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== [[File:Page.png]] March's featured article<span style="font-size:85%; font-weight:normal;"></span> ==
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== [[File:Page.png]] April's featured article<span style="font-size:85%; font-weight:normal;"></span> ==
  
 
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=== The Bible and Alcohol ===
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=== Easter - When Was Jesus Crucified? ===
  
==<strong>Introduction</strong>==
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When purchasing a house or acreage one always takes the precaution of having it surveyed to insure against the unpleasant surprise of finding that half your new home has been built on your neighbour's property, or the dam is not on your land. To prove the accuracy of the map or plan of your purchase, the surveyor will first locate a government "trig" station or absolute, then fix one corner of your property from this constant as his datum post. And from this known fixed point he will accurately measure and confirm all the other boundaries of the site.
<p>In a recent letter, a visitor to the Biblical Studies Foundation web site asked, "Could you help explain whether the Bible promotes drinking alcohol or whether it condemns it."</p>
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Ancient masons who built the great cathedrals first established the precise location of one point. Here they laid the cornerstone from which the whole structure was measured. In a recent teaching we learned that Christ is the head of the corner or capstone, from which the temple of the living God or Church is measured. Tonight we're going to revisit the last supper and crucifixion and drive in a few datum posts, or establish some constants, measured from the Absolute or "trig" station of God's Word to make sure the story we are believing is the mind of God, and not Roman Catholic traditions from our denominational past. Scripture has provided us with a series of FIXED days and FIXED dates we can plot on the calendar to determine the events which occupied the last week of our Lord's life on earth, and establish the precise day of His crucifixion. Throughout this lesson I ask you to bear in mind that the Hebrews reckoned their day from sunset to sunset instead of from midnight. We will set forth Jesus' activities as they might have happened in the week before Calvary.
<p>This is obviously a concern to many Christians-and for good reason! With the rampant abuse of alcohol in this country, resulting in shattered lives and tens of thousands of deaths each year, any person with a conscience should be deeply concerned about this issue. However, caution is also needed in a different direction: too often Christians have moral outrage because of abuses of one of God's gifts-outrage that leads to a condemnation of those who are <em>not</em> abusers. Things that once were issues are often now regarded as normal activities. For example, when my grandmother and grandfather were dating, her parents were concerned about this young man because he liked to go to football games. That was taboo for them. Some Christians have condemned others for wearing make-up, going to the opera, or even sending Christmas cards. Christians, it seems, have an incredible ability to invent rules and regulations. It's endemic to human nature-but it's also a modern, unvarnished form of Pharisaism.</p>
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I am not teaching this as doctrine and I may have some details out of order. This will help us to organise our thinking and paint an ordered picture in our own mind. After the resurrection of Lazarus was reported, the chief priests and Pharisees became concerned at the many following and believing on Jesus because of His Supernatural vindication. They feared for their exalted station over Israel, and their status with the Roman rulers. Caiaphas interposed with the solution: "It's expedient for the hierarchy, that one man should die for the people, to preserve the (religious status quo) of our nation" (John 11:47-57). To these Hebrews, any utterance of the high priest was regarded as inspired. Caiaphas had announced a conspiracy to have Jesus put to death by Rome; God used his tongue to prophesy. Thereafter Jesus hid himself from the Jews who were ordered to report any sightings of Him.
<p>Our attitude toward alcohol may well be conditioned by our culture more than we realize. Since the days of Prohibition, many believers have simply assumed that partaking of alcoholic beverages was sinful. What is interesting is that in many other countries God-fearing Christians see no problem with alcoholic beverages. (When I was on sabbatical in England, for example, I heard the pastor at an evangelical church use an illustration which involved alcohol in a positive light. He was speaking about our attitude toward little disasters-such as when one brings home the groceries and the one sack that had the Sherry in it falls to the ground and the Sherry bottle breaks! The very casualness of this illustration put in bold relief the difference in attitude between many American Christians and many European Christians regarding alcoholic beverages. If a pastor in the States were to use the same illustration, most churches would censure him for it if not outright sack him.)</p>
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The Passover was approaching. This year Jesus was to be that Lamb (John 1:29-34), so He began making His way back towards Bethany which lies on the side of the Mount of Olives, eastward from Jerusalem. He had to be there by Nisan 10 as the Law required the lamb should be separated from the flock on that day (Exodus 12:3-6). It was to be kept in the home for the next four days to be examined for and protected from any blemishes. Jesus was separated and taken into the home of his friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. From here He was presented to the people and their denominational religious leaders for examination, but even Pilate declared, "I find no fault in Him".
<p>One question we must wrestle with is this: If there is a subcultural Christian prohibition that goes beyond scripture, are we obligated to follow it? Should we even endorse it? Ignore it? Fight against it? As we all know, there are numerous Christian taboos that go beyond scripture, depending on when and where one lives. Perhaps this one can be seen as paradigmatic for how to treat the others.</p>
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Nisan 7, our Thursday sunset to Friday sunset Jesus spent our Thursday night (Nisan 7) near Jericho, at the home of Zacchaeus the businessman (Luke 19:1-10). On Friday morning He preached the "parable of the pounds" and set off towards Jerusalem (Luke 19:11-28). Bypassing Bethany, they came to Bethphage, where He sent His disciples to fetch an ass and a colt (Matthew 21:1-7).
<p>At all points, we must seek to be biblical. This requires resisting the temptation to go beyond what the Bible restricts. As I began to look into this topic, I was actually quite amazed at the biblical writers' attitude toward alcohol. I had expected it to be far more negative than it really was. One lesson I have learned from this is that although I <em>think</em> that I am being biblical, often my tradition and Christian subculture shape my thinking more than I realize.</p>
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Jesus is followed by a multitude from the village rejoicing at the fulfilment of Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes to you: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass".
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Down in Jerusalem, however, nobody was expecting this Kinsman that Zechariah said would come in peace to be a ransom for their souls. Jesus entered the Temple courts where money changers were selling the Temple half shekel as they did at each Passover season. Every adult male must pay the annual ransom that furnished the continual burnt offerings and Temple necessaries. Jesus was that continual burnt offering. In righteous indignation He cast out the money changers who were making unjust profit, and overturned their tables. This was a full day's work and Jesus was exhausted when He arrived at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany on Friday night our time (Matthew 21:8-17; John 12:1).
 +
Nisan 8, our Friday sunset to Saturday sunset John 12:1 takes us to Nisan 8. From Friday sunset until Saturday sunset our time. "SIX days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, to the home of Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead". Jesus spent the Sabbath of Nisan 8 in the home of Lazarus and his sisters. Nisan 9, our Saturday sunset to Sunday sunset After sunset and the close of the Sabbath "They made Him a supper; Martha served: but Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus and their guests" (John 12:2). This is the first of three banquets and two anointing (three in the Gospels, the first in Capernaum - Luke 7:36-50) in the four days before the crucifixion. Lazarus' sister, Mary anointed Jesus' feet in token of His burial (John 12:3-11).
 +
The priests have become pretty testy by this time. They know where Jesus is, and people are going to Bethany not only to see Him, but the resurrected Lazarus who is the vindication of Jesus' ministry. They're plotting to kill both Jesus and Lazarus, because many are believing on Jesus through the testimony of Lazarus who is said to have had an important ministry, working in Britain and in France, founding the Church in Britain.
 +
Now Jesus is about to give the nicolaitane priesthood of His day some curry. Great crowds had assembled in Jerusalem from all over the world, to observe the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread. These required a compulsory annual pilgrimage from all adult male Israelites. Jesus sends two disciples to fetch a colt. This time He will ride from Bethany (not from Bethphage) into Jerusalem, and in judgement, to proclaim the doom of the city and of the nation. John 12:12-19, "On the next day (Sunday, Nisan 9, our time), when they heard the news that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem (unlike his entry on the previous day which was unexpected), many pilgrims who had come to the feast took palm branches, and went to meet Him, crying, 'Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the Name of the Lord'.
  
'''Continue Reading''' [[The Bible and Alcohol]]
+
'''Continue Reading''' [[Easter - When Was Jesus Crucified?]]
  
 
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Revision as of 09:18, 6 April 2012

Page.png April's featured article

Easter - When Was Jesus Crucified?

When purchasing a house or acreage one always takes the precaution of having it surveyed to insure against the unpleasant surprise of finding that half your new home has been built on your neighbour's property, or the dam is not on your land. To prove the accuracy of the map or plan of your purchase, the surveyor will first locate a government "trig" station or absolute, then fix one corner of your property from this constant as his datum post. And from this known fixed point he will accurately measure and confirm all the other boundaries of the site. Ancient masons who built the great cathedrals first established the precise location of one point. Here they laid the cornerstone from which the whole structure was measured. In a recent teaching we learned that Christ is the head of the corner or capstone, from which the temple of the living God or Church is measured. Tonight we're going to revisit the last supper and crucifixion and drive in a few datum posts, or establish some constants, measured from the Absolute or "trig" station of God's Word to make sure the story we are believing is the mind of God, and not Roman Catholic traditions from our denominational past. Scripture has provided us with a series of FIXED days and FIXED dates we can plot on the calendar to determine the events which occupied the last week of our Lord's life on earth, and establish the precise day of His crucifixion. Throughout this lesson I ask you to bear in mind that the Hebrews reckoned their day from sunset to sunset instead of from midnight. We will set forth Jesus' activities as they might have happened in the week before Calvary. I am not teaching this as doctrine and I may have some details out of order. This will help us to organise our thinking and paint an ordered picture in our own mind. After the resurrection of Lazarus was reported, the chief priests and Pharisees became concerned at the many following and believing on Jesus because of His Supernatural vindication. They feared for their exalted station over Israel, and their status with the Roman rulers. Caiaphas interposed with the solution: "It's expedient for the hierarchy, that one man should die for the people, to preserve the (religious status quo) of our nation" (John 11:47-57). To these Hebrews, any utterance of the high priest was regarded as inspired. Caiaphas had announced a conspiracy to have Jesus put to death by Rome; God used his tongue to prophesy. Thereafter Jesus hid himself from the Jews who were ordered to report any sightings of Him. The Passover was approaching. This year Jesus was to be that Lamb (John 1:29-34), so He began making His way back towards Bethany which lies on the side of the Mount of Olives, eastward from Jerusalem. He had to be there by Nisan 10 as the Law required the lamb should be separated from the flock on that day (Exodus 12:3-6). It was to be kept in the home for the next four days to be examined for and protected from any blemishes. Jesus was separated and taken into the home of his friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. From here He was presented to the people and their denominational religious leaders for examination, but even Pilate declared, "I find no fault in Him". Nisan 7, our Thursday sunset to Friday sunset Jesus spent our Thursday night (Nisan 7) near Jericho, at the home of Zacchaeus the businessman (Luke 19:1-10). On Friday morning He preached the "parable of the pounds" and set off towards Jerusalem (Luke 19:11-28). Bypassing Bethany, they came to Bethphage, where He sent His disciples to fetch an ass and a colt (Matthew 21:1-7). Jesus is followed by a multitude from the village rejoicing at the fulfilment of Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes to you: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass". Down in Jerusalem, however, nobody was expecting this Kinsman that Zechariah said would come in peace to be a ransom for their souls. Jesus entered the Temple courts where money changers were selling the Temple half shekel as they did at each Passover season. Every adult male must pay the annual ransom that furnished the continual burnt offerings and Temple necessaries. Jesus was that continual burnt offering. In righteous indignation He cast out the money changers who were making unjust profit, and overturned their tables. This was a full day's work and Jesus was exhausted when He arrived at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany on Friday night our time (Matthew 21:8-17; John 12:1). Nisan 8, our Friday sunset to Saturday sunset John 12:1 takes us to Nisan 8. From Friday sunset until Saturday sunset our time. "SIX days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, to the home of Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead". Jesus spent the Sabbath of Nisan 8 in the home of Lazarus and his sisters. Nisan 9, our Saturday sunset to Sunday sunset After sunset and the close of the Sabbath "They made Him a supper; Martha served: but Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus and their guests" (John 12:2). This is the first of three banquets and two anointing (three in the Gospels, the first in Capernaum - Luke 7:36-50) in the four days before the crucifixion. Lazarus' sister, Mary anointed Jesus' feet in token of His burial (John 12:3-11). The priests have become pretty testy by this time. They know where Jesus is, and people are going to Bethany not only to see Him, but the resurrected Lazarus who is the vindication of Jesus' ministry. They're plotting to kill both Jesus and Lazarus, because many are believing on Jesus through the testimony of Lazarus who is said to have had an important ministry, working in Britain and in France, founding the Church in Britain. Now Jesus is about to give the nicolaitane priesthood of His day some curry. Great crowds had assembled in Jerusalem from all over the world, to observe the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread. These required a compulsory annual pilgrimage from all adult male Israelites. Jesus sends two disciples to fetch a colt. This time He will ride from Bethany (not from Bethphage) into Jerusalem, and in judgement, to proclaim the doom of the city and of the nation. John 12:12-19, "On the next day (Sunday, Nisan 9, our time), when they heard the news that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem (unlike his entry on the previous day which was unexpected), many pilgrims who had come to the feast took palm branches, and went to meet Him, crying, 'Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the Name of the Lord'.

Continue Reading Easter - When Was Jesus Crucified?

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There is nothing wrong with being in business and selling things. However, if you are a church or any kind of "ministry", you may want to check your motive for how you are conducting the work of the Lord.

Remember the money changers in the temple where JESUS turned over the tables and threw them out. They were selling things in the "CHURCH". (God made it quite clear to us that we were not to charge for anything, that HE was our source.)

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Many accept the Bible’s divine authority on faith, thinking it cannot be proven. Is what is often called the Book of books the Word of God? Or is it mere superstition—an uninspired work of men?

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What role if any did the teachings of the Qur'an play in the 9/11 attacks? What does Islam really teach? What about Jihad? Should Christians try to befriend our Muslim neighbors and share the gospel? If so, how? The title is Understanding Islam: A Christian Perspective. I would like you to watch it for free. Please forward this to all your friends!

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