The Feasts of Israel

On Wednesday, the 6th of Sivan on the Hebrew calendar, Jews will celebrate Hag Ha Shavuot, also known as the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Pentecost. The Torah - the five books of Moses - details seven feasts during the Hebrew calendar. The first three feasts are in the spring, in the month of Nisan: Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of First Fruits. These feasts are predictive of the First Coming of Jesus.

In between the spring and fall feasts, fifty days after the Feast of First Fruits, there is the Feast of Pentecost. This feast, celebrated this week, is associated with the Church. The Birth of the Church appears to be a fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost. (It is interesting to note that this is the only feast in which leavened bread is ordained.) The last three feasts are in the fall, in the month of Tishri: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles. These are associated with His Second Coming. The timing of the Feast of Pentecost is based on Leviticus 23:16 which points to "the morrow after the seventh sabbath" (fifty days) after the Feast of First Fruits. The Greek word Pentecost means "the fiftieth day." Since the Passover was on the 14th of Nisan, and there were three days to the Red Sea crossing, then 46 days into the wilderness, and three days of Moses' preparation, this is deemed to correspond to the 49 day interval between the Feast of First Fruits (17th of Nisan) and the Feast of Pentecost (6th of Sivan). The Feast of Pentecost is associated with the birth of Israel and the giving of the Law in Exodus 19. Thus, it is also called the Feast of Revelation.

Another name for the Feast of Pentecost is Hag Ha Kazir, The Feast of Harvest, since it is celebrated at the time of the "first harvest." A study of the Feast of Pentecost is not complete without a review of the Book of Ruth. The Jewish observance of the Feast of Weeks has always included the reading of this particular book. It is provocative to note the interesting parallels relating to the Church. This elegant love story exemplifies the role of the goel, or kinsman-redeemer. As we examine Boaz's role, we notice that he, in many ways, pre-figures our own kinsman-redeemer, Jesus Christ. Through his act of redemption, Boaz returns Naomi (Israel) to her land, and also takes Ruth (a Gentile) as his wife. This suggests a parallel with the Church as the Gentile bride of the kinsman-redeemer. The Feasts of Israel, set by God, are not only commemorative in a historical context, but are also prophetic.

Starting Sunday, June 10, 2007, we will be offering a 9:00 a.m. class study entitled "Jesus in the Feasts of Israel". We will be looking at the Old Testament to discover the prophetic patterns that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus as part of his claim as Messiah. Come join us on a journey of Bible study and examination of the scriptures. We believe that an understanding of these topics will increase one's faith in Jesus as Redeemer.

The Holy Kiss

"Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. "

Romans 16:16

When I was growing up, the little congregation I attended had a banner on the pulpit with this scripture. The banner was a proclamation that the name of our little church was found right there in the bible. We were a "Church of Christ". Yet, years later, I think we missed the most important part of that verse.

I have discovered that I don't kiss people that I don't like! Yet, the command to the church was to greet one another with a holy kiss. What is this kissing business? In the time that Paul wrote to the Roman church a kiss was an expression of fond affection one for another. I think the same could be true today; but, there is no question that culture has had an influence on our perceptions. In our western culture, men kissing men in public will raise some eyebrows! But, if you are in Eastern Europe, no one would think strangely of it. In the prior chapter, Paul stated:

May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

The one common need which we all have is to be loved and appreciated. Living in harmony is part of God's design for his church. Harmony does not mean that we all sing the same notes. But, the blend of our lives is much like the harmony of music. Each of our lives blends together and sounds better than any single part in isolation. In the same way, welcoming one another is not just a "nice thing" to do; but, it is tied to our witness of the gospel. The way we welcome others is to be like the way Jesus welcomed us. If we get the relationship right with the Lord first, then the horizontal relationship with our brothers and sisters follows perfectly.

So what do we do with people who don't want to welcome others? What about people who cause dissension? The very next verse in Romans 16 follows with this instruction:

17 I appeal to you, brethren, to take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by fair and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded.

Our faith must be discerning. We cannot be "simple-minded". Jesus called for his disciples to be "as wise as serpents; and, as harmless as doves". Learning to filter out the call for factions and dissensions is part of the journey of faith. How do we do that? We ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?" Would you like to be blessed by God? Try greeting the saints and extending true love and fellowship to the household of faith. If you do, you might find yourself being kissed more often!

The Mission

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matt. 28: 18-20

When Jesus entered the world the angels in heaven proclaimed his arrival as the Savior of the world. His life was a mission from God. When he crossed the Jordon River after spending 40 days in the wilderness, he came announcing the kingdom of God was at hand. He was not looking for just the healthy, wealthy or righteous. He was not concerned with starting a program that would attract nice, middle class suburban couples with 2.5 kids to a country club church. His calling to the kingdom of God was for his followers to do spiritual warfare. He promised that the church would be the one place where the body of believers could stand united in opposition to the gates of hell. The church is not a just place for people to be served; but, a place for servants to discover that washing one another's feet is the example and command of our Lord. The one who wishes to be the greatest in the kingdom is the one who serves the most. The church is not a building or a place; but, people who are called by God to be sent on a mission to join the Savior in seeking and saving those who are lost.

Evangelism, or mission, is not just another program of the church. It is not some peripheral activity. The church is mission. We are called out of this world (ekklesia) by the spirit of God. At at the same time we are sent back into the world (apostolos) to witness and to seek to expand the borders of the kingdom of God so that God's will is done on earth. We are to be holy, set apart and different in our character than those who do not know God. Yet, we need to be a friend of sinners. The battle is always about how to be "in the world" but not "of it". The irony of Jesus's ministry is that sinners loved him. They wanted to be near him and they pressed hard to gain his attention and favor. Today, our churches tend to be ghettos for those who already saved. We must figure out how to be able to make people feel welcome and "visitor friendly". Our calling is to be the "salt of the earth", a "city on a hill" and a "light unto the nations".

The mission of the church is tied to community. The gospel of John shows us that the unity of the church is vital if the world at large is to believe and experience that Jesus was sent from the Father. (John 17:21-23). Further, the mark of a Christian is tied to love for one another. Jesus said it this way John 13:34-35:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

The gospel can only become real when the community of believers is grafted into the vine. It is about God and not about us. When we are in fellowship with God, the Spirit produces "fruit". Our calling is simply to "abide" in Him. That same vine connects all of us into one body. The hand can't say to the foot "I don't need you!" When visitors come to a church and discover that brothers and sisters don't like each other, it inhibits the growth of the kingdom. The way we treat people is of major concern to our God.

It is much too easy to become content attending our bible studies, Sunday morning worship and small groups thinking that in these we are doing church correctly. The power of faith comes not in making our lists of things we do or don't do correctly, but in taking up the cross daily in each of our lives. When people see the power of one changed life, the evidence of faith becomes a reality. Mission is hard work. It is much less stressful to hang out with people who look me, smell like me, and believe the same thing as me. It is a lot more out of my of comfort zone to hang out with people who hold different world-views. But, that is what we are called to do. We each must be willing to get out of our own comfort zones because we are the church. If we wish to the be the body of Christ, we need to behave and act as Jesus did when he was here upon the earth. We need to constantly ask ourselves "What would Jesus do"?

Is Life Worth Living?

Is life really worth living? We have in our possession a considered response to this basic question from one of the wisest, richest, most powerful men to have walked the earth. And yet even today his counsel is widely ignored or misunderstood!

"Vanity of vanities," lamented Solomon, "all is vanity!" Solomon used the word "vanity" 38 times in Ecclesiastes as he wrote about life "under the sun." The word means "emptiness," "futility," "vapor"; "that which vanishes quickly and leaves nothing behind." From the human point of view, life ("under the sun") does often appear futile; and it is easy for us to get pessimistic. But we should not mistake brutal honesty with pessimism.

The Hebrew title is Koheleth, and it is the title given to an official speaker who calls an assembly. The Greek word for "assembly" is ekklesia, and thus the Septuagint version gives us the English title of the book, Ecclesiastes. But the Preacher did more than call an assembly and give an oration. The word Koheleth carries with it the idea of debating, not so much with the listeners as with himself. He would present a topic, discuss it from many viewpoints, and then come to a practical conclusion.

Ecclesiastes is different from any other book of the Bible. It does not dwell on the covenant, the election of Israel, redemption, prophecy, sacred history, or the temple. Its focus is on man the creature, his life on earth, and the inscrutability of God and His ways. Ecclesiastes goes beyond the other wisdom literature to emphasize the fact that human life and human goals, as ends in themselves and apart from God, are futile and meaningless.

Relevance for Today

Among other things, Solomon saw injustice to the poor (Eccl 4:1-3), crooked politics (Eccl 5:8), incompetent leaders (Eccl 10:6-7), guilty people allowed to commit more crimes (Eccl 8:11), materialism (Eccl 5:10), and a desire for "the good old days (Eccl 7:10)." It sounds relevant for us, too, doesn't it? Solomon has put the key to Ecclesiastes right at the front door:

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun? - Ecclesiastes 1:2-3

Just in case we missed it, he also put the same key at the back door (Eccl 12:8). But don't assume he is cynical or pessimistic: that would miss his real point! Whether he considers his wealth, his works, his wisdom, or his world, Solomon comes to a sad appraisal: all is "vanity and vexation of spirit." However, this is not his final conclusion, nor is it the only message that he has for his readers. We will discover much more as we delve into the depth of the book.

In spite of his painful encounters with the world and its problems, Solomon does not recommend either pessimism or cynicism. Rather, he admonishes us to be realistic about life, accept God's gifts and enjoy them (Eccl 2:24; 3:12-15, 22). After all, God gives to us "richly all things to enjoy." [Words related to joy (enjoy, rejoice, etc.) are used at least 17 times in Ecclesiastes.]
Solomon does not say, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die!" Instead, he advises us to trust God and enjoy what we do have rather than complain about what we don't have. Life is short and life is difficult, so make the most of it while you can.

Solomon initially opens with three bleak observations: nothing is really changed nothing is really new, and nothing is understood. After experimenting and investigating "life under the sun," he initially concluded, "No, life is not worth living!" And he gave four arguments to support his conclusion: the monotony of life, the vanity of wisdom, the futility of wealth, and the certainty of death.

But being a wise man, Solomon, in Chapters 3 to 10, reviewed his arguments and this time brought God into the picture. What a difference it made! By reexamining each of these impressions more carefully he realized that life was not monotonous but filled with challenging situations from God, each in its own time and each for its own purpose. He also learned that wealth could be enjoyed and employed to the glory of God. Though man's wisdom couldn't explain everything, Solomon concluded that it was better to follow God's wisdom than to practice man's folly. And as for the certainty of death, there is no way to escape it; it ought to motivate us to enjoy life now and make the most of the opportunities God gives us.

So he asks his listeners to look up, look within, look ahead, and look around, and to take into consideration time, eternity, death, and suffering: these four factors God uses to keep our lives from becoming monotonous and meaningless. In his final conclusion and personal application, Solomon then presents four pictures of life and attaches to each picture a practical admonition for his readers to heed:

Life is an ADVENTURE - live by faith (Eccl 4:1-5:9)
Life is a GIFT - enjoy it (Eccl 11:1-6)
Life is a SCHOOL - learn your lessons (11:7-12:8)
Life is a STEWARDSHIP - fear God (Eccl 12:9-12)

These four pictures parallel the four arguments that Solomon had wrestled with throughout the book: Life is not monotonous; rather, it is an adventure of faith that is anything but predictable or tedious. Yes, death is certain, but life is a gift from God and He wants us to enjoy it. Are there questions we can't answer and problems we can't solve? Don't despair. God teaches us His truth as we advance in "the school of life," and He will give us wisdom enough to make sensible decisions. Finally, as far as wealth is concerned, all of life is a stewardship from God; and one day He will call us to give an account. Therefore, "fear God, and keep His commandments."

Here we have practical advice about life from one of the wisest, richest, most powerful men to have ever lived. His insights about life, money, values, and ordering one's personal priorities are priceless: this is a rewarding guidebook to the reader who looks behind the initial impressions to find the wisdom this remarkable man gleaned from his unique career.

They Smell Like Sheep

Be shepherds of God’s flock that are under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

1 Peter 5:2-3

I borrowed the title from Lynn Anderson's book by the same name which I have read and re-read upon occasion. Last Sunday we had an open question and answer forum during the Bible Class hour to allow members to ask anything they wanted from the Elders. It was an engaging experience. Overall, most comments I heard were positive and the consensus seemed to be that people wanted more time for interaction like this.

Some of the questions concerned the role of Elders. How do we make decisions? What should be the role of the pastoral couple in the congregation? Some suggested that we needed more interaction with all the members. While some may feel uncomfortable with a reference to certain people as shepherds and others as sheep, that discomfort will likely disappear when we realize that the model revolves around the relationship between the shepherd and the flock. The shepherd figure is one of love, service and openness.

In the Mideast, shepherds lived in the pasture with their sheep. When lambs were born they would imprint on the voice of the shepherd who insured that they were fed and watered. At night, the shepherd would gather his flock into makeshift protective folds, or caves. The shepherd would lie down at the portal of the fold and literally act as the "gate". Wolves and robbers could not enter the fold to do harm except over the dead body of the shepherd.

In this context, authority as an office or member of a board of directors is not the biblical model at all. Jesus made that point in John 10: 12-13:

He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.

Jesus makes the point that he is a good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Yet not even Jesus had the ability to have an unlimited number of intimate contacts with people. Jesus had a close group around him, notably Peter, James and John. On the Mount of transfiguration, he invited the 3 of them to accompany him. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the three were closer to him than the others. And, after his resurrection, those three men had an enormous impact on the development of the early church. The paradigm that I see here is that the role of the elder is to "equip the saints". We have no clergy laity distinction in the churches of Christ. We are a priesthood of all believers. Every member is a student and a teacher! The thought of shepherding a church of 400 is an enormous task. As a professional that works long hours, it is a task that can be literally overwhelming. None of us claim to have fully acquired these desirable qualities of care and concern to which we aspire. However, I am honored to serve with men who daily pledge themselves to keep learning and growing in the fine art and spiritual gift of shepherding. I learn constantly from my fellow elders and believe that God has called each of us to serve the body that meets at McKnight Road. The McKnight Road Church of Christ has been blessed for many years with servants who follow the role of the good shepherd.

To give us more time for shepherding, we try to delegate as many things as possible. Staff members, ministry leaders, and volunteers shoulder much of the routine responsibility for completing the work and making the decisions of the church. We do not seek to control people or make them what we want them to be. We try instead to mentor, communicate, and encourage our brothers and sisters in the faith. We seek to empower people so that they may be led by the Holy Spirit and a blessing to the church through their giftedness.

When we must make decisions necessary for the direction of the church’s journey with God, we do so with consideration for the views of others, we proceed prayerfully for God’s guidance, and we show respect for the revealed will of God. I think some were surprised to discover that we don't always agree on every issue. Yet, we have agreed that while we may not always share the same opinion on matters that are discussed, once a decision is made we all accept and support that decision. There is agreement that the collective judgment of the elders is superior to the individual judgment of any one elder.

Please pray for God to bless us as we lead, that we may “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”—Ephesians 4:11-12

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Well since we can't seem to develop much discussion on spiritual topics like suffering, I thought I might try to create some buzz about the role of science and faith in our universe. Here is a verse for thought:

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." - Hebrews 11:3

Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there. In this case, "it" is what physicists call "dark matter." They can't see it, they can't measure it (at least not directly), and they don't know what it is made of. Yet scientists believe it constitutes over 90 percent of all the matter in the universe. In an ambitious undertaking, scientists worldwide are spending billions of dollars with the hopes of being the first to uncover the secrets of dark matter and to prove the existence of the so-called God particle. Together these two mysteries represent the holy grail of astronomy and physics.

Dark Matter

The existence of dark matter was proposed in 1932 by astronomer Jan Oort, who measured the motions of nearby stars in our Milky Way relative to the galactic plane. He found that the mass of the plane must be more than the mass of the material that can be seen. A year later, Fritz Zwicky examined the dynamics of clusters of galaxies and found their movements similarly perplexing. Over the years, many spiral galaxies were observed and found to be swirling too fast to be held together by the gravitational pull of the visible stars. If extra mass were not there exerting a pull, some of the stars would be flung away because they were moving so fast. But they're not. That is why some scientists describe dark matter as "the glue that holds the universe together."

Astronomers cannot detect or measure dark matter directly because it emits no light or radiation - hence the name. Its existence is inferred from the gravitational effect it has on visible matter (such as stars and galaxies). There have been a number of conjectures regarding the nature of dark matter, but all of them have eluded any empirical validation. Meanwhile various new theories have emerged that seek to explain one of the most puzzling mysteries of our universe.

The God Particle

The Higgs boson, often called the God particle, is perhaps the most elusive element of particle physics. Like dark matter, scientists have yet to observe it, and cannot even prove that it exists.

The Standard Model in particle physics, which is often compared to the Periodic Table of Elements used by chemists, consists of 16 particles that make up all matter in the universe. The problem is that the Standard Model is not complete. So in the late 1960's a physicist by the name of Peter Higgs proposed the existence of a particle that would somehow interact with every other subatomic particle to give them all mass. Since then, scientists have been scrambling to find the so-called God particle.

Physicists hope that future projects, like the purposed International Linear Collider will shed even more light on dark matter, dark energy, the existence of extra dimensions, and the fundamental nature of matter, energy, space and time. The International Linear Collider is an 8 billion dollar, 20-mile-long, underground laboratory. Scientists hope this massive particle accelerator, once built, will help them unlock the some of the best kept secrets in the universe. Until that happens, however, scientists must continue to trust in things unseen.

Without Excuse

Science, like religion, often requires us to take a leap of faith. Any scientist worth his salt must admit that despite centuries of scientific discovery and technological advances, most of our universe remains a mystery. There is so much we do not fully understand: from the basic building blocks of life to the mysterious particles that hold our entire universe together.

Every year new scientific discoveries are made. Many hope science will one day give us the answers to life's most troubling questions: Who are we? Where did we come from? Why are we here? Does God exist, and if He does, what is His nature? Since the time of the ancient Greek philosophers, the answers to these questions have been sought by examining the nature of the universe and its life forms. In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul made a remarkable statement regarding the relationship between our understanding of the universe and the existence and attributes of God. According to Paul, not only is the existence of God inexcusably evident, but the invisible attributes of God can also be discerned with an examination of creation:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:18-20)."