As Jesus Christ was dying on the cross, one of the two others being crucified beside Him said, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." (Luke 23:42) Even at the end, salvation took place. Christ offered redemption if you accepted His invitation. When the centurion who stood opposite the cross saw Christ breathe His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!" (Luke 15:39 ) For those who heed the call of Christ (God), the offer of eternal life is always available any place, anywhere. Christ died, but Easter began. Redemption continues.
Although redemption was accomplished differently in the Old Testament, it was always there. The Law and sacrifice were the method God used before Christ. Perhaps the redemption of the largest number of people occurred in the Book of Jonah. The mission God gave Jonah was so daunting Jonah tried to squirm out of His marching order. He had to go to Nineveh and tell them God would destroy them if they didn't repent.
Nineveh was a great city inhabited by a fierce people who had a huge pile of skulls at the entrance to the city to intimidate anyone who entered the city. It was a very large city for that period of time, spanning eight miles and the center of a nation that extended 55 miles. Jonah went there knowing the savage culture of the people and armed exactly as John the Baptist. His message was simply for the people to repent. To his amazement and consternation, the entire nation repented. Jonah did not like this result because he felt the people should not be excused from their wicked actions. He needed to understand that redemption is based on the condition of your heart and the reception of God's Word.
We're going to move backwards to Joshua for our next refresher course in redemption, but it is important to pause and take note of a very important event as Israel faced the fortified city of Jericho. While Joshua was contemplating how to take the city, he had a very important visitor. Joshua 5:14 tells us, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." Early in my ministry I had the occasion to meet with several representatives of a Christian denomination to talk about military service. Readers of my messages should know I'm a veteran and very proud to have served. These people told me they didn't believe in taking up arms because they didn't want to have to shoot or kill brothers in Christ. Although they professed to be Christians, they refused to accept the facts in scripture clearly showing that spiritual as well as material warfare is a constant on-going conflict. It's pretty comfortable if someone else sacrifices their life to save you. I would not count on them or their denomination to fulfill Christ's mission. He was all about putting His life on the line.
The arrival of the Lord's military leader introduces us to the presence of angels. This goes along with other spiritual phenomena such as dreams and visions. Most people doubt these experiences are real. That doubt usually results in no such "visits" or information. People have to have an "open line" to receive such spiritual guidance. There are many places in scripture where angels appeared as men and brought special messages. The announcements of the future births of John the Baptist and Jesus were brought by angels.
Christ did not teach about physical war, but rather about spiritual war. We are to follow His instructions on how to live as Christians. We receive instructions now so we can practice the Christian life before His kingdom becomes reality. I see very few professing Christians following instructions from the four Gospels, and that includes pastors and church leaders. Friends, you can not just read at random in scripture or pick out verses to suit your purpose. A major mistake by Christians today is misunderstanding redemption. We will continue exploring this subject in Joshua.
God's Commander in chief gave Joshua the spiritual strategy and tactics to accomplish the goal. There was no military textbook to provide guidance. A general or captain needs spiritual guidance to be able to win battles or war. Joshua sent out two spies to learn specifics about Jericho. They found a well fortified city, and an ally God had prepared for them. The people of Jericho had heard of Israel and the miracle strength and power they wielded. The only entry to the city was a fortified gate. The city was not large, covering only about seven acres, but the heavy walls were also used for housing, somewhat like our apartment houses.
The spies needed a place to stay, and were taken in by a prostitute named Rahab. The king of Jericho heard that Israelites had entered the city, and sent men to find them. Rahab had somehow become a believer in the God of Israel, and was there to protect the spies. She hid them on the roof of her home among flax spread out to dry. She told the searchers the spies were gone. She did not have a priest to direct her actions, but did exactly as God, Himself, directed her. Could we have a violation of scripture here, since her answer to the searchers was not exactly accurate?
The walls of Jericho have not yet fallen, but we have several possible scriptural discrepancies to examine. Scripture doesn't conflict with itself, and we must keep that in mind. We also must look at how verses from the Old Testament fit in with Christ's teaching. Putting together the writings from the Old Testament, especially from Proverbs, has been a stumbling block for many loudly proclaiming their Christianity. Proverbs is advice from several sources, and it is good advice. Violating that advice may or may not be a sin, but it is not a sin of condemnation. Too many pious Christians are judging (a mistake) people who do not or seem to not heed the advice. None of us is free from sin. I could quote from Matt. 7:3 about judging others, but if I did, doubters could say I was doing exactly what I warned about--picking one scripture to suit my purpose. So...I'll tell you to read all of chapter 7.
God loves people, but He hates sin. Understand this--He hates all sins, and does not separate them by categories. This is where so many professing Christians err. Compare their misunderstanding: a lie is a sin; cheating is a sin; prostitution is a sin; fraud is a sin, slander is a sin, homosexuality is a sin, adultery is a sin, murder is a sin. In God's eyes, each of these carries the same value. Note I did not include same sex marriage. That is because a civil ceremony does not imply a sexual union. The Pope recently stated the Catholic Church will accept the civil marriage ceremony. Without sex, the civil union isn't a sin. This is one of the Christian mistakes, especially among Protestants. Another mistake is to throw gay people under the bus. It is a sin, but does not disqualify the sinner from the opportunity to receive salvation. If a Christian quotes Proverbs 6:17-19 lists things God hates, but all can be covered by Christ's shed blood.
Back to Jericho. The two Israeli spies promise to spare Rahab and her family when Israel captures the city. She lowers them with a rope out the window of her home, which is located on the city wall. She identifies her home with a scarlet cord so the Israelites will spare her family. With the strategy and tactics provided by the Lord's Commander, Israel takes the city, and all the inhabitants were slaughtered except Rahab's family. God used a prostitute to enable Israel to destroy Jericho, and Rahab became a part of Christ's ancestry (Matt. 1:1-16). When a professing Christian sets anyone apart because of his/her personal judgment, that Christian is actually committing a sin.
Elite Christians are bigots who don't realize they are sinning as they pass judgment on others. All judgment will be made by Christ, and all people have the opportunity to accept His invitation to eternal life. That is what Easter and the Cross are all about.
Easter is rightfully called the season of Redemption, but Christians should be familiar with the full meaning and history of the subject. While Christ is our celebrated example of redemption, God had His plan in action long before Christ became our symbol. There are many examples, beginning in the Old Testament. It would be difficult to live in the United States and not know the Easter story. Unfortunately, for many people Easter is more about colored eggs, the Easter bunny and splashy new clothing outfits for the Easter Parade.
Movies have attempted to describe the horrors leading up to, and the crucifixion, of Christ. God sent His only Son to teach us, heal us, and pay the price of death to bring us eternal life. Unfortunately, again, we are like the Druids in Ireland, slow learners. In fact, it would appear a very sizable number of people proclaiming they are Christians are not. I make that statement based on the failure of pastors and members of congregations to follow Christ's teaching in the Four Gospels. With Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent all given us as lead-ins to Easter, there is a concentrated period for us to review our life, and to study the Gospels. If we would just study and understand Christ's instructions, we could be examples of America's solutions instead of part of the problem.
The world was not ready for Christ, so He was not born with fanfare except for those who understood the prophecy and reason for His birth. Of course Herod expected a rival for the throne, but never had the opportunity to prevent Christ's mission. There was a great deal of fanfare when Christ suffered death on the cross. Don't blame the Romans for this deed. It was the clergy, the priests and leaders of the Jews who essentially murdered the Son of God.
Why would these religious leaders want to kill Christ? He followed scripture in the Old Testament, healed people, and taught how to treat your fellow man/woman. Christ pointed out the continuation of God's master plan, with a far better explanation of Jewish and Christian living. As always in scripture, it was the misleading and corrupt teaching of the priests and leadership who brought about the demise of the Jewish state. When Satan gets hold of people, including priests, they become reprobate. That is, as happened with Pharaoh, their heart is "hardened." They actually believe they are correct in what they're doing.
We pay no price for our salvation except to follow His instructions. I hear or read comments from pastors and leaders daily in direct opposition to Christ's teaching the Four Gospels. Most of these comments lead to separation of people and are in direct opposition to His instructions. He died for us. He gave us directions. We must make a serious attempt to follow Him. Apparently many professing Christians are using various quotes from elsewhere in scripture to base their decisions against others. Specifically, the directions of Proverbs seems to be a major avenue.
Scripture does not conflict with itself. It does, however, give some Christians the foolish idea they can judge others and relegate people to be Christian or non-Christians. Before you "classify" others, study Matt. 7:1-2 VERY CAREFULLY. "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." Christ offered redemption to everyone, and spent time with beggars, the poor, the sick, the mentally challenged, and all people. He did not classify them as rich or poor, sick or healthy, laborers, professionals or by politics. Each person God has created should have the opportunity for redemption. The people you don't want to associate with may be the ones God would like to see accepting Christ's offer of redemption. Christ ate with sinners and publicans. It's the unsaved who need to hear the Word. By separating ourselves (classifying), we are denying them an opportunity to hear the words of redemption. We don't have to wallow in a garbage dump, but being a smug Christian is absolutely wrong...and, it's a sin.
There was a movie about the "ugly" American, and that is an excellent description of the elite Christian church leaders (including pastors). Poor people may not be able to dress smartly, or they may be unclean. Do you know that food stamps can't be used for cleaning products? Handicapped people may look okay on the outside, but there are many ways to be handicapped. Before you label me a liberal, you need to know our ministry has assisted people who really needed help, and some who just milked the system (and us). We can use common sense, but we are not judges. When I first began ministry studies, I had some elitist ideas. It was a sign of ignorance and judging. We all have to start somewhere, and if we aren't careful, we'll wind up bigoted sinners. ALL SINS ARE EQUALLY BAD.
Christ died to cover our sins. He redeemed us. His shed blood covers all sins except the rejection of the Holy Spirit. If you lie or cheat, commit adultery, are a glutton, get drunk or assault someone, your sin is exactly the same as a person in a same sex marriage, being gay or committing murder. While everyone should try to live up to Christ's teaching, not one of us will be able to be sinless. Refresh your memory with John 8:7, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."
If you observe Easter in the traditional manner with thanksgiving and shudder to consider the physical suffering Jesus went through, go a bit further and weigh your responsibility to uphold your end of the bargain. And, a grand bargain it is! You receive eternal life, a mansion in Heaven, and only at a cost of being a caring, decent person. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll take a look at some redemptions you may have overlooked in scripture reading. If I was a betting man, I'd bet there is at least one I'm going to discuss that will surprise you.
MAEWYN SUCCAT It's always a bonus when a message brings new information that enhances the original subject. You may be wondering who the above named person is/was, although you are undoubtedly aware of why we take notice of what that person did. We are exploring some Christian history, and the major impact this person had on our faith.
One thing that is clear, when God taps someone on the shoulder for His work, you are entering the sphere of spiritual war. The wounds, and even death, are as real as any physical combat. Expect to be wounded and to suffer. If you don't dwell on this reality, think about the dedicated Christian workers, beginning with Christ, Paul, Stephen and so many others. Often the spiritual battle turns physical because Satan just has to shut your mouth. Because you see the physical battles with your eyes, and the spiritual battles may not be seen, many people, including Christians, doubt they even exist.
Maewyn Succat and his ministry were driven by visions. Many people, including Christians, do not believe in messages through dreams and visions. God plans and carries out His work His way, and He uses whatever is necessary to get His message across. God still uses dreams and visions today, but He does not find many Christians paying attention. If you don't answer His telephone (Call), He moves on to someone who does. Look at Matt. 20:16, the second sentence, "For many are called, but few are chosen." This is part of a parable difficult for practical people to fully understand. We'll go back to that later.
We celebrate St. Patrick's Day in mid March, and Maewyn Succat was St. Patrick. He is not only the Patron Saint of Ireland, but the person who brought Christianity to that country. He began life in England, the son of a very high placed family. His father was the official in charge of a district in England and was a Romano Christian. His grandfather was a clergyman and his mother was from Tours, France. Maewyn's privileged life was abruptly changed at the age of 16, when he was captured by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland, where he was sold into slavery. For the next six years he was a sheep herder for his master, a Druid priest. During that time, he learned the language and culture. When God puts you in a place, make good use of your time. It is meant as a learning opportunity for work He will lead you to do.
During the six years, he had a vision of children reaching out to him to learn about and become Christians. God told him to escape and travel to a port where a ship would be waiting to take him home. He did escape and get to a port where sailors permitted him to board. The direct trip back to England was not what he expected. The ship went to France, where he found himself essentially abandoned. This was not by accident. God had his next step of "education" planned in France.
The area of Tours was his mother's background, and after a short time in prison, he studied under the auspices of French Monasticism influenced by Catholic teaching. Here the vision of children reaching out to him became more meaningful as God told him to take Christianity back with him to Ireland. He was to be God's man in the midst of a pagan Druid country.
St. Patrick was met with opposition from the Druids, who had mixed beliefs of Paganism as well as Christianity. Although he was basically self educated, he always felt he should have had more formal education to be able to write and speak more elegantly. He found local people to be slow learners, requiring extensive time to bring them to Christianity. One of his legends is built on that difficulty. St. Patrick always carried an ash walking stick. It was said that at one village he stuck the stick in the ground when he arrived there to teach. He was there so long that when he went to leave, the stick had taken root. St. Patrick believed it was God's test of his faith to have him dedicate so much time to teach slow learners.
St. Patrick, like Christ, often used parables in his teaching. One such was the use of a shamrock to illustrate God, the Father, Jesus Christ, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He likened the three leaves to the trinity, as all part of the God family. He compared the color green as emblematic of life, rebirth and eternal life.
Also it is said St. Patrick banished snakes from Ireland. That apparently isn't so, because science and research have stated that Ireland is one of several countries where glacial activity did not permit the presence of snakes. Some people have compared St. Patrick's walking stick to the rod of Aaron that became a serpent and swallowed the snake/rods of the Egyptian priests. There is a lesson here, because we see that Satan's people also possess the power to turn miracles.You must try the spirit.
St. Patrick established over 300 churches in Ireland, and baptized over 100,000 people. He followed his dream and visions to take Christianity to Ireland, and the converts have taken it to many other parts of the world. God still talks to people today by voice, dreams and visions. Few people are open to receive His messages, much like His original search to find a man who would listen and obey. That was Abraham, and in Gen. 12:1-3, God sent him on his mission. You can read about God speaking in I Sam. 3:1-11, and God speaking in Matt. 3:17.
Now back to Christ's Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Matt. 20:1-16. Workers hired near the end of the day received the same pay as those who had worked all day. Being a one-time practical business owner, employee and familiar with seniority and pay scales, I at first couldn't understand this parable. It is something like Christ's explanation to His disciples when they were trying to establish their "rank." In Matt. 20:25-28, He tells them He did not come to be served, but to serve.
The vineyard pay did not represent money, but rather the mercy of God through salvation, where all who accept Christ's offer can receive eternal life. There is no seniority because all who are saved become brothers and sisters in Christ. Nothing material can change the method of salvation. No matter what we do, we cannot earn salvation, and once we are saved, there is no seniority.
We need to think about the rigors of life St. Patrick faced and overcame to achieve the goal of God's plan. That is a good introduction of the sacrifice Christ made for us, and the season soon upon us to rejuvenate our faith and service. "We all owe God service for the free gift of salvation. His tap on the shoulder means He has work for us. It may not be pretty or fun, but we will stand with others like us in eternal life. Don't fail to recognize that tap.
