Friday, January 08, 2010
BrOkEn CiStErNs
Dear people of God, I was literally in tears as I prepared this message today. Looking out at the Body of Christ, and especially at the leadership- not with a critical eye, but with an aching heart- I am weeping with the prophet Jeremiah, "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me, the Spring of Living Water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water" (Jeremiah 2:13).
I pray as I give this message that it is received by believers as their hearts are reaching out to Christ in the most sincere way, that they- WE- all of us together- would seek nothing but His Own Heart at this very moment...
In the passage here, God's heart is grieved as He watches His own people seeking after other things than Himself. He knows that only HE is the true spring of living water. He created man with an unquenchable need for Him, and we were designed in a way that we require Him ultimately and Him alone. He knew that nothing of our own devises would ever satisfy the genuine longing that He put in our heart for Him, yet here He is, watching His beloved children attempt do just that...
Now Jeremiah, as you know, was called 'the weeping prophet' because he could actually feel the pain in God's heart for His wayward people, as he was constantly calling them back to Him. It was a very deep, intimate calling that Jeremiah had. It was also very intense and painful, but it was God's call on his life, and he was faithful in it throughout his life. "They have forsaken Me, the Spring of Living Water, and have dug THEIR OWN cisterns- BROKEN cisterns that CANNOT hold water". What was a cistern for? For holding water!
What can you do with a broken one? Leaving God and going our own way, even in 'small areas' in our life, will always prove to be a 'broken cistern'- always!.....
I have watched as some of Christianity's leaders today- people who probably started out with a passion for Christ and Him alone, falling prey to the 'good life', the 'comfortable life', the 'way of least resistance', or the 'prosperous' life. They got a taste of the gold, and slowly began to go after it, then they began to run after it, then to crave it. They have forgotten their Lord, though they use His name all day long!
They have dug their own cisterns, and all the while God's heart grieves for them! Look at Israel throughout the old testament- starting with God's promise, then bragging that "we will do all that the Lord our God has told us!", then falling away and following their own devises- again and again and again. Turning their backs on the very One who would gladly have given them all their heart's desires if they would only seek Him... yet their God would bring them back every time, many times through extreme pain and suffering....
I'll tell you that today's new believers are being cheated! How will they grow in grace? How will they stay passionate about their Savior when God's 'leaders' have gone their own way? Where is the proclamation of the cross? Why won't God's ministers preach Christ as He is, not as we would have Him? How will the Savior's wonderful Presence ever come forth, when His preachers are more interested in manufacturing their own cheap imitation of it? Who are they fooling? Beloved, the world TODAY needs to see Jesus!
Not our own impression or imitation of Him, but HIM! He is here, and He is here now! Covet His Presence in your life, and covet to have the grace to show Him to others. Only He can heal this lost world. Look only to Him.
En Agape,
pastor Jim Ewing
I pray as I give this message that it is received by believers as their hearts are reaching out to Christ in the most sincere way, that they- WE- all of us together- would seek nothing but His Own Heart at this very moment...
In the passage here, God's heart is grieved as He watches His own people seeking after other things than Himself. He knows that only HE is the true spring of living water. He created man with an unquenchable need for Him, and we were designed in a way that we require Him ultimately and Him alone. He knew that nothing of our own devises would ever satisfy the genuine longing that He put in our heart for Him, yet here He is, watching His beloved children attempt do just that...
Now Jeremiah, as you know, was called 'the weeping prophet' because he could actually feel the pain in God's heart for His wayward people, as he was constantly calling them back to Him. It was a very deep, intimate calling that Jeremiah had. It was also very intense and painful, but it was God's call on his life, and he was faithful in it throughout his life. "They have forsaken Me, the Spring of Living Water, and have dug THEIR OWN cisterns- BROKEN cisterns that CANNOT hold water". What was a cistern for? For holding water!
What can you do with a broken one? Leaving God and going our own way, even in 'small areas' in our life, will always prove to be a 'broken cistern'- always!.....
I have watched as some of Christianity's leaders today- people who probably started out with a passion for Christ and Him alone, falling prey to the 'good life', the 'comfortable life', the 'way of least resistance', or the 'prosperous' life. They got a taste of the gold, and slowly began to go after it, then they began to run after it, then to crave it. They have forgotten their Lord, though they use His name all day long!
They have dug their own cisterns, and all the while God's heart grieves for them! Look at Israel throughout the old testament- starting with God's promise, then bragging that "we will do all that the Lord our God has told us!", then falling away and following their own devises- again and again and again. Turning their backs on the very One who would gladly have given them all their heart's desires if they would only seek Him... yet their God would bring them back every time, many times through extreme pain and suffering....
I'll tell you that today's new believers are being cheated! How will they grow in grace? How will they stay passionate about their Savior when God's 'leaders' have gone their own way? Where is the proclamation of the cross? Why won't God's ministers preach Christ as He is, not as we would have Him? How will the Savior's wonderful Presence ever come forth, when His preachers are more interested in manufacturing their own cheap imitation of it? Who are they fooling? Beloved, the world TODAY needs to see Jesus!
Not our own impression or imitation of Him, but HIM! He is here, and He is here now! Covet His Presence in your life, and covet to have the grace to show Him to others. Only He can heal this lost world. Look only to Him.
En Agape,
pastor Jim Ewing
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Gift Rejector Repents
I was born again in January of 1975. The church I attended was of the full-gospel variety, and I was baptized in the Holy Ghost three weeks after the Lord had apprehended me from the world.
I had no difficulty believing in the gifts of the Spirit as described in 1 Corinthians 12, and the Lord even used me at times in manifesting some of them. However, after a few years, I began to listen to some of the well known radio preachers who believed that those gifts were not for today, and that they weren't really in operation after the apostles died off.
They would explain that we don't need the "sign gifts" today, as we now have the Bible- God's Word. I began to go along with that line of thinking. I even got a study bible with comments from one of those respected teachers.
This point of view, combined with the fact that I'd seen some pretty bizarre abuses of some of the gifts, and noticing that most of the false teachings t hat I'd seen in the church were brought in by Pentecostals, had me walking away from some of the most precious experiences I'd ever had with the Lord.
After a few years of "laying low' concerning spiritual gifts, I noticed that my walk with the Lord was lacking in the intensity that I'd once enjoyed. At first I thought it was because I was no longer a new believer, and that my walk with Jesus was now less emotional and more mature.
The teachers that I mentioned, although very knowledgable and well read, were lacking something that I was desperately seeking. While I was still getting into the Word a lot, there was a distance from God that I couldn't rationalize away...
I began to wonder why God would take the wonderful moving of His Spirit in the form of gifts away from His Church. Well, why would He? Had the Church matured so much that God figured that we no longer need His Spirit moving in and through us? How ridiculous to even think such a thing! I slowly began to move away from that "God doesn't do that anymore" belief, because no matter how much I got into His Word, I found that I missed the depth of His presence which often accompanies these gifts.
Oh, abuses still exist- let's not be naive about t- but I realized that you can't "throw out the baby with the dirty bathwater", and I decided that I wanted as much of God that I could possibly have- no matter what that entailed.
Well, my passion has returned, and I'm now a believer in the moving of God and in the gifts of the Spirit TODAY. I know that God wants to move freely among His people now more than at any time in history, and I want to be involved in ALL that He has for me- Accepting His forgiveness and grace, walking passionately with Him, and being willing to be used of Him as HE chooses to use me.
How about you? Do you want God to freely move in and through your life? Are you willing to let Him use yo u to minister to the lost- in HIS power? Will you allow Him to use you to minister to other believers in a supernatural way, if that's how He chooses to move? He's already given us all we need.
May God richly bless you-
pastor Jim Ewing
Posted by Surfer51 at 8:04 PM
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They that love Israel shall prosper. All Israel shall be saved, but not all who are of Israel are Israel. We who are saved are born again Christians and all Christians shall be saved, but not all who are of Christianity are Christians.
The veil that is upon Israel makes them blind as a bat when it comes to their messiah. Even though they are God’s elect, they are blind. Not totally blind, but blind in part.
1 Corinthians 13 tells us that we as believers only know in part, which could also mean blind in part. All Christianity, all Israel, and even completed Jews that have found Jesus as their messiah have partial blindness.
If the natural olive tree (the Jews) are partially blind, how then can we (the gentiles) who have been grafted in think that we are not also partially blind.
Christians who love the Lord, but reject the work of the Holy Ghost are blind in the area of spiritual gifts. They are toward their Holy Spirit, like The Jews are toward their messiah. They do not accept gifts of the Spirit such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, and modern day apostolic authority. They see salvation in Jesus, but not baptism by Jesus. They see the road to heaven, salvation and water baptism, but are totally blind when it comes to the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
In severe cases of this type of blindness within Christianity they cannot see the gifts and callings of God that were found in the early church as being for today. They are blind in part to the things of God that go beyond simple salvation. They see the Holy Spirit at work in evangelism but, that is only part of His work. If they are unable to see, they are also unable to understand.
It takes faith to be saved and it takes faith to walk where you cannot see. The gift of tongues often surrounds the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It happens when a child like willingness to receive replaces the preconceived opinions of man’s intellect.
Have you ever sought the gift of tongues, and if not, why haven’t you? It will revolutionize your Christianity. No matter how old you are or what you think you know we all have partial blindness. Until Jesus comes again, we only know in part. When we come to terms with that truth we humble our self in the sight of the Lord. It is then that we become able to receive what we cannot see or even begin to understand.
Revelation may come as a threat to what you thought, or were taught to believe. And it takes a humble heart to adjust to new insight.
Can you find it within yourself to bring yourself to seek the gift of tongues? Begin this exciting new adventure in your walk with God and start now. Just begin! Whatever form begin may take, begin.
Pastor Tilson Shumate
The veil that is upon Israel makes them blind as a bat when it comes to their messiah. Even though they are God’s elect, they are blind. Not totally blind, but blind in part.
1 Corinthians 13 tells us that we as believers only know in part, which could also mean blind in part. All Christianity, all Israel, and even completed Jews that have found Jesus as their messiah have partial blindness.
If the natural olive tree (the Jews) are partially blind, how then can we (the gentiles) who have been grafted in think that we are not also partially blind.
Christians who love the Lord, but reject the work of the Holy Ghost are blind in the area of spiritual gifts. They are toward their Holy Spirit, like The Jews are toward their messiah. They do not accept gifts of the Spirit such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, and modern day apostolic authority. They see salvation in Jesus, but not baptism by Jesus. They see the road to heaven, salvation and water baptism, but are totally blind when it comes to the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
In severe cases of this type of blindness within Christianity they cannot see the gifts and callings of God that were found in the early church as being for today. They are blind in part to the things of God that go beyond simple salvation. They see the Holy Spirit at work in evangelism but, that is only part of His work. If they are unable to see, they are also unable to understand.
It takes faith to be saved and it takes faith to walk where you cannot see. The gift of tongues often surrounds the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It happens when a child like willingness to receive replaces the preconceived opinions of man’s intellect.
Have you ever sought the gift of tongues, and if not, why haven’t you? It will revolutionize your Christianity. No matter how old you are or what you think you know we all have partial blindness. Until Jesus comes again, we only know in part. When we come to terms with that truth we humble our self in the sight of the Lord. It is then that we become able to receive what we cannot see or even begin to understand.
Revelation may come as a threat to what you thought, or were taught to believe. And it takes a humble heart to adjust to new insight.
Can you find it within yourself to bring yourself to seek the gift of tongues? Begin this exciting new adventure in your walk with God and start now. Just begin! Whatever form begin may take, begin.
Pastor Tilson Shumate
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Very Vibrant Reality
The Lord apprehended this silly twenty year old (me) from the 'world' back on January 4th, 1975. I started going to an Assembly of God church right away, so the gifts of the Spirit and the teaching thereof were with me right from my spiritual beginning. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit three weeks after my conversion, and my hunger and thirst for Christ really took off. I wanted to learn as much about my new Savior as I possibly could, and I was in the Word often. Me- this brand new christian, just desiring to soak up all that was available to me from the Lord. Most believers will relate to what I'm saying. Those of you who were involved in Shekinah Fellowship way back when will CERTAINLY relate, because you in particular were privy to an incredible phenomenon that not all believers were blessed enough to have witnessed. You all experienced the incredible power of the Holy Spirit in a supernatural way, first-hand...
I was among the fortunate ones to have witnessed this Glory shortly after my salvation, having gone down to the Los Angeles area (where I'd previously lived) from the northwest to visit family and friends, and finding my way to Angelus Temple to see Brant Baker and Shekinah Fellowship. Brant and Shekinah also came up to the Seattle area a year later for a number of meetings, so I was especially blessed by the continued moving of God in the world in the present, by His Spirit. It is something that has stayed with me ever since.....
After a few years though, I began to listen to some very good, very learned, and respected radio teachers who, for a time, had me rethinking my whole Pentecostal experience. Now, I've shared a bit of this in a previous post which I entitled, "Confessions of a Gift Despiser", and I don't want to repeat it all here (please look it up in the margin and read it), but I feel that there's more for me to share than I did in that particular post, which just touched on the subject. Incredibly, I slowly began to allow myself to believe that God had moved, that He had already spoken, and that the gifts of His Spirit were for a previous generation, one that did not have the completed canon, and that since we now have His complete Word, there was no more need for the 'gifts', especially since I'd seen so many fleshly abuses of those gifts....
As I shared in my previous post, after a few more years (despite being in the Word a lot), I began to become lonely for His wonderful Presence, I started pining for that 'reality', that intimacy, and eventually moved back in my heart to where I belonged...
It amazes me now that I could have ever have turned away from His supernatural moving among and upon His people today, in THIS VERY HOUR, yet I did. I now know that the Lord used this entire protracted experience to show me how I must- how WE ALL must- continue see king the very presence of the Lord, that we must ACTIVELY 'covet the best gifts' (I Corinthians 12:31), for He, the ultimate Gift, is the giver of these wonderful and necessary gifts. Now, I know for a fact that even some former Shekinah Fellowship members have let go of what they once knew as reality and deemed precious- I know because I've corresponded with them. Yet I can fully relate- if I hadn't gone through this whole thing myself, I would have thought that walking away from the belief in this Present Glorious Holy Ghost Power was impossible! Well it's not, and as believers who genuinely desire for God to continue moving in and through us, we absolutely MUST continue to cultivate this supernatural relationship, to seek HIM and all that He has for us....
He hasn't gone anywhere- He's still here- and because of that fact, His gifts are still here- tongues, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, discerning of spirits- DO WE NOT NEED THESE TODAY?...
Don't settle for the dry, brains-only, academic brand of Christianity. That only satisfies the mind- you might do well on a test or quiz, you may win a blue ribbon- but you're spirit won't be moved at all. You can't have a relationship with book learning, or with your great knowledge of the original Greek text. These things are fine, but don't neglect HIS desire to move and do what He desires to fully do in you. If you already have, then return to Him! There's so much more of Him than we know! He waits for us...
En Agape,
pastor Jim Ewing
Have you ever been curious about why the Wise Men or the Magi came to visit Jesus upon His birth? How did they know exactly when to arrive? And how did they know where to look for the new coming King? How in the world would they find an infant in this far away nation. It would be akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. When did these wise men know when to precisely leave for this likely year long journey?In the first place, the Bible doesn't mention precisely mention that there were only three of them (Luke 2:1-12). There may have been more than three. They did bring at least three types of gifts, but these were customary gifts to kings in this age. Also, there most certainly could have been more than three offerings. And the question of why would they bring gifts has been asked? It was certainly customary to have dignitaries from several nations be present for a coronation of a new king (Glory to the newborn King). And no one would approach a king without a gift or without bringing an offering.
How did these wise men from the entire known world at the time, know Who to look for, what to look for, when to find Him, and where to find the soon-to-be-born King and Messiah? They apparently already knew the why of finding Him from Daniel's written messages recorded for posterity in Babylonia. When Daniel and Israel where being held captive by Babylonia, they imported their religion and history, including their knowledge of God with them. These conquests also included gathering up all wise men of the Medes, Persian, and all nations under his rule for the kings private council and the nations under Babylon's domination represented all the know peoples, nations and languages that were known at this time (Dan 6:3, 6:25).
Daniel was apparently in this council and not only that, he was the head over it all (Dan. 5:29, 6:1-3). Since Daniel had previously proven to Nebuchadnezzar, and most recently, King Darius, that God does exist and knows not only the whispers in a king's chamber, but his dreams too, he had placed Daniel as the highest authority (next to the king) in Babylonia. This included the position of Governor, placing Daniel over all authorities in the greatest kingdom of that present world. And subsequently, this included reigning over all wise men (Dan. 2:12, 48).
Ironically, Daniel's title was actually rab mag or "chief of the Magi" (Dan. 5:11). But after thousands of years had passed since Daniels pronouncement of a soon coming king, how did they know exactly when and where to arrive? And how was Daniel able to predict the exact date of the Messiah's arrival (Dan. 2:12-48, 9:24-26)?
Daniel was a man of prayer and Gabriel answered his prayer and told Daniel not only when He would come, but when He would be crucified (Dan. 9). The location must have obviously been common knowledge to these Wise Men, otherwise they could only have guessed at it. And only guessing about the when and where of the Messiah's birth would have been sheer, blind luck for them to ever find Him. If it was too early, they would have missed Him and if they were too late, baby Jesus and His parents would have already fled to Egypt (Matt. 2:13).
The book of Daniel makes it obvious that he foreknew when the coming Savior would be born and He must have known where but this was also reveal to other prophets as well and so was still common knowledge even in the minor prophet's day (Micah 5:2). Since Daniel was the leading Magi of the nation he was being held captive in, it makes sense that this was taught to the nation and was incorporated into their religious prophecies. Eastern religions had long used astrology to try and predict certain events and this star was obvious to them the sign they had almost certainly looked for. Ancient eastern customs and prophecies had long predicted a world ruling king to be born in this same time. This was a residue of Daniels teachings that were recorded for posterity and remained to the day of Christ's birth.
During this time in history (5 AD-0) nations were expecting a great king coming out of the Jews. These nations may have been influenced by Daniel and his writings, since he knew when and where the Christ would be born (Micah 5:2). The ancient Persians and the Hebrews had similar beliefs, more than any other nation at that time. They also believed in one God, did not worship idols and saw light as a symbol of God.
How perfectly fitting that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Savior since the name means "house of bread". He is known as the Bread of Life and that He was in a manger which is a feeding trough that usually had grain. This fits with Jesus saying "I am the Bread of Life". But where exactly would they find Baby Jesus and how? They had been following the star, but this only pointed them in the right direction, toward Judea. But how could they know exactly where to find Him in a fairly large country or city? The Old Testament prophet Micah knew the Savior would be born in Bethlehem. Daniel must have known this and passed this on to others in Babylonia. He had already recorded the number of days until this prophecy was to be fulfilled (to the minute!).
And "...when they saw the star, they rejoiced, with exceeding great joy (Matt. 2:10)" knowing this must be the place. But it was only when the star came directly over [literally, "stood over" like someone or something stood over] the child did they knew for certain where the infant would be. This explains the "exceeding great joy", since they had finally found Him. After perhaps a year or more, and having traveled thousands of miles, with no map, no guide, only a star to guide then, they now beheld the star. This star had shown them precisely where the new King was. Herod the king and all the so-called religious experts; the Chief Priests and Scribes could, could not even find Him, lest Herod would have had him killed (Matt. 2:3). But foreigners, from another continent away, knew exactly when, where, and how to find Him. They followed the star and apparently knew when this epic event would happen.
The Christmas tree often has a star on it. The Star of David, Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, is described as a star...He is the Bright and Shinning Star, and also called the Bright and Morning Star and even a Saving Star (Ish. 60:1-4, Rev. 22:16, Num. 24:17). The Great "I Am" is He! Every child who has ever worried about Santa finding their home is dwarfed by the question of how the Wise Men found Baby Jesus. Daniel, inspired by the Holy Spirit and informed by Gabriel, must have been responsible. If we are wise, then we too will find Jesus. We know where to find Him. And Jesus stays with us every day of the year.
Engaged in the traditional celebration of Christmas, we may minimize the significance of the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem. In fact, the traditional date of Epiphany, January 6, often passes unnoticed in our churches. Yet it has implications for all people, even outside the Hebrew tradition and faith. For centuries the Jews have awaited the coming of their messiah. Yet the visit of the Magi reveals God's intention to make known that this Child had come for all people, for all are created in God's image. Our Creator's continual desire is to be known and acknowledged by each of us.
The Gospel narrative of the coming of the Magi presents us with at least three considerations. First, having heard about and celebrated the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, we must continually seek him. Then, once having found Christ, we must acknowledge His divinity through our daily living. And finally, as we reflect on the gifts presented by the Magi, we can see their significance for Jesus and for us:
GOLD
This is one metal that is universally considered precious. The gift of gold, representative of royalty, affirms that Jesus, the Son of God, is Lord and ruler of the people of the earth.
FRANKINCENSE
This fragrant resin was used by the priests in their ultimate offerings to the Most High. It was symbolic of the priesthood of Jesus and His life as the supreme offering on behalf of God's people.
MYRRH
This balsam was of multiple uses—as an offering, as a component for consecration oil, or mixed with wine to strengthen and give courage to those condemned to die. The gift of myrrh signaled the consecration of Jesus as the atonement for our sins.
Like the Magi, having celebrated the birth of Jesus, reflected on the purpose of His life and mission, and experienced our personal encounter with Him, we cannot return to our previous lifestyle as the same persons on the same road. We return as changed persons, on a different road, to lead a new life.
Praising God, acknowledging with Paul that in Christ there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free men, between men and women, but we are all one in Christ, and considering how this truth is to affect your daily acts.
Praying throughout this new year that this confession of our faith may be confirmed in our daily living at home, in our nation, and in our relationships with other people.
Faithfully working toward the day until God calls us home, and hopefully we'd hear Him say, "well done my good and faithful servant...
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Matthew records that the Wise Men found the child after following the star. The word for child is different than the word for baby. A child was no longer considered an infant. Clearly the language shows that Jesus was not a newborn. There are a number of Christmas plays and programs that depict the Wise Men arriving with the shepherds and giving their treasures to the baby Jesus. There is no way that the Wise Men arrived with the shepherds.
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Nowhere does the Biblical record describe these men as kings. We hear the song We Three Kings and take it for gospel. The Wise Men were Magi, a class of advisers that were part of the Babylonian society. The Magi were well known for various skills such as, diplomacy, the interpretation of dreams, and politics.
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Nowhere does Matthew tell us that there were three Wise Men and there are no names given. In the Middle Ages names were attributed to the Wise Men but there is no scriptural basis for this. The Wise Men created an incredible stir when they entered Jerusalem and
this implies that there was a large group of people traveling with the Wise Men. The Wise Men traveled from the East and likely from the area of Babylon. This would have been a journey of nearly 900 miles and would have months of travel time. These Magi would have not traveled alone and would have likely been accompanied by an armed caravan. The only time that the number three is even implied is with the three treasures, gold, frankincense and myrrh.
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Even with the mystery and intrigue that the visit of the Wise Men created there is something that we can know for sure, they gave more than three gifts. There were only three earthly treasures as I mentioned above but there was the gift of personal worship. However many Wise Men there were, they bowed down and worshipped Jesus. The fourth and often forgotten gift is one that we need to remember because it was more important and far more valuable than any of the treasures. Wise Men give the gift of worship to Jesus...
There Were Giants In The Land
Beth-Paleth's Giants
Although the Hebrews were successful in their campaign to rid the promised land of all the giants, Joshua writes that some Anakim still survived in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. He apparently meant to say that they occupied a sizable territory around these chief cities of the Philistines. For when Sir Flinders Petrie, a British archaeologist, dug up Beth-Paleth some eighteen miles south of Gaza, he found artifacts indicating that it, too, had been inhabited by giants.
Ashdod's Giants
Joshua lists Ashdod, one of the five Philistine cities on Canaan's southwest coast, as a place where the Anakim survived following Israel's campaign against the giants. The giant population here must have been especially large, for the Egyptian Execration Texts often refer to Ashdod as a "city of the giants."
Canaan's Anakim
Even while they served Pharaoh, all Israel knew about the giant people who occupied Canaan. In patriarchal times these huge Nephilim half-breeds grew so numerous and became so famous for their feats of strength and daring that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob no doubt told their children stories about them. In turn, these accounts were repeated, probably with some embellishments, to all later generations of Hebrews. So, even while they toiled at making bricks in Egypt, tales about the terrible giants became a part of Hebrew lore.
When the Hebrews fled Egypt some four centuries after Abraham's time, these monstrous creatures still occupied Canaan, as did many Canaanites of about the Hebrews' own size. From the outset, therefore, these former slaves realized that they could never possess the promised land unless they killed or expelled them. As they sat in the warming glow of their campfires, they must have discussed this problem. Unfortunately, these conversations only reinforced their dread of the giants. So after their first year in the Sinai, when Moses ordered that all the men twenty years old and older be numbered for war, their apprehension about fighting the giants surely increased. And their fears, in whatever measure, must have mounted even higher when the great Hebrew prophet, led by the cloud, set out across the Desert of Paran toward Canaan's southern border.
This trek across that fearful desert of hot sand took a couple of months. But suddenly, out of the barren and desolate expanse of burning desert-waste, the weary Israelites came upon Kadesh Barnea,31 an oasis created by the brief course of a stream arising at the foot of a limestone cliff. Located in the southeastern corner of the Negeb, Kadesh Barnea was a well-known stopping place for the ancient donkey caravans en route between Egypt and Canaan. It also watered flocks and herds from the high and dry grazing grounds, both near and far. Here Moses ordered a halt, and for some distance around this elongated stretch of verdure and great beauty the Israelites pitched their tents.
Since leaving Egypt, the twelve wandering tribes, by the round-about route they followed, had walked over four hundred miles. Now, at last, less than fifty miles separated them from the good land the Lord God had long ago deeded to them. All they needed now to do, Moses told them, was to cross over the Negeb and wrest it from the fierce, warlike inhabitants. But gazing north across the parched badlands to the cool mountain strongholds of the giants, they wavered. Moses, not unaware of their doubts and fears and wild imaginations, urged all the men numbered for war not to be afraid nor discouraged, but to go up at once and claim their inheritance. Some tribal leaders, however, suggested: "Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to."
Such use of spies being a common practice in the ancient Near East, Moses consented to their request. For this dangerous mission, each tribe chose one of its chief men. The twelve selected included Joshua of Ephraim and Caleb of Judah. Besides determining the best route for attack, Moses instructed the scouts to find out the number and character of the inhabitants, the strength of their towns and fortresses, and something about the fertility of the land.
In his journal, Moses noted that the spies set out across the hot southern steppe at the ripening of the first grapes. This almost certainly establishes early August as the time, for it was usually then to the first clusters were gathered in Canaan. The second ripening W grapes occurred in September, and the third followed in October. According to ancient rabbinical tradition, Moses had the spies pose as traders while they made their way through the northern settlements in the Negeb. This dry land, being suited only for pasturage, Comprised the poorest part of Palestine. Nevertheless it was inhabited by enough Amalekites and Canaanites to people twenty-nine cities, besides villages. Moses instructed the men to begin, as traders ordinarily do, by showing their ordinary wares first. Then, as they worked their way north, to offer their more valuable things. In such banner, the spies traversed all Canaan. In fact, as Moses was later to report, some walked all the way to Hamath, a city situated on the Orontes River about one hundred and twenty miles north of Damascus. We should not think that all twelve traveled together, lest they be suspected. They probably went in pairs, or threes, or fours, and rendezvoused at certain places along the way.
The country the spies saw perhaps may be best visualized as Comprising three parallel strips of land running north and south. The first, called the Maritime Plain, extends inward from the Mediterranean coast to a distance of from four to fifteen miles. This fertile strip includes the famous Plain of Sharon and the Lowlands of the Philistines. Behind this flat country rises the hills. These, in turn, give way to the mountains that form the backbone of the Holy Land. In eastern Palestine, the mountains and hills fall precipitously down to the fertile Jordan River Valley and the bitter waters of the Salt Sea. East of the Jordan lie the highlands of Gilead, Ammon, and Moab--lands then ruled by Rephaim giants.
At this time many Rephaim and some Horim, Avvim, and Anakim giants occupied the hill country of northern Canaan, while the Anakim completely dominated the south. The spies must therefore have seen these frightening fellows every place they went. But in their later report to Moses they mentioned only the Anakim giants--apparently because they struck more terror in them than all the rest. For ferociousness and daring, the Anakim set the standard. Against them, in fact, all the other giants were measured. Moses himself confirmed their superiority when he wrote in his book this famous proverbial saying: "Who can stand before the sons of Anak?"
The names of places that Moses recorded suggest the route the spies took followed "along the course of the Jordan in their advance, and their return was by the western border, through the territories of the Sidonians and Philistines." Thus it appears that, leaving the Maritime Plain, they entered the southern foothills and began a three-thousand-foot climb toward Kiriath Arba (later called Hebron), which the giants had built on the Judaean ridge's highest elevation.
Close by Kiriath Arba lay the cave of Machpelah where the revered Abraham, his wife Sarah, and some other Hebrew patriarchs were buried. So the twelve no doubt looked forward to this part of their journey. But some of them also experienced little alarms. They now trod deep in Anakim country. Every step brought them closer to this chief city and ancestral home of the giants. Here lived the feared giants Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. They ruled the three tribes of the Anak, who were called by their names. From Sheshai's name we get some idea of their height. For Sheshai, declares Bochart, "refers to his stature, which measured six cubits," i.e., nine feet. The Anakim also occupied nearby Debir and Anab, and many others could be found living throughout the hill country of Judah. A significant number of these part-animal, part-man creatures had also established communities in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast.
In the plural, Anakim means "people of the necklace" or "neck-piece," and so it is explained by the ancient rabbis. The name comes from anaq, the Hebrew word for "necklace." Moses, in Numbers 13:33, affirms that they descended from the Nephilim. Their uncommon height was, of course, enough to arouse in people of normal size some uneasiness. But the Anakim were also a fierce, half-wild people, given to deeds of great daring. Consequently, they loved war and regarded it as a normal way of life. So ingrained was their inclination to fight that when no common enemy could be found against whom they could exercise their natural belligerency, they fought among themselves. Such a hostile attitude, combined with their extraordinary stature, caused shivers in most people who came in contact with them.
There are myths of giants appearing in almost every single ancient culture, yet modern archaeologists scoff at such notions or think of them as merely myth alone. How then can such a concept of giant people be spread about the whole world unless there is some kernel of truth to the stories? I have often wondered why the ancient Egyptian kings depicted themselves as giants compared to other people. The picture on the left is of Abu Simbel built by Ramsesses II, notice how his depictions of himself are very large as are many statues of this period.
Genesis 6:4 - 'There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown'.
Other Biblical references include the following:
Numbers 13:33 - 'And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight'.
Deuteronomy 1:28 - 'Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, the people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there'.
2:10 - 'The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; 11 Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites called them Emims'.
2:20 - (References to a 'race' of): giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; 21 A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:
3:11 - 'For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man'. (This bed is 6 feet wide, 14 feet long and King Og's height is estimated at least 12 feet.)
A cave complex underneath the Pyramids that may extend for fifty miles has been located by Andrew Collins. He tells about his discovery in his book "Beneath The Pyramids" http://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Pyramids-Egypts-Greatest-Uncovered/dp/0876045719
Beneath the pyramids of Egypt lies a lost underworld of catacombs, hewn chambers, and cave tunnels. They are alluded to in ancient texts and Arab legends, but have been left unexplored until today. They have now been rediscovered and investigated for the first time by science and history writer Andrew Collins.
When Collins shares his amazing discovery with the Egyptologist Dr. Hawass who is in charge of all Egyptian explorations, Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, he gets a silent, dimissive shrug before he said: "There is nothing here to discover. It is all known."
http://www.andrewcollins.com/page/articles/clearance.htm
Now here is the interesting part. There are some who are speculating that giants were found in some of the caves. And that it is being kept hushed up. Apparently there are attempts at using the DNA of these giants and experiments are secretly being conducted to bring giants back to the land of the living...Military interest desire giants for their own purposes.
Matthew 24:37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Genesis 6
1And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
5And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
We can expect to see giants again according to the Word of God.
Beth-Paleth's Giants
Although the Hebrews were successful in their campaign to rid the promised land of all the giants, Joshua writes that some Anakim still survived in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod. He apparently meant to say that they occupied a sizable territory around these chief cities of the Philistines. For when Sir Flinders Petrie, a British archaeologist, dug up Beth-Paleth some eighteen miles south of Gaza, he found artifacts indicating that it, too, had been inhabited by giants.
Ashdod's Giants
Joshua lists Ashdod, one of the five Philistine cities on Canaan's southwest coast, as a place where the Anakim survived following Israel's campaign against the giants. The giant population here must have been especially large, for the Egyptian Execration Texts often refer to Ashdod as a "city of the giants."
Canaan's Anakim
Even while they served Pharaoh, all Israel knew about the giant people who occupied Canaan. In patriarchal times these huge Nephilim half-breeds grew so numerous and became so famous for their feats of strength and daring that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob no doubt told their children stories about them. In turn, these accounts were repeated, probably with some embellishments, to all later generations of Hebrews. So, even while they toiled at making bricks in Egypt, tales about the terrible giants became a part of Hebrew lore.
When the Hebrews fled Egypt some four centuries after Abraham's time, these monstrous creatures still occupied Canaan, as did many Canaanites of about the Hebrews' own size. From the outset, therefore, these former slaves realized that they could never possess the promised land unless they killed or expelled them. As they sat in the warming glow of their campfires, they must have discussed this problem. Unfortunately, these conversations only reinforced their dread of the giants. So after their first year in the Sinai, when Moses ordered that all the men twenty years old and older be numbered for war, their apprehension about fighting the giants surely increased. And their fears, in whatever measure, must have mounted even higher when the great Hebrew prophet, led by the cloud, set out across the Desert of Paran toward Canaan's southern border.
This trek across that fearful desert of hot sand took a couple of months. But suddenly, out of the barren and desolate expanse of burning desert-waste, the weary Israelites came upon Kadesh Barnea,31 an oasis created by the brief course of a stream arising at the foot of a limestone cliff. Located in the southeastern corner of the Negeb, Kadesh Barnea was a well-known stopping place for the ancient donkey caravans en route between Egypt and Canaan. It also watered flocks and herds from the high and dry grazing grounds, both near and far. Here Moses ordered a halt, and for some distance around this elongated stretch of verdure and great beauty the Israelites pitched their tents.
Since leaving Egypt, the twelve wandering tribes, by the round-about route they followed, had walked over four hundred miles. Now, at last, less than fifty miles separated them from the good land the Lord God had long ago deeded to them. All they needed now to do, Moses told them, was to cross over the Negeb and wrest it from the fierce, warlike inhabitants. But gazing north across the parched badlands to the cool mountain strongholds of the giants, they wavered. Moses, not unaware of their doubts and fears and wild imaginations, urged all the men numbered for war not to be afraid nor discouraged, but to go up at once and claim their inheritance. Some tribal leaders, however, suggested: "Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to."
Such use of spies being a common practice in the ancient Near East, Moses consented to their request. For this dangerous mission, each tribe chose one of its chief men. The twelve selected included Joshua of Ephraim and Caleb of Judah. Besides determining the best route for attack, Moses instructed the scouts to find out the number and character of the inhabitants, the strength of their towns and fortresses, and something about the fertility of the land.
In his journal, Moses noted that the spies set out across the hot southern steppe at the ripening of the first grapes. This almost certainly establishes early August as the time, for it was usually then to the first clusters were gathered in Canaan. The second ripening W grapes occurred in September, and the third followed in October. According to ancient rabbinical tradition, Moses had the spies pose as traders while they made their way through the northern settlements in the Negeb. This dry land, being suited only for pasturage, Comprised the poorest part of Palestine. Nevertheless it was inhabited by enough Amalekites and Canaanites to people twenty-nine cities, besides villages. Moses instructed the men to begin, as traders ordinarily do, by showing their ordinary wares first. Then, as they worked their way north, to offer their more valuable things. In such banner, the spies traversed all Canaan. In fact, as Moses was later to report, some walked all the way to Hamath, a city situated on the Orontes River about one hundred and twenty miles north of Damascus. We should not think that all twelve traveled together, lest they be suspected. They probably went in pairs, or threes, or fours, and rendezvoused at certain places along the way.
The country the spies saw perhaps may be best visualized as Comprising three parallel strips of land running north and south. The first, called the Maritime Plain, extends inward from the Mediterranean coast to a distance of from four to fifteen miles. This fertile strip includes the famous Plain of Sharon and the Lowlands of the Philistines. Behind this flat country rises the hills. These, in turn, give way to the mountains that form the backbone of the Holy Land. In eastern Palestine, the mountains and hills fall precipitously down to the fertile Jordan River Valley and the bitter waters of the Salt Sea. East of the Jordan lie the highlands of Gilead, Ammon, and Moab--lands then ruled by Rephaim giants.
At this time many Rephaim and some Horim, Avvim, and Anakim giants occupied the hill country of northern Canaan, while the Anakim completely dominated the south. The spies must therefore have seen these frightening fellows every place they went. But in their later report to Moses they mentioned only the Anakim giants--apparently because they struck more terror in them than all the rest. For ferociousness and daring, the Anakim set the standard. Against them, in fact, all the other giants were measured. Moses himself confirmed their superiority when he wrote in his book this famous proverbial saying: "Who can stand before the sons of Anak?"
The names of places that Moses recorded suggest the route the spies took followed "along the course of the Jordan in their advance, and their return was by the western border, through the territories of the Sidonians and Philistines." Thus it appears that, leaving the Maritime Plain, they entered the southern foothills and began a three-thousand-foot climb toward Kiriath Arba (later called Hebron), which the giants had built on the Judaean ridge's highest elevation.
Close by Kiriath Arba lay the cave of Machpelah where the revered Abraham, his wife Sarah, and some other Hebrew patriarchs were buried. So the twelve no doubt looked forward to this part of their journey. But some of them also experienced little alarms. They now trod deep in Anakim country. Every step brought them closer to this chief city and ancestral home of the giants. Here lived the feared giants Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. They ruled the three tribes of the Anak, who were called by their names. From Sheshai's name we get some idea of their height. For Sheshai, declares Bochart, "refers to his stature, which measured six cubits," i.e., nine feet. The Anakim also occupied nearby Debir and Anab, and many others could be found living throughout the hill country of Judah. A significant number of these part-animal, part-man creatures had also established communities in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast.
In the plural, Anakim means "people of the necklace" or "neck-piece," and so it is explained by the ancient rabbis. The name comes from anaq, the Hebrew word for "necklace." Moses, in Numbers 13:33, affirms that they descended from the Nephilim. Their uncommon height was, of course, enough to arouse in people of normal size some uneasiness. But the Anakim were also a fierce, half-wild people, given to deeds of great daring. Consequently, they loved war and regarded it as a normal way of life. So ingrained was their inclination to fight that when no common enemy could be found against whom they could exercise their natural belligerency, they fought among themselves. Such a hostile attitude, combined with their extraordinary stature, caused shivers in most people who came in contact with them.
There are myths of giants appearing in almost every single ancient culture, yet modern archaeologists scoff at such notions or think of them as merely myth alone. How then can such a concept of giant people be spread about the whole world unless there is some kernel of truth to the stories? I have often wondered why the ancient Egyptian kings depicted themselves as giants compared to other people. The picture on the left is of Abu Simbel built by Ramsesses II, notice how his depictions of himself are very large as are many statues of this period.
Genesis 6:4 - 'There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown'.
Other Biblical references include the following:
Numbers 13:33 - 'And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight'.
Deuteronomy 1:28 - 'Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, the people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there'.
2:10 - 'The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; 11 Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites called them Emims'.
2:20 - (References to a 'race' of): giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; 21 A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:
3:11 - 'For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man'. (This bed is 6 feet wide, 14 feet long and King Og's height is estimated at least 12 feet.)
A cave complex underneath the Pyramids that may extend for fifty miles has been located by Andrew Collins. He tells about his discovery in his book "Beneath The Pyramids" http://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Pyramids-Egypts-Greatest-Uncovered/dp/0876045719
Beneath the pyramids of Egypt lies a lost underworld of catacombs, hewn chambers, and cave tunnels. They are alluded to in ancient texts and Arab legends, but have been left unexplored until today. They have now been rediscovered and investigated for the first time by science and history writer Andrew Collins.
When Collins shares his amazing discovery with the Egyptologist Dr. Hawass who is in charge of all Egyptian explorations, Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, he gets a silent, dimissive shrug before he said: "There is nothing here to discover. It is all known."
http://www.andrewcollins.com/page/articles/clearance.htm
Now here is the interesting part. There are some who are speculating that giants were found in some of the caves. And that it is being kept hushed up. Apparently there are attempts at using the DNA of these giants and experiments are secretly being conducted to bring giants back to the land of the living...Military interest desire giants for their own purposes.
Matthew 24:37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Genesis 6
1And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
5And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
We can expect to see giants again according to the Word of God.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Chuck Smith, the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, has been moved to a rehabilitation facility and is progressing in his recovery from what a spokeswoman has called a “very mild stroke.”
(Mild strokes do not usually require rehabilitation.)
Smith, 82, exhibited stroke symptoms and was taken to a hospital on Dec 27. Church spokeswoman Laura Jackson said this morning that the famed pastor was doing physical therapy.
“He’s doing well,” Jackson said. “We hope he’ll be home this week.”
An update on the church’s Web site said that Smith is in the rehabilitation stage of his recovery, but doctors still are advocating rest. Well-wishers are asked to send Smith e-mails to pastorchuck@calvarychapel.com.
Jackson said she did not know how many e-mails have been sent, but the number is more than 1,000.
“We print them out and send them to him,” Jackson said. “Our printer keeps running out of ink.”
Smith has been the pastor of the church, which is in Santa Ana on the Costa Mesa border, since 1965, the longest-active Christian leadership in Orange County. In that time, the congregation has grown to more than 25,000 people, according to the church.
Smith is known for training other prominent ministers, including Greg Laurie, the founder of the annual Harvest Crusade that fills Angel Stadium.
Being Christian in America
One man on the streets opinion.
Asbarez NewsI consider myself to be a Christian, an Armenian Christian. My family is certainly Christian, and always has been, to my knowledge. http://www.asbarez.com/2010/01/04/being-christian-in-america/
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