The Sign of the Resurrection

In our discipleship course at Calvary Chapel Sydney, we discussed Matthew 16.  Matthew 16:1 begins with Jewish religious groups who opposed one another united in tempting Jesus:  "Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven."  The Pharisees and Sadducees in unbelief came to Jesus and demanded a sign from heaven, ignoring the fact Jesus IS the sign from heaven promised in the Law and Prophets.  Not only that, but Jesus provided clear evidence of His divine power, character, and wisdom which accompanied His daily walk.  But as a dear sister said last night, "Miracles do not make believers."  Jesus said of those who will not hear Moses and the prophets, even someone rising from the dead will not persuade them to believe.

Matthew 16:2-4 reveals the response of Christ.  "He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; ³ and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ⁴ A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed."  Jesus called the Pharisees and Sadducees hypocrites because with confidence they predicted the weather based upon the colour of the sky, yet for all the signs He had provided them they did not affirm He was the Messiah sent by God.  Jesus was born of a virgin, turned water into wine, fed 5,000 men plus women and children with 5 loaves and 2 small fish, cast out demons, opened the eyes of men born blind, cleaned lepers, healed the lame, and raised the dead.  No amount of signs were enough to induce the unbelieving hypocrites to believe.

Jesus pointed to the prophet Jonah as a sign provided for that wicked, adulterous generation which has survived to this day.  Jesus explained in greater detail what He meant in Matthew 12:40-41:  "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here."  Jesus predicted His death and after three days He would rise again.  This was the sign He offered unbelievers, and it is a sign which has endured until this day.  After Jesus drove the merchants from the Temple, people questioned the authority of Jesus.  John 2:18-22 reads, "So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" ¹⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." ²⁰ Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" ²¹ But He was speaking of the temple of His body. ²² Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said."  The words Jesus said agreed with the Scriptures already delivered through the Holy Spirit.  The Pharisees searched the Scriptures, thinking that in them they would find eternal life - and those same Scriptures testified of Jesus (John 5:39).  Psalm 16:10 had said, "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption."

Jesus provides eternal life and light to all who believe.  It is folly to demand a sign from heaven "to believe" when Jesus has already provided the sign of His resurrection.  Jesus rose from the dead and proved once and for all He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God!  He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as a suffering servant, but when He returns He will sit upon a war horse with eyes aflame.  God holds all men accountable to His righteous standard, as it is written in Acts 17:30-31:  "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹ because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."  Jesus is the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  He is the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd, the Door, the True Vine, the Light of the World, the Judge of All the Earth, the Son of God, the Way, Truth, the Resurrection and Life, the great I AM.

Are you seeking a sign?  Do not make the mistake of ignoring or discounting the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He is not dead but alive!  He was carried up alive into heaven before hundreds of eye witnesses.  Consider the implications!  The resurrection validated all the Word of Christ beyond any doubt.  The prophets and spiritual sages many believe and follow are dead men, but Jesus proved Himself greater than them all.  He is God of the living, not the dead!  Men who follow prophets or idols end up dead like them, but those who trust in Christ will be raised to eternal life.

Battle For Your Mind

Ever eaten food you recognised as being exceptionally good?  We can have the same experience spiritually.  In our minds we understand all scripture is inspired by God, but sometimes a passage "hits the spot," so to speak.  God's Word speaks to specific needs in a person, and when applied by the Holy Spirit the results are transformational.

This morning we read 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 at Calvary Chapel Sydney:  "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."  I used to think "spiritual warfare" was something that occurred out in the world.  The Bible reveals the "ground zero" for spiritual battles takes place in our minds.  Paul was writing to Christians to beg they wage war upon their worldly ideas and sinful thought patterns.  The regenerated Christian mind is filled with strongholds of satanic lies and deceptions only the Word of God can expose and the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ can pull down.

When we are born again and given a new nature, our physical brain stays the same.  We continue to live in the world, exposed to all manner of sinful thoughts and ideas.  We still live in a body which lives to please itself.  Imagine for a moment your mind as a massive kingdom which for years was ruled by a ruthless, cruel tyrant who oppressed and enslaved the common people.  Little did the people realise the tyrant was actually a usurper who assumed the throne by deceit.  Fearful of overthrow, he sent spies and hired mercenaries throughout the kingdom to maintain his elaborate network of strategically-placed shelters with provisions, weapons, and armour.  One day a man clothed in white appeared before the tyrant's throne.  He unsheathed his sword, looked at him sternly and said, "I know who you are, fraud and father of lies!  You have no right to sit upon this throne.  Before God, I am the true King!"

Frightened by the man in white, the coward commander stood to his feet, surrounded by men loyal to him.  "You may have won today, your Majesty," he said sneering, "but I will not give up my power so easily.  I won't go down without a fight!"  With that, he and his men stormed off to their strongholds.  As you knelt before the rightful King, he turned to you and said, "You are now my loyal subject.  I have commissioned you to seek out these strongholds of lies wherever they remain and wage war against them until they are utterly destroyed.  For every stronghold you vanquish in my name, another may rise up to take its place.  Be on guard against this.  Be of good cheer, for I have overcome!"  As he sat upon the throne, he gave a word of warning:  "Be sober and vigilant.  A stronghold pulled down can be rebuilt."  And with that, the battle for your mind began.

When we are born again through the Gospel, Jesus Christ becomes the LORD and Saviour of our lives.  We are freed from the power of Satan who oppressed and enslaved us.  Though Christ is on the throne and we are justified from all sin, Satan engages in guerrilla tactics against our minds.  He has established strongholds in our minds, lies we have believed as long as we can remember.  He assaults us with arguments and temptations to idolatry.  A spiritual battle requires spiritual weapons and armour.  We have been given the fearsome sword held by Christ Himself.  The Word of God illuminates the strongholds, and we have authority from Jesus to pull down those strongholds.  These established, fortified, hidden strongholds are brought to light with God's Word, overthrown in prayer, and obedience to God in faith causes the enemy to surrender and flee.  We must take captive all thoughts to the obedience of Christ, for worldly arguments and idols have a way of scampering off and fortifying themselves again.

There is a wonderful illustration of this spiritual battle for our minds found in the book of Joshua.  When the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, the stronghold of Jericho loomed before them.  Skirting the stronghold was not an option:  it had to be utterly destroyed.  Joshua 6:1-5 reads, "Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. ² And the LORD said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valour. ³ You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. ⁴ And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ⁵ It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him."  God granted his people victory over this great, ancient stronghold.  It does not take a military genius to see the plan given the people was beyond orthodox - it looked completely ridiculous!  But since God gave the command, faith in Him and obedience to His Word brought about the victory promised by God.  What is true for Jericho is true for the deeply entrenched strongholds scattered throughout our minds:  the weapons of our warfare are mighty in God to pull them down and utterly destroy every one!

After the service this morning, it dawned on me:  Jericho did not stay vanquished forever.  Joshua pronounced a curse over any man who would rebuild the city, but it did not stop it from being rebuilt.  In the days of wicked Ahab, the land was rife with idolatry and wickedness.  1 Kings 16:33-34 says, "And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. ³⁴ In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun."  Strongholds in the minds of Christians can be rebuilt even as Jericho was.  Every Christian must understand the primary location of the spiritual battle taking place they are called to engage is within their own minds.  When we order our minds in obedience to Christ, and align our hearts and will with God's, we enter into the victory Jesus has provided!

The Light of Life

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 27:1

Jesus is the Light of the World.  In the beginning He said "Let there be light!" and there was light.  It was not long before the light of the sun was shrouded by spiritual darkness due to sin.  There remained light, but sin brought darkness and death.  Even as the sun is critical for life on earth, Jesus Christ is vital for eternal life.

The sun, moon, and stars were created by God for a divine purpose:  for signs, seasons, days, years and to provide light in the heavens and on the earth. (Genesis 1:14-15)  As God said, so it was.  On earth we are absolutely dependent on the sun, even with the widespread use of electric lights.  In addition to providing the correct light to make plants grow and flourish, it also warms the earth.  It dried the earth after the great flood and all the rains since, and keeps watch over every day.

Did you know a day will come with the sun will be unnecessary?  This world, galaxy, and universe will pass away and God will make all things new.  It is written in Isaiah 60:19-20, "The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. ²⁰ Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended."  During the earthly reign of Christ this will be true in a spiritual sense, and in the new heavens and new earth this will be the eternal reality for all God's redeemed.  In speaking of the New Jerusalem, John confirmed in Revelation 21:22-25:  "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. ²⁴ And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. ²⁵ Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there)."  Simply glorious.

Let us not think the glory of heaven only as a beautiful end to a life of woe and sorrow.  Oh no, my friends.  David wrote under the Old Covenant of the Law:  "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"  God has given us a New Covenant through faith in Jesus Christ, a better covenant based on better promises.  Jesus is the Light of the World who gives light and life to all who believe.  The hearts of Christians are now the dwelling place of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19).  Our lives can be perpetually filled with light, though we live in a world of darkness.  When the plague of darkness was poured out in Egypt, the Jews had light in their dwellings.  God's Word is a lamp unto our feet, a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105).

The sun in the heavens is nothing compared to the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.  God is our light and salvation, and we do not need to fear what crouches in the darkness.  For the Christian, Jesus provides undimmed light and life for eternity despite any season in this world.  We will suffer tribulation in this life, and all pass through valleys of the shadow of death.  But we need not fear or despair, for the LORD is with us; His Spirit indwells and empowers us.  For Christians, Christ's eternal light and light is already shining and we can bask in the warmth of His presence.  When God shines His searching light into sin-darkened areas of our lives, it is for our good and growth to confess, repent, and be restored to righteous living.

The light of Christ is shining, and we must choose to walk in it.  As it is written in 1 John 1:5-7, "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."  Walking in the Light keeps us from fear, despair, and darkness.  No matter how dark the world becomes, the Light of Christ shines like the day in and through those who walk in it.  Rejoice, for Jesus makes all things new!

Be Ready!

I recently viewed a video of pastor Jay McCarl and it is a great explanation and exhortation from scripture.  As Jay spoke of "this" generation I was reminded of Proverbs 30:12-14:  "There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness. ¹³ There is a generation--oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. ¹⁴ There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men."  I believe this is a good description of a generation I have seen in my lifetime.

No one knows the day or the hour of Christ's coming, but we know for certain He is coming.  He is coming at an hour when unbelievers will not expect it!  2 Peter 3:1-7 reminds all who have ears to hear, "Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), ² that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, ³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." ⁵ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, ⁶ by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. ⁷ But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."

Life continues as it always has until suddenly, unexpectedly, it stops.  People who die in house fires, who are buried under debris by earthquakes, or perish in a car accident likely didn't wake up that morning with the knowledge they had less than 24 hours to live.  No one knows the time of Christ's return, but we should be watchful.  It is a wise man who knows the signs of the times, but a wiser man still who seeks reconciliation with God and being born again through the Gospel.  Those who scoff and continue in unbelief without receiving salvation through repentance and trusting Jesus Christ face certain destruction and ultimate suffering in the lake of fire for eternity.  Take it from Jesus:  be ready!