The Thoughts of Wesley son of Cornelius

At the end of June, I wrote a series on the Assembly [church] of God. Now I wish to juxtapose that series with a series on the People of God. But before I begin that series, I would like to explore the history of Israel after 70 AD to the present.

We actually begin our flight through history in 39 AD [probably nine years after Pentecost], when Roman Emperor Caligula declares himself a god and orders his statue to be erected in every temple in the Roman Empire. Of course, the Jewish people, who have been known to be an unruly group under any large empire, refuse and prepare for an armed revolt. The conflict subsides after Caligula’s death in 41. However, this incident and the stealing of a large amount of money from the Temple treasury by a Roman procurator increased the popularity of the Zealot movement. The Zealots where a Jewish group who strongly believed that any means necessary were justified to attain freedom from Rome. After the desecration of a local synagogue, a revolt in 66 broke out. At first the revolting Jews soundly defeated the Roman forces. But the Zealots executed anyone advocating surrender; therefore, by 68 the entire leadership of the southern revolt was dead. By 70 the Roman army had entered and burned most of Jerusalem, even destroying the Temple. In 73 the last Jewish stronghold at Masada had been overcome. The death toll ranges from 600,000 to 1,300,000 Jews, with almost 100,000 Jews taken to Rome as slaves.

Fifty-seven years later (130), Emperor Hadrian pays a visit to the ruins of Jerusalem. He is saddened and sympathetic towards the Jews. Therefore, he decides to rebuild the city. One catch, he wants to build the city as a Roman metropolis with a new pagan temple dedicated to Jupiter where the Temple once stood. After the first revolt ended, an entire legion was stationed in Judea. An additional legion was stationed to help maintain order. The new city, Aelia Capitolina, was offensive to many Jews. (It did not help that Hadrian also abolished circumcision around the same time.) The Jewish leaders carefully planned the second revolt to avoid the errors of the first revolt. In 132 the Roman military in Jerusalem were taken by surprise. A Jewish state was restored for two and a half years. Nevertheless, Hadrian called one of his generals from Britain and hit the Jewish rebels with an overwhelming force. It is reported that 580,000 Jews were killed. To prevent future rebellions, Hadrian prohibited the Torah law and the Jewish calendar. He executed Judaic scholars and burned the sacred scroll on the Temple Mount. Hadrian also erased the name Judea off of the map and replaced it with the name Syria Palaestina, as an insulting reminder of the Jews’ ancient enemies the Philistines. Jerusalem was rebuilt and all Jews were forbidden from entering it. Now begins the Jewish diaspora (dispersion)!

REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Due to being under the weather, my transitions and flow of this series are probably lacking. Therefore, I conclude with this summary:

Everyone has sinned. Death is the wage of sin. Hence, all must die. God is just. Hence, He must punish sin. However, God is love. Therefore He sent Himself to take the punishment of sin. On the third day He arose, because if He cannot arise, no one can. All that remains is this,

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

Saved from death? No, all must die because of sin. You will be saved from the second death, that is eternal punishment (Revelation 2:11 & 21:8). Those who confess will arise as Christ arose! Hallelujah

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” (Luke 24:5, 6 NIV)

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. … But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:17, 20-22)

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son ..." (John 3:16 KJV)

"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him striken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. ... For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:4-8, 12)

"The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, 'The LORD is just.'" (2 Chronicles 12:6 NIV)

Because God is just. The sinner must be punished. But more seriously, God cannot be in the presence of sin.

"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)

Therefore,

"Depart from me [God], you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ... Then they will go away to eternal punishment ..." (Matthew 25:41, 46)

So now what? Are we all doomed to eternal punishment? No, because:

"For God so loved the world that he ..." (John 3:16a)

You'll see.

"Surely you [God] will reward each person according to what he has done." (Psalm 62:12 NIV)

"Will he [God] not repay each person according to what he has done?" (Proverbs 24:12)

"... man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment ..." (Hebrews 9:27)

"But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.'" (Romans 2:5-6)

That day of God is mentioned in almost every book of prophesy. In my concordance alone I found reference to that day in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Malachi and Revelation. One day!

“For the wages of sin is death …” (Romans 6:23 NIV)

“… the judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation … by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man …” (Romans 5:16a, 17a)

“ … He [man] must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” (Genesis 3:22)

“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16)

“What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave?” (Psalm 89:48)

“… for death is the destiny of every man …” (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

"... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23 NIV)

This fundamental is not just a New Testament idea. Note the following:

"All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Psalm 14:3 & 53:3 Of David)

"There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins." (Ecclesiastes 7:20 Of Solomon)

"No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity." (Isaiah 59:4)

"...for there is no one who does not sin..." (1 Kings 8:46)

"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. ... every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood." (Genesis 6:5, 8:21)

"The man asked him, 'What is your name?' 'Jacob,' he answered. Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.'" (Genesis 32:27-28 NIV)

Israel means he struggles with God.

After learning Bible stories in Sunday School using the flannelgraph, and after walking into the worship auditorium and glancing over at the wooden record board, one would pick up

Memory 3: The Church Bulletin

I am not referring to the new three fold bulletin, or the bulletin that acts as a new member card/offering envelope/rearview mirror decoration, or the bulletin that gives every detail of the full service (sermon notes or benediction song). I am referring to the simple order of worship bulletin with hymn numbers and who is keeping the nursery. Bean buyer and I would use these simple bulletins as art paper. Oh the artwork we created!

This memory is for Uncle Jesse. What is more eventful than going from Sunday School to 'big people' church to see ...

Memory 2: The Sunday School Record Board

I always wondered who put the numbers up and when. And more importantly, why was he or she not IN Sunday School.

I just skimmed over the last few months of posts and ... Wow! They were all over my head. Where did I come up with all that stuff?! So now I am going to take it a little lighter and do a series called "Childhood Church Memories."

Memory 1: Flannelgraph (nuff said)

“When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David.” (1 Kings 5:1 NIV)

King Hiram would end up supplying most of the lumber for Solomon’s temple. However, the Phoenician port city of Tyre would also supply the evil worship of Baal.

The National Council on Tourism for Lebanon writes:

“Originally Tyre consisted of a mainland settlement and an island city at a slight distance from the shore. Hiram, king of Tyre, joined two isles to enlarge the city and further extended Tyre by reclaiming a considerable area from the sea. It was to Hiram that Solomon appealed to build the temple of Jerusalem and his palace. Flourishing maritime trade, colonies in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, purple dye and glass industries rendered Tyre both prosperous and wealthy. The city became the most important commercial center in the eastern Mediterranean world for land and seaborne trade. The Greeks believed that various aspects of their civilization had their origin in Tyre. The introduction of the alphabet into Greece was attributed to Cadmus of Tyre, and it was Europa, the sister of Cadmus, who gave her name to the continent. During the ninth century B.C. Tyre extended her empire through the Mediterranean and founded Carthage. Her ships sailed to the Atlantic and Wales and south to the shores of Africa. Early in the sixth century B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, lay siege to the city for thirteen years. Later Alexander the Great stormed Tyre without success for seven months. Only by joining the island city to the mainland by a causeway was he enabled to bring up his siege engines to scale Tyre’s formidable walls.” (http://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/900.geography_and_history/910/919/tyre/)

After reading the above, read what the prophet Ezekiel says about Tyre.

“Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gateto the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper [destruction and exile of Judah],’ therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves. They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. She will become plunder for the nations, and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD. … From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with horsemen and a great army. He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your walls and raise his shields against you. …” (Ezekiel 26:2-8 NIV)

Ezekiel continues this prophecy for the rest of chapter 26, chapter 27, and chapter 28. Good read!