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Welcome to the Café Logos thought bakery where I assemble the ingredients of my daily experiences to share with our diners.
December 14, 2021 The True Meaning of Christmas As I write these words, Christmas is fast approaching, which is the day that Christians celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Messiah. His coming is the culmination of every prophecy, foreshadow and typology that God has woven throughout His word to prepare us for Messiah’s coming. Unfortunately, there are still many who reject Him as the Messiah, in spite of the overwhelming Biblical evidence that supports the truth of His arrival and His purpose. Jesus came to instigate the prophesied New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33). This covenant would be given to the Israelites after their 70 year captivity in Babylon, when God permitted them to return to their land (Jeremiah 32:37-40). This covenant would enable them to have their sins forgiven and their relationship with God restored. Everyone who received this covenant would “know the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:34) and He would be their God and they would be His people. Jesus came, was killed and the New Covenant, or Testament, was instigated by His prophesied death (Isaiah 53) and resurrection (Psalm 16:10). Jesus’ coming and death was prophesied specifically by the prophet Daniel who accurately foretold that the Messiah (Anointed One), would come and be killed before the destruction of Jerusalem (Daniel 9:26). The city was destroyed in 70AD, forty years after Jesus came and the Lord also prophesied of the event (Luke 19:43,44, Matthew 24:2). The remainder of Daniel’s prophecy also shows that there would be no other benevolent Messiah coming after Jesus. While the majority of the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah, He was gladly received by the Gentiles as prophesied (Isaiah 60:3,49:6). The Roman emperor, Constantine, who recognized the benefits of Christianity upon all nations, combined the celebration of Jesus’ birth with an established pagan festival, in the hopes the Christian celebration would have a beneficial influence on the pagans. Many today protest Christmas by saying the event has pagan roots. But because of Constantine’s efforts to promote Christianity, today, every year pagans all over the world are reminded that this Man Jesus was born to save mankind. Because of Christmas, multiple songs have been written to commemorate the day and the event. These early gospel songs are broadcast all over the world and sometimes even on grocery store intercoms while people are shopping for the holiday, reminding all of the Savior who came to save our souls and give us eternal life. “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” (John 3:16). While some of the customs associated with the day may be pagan in origin, those roots have long been forgotten by the masses and trampled by the Truth that God’s Anointed One has come into the world. It doesn’t matter whether December 25 is Jesus’ actual birth date. No one knows what the exact day is for sure, but what matters is, the day is a witness to the greatest event in human history. So celebrate the Lord this Christmas – and every minute of every day in your hearts.
“Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King!” November 26, 2021 Second Opinions Psalm 118:8 is located in the very center of the Bible. Its message is as follows: It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. How true. We are to put our trust in God, rather than depend upon the arm of flesh - and that includes doctors. A dear friend of mine had a cancer that his doctor diagnosed as a hemorrhoid. As a result, my friend had to have his bowels removed. When it was reported that medical malpractice was the third leading cause of death in the United States, the American Medical Association immediately respond by declaring, “No, it’s not number three! It’s number five!” – And it seems they are working very hard to make it number one. So for our own protection, we must follow scripture; don’t put your trust in frail and sometimes incompetent human flesh. Respond to any diagnosis with questions and get a second, and even third opinion. This advice also applies to our religious leaders. Whatever we hear from the mouths of men, we should get a second confirmation directly from the Word of God. That includes anything you read on this website or any other Christian writings. We can guard our hearts from being led astray by false doctrine by doing our own research and fortifying ourselves with scripture. This is the only way we can learn the difference between what is someone’s philosophy and legitimate logical, conclusions that are based solidly on scriptural evidence. Sometimes we have to rely on theologians who have done in depth studies in the original languages. Using this knowledge can help illuminate what the translators are saying in certain texts. It is helpful knowledge that again must be examined under the spiritual microscope of the texts themselves. Scripture interprets scripture and many false doctrines have arisen when one verse is taken out of context. We must be well versed in the scriptures ourselves to discern when this error is being used to promote someone’s own doctrinal agenda. Doctors have to be thoroughly trained in the intricate workings of the human body. People’s lives depend on it. Likewise every believer should be fully knowledgeable of what the scriptures actually teach because the life of the soul is dependent upon correct doctrine. To keep the body healthy it must be fed well and kept from harmful pollutants. This same principle applies to the human soul. Be diligent in maintaining what is necessary for good physical health and be even more diligent and zealous to guard your spiritual health. Your body will eventually die no matter what you do to try and maintain it, but the eternal life that God promises in His word that is only obtained by faith in His plan of redemption through Jesus, will enable your soul to live forever. 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.- John 3:16 Related Video Content - Contaminants November 24,2021 The Kingdom First While some Christians eagerly hope that Donald Trump will run again for president of the United States in the near future, those Christians who support him, or any candidate for that matter, must come to the realization that there will be no political solutions to the nation’s problems. Only God will make things better, and He has attached a condition to His interventions. He has promised that if His people will seek the kingdom first (Matthew 6:33), His kingdom, then He will take care of everything else. The early church was focused on sharing the gospel, making disciples and taking care of the needs of others. Over the last thirty years or so that focus within the church in the United States has been eroded through the insertion of prosperity doctrines which are focused on the health and welfare of the believer. The emphasis among these believers is no longer on seeking the expansion of God’s kingdom, but on their own. The Lord says that if we humble ourselves and turn from our wicked ways, then He will heal the land. Selfishness is one of those wicked ways. Contempt for the poor is another insidious root that has entwined itself around the hearts of some that adhere to certain political ideologies that operate in opposition to God’s word on the subject. Christians who have substituted a political agenda for God’s agenda, will find themselves living in a state of frustration, for these earthly goals will never be satisfied. The Book of Revelation paints a graphic picture of the future road we are on. As we march to the future, the events depicted in that prophecy are beginning to unfold around us as I write these words. The material kingdoms of this world are going to pass away, but God’s words and His kingdom are eternal. Those who follow God’s instructions will remain on the path that leads to an abundant entrance into the Kingdom they help to expand. Let’s re-focus and get our priorities in line with God’s word, and do the “first works,” (Rev. 2:5) and trust Him for the outcome. Related Content - The Three Pillars of Christianity
November 14, 2021 Forked The following is based on a true story. No kidding. A senior gentleman was stabbing at his brussel sprouts and determined that the reason he was having so much trouble impaling the object was that his fork must be too dull. So one day, unbeknownst to his wife, he took his special fork, (the one he always preferred to use above all others for some strange reason), crept into the basement with it and carefully sharpened it with his file – the one he uses to sharpen knives and weed hackers. Several days later, while he was resting in the living room, he heard a cry from his wife who was in the kitchen doing the dishes. He rushed in to see what was wrong and she showed him her bleeding thumb. “I cut myself on a fork!” she cried in disbelief. “Look how sharp this is!” she exclaimed showing him the weapon. He replied calmly as if there was absolutely nothing to be alarmed about. “That’s my special fork. I sharpened it.” “You sharpened it?!” She cried in horror. “This is dangerous. I’m throwing it out right now!” And she immediately threw open the cabinet door under the sink, pitched the weapon into trash and slammed the door shut. Concerned about her aging husband’s mental capabilities (he was always a little eccentric, which she found to be endearing, but this was the first time she had ever been physically injured because of it), she began to question him as to why did he have to sharpen a fork and didn’t he know how dangerous it was; he could end up stabbing his tongue or worse. “I can handle it,” he replied as if he was a trained military combatant, expert in handling dangerous weapons. “Why didn’t you tell me you planted this mine in my dish water?!” She retorted angrily. “I hurt myself. Why did you do this!?” “It wasn’t sharp enough,” he relied calmly, as if she would understand, nod her head and agree with him. This couple had been married for over half a century and had learned the secret of a happy marriage - if you don’t have a sense of humor you are not going to make it. Immediately the wife began getting images in her mind of her husband in combat uniform violently stabbing the enemies on his plate. “I know why you did this,” she replied with all the seriousness she could muster. “You are afraid of vegetables and you needed a weapon that would make you feel more secure around them. We are going to immediately begin vegetable therapy until you get to the point where you can actually eat them with your fingers and you won’t need a weapon!” Her voice rose a few decibels toward the end in spite of herself. “We will begin by placing a carrot, a raw one, on your lap and leave it there until you can pet it calmly.” By now the soldier was laughing, actually they both were. He retrieved the fork from the trash when she wasn’t looking, washed it and stashed it in a secret place. From that point on he would wash his own fork and maintain his command over the army on his plate. Humor is a great peacemaker, a weapon of its own and a powerful one. It’s also one of many such devices, like love and kindness that God arms us with to bring us into the category of the blessed. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. – Matthew 5:9
October 28, 2021 The Antichrist and Seventh Day Adventism The Bible shows us that at some point in the future there will arise a last one world empire which will be the culmination of all the previous world empires. We see the vision of this empire represented in Daniel’s visions and in Revelation (Rev. 13). This empire will have at its head a leader who is referred to as the antichrist, or false prophet. We see him operating specifically in verses 36-45 of Daniel 11. He is called the antichrist because he is anti-Christianity. It is his goal to destroy the Christian faith. Christianity is founded on the atoning death of the Messiah Jesus and His resurrection from the dead. If this foundation is removed, then there can be no salvation for Christians or anyone. Jesus and His founding apostles have made it very clear how salvation is given to mankind. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except by Me” (John 14:6). Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). 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 (John 3:16). Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption that He instigated before the foundation of the world. – Jesus was slain “before the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8). If the anti-christ can dupe people into thinking there is some other way to obtain salvation apart from the cross of Jesus, then he has accomplished his goal. For example, Seventh Day Adventists believe that at some point in the future their salvation will depend on which day they attend church. They believe that the mark of the beast prophesied in Revelation (Rev. 13:16,17, 14:9,10), is going to church on Sunday. They believe this because their guru, Ellen G. White, told them that an angel appeared to her and told her Sunday worship was the mark of the beast. Therefore, to the Adventist, salvation will no longer depend on what Jesus’ accomplished on the cross, making God’s plan of redemption obsolete. Keeping in mind the fact that it is the goal of the antichrist to destroy Christianity by removing the atonement, it seems that antichrist spirit has accomplished its goal already among the eight million adherents to Ellen G. White’s deception. Jesus said many false prophets would arise and deceive many (Matthew 24:11,24). The Apostle Paul reiterated by saying that the devil’s agents appear as ministers of righteousness (II Corinthians 11:14,15). Make no mistake, if there is no cross, there is no salvation. Taking the mark of the beast has to in some way be a denial of God’s plan of redemption through Jesus. That mark will be taken by people who are willing to align themselves with a system that seems outwardly good, but will affirm that people must accept that all religions are a valid means of attaining heaven. To the Adventist, God’s plan of redemption is only temporary to be replaced at some point by Ellen G. White’s hallucination. Even though they believe that this “mark” is in the future, because they have accepted that the gospel as it was preached by Jesus and His apostles is only temporary, psychologically they cleave to Saturday worship as the means of their salvation now. Their allegiance to the cross has been subtly eroded whether they realize it or not. The Apostle Paul warns “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8). Adherence to the doctrine of Jesus and His disciples must override allegiance to anyone. The Saturday Sabbath was always intended to be a day of physical rest and refreshment. Religious services were added to it at a later time. The Apostles recognized that the Sabbath was designed to be a foreshadow of the rest we are given when we receive God’s plan of redemption through Jesus. If we are not resting in Jesus for our salvation we are not keeping the Sabbath as it is designed to be kept under the New Covenant. Those who are resting in Christ, will not fall victim to the antichrist’s deception, and they will be the sole survivors found clinging to the raft of eternal life found only in Jesus’ sacrifice.
October 22, 21 Sabbath I had a dream last Friday night about a pastor I have known for a long time, but I had not seen for many years. In this dream I was shown that he needed some rest. The next day, I called him at the church to give him the message of the dream, not really expecting him to be there on a Saturday. To my surprise, he answered the telephone. After our initial greetings I told him that I had been given a dream about him from the Lord. Then I asked, “Do you need some rest?” He answered, “I had a sabbatical a while ago.” Then I shared with him the details of the dream that the Lord had given me. He responded, “I have been up since two o’clock in the morning trying to finish my sermon.” Ah ha! I proceeded to tell him that God intended the Saturday Sabbath to be a day of rest and physical restoration so that we may be “refreshed” (Exodus 23:12). I told him to make sure his sermons are completed by Friday so he can have that once a week oasis of rest before his service on the Lord’s Day, Sunday (Rev. 1:10). I told him I read somewhere that during a sermon a pastor exerts the same amount of energy that is the equivalent of someone working six hours. I told him he needed a nap and a cookie. I am sure getting a call from someone he had not talked to in years, who gave him a message that so accurately matched his need at the moment, affirmed that it was a God- appointed communication. And I was rejoicing that God could use me to help one of his servants. While the New Covenant assures us that believers are no longer under the law, (we are saved by grace, and not by our having to achieve any standard as a qualification for salvation), the law is still intended to be a guide for our spiritual and physical health and welfare. When the commandment to rest on the seventh day was given, there were no worship services associated with it, the people were told to stay in their tents (Exodus 16:29,30). Attending worship services on that day was added later. The Saturday Sabbath was always intended to be a day of physical restoration, even for the animals (Exodus 23:12). It’s good, practical advice. God did not intend for the human body to work seven days a week. But it’s even more important for us to understand, as did the apostles, that the Sabbath was also designed to be a foreshadow of the rest we have in Jesus (Colossians 2:16,17). Just as the Sabbath was established as a day of rest for mankind at the very beginning of creation (Genesis 2:2,3), the salvation and the rest we are gifted in Jesus was also “foreordained before the foundation of the world” (I Peter 1:20). Jesus was “slain before the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8). That is, His atoning death for the sins of mankind was ordained even before the Sabbath was instigated to be the symbol of the rest we have in Jesus through faith in His death and resurrection. – “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). And His rest is glorious (Isaiah 11:10). Have a nap and a cookie. For another perspective on the same subject see our article The Sabbath Rest
October 14, 2021 First Century Simplicity How is it brethren? When you come together, every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation: let all things be done unto edifying. – I Corinthians 14:26. How is it then, brethren, whenever you come together in most cases, if you have a gift to share, there is no place provided for you to share it in today’s structured religious assemblies? The church in the Apostle Paul’s day was not centered on one man in a pulpit and the concept of the “sermon” had not yet been introduced to the church. These were informal house church gatherings where people were encouraged to share and interact with one another. “Iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). People grow through their interactions and sharing their experiences with the Lord. Today these opportunities have been relegated to the poorly attended Sunday school hour, when the Bible study and sharing should be the focal point of the entire service. The first century church was an energetic, focused, living, growing organism functioning as the body of Christ. It operated in an orderly fashion (I Cor. 14:40) but it was not stagnated by formality or ritual. It enabled the individual to contribute to the service, and the entire body was enriched. The formal robes of religiosity made their entrance at a later time when the masses had been subjugated into a form of religious totalitarianism. Worship of the clergy began to replace true worship of God, and the practice continues today when the masses gather at the feet of “star” pastors. When a pandemic or persecution drives us into our homes, maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe the enabling of small groups meeting in the warmth of a home can reestablish the atmosphere that enabled the first century believers to grow and eventually spill out into their local neighborhoods with the soul saving message of the gospel. It worked very well back then in the days when the church was new. And it can work again in the same way, if we recognize the need to return to the working model of first century simplicity. Copyright 2021 by H.D. Shively
August 2,2021 Bowling I’ve spent some time on a forum board conversing with Jews about Jesus being the messiah. Of course many objections were raised and I considered the time I spent there as a learning experience. (I admit that out of frustration I was not as gracious as I should have been at times.) Most of the objections I encountered were contrived and farfetched desperate attempts to resist the truth. I received a rather accurate mental picture from the Lord that summarized the whole experience. I saw all of their objections assembled as bowling pins. Then one bowling ball labeled Daniel 9:25,26, was flung toward its targets. The ball made contact, scattering the pins in every direction. No matter what arguments are made against Jesus being the Messiah, they all fall apart when confronted by this one fact.- According to the verses in Daniel, there is only one Anointed One, (pronounced Masiah in the Hebrew) that is killed before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. After that there is no other messiah appearing again in scripture up to the judgment in Daniel 12. Jesus was killed before the destruction of Jerusalem, and He is that Anointed One described in Daniel’s prophecy; He has to be because there is no other. Jesus described His second coming in Matthew 24, which coordinates with Zechariah 14. In Matthew 25, Jesus also describes the judgment which coordinates with Daniel 12. God in Christ will determine the futures of those who have opposed His Anointed One, and He will make the enemies of Christ His footstool as promised. – The LORD said unto my Lord, ‘sit on My right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool’. –Psalm 110:1. Right now the resurrected from the dead Messiah Jesus is seated at the right hand of God making intercession for those who hate Him, echoing the cry He made from His hellish perch of crucifixion; “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). Let us join our Savior in intercession for those who have placed themselves outside of the saving grace of the New Everlasting Covenant that was given to breathe eternal life into all those who receive the Lord. And let us try to respond to our opponents with all the love we can muster, remembering that at one time we were all like those bowling pins, cleaving to objections that were never able to keep us standing. For more on this subject please get our free eBook, “Why Jesus has to be the Messiah” Here Copyright 2021 by H.D. Shively
July 7,2021 How to Stay Faithful to God's Word in the Face of Compromise A pastor I know in Australia expressed his concern to me about his country’s beginning movement toward regulating what pastors are allowed to teach about a certain sexual sin (Leviticus 18:22). Quite a few other countries have already passed laws concerning this issue. This leads to the question; how can a Christian stay faithful to God’s word when the government is trying to force him to compromise? I think all ministers and church leaders need to remain focused on what I call, “The Three Pillar Principle.” Christianity is based on these three things; the Gospel, discipling and service to others. We can approach the subject of any sin in the light of the Gospel. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All need repentance. No one should be discriminated against no matter what their sin is because we are all standing on the same feet of clay. This is the point the Apostle Paul is making in Romans chapter two. Therefore, a pastor can preach from the generic perspective that all need Jesus’ forgiveness and emphasize the need for a genuine repentance. Then all must be encouraged to read God’s word for themselves, and be told that if they find anything in God’s word that He says displeases Him, then we need to come to the place where we are willing to let Him change us into the people He wants us to be. He wants us all to stop clinging to the clay beads of our old lives, relinquish them to Him and believe that He will replace them with diamonds. That initiates the second pillar of discipling which is a continuous process. A strong emphasis needs to be placed on discipleship which is the grand march toward Christlikeness; the magnificent goal of the Christian life. If this commitment is emphasized, then God works to separate the chaff from the wheat in the hearts of a genuine believer. No sin is acceptable to God, and when we emphasize the enormous sacrifice that God made to cleanse us from our sins by permitting the brutal murder of His Son on our behalf, then the realization of that fact initiates the journey into wholeness. Jesus said in essence, all sin is an illness that needs to be cured (Luke 5:31). God never intended for His grace to be an excuse to remain in lifestyles that are offensive to Him. The wages of all unrepented, willful, continuous sin is death (Romans 6:23); but all change must begin at the foot of Jesus’ blood soaked cross, where His tremendous love for all of us is exemplified. A pastor who keeps his focus on the basic gospel message of God’s love, repentance and holiness, will be following the Biblical model, and in the process witness many of those clay beads willingly exchanged for the precious treasure of a changed life that will live forever. Copyright 2021 by H.D. Shively
June 28,2021 A Message from this Hour from the Book of Hebrews A friend of mine in Australia recently had a dream where Jesus appeared to her and told her adamantly to read the book of Hebrews. I had previously been led to do an expository study of the book a few years ago. After my friend told me about her dream, the Lord began to magnify to me an aspect of the book that I believe is an important emphasis as we seem to be moving into an era of greater persecution against the Christian faith. While the entire book of Hebrews is an extremely valuable reinforcement of who Jesus is as the Messiah and His fulfillment of the Old Covenant foreshadows and typologies, among those instructions are contained some very strong warnings. The book of Hebrews was originally written to reinforce the Jews in Jerusalem not to return to Judaism as a means of escaping the increasing persecutions. They are warned specifically that they cannot be partakers of the eternal life that is in the Messiah Jesus, unless they remain in the faith, “steadfast unto the end.” - But Messiah as a son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end- Hebrews 3:12 For we are made partakers of Messiah, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. – Hebrews 3:14 We are also warned in chapter six that those who have had full knowledge of the truth and have experienced the fullness of His Spirit, (were partakers of the Holy Spirit), if they fall away, will not be “renewed again to repentance,” Hebrews 6:6. In other words, these ones will be rejected, Hebrews 6:8. This is not talking about a prodigal who is no longer walking with the Lord, and the Lord knows will eventually return to Him. These warnings in Hebrews six, concern those who have willfully denied Jesus as the Messiah, after having full knowledge of Him and have experienced the presence and reality of the Holy Spirit. The writer of Hebrews is merely confirming the words of Jesus. – But whoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven. – Matthew 10:33 These are very sobering words and must be taken seriously. No Christian can afford to maintain a half-hearted or lukewarm commitment, it must be all or nothing, or else we can make the fatal error of Esau who sold his birthright (the symbolic equivalent of our salvation) for a bowl of lentils to satisfy a momentary dictate of his flesh. God reminds us that the faithful Jacob He loved, and Esau He hated for that reason (Malachi 1:2,3). Let us not find ourselves walking in Esau’s footsteps, but be followers of those who are described in Hebrews chapter eleven; the faithful ones who would rather suffer and die than to deny the One who suffered and died for them. The book of Hebrews just may be the book of this current hour. I highly recommend that everyone read it very carefully. Related Content - Free eBook - Holding onto Fatih - Understanidng the Book of Hebrews for You today Copyright 2021 by H.D. Shively
June 13,2021 A Modern Day Jonah On Friday, June 11, 2021, Michael Packard was diving for lobster off the coast of Massachusetts near Provincetown on Cape Cod. He said he felt a bump then suddenly he was swallowed up in darkness. Like Jonah in the Bible, this man also experienced being ingested by a large aquatic creature. This it time it was an actual humpback whale. Trapped inside the animal’s mouth, the captive diver banged on the sides of it until he was “spit out.” Unlike Jonah, the man had his diving apparatus which enabled him to breathe. Some Bible scholars believe that Jonah died inside the “great fish” (Jonah 1:17) that swallowed him and was revived by God when he was “vomited” out of the animal’s mouth. Jesus said that Jonah’s three days and nights in darkness was a “sign” of the Lord’s own death and resurrection (Matthew 12:39,40). Was this recent incident off the coast of Provincetown also meant to be a “sign” for us today? In Jonah’s story, he was sent to warn and preach repentance to the residents of Nineveh, a city steeped in vile sins. Unless the people there repented and immediately changed their ways, God was going to allow them to be destroyed. We don’t hear much nowadays about God’s judgment, even though the book of Revelation makes it clear that the judgment God pronounced upon Nineveh, applies to the whole world in these latter days. The only way that judgment can be averted is if the people will heed God’s warnings and repent. This modern day Jonah type incident happened off the coast of Provincetown, a town noted for its sexual immorality and rainbow flags. If God has intended this most unusual and rare man swallowing incident as a sign, then those who can read it, will be pricked by the Holy Spirit to emulate Jonah’s call and preach repentance to those who need to hear it. The Bible clearly shows us that if people repent of their gross violations of God’s laws, then He will also prevent the disasters that humans bring on themselves by their rebellion. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), all need repentance and the salvation that God has provided through faith in the Messiah Jesus. God is not mocked, we all will reap what we have sown (Galatians 6:7). God in His infinite mercy has given those in Provincetown, and all of us, a “sign” and a wakeup call. It’s time to repent, and it’s time for God’s church to wake up and preach it. Copyright 2021 by H.D. Shively
April 28.2021 The Lord our Righteousness As Adam and Eve realized that their vain attempts to cover their nakedness, (their sin) in fig leaves, was a worthless, temporary patch job, they gratefully received a warmer, less scratchy permanent covering made for them by God (Genesis 3:21). They could breathe a sign of relief receiving the cloaks that signified forgiveness and thus they could claim that the Lord was their righteousness, for they realized that they had none of their own. The prophet Isaiah also recognized this principle that was illustrated in Eden when he said, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). This principle of grace is also repeated through the prophet Jeremiah. – “In His (the Messiah’s) days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jeremiah 23:6). In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness (Jeremiah 33:16). It must be remembered that our first parent’s forgiveness came at the expense of a life sacrificed. We also must remember that our forgiveness also comes from a life sacrificed, our Messiah who was “wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities” and whose soul was made an “offering for sin” (Isaiah 53:5,10). We are reminded as we stand beneath the Messiah’s cross, that we have no righteousness we can claim as our own. Our fig leaves have all withered up and blown away, exposing the nakedness of who we really are before those penetrating eyes of God who can see into the deepest recesses of our hearts and minds. But Messiah’s sacrifice, prophesied so long ago in Eden’s garden, clothes us in the soft, white robes of His righteousness, enabling us to make the words of Jeremiah’s song our own - the lord is our righteousness. You are invited get our free eBook, “Why Jesus has to be the Messiah” here. Hopefully it will answer any questions you may have about why Jesus has to be the Messiah.
April 1, 2021 The Miracle on the Cross No one has ever survived a Roman crucifixion, and Jesus was no exception. His last moments are recorded in all four gospels. In Matthew’s account, before Jesus died, He cried with a loud voice, (Matthew 27:50). Luke also includes this account in his gospel – “And when Jesus cried with a loud voice…” (Luke 23:46). Mark’s account records, “And when the centurion, which stood over against Him saw that He so cried out, and gave up the ghost (spirit), he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God’, (Mark 15:39). There was something about the way that Jesus died that caused the centurion that was standing by the Lord to proclaim, “Truly this was the Son of God.” This soldier had witnessed multitudes of crucifixions and he was very well aware of the condition of the human body at the point of death. Even before the body approaches the moment of its decease, it was already extremely difficult to breathe, let alone talk. In order to breathe, the victim had to continuously raise himself up to gather enough air into his lungs, pulling himself up by his impaled wrists, which was an excruciating exertion. It would take an extreme effort to speak, especially at the point of death when the body was so weakened. But this time the centurion witnessed something he apparently had never seen before. Jesus raised Himself up, and cried with a loud voice. Jesus obviously experienced a moment when His body revived enough to give Him the strength to gather enough air into His lungs enabling Him to actually shout. The hardened guard knew that he had just witnessed a miracle. Instantly after Jesus proclamation, “It is finished” (John 19:30), the earth shook and the quake that followed became the punctuation mark on a supernatural event. Jesus had said, “For as the Father has life in Himself: so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26). That life is the Holy Spirit of God that gave Jesus life as a man. That divinity, the Holy Spirit of the Father in the Son, never left Jesus’ body until it was time for Jesus’ soul to be released. With this realization we should, like that centurion, recognize the truth that the miracle on the cross proclaims: Jesus truly is the Son of God.
March 12, 2021 The Amish, Mennonites and Me I was using my laptop at a fast food restaurant B.C. - before Covid, when an Amish woman and her young daughter came in and sat down to eat. Shortly afterward a Mennonite family entered and sat in a booth opposite the Amish family. I watched with amusement as the Amish woman kept glancing over at the Mennonites and the Mennonites discreetly kept peering over at the Amish. Each family was easily distinguished by their distinctive attire that labeled them as members of their respective religious affiliations. In the meantime, I sat in the back in my blue jeans and a sweatshirt and resumed ministering the gospel on a forum board, trying to bring a soul into the kingdom of God. Looking back on that afternoon, remembering the two religious camps eyeing each other and their outfits, it made me think again about what really matters to the Lord. It's not about the way we dress, or what religious camp we choose to belong to. What really matters is we understand what matters the most to God and that is sharing the gospel and harvesting souls into eternal life. Everyone that the Lord has gathered into His embrace, no matter what their affiliation and no matter how they choose to adorn their bodies in response to their beliefs, has the same responsibility to work for God’s kingdom. We can’t be preoccupied with religious externals at the expense of the souls God is calling us to reach. We can’t afford to let religious differences interfere with, hinder or put barriers between brethren that are called to work in unity to reach the lost. I don’t know if the person I was ministering to online that day ever made a commitment to Jesus, that’s for the Lord to know and maybe for me to find out someday in heaven. At least I tried and some seeds were planted. I looked up and watched the Amish woman and her daughter leave and return to their horse and buggy tethered to a lamp post in the parking lot. The Mennonite family returned to their motor home. Motor homes are nice, but I like horses, too.
February 13, 2021 Laughing with Sarah Years ago I was doing a presentation at a church in Virginia. It was at a Valentine ’s Day dinner and the guests were asked to dress up as famous couples. As I was ministering and looking out at all the rows of faces before me, it was all I could do to maintain a straight face and keep going. I especially had to avoid looking at the sun and the moon, who never removed their shiny metallic masks through my entire presentation. The aging pastor and his wife had come as Abraham and an extremely round with child pregnant Sarah. When the presentation was over, everyone was moved, and the pastor’s wife decided to sing a solemn hymn. Watching this senior sing with her expanded pillow stuffed belly was almost more than I could handle. I did manage to restrain myself from giggling at the sight. I know the others may not have possessed my sense of humor, it’s just the way I am. Everybody else seemed to be maintaining their composure and perhaps I was the only one who saw the humor in this event. At least I have some idea of what it must have been like to see an old woman round with child. I know the miracle that was bestowed upon the one hundred year old man and his younger ninety-year old wife had to have produced a smile every time they walked around their camp. The incongruity of a senior with an expanded tummy was a joyful testimony of God’s miraculous ability to produce something out of nothing in answer to faith and prayer. It’s also an indication of God’s sense of humor. Sarah got the punchline and she roared with laughter at the thought of this aging woman giving birth to a long awaited son and heir. I always pictured Sarah in her tent, looking up in surprise to see her ancient husband standing in the entrance, holding a bouquet of flowers he picked for her, beaming with a frisky gleam in his eye that indicated to her she was about to be the recipient of a miracle. She had to have smiled then, and even giggled, knowing what was about to take place for two aging wonders. They named their miracle child Isaac which means laughter. And Sarah proclaimed, “God has made me to laugh so that all who hear will laugh with me.” – Genesis 21:6 The offspring of this miracle did multiply as God had promised, filling the world like the stars in the sky and sand on the seashore. But more importantly, this lineage produced our Messiah Jesus. As we think of the miracle of His life and the miraculous new life He births in us, how can we keep from smiling and expressing our joy in Him to others? We know that no matter what this life sends our way, we can keep our eyes fixed on the God who can produce light out of darkness and fill the womb of our hearts with joy, laughter and even a few giggles.
January 25, 2021 The Liberal Church and the Antichrist In the scriptures, Antiochus Epiphanes is used as a similitude of the future antichrist in Daniel 8:9-14 and 11:21-31. Antiochus was king of the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC to his death in 164 BC. Antiochus was known for his brutal attempt to eliminate the Jewish religion and replace the worship of the one true God with the worship of Zeus. He was eventually defeated by the Maccabees. Antiochus was assisted in his endeavor to eradicate Judaism by Hellenized Jews who disdained the orthodox Jews’ dependence on the word of God. The Hellenized Jews would be the equivalent of today’s liberal Christian church that adjusts the word of God to suit their secularized lifestyles. The word of God is the Christians “constitution” so to speak. The believers who choose to be faithful to God’s word in these latter days, will and are objects of persecution by those who, like the Hellenized Jews of old, resent the convicting intrusion of God’s truth into their semi –pagan world view. The Bible prophesizes of an apostasy that paves the way for the emergence of the antichrist. In Daniel chapter eleven we see Antiochus’ description from verses 21 through 31. The chapter then transitions us through verses 36 through 45, to view another oppressor of God’s people who is seen operating in the latter days right up to the Lord’s judgment at His return in chapter twelve. Thus the prophet Daniel shows us two villains in one chapter making Antiochus a foreshadow of his counterpart in the future. Like Antiochus, the latter day antichrist is also defeated when Jesus returns which is detailed for us in Revelation’s nineteenth chapter. (For a study on the book of Revelation click Here). Today, the term “history repeats itself” is being fulfilled before our eyes as the “Hellenized” church spews its liberal agenda and immorality into the body of Christ. God allows evil to come to its fullness as a prelude to its destruction (Genesis 15:16). Therefore true Christians should not be distressed at the continuing emergence of these liberal apostates. Those who truly belong to the Lord, will follow Him away from sin and into the obedience of service to His name. We will be about our Father’s business and make sharing the gospel, discipling, loving and serving others our focus and priority. And who knows, maybe if the true followers of the Lord Jesus stay on track (and in some cases, get back on it), some of those liberal, hellenized professed Christians may come to repentance and return to value and uphold the holy constitution of God’s word that saves our souls.
January 12, 2021 The Riot and the Storming of the Capital Building in Washington, D.C. A friend of mine asked me what I thought about the riot and the storming of the Capital Building in Washington, D.C.. I told him that if the Christians who supported President Trump were as zealous for Jesus, we might have more souls in the kingdom of God and less apostasy in the church. The first century Christians were not preoccupied with changing their government. They were focused on the “Great Commission.” A survey of Christians that was conducted by Barna discovered that 51% of the Christians they surveyed did not know what the term “Great Commission” was. It’s found in Matthew 28:1-20. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen. In order to make a disciple, the gospel must be shared first. For those of you who might be surveyed by Barna at some point, this is how you should answer the question, “What is the Gospel?” - 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 - John 3:16. Jesus died to remove our sins, and rose form the dead so that all who believe in Him can have eternal life. When the church loses her focus and becomes distracted with the affairs of this life, she is leaving her “first love” which was the error of the Ephesians (Rev. 2:4). The first love of the church, was doing the "first works” (Rev. 2:5). The first works of the church were obeying the Great Commission; sharing the gospel and making disciples. When the church fails to make the first works her priority she will begin the slide into apostasy as we are shown in Jesus’ admonishments to the churches in Revelation’s chapters two and three. It is vitally important for the church to regain her focus in this hour. She must realize that in order to avoid apostasy, her future must be secured by returning to the past, by making the first century model her model. She must not allow herself to be moved away from the priorities that fueled her predecessors. I cringe at the thought that there may have been some professed Christians among the lawless thugs that stormed the capitol Building. I hope by now they have come to realize that there is no profit in following a man, or giving oneself to any political ideology, unless that Man is Jesus and the ideology is the gospel.
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2020 |
December 27, 2021
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