It's two days before Christmas, so I am going to write about death. Does this seem odd? It isn't really that odd at all. On a day that we set aside as "Christmas", we celebrate a child who was born in Bethlehem. The birth of this child fulfilled prophecies of scripture, and also changed for all time the meaning and nature of death for us. This child was The Resurrection:
"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?...I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish (be destroyed, die, lost); neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." Jn. 11:25-26, 10:28
The Apostle Paul wrote that what was accomplished through this birth, The Resurrection become flesh, would fulfill a scriptural promise:
"...then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 1 Cor. 15:54-55 (Isa. 25:8)
While scripture is very emphatic about this change in the nature of death for those who are part of Christ, this can be difficult for us to understand, and believe in our hearts. However, Paul tells us above that death has been consumed by victory. Paul also tells us in another place that because of resurrection, we are not to sorrow regarding death as those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13). Because of Christ, in whom is our hope, death has been transformed into greater life. This is the epic victory of Christ.
The Apostle Paul had an interesting quandary that he was considering, which also illustrated his personal view of his own death:
"...Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (advantage). But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose, I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you." Phil. 1:20-24
This was a man who had no trouble with the concept of death, and did not identify it here with defeat, evil, or lack of faith. Death would not be an evil done to him, but a far greater gain for him, because death, itself, has been changed. Do we view it that way? If not, why not?
One reason that Paul was so confident in the power of Christ over death is because he experienced a death from stoning, and was later revived (Acts 14:19-20). He also was a firsthand witness of heaven. His entry into heaven was so immediate and seamless that he couldn't tell whether he was still in his body, or whether he was out of his body (2 Cor. 12:1-4).
We must also look at the following scripture and wonder over its meaning:
"Precious in the sight (ayin) of the LORD is the death of His saints (from the root word meaning "mercy")." Ps. 116:15
The meaning of the specific word "precious", yakar, used here is "precious, costly, excellent, brightness, highly valued, splendid, glorious, prized". This Hebrew word for "precious" is used to also refer to the precious stones fit for a gift to, or for the possession of a king (2 Chron. 9:1, 9-10, 2 Chron. 32:27). The word is also used to describe the precious stones used to embellish the house of the LORD (2 Chron. 3:6).
God's perspective regarding our death certainly seems to differ from our own.
There is an interesting picture in scripture regarding these "precious" stones of a king, and how they were transferred from one power to another. King David's army went into battle and ravaged the nation of Ammon (descendants of Lot, conceived through incest. "Ammon" means flock or people, to dim, darken, grow dark, be held dark)). David's general Joab ("Jehovah is Father") besieged the capital city of Rabbah (meaning exceedingly great, captain, many, mighty, strong, ten thousands) and overthrew it. "Then David took their king's crown from his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. And it was set on David's ("beloved") head. Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance." (1 Chron. 20:1-2).The royal crown full of precious stones worn by the king of a stronghold that held the people in darkness, or death, was removed from that king and transferred to the head of King David. It is as the scripture that says that we have been brought out of darkness and into His marvelous light (Jn. 12:46, Acts 26:18, 1 Pet. 2:9). No wonder God sees the death of His saints as "precious".
This Christmas, let us remember that the child born in Bethlehem, the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, by His own blood, took the power of death out of the strong and mighty control of sin, and brought out the flock that had been held in that darkness, into the light of everlasting life. The power of death to hold us in the grave has been defeated. Death has been swallowed up in victory.
Our Father has freed us from the power of death through His beloved Son.
"The Anthem"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24apOa9CZuU
"I Am the Resurrection and the Life"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gctV5prF1og
There is a conspiracy afoot. This conspiracy does not involve aliens, secret societies or cults, or who killed President Kennedy. It is a conspiracy involving scripture, and it has been in place from the beginning. The purpose of this conspiracy is to conceal truth, to put scales over people's eyes, so they cannot receive the truth. Those actually involved in the conspiracy are from among the most learned in the scriptures, and in our society, and yes, this conspiracy is ongoing, but it will not remain hidden much longer.
One of the characteristics of any conspiracy is that those "in the know" have the facts about a situation, and either conceal those facts, or lie about them, in order to keep the facts from the general population. Such is also the case here.
One of our own Presidents, Thomas Jefferson, created something called "The Jefferson Bible". With literally a razor and glue, he cut out the portions of the New Testament that he felt were not worth reading. These omitted sections contained the miracles, even the resurrection, of Christ. He must have read them before cutting them out, but he didn't want you to read them. There is a further description of this bizarre publication at the end of this entry.
This deliberate conspiracy is directed both to the Jew and the Christian. The Church conspired for centuries to keep the scriptures out of the hands of the general population, and took extreme measures to insure that scripture was kept only in the Greek and Latin languages, so the people couldn't read them. They kept physical access to the scriptures limited to clergy only. People were labeled heretics, strangled and burnt at the stake for daring to translate and distribute the scriptures in the common languages of the people (see Wycliffe/Tyndale). Why would these men risk such terrible consequences to get the scriptures into our hands? Because they knew that there was a conspiracy by the Church to keep the truth from the people. Martin Luther discovered that salvation did not have to be controlled by, or purchased from, the Church when he read the Book of Romans (Rom. 10:9-10). When he published this information, he became a condemned fugitive. There are still Christians today who have never been taught these salvation scriptures by their church. So let the Church not get too far from repentance itself. The careful "editing" of what is taught in churches from the Bible still continues. A person can live their whole life attending church and never hear a whisper of some of the main, precious, life-giving spiritual truths freely available to them from scripture. We will see how this conspiracy has been directed to the Jewish people as well.
Jesus exposed this deliberate conspiracy, and held His most severe judgment for those who were involved in it. Let's look at some examples:
In John 3, we are told about a man who seeks Jesus out secretly at night to hear Him. He was a leader in the religious council, the Sanhedrin. His name was Nicodemus, which means "conqueror of the assembly of people", and is described as "a ruler of the Jews". In one encounter, as Nicodemus describes Jesus as a "teacher", Jesus exposes Nicodemus for what he is pretending not to know. He tells Nicodemus, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus feigned ignorance regarding what Jesus was saying, and Jesus repeated His declaration. As Nicodemus continues to claim a lack of understanding, Jesus says, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?" Nicodemus had refused to acknowledge what Jesus declared to him because it would mean that Nicodemus would have to accept that Jesus declared it as an eyewitness of it in heaven:
"Most assuredly I say to you, We speak what we know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive our witness....No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is the Son of Man who is in heaven." Jn. 3:11, 13
Jesus knew that Nicodemus, as a teacher in Israel, contrary to what Nicodemus claimed, knew exactly what Jesus was talking about, and knew exactly who Jesus was. And if Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, was unwilling to admit his knowledge to Jesus, he certainly wasn't teaching it to others. Thankfully, there is evidence that Nicodemus, personally, was changed by the encounter. We see later in the Gospel of John, that he attempted to influence the Sanhedrin, without actually publicly supporting Jesus, before His trial, and he contributed to Jesus' burial after His death (Jn. 7:50, 19:39). We do not know, however, if Nicodemus ever taught what he knew to the people of Israel. It was in that private conversation with Nicodemus that Jesus revealed:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." Jn. 3:16-17
The Torah, Histories, Psalms, and Prophets, or Old Testament, gives clear testimony, both directly, and within the Hebrew language originally used, of salvation, the Savior, and the specifics pertaining to Him. Even the very individual letters of the Hebrew aleph-bet, a pictographic written language, bear witness to the Son of God. This is why Jesus described Himself as the "Alpha and the Omega" (Rev. 1:8, 11, 21:6, 22:13), which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew/Aramaic. Jesus would have originally said, "I am the Aleph-Tav".
Those who have studied the Hebrew language, know exactly the spiritual depth that the language contains. Do they teach this fullness of the Hebrew language to the people?
This was again noted specifically in Jesus' ministry. He called out the scribes, the ones who copied letter by letter, word after word of the Hebrew that was used to write the scriptures. They painstakingly wrote it out by hand, and could not be ignorant of what the Hebrew revealed, nor to what each Hebrew letter testified. Jesus said to them, "You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." Jn. 5:39-40
About the very learned priests and scribes, Jesus called them "hypocrites". When Herod wanted to know where the Savior was to be born according to scripture, he called in the scriptural experts, the most learned, the scribes and priests, and they told him precisely of the Savior's expected birth in Bethlehem (Mt. 2:4). Though they had this expert knowledge of the scriptures, they did not teach it to the people. The people remarked at the difference between how Jesus taught the scriptures, and what they were used to hearing from the scribes (Mt. 7:29). Though Jesus could support everything He declared and taught with scripture, the scribes falsely accused Him of blasphemy (Mt. 9:3). When He opened the scriptures in truth to the people, the scribes demanded signs from Him (Mt. 12:38). Jesus condemned the scribes in this manner:
"Woe (passionate cry of grief and despair) to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites (to feign, play a part, actor, dissembler, pretender)! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses (it was financially advantageous to them to keep the truth from the people), and for a pretense (pretended cause, outward show) make long prayers. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte (newcomer, stranger, gentile convert), and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." Mt. 23:13-14
Jesus didn't pull any punches in dealing with the scribes. He did not condemn them because they were ignorant, but because they knew. Not only did they pretend not to know, but they concealed the knowledge from the people.Like Nicodemus, they also knew, and they knew that Jesus knew that they knew, if you know what I mean! Because Jesus knew this about them, He was a danger to them, and, in their view, He had to die. The scribes, among others, who knew every letter and every word of scripture, would betray Him, and condemn Him to death, as Jesus prophesied (Mt. 20:18). Jesus categorized it as a "betrayal" because they knew.
Though men, both in the temples and in the churches, have conspired for thousands of years to keep the truth of the scriptures, the Gospel, and the Christ from the people, the lid is coming off of their secret:
"For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." Mk. 4:22-23
"He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him." Dan. 2:22
If you are a Christian, and your church does not teach you the complete scriptures, but rather chooses small selections of verse here and there, read the complete scriptures for yourself, both the Old and New Testaments.
If you are Jewish, and your temple does not read and teach all of the scriptures, but just carefully selected passages, read the complete sriptures for yourself. If you are able to read them in the original Hebrew, even better.
If you have been told that you must accept others' interpretations of passages of scripture because they are/were learned men, read the scriptures for yourself. God has written them in a manner that you are able to understand. His Spirit, which hovers over His Word, will help and guide you in revealing His Word to you. Men have died anguished deaths to provide scripture to us all so that we can read and understand them for ourselves.
If you are an individual, or an organization, that has conspired to keep the truth and the complete text of scripture out of the hands of the people in order to preserve yourself, and your system, God sees and He knows, and He will reveal.
The conspiracy still exists today. To call it anything less would mean becoming a co-conspirator. However, we don't have to have the complete truth hidden from us any longer.
Our Father has freely given us His Word of life. (Read it for yourself!)
More details on The Jefferson Bible:
The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, commonly referred to as the Jefferson Bible, refers to one of two religious works constructed by Thomas Jefferson. The first, The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth, was completed in 1804, but no copies exist today. The second, The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, was completed in 1820 by cutting and pasting with a razor and glue numerous sections from the New Testament as extractions of the doctrine of Jesus. Jefferson's condensed composition is especially notable for its exclusion of all miracles by Jesus and most mentions of the supernatural, including sections of the four gospels that contain the Resurrection and most other miracles, and passages that portray Jesus as divine
Christmas is approaching, and I don't think it is a coincidence that at this time, an incident was brought strongly to my remembrance from when I was young.
My Mom had a booth at an indoor market, something like the photo above. This market assembled together vendors who sold all sorts of food, household items, clothing, you name it. She sold there for several years, and also selling in a booth across the aisle from her was an older couple, the Newmans. Mr. and Mrs. Newman were very close to my Mom, and Mrs. Newman would often walk across the aisle to lean on my mother's counter and shoot the breeze. Finally, Mrs. Newman just kept a chair there, and spent the day sitting and talking with my mother between customers. Once I got into high school, I spent Saturdays at the market, helping Mr. and Mrs. Newman at their booth.
One day, Mrs. Newman gave us the terrible news that she had been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. We were all broken hearted. For me, it was like losing a grandparent. As the weeks and months passed, Mrs. Newman had difficult days more and more often.
One day, we were standing together at my mother's booth, when Mrs. Newman, who was Jewish, asked my Mom if she believed that there really was a heaven. Even though I was only in high school at the time, I knew what Mrs. Newman was really asking her gentile Christian friend: "Is salvation really true?"
I know at this point in my story, many of you are thinking that this was the perfect opportunity to open the scriptures, and give the Gospel to this Jewish lady. I would think that also, but my Mom was not a Bible scholar by any means. I remember when I first discovered salvation, I couldn't figure out what the Holy Spirit did! I thought I would ask my Mom, who had been raised in a Southern Baptist church until her young adulthood. When I asked her what the Holy Spirit did, she answered, "I don't know." While my Mom was never able to give "chapter and verse", she knew God and Jesus, in whom she sincerely believed.
So, when Mrs. Newman asked her whether heaven was a reality, my mother answered that she absolutely, without a doubt, believed that there was a heaven for us when we died. Mrs. Newman, just looked at my mother's face for several seconds, as if she was looking to confirm that faith that she heard. Satisfied, she nodded her head.
Yes, I know, you might disagree with my Mom's blanket statement regarding the promise of heaven. However, that day, not too long before her death, Mrs. Newman wasn't looking for a Bible lesson. She needed to look into the eyes of someone she loved and trusted, whom she could depend upon to give her an honest answer, the most important truth she could hear at that point near the end of her life. And that's exactly what she got. She got faith and truth from a friend's heart.
That very simplified expressing of the Gospel that day, put all men's great knowing to shame, because it was spoken from the treasure of my Mom's heart to her dear friend.
We can know a great deal of scripture, or not much, and however much we know of it is of great value. However, the truth we know in our hearts, and communicate from our hearts is the real treasure. Heart-held truth is powerful and convincing:
"...The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:8-13
Sincere words from our hearts convey not only our own faith and truth, but the love and care we have for the person with whom we are sharing. For God's word, and the gift of salvation that He gave us in His Son, were gifts that originated from, and were wrapped in His love for us (Jn. 3:16-17). The love and the gift cannot be separated. As we bring that same gift to others, we can't forget the wrapping of love that came with it. People can discern whether we speak from a place of genuine caring for them, or not.
I very much believe, especially because God has brought the memory so vividly and repeatedly to my mind at this time, that when I get to heaven, I will see my Mom and Mrs. Newman standing together at a counter, shooting the breeze, waiting for me to join them. At the same time, He is reminding me not to leave my heart out of His gift to all men, because the heart is the most important ingredient.
Our Father gave us His Word from His heart.
"The Father Heart of God"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGgasHvEkDc
We can all say that there are songs that have had a large impact on our lives. There are songs that have moved millions, and affected us in important ways. There are even songs that had such a deep importance to us that these songs even helped to change society. We cannot deny that songs and music can touch our souls.
In the Church and in the temple, we understand what a strong part music and song plays in our worship. Scripture directs us to worship with songs and instruments. The Book of Revelation opens a window into the musical worship that flows through heaven. We know that Jesus sang worship songs and hymns with His disciples (Mt. 26:30), even as He knew He was about to be arrested, tried, and crucified. Music and songs have a spiritual importance in our relationship with God.
There is a very touching verse from King David in the Psalms that suggests that songs are not just a one-way activity, coming from us and going to God:
"You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround (encircle, to march or walk around, to circle about, to change, transform) me with songs of deliverance. Selah." Psalm 32:7
David is telling us that God encircles us with songs. Can you imagine God walking around you, and singing your deliverance? This is exactly what David is telling us.
Perhaps we think that God, Himself, doesn't sing. One reason that music plays such a large role in our lives, and touches us in ways we can't explain, is because it comes from God. It touches soul and spirit, and has spiritual power. Before we are too quick to doubt God's singing ability, let's look at this passage from the prophet Zephaniah:
"Sing, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away all your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You shall see disaster no more.
The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing." Zeph. 3:14, 15, 17
When you are in a dark hour, or a frightening place, God is walking around you, singing songs of your deliverance. When you are delivered from that trouble, He sings songs of rejoicing around you. He is Awesome.
Our Father sings songs for us.
"You Are My Hiding Place"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dR0H0tAYT8
"Mighty Spirit"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu4zp6xjJAk
"My God is Awesome"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YJ4vddbJJo
