Hear, O Israel

Reblogged from Prophecy in The News

By Gary Stearman on March 27, 2014

In this season, we contemplate the amazing series of events given in the narrative of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The dramatic story of His crucifixion began in the dark of night, when He was arrested and tried. A strange occurrence is mentioned in connection with this incident. Taken by itself, it seems almost superfluous. But its message is laden with deep meaning. It is the confrontation between Peter and Malchus, servant of the High Priest.

Deuteronomy 6:4 is a pivotal verse in the life and history of Israel: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.” This command to “hear” signifies the hearing of the heart, not merely that of the ears. This verse is deemed so important that it is affixed to the doorposts of the Jewish faithful.

Jews refer to this verse as the “Shema,” from its first Hebrew word: “Shema Israel,” meaning “Hear, O Israel…” These strong words are a direct command to the twelve tribes to listen carefully to the message that follows them. They are a constant reminder to Israel that it must never forget the proclamations of the Lord, even to the point of attaching them to their doorposts and wearing them on their bodies, in the form of tefillin.

On the right side of the main entrance to a home or building, a few of the key verses from this section of Scripture are attached in place. They are rolled up as a miniature scroll and inserted into a small case called a “mezuzah,” which happens to be the Hebrew word for “doorpost.” Thus, they are upheld as one of the most important parts of the Torah. When passing through such a doorway, Jews pay respect to the presence of the Word of God by lightly kissing their fingers, then touching the mezuzah. Its presence there is considered to be a blessing to the household. But its key Scriptural admonition is for those who live there to “hear,” that is, to remember and understand.

God requires the faithful to “hear” Him, but hearing requires more than mere exposure to the Word. The interpretive power of the Holy Spirit must be present in the believer before the full meaning of the Word becomes clear.

Jesus illustrated this to His disciples following His rejection by the leaders of national Israel, as told in Matthew 12. There, we find the narrative of the Pharisees attributing the power of Jesus’ work to Satan, rather than the Holy Spirit. In the chapter which follows — Matthew 13 — He began to speak of the Kingdom in parables. His disciples wondered why He did this, instead of speaking plainly. His answer is quite clear in its implications:
“11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matt. 13:11-13).

Jesus here announces that He has acted judicially against the House of David — in effect cutting off their hearing because of their unbelief. In fact, Scripture is full of pictures of the hearing of faith versus the deafness and blindness of unbelief.

The Ear Is Cut Off

Later in the book of Matthew, a remarkable event takes place. It illustrates not only the principle of spiritual hearing, but may also present a prophetic picture of Israel’s spiritual future.
The event in question comes as Jesus is betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. As Judas approaches with an assorted band of soldiers and Temple officials, he comes before Jesus and greets Him with the infamous kiss of betrayal.
Making no resistance, Jesus announces His identity to the crowd, uttering His authoritative, “I am.” But one of His disciples, in a burst of zeal, draws his sword and lunges at the servant of the high priest. This is first mentioned in Matthew 26:51:
“51 And behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.”
Virtually the same account is given in Mark 14:47. Here, however, the swordsman is described simply as a bystander:
“47 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.”

Again in Luke 22:50 and 51, the brief narrative of this event is given. This time, however, even more new detail is added:
“50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said, suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.”
Now we see that after the ear is cut off, Jesus, in some miraculous way, restores it fully — in the end, it is completely healed. Again, in the book of John, the record of this event is given, now in its most complete form. Here, we find Simon Peter named as the swordsman and Malchus identified as the servant of the High Priest. It tells us, “10 Then Simon Peter having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it” (Jn. 18:10, 11).
Jesus clearly states that His mission is not to make war against the political and religious system of the world, but to do the will of His heavenly Father. This is but one of many times that Christ must rebuke Peter, who is both quick to hear and quick to forget. But the event is a beautiful prophetic foretelling of the healing of Israel that will come in the Kingdom Age.

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As he had often done before, Peter impulsively lunged forth to do what he thought was right at the moment. No doubt, he felt that attacking the High Priest’s representative would give him the best chance at forestalling Jesus’ arrest. Since he attacked with a sword, he probably meant to leave Malchus with a mortal wound.
But Peter was a fisherman, not a trained swordsman. Malchus must have dodged at the last moment. Instead of his throat or chest, Peter took only an ear. Significantly, however, it was the ear of the servant of the High Priest.

Spiritual Hearing

Here, it is important to make a connection between an action and a word. Simon Peter’s first name comes from the Hebrew, shamah, meaning “hearing.” Scripturally, the name is applied to the gift of spiritual hearing, as given by the Holy Spirit. His role, as one chosen by Jesus as a founding father of the church, is centered on the fact that he has spiritual ears to hear.
In the Old Testament, the same name appears as “Simeon,” who was Jacob’s second son through Leah. At his birth she names him on the basis that God had heard of her plight:
“And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon” (Genesis 29:33).

Simeon was named for the hearing of the Lord. In the New Testament, Simon Peter lives up to the meaning of his name. In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asks Simon, “But whom say ye that I am?” Of course, he then identifies Jesus as Messiah, the Son of God. The 17th verse then characterizes Simon’s spiritual hearing:
“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
Here, Jesus acknowledges that Simon has ears to hear the revelation about Christ, which has come from heaven. Though he still has many tests ahead of him, Jesus takes this opportunity to surname him as Peter (meaning “rock”) signifying that he would become an immovable stone in the foundational structure of the church.
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

The Prophetic Picture

To complete the prophetic picture, we now come to the High Priest’s servant. His name—Malchus—is a linguistic variant of the Hebrew word melech meaning “king.” By the time this event took place, the leaders of national Israel had already rejected Jesus. The Jewish priesthood was under judgement. They were about to fully act out that judgment by wounding their true King. As Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was wounded for our transgressions …” But He was healed of those wounds, rising again to restore a world that sinned against Him.
Ultimately, He will even heal national Israel, itself. In their own land, He will bring the Jews a Kingdom under His leadership, and their hearing will be restored so that they may once again serve a righteous priesthood. In a way, the wounding of Malchus (king) is a picture of the wounding of the true King, Jesus.

But more than that. The wounding of Malchus’ ear is curiously symbolic of the people of Israel. As a servant of the High Priest, Malchus depicts Israel’s role. Like him, Israel served a corrupt priesthood. They listened to the wrong voices and would soon call for the death of their Messiah. Their hearing had been cut off.
But Jesus healed the ear of Malchus. In so doing, He was prophetically acting out that future day when He would heal the hearing of Israel. In that day, they will serve Jesus as their true High Priest.

Peter correctly believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that He would bring the Kingdom to earth in the very near future. In the flesh, he acted on that belief, attempting to protect his King, even if it meant giving up his own life. Of course, he was wrong.
Once before, shortly after publicly proclaiming Jesus as Messiah, Peter had acted in the flesh. This incident is recounted in Matthew, where we read, “21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Matt. 16:21-23).
Jesus severely reprimanded Peter, even accusing him of acting in the spirit of Satan, rather than God. He knew that he must “suffer many things” in order to complete the plan of the ages.

Centuries before, Moses had spoken to his people about the power of the coming Messiah who would, in the end, avenge them for all that they would suffer at the hands of their enemies. In Deuteronomy 32, the Song of Moses opens with a ringing command: “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear. O earth, the words of my mouth.”
The context of Moses’ prophecy concludes with the judgment of the nations gathered against Israel during the Tribulation. In verse 44, it concludes with these telling words: “And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the ears of the people….”
Once again, there is a clear linkage made between prophetic utterance and the ear. The ear of Malchus was once healed and made complete. We are never told what happened to him after that.
It is possible that, having experienced the loving touch of the Savior, he went on to become a Messianic believer. In that future day when Israel’s hearing is healed, that is precisely what they will become.

Paul and the Gospel

This theme is carried out in many New Testament writings, but becomes especially clear in the life of Paul. During his first Roman imprisonment, at the end of the Book of Acts, we see the principle of spiritual hearing with absolute clarity:
“23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it” (Acts 28:23-28).

In many of his epistles, Paul asks his listeners whether they can fully hear what he has to say: Gal. 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Over and over again, Paul asks this basic question, based upon the premise so firmly enunciated by Jesus, that faith is a matter of spiritual hearing. Perhaps one of his most oft-repeated statements comes from the letter to the Romans:
“17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

In this season, as we remember the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, we ponder the amazing fact that His own people couldn’t hear what He had to say. We should always remember that this is the perennial issue when we present the Gospel.
And we should always keep in mind that even the smallest details in the life of Christ are freighted with deep meaning.

Pope to Inaugurate Charismatic Convocation in Rome's Olympic Stadium

Organizers Ready to Welcome Francis to Event, Expected to Draw 50,000 Worldwide

Vatican City, May 29, 2014 (Zenit.org) Deborah Castellano Lubov

For the first time in history, a pope will visit the Rome Olympic Stadium for an international charismatic renewal convocation, the Vatican has announced.

This Sunday, Pope Francis will attend and meet members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement in its 37th National Assembly. The June 1-2 gathering is expected to draw some 50,000 people from over 50 countries.

The theme of the event, comprising prayer, testimonies, and dialogue, is “Repent! Believe! Receive the Holy Spirit!”. The Holy Father is expected to arrive at 5 p.m. 
At a press conference to launch the event at Vatican Radio’s headquarters in Vatican City Wednesday afternoon, Archbishop Filippo Iannone, vicegerent of the diocese of Rome, Salvatore Martinez, president of Rinnovamento nello Spirito (RNS), the Italian branch of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and Guido Improta, an advisor on Rome's mobility, transport and other logisitical details, discussed preparations.

Archbishop Iannone said it is a good forum for the faithful, who may not speak the same language, to experience the Spirit, and noted the importance of “welcome” and “mission”.. He said those gathered will learn to welcome their encounter with the Spirit and to live it out in their lives and communicate it to others.

Event organizer Salvatore Martinez said some other movements and ecclesial communities will participate and share the Spirit in this meeting as ecumenical delegations - Evangelicals and Pentecostals - are "really interested to see what is happening in the Catholic Church."
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a popular international movement within the Catholic Church which centers on the Holy Spirit, and is often known for its outside-of-Mass worship, such as faith healings and speaking in tongues. Though attracting many followers, the movement has been met with some criticism by those who believe its worship focuses more on emotions and non-liturgical experiences than on communion with Christ in the Eucharist.

In an interview with ZENIT, Martinez said the Holy Father enthusiastically agreed to participate in this event. Noting a nearly 40-year history of this convocation, Martinez explained: “We had wanted to move the convocation to be in the center of Italy, in the center of Christianity. When I was speaking to the Pope in a private audience in September about our desire to transfer this convocation to Rome, the Pope said: 'I'll come.'"
Martinez said the event "brings no news. The word renewal means to restore, redefine, what is the physiological existence of the Church, the Gospel, faith.” He continued that "this is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit again giving evidence publicly, as was done on the day of Pentecost."

The call of this meeting -- "Repent! Believe! Receive the Holy Spirit!" -- is, therefore, appropriate for this meeting which desires “all believers and non-believers to ask, at an event like this: 'What is happening, and what can we do?'" he said.
The speakers noted the significance of the meeting’s timing for two reasons: the first is that it begins exactly one week before Pentecost, and the second is their view, as noted Archbishop Iannone, that “in this time of crisis something like this could really help unify” divisions among people.

The archbishop said the diocese of Rome is “very happy to host the initiative,” believing it will bring "many fruits," and recognising the fortuitous timing, falling so close to Pentecost.
The prelate observed that although people of different languages will be together, the Spirit will allow them to "talk the same language: that of faith," thus, making this event a "Pentecostal experience."

“If people who will participate in this meeting with the Pope can return to their homes renewed in the Spirit and full of hope, so they are able to confront the difficulties that life presents to us today, the event will be a success,” he told ZENIT.
Whether the problems are social, economic, work or family related, he said, he believes the event and the Pope's presence will give people new hope.
To address the more technical issues, Guido Improta assured those present that those with special needs and disabilities will be accommodated. Giving an example, he said buses will be available to transport the handicapped.

He recognized that Rome is used to organizing large events "but every time is a new challenge." Improta added that although this "is a major effort, we like to do so because Rome is also the city of the Pope.” Therefore, he said as organizers we should be up to facing these challenges in order “to accommodate the Pope and all those who want to come and share with him moments of reflection and prayer."

On Sunday, June 1, the event will run from 10:30 am to 6:45 p.m. Presentations will be given by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, and Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the Papal Household.
In the afternoon, Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, will celebrate a Mass moments before the arrival of the Holy Father at 5 p.m.
Elements to be included in the second day, running from 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m, are charismatic prayer, as well as Salvatore Martinez speaking on Pope Francis as an outgoing missionary. A Mass presided by Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar of Rome, will follow.
Witnesses to the origins of RNS will also speak, as well as a first-hand witness to a miracle, Sister Briege McKenna, who was miraculously healed in Mass at age 24 and is known now for her charisma intercession for healing.

The presidents of the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service also are expected to attend.

(May 29, 2014) © Innovative Media Inc.

Jude, Gateway To Revelation … Conclusion

Reblogged from Grace Thru Faith
This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series Jude

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley 
Read Part I 

Intending to write a letter to the Church on the subject of salvation, Jude was prompted instead to write about the false teachers who were already infecting the Church with their lies. He was just getting nicely wound up as we finished our first installment. Let’s rejoin him now as he releases the full force of his torrent against them. And as we saw last time, he wasn’t just writing about his times, he was also writing about ours.

These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude:12-13)
The phrase “love feast” refers to the early church’s practice of eating together and sharing communion at their weekly gathering. It was an adaptation of the Passover meal Jesus celebrated with His disciples.  Jude said the false teachers didn’t belong there because unlike shepherds who understood their responsibility to “feed” their flock (provide sound teaching), these people are only interested in feeding themselves (filling their own stomachs).

Clouds without rain fail to fulfill their promise of bringing relief from the drought.  They get our hopes up but don’t bring us comfort. Trees that don’t bear fruit are uprooted. Jude called them twice dead because by bearing no fruit they produce no offspring and by being uprooted their own life is ended. The wild waves of the sea come from odd directions. Today, sailors call them rogue waves. They can knock a boat off course or even cause it to capsize.  Wandering stars are unreliable and cannot be used for navigation.  Anyone following them is in danger of becoming lost.

These four analogies are all accurate descriptions of false teachers and show that they are not just wrong, they’re dangerous. And they’re most dangerous to those who are least able to defend themselves. Like wolves, they feed off the weak and the stragglers.  Jude said the darkest blackness has been reserved for them forever, indicating they’re not saved. John confirmed this when he wrote the following about them;
They went out from us but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. (1 John 2:19)

False teachers who deny the deity of Jesus or the sufficiency of His sacrifice, who teach what they know to be false because it profits them, and who rebel against the authority of Scripture are not just mistaken.  They know in their hearts they’re wrong, and John said by their words and deeds they’re proving that they never belonged to us.
Paul said, “such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2 Cor. 11:13-15)

When you’re masquerading you’re pretending to be someone you know you’re not. Just like Satan knows he’s not an angel of light, his servants know they’re not servants of righteousness. These men are not merely deluded, they are consciously deceptive.
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. (Jude: 14-16)

Some commentators use this passage to support their view that the book of Enoch belongs in the Bible. But Jude was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and would have known that the book of Enoch a) was not written by Enoch, and b) has a number of historical and theological errors. Jude was very specific in identifying Enoch as belonging to the seventh generation after Adam. The Book of Enoch wasn’t written until several thousand years later.

Jude:14 is similar to 1 Enoch 1:9. But even if Jude was quoting it, that wouldn’t indicate a blanket endorsement of the book. Jude could have had confirmation from the Holy Spirit that the original Enoch actually said what Jude had written. That would explain why Jude attributed the statement to Enoch rather than the book by that name. The important thing to remember here is that the Lord will come to judge the false teachers for the way they’ve twisted and distorted the truth of His word.

But you don’t have to depend on Jude’s quote from Enoch to verify the judgments that await the godless false teachers. Peter said the same thing.
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping (2 Peter 2:1-3).

In Old Testament times there were false prophets pretending to speak for the Lord. Now we have false teachers who twist His word into something it was never meant to be. What they teach denies the fact that the Lord died for all our sins and just by receiving His free gift we can live in eternity with Him. Instead they use their influence to introduce destructive heresies that lead their followers astray. Peter added his voice to Jude and John saying,
These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. (2 Peter 2:17)
And Jesus will seal the fate of these pretenders saying, “I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers.” (Matt. 7:23)

A Call to Persevere

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Jude:17-19)
Many scholars believe Peter used Jude’s letter as a resource for his own writing, so it doesn’t surprise us to see similar ideas.  Peter also warned that there would be scoffers among us. “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation ( 2 Peter 3:4). These advocates of evolution contend that things always have been and always will be. They laugh when we talk about the 2nd Coming, as if we’re being naive to think such thoughts.
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. (2 Peter 3:6)

It’s not that they never heard about how things began, or had no way of discovering the truth about the creation.  Paul wrote that God made His authorship so clear that men are without excuse (Romans 1:18-20).  On the contrary, they’ve made a conscious decision to ignore what God said about creating the Heavens and the Earth, and how he destroyed it when men became evil. Against all the evidence they’ve decided to believe that God doesn’t get involved in the workings of men and therefore won’t be coming back, ever.
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life (Jude:20-21).

Building faith is like building our muscles. It takes practice. Jude’s brother James said it this way.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (James 1:2-3)
An athlete looks for chances to test himself and faces them joyfully because it’s an opportunity to make himself bigger, faster, stronger. We should be the same, thinking of the trials we face as opportunities to build our faith. We know in advance that the outcome will be in our favor, so we can consider these tests pure joy. They bring us closer to the Lord and help us look to that day He’s promised will come.

Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude:22-23)
Like the seasoned veteran encourages the rookie, we can reach out to those who doubt while we wait for the Lord’s return. I believe Jude had Zechariah 3:1-10 in mind here. It was a vision, one of eight Zechariah had in the same night. The Angel of the Lord was there, along with Joshua the High Priest and Satan. When Satan began to accuse the High Priest, God said, “The Lord rebuke you Satan. The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

Joshua was dressed in filthy (literally excrement bespattered) clothing. The Angel of the Lord said, “Take off his filthy clothes”, and told Joshua He had taken away his sin. Then He had Joshua clothed in rich garments and said he was symbolic of things to come. He was referring to the day when the Lord would come to take away the filthy garments of our own righteousness and clothe us in rich garments of His righteousness.
“I will remove the sin of the people in a single day,” the Angel said, thereby identifying Himself as Jesus. It’s an incredible model I call the Gospel in Zechariah, and I think Jude was calling it to our attention for a reason. We need to remember what we were before and who we are now.

As we build our faith and wait for the Lord, we’ll become so heavenly minded that our earthly life will remind us of the High Priest’s filthy robes and we’ll long to be clothed with the heavenly garments of our eternal life.

Doxology

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude:24-25)
Jude’s letter ends the way it began, with an assurance that Jesus will obey His father’s will and not lose even one of us (John 6:38-40), but is able to keep us from falling and to present us to Himself without fault, as though we’d never sinned at all.

At the beginning I said the Epistle of Jude could be called the Acts of the Apostates. This is because of the author’s focus on the false teachers. And remember they all claim to be part of the Church, even though their teachings are far from the Gospel.
Some of them say Jesus is not the way at all. They deny His deity, doubt the fact that He died for our sins and rose again, and dismiss His claim that you have to be born again.  Instead, they say you have to find the way yourself, by living a good life, or learning secret knowledge, or joining their group.

Others say He’s not the only way. They teach there are many ways to God and as long as you’re sincere in what you believe you’ll find yours.
Still others say He’s not all the way. They say He made it possible for you to begin your journey to God, but you have to complete it by your own efforts, living a righteous life according to their standards.
These are all paths on the broad road with its wide gate. They lead to destruction because in the final analysis they make you the author of your own salvation. These are the acts of the apostates.

The Bible says Jesus is the the way, the only way, and He’s all the way. Only by trusting exclusively in His completed work on the cross can we hope to see the Kingdom. Faith in His substitutionary death is the only thing we can do that isn’t counted as work, and it alone is credited to us as righteousness (Romans 4:5) This is the narrow road with the small gate, because it makes Jesus the sole author of our salvation.

It’s exciting to be part of a big crowd all praising God and caught up in the stimulation of a great musical production. There’s a feeling of self satisfaction that comes from being seen by your peers as a shining example of what it means to live a victorious life. And there’s an unparalleled sense of fulfillment to be found in expressing the love of the Lord to the less fortunate through missionary or social justice programs.

But if you’re not also a born again believer, none of that will get you even one step closer to the Kingdom. You’ll just be one more victim of the acts of the apostates.   Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no  one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3).  To be born again is to admit you’re a sinner, and that Jesus died for your sins and rose again.  Are you born again? 05-31-14.

Receiving The Holy Spirit

Reblogged from:  gracethrufaith.com

The Holy Spirit

Q.  With Phillip preaching the word and crowds hearing and seeing miracles that he did, why do you think that Phillip did not pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. And that the original disciples Peter and John were sent?  Were the original disciples, now apostles, the only ones to pray for this.  And at what point was there a transition from them to others.  And are there qualifications for this, like pastors, elders, evangelists, prophets?


A. There was a disciple named Philip (John 1:43), but the Philip in Acts 8:4-17 was one of the original deacons (Acts 6:5) and as such was not an apostle. This explains why Peter and John came to lay hands on the new believers (Acts 8:14-17).
By the time Paul wrote his 2nd letter to the Corinthians (about 55 AD) believers were automatically receiving the Holy Spirit directly from the Lord at the time they received Him (2 Cor. 1:21-22), so the laying on of hands by an apostle was no longer necessary.

Was It a Command?

Interpreting Verses
Reblogged from:gracethrufaith.com

 

Q.  I am little bit confused regarding the word “GO” in Matt.28:19. because one of our pastors keeps on insisting that the word “GO” is not a word of command.  We have been arguing on this matter because I beleive that the word “GO” in that particular verse is a word of command.  Please make it clear for us.


A.  I can see why there’s been discussion regarding this.  The Greek word translated “go” in Matt. 28:18 is not a clear command.  It’s a passive verb that means “to continue” as on a journey.  It can also imply a transfer, in which case the Lord would have been transferring His ministry to His disciples, telling them to continue doing what they had seen Him doing.

Historically speaking, it’s clear that all of the disciples did accept responsibility for bringing the gospel to the world and devoted the rest of their lives to this task. This would appear to mean that they saw His instructions to them as more than just a suggestion.

Prayer for the True Church and against the Counterfeits - S Lewis Johnson

 Excerpt reblogged from The End Time

"We pray for the whole church, for all of those who name in sincerity the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and we pray, O God, that those who counterfeit Christianity may experience failure. We know that Thou hast said, the church will be founded upon the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against the true church, and we pray O God for all of the manifestations of the truth. We pray for the other churches where the gospel is proclaimed, and today Lord may they be fruitful in their ministry." ~S Lewis Johnson

Praying for the failure of the counterfeits, while at the same time praying for all manifestations of the truth. How wonderful.

Repentance is more than just "turning".

Posted: 28 May 2014 06:11 PM PDT

Reblogged from The end time

As one reads through Hosea, particularly chapter 7, it is amazing the number of metaphors God uses to show Israel's perfidy. They were separated from their God and Protector through their own actions. God hadn't gone anywhere, Israel had. They needed to repent and turn to Him.

However there is turning and there is turning. God was angry that Israel turned to idols. They turned to Egypt. They turned to Assyria. They turned to themselves, in their own beds crying and wailing. ("They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds"; Hosea 7:14) They turned a lot. They didn't turn the right way.

They turn, but not upward,  (Hosea 7:16a)

Turn upward!

Judas turned. In the KJV of Matthew 27:3 it says, "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,"

Did Judas repent? No. He turned, he felt grief, he refused to look at his sin... but he didn't turn upward.

Easton's Bible Dictionary says there are several words for repent used in the bible. In the case of Judas the verb is "metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3).

The other word for repentance according to Easton's is "Metanoeo, meaning to change one's mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with (3) the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised."

In Judas' case, his turning was not upward.

In your grief over sin, in your restlessness in finding peace, in your agitation, turn, not from one worldly thing to another, but upward!

The lessons of Hosea 7 are many. One is, that God is looking down upon His elect. He is looking. Look upward! See Him! Our holy Savior as High Priest is looking at us, loving us, calling to us to repent. Repentance is a matter of turning, but turning in the right direction, and it is having a right heart condition. Judas' heart wasn't right. Ephraim's heart wasn't right. They cried but it wasn't from the heart. Judas cried, but it wasn't from the heart. If you cry over your sins, is it from the heart? If you turn from your sin, is it in the right direction? We have learned that a horizontal turning is not the right direction because the only thing in our horizontal field of vision is the world. The world doesn't forgive. God in heaven forgives. Upward is the right direction and having the right heart attitude is important too.

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:9).

The Origin Of Evil

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

• Past Featured
• Theology

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

I received a great question this week. A regular visitor wanted to know, is evil a “thing” or the “absence of good”?   The writer went on to say, “I understand how evil entered creation via the fall, but it seems to me that something (evil) that had never existed before suddenly came to be.”

It seems to her that this thing we call evil which didn’t exist in God’s perfect creation had to have an origin.
“Was that Satan?” she asked. “Did he/does he have a form of destructive de-creative power to bring something to be that wasn’t?”
In essence, did Satan “create” evil? Let’s find out.

In his Gospel, the Apostle John addressed the issue of whether evil is merely the absence of good. Speaking of Jesus in terms of light and darkness, he wrote;
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:3-5)
The word translated “understood” here also means “overcome”, but either way if the darkness John referred to was simply the absence of light, as we know it to be, then by it’s very presence the light would have replaced it. Darkness is not an entity or force and can neither understand nor overcome. It always yields to light, returning only when light is withdrawn.

And if John was talking merely in terms of physical life and death, as some understand the passage, the same would be true because by definition death is the absence of life. So John had to be speaking in the spiritual sense. The light represents the Lord Jesus, the personification of good. The darkness that cannot overcome Him represents Satan, the prince of darkness and the personification of evil. So evil is not simply the absence of good.
John 1:3-5 also contains the answer to another question. Did Satan create evil? Again, speaking of Jesus John wrote, Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Paul confirmed this in his letter to the Colossians.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. (Colossians 1:15-16)

If you read these two passages as being all inclusive, as I do, then you have to conclude that Satan, who is himself a created being, did not create evil.

Where Did That Come From?

So where did evil come from? Ezekiel and Isaiah have the answer. The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
” ‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.” (Ezekiel 28:11-13)
Through the first 10 verses of chapter 28 Ezekiel had been speaking to Ittobaal, the human ruler of Tyre, calling him the prince of Tyre. Beginning in verse 11 the Lord had him look past the the human figurehead to the power behind the throne, Satan, who Ezekiel addressed as the King of Tyre.

Some commentators see the mention of precious stones as representing the fact that Satan was clothed in light. But one fact is clear to all. Satan was created, confirming what John and Paul said. He was not created to be evil, and in fact was the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
“You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.” (Ezek. 28:14)

Satan’s original role was to head up the squadron of Cherubim who guard the Throne of God. Among men, those chosen for the palace guard are considered to be the most loyal, highly skilled, and trustworthy, the finest examples of the King’s warriors. As the leader of such a group charged with protecting the Throne of God, Satan would have been among the most admired of all created beings.
“You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor”. (Ezek. 28:15-17a)

It Didn’t Need To Turn Out That Way

Like I said, Satan was not created to be evil. But like all of us, he had the potential for choosing evil. He was the most beautiful, wise, and powerful of all God’s created beings and became very proud of these things. It was this pride that caused his downfall , and when he was caught out his pride would not let him submit, so he rebelled. Isaiah 14:13-14 tells how he set out to elevate himself above the angels once again, to sit enthroned in the place of God, and become like God.
You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
In his pride Satan demanded that glory due only to God be redirected toward himself. In doing so he gave us the Biblical definitions of good and evil. Everything that yields to God or or glorifies Him is good, and everything that rebels against God or glorifies someone or something else is evil.

God Himself appears to hold this view. Look at Isaiah 42:8;
“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
Shortly after the Creation, Satan introduced this evil into the world by convincing Adam and Eve to break the only rule God had given them. This seemingly minor act of rebellion caused all of mankind’s potential for evil to be greatly magnified and made rebellion man’s natural state. Paul called it our sin nature and it turned the Creation upside down. Where Satan had been made as the model of perfection with the potential for choosing evil, mankind would hereafter be predisposed toward evil with the potential for choosing to be made perfect. (In other words, Satan had to choose evil. We have to choose good.) And what’s more Satan no longer had to personally see to every act of evil. By orchestrating that one act of disobedience he had set mankind on a downward spiral that soon resulted in a state where every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5).

And don’t make the mistake of thinking this was only true of pre-flood man.  Jeremiah said the heart of man is deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jere. 17:9).  And James said we are tempted to sin when by our own evil desire we are dragged away and enticed (James 1:14).

Things Are Not Always As They Seem

It’s important to recognize that evil is not merely a type of behavior. In fact it’s more a function of intent. That makes evil a motivating force behind behavior. It’s easy for us to judge behavior that’s obviously destructive, cruel, or immoral as being evil. But behavior that outwardly seems to produce much good can still be considered evil in God’s sight unless it’s undertaken in submission to Him for the purpose of glorifying Him. The end does not justify the means with God. Motives must be pure to make actions pure.

This is something most people simply do not understand. We think something that looks good or produces a good result must be good. But the Bible is clear. It’s the motive energizing our behavior that really counts, no matter how good the result looks to us or to others. Like the Lord said, “A bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” (Matt. 7:18)
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. (1 Cor. 4:5)

So evil is a spiritual power, a motivating force that began with a choice. It originated when a created being (Satan) demanded to be treated as if he was the Creator and it went downhill from there. The consequences of that choice are suffered by each one of us every day. It took the death of God’s own Son to reverse its effect on us, and then only if we choose to allow it.

The choice is clear and the time is near. Even so come Lord Jesus. Selah 10-03-09

Jude, Gateway To Revelation … Part 1

 A Bible Study by Jack Kelley  gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies

 Saturday, May 24th, 2014

• End Times
• False Teaching
• Featured 

The Book of Acts is sometimes called the Acts of the Apostles because it’s a record of their experiences in building the early Church. That being the case, the Book of Jude could be called Acts of the Apostates because it’s devoted to warning the Church of the false teachers who were coming to tear it apart.


I’ve sub-titled this series “The Gateway to Revelation” not just because Jude’s letter immediately precedes Revelation in the Bible, but also because the same false teaching Jude warned believers about at the beginning of the Church Age has been invading the Church in our times as well.  Paul said a great falling away (apostasy) would occur in the time before the anti-Christ is revealed (2 Thes. 2:3). Since we’re we’re currently witnessing this falling away,  we should review Jude’s 1 chapter letter to the Church and see what it says to believers in the end times, too.  Let’s begin.

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. (Jude:1-2)
The author identified himself as a servant of Jesus and a brother of James, who was head of the Church in Jerusalem in the years between Pentecost and his martyrdom in 62 AD.  Since James was a half brother of Jesus, Jude would also have been the Lord’s half brother. Neither James nor Jude were believers until after the resurrection (John 7:5).
Jude was clearly writing to the Church. The Greek word translated “called” in verse 1 means sanctified (set apart) and is from the word for saint. The claim that we are loved by God and kept by Jesus Christ combines John 3:16 (for God so loved the world) and John 6:39 (my Father’s will is that I should lose none of all that He has given me) and serves to confirm that once we’re saved the Lord takes responsibility for keeping us that way (2 Cor. 1:21-22).
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude: 3-4)

Jude wanted to write about loftier things, but in 65 AD when he wrote his letter, the Church was already being invaded by false teachers, and he felt the need to warn us about them instead.  This is something that continues to this day, and like it is today, these teachers were saying that sin doesn’t matter, Jesus wasn’t really God in the flesh, and he’s not the only way to salvation. Back then this was called the gnostic error, one teaching of which held that all Spirit is pure and all matter is evil, so what we do in the flesh is irrelevant to our spiritual life.

This same teaching proposed that God, being spirit, is pure and could never have dwelt in a physical body.  Therefore Jesus could not have been divine. They said the Spirit of God came to be with Him for a time but departed before His crucifixion leaving Him to die alone. Followers of gnosticism believed that salvation could not be attained through the death of a man, but rather came through the acquisition of secret knowledge. (The Greek word gnosis means “to know”.) The New Age religions are modern examples that build on this kind of thinking.

The Bible makes a powerful case for Jesus being God in human form, yet there are many “Christians in name only” who deny that.  And of course none of the world’s other religions accepts the divinity of Jesus.   Also, the doctrine of inclusivism in liberal Christian theology teaches that Jesus is not the only way to salvation. Different religious philosophies have their own unique beliefs and as long as people are sincere in practicing the beliefs of their chosen religion, they can find the way to God. They say it would be arrogant of Christians to insist that ours is the only way, even though Jesus made that very claim (John 14:6) .
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority (literally, their origin) but abandoned their own home (the dwelling place of their spirit)—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude:5-7)

These false teachers think they’re smart, behaving like they do. The way they distort the Scriptures and emphasize their advanced degrees shows them to have a superior attitude, acting as if they’re the only ones who really understand. But we should remember what happened to those who thought they were too smart for God in the past. Paul said, “Although they claimed to be wise they became fools” (Romans 1:22) and reminded us that God promised the wisdom of the wise will perish and the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish. He was quoting Isaiah 29:14 where God had Isaiah lodge the same complaint against the religious leaders of his time.  Having learned nothing from history these people will find themselves repeating it, reaping for themselves the same consequences.

Even the angels had to learn this. When some of them thought they could rebel against God and begin a new order, they took on human form without permission, chose human women as wives and produced a hybrid race of super humans (Genesis 6:4). Before long the human gene pool was almost entirely corrupted. But God brought the Great flood and destroyed them all, preserving only Noah and his family to begin again. The angels who led this pre-flood rebellion have been chained in darkness for over 4,000 years, awaiting their judgment. Peter had them in mind when he wrote,
“God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment” (2 Peter 2:4)

Later, Satan tried to pull this same stunt again, infesting the land God promised to His people with giants to frighten the Israelites away (Numbers 13:30-33). It worked for a while, but God gave His people the supernatural strength and courage to drive them out.
Some are convinced Satan will try this one more time, as the End of the Age approaches. They say beings like the Nephilim of Genesis 6 are returning as extra-terrestrials to help Satan kick God off the planet for good. I have no first hand evidence to prove or disprove this theory, but this I know. The Bible says it has happened before, and there are hints it could happen again. (For our complete study on the Nephilim go here)

And who could deny the current effort to re-create Sodom and Gomorrah in our midst? Using the law of the land to force the acceptance of deviant behavior on the people pits human governments directly against the Word of God and will produce the same response that has followed every preceding attempt of this kind; God’s judgment.
In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them. (Jude:8-10)

Some Gnostics of old believed the body was beyond redemption.  Therefore they felt comfortable indulging to excess in every form of perversity. And if you think this kind of thing only happened long ago, just watch a few prime time TV shows. A short generation ago such behavior would have been scandalous, unfit even for public discussion. Now it’s openly celebrated, and admired by many.

In this passage we come closer than any other place in the Bible to understanding why God allows Satan into His presence. Satan is a dignitary, a celestial being at the top of the created order. Even Michael the Archangel, who also occupies a high position in the angelic hierarchy, can not speak disrespectfully to him. With all the harm Satan has done to the creation, at least for now he is still afforded the courtesy due to someone in his position.
But the false teachers of yesterday and today feel free to slander anybody, including God, who they don’t understand. They even rebel against the things they intuitively know are right, suppressing Biblical truths about such things as how our world came into existence, when human life begins, and whether what they call an “alternative lifestyle” is sinful or not.
Speaking of these false teachers Peter said, “Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand” (2 Peter 2:10-12).

And Jude continues, Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion (Jude:11).
The way of Cain is to offer the works of our hands as payment for our sins rather than accept the sacrifice of an innocent substitute (Genesis 4:3-4). The Bible says Cain knew what was right, but refused to do what was right (Genesis 4:6). Similarly some preachers today put their flocks in greater bondage than they were before they were saved by teaching that although Jesus died so we could be saved it’s up to us to earn the right to stay that way.
Balaam’s error was to offer prophecies for a fee. He loved the wages of wickedness (2 Peter 2:15).  Today we would say, “He’s in it for the money.”  Some well- heeled televangelists teach things they know in their heart to be untrue just to coax more money from their gullible followers.

Korah rebelled against God’s chosen one (Moses) inciting the people to disobedience (Numbers 16). Because of him many people refused to follow God’s constituted authority.  For the Church today, God’s constituted authority is His word. But I get emails almost every day from people who can’t find a Bible believing church where they live. Others write to bemoan the fact that the church they’ve grown up in is suddenly taking a dramatic turn away from the Bible into things its writers have repeatedly warned us against doing.

So far it’s not looking good for the false teachers whether of Jude’s time or ours. But Jude is far from concluding his rant against them and before we’re finished Peter will have more to say too. Be sure to check in next week for the rest of Jude, Gateway to Revelation.  05-24-11

My report from Le Chambon, the French town that rescued thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.

Rebbloged from Joel Rosenberg´s blog: http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/

Meeting with Gabriel, 90, a devout Christian in Le Chambon sur Lignon, who joined the Resistance to fight the Nazis and protect the Jews. He was wounded twice.

Presenting a signed copy of “The Auschwitz Escape” to the staff of Le Chambon’s museum.

In 1998, the State of Israel honored every single resident of a small French town with “Righteous Among the Nations” status. Why? Because during the Holocaust, the Protestant Christian pastors of this town rallied all 3,000 people to develop a system to hid, house, feed, school and protect some 5,000 people escaping from the Nazis. Most of those who were rescued were Jews, and many of them were children.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit this special town — Le Chambon sur Lignon – of which I had written about in The Auschwitz Escape. I went with an Israeli pastor who was born in France and made Aliyah in the early 1980s. He had been there before and had friends in the town. When he heard that I was using my novel to help draw attention to the remarkable story of these remarkable Christians, he offered to take me there. It was a humbling and amazing experience.

Here is a brief report:
We arrived around 8pm on a Friday night and went straight to the evangelical church in town. Waiting for us was a packed room of about 60 Christians from Le Chambon and neighboring towns who had gathered in this mountain hamlet to learn about God’s plan for Israel & the Jewish people.

The Israeli pastor taught the prophet Jeremiah on God’s “everlasting love” for the Jews, on the importance of Jerusalem in the Bible, and why there has been such a long and fierce struggle for control of Jerusalem throughout the centuries.

“You don’t know me, you’ve never heard of me,” I told the assembled group when it was my turn to share briefly. “But I know you. I’ve heard your story. I’ve studied your story and that of fore-bearers. And God told me to tell your story around the world. I’ve come here to Le Chambon to learn more of your remarkable story. To meet you. To understand why you did what you did. But most of all, I’ve come here to thank you, and to thank your parents and grandparents, for risking your lives to save so many lives, to rescue so many Jews, during the Holocaust. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

That night, I had the opportunity to present a signed copy of The Auschwitz Escape to the pastor and his wife. On Saturday, I was able to present a signed copy of the book to the town historian, and another copy to the director of the town museum (via the staff) which is dedicated to teaching the story to future generations.

We also met with several people who had lived through those terrifying years, including Gabriel, 90, a devout Christian whose pastor was Andre Trocme, the hero who organized the people of Le Chambon to develop a system to rescue so many Jews (for details, see below).

In the days ahead, I will share more stories and pictures from our visit. But today I’d like to just lay out some of the facts of the story — facts that I hope you will share with others. When we say, “Never forget,” and “Never again,” it is selfless courage of heroes like the Christians of Le Chambon that we must remember.

• Le Chambon is located on the Lignon River, on a wide plateau in the mountains of south-central France.
• The population of the town in the early 1940s was about 3,000.
• Remarkably, the townsfolk rescued about 5,000 people, most of whom were Jews, and many of who were children.
• This was an evangelical Protestant town in a country that was — and remains — largely Catholic.
• Other Christians from surrounding towns also played an integral role helping rescue all these people — it wasn’t just the Christians of Le Chambon.
• Also, there were brave Catholics who also helped rescue Jews — it wasn’t just Protestants.
• That said, the senior pastor of the town at the time was Andre Pascal Trocme.
• Trocme was born in 1901.
• His family were Protestant evangelicals, descended from followers of John Calvin.
• They were descendants of the Hugenots, French Protestants who had been terribly persecuted by French kings who forbade them to preach the Gospel, teach the Word of God, publish or distribute Bibles, baptize believers, or gather for prayer and worship. Thus, the Trocmes – like other Christians in the town and on the plateau – understood what it was like to be a persecuted religious minority standing firm against tyrants.
• Trocme and his family not only hid, saved, and rescued Jews fleeing the Holocaust, they all organized the rest of the town to help.
• Trocme was ultimately arrested and sent to a concentration camp for his efforts in rescuing Jews, but later was released.
• He was recognized by Yad Vashem on January 5, 1971 as a “Righteous Among the Nations” for his heroic work to rescue Jews.
• When you read various accounts of his story, you quickly discover that he was a faithful, born again, deeply devoted follower of Jesus Christ.
• Trocme couldn’t bear the thought of people persecuting the Jews, for in his view — according to the Scriptures — Jews are the Chosen People of God, the apple of God’s eye.
• Trocme knew that Jesus was Jewish, and Jesus’ disciples were Jewish, and all of Jesus’ early followers were Jewish. How could a Christian oppose the Jews?
• Trocme also believed that when Jesus commanded His followers to “love your neighbor,” that this required to Christians to love and care for Jews, even Jews who didn’t — and might never — believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.
• Trocme also believed that when the Apostle Paul (also Jewish) wrote in Galatians 6 that Christians should “do good to all men,” that Paul really men “all” men, including Jews.
• Trocme’s wife’s name was Magda.
• Magda was from Italy.
• Magda was recognized by Yad Vashem as a “Righteous Among the Nations” in 1986.
• The Trocmes had four children, all of whom helped in the rescue efforts.
• Pastor Trocme’s nephew, Daniel Trocme, was a science teacher. He was asked by Andre to run a boys school for refugee children, including Jewish refugees, which he readily agreed to do.
• But Daniel was arrested by Gestapo in 1943, along with 19 boys from his school, six of whom were Jews.
• Daniel was offered his freedom by the Gestapo, but refused to be separated from the boys entrusted to his care. 
• The six Jewish boys were sent to Auschwitz and murdered.
• Daniel was sent to the Maidanek concentration camp where died in April 1944 of sickness and exhaustion. He was 34.
• Daniel was recognized by Yad Vashem as a “Righteous Among the Nations” in 1976.
• Another pastor in Le Chambon was Edouard Theis.
• Theis directed the Cevenol high school nearby, where many Jewish refugee children were educated. 
• Theis was also arrested for hiding Jews, but was later released.
• Roger Darcissac was another key leader in the town.
• Darcissac was head of the public Boys’ School, and also hid and protected many Jews.
• He, too, was arrested, but later released.
• To learn more, please read the book, Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed, by Philip Hallie, published in 1994.