Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Romans Part 32

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - THE CLOUD

 

 THE CLOUD

The Bible is comprised of 66 books, written over a period of about 1500 years. But similar to a treatise written by a single author, it contains themes which extend throughout all its pages. One such, which extends from Genesis through to Revelation, is that of ‘the cloud’. 

After the flood, when the rain had stopped, Noah and his family left the ark and made a sacrifice to the Lord. In turn, God made a covenant with Noah and as a token of this said:

“I set My rainbow in the cloud, 

and it shall be for the sign of the covenant 

between Me and the earth.”

(Genesis 9:13)

And since then, God has often been associated with a cloud.

In Exodus, when the Hebrews were leaving Egypt, it is said that: 

…the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way…

(Exodus 13:21) 

Later on it says that:

…the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

(Exodus 16:10)

When Moses later went up to the mount to meet with God…

…a thick cloud covered the mount.

(Exodus 24:15, KJV) 

The Lord said to Moses:

“Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud 

that the people may hear…

and believe you forever.” 

(Exodus 19:9) 

Later on, when Moses entered the tabernacle…

…the pillar of cloud descended 

and stood at the door of the tabernacle, 

and the Lord talked with Moses.

(Exodus 33:9) 

Still later on,

…Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle…

because the cloud rested above it, 

and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 

(Exodus 40:35)

In Kings, the Bible states that:

…when the priests came out of the holy place, 

that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 

so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; 

for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

(1 Kings 8:10-11)

And that:

“The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud.” 

(1 Kings 8:12)

Job, speaking of the majesty of God, said:

He covers the face of His throne, 

And spreads His cloud over it.

(Job 26:9)

And it is not only in the Old Testament that we hear of God being in the cloud. At the time of Jesus’ transfiguration, Mark relates that:

…a cloud came and overshadowed them; 

and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 

‘This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”

(Mark 9:7)

When Luke talks about the coming of the Son of Man, he states:

Then they will see the Son of Man 

coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

(Luke 21:27) 

Now when He had spoken these things, 

while they watched, He was taken up, 

and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

(Acts 1:9)

And it ends in Revelation with this:

…behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud 

sat One like the Son of Man…

and in His hand a sharp sickle… 

…So He who sat on the cloud 

thrust in His sickle on the earth, 

and the earth was reaped.

(Revelation 14:14&16)

And so God is associated with a cloud from the book of Genesis right through to the book of Revelation. It shows in another way how the Bible is unified from beginning to end, even though it is composed of many books written over a long period of time. 

And it is in such context that we should think about it.

 

Pastor Caroline - Hope - First Sunday of Advent

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Romans Part 31

Dr. Barclay wth Something to Think About - BLIND

 BLIND

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 

And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, 

this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, 

but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 

I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; 

the night is coming when no one can work.”

(John 9:1-4)

Just before this event took place, Jesus had already been having difficulties with the Jewish leaders because of His actions and beliefs. Now He went against the belief that most, if not all, handicaps came about as a result of some indiscretion, either on the part of the individual or their parents. Furthermore, He went on to heal the man of his blindness, much to the chagrin of the Jewish leaders.

Their response to this event was not to examine what had happened in a careful manner but to say that: “this Man is a sinner” (John 9:24) referring to Jesus. The blind man replied: “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25).

It is a tragedy for anyone to be handicapped in a way that prevents that person from fulfilling their true potential. And that handicap could be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual in nature. How often do we still tend to find some fault with the person or the parents or with the system when such happens? It could be something that was taken during pregnancy, or something that was done, or a virus, or a medication; and although those may undoubtedly play a part, perhaps more that we realize, it may be as Jesus said: “that the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3).

Perhaps this shows why handicapped people such as Helen Keller, born deaf and blind, are eventually able to live such a miraculous life. Nicholas Vujicic, born without limbs, has become a world renowned evangelist and motivational speaker. Some people may even have chosen, before they were born, to have a handicap. Drs. Lundahl and Widdison, in their book, The Eternal Journey, report that there had been those who had such near-death experiences. During the time that they were on the other side, they met their children, still yet to be born, who chose to be born with some handicap.* Is that why Jesus said to the Jewish leaders that the man was blind so “that the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3)?

But the real blindness seemed to be not in the man born that way but in those leaders who refused to accept the reality of what they had witnessed. The blind man himself did not understand all that had happened, but he accepted the fact that his life had changed. He said: “…you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!” (John 9:30) He went on to say: “…if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him” (John 9:31).

But the Pharisees haughty replied: “You were completely born in sins, and [are] teaching us?”(John 9:34) As a result “they cast him [the blind man] out”(John 9:34); in effect excommunicating him. Jesus replied to the Pharisees: 

“For judgement I have come into this world, 

that those who do not see may see, 

and those who see may be made blind.” 

Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, 

and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” 

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind [not aware of the law], 

you would have no sin; but now you say ‘We see (know the law).’ 

Therefore your sin remains”(John 9:41)

It has been said: “As much of heaven is visible as we have eyes to see.”**

It has also been said that: “There are none so blind as those who will not see.”*** 

Likewise, it has been said that: “You will never be able to make some understand or accept something if you are too stubborn or unwilling to learn or notice.” ***

In some ways we are all Pharisees because of what we fail to notice and do not try to understand. 

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, 

being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power 

and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

(Romans 1:20)

To some extent, blindness affects us all, and it is something we should all seriously think about. 

*From The Eternal Journey Chapter 3 by Craig R Lundahl, Ph.D., chairman emeritus Dept of Social Sciences and professor emeritus Western New Mexico University; and Harold Widdison, professor of medical sociology Northern Arizona University

** Quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson American poet (1803-1882)

***FromThe FreeDictionary by Farlex 

Pastor Caroline - Bus to Glory - Heaven Bound

Thank you to all who contributed to the Shoe Box campaign. Through your donations we were able to fill 28 boxes. A big thank you to our super shopper, Janice, for shopping and filling those boxes. And a big thank you to all of you who filled your own boxes. God has used many hands to reach out and the spread the gospel to children across the world.

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Romans Part 30

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - HE SAT

 HE SAT

Perhaps the most important person in the hierarchy of the Jewish religion, during the time of the Old Testament, was the High Priest. He was the leader of the religion as well as being a powerful political figure. It was he who was in charge of the temple and of the sacrifices and who, once per year, entered the Holy of Holies to make amends for the sins of the people. He was considered the intermediary between the people and God and was someone whose work never seemed to be completed.

In the New Testament, Jesus is considered to be the High Priest for His followers. Hebrews puts it this way: “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” (Hebrews 4:14)* It goes on to say: “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

This means that while Christ, as our high priest, had all the feelings and emotions that we have, He remained free from sin. This is unlike the high priests in Old Testament times who continually had to make intercessions for their own sins before they could do so on behalf of their people. Frequently, year after year, he would have to make sacrifices to cover his own misdoings before making similar reparations on behalf of the Jewish nation. It is no wonder he remained so busy keeping up with the needs of his followers.

This perhaps explains why, in all the furnishings in the temple, there was no chair, no place to sit, no place to rest himself, but instead he had to constantly remain standing to continue to perform his priestly duties. “…the priests went always into the first tabernacle…But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people” (Hebrews 9:6-7). “For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices…” (Hebrews 8:3).

But Christ came as “an High Priest of good things to come…by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us…And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” (Hebrews 9:11-12,15) “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28). 

The high priest had to repeat his work many times and over many years but Christ did it once, and as He said: “It is finished” (John 19:30). Then He “…sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).

Isn’t it nice to know that everything has been done for us and we just have to accept it? There really is nothing more you have to think about.

*All scripture is from KJV

Pastor Caroline - Do You Believe?

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Romans Part 29

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - THE LAST PROPHECY

 THE LAST PROPHECY

If one looks carefully at the Bible, there can be found about 400 different prophecies concerning the birth, life, and death of the Messiah. It is hard to be really accurate regarding this number because some writers combine two or more similar prophecies into one and others split one prophetic statement into two or three subdivisions. Regardless of this, there are many prophetic statements concerning the Messiah and it is felt that Jesus fulfilled all of them perfectly. Peter Stoner, a former Chairman of the Departments of Mathematics and Astronomy at Pasadena City College, along with a number of students, examined just eight specific prophecies and determined that the likelihood of any one man fulfilling these eight prophecies by chance alone was about one in ten to the seventeenth power. This would be about the equivalence of finding one silver dollar from among the mass of silver dollars if the entire State of Texas were covered in them to a depth of about two feet.

So these prophecies, mentioned above, are from the Old Testament, but even in the New Testament there are those statements which prophesy about Christ and His mission. At the very last stage of His ministry, Jesus was brought before Pilate and, although innocent, was condemned. Pilate was aware of this and even said to the Jews “I find no fault in Him at all” (John 18:38). But Barabbas, a known robber, was freed and thereby it was shown that Christ, the innocent, would take the place of man, the guilty.

This, however, was not the last prophecy. This was made unknowingly by the high priest Caiaphas when the priest and Pharisees gathered to plan what to do with Jesus. One  apparently said: “If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” (John 11:48) Caiaphas, being somewhat arrogant, relied: “You know nothing at all” (John 11:49). Thinking of his own position and not of what should be considered moral and right, went on further to say: “it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish,” (John 11:50). And so he “…prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation…” as well as “…gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad”( John 11:51&52) “Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.” (John 11:53)

So in his arrogance and self-serving manner, Caiaphas unwittingly gave the last prophecy concerning the Saviour and pointed out that Jesus was indeed the One, although innocent, who would be chosen to die for the guilty and for the nation at the same time gathering together all the children of God.

The prophecy that Christ fulfilled on the cross giving us always something to think about.

Pastor Caroline - The God of Impossible

Isaiah 40:8

 

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Romans Part 28