note here: planets sometimes reverse (“retrograde”) motion (like passing a car on the freeway, it seems to move backward, so when earth swings past a planet, that planet seems to move backward). It so happens, Jupiter is in retrograde in 3-2BC in a very peculiar path—it passes Regulus, then reverses course, passes again, then reverses course, passes a 3rd time! This would have been exciting by itself, but additionally, if you draw this movement, it forms a halo above Regulus. Thus we have a triple-proof coronation of a king! (King planet, king star, and halo). Item “b” above is definitely solved, and we have a base star for further study.
Now, what about Jewishness--(c) above? A little Scriptural background: Gen 49:9 says, in summary, (1) out of tribe of Judah would come a King of all kings. (2) Judah is compared to a lion. Well, why not look and see if anything is happening in the constellation Leo the Lion? Further, look at Revelation 12:1-5, a “great sign appeared in heaven;” a woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet,” who was pregnant and due to bear a child “to rule all nations with a rod of iron.” She is threatened by a dragon wanting to kill her child. This is, of course, about Jesus and the Virgin Mary—and opposed by a dragon--Satan working through Herod. It So Happens that as Jupiter begins to crown Regulus, this event happens in the constellation Leo—and behind Leo is—guess what—the constellation Virgo (Virgin). And Virgo is rising, clothed in the sun. The moon at the time (within September, 3 BC, see below) is new, so it was under her (Virgo’s) feet! An amazing prophecy come true in many "coincidental" points! You must see the DVD to appreciate this amazing point!
As it turns out, this was the Conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. How do we know? Because 9 months later, Jupiter is finished crowning Regulus; and has moved to conjoin with Venus, making the brightest conjunction in the world (planetariums love to show this conjunction). This was the only time in those magi’s lifetime for this conjunction. If the magi were thinking about all the activity just noted from September, this combo practically screamed out, “Mount Up!”
Thus, Jesus was born in June, 2 BC.Yes, it "should have been" 0 BC/AD. Medieval scientists were good, but not that good.
And the magi began planning a trip.
The next several months are speculative, as opposed to the Keplerian rock-hard scientific facts above. Let’s assume the magi were, within a few months, starting their trip. We’re assuming the magi, from the East, were located at Babylon, a home base for the best astronomers. After a couple more months, they would arrive at Jerusalem asking “where?” They tell Herod the details about September, 3 BC and June, 2 BC, then get sent south to Bethlehem—only 5 miles away, please note that.
It So Happens that in December of 2 BC (thus allowing 6 months from Christ’s birth to their arrival at Jerusalem), Jupiter is in the sky south of them from Jerusalem-- thus it continues leading them toward Bethlehem.
11.This means 8 of 9 requirements above are fulfilled:
a.The first conjunction signified birth by its association with Virgo “birthing” the new moon at her feet (in the tradition of the day, a woman typically gave birth downward).
b.The Planet of King’s halo-coronation of the Star of Kings signified kingship.
c.The triple conjunction began with the Jewish New Year and took place within Leo the Lion, showing a connection with the Jewish tribe of Judah (and prophecies of the Jewish Messiah).
d.Jupiter rises in the east.
e.The conjunctions appeared at precise, identifiable times.
f.Herod was unaware of these things; they were astronomical events which had significance only when explained by experts.
g.The planet/star events took place over a span of time sufficient for the Magi to see them both from the East and upon their arrival in Jerusalem.
h.Jupiter was ahead of the Magi as they traveled south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem
12.But Jupiter somehow stopped, since it stayed over Bethlehem for the time they traveled there. (This is what brings the scoffers out). As it so happens, when a planet (or star) goes to the end of an arc and begins to retrograde, it has to “stop” briefly. (Picture an elliptical arc, say the outline of the end of an egg, and the egg is standing up—as you draw this in your mind, from the left, the arc, or egg outline, is moving down. At the right, it moves upward. But for a brief period, at the bottom, it isn’t moving up or moving down—so it seems to stop). It So Happens that Jupiter was “at the bottom”—just before retrograde, it “stopped”—and that day was December 25, BC 2! That must’ve been the date of their arrival to the toddler Jesus, in the house. That’s a Significant date—not for the birth (by which we mistakenly celebrate it), but for the celebration of worship and presenting gifts to Our Lord.
13.Thank You, God, that your planets, stars, and constellations speak of Your great Immanuel! With perfect prediction. Jews knew the night sky well (they had no light pollution, no real air pollution, they slept on their roofs a lot—knew the constellations).
NEXT WEEK: THE EXACT DATE OF THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST—FROM THE STARS.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
Jesus' Radical Doctrine of Non-Accumulation (Part 3: Covetousness)
America has been the richest nation on earth in all of world history—so it is our unique responsibility to obey our Lord’s Words regarding the use of money. The first two radical commands to do that I outlined in Parts I and II: stop storing up excess assets, and give to the world’s truly poor. This should be done in two steps: (1) Sell all our excess possessions and give the cash raised to the world's poor; and (2) live frugally enough (buying only necessities), so that income exceeds expenses—then give the difference regularly to the truly poor.
Let’s clarify one thing: When Jesus said to all of us in Luke 12:33 (this was not directed to the "rich young ruler," as some assume):
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor”
did He mean all our possessions, thus making ourselves poor? No; read Luke 3:11:
He(John the Baptist) answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”
Thus, we are to keep one necessary item for use, and liquidate the second item and beyond--the “excess beyond need.” We should do this prayerfully, not thinking about “only having one of these means I don’t have a backup if something goes wrong.” You need to sell your past accumulation of everything that isn’t truly necessary, as well. Men, do you need two complete sets of tools? Sell one. Keep them organized. Ladies, is it essential that you have even one set of chinaware—if you only use it once or twice a year, why not sell even the one? Do you need that boat—when you take it out many Sundays so your family doesn’t even attend church regularly during the summer? Do you need six sweaters, five heavy coats, fifteen shirts, ten pairs of pants? Does God really care if you show up wearing the same outfit twice? No, He’s more offended by your extravagance if you don’t. And who is more important here—your friends of influence, or Him—your Judge? Here’s a big one for married couples: Do you need two cars? Can’t one spouse drive the other to work, or can’t one use public transit? Or pool to work? And for those whose expenses always manage to exceed income: Have you set financial budgets, or goals in life--other than thinking about your next worldly purchase? Have you searched eagerly for ways to be more frugal? There are plenty of those online to help you there. Another argument we raise against our Lord is telling Him if we give away frills, we will deprive our children of some enjoyment. But what if you obey His will, and actively give things away, instead? What do your children see? Sacrifice. Then the lesson they learn is Love. Instead of Materialism. They learn that true love includes sacrifice. And we Christians are nothing without Love (I Cor. 13: 1-3). The problem with America is, many families have enough money to satisfy each person in the family to do their own thing, without anyone sacrificing for another. The problem with that is, with no sacrificing, there is no real love being learned. And with everyone doing their own thing, there is no bonding, no teamwork, and the children learn nothing about the importance of another’s feelings—which makes them far less prepared for marriage, among other things. So yes, discard that second car. That second house, too—that one in upstate Michigan or down in Florida. And stop the cruises. How can we go to God on judgment day, when I can imagine He will show a split screen video—us on one side, living it up, and on the other side, people in impoverished nations that we ignored, scratching for subsistence? How then are we different than the rich man ignoring the poor Lazarus in Luke 16 (see my Radical II blog)? Will our final destination be any different than his? Are you absolutely sure that your salvation won’t be affected by ignoring this, despite many Scriptures indicating beneficence to the poor is essential to show that you will be saved? Just by not having a second car, your family can save over $6,000 a year, even if your second car is an older one (this dollar figure also realistically considers depreciation’s hidden cost as well as gas and maintenance and insurance). Do you realize the difference you could make by giving that kind of money to the worldwide poor instead of making your life a little more indulgent?
Let’s talk about America’s appetites to buy more, our continual grasping to raise our standard of living. Did you know that this is covetousness? Most people define that word as “wanting what belongs to another.” But as Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words points out, the Greek word, “pleonexia,” simply means a desire to have more… always in a bad sense (e.g., wanting more possessions or power). Well, here’s an unfortunate thing: In truth, the growth of the American economy is founded upon advertising and consumption. That means our government blesses covetousness and even makes it our patriotic duty to be bathed in materialism. We talk about the latest trinkets constantly, so these things are on our mind. There are many apps for our "smartphones" telling us how to spend more money "wisely." We live materialism, we breathe it.
But covetousness is a serious sin. Let’s look at Ephesians 5:5:
For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Read that definition of covetousness again: It is idolatry, loving something more than our God. Is that you? And where is the ultimate destination for this idolatry? That radical idea is confirmed in Colossians 3:5-6:
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.
As the superb commentary Precept Austin puts it, “covetousness is synonymous with idolatry because it places selfish desire above obedience to God…it is basically people doing what they desire, rather than what God desires. This in turn amounts to worship of self rather than worship of God, and this is the very essence of idolatry.” Because America is so deeply ingrained in this sin, I would like to suggest that many (perhaps most) Americans are idolaters and bound for hell, without sincere repentance. There are a LOT of people in this country who think they’re saved because they “believe in Jesus”—but they don’t obey Jesus, because they accumulate superficial assets, spend frivolously, and ignore their poor brothers and sisters who are dying unnecessarily in the world. Remember, the fact that the rich man was blissfully unaware in Luke 16 (Radical Part II) was no excuse. It is still covetousness, and leads to hell. What does Jesus say?
“Woe unto you that are rich!” (Luke 6:24).
(“Woe” is a word of denunciation, used for the unsaved, such as Luke 11:43-47). In Matthew 19:23ff, Jesus says, in part:
“it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven….It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
I remind you, we cannot argue that “I’m not rich.” God isn’t comparing you to Americans—He’s looking at the entire train of world history, in which most Americans would have to qualify as “rich.” (I have another blog that discusses that subject). Let’s forget about excuses. Look at those threatening words again: “It is hard.” What does that really mean? Do you have enough fear of God to soberly think about it? It means we Americans, to overcome the disadvantages our wealth has given us, have to be more passionately determined to be holy, we have to really discipline ourselves to bully the desires of the flesh out of the way, to persevere in seeking God’s heart, to fight against the natural tendency in wealth to be complacent, or not depend on Him. We need to fight against the FALSE assumption that “I’m rich, so God loves me.” We have to fight against placing all our trust on this world, our savings--and not thinking about the next world--which is a lot longer in duration! We too easily fall into the trap of Revelation 3:17:
“You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
May God help us to see us as He sees us.
Let’s clarify one thing: When Jesus said to all of us in Luke 12:33 (this was not directed to the "rich young ruler," as some assume):
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor”
did He mean all our possessions, thus making ourselves poor? No; read Luke 3:11:
He(John the Baptist) answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”
Thus, we are to keep one necessary item for use, and liquidate the second item and beyond--the “excess beyond need.” We should do this prayerfully, not thinking about “only having one of these means I don’t have a backup if something goes wrong.” You need to sell your past accumulation of everything that isn’t truly necessary, as well. Men, do you need two complete sets of tools? Sell one. Keep them organized. Ladies, is it essential that you have even one set of chinaware—if you only use it once or twice a year, why not sell even the one? Do you need that boat—when you take it out many Sundays so your family doesn’t even attend church regularly during the summer? Do you need six sweaters, five heavy coats, fifteen shirts, ten pairs of pants? Does God really care if you show up wearing the same outfit twice? No, He’s more offended by your extravagance if you don’t. And who is more important here—your friends of influence, or Him—your Judge? Here’s a big one for married couples: Do you need two cars? Can’t one spouse drive the other to work, or can’t one use public transit? Or pool to work? And for those whose expenses always manage to exceed income: Have you set financial budgets, or goals in life--other than thinking about your next worldly purchase? Have you searched eagerly for ways to be more frugal? There are plenty of those online to help you there. Another argument we raise against our Lord is telling Him if we give away frills, we will deprive our children of some enjoyment. But what if you obey His will, and actively give things away, instead? What do your children see? Sacrifice. Then the lesson they learn is Love. Instead of Materialism. They learn that true love includes sacrifice. And we Christians are nothing without Love (I Cor. 13: 1-3). The problem with America is, many families have enough money to satisfy each person in the family to do their own thing, without anyone sacrificing for another. The problem with that is, with no sacrificing, there is no real love being learned. And with everyone doing their own thing, there is no bonding, no teamwork, and the children learn nothing about the importance of another’s feelings—which makes them far less prepared for marriage, among other things. So yes, discard that second car. That second house, too—that one in upstate Michigan or down in Florida. And stop the cruises. How can we go to God on judgment day, when I can imagine He will show a split screen video—us on one side, living it up, and on the other side, people in impoverished nations that we ignored, scratching for subsistence? How then are we different than the rich man ignoring the poor Lazarus in Luke 16 (see my Radical II blog)? Will our final destination be any different than his? Are you absolutely sure that your salvation won’t be affected by ignoring this, despite many Scriptures indicating beneficence to the poor is essential to show that you will be saved? Just by not having a second car, your family can save over $6,000 a year, even if your second car is an older one (this dollar figure also realistically considers depreciation’s hidden cost as well as gas and maintenance and insurance). Do you realize the difference you could make by giving that kind of money to the worldwide poor instead of making your life a little more indulgent?
Let’s talk about America’s appetites to buy more, our continual grasping to raise our standard of living. Did you know that this is covetousness? Most people define that word as “wanting what belongs to another.” But as Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words points out, the Greek word, “pleonexia,” simply means a desire to have more… always in a bad sense (e.g., wanting more possessions or power). Well, here’s an unfortunate thing: In truth, the growth of the American economy is founded upon advertising and consumption. That means our government blesses covetousness and even makes it our patriotic duty to be bathed in materialism. We talk about the latest trinkets constantly, so these things are on our mind. There are many apps for our "smartphones" telling us how to spend more money "wisely." We live materialism, we breathe it.
But covetousness is a serious sin. Let’s look at Ephesians 5:5:
For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Read that definition of covetousness again: It is idolatry, loving something more than our God. Is that you? And where is the ultimate destination for this idolatry? That radical idea is confirmed in Colossians 3:5-6:
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.
As the superb commentary Precept Austin puts it, “covetousness is synonymous with idolatry because it places selfish desire above obedience to God…it is basically people doing what they desire, rather than what God desires. This in turn amounts to worship of self rather than worship of God, and this is the very essence of idolatry.” Because America is so deeply ingrained in this sin, I would like to suggest that many (perhaps most) Americans are idolaters and bound for hell, without sincere repentance. There are a LOT of people in this country who think they’re saved because they “believe in Jesus”—but they don’t obey Jesus, because they accumulate superficial assets, spend frivolously, and ignore their poor brothers and sisters who are dying unnecessarily in the world. Remember, the fact that the rich man was blissfully unaware in Luke 16 (Radical Part II) was no excuse. It is still covetousness, and leads to hell. What does Jesus say?
“Woe unto you that are rich!” (Luke 6:24).
(“Woe” is a word of denunciation, used for the unsaved, such as Luke 11:43-47). In Matthew 19:23ff, Jesus says, in part:
“it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven….It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
I remind you, we cannot argue that “I’m not rich.” God isn’t comparing you to Americans—He’s looking at the entire train of world history, in which most Americans would have to qualify as “rich.” (I have another blog that discusses that subject). Let’s forget about excuses. Look at those threatening words again: “It is hard.” What does that really mean? Do you have enough fear of God to soberly think about it? It means we Americans, to overcome the disadvantages our wealth has given us, have to be more passionately determined to be holy, we have to really discipline ourselves to bully the desires of the flesh out of the way, to persevere in seeking God’s heart, to fight against the natural tendency in wealth to be complacent, or not depend on Him. We need to fight against the FALSE assumption that “I’m rich, so God loves me.” We have to fight against placing all our trust on this world, our savings--and not thinking about the next world--which is a lot longer in duration! We too easily fall into the trap of Revelation 3:17:
“You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
May God help us to see us as He sees us.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Jesus' Radical Doctrine of Non-Accumulation (Part 2: Give to Truly Needy)
I indicated in Part 1 that there are two commands by Jesus that form this radical doctrine, and I’ve only covered one--Matthew 6:19-21:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in an steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven….
The other command is in Luke 12:33. In the NIV it is very plain:
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
These verses are paired—note the repetition of the phrase “treasure in heaven,” and the “thief” and “moth” illustration. So here is our combined doctrine: In Matthew 6, we were told not to accumulate wealth assets. If we have been accumulating assets, the Luke verse tells us to what to do with them; we are to sell them—and give the money to the poor. This doctrine will radically change how you handle your finances—if you’re interested in obeying every command of Jesus, and really WANT to have treasure in heaven.
But when I mention this doctrine to church folks, they get quiet and mildly uncomfortable, evidently not excited about building treasure in heaven. Overall, based on dollars given, it seems the plain fact about America is this: There are a lot of middle class people who call themselves Christian who really don’t care a bit about giving serious money to the poor. (I’m referring to the worldwide poor, those who die tragically early, without enough to eat or suffering from preventable disease). Most of their giving will go to their church, so lots of it gets spent boosting the facility and the programs and salaries. But little tithing goes for the poor, per se. Does anybody say, “The Holy Spirit is definitely beating me up about something in my daily prayers—how many of these poor people worldwide dying every day from malnutrition or sickness could have been, or could be, my brothers or sisters? It just blows my mind that I could actually save their lives but I’m wasting my money instead. Let’s get together and discuss fasting on occasion and living frugally and pool the savings and give it to them. We could save lives!” Music to our Lord’s ears! But rare.
American “Christians,” wake up! Consider again Luke 12:16-21, covered in Part 1 of this study, about what happens to a man whose sin was "he lays up treasure for himself:"
“The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Are we that rich fool? Could God be angry at us--maybe even eternally angry--because we consume and stock up, and are not thinking much about helping the poor? Read Luke 16:19-25:
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell[a] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
The rich man is in hades, flames and excruciating pain and all, and don’t you think Jesus wants us to know what his sin was that got him there? Of course! Are you going to say, “We don’t know because He doesn’t say”? On such an important issue, paradise vs hades, is God going to be silent? That seems to be an insupportable argument. No, the ONLY conclusion is, the rich man is in hades because he had no compassion for the suffering poor man. He knew the man was there, “at his gate.” So he walked right by him whenever he left home, and whenever he returned. But he didn’t help. Well, are we churchgoers in America a step above this today? Maybe you’ll say, “None of them are at my door.” But they’re on your TV, they’re on the internet, or you get calls on the phone. That’s your gate. Will you end up, surprised as this man was, at the same horrible final destination?
Jesus makes another radical statement in Matthew 19:23:
Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
He even stresses the point by saying it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. The disciples were shocked at hearing that; they assumed (as we do) that wealth is proof that God loves you. Jesus says completely the opposite. Jesus is really saying wealth will almost certainly tear you away from God so you won’t make it to heaven. Think about that. That really makes gathering riches a curse. (I’m not saying a high income is a curse. I’m saying plowing it into personal assets is a curse). Would you grasp at something if you knew it would almost wipe out your chance at heaven? You’d think, “Nooo way.” But we do that very thing. Now of course you might say, throughout this paper, “No problem; I’m not rich.” Well, in the Big Picture, almost all Americans are rich. We are the richest society, by far, in all of world history—in fact, our poorest 5% are richer than India’s richest 5% even now, to just give one perspective. So, you who are reading this—even if you’re middle class, even lower middle class, in America—you’re rich. All the frivolities in America distract you, they deceive you--you assume you’re fine with God, but you’ve drifted away from dependence on Him, you become complacent, no longer a branch feeding off the Vine: and what happens to non-abiding branches? What happens to lukewarm people? They go to the fire or are vomited out of the body. Remember, Jesus said:
“narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14).
When you really meditate on these verses, you get the radical idea that the odds are stacked against Americans going to heaven, because of our relative wealth. Could a large number of us be self-deceived into thinking we’re going to heaven when we aren’t? Consider His warning in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
And when you consider America, the richest society on earth, what is the Father’s will, His burden, for most of us? Give more to the truly worldwide poor! They’re your sisters, your brothers! They need it more than you do!
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in an steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven….
The other command is in Luke 12:33. In the NIV it is very plain:
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
These verses are paired—note the repetition of the phrase “treasure in heaven,” and the “thief” and “moth” illustration. So here is our combined doctrine: In Matthew 6, we were told not to accumulate wealth assets. If we have been accumulating assets, the Luke verse tells us to what to do with them; we are to sell them—and give the money to the poor. This doctrine will radically change how you handle your finances—if you’re interested in obeying every command of Jesus, and really WANT to have treasure in heaven.
But when I mention this doctrine to church folks, they get quiet and mildly uncomfortable, evidently not excited about building treasure in heaven. Overall, based on dollars given, it seems the plain fact about America is this: There are a lot of middle class people who call themselves Christian who really don’t care a bit about giving serious money to the poor. (I’m referring to the worldwide poor, those who die tragically early, without enough to eat or suffering from preventable disease). Most of their giving will go to their church, so lots of it gets spent boosting the facility and the programs and salaries. But little tithing goes for the poor, per se. Does anybody say, “The Holy Spirit is definitely beating me up about something in my daily prayers—how many of these poor people worldwide dying every day from malnutrition or sickness could have been, or could be, my brothers or sisters? It just blows my mind that I could actually save their lives but I’m wasting my money instead. Let’s get together and discuss fasting on occasion and living frugally and pool the savings and give it to them. We could save lives!” Music to our Lord’s ears! But rare.
American “Christians,” wake up! Consider again Luke 12:16-21, covered in Part 1 of this study, about what happens to a man whose sin was "he lays up treasure for himself:"
“The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Are we that rich fool? Could God be angry at us--maybe even eternally angry--because we consume and stock up, and are not thinking much about helping the poor? Read Luke 16:19-25:
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell[a] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
The rich man is in hades, flames and excruciating pain and all, and don’t you think Jesus wants us to know what his sin was that got him there? Of course! Are you going to say, “We don’t know because He doesn’t say”? On such an important issue, paradise vs hades, is God going to be silent? That seems to be an insupportable argument. No, the ONLY conclusion is, the rich man is in hades because he had no compassion for the suffering poor man. He knew the man was there, “at his gate.” So he walked right by him whenever he left home, and whenever he returned. But he didn’t help. Well, are we churchgoers in America a step above this today? Maybe you’ll say, “None of them are at my door.” But they’re on your TV, they’re on the internet, or you get calls on the phone. That’s your gate. Will you end up, surprised as this man was, at the same horrible final destination?
Jesus makes another radical statement in Matthew 19:23:
Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
He even stresses the point by saying it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. The disciples were shocked at hearing that; they assumed (as we do) that wealth is proof that God loves you. Jesus says completely the opposite. Jesus is really saying wealth will almost certainly tear you away from God so you won’t make it to heaven. Think about that. That really makes gathering riches a curse. (I’m not saying a high income is a curse. I’m saying plowing it into personal assets is a curse). Would you grasp at something if you knew it would almost wipe out your chance at heaven? You’d think, “Nooo way.” But we do that very thing. Now of course you might say, throughout this paper, “No problem; I’m not rich.” Well, in the Big Picture, almost all Americans are rich. We are the richest society, by far, in all of world history—in fact, our poorest 5% are richer than India’s richest 5% even now, to just give one perspective. So, you who are reading this—even if you’re middle class, even lower middle class, in America—you’re rich. All the frivolities in America distract you, they deceive you--you assume you’re fine with God, but you’ve drifted away from dependence on Him, you become complacent, no longer a branch feeding off the Vine: and what happens to non-abiding branches? What happens to lukewarm people? They go to the fire or are vomited out of the body. Remember, Jesus said:
“narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14).
When you really meditate on these verses, you get the radical idea that the odds are stacked against Americans going to heaven, because of our relative wealth. Could a large number of us be self-deceived into thinking we’re going to heaven when we aren’t? Consider His warning in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
And when you consider America, the richest society on earth, what is the Father’s will, His burden, for most of us? Give more to the truly worldwide poor! They’re your sisters, your brothers! They need it more than you do!
Friday, August 1, 2014
Jesus' Radical Doctrine of Non-Accumulating Assets (Part 1 of 3)
Jesus made two commands that together form this doctrine. The doctrine is further supported in Acts and in the Pauline epistles. The first command I will cover here in Part I. It is found in Matthew 6:19-20:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Since the Greek for “treasures” means “concentration of wealth,” Jesus is clearly commanding us not to accumulate wealth assets on earth. This command is radical—and seldom preached. Dr. William MacDonald, late president of Emmaus Bible College, author of 84 published books, had this to say in his Believers Bible Commentary about these two verses:
“…contains some of the most revolutionary teachings of our Lord—and some of the most neglected. In verses 19-21 Jesus contravenes all human advice to provide for a financially secure future (Thus he’s saying “wealth assets” include retirement funds)… This teaching forces us to decide whether Jesus meant what He said. If He did, then we face the question, “What are we going to do with our earthly treasures?” If He didn‘t, then we face the question, “What are we going to do with our Bible?””
Most Christians don’t even think about the real meaning of the Matthew verses; they are either reading their Bibles without asking the Holy Spirit for interpretation; or their pastors, when covering this Scripture, have distorted the teaching to make it more palatable--such as emphasizing our “attitude” about our possessions. They often tell us that our sin here is to “treasure in our heart” our possessions. Unfortunately, that severely changes the verse, detracting from its clear meaning of not accumulating assets to “watching our heart attitude of coveting,” a much more vague concept--and one easily dismissible--so, they conclude, "I'm not sinning if I'm not coveting." We thus can forget the radical demand of the verse if we’re in a complacent mood (which we usually are). But the verse should be taken literally; it is simply a command not to lay up, or “store.” To preach that we need to look first at our heart to determine whether our possessions are our “treasure” is the exact opposite of what the verse says: as Jesus says in verse 21: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Jesus knows (better than we do) that if our treasures are on earth, then the heart’s desire is earthly as well.
For further proof, let’s go to Luke 12:16-20. Here is a man who simply wants to be a saver, an investor—normal godly traits, we assume. If we didn’t read the verses that follow, we would assert that he is a model of wise behavior:
"The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
This man DIES, seemingly, for being a wise planner! Hmmm. God evidently does not see the virtue of “saving” as we see it (not a surprise, actually; see Isaiah 55:8). What was the sin of the rich man, that he was called a “fool?” Was it that he forgot to ask God’s advice on what to do with his riches? Was it his intent on laziness? His pride? Well, Jesus answers that question in the next verse. Did Jesus say, “So is he who forgets to seek counsel from God?” Or, “ so is he who is proud?” No; Jesus says in the next verse:
“So is he that lays up treasure for himself.”
Let me emphasize this: His sin that made him a fool and paid with his life--was laying up treasure, accumulating wealth assets--the same sin as Matthew 6. People, this is a financial life-changing doctrine. This kind of saving is a SIN! Meditate on it. Let’s call this concept Jesus’ command to Non-Accumulate. I suspect that pastors generally don’t believe that non-accumulation is a genuine command. They say, “Jesus cannot be teaching us to be so imprudent. What if I lose my job? If I haven’t saved some wealth, what could happen to me and my family? Jesus must be using allegory here; or, He doesn’t mean this for everyone at all times. So, since it is not a real command, I can ignore it.” Well, there are two answers to this train of thought. The first answer is: If it’s a command, it’s a command to obey, no questions asked. Our job is to obey it, not explain it away because it might leave us feeling insecure. God knows better than us. We can’t always know why. We should have faith in a loving God as His children that He will sort out the repercussions to our best spiritual interest. The second answer is: Where is your faith in God’s power? Jesus knows our concern here and answers it only a few verses later—in Matthew 6:26 and 31-32:
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?…So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
In other words, trust in God, not in yourself (your savings). Look, we all need to see God at work more, to know that He is real. What better way to experience this than seeing God rescue us from a financial tough spot? If He doesn’t rescue in a tight spot, maybe He is telling us: Hey, how did you get in that spot? Overspending? Maybe we need to get less worldly in the use of our money and time. A second possibility may be that He wants to teach us not to buy an item yet—teaching us patience, or maybe we would use it to indulge in some sin, or idolize it, pulling us farther away from Him. In any of these, we should leave ourselves open to God speaking to us—which He can only do if we don’t just fall back on our savings or credit card, our own security, for rescue. Families with kids living with them should get their children involved too. If you and your kids actually plead with God and then see God rescuing you, or if God refines worldly desires from your family, you—and the kids—are more likely, from that personal touch from Him, to be “sold out” for the Lord. Isn’t that where you want your family to be? What would really sell the kids—and do good for humanity—would be to use your extra cash to give to the needy (to be discussed later) rather than add to savings. By giving away your savings, you test Him (Malachi 3:10). He will be happy to show that He is your security, not your reserve savings. You are not insecure. According to Psalm 37:25, you are not vulnerable to poverty if you are in the center of God’s will. You can’t be in that wonderful place by trusting in yourself rather than God.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Since the Greek for “treasures” means “concentration of wealth,” Jesus is clearly commanding us not to accumulate wealth assets on earth. This command is radical—and seldom preached. Dr. William MacDonald, late president of Emmaus Bible College, author of 84 published books, had this to say in his Believers Bible Commentary about these two verses:
“…contains some of the most revolutionary teachings of our Lord—and some of the most neglected. In verses 19-21 Jesus contravenes all human advice to provide for a financially secure future (Thus he’s saying “wealth assets” include retirement funds)… This teaching forces us to decide whether Jesus meant what He said. If He did, then we face the question, “What are we going to do with our earthly treasures?” If He didn‘t, then we face the question, “What are we going to do with our Bible?””
Most Christians don’t even think about the real meaning of the Matthew verses; they are either reading their Bibles without asking the Holy Spirit for interpretation; or their pastors, when covering this Scripture, have distorted the teaching to make it more palatable--such as emphasizing our “attitude” about our possessions. They often tell us that our sin here is to “treasure in our heart” our possessions. Unfortunately, that severely changes the verse, detracting from its clear meaning of not accumulating assets to “watching our heart attitude of coveting,” a much more vague concept--and one easily dismissible--so, they conclude, "I'm not sinning if I'm not coveting." We thus can forget the radical demand of the verse if we’re in a complacent mood (which we usually are). But the verse should be taken literally; it is simply a command not to lay up, or “store.” To preach that we need to look first at our heart to determine whether our possessions are our “treasure” is the exact opposite of what the verse says: as Jesus says in verse 21: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Jesus knows (better than we do) that if our treasures are on earth, then the heart’s desire is earthly as well.
For further proof, let’s go to Luke 12:16-20. Here is a man who simply wants to be a saver, an investor—normal godly traits, we assume. If we didn’t read the verses that follow, we would assert that he is a model of wise behavior:
"The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
This man DIES, seemingly, for being a wise planner! Hmmm. God evidently does not see the virtue of “saving” as we see it (not a surprise, actually; see Isaiah 55:8). What was the sin of the rich man, that he was called a “fool?” Was it that he forgot to ask God’s advice on what to do with his riches? Was it his intent on laziness? His pride? Well, Jesus answers that question in the next verse. Did Jesus say, “So is he who forgets to seek counsel from God?” Or, “ so is he who is proud?” No; Jesus says in the next verse:
“So is he that lays up treasure for himself.”
Let me emphasize this: His sin that made him a fool and paid with his life--was laying up treasure, accumulating wealth assets--the same sin as Matthew 6. People, this is a financial life-changing doctrine. This kind of saving is a SIN! Meditate on it. Let’s call this concept Jesus’ command to Non-Accumulate. I suspect that pastors generally don’t believe that non-accumulation is a genuine command. They say, “Jesus cannot be teaching us to be so imprudent. What if I lose my job? If I haven’t saved some wealth, what could happen to me and my family? Jesus must be using allegory here; or, He doesn’t mean this for everyone at all times. So, since it is not a real command, I can ignore it.” Well, there are two answers to this train of thought. The first answer is: If it’s a command, it’s a command to obey, no questions asked. Our job is to obey it, not explain it away because it might leave us feeling insecure. God knows better than us. We can’t always know why. We should have faith in a loving God as His children that He will sort out the repercussions to our best spiritual interest. The second answer is: Where is your faith in God’s power? Jesus knows our concern here and answers it only a few verses later—in Matthew 6:26 and 31-32:
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?…So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
In other words, trust in God, not in yourself (your savings). Look, we all need to see God at work more, to know that He is real. What better way to experience this than seeing God rescue us from a financial tough spot? If He doesn’t rescue in a tight spot, maybe He is telling us: Hey, how did you get in that spot? Overspending? Maybe we need to get less worldly in the use of our money and time. A second possibility may be that He wants to teach us not to buy an item yet—teaching us patience, or maybe we would use it to indulge in some sin, or idolize it, pulling us farther away from Him. In any of these, we should leave ourselves open to God speaking to us—which He can only do if we don’t just fall back on our savings or credit card, our own security, for rescue. Families with kids living with them should get their children involved too. If you and your kids actually plead with God and then see God rescuing you, or if God refines worldly desires from your family, you—and the kids—are more likely, from that personal touch from Him, to be “sold out” for the Lord. Isn’t that where you want your family to be? What would really sell the kids—and do good for humanity—would be to use your extra cash to give to the needy (to be discussed later) rather than add to savings. By giving away your savings, you test Him (Malachi 3:10). He will be happy to show that He is your security, not your reserve savings. You are not insecure. According to Psalm 37:25, you are not vulnerable to poverty if you are in the center of God’s will. You can’t be in that wonderful place by trusting in yourself rather than God.
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