1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Posted on June 1, 2008 by Daniel Silas

“1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.”

The kingdom of God is not built by persuasive, wise men of great words, nor is it possible to be built by such things. No one can argue or persuade anyone to follow Jesus. I’ve talked my head off, did my best to present good information, logic, and good points to no avail. It wasn’t that I was trying to do the work of the Lord on my own, but I did not realize the truth. God is the one that saves, not men. It doesn’t matter how wise or how great of an orator a man is, nor does human effort. It is true that God has chosen to use men to spread the Good News of Jesus, but we can’t cause the Gospel of Jesus to fail, nor can we with our best efforts make it successful. It is God’s work that makes the difference. We are just a tool in the hand of God. It is His ability, skill, and plan that makes the Word successful.

“2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.”

Making Christ, His cross, and His resurrection known is the calling that God has given us in the work of Evangelism. I know I have felt like Paul many times. I am weak. When I have approached people to share Christ, it has been scarey at times. I am sure I trembled as well. At first, Evangelism was difficult. Over time as I have learned and experienced more and more while sharing Christ, it has become easier.

The best thing I learned is that there is nothing I can do to cause God’s truth to fail. My job is to be obedient to share it. That is where our success is based. If no one ever followed Jesus through a life time of sharing Him with others, I would still be successful because God called us to preach the truth. Obedience is the key. Salvation is His work, and He is the one that changes the heart and draws men to Himself.

“4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

The key to the success of the Gospel is found here in verse four. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that the Word takes root in the heart of those who hear it. Plus, the Apostles were blessed to be used by God to demonstrate His power in a variety of ways. They saw people healed, the blind given their site, and the lame standing up on strong legs and feet in the name of Jesus Christ. The miracles were no greater than the miracle of God changing the hearts of those who heard and saw these things. Every time a sinner repents and believes on Jesus, we witness a miracle and the power of God in that life.

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1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Posted on May 29, 2008 by Daniel Silas

“18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. “

Paul makes a clear distinction between two groups here. Those who are perishing and those who are being saved. The only difference that I can see here between the two is the group being saved has had salvation initiated in them by God who makes His light shine into the heart to bring the knowledge of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). God is the one who gives eyes to see and ears to hear (Proverbs 20:12). When God reveals the truth to a man, the man sees Christ and the cross for what it truly is: the power of God unto salvation.

“19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

God chose to bring judgment against the wise and those who understand according to the knowledge of men. We see the reason in verse 21.

“20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”

The work of God in Christ through the cross is the complete opposite of what men would devise. For the Jew, the Messiah would be a great and powerful warrior king. He would free them from the yoke of oppression and bring all the promises of God to fulfillment. Of course, Christ will do that at the Second Coming, but the wisdom of the Jewish leadership led them to ignore the suffering servant passages revealed in the prophets. Even the disciples of Jesus asked when He would restore the kingdom of Israel and fulfill that role (Acts 1:6). The gentile nations always followed the conquering leader. Strength in leadership. For Christ to be put to death was something they would never have imagined.

“21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”

Paul clearly gives us the reason why God chose to destroy the wisdom of the world because through the greatest earthly wisdom, men did not know God. Therefore God is pleased to carry out His plan of salvation to save those who believe when the world considers it foolishness. They see the truth of Christ as something to be ridiculed. This fact is true even in our day. If you watch any of the secular shows about Jesus and the Bible they always have liberal “scholars” in interviews saying that Christ isn’t what the New Testament claims. Many say He never died on the cross. Many say that He never rose again. They sit there with a smirk and a look of contempt on their faces. It is a shame. For us, who are being saved, we see and know the truth. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and He was resurrected proving everything in the Bible true. From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation. We see it and believe it because God reveals it clearly to us.

“22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; “

The Jews did request signs, and even when Jesus performed miracles that no one else had ever done they didn’t believe. An example would be when Jesus healed the man who had been blind from birth (John 9). No one had ever done that before. The Greeks who represent the enlightened, educated Gentiles of the day seek after wisdom. But they can’t accept Christ crucified as true wisdom because it doesn’t line up with what they believe. They want to believe what they have been taught growing up (tradition), what they believe to be wisdom (man made), or what they want to believe about (a) god(s) (man made religion). They will not believe the true word preached.

“23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,”

Men will not accept God’s plan. It is His design and His purpose. It is not what men want to believe. For the Jews, Jesus became the stone on which they would stumble. Which points to Jesus being God (Isaiah 8:13-15). And of course, Jesus is not what the Greeks wanted to believe. Anything men do not want to believe they will call foolish or other worse terms. When Paul preached the message at Athens he was mocked by a number of those who heard him (Acts 17:32).

“24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. “

The difference between those who are perishing and those being saved is shown in this verse. It is those who are called who see Jesus as God’s salvation and wisdom. And men do not see unless God reveals it to them, nor can they know God unless Christ reveals Him (Luke 10:21-23). Jesus is the power and wisdom of God in all things. Also, we see that God chose to save Jews and Gentiles through Christ. I love the text in Isaiah 49:6. It is too small a thing for Jesus to only bring salvation to the nation of Israel, therefore God made Him a light to the gentiles so that God’s salvation would reach to the ends of the earth. All glory be to His name.

“25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. “

I would say that the wisdom and strength of God can’t even be compared to men. His wisdom is so far above ours, and His strength can’t even be comprehended by us. Our brains are too small to conceive of Him in the fullness of His wisdom and strength. I do understand what Paul is saying here.

“26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. “

This section of 1 Corinthians is the only part of the New Testament where we get a little insight into God’s will and purpose in calling those He did. We get a very small sliver of understanding of God’s will and purpose in His election. We know He did not call many according to wisdom, strength, or nobility. Though He did call some because it is His desire that all classes of men are saved (1 Timothy 2:4).

“27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.”

God’s purpose in choosing those He has chosen is so that no one will be able to glory in His presence. So no one will be able to come before God in pride and arrogance. God hates the look of the haughty (Proverbs 6:16-17). God chose the foolish, the weak, base things, those who are despised, and those things that are not. Those few who are called from the noble, mighty, and wise will recognize that they really are not noble, mighty, and wise. They will see that they are really nothing just like everyone else. For the truth of the matter is that God has created all men equal and we are nothing but dirt. The only reason we have life is because God breathed life into us. We live because of Him.

“30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— “

The ESV says, “because of him you are in Christ Jesus.” This gives us a clear understanding that it is God’s choice, it is His calling, His election, and His work that brings us to Christ. We belong to Jesus because we were given to Him by the Father (John 17:6-11). Jesus is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and redemption. He has done it all from beginning to end.

“31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” “

We cannot take credit for any part of our salvation. God and Christ did it all. All glory for our salvation goes to God. All glory and honor are due to Him. Our part is kneeling at His precious feet in worship and honor. Giving back to Him everything He has given us. Even the rewards and crowns we receive from Him are placed at His feet (Revelation 4:10). All glory and honor be to the name of Jesus Christ. Praise Him all you people from the least to the greatest.

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1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Posted on May 28, 2008 by Daniel Silas

“10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

—————-

April 20, 2008, News Story:

Israeli police rushed into Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre to break up fist fights between dozens of Greek and Armenian worshippers on Orthodox Palm Sunday, witnesses said.
Some 20 officers intervened after Armenian worshippers threw a Greek Orthodox priest out of the church, sparking a free-for-all, they said….

Full story here.

—————-

We should love each other like Jesus loves us, and by so doing, it shows that we are His followers (John 13:34-35). Paul wants us to be one in all things, but of course the Corinthians weren’t. The history of the church is one epic failure in regard to Paul’s statement here in verse 10. I am ashamed of the terrible divisions that have gone on that lead right on up to our day.

The good side of church history shows that there are those who do love their brothers, seek to agree on everything and do what is right. That is true. The bad side of church history is a story of tragedy, corruption, selfishness, power grabs, greed, persecution, hatred, murder, and various other terrible things. You have people excommunicating one another, un-ordaining people, and a ton of other examples.

I grieve, but I am not surprised by any of it. That is all I have to say.

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Jesus a Son?

Posted on May 28, 2008 by Daniel Silas

A few weeks ago at church on Wednesday night, we got into a light discussion on what it means for Jesus to be the “Son” of God. And we talked about Mary and the virgin birth, and how the child she carried relates to her physically.

Muslims think that Christians believe that God and Mary had a physical union of some kind and produced Jesus. That is absolutely wrong. We do not believe there was any kind of physical relationship between God and Mary in any way.

I decided to do this in a question and answer form. It seems to be easier that way.

1) Why is Jesus called the Son of God?

There are a number of factors that play into this title.

First of all, I believe in one God (Deut 6:4). The one God is made up of three persons. They act as one, they speak as one, they think as one, they will as one, they are one in relationship, and they exist with the complete, full essense of God in them. God has always existed and has no beginning and no end. They are not divided in anyway, yet they have a distinctness of three persons that is part of that full essense of God. We see in the text that they can and do act distinctly as well as together. I don’t pretend to understand it, but that is what is revealed in scripture and I embrace it.

Within that relationship of God there is an authority. One of the three is the head, and the other two submit. God is spirit (John 4:24), and does not have any gender as He does not have a physical form. So how did Jesus become a son?

In a way, the Father and Son relationship has eternally existed between Jesus and the Father. But I think that relationship is based mostly on the authority and submissive relationship within God that has always existed. When Jesus stepped into our universe and time, He took on an additional component. He incarnated a human body. That body was male. He is 100% God and 100% man.

I believe that like Adam, Jesus’ body was a special creation. The body was 100% human, and it was created perfect and without the curse of sin that all human beings carry from Adam. For Jesus to be sinless and to die for our sins, He would have had to have a sinless, non-cursed body or He would have died on the cross under the sin of Adam. Plus, for Him to incarnate a human body it would have to be sinless. Being God, He could not dwell in a sinful tent.

So you have this special 100% human, sinless body created. The person of God who we know as Jesus incarnated that body. The person of God we call the Holy Spirit placed that body incarnated by God into the womb of Mary where it began developing. Nine months later, Mary delivered Jesus in Bethlehem.

So Jesus is called the Son of God:

a) He is God, who was born
b) He took on the additional component of a sinless, male human body
c) That body was a special creation like Adam’s body was a special creation.
d) The person of God we know as Jesus is submissive to the person of God we know as the Father as a human son is to a human father. Jesus revealed Him to us as a Father.

Some texts to support this:

Luke 3:38c, “the son of Adam, the son of God”

Adam is called the son of God here in the lineage of Jesus. Adam is called a son of God because he was created by God and God breathed life into him. Jesus is the only “begotten Son of God” because His body was a special creation like Adam’s and it was incarnated by God.

Matthew 1:18-20, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (ESV).

This text shows that the human body of Jesus was “from” the Holy Spirit. It was not that the Holy Spirit used Mary’s egg or something like that. The body was from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit created the body and placed it in Mary’s womb.

Luke 1:34-35, “And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God.”

In this text, we see that Mary questions the messenger about her conception because she is a virgin. The Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her, and because Jesus was born He would carry the title, Son of God. Together with this text in Matthew we can clearly see that the Holy Spirit acted on Mary by placing this special body into her womb. The child was “from” the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 10:4-7, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
Therefore, when He came into the world, He [Jesus] said: ‘ Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God'” (NKJV).

In this text in Hebrews, we see Jesus say specifically to the Father that His body was prepared for Him. It was a body without sin, created specifically outside the curse of Adam to carry the sins of His people. So that His sacrifice could be done once for all sin to purify those who call on His name for salvation.

1 Corinthians 15:45, “And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

Jesus is called the “last Adam.” That is one reason why I believe His body was a special creation. What other possible reason could there be for Jesus having that title? The first Adam brought death to us, the second Adam (Jesus) brought life.

2) Did God use Mary’s egg to produce the body of Jesus somehow?

I do not think so. The reason I think His body was a special creation placed in her womb instead of God using her egg is because Mary was a sinner. She carried the curse of Adam just like every human being does. If God would have used her egg, the body of Jesus would carry the sin of Adam just like we all do.

Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—”

Genesis 5:3, “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”

From these two texts we see that Adam’s sin was passed to all of his children. Through one man sin entered the world, which brought death and spread to all men. Seth was a son of Adam, and he was born in the likeness of Adam. This was after the fall when sin entered into humanity. Therefore Seth carried the sinful likeness of Adam.

Adam and Eve were both sinners. Eve sinned before Adam, and they were both cursed by God with death and other punishments. When Adam and Eve had daughters their sin passed to the daughters in full force just as it passed to the sons fully. There is no difference. Mary was under the curse of Adam just like every other daughter of Adam and Eve. And we are all guilty of Adam’s sin, male and female. We are all guilty of Eve’s sin, male and female as we are her children as well as Adam’s.

3) If Jesus’ body was a special creation, how could He be called the Son of David?

The geneaology of Jesus in Matthew is traced down to Joseph who was Jesus’ chosen earthly father. The genealogy of Jesus in Luke is thought to be traced down through Mary’s side. Joseph is listed there in Luke (from what I understand) because being the husband of Mary he would be included in Mary’s family. In Matthew’s lineage Jesus is traced back to Solomon the son of David. In Luke’s lineage it is traced back to Nathan the son of David. That is one reason Luke’s lineage is considered to be Mary’s fathers.

We know that God had chosen Solomon to carry the promise that God made to David about his line always being Kings over Israel (2 Samuel 7:12-17; 1 Chronicles 28:2-8). And because God chose Joseph to be the earthly father of Jesus, and He chose Mary to be the earthly mother of Jesus, He is called the Son of David. His parents were chosen by God, therefore all the promises made to David would pass to Jesus.

In 2 Samuel 7:12-17, God also tells David that his descendents would be God’s sons and God would be their Father. That is another reason Jesus is called the Son of God.

e) Jesus is the Son of God because of the promises made to David by God (The Davidic Covenant).

So as you can see Jesus’ title Son of God has a lot of aspects. There is ample evidence to support that title and relationship between Him and the Father. It is amazing to see how God has worked everything out according to His plans. I am thankful that He always does. He is a God of promises and a God who fulfills everything He says.

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1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Posted on May 27, 2008 by Daniel Silas

From the English Standard Version:

“1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,”

Specific men are called to fulfill specific service according to God’s will. A man cannot fulfill a role unless God has called him to it. Paul was called by God to be an apostle. He successfully completed the work that Christ gave to him to do during his life time. He was set apart as an apostle.

One definition of an apostle is one sent out directly by Christ to fulfill a mission. It appears that the apostles were sent where no one had been before to plant churches. There were twelve official apostles and Paul, who was a special calling by Jesus to the work. These men had a special mission, and were also given special gifts to accomplish it. We call those sent on missions today, missionaries, and I believe they are empowered by the Spirit with everything they need to accomplish it. Though, they may not be empowered in the same way as the first apostles.

Judas did not fulfill the role of an apostle and was replaced by Matthias after Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts 1. Sosthenes was a helper to Paul in the work of the ministry.

“2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:”

The letter was written to the church at Corinth. That is the audience of the letter and must be taken into account when interpreting it. The audience here is believers. Then we have some truth about the church. The church here was sanctified in Jesus , which means set apart. They were called to belong to Jesus. The question could be posed, “called by who?” The answer would be called by God. They are called just like everyone, everywhere, who call upon the name of Jesus. Who is the Lord of all Christians across the planet. If the Lordship of Christ is not part of a believer’s walk, then I would be concerned about the truth of their call. If Jesus is Lord, then He holds authority and power over those who call on His name, and it is the believer’s obligation to obey Him in their lives.

“3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “

Paul desires for God’s grace and peace to cover the believers here at Corinth. I think this would be the desire of any Christian for other believers. I think it would be especially true for those who God has called into leadership of His people. It shows that Paul had concern for them, and its used as a greeting to them as well.

“4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, “

Paul is thankful to God. He gives thanks because Paul recognizes that these people at Corinth who have believed belong to God. They were given grace through Christ Jesus. And also, Paul is thankful for what he discusses next. But ultimately, Paul recognizes God’s hand in the grace that had been given. If the grace did not come from God there would be no reason to give thanks.

“5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— “

It is by the grace of God that we grow in Jesus. The words of the church at Corinth show that they are growing in Christ. Those who follow Jesus should do so in word and action. God found it good to teach them all knowledge concerning Jesus. That confirms the word that Jesus spoke, that the Holy Spirit when He came would teach them all things (John 14:26).

“6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— “

The testimony here I believe refers to the message brought to them by Paul. That message about Jesus was confirmed to them by the great work of the Holy Spirit through various gifts of the Spirit. The fact that some believed could be confirmation as well as faith if a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). And, it could be that God confirmed the message in various other ways.

“7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, “

The Holy Spirit had fully blessed them with the gifts they needed, and one of the marks of those who belong to Jesus will be waiting for His revelation. We are to wait patiently for the Lord to be revealed from Heaven. We are to look for His coming as we are instructed to do so by Him (Matthew 24:42).

“8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. “

God is the one who keeps, strengthens, and gives us everything we need. We will be kept by the Spirit guiltless when that day arrives. The reason is that our guilt was placed on Christ at the cross. He died for all of our sins from the beginning of our life until the end of our life. The price was paid, we were bought in full. The perservering of the saints is brought about not by our strength, but by the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives. It is part of God’s grace to those who are called.

“9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The foundation of that grace and promise that we will be sustained is God Himself. It is by His faithfulness, who called us into the relationship we have with Jesus. Who of course is the Messiah and Lord of all those who are called.

There is one powerful truth that I see in these first nine verses. That it is God who does all these things. God chooses and calls men into His service in specific roles. It is God who sanctifies, God who calls us into a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is God who teaches us all things. It is God who blesses us with all knowledge and spiritual gifts. It is God who sustains us through our lives as we wait for Jesus to return. And all of that is based on God’s faithfulness alone.

When Abraham had finished cutting the animals in two (a blood covenant) and God chose to make an everlasting covenant with Him, it was God alone who passed between the pieces of the animal. Abraham was in a deep sleep laying over at the side. God’s covenant would be kept based on God’s faithfulness, not on Abraham’s faithfulness (Genesis 15). The covenant has a number of aspects to it, but two of the greatest promises is that God would be God to Abraham and his descendants forever, and through Abraham all nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen 12:3; 17:7) . We know those promises are fulfilled and focused through Jesus Christ.

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Psalm 121

Posted on May 27, 2008 by Daniel Silas

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Sometimes I turn on the news and watch what is going on in the world. I don’t always trust the news, but that is a different subject. The nation of Israel really is a miracle, and I believe it was reborn in May 1948 by the hand of God. Its in the news all the time for one reason or the other, but one major reason is hatred. Iran is always making comments about it being destroyed, wiped off the map, or some other nonsense. Its a real shame. One thing the leader of Iran should remember is that the God who chose Israel and brought about her rebirth is the one who protects her. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. I think the modern history of warfare against Israel would make that obvious. The key to all end time prophecy is Israel.

The nation of Israel was formed by God when He chose Abraham and his son Isaac to carry the promises and convenant He had made with him. Isaac’s son Jacob was renamed by God to Israel, and his twelve sons would father the twelve tribes of Israel. God had a plan from the very beginning for that nation, and He will carry it out. He took them to Egypt to preserve their life during the great famine that hit during the life of Joseph. He brought them out of Egypt with great wonders and miracles to make His name known throughout the entire earth. He brought them to the land of Canaan to bring judgement against the wicked in the land. He gave them the land of Canaan to fulfill the promises He had made to Abraham. It became the land of Israel at that time. At that time He made the Mosaic Covenant with them. If they trusted in Him and obeyed, they would be blessed. If they did not trust and obey Him, they would be cursed.

God told them in advance and gave them their entire history in advance in the book of Deuteronomy (28-30). He told them that they would forsake the God of their fathers, and He would destroy the nation and scatter them among all nations. But, at some future point God would bring them back to the land and restore all that He had destroyed. He would gather them back together into the land and they would take possession of it. The best promise of all is made at that time as it is writtin in Deut 30:6.

“The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.”

We know that this is the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation through Christ. God circumcises our hearts so that we will love Him with everything we are and live. The way God brings about those things that are prophecied is amazing. It began when He allowed Israel to be reborn. It was His hand that brought about their capture of Jerusalem in 1967, and it is His hand bringing about their salvation through circumcision of the heart. Chosen People’s ministries (see link on the right) is part of an amazing work among the Israeli people. Just 10 years ago or so there were very few Messianic congregations in Israel. I was told it was around 3 or so a few years ago. When I talked to David Sedaca he said there are over 200 Messianic congregations in Israel now. God is fulfilling His promises. He restored Israel and brought her people back to the land not for their sake, but for the sake of His Holy name (Ezekiel 36:22).

God is fulfilling His promises to the people of Israel, and He neither slumbers or sleeps. He is the one who protects and takes care of them. The nations of the earth rage at Israel because she exists, but that is all in the plan as well. The nations of the earth will know that God is the Lord when He is shown to be holy through the nation of Israel (Ezekiel 36:23).

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Psalm 122

Posted on May 27, 2008 by Daniel Silas

1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

I met a young man who waited on my wife and I this past weekend when we went out to dinner. He was very nice, and we had a good conversation. He was brought up in church, but he did not go to church as an adult. He basically said that he doesn’t attend because of the hypocrisy and shallow religous attitudes toward different things. One example is how religious people act concerning dressing up for services and how they look down on others who go casual.

I hear these things a lot from people, and I have written about it before in a past blog entry. Unfortunately, no church is perfect. Nor would I be able to attend a church that is perfect because my imperfection would ruin it. There are always going to be problems at church because the church isn’t the building. The church is the people who attend. With all human beings there are going to be mistakes made and wrong decisions. People are going to be shallow, and they are going to do things that hurt other’s feelings. That is the way it is in any human organization. It shouldn’t be like that at church, but it is.

Even though there are problems in church, whenever it is time for church you will find me attending. I love to go to church, and I love to take part in what is going on there. It isn’t because the people. I go to church because its about God and Jesus. When I go to church I do so to worship the Lord and to learn more about Him. I love the people as well even with all of our problems because they are the people of God. Jesus wants us to love each other like He loves us (John 13:34). I go to church focused on God not on my neighbor. I will always be disappointed if I focus on people. I will never be disappointed if I focus on God.

Some of the deepest and best friendships I have had in my life are because I have met some great people at church. I love church because it is a place to gather together for mutual purpose in worshiping God, learning about Christ, having an organization to do good works with, and to encourage each other in the faith. We can do those good things on a broader scale when we have others to do them with, and we can continually remind one another and encourage one another to stay on the right path. Iron sharpens iron, and I have learned so much from other men that God has taught.

So when someone says its time to go to church, my heart will be glad to do so.

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Martial Arts: Some Thoughts

Posted on May 23, 2008 by Daniel Silas

Mr. Miyagi: Miyagi hate fighting.
Daniel: But you like karate.
Mr. Miyagi: So?
Daniel: Karate’s fighting, you train to fight.
Mr. Miyagi: That what you think?
Daniel: No.
Mr. Miyagi: Then why train?
Daniel: So I won’t have to fight.
Mr. Miyagi: Miyagi have hope for you.

I’ve trained in martial arts for the last 11 years. I started in January of 1997. I always wanted to train in martial arts since I was a little boy, but we didn’t have a lot of money. I grew up watching KungFu Theater on Saturdays, and I watched most all of the Karate movies that came out during the 80s and 90s. Karate Kid was always my favorite. The sequel, Karate Kid II was phenomenal. I found out when I was looking up that part of the script there that the actor, Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi passed away in Nov 2005. That made me a little sad.

So when I grew up and had a job, I joined a local martial arts school. My instructor didn’t teach Okinawan Karate, we trained in Tang Soo Do and Combat Hapkido. Both arts originated in Korea with roots back to China and Japan. I trained for 6 years with my Master. Then I had my own students for a year. Then I moved to the Tulsa area. I trained by myself to keep my skills up. A few months back I enrolled my son in a local school in the area, and I’ve joined up with the school for Fitness Kickboxing. I start instructing on the martial arts side today.

Talking with the chief instructor gave me pause. He related a lot of negative information about John Pelligrini, the Grand Master of Combat Hapkido, that he had read about online. I had heard that there were people out there who didn’t like GM JP or our system, but I had never heard about it first hand. It made me sad. I don’t know if any of it is true or not, but I think there is probably two sides to the story. I may call GM JP sometime and ask.

GM Pelligrini has always been respectful, humble, an excellent teacher, and a honorable man since I’ve known him. I have trained and visited with GM Pelligrini a number of times for 6 years before I moved up here to Tulsa. I trained with him and GM In Sun Seo of the World Kido Federation. I was present during the ceremony when GM In Sun Seo offically recognized our system as an offical Kwan. GM JP and my Master granted me permission to teach my art as well. I don’t have anything negative to say about either of them.

Over the years of my training, I’ve studied a lot of the history of my arts and others. Usually the way it worked was a man would train in different styles and over time he would set out and found his own style. They were never old. Many of the greatest Masters to have ever lived were young when they created their own art. I’ve taken everything I have learned and formed it into my own system. Is it better than others? I don’t think so. It is my personal form of the martial way, and as long as I were to surivive a bad incident, my training has been valuable.

Over the course of my research, most of the arts have very similiar techniques. A kick is a kick, a punch is a punch. A lock, a throw, breathing, and focus are all found across the board. Many martial systems throughout time from around the world have simliar attributes. Warriors in the west trained and developed their own systems, just like those warriors in the east did. I think we can study all systems and learn from them. We should take what is good and leave the rest.

I believe in studying an art in its fullness, including its tradition, philosophy, and techniques, but I don’t think we can say one is better than another. Nor should we allow ourselves to be blinded by tradition. I find those who cling to certain traditions are usually too proud or arrogant to be open minded to the fact that other ways may be a better choice. Bruce Lee proved the point with Jeet Kune Do.

Why learn 3000 different techniques if someone grabs you on the same side with a wrist grab? The only important thing at that moment is one successful technique. I have found that in any given situation there are unlimited ways to respond. As I have attained higher ranks I have come to a point of being more like water. Flowing, changing form, non-resistance, circular movement, and straight lines all have their place. Most combat situations are dynamic, and a person above all else needs to learn to think and flow with whatever comes. Hypothetically, I may have a smaller amount of techniques at my disposal than the next guy, but I can tell you this that I know my techniques and will use them successfully.

I am very flexible in the way I see things. I am always teachable because I know I don’t know everything. I’m open minded to new ideas and philosophy in regard to how things are done. Though I have a solid foundation that I stand on, and I will not be moved from that foundation unless I believe it is the right thing to do. I have a certain way I do things, and I have developed that way with training, time, research, and application.

That brings me back to why I train. I train so I don’t have to fight because I hate violence. If a man is confident in his ability to protect himself, he is more likely to have more control over what he does. Martial training not only trained me how to use my body, but it also trained me on how to control my emotions and mind. A man gains wisdom from instruction, and gains the ability to see ahead. Awareness and avoidance are very important, and I learned that is the first path to take in any situation. You fight if you have to, but you look for peace until that last possible second. I think Mr. Miyagi would approve. :-)

That brings me to the subject of humility. So much of my research and observation shows me that many don’t have humility, nor do they even know what it is. Humility begins when a man recognizes that he is human, has weakness, makes mistakes, and there is always someone out there who can defeat you. They may not defeat you on a particular day, but they may on the next. I see a lot of arrogance and pride through the history of martial arts. People thinking they are better than everyone else, thinking their way is better, thinking that they are undefeatable. Pride has always proceeded a fall. It is really sad. I think the true history of eastern martial arts has been lost. Looking at the history is like looking at a murky pool of water without being able to see the bottom.

That brings me to the subject of associations and paying for recognition. Professional instructors need to eat, there is no doubt about that. We should pay so they can do what they do, but there comes a point where over paying becomes a reality. There comes a point where it becomes more about greed than it does training and passing the knowledge on to the next generation. I have looked at a number of organizations in my styles, but I don’t know which is better and which is worse. I’ve come to the conclusion, that being a part of an association so that you get recognition by others isn’t necessary. As long as you have a good, quality instructor who teaches you what you need to survive an encounter effectively, that is all you need. Who cares if you can take your belt across country and have it recognized.

This whole situation with GM John Peligrini shows me just how un-important it is. People look down on him and his system, and now I have run into someone who almost looks down on my rank. Does it matter what other people think? No it doesn’t. I know what I’ve learned. I know what I have done to get where I am at. I know I will survive if I were put in a bad situation. So in the end: associations, paying people hundred or thousands of dollars so they will recognize what I have worked hard to learn doesn’t matter. What matters is quality of instruction at a local school.

I will say that being involved in a larger group has its benefits, that is for sure. But if those benefis are just me paying money out for someone’s recognition that isn’t even in the same state, I would rather keep my money. Benefits like access to more training, quality assurance for instruction, access to masters who know what they are doing who can pass it on, brotherhood, friendship, and recognition (with everything else its a good thing) are all good reasons to be in a particular organization. Does any particular organization matter? As long as they are quality in all those areas, I think you can choose which ever one you want. But at the end of the day, if you are in a bad situation and have to defend yourself, an association has no relevance.

I learned a lot from Mr. Miyagi growing up. Watching the first two Karate Kid films, really made an impact on my life. I could say that my first real martial arts teacher was Mr. Miyagi. It is true, and I don’t care if people laugh at me for believing it. :-)

Here is one to the memory of Mr. Miyagi. Peace.

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Psalm 120

Posted on May 23, 2008 by Daniel Silas

6 My soul has dwelt too long With one who hates peace.

One day I was sitting in a local restaraunt eating lunch with some co-workers. I was having a grilled ham and cheese sandwhich, and a pile of yummy fries. I had reached for my glass of tea and taken a drink and sat it down. It was then I turned my head to look around that I saw the television. There was an ESPN kickboxing match going on. My heart leapt a little bit with excitement as I turned my chair so I could watch with pleasure while eating my lunch.

I watched one guy throw a lightning jab, cross, jab combo. He then finished it off with a brutal shin kick across his opponent’s outer thigh. I nodded with great satisfaction at the fighter’s ability. His frame was well trained and muscular. He didn’t have an arrogant look to him either, which I appreciated. He was a man who had trained long and hard, he had a heart full of strength to get into the ring, and he had the look in his eyes that I have seen so many times. A look of unwielding iron that will not bend.

Over the years, I can always see the turning point in a fight. The real fight isn’t physical. The real fight is mental and in the heart. I have seen it hundreds of times. When a man breaks in his heart is when the fight is over. After that the physical aspects of a fighter goes with it. It is interesting to see people break as soon as they get into the ring before the fight begins, and it is interesting to see those who do not break. A good fighter trains his mind to focus and continue fighting no matter what. It is the wise fighter who clads his heart with armor, fires it in the furnace, pounds on it with the blacksmith’s hammer, and cools it in icy water to harden it into shape.

So I was sitting there watching this kickboxing match about to take another bite of my sandwhich, when the Lord smote me. It was not a physical blow, but it was a moment where He lifted me out of myself and looked deep into my eyes. His word to me, “The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates” (Psalm 11:5).

God hates violence and those who love it! I sat there dumbfounded for a few minutes thinking about that, and it was then I decided to turn my chair back away from the tele and eat my lunch. God hates violence, and I had to repent of my sin.

Sitting here writing this my mind flashes back over the last thirty something years of my life. I remember when I was a little boy and how violence upset me. Brutal cruel violence still bothers me, and I have never been able to watch Friday the 13th type of violence. But, I grew up watching Rocky, Rambo, Red Dawn, Predator, Aliens, and many, many other films and shows. Some of my favorite parts in Star Wars are the space battles. In Star Trek when the captain gives the order to “fire” and the phasers and photon torpedoes shoot and launch into space it always gives me a thrill. I loved the violence in video games. Doom 2 was one of my favorites growing up. I remember when Braveheart came out, during the battle scenes I was on the edge of my seat, and I remember cheering when the Scots were cutting down the British. When William Wallace finished the battle with a roar and drove his claymore into the ground in triumph I was jumping up and down inside. I slightly remember no one else cheering in the theater, and my friends all looking at me with a strange look on their faces. (Here is a link to a humorous look at the ending of Braveheart and the way it should have ended)

So I realized that I was a lover of violence. God smote my heart, and I have had to ask Him for forgiveness. It is hard to separate myself from violence because it is so prevalent, and I do my best not to take pleasure in it. Yes I see violence everyday, but I see it differently now. I see it as a fact of life, a way that the wickedness of man has wrought upon us. And I see God looking down with fire in His eyes with hatred for our violence. That last image is very unsettling.

God’s displeasure with the violence of humanity goes back to the very beginning. When Cain slew Abel, God’s wrath was kindled toward Cain because Abel’s blood cried up to God from the ground. Violence and murder entered into the life of humanity from that point on.

In Genesis 6:11-12 we read, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.”

Jesus said in Luke 17:26, “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.” People were going about there daily lives when Noah and his family entered the ark, but I can’t help but feel there is something deeper to this as well. The days of Noah included that the thoughts and intentions of men’s hearts were only on evil continually (Gen 6:6) and the earth was filled with violence. In verse 7 of that chapter, it says that God determined that He would destroy them and He was sorry He had made us. Thankfully God chose Noah to carry on the race or we wouldn’t be here.

We need to repent of our love of violence, and turn toward the path of peace. That is what God desires for us. The people of God are to love what God loves and hate what God hates. God hates violence, and He loves peace. We should hate violence and love peace. I don’t know how things could ever change in this world, but God will change our hearts just as He changed mine.

The mark of the people of God is for us to love peace and always do our best to avoid violence. Violence should always be the last resort, just as it is God’s last resort. We should always seek a peaceful solution to problems, avoid violence, and probably should do our best to avoid exposing ourselves to violence even though it is so difficult to do so in our culture. Jesus describes His people during the sermon on the mount. He says of us, “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy… Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:7,9).

Lord, change us and let us be a people of peace.

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Psalm 119:169-176

Posted on May 23, 2008 by Daniel Silas

174a, “I long for Your salvation, O LORD”

What is the greatest desire of those who call on the name of the Lord? I think this statement sums it up. The object of the writer’s longing is God’s salvation. As this was written prior to Christ, we can see the yearning, the trust in God looking forward to the day when He would provide that salvation. The Lord’s salvation was embodied in Jesus Christ. It was brought about soley by the plan of God, and the work of God in Jesus.

Isaiah writes, “I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me” (63:5a,b).

No one other than God provides salvation, and it is only by the work of the Lord that it was brought about in due time. This section of Isaiah mirrors Revelation 19 in its picture of Jesus. I believe the arm of the Lord here is representative of Christ. He brought about salvation, as well as being the one who brings God’s judgments. The dual ministry of Jesus as the Lamb of God and the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

The writer of the Psalm is looking forward to his salvation. They could only wonder about God’s plan in bringing it. They didn’t know the specifics, but they believed that it would be completed. God in His grace promised it to them, pointed out that He was the focus of their salvation, and revealed to them His plan slowly but clearly in His communications with the prophets. When it was time, God clearly revealed His salvation in Jesus Christ.

Joseph, the chosen earthly father for Jesus, was having difficulty when he first found out Mary was pregnant before their mariage. But the angel of the Lord spoke to Him and reassured him that everything would be good. The angel said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’ “

Those before Christ and many during His time on the earth yearned for God’s salvation. They sought after it, and ultimately God fulfilled His promises in Jesus. We look back to that work and trust in God just as they did for our salvation. So the question I posed at the beginning, what is the greatest desire of your heart?

I can’t speak for anyone else of course. I don’t know and cannot see into the hearts of other men. So all I can do is speak about what is in my heart. My greatest desire in life is for God’s salvation. That salvation is in Christ and is Christ. He is the focus of all our hopes and yearnings. There are not enough words or words adequate enough to express the greatness of the yearning in my heart for Him.

I want more of Jesus than I have now in this life. I want to see His beautiful face. I want to see the marks in His hands and feet and weep over them. I want to hear His voice. I want to hear that voice singing over me.

Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

To hear the voice of the one who spoke the universe into existence, the voice that can thunder and sounds like the roar of many waters, the voice that can silence the angry voices of the wicked, the voice that calls to His people, the voice that cried out on the cross will sing over us. And it will not be a song of mourning, it will be Jesus rejoicing over us. The one who loves us, paid our unpayable debt, who poured Himself out, allowed Himself to be abused, insulted, blasphemed, scourged, and nailed to a cross to die one of the worst deaths imaginable. It will be Him who raises His voice over us.

I want to feel His arms around me, I want to kneel at His feet and worship Him forever. I want to serve Him every day for all of my existence. He is the King and Lord over all of Humanity. And I am thankful, that even though there are people who abuse His name even today, and there are people who do not believe in Him, and there are those who fight against His truth and do their best to suppress it and keep people from believing, that when the word “savior” is mentioned even the unbelievers think of Christ. They may not follow Him, but the word “savior” will forever bring Jesus to mind when it is spoken. There is no other person on earth that people think of when they hear that word. Jesus is glorified even among those who do not believe in Him.

I yearn for the salvation of God. I am so glad, and I am filled with joy thinking about it. I know and trust that I will be with Him forever. Those before Jesus looked forward to Him. We look back to what He did for us. And like them, we look forward to the future. If we die we will be with Him, but there will be a generation of people who will see His second coming when His salvation is fulfilled for those who love Him and are looking for His coming. There is a time coming when we will be perfected wholly and completely. The power of Christ will fill us and change our bodies to be like His. The weakness of our flesh, the sin that lurks there will be destroyed. We will be born in strength, filled with the unlimited power of God, and unable to commit sin. What a glorious day that will be, when we are changed to be like Him.

Glory to His blessed name.

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