Christ-follower, Husband, Dad, Pastor

word study

January 29, 2013

ANGEL Secret Service 007

Angels are God’s servants, engaged in special service.

Father God utilizes angels as His supernatural servants within human history. We do not have to be anxious about their angelic jobs and responsibilities because they are under our Father’s orders. Evangelist Billy Graham encapsulates their ambition, “They [angels] are motivated by an inexhaustible love for God and are jealous to see that the will of God in Jesus Christ is fulfilled in us.” (1975, p. 88-89.)  Graham appropriately titled his book– Angels: God’s Secret Agents.

Secret agents? I like that imagery. Throughout my life, I have been fascinated by spy stories and clandestine operations. When I sleep, I often dream of being a spy. Actually, the only dreams I ever seem to remember are “spiritual” dreams in which God is trying to speak to me and spy dreams. Perhaps that explains why I enjoyed working as undercover security for a department store before I joined the staff of Valley Fellowship. Maybe it also sheds light on why I value pictures of my daughter as a superhero.

Hebrews 1:14 NIV rhetorically solicits, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”  The writer assumes readers will answer: “Yes”!

The word “ministering” is the English translation of the Greek word leitourgikos which carries the idea of being “engaged in special service.” (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 591) The Greek word is more closely akin to worship or cultic service, actions of a “liturgy”.  Even our English word “liturgy” finds its roots in the Greek roots of this word. Hebrews 9:21 and 10:11 apply a form of this word to the ministry of OT priests. Hebrews 8:2, 6 relates it to Christ’s priesthood. Hebrews 12:22 mentions myriads of angels in festive gathering. I realize the responsibility of angelic worship is important, but the first chapter of Hebrews highlights:

  • the role of angels in ministering to Jesus Christ (1:7) AND
  • the ministering spirits’ role specifically for believers (1:14).

Heavenly angels are tasked by our Heaven Father to be “engaged in special service.” I still find myself fixating on that thought – “special service”. When I finish posting, I’m going to youtube Johnny River’s 1966 hit “Secret Agent Man”. Okay, now my mind is flooded with spy movie scenes from 007 flicks, Bourne series, Mission Impossible, Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, Cars 2, and more!

Angels surround us in a generally unseen spiritual realm; that’s cloak-and-dagger stuff. Undercover activity by humans isn’t always good. Thugs covertly employed liars to accuse full-of-God’s-grace-and-power Stephen in Acts chapter 6. Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament says the verb “secretly induced” (Acts 6:11 NASB) includes the idea “to employ a secret agent in one’s place.” While fallen angels, demons, also may secretly plot like Stephen’s opponents, Heavenly angels are under our Heavenly Father’s orders to work for God’s interests, our best interests! We should not be fearful; God’s secret service is on assignment for Him.

The mention of personal angelic assistance by the writer of Hebrews (1:14) must have brought encouragement and comfort to those early believers who were facing severe persecution. Doesn’t the thought of an angelic secret service encourage you?

January 25, 2013

Water Leak Anointing

We had a minor flood in our offices Thursday night. I appreciate Will and John and Corey and Patti and Mom who came and stayed late as we tried to limit the damage. My office is a mess right now. No, this is not how my office usually looks. Okay, maybe my desktop isn’t that far from normal, but my office feels messy to me!

As I was moving files, boxes, and books, I came across on old folder I haven’t opened in more than 20 years. Inside were several papers I wrote as an undergraduate student at Oral Roberts University. Back in the 1980s, we were still using typewriters. How did I ever manage to get those papers typed?

One of the papers I typed as a freshman on February 8, 1985. I think I actually typed this paper while sitting in the 12th floor stairwell because my roommate (Tony Smith – where are you now?) had uncharacteristically gone to bed early. I don’t remember for what class this was an assignment, but whoever graded must have liked it. I was encouraged as I read it and share it today hoping it encourages you. The one-page double-spaced paper was based on Jesus public reading of Isaiah 61:1-2, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me…” (Luke 4:18a NIV84).

 

Isaiah is quoted more than once by Jesus, probably because Isaiah’s central theme is salvation. Isaiah showed God as the Savior of His people, who delivered them out of Egypt, who will deliver them from their coming captivity, and who will send His Son to deliver all captives. Isaiah 61:1&2 gives a full account of what Christ came into the world to do. When Jesus read these verses, He was in Nazareth, His hometown. Jesus had gone to the synagogue, “as His custom was. (Lk. 4:16)” In the Jewish synagogues seven people read every sabbath, the first a priest, the second a Levite, and the other five were Israelites of the synagogue. On this Sabbath, Jesus was one of the five. After concluding the reading, Jesus says, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Lk. 4:21)” Jesus truly did fulfill prophecy.

The word “anointed” is essential in these verses. In the Greek, the word aleipho is a term used for almost any kind of anointing. However, in these verses aleipho is not used. The word chrio is used. Chrio is used for more specific anointings, especially anointings with sacred or symbolic meaning. The use of this gives Jesus something special, the anointing of God. Therefore, Jesus is Christ or “The Anointed One.”

The idea that Jesus was anointed during this time in His life, has great impact on my life. The first thirteen verses of Luke 4 tell of Jesus’ temptation by Satan. After Jesus’ statements in the synagogue, the people were about to kill Him. If Jesus was anointed, then He was anointed during these trying times. If I can realize that I am anointed with God’s Holy Spirit in every situation that I face, I will succeed.

January 9, 2013

Strength for Today – Strong in the Lord

The strength needed to live life successfully is found in God’s unlimited power.

Life has struggles. Sooner or later, every person faces overwhelming circumstances, situations seemingly impossible to make it through. If we are honest, we all recognize our need for help. Sometimes, the stress is FAR beyond our own strength to handle it. Lowell Streiker (Encyclopedia of Humor) shares the following story that I think even a husband can understand.

The harried housewife sprang to the telephone when it rang and listened with relief to the kindly voice in her ear. “How are you, darling?” it said. “What kind of a day are you having?”

“Oh, Mother,” said the housewife, breaking into bitter tears, “I’ve had such a bad day. The baby won’t eat, the washing machine is broke down, I haven’t had a chance to go shopping, and besides, I’ve just sprained my ankle and I have to hobble around. On top of that, the house is a mess and I’m supposed to have two couples to dinner tonight.”

The mother was shocked and was full of sympathy. “Oh, darling,” she said, “sit down, relax, and close your eyes. I’ll be over in half an hour. I’ll do your shopping, clean up the house, and cook your dinner for you. I’ll feed the baby, and I’ll call a repairmen I know who’ll be at your house to fix the washing machine promptly. Now stop crying. I’ll do everything. In fact, I’ll even call George at the office and tell him he ought to come home and help out for once.”

“George?” said the housewife. “Who’s George?”

“Why, George! Your husband! . . . Is this 284-1373?”

“No, it’s 284-1376.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I have the wrong number.”

There was a short pause. Then the young woman asked, “Does this mean you’re not coming over?”

Ever wished for help?  We all need strength, but too often we are like the young mother vainly seeking assistance from strangers! Guess what? You aren’t likely to find the help you need from a mom’s misdialed connection, but Heavenly Father is available. The classic hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” praises the Lord who gives “strength for today.” Psalmists repeatedly honor the Lord for the strength He provides (search “strength” in the Book of Psalms at www.biblegateway.com). Here are just three:

  • The Lord gives his people strength.  Psalm 28:8 NLT
  • The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.  Psalm 29:11 NLT
  • God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!  Psalm 68:35 NLT

Writing under Holy Spirit inspiration, the Apostle Paul commands, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10 NIV). The strength we need is found in only one place – “in the Lord.” Paul isn’t encouraging a stiff-upper-lip-attitude. He isn’t calling for his readers to grit their teeth and pretend. He is pointing to the location we must go if we are to find the strength we need.

Paul wanted believers in Ephesus (and all Christ-followers!) to have a greater understanding of the awesome strength that is available to God’s people. Paul writes,“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT) Paul revisited the need in Ephesians 6:10, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”

We need to be wrapped up in God’s strength. Kenneth Wuest (Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader) says the Paul’s choice of words in Ephesians 6:10 conveys the idea of “to clothe one’s self with strength as one puts on a garment.” Can you see the impact of that imagery? We are familiar with that activity. Don’t you put on clothes every day? I get dressed everyday. Okay, some relaxing days at home I may not be very dressed-up, but my family insists I have on clothes. Getting dress is normal, daily, activity. For the Christ-follower, receiving God’s strength should be just as normal, even more than common.

We shouldn’t be content just to receive God’s strength one time.  Regularly, we need to reach out for strengthening. Wuest’s comments on Ephesians 6:10 reveal the ongoing nature of this dependance. “Here the verb is in the passive voice, ‘be continually strengthened.’ The qualifying phrase, ‘in the Lord,’ defines the strengthening as Christian strengthening, such as can take effect only in union with the Lord . . . ‘be strengthened,’ causes the saint to depend on the Lord for the supply of that strength . . . Translation. Finally, be constantly strengthened in the Lord . . .”

People cannot strengthen themselves; they must be empowered, and that not once for all but constantly, as the tense of the Greek indicates. Furthermore, he says, not ‘by the Lord,’ though that would be true enough, but again in the Lord. When life is lived in union with Him, within the orbit of His will and so of His grace, there need not be failure due to powerlessness (1 John 2:14). Apart from Him the Christian can do nothing (John 15:1-5), but there is available all the strength of His might. ( Francis Foulkes in Tyndale NT Commentary Ephesians)

I can – I SHOULD live in a place of strength. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in me. Jesus Christ won the ultimate victory when He died and rose again. I don’t fight FOR victory; I fight FROM victory! I want to live life successfully. Today, I will draw from the steady current of God’s power available to me via praying in the Holy Spirit, feeding upon His Word, connection with other believers, fasting and other spiritual disciplines, and many more avenues. I desire strength for today. How about you?

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