The Berean Manifesto

S3EP10 - Endings and New Beginnings

Hello and welcome to season 3 episode 10 of The Berean Manifesto; 10 minutes or so a week (more like 5 this week) of faith, hope, and love for the modern Christian.  I’m Pastor Bill of The Ekklesian House and in this installment we are going to talk about endings and new beginnings.

As we wrap up one year and step into the next, were going to take some time to look at Isaiah 43 and Philippians 3.  Isaiah 43:25-28 CSB God says, “[25] I – I sweep away transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more. [26] Remind me. Let’s argue the case together. Recount the facts, so that you may be vindicated. [27] Your first father sinned, and your mediators have rebelled against me. [28] So I defiled the officers of the sanctuary, and set Jacob apart for destruction and Israel for scorn.”   This is a great time to look back at your life, over the past year and beyond and identify those things you know you faulted in.  Bring them to God, lay them at His feet and argue with Him why they make you guilty.  Your vindication comes in the saving Grace of your faith in Christ.

Once you’ve done this you’re ready to move forward.  Isaiah 43:16-21 CSB says, “[18] “Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old.  [19] Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming.  Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. [20] Wild animals – jackals and ostriches – will honor me, because I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people. [21] The people I formed for myself will declare my praise.”  Now I’m not one to grab ahold of every single scripture and say that’s specifically for me no matter what the context is I’m going to stand on that scripture because it’s gotta be 100% true for me as it was for them.  I’m not going to say that.  However, I am going to say that the same God that said I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, wild animals – jackals and ostriches – will honor me because I provide water in the wilderness.  The same God that said these things is the same God that you worship.  That you follow, that you adore.  And any good father, good father, when you ask for good things – they give it.  When you need water in the desert ask God, when you need a path cleared ask God.  When you’re in the wilderness and you need and you need and you need, turn to God.  He’s not some sugar daddy or some arm on a slot machine, no.  But He is a good father, and just like any good father He wants to hear the voice of His children and He wants to provide for them.  Within scripture.  -Now, that you’ve laid that stuff at Gods feet forget about them.  Move forward.  Plot a course with God.

Paul puts that course in perspective in Philippians 3:12-21 CSB says, “[12] Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, [14] I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus. [15] Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. [16] In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. [17] Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. [18] For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, [20] but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. [21] He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.”

This is Pastor Bill saying “Until next time…”

S3EP09 - Christmas

Hello and welcome to season 3 episode 9 of The Berean Manifesto; 10 minutes or so a week of faith, hope, and love for the modern Christian.  I’m Pastor Bill of The Ekklesian House and in this installment we are going to talk about Christmas.

First off, it is not my job to give you warm fuzzy feelings, or to make you feel good about yourself.  So that is not what this is going to be.  Year before last in season 2 episodes 4, 5, and 6 we had a great three part Christmas series where we talked about the gold, frankincense, and myrrh that the Maji brought to the around two-year-old Emmanuel (Jesus) in Bethlehem.  If you haven’t already, then I recommend reading or listening to those episodes.  Now, we know Jesus was around two years old when the Maji brought Him these gifts because the Maji had been following the star in the night sky for two years and Herod ordered all the boys 2 and under to be killed as a result of that timeline.

I know that’s not what you’ve seen in nativity scenes or Christmas plays, but there’s a lot about Christmas that doesn’t match the biblical story.  For instance, celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25^th.  When we go back to the Bible, we find Zechariah being visited by the angel of the Lord who gives him the news of the pregnancy of his wife with John.  Six months later, Gabriel meets with Mary in Nazareth.  According to Luke 1, Zechariah served in the order of Abijah.  That would put his time of service at one of two times a year, 6 months apart from each other.  With his specific order serving roughly in or around May, and again in or around November.

Jesus would have then been born approximately 15 months after Zechariah met with the angel of the Lord putting Jesus birth either in or around September or in or around March.  There is no precise month to pin down due to a lack of comprehensive historical records of the priesthood until about 70 years later and then tracking back to make the best educated guess.  However, we do know that the early church celebrated new year and the birth of Christ at the same time as we have April 1^st every year.  Which makes Easter the celebration not just of Christs resurrection, but also His birth.

So, what then, are we celebrating at Christmas?  For one, people groups have historically celebrated the time of the winter solstice since it is when the nights start to grow shorter and the days longer.  But more than that January 6^th is the day we celebrate the Epiphany, or rather when the Maji brought gifts to the toddler Emanuel.  We see reflections of this holiday in Christmas where we give gifts to each other as the Maji did to Jesus.

In Micah 5:2 there is a prophecy that reads, “Bethlehem Ephrathah you are small among the clans of times.” This is the prophecy that was delivered to King Herod in Matthew 2:6 when he asks the chief priests and scribes where The Messiah was to be born so that he could trick the Magi into finding the future king for him so he could eliminate the threat posed to his reign.  Even the Magi’s arrival was prophesied, in Isaiah 60:6 it says,

“Caravans of camels will cover your land —

young camels of Midian and Ephah —

all of them will come from Sheba.

They will carry gold and frankincense

and proclaim the praises of the Lord.”

With frankincense and myrrh we attribute significance in hindsight as to why the Maji would have brought these gifts.  Frankincense reminding us of the high priesthood of Christ and Myrrh reminding us of the secret reason of Christ’s coming to Earth as a man, to die for us.  But, with gold it appears to be pretty straightforward that this gift indicated the recognition of the kinghood of Christ.

There is such symmetry between the three gifts that the Maji brought and the passage in Hebrews 4:14-16, the first two verses relating to frankincense and myrrh so very well, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens — Jesus the Son of God — let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.”  It’s at verse 16 that we find gold and our response to our king. A response that is unique to our king, “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

Let’s reign this in and refocus.  How do we expect a lost, hurting, and dying world who has been taken captive by the enemy to trust us to bring them the Gospel while we embrace the myth and lies of the modern Christmas?  Once a year claiming that the birth of Christ is on a day that is neither supported by historical fact or Biblical context only serves to at best water down the Gospel and at worst to lead people away from the Lord.  What other convenient lies have we embraced that undermine the Gospel?

This is Pastor Bill saying, “Until next time…”

S3EP08 - Handle

Hello and welcome to season 3 episode 8 of The Berean Manifesto; 10 minutes or so a week of faith, hope, and love for the modern Christian.  I’m Pastor Bill of The Ekklesian House and in this installment we are going to talk about getting a handle.  At the time of the release of this episode, the world is going through a year that is rather pandemonic in nature.  As a result, folks seem to be ignoring the simplest of reason in trade for pride and rebellion.  Not to mention that in the United States it’s a presidential election year, so that’s been skewing a lot of point of views.  No matter who’s president this upcoming January they will get my support prayer.  And we won’t know who that is till January 6^th when Congress counts the votes the Electoral College casts on December 14^th.  However, in an effort to avoid all of that mess, I probably won’t reinstall Facebook on my phone till 2022, if even then.

All of that’s not exactly what we’re focusing on here, but it does help set the stage.  Let’s look at Revelations 5:1-4 CSB, in that John writes, “[1] Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides, sealed with seven seals.  [2] I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” [3] But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it.  [4]I wept and wept because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even to look in it.”  When we read, we sometimes gloss over really meaningful statements and forget to ask ourselves probing questions like, “Why was John weeping?”

You see, John grew up under the law of Moses, what Paul calls the laws of sin and death.  The law was ingrained in their culture as righteousness.  They were taught that their people were special to God, that God chose to give them the law because they were worthy to have it.  They were taught that following the law put them at peace with God and made them worthy of His secrets, of resurrection, and of eternity with God.  John grew up, met Jesus, became His follower, and even considered himself the most valued Disciple of Jesus.  He believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, he was there on the mount when Jesus was transfigured,  witnessed His death where He fulfilled the law, met with Him after His resurrection, was present when Jesus rose into Heaven, was arrested for preaching Christ, dipped in hot oil for preaching Christ, was exiled to the Isle of Patmos for preaching Christ.  And after all of that, John learns that despite the law and Jesus, No One is worthy.  It’s more than just a disappointment, more than just a punch to the gut.  It’s the end of his world.  Stick with me, 'cause there’s more here, that’s not the final word.  In the New Testament, we find this icon of the lion being used in two ways.  The roaring lion and the conquering lion.

We find the roaring lion in 1 Peter 5:8 CSB.  It says, “[8] Be sober-minded, be alert.  Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”  The roaring lion is the old, tired, and most importantly loudest lion.  The roll of this lion is to stand on one side of a clearing and roar to scare prey into the waiting jaws of the younger more capable lions on the other side of the clearing.  To compare someone or something to this lion is most definitely an insult.

The conquering lion shows up in the book of Revelations, we started reading the passage earlier in Revelations 5.  When John weeps he’s approached by an elder in verse 5, it says, “[5] Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep.  Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

What if I told you the conquering lion didn’t conquer by being a lion, but by being a sheep?  Turning our attention back to Revelations 5:5-14 CSB we read, “[5] Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep.  Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.  [6] Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders.  He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the Earth.  [7] He went and took the scroll out of the right hand of the one seated on the throne.  [8] When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.  Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints.  [9] And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation.  [10] You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.  [11] Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders.  Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands.  [12] They said with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!  [13] I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!  [14] The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

If you’re a Christian, then I hope you recognize that being a “lion” the way it’s intended in today’s terms is the exact opposite of that which the scriptures teach us to aspire.  I would even go as far as to characterize it is anti-Christian to esteem a lion as something to aspire to and sheep as an insult.  Throughout scripture we are encouraged to emulate the character of Christ who is praised as a sheep, and as believers we are categorized as sheep.  Looking at John 10:22-27 we read, “[22] Then the Festival of Dedication took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  [23] Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s Colonnade.  [24] The Jews surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense?  If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”  [25] “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them.  “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me.  [26] But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep.  [27] My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.”

2020 has been a year like none other in my lifetime.  There has been so much suffering.  You can take a note from John and weep, or you can relax, trust, be a sheep, and follow the voice of your shepherd.

This is Pastor Bill saying, “Until next time…”

S3EP07 - Burdens

Hello and welcome to season 3 episode 7 of The Berean Manifesto; 10 minutes or so a week of faith, hope, and love for the modern Christian.  I’m Pastor Bill of The Ekklesian House and in this installment we are going to take a look at burdens

“If we would follow Christ, we must shake off the baser objects of earthly desire as nothing better than the dust which gathers upon the cerements of mortality.” - F. W. Farrar

In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke it’s recorded that as Jesus was moving on from a time of ministry in Judea that a young man ran up, knelt in front of Him, and calling Him “good teacher” asked Jesus what good he had to do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus tells him what any good rabbi would, to keep the commandments.  The young man asks which ones to follow and Jesus starts listing the Ten Commandments.  Not in the order they were originally given, but in a very specific social order from heinous to fundamental.  But in all three Gospels, before Jesus can finish the list, the young man insists that he’s kept all these commandments since he was young.  Jesus tells him that he’s still lacking in one thing.  The eager young man asks what he lacks.  And is told to go and sell everything he has and give the proceeds to the poor.  This will get him treasure in heaven and he can come and follow Jesus.  The young man leaves grieved because he had lots of stuff.

In the last episode we talked about two other people who wanted to follow Jesus, but one wanted to bury his father first.  In Matthew 8:22 CSB Jesus responds to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”  Jesus is life, and His followers had that life.  This is what has been supposed as the meaning of Christ’s words here.  That those without Christ, the dead spiritually, should tend to the affairs of the dead physically.  As one called as a disciple he could have no place in the business of the world, even where it pertained to his family.

In that same chapter in Matthew the other disciple that vows to follow Jesus is a scribe.  Jesus response to him in Matthew 8:20 CSB, is “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  Being a scribe this particular individual would have enjoyed a lifestyle of having every comfort and every need provided for him in return for his service.  Jesus lets him know in no uncertain terms that the lifestyle he’s been living having everything provided for him is not how the lifestyle of a disciple is going to be.  That even the animals get better treatment than the man that he is trying to follow.

Then Jesus tells the disciples that it’s hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God depending on what Gospel you’re reading from, then continues, (Matthew 19:24 & Luke 18:25) “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”  The disciples when Jesus says this are astonished by this revelation because they were convinced it meant that nobody could then be saved.

We talk on The Berean Manifesto about understanding cultural context, and this is one of those moments.  In walled cities there was traditionally a small “gate,” more of a door-sized passageway made of stone, in Jerusalem this was known as the eye of the needle, that could be used to enter the city after the city gates had closed for the night.  For the poor, who carried nothing more than a walking stick and a food pouch, this wasn’t a problem.  But for people like the rich young man above, they would load everything they needed to sustain the same quality of living as they had back home onto the back of a camel, or camels.  If they reached the city after the gates had closed for the night, then the rich had a difficult choice to make.  They could leave their camels and the bulk of their possessions outside the city walls and slum it for the night, they could set up camp outside the city walls and run the risk of falling prey to beasts or villainy, or they could un-burden their camel, carry the stuff through the small passageway themselves, and then navigate the camel down onto its knees and try to manipulate the camel through a passageway of stone-built for something the size of a human.  Without the prodding and manipulation of the camel’s human counterpart, that camel is never getting through that entryway.

Jesus tells the disciples that when it sounds like he’s saying that no one can be saved, this is exactly what He’s saying.  (Matthew 19:26) That being saved is an impossible feat for mankind alone, but with God all things are possible.  Which takes us back to the young man’s question from before about what good he could do to inherit eternal life.  To which the long and short of the answer is, nothing.  There is nothing that camel can do, on it’s own, to get through that doorway.  There is nothing we can do of our own power to be saved.  It’s a faith issue (Hebrews 10:9-10), you confess with your mouth that, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you are saved.  You’re made righteous by the belief of your heart and saved by the confession of your mouth.

The deeper message of what Jesus appears to be teaching here is that, like the camel with the eye of the needle, it’s impossible to make it into the kingdom of God burdened by the world.  Not because money and things are inherently bad, but because humans are worshipers by default.  Inevitably the things of the world become distractions from God, or worse, they become idols.

In Exodus 20:4-6 CSB God commands, “[4] Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. [5] Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers' iniquity, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, [6] but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands.”

In hindsight, this commandment is very telling.  We know that without faith it is impossible to please God and that salvation is by faith alone.  Lower gods within our reach and idols take faith out of the equation.  When we begin to worship television, celebrities, sports teams, civic duties, religion, and religious relics we become the burdened camel who can’t make it through the eye of the needle.

Now you may not be called to be a hardcore disciple like the gentlemen from Matthew 8.  However, anything that you let get in the way of serving God in your calling makes you into the burdened camel, is an idol for you.  Even things that God meant for good, to point to salvation, mankind has found a way to elevate into idols.

So, what idols have you set up in your life?  What are the things in your life that you need to unburden for the sake of your faith?  For the sake of your calling…

This is Pastor Bill saying, “Until next time…”