Living and Holy Sacrifice

Does the Church Replace Israel?

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: 'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." (Revelation 2:8)

... Poverty as a consequence of slander and accusations .... The source of their persecution: the Romans. Fomenting the Roman persecution was the inciting accusations of ethnic Israelites about whom Jesus here says are not worthy of that ancient and honorable name. "I know the slander [blasphemy] by those who say they are Jews and are not." My friends that is a profoundly important statement. When we watch the flow of redemptive history, the storyline of the Bible unfold and we move from the epic of promise into the epic of fulfillment, God's people are no longer defined genealogically, they are defined Christologically ... Christocentrically. You say "what do you mean?" True Jews are those who follow Jesus as their Messiah. They are characterized by a birth not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. They are marked out by a circumcision not of the flesh but of the heart. So who then are these people? These people who claim to be Jews by virtue of their bloodline, but according to Jesus himself, they are not. Jesus defines them for us: "They are a synagogue of Satan." It is like what Jesus says to the unbelieving Pharisees in John chapter 8, who claimed the paternity of Abraham. He says: "You are of your father the devil." You see beloved, this is why we need to think clearly at this point. This is what is so utterly wrong today when people refer to the Judeo-Christian God. [They say] "Christians and Jews really in the end worship the same God." NO! ...To reject Jesus Christ is to reject the full and final revelation of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The truth is there is no such thing as an orthodox Jew, beloved, unless he is a Christian because if the Jews really believed in the Old Testament they would believe in Jesus Christ. If a person does not believe in Jesus Christ then, according to John chapter 5, then he does not believe in Moses either. "Moses spoke of me," Jesus said. And so Paul says in Romans chapter 2 "A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly nor is circumcision merely outward and physical", no "a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly and circumcision is circumcision of the heart by the Spirit not the written code."
Now friends, people often ask me, "Do you believe that the church replaces Israel. The answer is "no of course not!!!" The church does not replace Israel. The fact is, Jewish people who reject Jesus Christ are apostate from Israel. Following Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of true Judaism. Everything in the Old Testament pointed to Him. Israel and the church, then, are not in radical discontinuity, rather, the later is the consummated expression of the former. Beloved, a failure to appreciate that has profoundly determined strange things in our [own] country. By virtue of the influence of American evangelicalism we say silly things like "Always side with Israel, no matter what Israel does always side with Israel. God will take care of America if we always side with Israel. They are God's people." [But] Jesus says they are a synagogue of Satan. And is there a reason then why American evangelicals are notoriously ineffective in their evangelism of Arabs?
[Jesus is] The full, final, ultimate expression of Judaism. You are Abraham's seed. C'mon ... Tear those pages out of your study Bibles.

Excerpt from Dr. Arturo Azurdia III's 81 part series on the Book of Revelation.

Secular Culture

I received a brochure in my mailbox at school advertising a free viewing for educators of the new Chicano Art & Soul Exhibit at the Muzeo Museum in Anaheim. They are promoting this new exhibit for elementary through high school students. I checked it out today and was disturbed by what I found there. The guide first took me to their art exhibit. The paintings I saw depicted graphic scenes of violence and sex. There was an abstract painting of the middle finger gesture. There were scenes of bloody fights and people hanging out smoking cigarettes. There were explicit paintings of nude women in provocative poses. There was a painting of a close-up of a couple making out. When I expressed my concern for young children seeing these things, the guide told me that if I wanted, they could escort the children away from these paintings. To the guide's defense, she did say that she wouldn't let her high school children view these images. However, she did try to justify the public viewing of these paintings by reminding me that it's art, not pornography. I don't know what the difference is. I refused to take pictures of these paintings to post in this blog. They are in no way beneficial for the soul.

After this, I checked out the interactive area of the museum, targeted mainly for children. Here is an example of one of the exhibits:

One could argue that this exhibit was purely informative. I would argue that an exhibit like this arouses fascination of death and the darkness in children. I also noticed that there is a figurine of Jesus in the shrine. Would Jesus approve of this? Is this the way Jesus would want to be known? Jesus is Light and Life, and here He is associated with darkness and death. I don't mean to offend the people of the Chicano heritage, but it's important to critically examine this culture in light of spiritual truth. I'm not ignorant of these traditions, as I even gave my final oral/visual presentation to a group of college students for a professional clear cultural diversity class on this very subject, Día de los Muertos. I'm aware of the reasons why this tradition has been passed down through the ages. However, tradition must be examined in the light of truth as revealed by God through the holy scriptures.

The rest of the museum showcased many worldly pursuits, all trying to define what it means to be Hispanic or Chicano. I suppose I can't expect a place like this to point children to the truth and to everlasting peace and joy. Why do people bring children here? To show them where not to find peace and joy? How many parents or teachers have the intention of exposing their children to the culture, which is a good thing, but then telling them the truth afterwards? If that's not the goal, why are millions of dollars being poured into venues like this? When will we stop rolling in mud and meddling in meaningless pursuits? When will we as a city and a nation start pursuing God and His righteousness?

And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
(Revelation 22:10-15, 20 ESV)

E.R. Discovers the Flaw of Post-Modernism

Here is a paper that explains the flaws of post-modernism (a worldview or philosophy that denies the existence of any ultimate principles or morals, and it lacks the optimism of there being a scientific, philosophical, or religious truth which will explain everything for everybody)
Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show - A review of Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis

Do not be deceived by post-modern thinking! There is absolute truth, and His name is Jesus Christ.

God Will Answer

He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. (Psalm 145:19)

His own Spirit has wrought this desire in us, and therefore He will answer it. It is His own life within which prompts the cry, and therefore He will hear it. Those who fear Him are men under the holiest influence, and, therefore, their desire is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Like Daniel, they are men of desires, and the Lord will cause them to realize their aspirations.
Holy desires are grace in the blade, and the heavenly Husbandman will cultivate them till they come to the full corn in the ear. God-fearing men desire to be holy, to be useful, to be a blessing to others, and so to honor their Lord. They desire supplies for their need, help under burdens, guidance in perplexity, deliverance in distress; and sometimes this desire is so strong and their case so pressing that they cry out in agony like little children in pain, and then the Lord works most comprehensively and does all that is needful according to this Word—"and will save them."
Yes, if we fear God, we have nothing else to fear; if we cry to the Lord, our salvation is certain.
Let the reader lay this text on his tongue and keep it in his mouth all the day, and it will be to him as "a wafer made with honey."

--C.H. Spurgeon (Faith's Checkbook, February 18)

Ephesians 4:29

The Insanity of Luther