What Were People Facing When Jesus Came?

The World When Jesus Came

Barbara Henderson

His name was Micah and he was a Zealot. He lived in a time a brutal government control, taxation, and religious persecution.  Micah personally favored armed rebellion against Rome and he was willing to personally join in the war to free Jerusalem from Rome.  Rome had oppressed the Jews religiously by making worship of God Almighty equal with worship of the pagan Roman gods and goddesses.  Worse, Caesar, a simple mortal man filled with greed and drunk with his own power, was supposed to be worshiped as god. Jews were taxed into poverty to fund the evil government which ruled over them.  Micah had had enough.  Whatever the leaders of the Zealots decided would be fine with him.  Micah’s thinking was the same thing as the patriot of the future who said, ‘Give me liberty or give me death!’  (Patrick Henry – Patriot of the United States of America. 

Micah did have a few issues that needed to be set right before he actually went into battle though.  First the leadership of the Zealots was in turmoil.  Every time a promising leader arose that was able to command the allegiance of several bands of Zealots he wound up being crucified on a Roman cross. 

Death by crucifixion, besides being a horrible way of dying, pretty much disqualified the dead person as being the long awaited Messiah.  Micah wanted a leader like David or Gideon to arise and deliver the Jews from Rome.  Since Micah believed the scripture accounts of Israel’s deliverance from enemies far mightier that Israel, he had no problem believing that God could deliver Israel from Rome.  So Micah waited.  He was a true Zealot, and he would one day prove his love for his country even if it required his death.  Although he did hope his death would be in battle because crucifixion was one dreadful way to die.  Whatever happened he prayed he would be brave.  He also kept in mind that when the Most High God was fighting for Israel there were often few casualties in battle.  All he had to do was be sure he was putting his life on the line for a leader like the winners from Israel’s past.  And he prayed when the time came he would fight like the mighty men of valor from the time of Israel’s past glory. 

So Micah waited.  And he listened.  And he prayed to God for help and direction.  After all, Micah reasoned, it would require at least a handful of men to make up a righteous army.  Those men would need to be faithful to God.  Micah knew the non-religious Jews would not be in the army of faithful who defeated Rome.  He knew God would set them free and if murder was what it was going to take then murder it would have to be.  After all, defeating Rome in open battle was possibly impossible even for God.  Micah spent hours each day praying to find the leader God had already chosen.  Micah was keeping an open mind about the pre-qualifications of the leader.  After all, King David had been a lowly shepherd when God called him, so the next great savior might be man of lowly birth as well.  Micah was also willing to admit that every time God had bailed Israel out of bondage to foreign power in the past Israel’s gratitude to God only lasted a short time.  Pretty soon they were back in the same old pattern.  First they tolerated idolatry and other forms of wickedness, then they joined it, and finally they demanded everyone else join them in their debauchery.  Sometimes he wondered if there were enough Zealots watching for the Messiah for God to consider the time right for salvation.  He comforted himself with such doubts by remembering that God would have spared the great cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if there had only been ten righteous.  Surely there were more than that in Jerusalem.  Surely God would send the deliverer.  

And then it happened.  Micah heard the Man from Nazareth.  Micah saw that the help he longed for, the help he wanted for Israel, was not going to come in the temporary form of a leader able to defeat Rome.  Such a victory would only last until the next great power came and crushed Israel again.  Through Jesus Christ Micah saw eternal salvation for himself and any who would believe.  Micah did a one-eighty with his life’s ambition.  He turned from thoughts of an earthly kingdom to thoughts of a heavenly kingdom.  Micah asked himself what he could do for Jesus.   He became a zealot for the Lord……………..AND 2000 years later here we are today asking the same question.  Christians personally know Jesus Christ, His love, His plan for salvation, and His plan for our eternal future in heaven as a joint heir.  What can we do for this world today?  Are we to become zealots for the Lord now the same as when Christ Himself gained followers Jerusalem so long ago?  Ummm …. Well… yes!

If you, like me, are looking at the turmoil in the USA government with sorrow, dismay, frustration, and anger, then you too are wondering what to do.  You are looking for the next deliverer.  I want a man who will rise up on the political scene and fight for literal interpretation of the constitution, for the rights of individuals, for lower taxes, and for smaller government.  I want a man who will actually do or attempt to do the things he says he will do.  That is all I want.  I won’t settle for anything less!  ON THE OTHER HAND…..  I know the Man from Nazareth.  I am supposed to be following His example.  So, I looked at how Jesus handled the corrupt political and religious situations of that time period.  He denounced the wickedness of the religious hierarchy.  If there had been a system for voting leaders in or out of office I am sure Jesus would have voted.  But His focus was on preaching the Gospel – telling people to be reconciled to God and instructing them on exactly how to do it’.  He met the needs of those around Him whether it was feeding the hungry or healing the sick.  He said render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God that which is God’s.  We have clear instructions here to pay our taxes.  I don’t think this means we cannot lobby and vote for lower taxes.  That falls within the boundaries of being a good steward with the blessings God has given us.  But government and social problems should never be the focus of our lives.  The life of a Christian should be focused on the solution that is the answer to every problem – which is Jesus Christ.  Through Him peace with God is possible.  That is the ultimate solution and the beginning of the solution to every earthly problem.  Christians must remain vigilant lest the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is reduced to a mere social gospel.  Yes, churches are to be involved in good works, but the first and foremost duty of the church is to take the Good News to the world. 

In the face of looming monstrous new taxes on all but the poorest of the poor, Christ gave us instructions on what to do.

1.     Don’t worry about it.
2.    Seek first the Kingdom of God.
3.    And look to God to supply all our needs according to His riches.

What a friend we have in Jesus!  He not only bears our sins and our griefs, He also takes us on to support.  Salvation is the good news, and the rest is more good news. When we look at the impending financial bankruptcy of the nations of the world we are seeing a real problem.  In Cyprus recently the government bailed itself out by confiscating all the money from private savings accounts.  Can any nation be far behind?  Years ago I was wishing I had enough money to put something away in a KEOG retirement account.  My dad told me to forget about it.  He said the government could not keep their hands off the money people struggle to put away in retirement accounts.  There is way too much money and they won’t be able to let it alone.  I thought dad was wrong or that it was far in the future – like at least 200 years away.  But now it looks much closer.  Currently our government will bail out everything except working families.  BUT….. we have a bigger bail out program with our God.  And, there are no limits on His ability to help us and see us through the bad times.  We have a joy in the Lord that is outside time and space and current circumstances.  This is fundamentally true, but it can be difficult to make the adjustment to joyful living in the middle of circumstances that really are dreadful.  This is where faith comes in.  We can choose to either believe God when He says He will care for us, OR chose worry and anger and frustration over circumstances that are beyond our control.

Philippians 4:5-7 encourages saying,

6. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’

This is how Christians are to face the uncertain things that are facing Christians around the world right now.  We are to give thanks – probably not for the trying circumstances that are temporary even though they may be life-long.  We can always give thanks to God for the peace that passes all understanding right now, AND for the eternal things of life in heaven with God and the treasures we have laid up there.  Give thanks for the eternal.  Give thanks for God’s daily benefits during trials as well as in times of peace and contentment.  In every situation give thanks and then let God know what your concerns are and ask for help.  There is peace in trusting God that cannot be gained in any other way because it is true peace.  This the hour of Christians to let our lights shine.  Now I will be perfectly honest.  The Christians around the globe being persecuted, tortured, robbed, and murdered for their faith are the ones on the frontlines.  Personally, I thank God that is not happening in the USA at this time.  If the Lord delays His coming, I believe murderous persecution of Christians will go global.  Right now is the time for believers around the world to pray for the lost to be saved and for help for the brethren.  It is also the time to support missionaries. It is time to take personal evangelism seriously.  This doesn’t mean a Christian has the power to bully someone into becoming a Christian.  But, we should live a life that show we are different than the world.  That includes the joy of salvation that is available to all believers. 

The focus of our lives is supposed to be pleasing God through everyday behavior.  We don’t have to go on a quest for the Holy Grail.  Remember the world already has a Savior – it is Jesus Christ.  Each individual Christian is called to do basically the same thing.  We are to obey God.  In obedience to God some issues will resolve themselves.  The ‘love one another as I have loved you’ clause does cover a lot of territory when it comes to getting along with people in many situations.  It does not guarantee a peaceful trouble free life, but it is still the best way to live life.  Stay within the boundaries set by the Bible in your personal behavior.  Give thanks.  Ask God to help you not to sin by fear, worry, ingratitude, or whatever sin troubles you the most. 

Turn the problems and things of the world over to God on a daily basis, or when plagued by worry, frustration, or outright anger turn them over to God on a minute by minute basis. 

When Christians sin by putting worry about the bad news facing the world first in our thoughts, we make matters worse.  We have a heavenly Father who cares and is willing and able to help us.  That should be our focus. 

Remember to pray without ceasing, and to pray for each other.  Be a zealot for Christ. 

God bless you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Idol Worship - doing your own thing without consequences

Why do People Worship Idols?

Why Do Men Love Idols More than God?
By Barbara Henderson

In ancient times, there were people who openly worshiped idols; images of something to which they prayed requesting that some gift or favor be granted them. They may have thought that their image of gold, silver, or even wood was just a representation of some deity; but, never the less, it was a manmade object to which they prayed. Idols were/are appealing because:

Idols do not see your sin.
Idols do not hear your sin.
Idols have no authority to require that you turn from your sin.
Idols have no power to condemn you for your sins.
Idols have no divinely inspired book of rules by which you are to live, thus you are allowed to do what is right in your own eyes.
Idols are just a disgusting form of self worship, allowing the idolater to indulge whatever sin their heart desires.  In theory - the self-worshiper/authority is doing their own thing without consequence.  Of course there are consequences and they are very dire!

Idol worshipers are really worshipers of their own lusts.
For the heart in rebellion against God, idols provide a way to set their own ways above the ways of righteousness according to God. Today, people in general are still idol worshipers. They may not bow down to an image made by someone who is an idol maker by trade, but they are still idol worshippers.

Common idols include:
One’s own self righteousness. How can someone righteous in his or her own eyes ever come to an understanding of the need of salvation as explained in the Bible?
A desire for the goodwill of men. Matthew Henry says, ‘It is no new thing for what is done faithfully, in conscience toward God, to be misrepresented as done obstinately, and in contempt of civil powers.’ (Daniel 6:11-17) What will the good will of men do anyone on judgment day?

An example of seeking the good will of man on the global scale is government officials and so-called preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaiming alliances with Islam. They proclaim it to be a religion of peace, and even worse, proclaim God Almighty to be a different name for Allah. Allah is simply a created being just as everything and everyone else. He has no power to create anything. He has no power to cast anyone into hell.

Why do they speak such lies and heresy? It is because they desire the good will of men. Eventually those who continue to follow the exact teachings of God are misrepresented as ‘haters’ and as ‘standing in the way of peace’.

Impatience. Temporary success, recognition, and self gratification are the pillars on which decisions are made. No thought is given for the eternal or even near future consequences of immediate actions.

One’s own preferences. People prefer certain things in life. For instance, everyone has preferences in music. In fact, music is probably one of the most divisive things in all creation. In music, God’s preferences are seldom considered. Music is a gift to mankind from God. Through Godly music we are able to praise and worship God. Ungodly music is often preferred by many who call themselves Christians. They love their ‘music’ more than they love God. Their music is an idol. In their love affair with their idol, they take the idol to church with them and flaunt their own preferences above the righteousness of God.

One’s own glory. When someone supposes themselves to have accomplished all on their own, whether making a fortune or passing through great trials successfully, the glory of accomplishment is kept for that person alone. They don’t consider that the great men of the Bible such as Moses and Daniel were very clear that their accomplishments were done through the power of God, and not anything in themselves. Those who love to take credit may have ‘glory’ today, but what will they have on judgment day?

Idol worshipers may have a guilty conscience. They know their actions are not in line with what God wants them to do. In order to reconcile their sin with the will of God, they ‘sacrifice’ their sinful preferences to God. That means they bring their idols to church because they cannot live without them. They present these idols to God as though they were worshiping Him, when in reality, they are just indulging their own desires. That is where you get a lot of garbage and pure baloney in the church. Yoga and other pagan practices are brought into the church. Mindless meditation is common in the church. It has replaced meditating on the goodness of God and His words.

When a church separates families more than it brings them together, the church system is being worshiped more than the things of God. Some idol worshipers don’t like their home life, so they invent things to do at church in order to avoid improving their marriage and home. Hen parties called ‘ladies meetings’ and other such nonsense is pushed on silly women. Men’s visitation is another avenue of escape for men not happy at home. Such activities may be done in sincerity and have good value. However, no matter what ‘activity’ it may be, if it separates family more than it brings them together, it is definitely NOT something of which God approves. Those neglecting family in favor of service to the church or socialization with church members are neither worshiping nor pleasing God. For some Christians, being the ‘most faithful’ church member becomes an idol.

Growth oriented churches love to ‘grow’ more than they love to teach the truths of God, build strong families, and properly disciple new converts. Growing a larger church becomes an idol of more importance than the things of God. In the end, there may be a large structure filled with people who are totally ignorant of the original purpose of the church.

Whatever is placed before God is an idol.
Christian priorities should be:
God - love God with all your heart and mind and soul.
Family – love and do what is best according to God for your family.
Church – Christians are to attend a church that teaches the truths of God without apology or deviation.

After these three priorities, there is work and love of country.

It is easy to point out reasons for idol worship, and common idols.
It is much more difficult to avoid living as an idol worshipper ourselves.
This requires that Christians:
Stay vigilant because the devil really is trying to destroy them
Are willing to acknowledge sin when they realize something is sin. This includes
practices in the church that come from heathen/infidel/pagan worship instead of from the teachings of the Bible (yoga, mindless meditation, ungodly music….)
Are willing to turn from sin once it is identified .

The better you know God the more you will love Him.
The more you love Him, the more you will seek to please Him.

The true and sincere follower of Christ must:

‘Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’ 2 Timothy 2:15

AND do the things Christ says to do.
‘And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do no things which I say?’ Luke 6:46

All people, including Christians, will think, speak, and act according to the priorities of their hearts. Christians should examine their own lives constantly to make sure their own thoughts, speech, and actions are in line with what is pleasing to God.

Your Problem Isn't Really Your Real Problem!

The Problem isn’t Really the Problem

Barbara Henderson

Sissy and Bubba were neighbors growing up.  With names like Sissy and Bubba they were automatically drawn to each other.  They helped each other beat up other kids who liked to make fun of their names.  They got along well right from the start.  They got married young and never looked back.  They had their share of troubles, joys, blessings, and even a few things that seemed like a curse.  Through everything Sissy and Bubba did love each other, but they also faced problems in the relationship.  If God hadn’t pulled them through they would have probably wound up in divorce court.  It was especially hard the years they had the sets of twins.  The second year of their marriage the twin boys were born.  Bubba Junior and Bubba Ray were definitely a handful.  Two years later Little Sissy and Missy were born.  Their six additional children were born one at a time like clockwork every two year.  These children were named after other family members like Uncle Jeremiah, Aunt Dorcas, Cousin Tuti-Fruitie, and so on.  On their twenty-fifth anniversary they looked at their children and thanked God for a good life. 

BUT, they were noticing some problems in their marriage. Bubba was tired.  Working to support a wife and ten kids was definitely a full time job.  Money was tight and Bubba just wasn’t convinced that Sissy was managing the money quite as well as she could.  He was definitely too busy to take over the bill paying and money management, but he was happy to point out areas where he thought Sissy was not performing to his expectation.  Retirement was a long way off, but he thought there should be at least a tiny retirement account set up.  He hadn’t had a new truck in over fifteen years, and he was not fond of that fifteen passenger van Sissy drove everywhere.  He wanted a better job, but he had turned down jobs that were potentially better because they would cut into his family time.  He felt like life was passing him by and that somehow Sissy was somehow responsible for their lack of wealth.  She was also probably responsible for the fact that they were living their lives stuck in a rut.  Of course he loved her, but the burden of what wasn’t going right in their lives was definitely on her shoulders.

Sissy was also tired.  She had given up the idea of being a ‘super mom’ when Bubba Junior and Bubba Ray were two weeks old.  When Little Sissy and Missy were born two years later she had really wished for money to afford a full time housekeeper and cook.  She loved caring for her children, but all that cooking and cleaning was exhausting.  By the time baby number ten was born Sissy was pretty much worn to a frazzle.  She never did get the cook or the housekeeper.  Her wardrobe was always outdated because she seemed to stay the same size.  She couldn’t afford to buy new clothes when old clothes were still in good shape, at least not when she was responsible for clothing ten children.  True, hand-me-downs helped with the kids clothes, but kids did need some things brand new.  But Sissy rose to the occasion.  She homeschooled her children, consistently taught them to be responsible for certain things, managed to run the household on a schedule so that meals were on time and clean clothes were available.  She also cut their hair, learned to sew like a professional, and took up gardening and canning.  She budgeted to make sure all the bills were paid and basic needs were met.  But she was really starting to wonder if Bubba was really doing his part.  Could he have brought home a better salary if he had tried harder?  Did he have to have the new clothes so often even if he did work in an office? 

And college was coming up.  Bubba felt like Sissy should have been planning for how to send their kids to college from the day the Bubba Jr. and Bubba Ray were born.  And there wasn’t one single college fund set up, much less ten.  Sissy knew college was coming up and she was at her wits end worrying about it. 

The stress was causing Bubba to blame Sissy.  Pointed remarks were likely to come up in any conversation.  It was definitely Sissy’s fault, and Bubba couldn’t help letting her know about it.  Their kids were not going to get higher educations; they would never be high wage earners; and Sissy was just going to have to bear the burden of guilt, because Bubba knew he had personally done everything humanly possible.  Bubba kept praying and he kept looking at Sissy to see how she was going to pull a rabbit out of the hat on this one!

The stress was also causing Sissy a lot of concern.  She knew her kids were bright. They all loved to learn.  They were definitely college material, but how was she going to get them to college?  She knew it was going to take money, and they just didn’t have any.  And whose fault was that?  Bubba’s!  Sissy earned a little extra money selling items on ebay, but that was just enough to provide a few extras.  And honestly she had never really missed most of the things she and Bubba had given up by having so many kids.  She loved her family.  She kept praying and she kept looking at Bubba to see how he was going to pay for college. 

Then one day Sissy was praying her usual prayer.  It went something like this, ‘Oh Lord!  Thank you for helping me.  Forgive Bubba for being such a lousy provider that our kids can’t go to college unless you intervene.  I know you have given him ways to make more money and he just didn’t follow through.  NOW my kids are going to suffer for his mistakes.  Help Bubba earn more money so the kids can go to college or technical school  - which ever they prefer.

Bubba was also praying, Oh LORD!  Thank you for helping me. Forgive Sissy for mismanaging our money so badly that our kids are going to be cheated out of college.  Help me to forgive her too.  I hate being mad at her about this, and I know you want me to forgive her.  Maybe she just isn’t too bright and can’t help herself.  At least make her wake up and do better with the money I provide.. 

THEN the guardian angel assigned to Sissy and Bubba had a conniption fit and he prayed, ‘Oh Lord!   Has there ever been two such bling lunk-heads in all of time?  Can’t they see the real problem is failure to trust you!....

Now – step out of Bubba and Sissy’s life for a few minutes and take a look at your own life.  Make a mental list of the top five problems you are facing. Money is probably involved in at least two of your top five difficulties.  Hurt feelings are probably involved in the other three. 

For the sake of argument let’s agree that your problems are VERY real, and that you have legitimate concerns in every one.  To get to the top of your list these problems have probably been with you a long time; you have prayed for solutions consistently, and you have done your best to work through the difficulties.  What is wrong?  Why hasn’t God moved on your behalf and settled these issues.  Why are you still struggling to gain a down payment on a house?  Why hasn’t that difficult person moved into another state or at least another county?  Why do you have a car that is falling apart along with a marriage that is falling apart?  Why did Bubba get the new four-wheeler for Christmas and you only got a cheap pair of hiking boots?  Wah! Wah! Wah!

Seriously, I am not taking your troubles lightly.  I know life is filled with painful situations that seem to last forever.  A Biblical example of people who suffered through horrific trials is the children of Israel who were serving as slaves in Egypt when Moses came to set them free.  Well, that sounded good didn’t it?  Ah…. Freedom.  Let the rejoicing begin.  Of course you know the story.  The freedom didn’t exactly begin as expected. Through the ten plagues on Egypt God showed His rule over the false gods worshipped in Egypt.  What a mess.  I mean it must be hard dealing with people who worship frogs, crocodiles, and rivers to say the least.  It would have been like dealing with crazy people.  And you know that while the Jews came out untouched in every plague there was still a lot of stress involved.  It would have been stressful to watch the Egyptians suffer even if they weren’t personally suffering.  I’m sure some of them were gloating, but even that would have been stressful.  Can you imagine the stress the people felt standing at the edge of the Red Sea and watching Pharaoh’s army approaching?

AND THEN…..

The Lord parted the Red Sea and the Children of Israel went across on dry land. 

The people were seeing the problem of Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea.  It was a very real problem, and they were facing what appeared to be certain annihilation.  But that wasn’t the REAL problem.  The real problem was unbelief.  They didn’t believe God.  At least they didn’t believe Him enough to stop them from worrying about escaping the chariots and horses approaching at a rapid pace.

Today, we Christians also see the problems we face with vivid clarity.  We pray.  We ask God for help.  We know that hears our prayers, but we keep on seeing the problem more than we see the infinite power, resources, and love of God Almighty.  THAT is our real problem.  We let our problems blind us to the help God has for us.  And that can cause us to lose out on blessings.   An example of this in the Bible is also in found in the people who made the Exodus from Egypt.  God delivered them from ten plagues.  He made a away across the sea.  He took them to the border of the promised land in just a few short days.  Twelve spies were sent into the land to check it out and return with a report. Two came back proclaiming the land to be a land that truly was flowing with milk and honey.  They knew the land would be theirs because God had promised and God had shown repeatedly that He was able to keep His promises.  They were delighted.  Ten came back crying that the land was crawling with giants and there was no way they would possess that land.  Then the Lord’s patience ran out.  He didn’t kill them outright.  He let them live the rest of their lives wandering in the wilderness.  During that time He fed them manna and didn’t let their clothes wear out, but they were still tent people without a land to call their own.  And they could have had it all!  But they saw the problem of the inhabitants of the land instead of the solution of God’s help.  That is where most people stand today.  The problems we face are ever before us.  This keeps us from trusting God to help us, and that is our real problem!

God help us to believe Him and trust Him to help us. 

 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1

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