Welcome to My House-A Maundy Thursday Reflection

And the Lord appeared to [Abraham] by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. (Gn. 18:1-8)

Foot washing was a common custom of hospitality in the Ancient Near East. Most often it was performed by servants. To receive someone into your house, you washed their feet! And then you feed them. In the above text we have The Triune God Himself appear to Abraham. Abraham, the Father of Nations, beckons THE LORD to stay with him. And so he offers to wash their feet. In order to wash feet one needs to stoop down. It is a servile position. Feet are sore and dirty from long travels. And so it is that Abraham understood his relationship to God who elected him to be our Patriarch. He will serve HIM!

Jesus turns all of this upside down. Jesus, Gad incarnate, receives us into His house. The irony is that when He washed His disciples feet, He was in someone else's house, a borrowed place for the Last Supper! Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God, stoops down to clean the dirty feet of these Galilean fishermen. Simon protests knowing this was backwards. Jesus rebukes him saying, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” (Jn. 13:8) Peter consents. In order for us to have a share in Christ's household, we must allow Him to serve us! (Mk. 10:45)

But Jesus did not come to serve our self-centered needs but to die for us so that we can enter into the household of God. Our selfish desires keeps us from fellowship with God the Father! (Lk. 15:11-14) We exclude ourselves from living in God's house! But Jesus turns all that around. Not us, but Him! He is serving us in order that we may be reconciled to the Father so that in the here and now and the future to come we can abide with The Most Holy God! We are dirty from our travels. He will wash us for the banquet table in His Father's house! For only in Jesus, can we find favor in God's sight! (Gn. 18:3)

What does Satan Look Like?

Recently a few believed that a recent episode of 'The Bible' on the History Channel portrayed Satan, the

tempter of Jesus in the wilderness, as looking quite a bit like President Barak Obama.I suppose if you do not like the President, you may very well think he is the devil. But is this what the devil really looks like?

When I was a child I remember Mom buying a devil costume for me one Halloween. It was the traditional red with horns, tail and pitchfork. Mom said it fit me well. And this was basically what I thought Satan did look like when I was growing up. But a funny think happened on the way to growing up. On a family trip through the Great Smokey Mountains, we spent a day in Gatlinburg, TN. There we visited Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum and another attraction called Christus Gardens. It was a diorama of the life of Christ. So one would enter and see these scenes of Christ's life from birth to the Great Commission. But one scene struck me in such a way that caused me to think about Satan in a different way. It was a scene of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Satan was not red with a tail. He was an attractive man in a suit. The narrator explained that in order for Satan to tempt us, he cannot appear offensive. There must be something attractive about him that makes us want to listen. And usually what he has to offer is attractive!

So what does Satan look like? There is only one description of what the devil looks like. It is in The Book of Revelation that we have Satan described as a serpent and a dragon. He has seven heads and ten horns and on his heads seven diadems. (Rev. 12) There is nothing attractive about him. Between Genesis and

Revelation we are warned not to be led into temptation. And it is Satan's attractive temptations that we must be careful about.

St. Paul warns us in his First Letter to Timothy: Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, (1 Tim. 4:1-2) In Paul's day as is true today, many preach another gospel. Most of them are on TV. They package their message that appeals to the unconverted soul. As Paul again writes: For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,  and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Tim. 4:3-4) The biggest myth today is the prosperity gospel. It is no gospel but another system of works. We cannot work our way into heaven. Neither can we manipulate Almighty God. This false teaching is attractive to those who desire to be like God (little god's), who want to influence their world (name it and claim it) and just want more in their life (health & wealth). It is all about the self and selfish desires. This is opposite of the true gospel that saves us from our self and selfish desires. But who wants to hear that message? But that is the point! The true gospel is offensive. It does not fill stadiums with people who are willing to give money with the thought they will get something in return. Or if they fulfill every jot and tittle of the Law they will blessed. Scripture reminds us that if we are guilty in just one part of the law we are guilty from breaking the whole law. (James. 2:10) In fact it is The Law that reminds us just how bad we are. (Rom. 3:20) There is no hope for us especially when we die. At death there is judgment. No matter how hard we work, hell is waiting for the lawless. (Mt. 7:21-23) And so people who are tempted towards the attractiveness of the prosperity gospel will fall into the devil's hand.

Satan will not tempt us with the horrors of this life. But he will be appealing, attractive to the eyes. In fact it will be in the church that he will sow his seeds. (Mt. 13:25) After all, when Eve was tempted to disobey God who gave her life and paradise, it was in the garden. She looked at the forbidden fruit and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Gen. 3:6) We cannot see Satan, but we can discern his temptations. (Heb. 5:14)

Temptation of Eve by Michelangelo

We are Just Like God - NOT!

This post was inspired from a Facebook post I made which was "Let's not forget Satan always wants us to think we can be gods. Gn. 3:3" The motivation for this little piece of wisdom has been an increasing awareness that many prosperity preachers teach that we are little gods. This makes sense since these same preachers say we can speak into existence what we want just like God Almighty can speak creation into existence. We are warned by the apostle Paul to be aware of doctrines of demons. (1 Tm. 4:1)

Now one person thought enough of the post to offer a rebuttal. He writes, "According to Psalm 82:6, We are gods and sons of the MOST HIGH because we were originally made in the image and after the likeness of God (Imagodei). What Satan wanted to do was to stop us from depending on God. That we are images of God should not stop us from depending on Him"

Can you believe it? Of course we should depend on God. But we are not gods. The word 'son' can best be rendered children and we are children of God but only by adoption! (Rm. 8:15, Rm. 8:23, Rom. 9:4, Gal. 4:5, Eph. 1:5) Now really, what was Satan doing in the Garden of Eden? He was tempting Eve saying, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' (Gen. 3:5-6) Here is the first temptation from the devil, to be like God. Hence, when a preacher like Creflo Dollar or Joyce Meyers says we are gods, well just remember where that lie came from.

I responded to this young man's bold assertion with the following. And here you will need your bible:

Let's take a close look at Ps. 82. It is not about you. It's about local rulers, judges. In Hebrew the word 'el' can be used for a ruler who makes judgements on behalf of God. (See Romans 13) The first verse reminds the judges of the obvious. God judges among the judges. In verse 2 God is asking the judges why they are showing partiality to the wicked. In verses 3 & 4 He commands they give justice to the poor & weak. Verse 5 could mean the weak & poor need help with the law or perhaps the judges themselves are ignorant because of their sin. Verse 6 is not addressed to you but to these judges. An understanding of Hebrew poetry is helpful here. Hebrew poetry uses parallelisms. So the line I said you are gods is parallel to nevertheless like men you shall die & sons of the most high is parallel to and fall like any prince. In other words, you local rulers are just men! Verse 8 is a plea to God Almighty to judge the earth as God is Lord of all!

Taking a verse out of context is not a faithful reading of Scripture! And is dangerous!

I then revisited the fall of mankind!

Now let's look at The Fall. God created us created beings. Only Jesus is the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD! We are like the clay jar a potter makes. We are not the potter but a creation of the potter. See Romans 9. Satan cannot tell the truth. What he said was that Adam & Eve would become like God if they ate the fruit. Therefore, he was lying. They at the fruit and died spiritually. We are dead spiritually until we are born again. But we do not become gods. This is Satan's lie!

That was the final word of this dialogue. Without a proper theology we are doomed. The creeds explicitly state Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. Only means only. By the grace of God we have received the 'spirit' of adoption. (Rm. 8:15) We recognize God as our Father. But it is not because we have the same nature as God.  Without the understanding of original sin, then we surely believe our nature is uncorrupted and we have no idea why we need a redeemer. And all of this will lead us to hell which is why this 'little gods' theology is a doctrine of demons authored by Satan!

Unfortunately, to be honest, prosperity/word of faith churches are not unique in this heresy. Any denomination that emphasizes works over grace believe our purpose is to become like god!

What The Rich Young Man Can Teach Us About The Prosperity Gospel

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. ( Mark 10:21-22)

There is nothing wrong with being wealthy. It is a gift from God! (Eccl. 5:19) There is a lot wrong with coveting what you don't have. It shows you are not content with what God has given you. (Heb. 13:5)

If we come to Jesus wanting what we don't have we begin our relationship with Him out of desire to consummate our sin. And God is not the cause of our sin. And God will surely let us down if He does not give us what we want. And so we will not find contentment. Contentment is for the here and now. Paul discovered contentment before his death. (Phil. 4:10-12) But he did not run up to Jesus asking about eternal life. He may have run into Him on the road to Damascus but that was not his intention. I am quite sure that if Jesus came to him and said something like, "Hey Saul, I know you hate me but that's okay, I want you to spread my message to the Gentiles. Yeah, those people who can't keep their you know what in their pants and eat pork. Oh and by the way, you're going to spend a lot of time in jail, hungry and those wounds from your whippings will heal over time!" In other words, following Jesus has a price to pay, not a want to be gained!

And so the rich young man ran to Jesus kneeling asking what to do for eternal life. Jesus rehearses a portion of the 10 Commandments, the ones on how to treat his fellow man. When he confirms he has met these requirements, we do not hear a rebuke from Jesus, like, "Liar, liar pants on fire!" So he probably did keep these commandments. It was the ones that Jesus did not mention that will trip him up. It was the Tenth Commandment that was not mentioned. You know, Thou shalt not covet!" (Ex. 20:17) And for good measure let's throw in the First Commandment, "Thou shall have no other gods before me!" (Ex. 20:3) After all, Paul does equate covetousness with idolatry. (Col. 3:5) And so the man who was already rich could not part with his treasures. In his heart, they were indeed greater than what Jesus could give him. His wealth was his idol.

For most people who chase after the prosperity gospel and those who preach it, they are not content with what God has already given them. But they are chasing after an idol. An image they have created out of their hearts. And it is this desire, this idol, that will be evidence on the day of judgment.

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”  And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Let us put our relationship to Jesus first never asking, "What's in it for me?" Be content with what you have . After all, God thinks it's enough! And it can be used for His glory. And if He gives you more, say, "Thank you!" You see, Jesus gave His spotless life for us. What can we give Him? (Mt. 8:18-22)

A Hint at The Shadow of Our Creator

When someone upsets us, why do we never say, "Confucius damn you!"?

How come when somebody stubs their toe they never shout, "Oh, Buddha!"

Why is it when someone receives a shocking revelation they don't cry, "Mohamed!"

But have you ever noticed in some form or other we do carelessly exclaim one of the forms of the Holy Name of God without thinking. I have never heard someone use their mother's name when they get angry at someone or are surprised by some news they have just heard. And just why is that? Perhaps our immediate, unthinking reflex is just a hint of our connection to our Creator.

St. Augustine once wrote, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee."  Even when people live in a world that has directed their attention to other gods or ultimate concerns, the first name they exclaim is a form of the Name of God of the Bible. After all, He is one who formed us. (Gen. 2:7) Sure we have fallen away. But our first grandparents knew Him directly understanding that they were created by His own hand and breath. We are related to God, made in His image. (Gen. 1:27) So an unthinking reflex from our heart, a heart God created, will look to Him. Unfortunately, this is not justification for taking the Lord's name in vain. In fact, it is the very reason for The Third Commandment, "Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain." (Ex. 20:7) We need The Law to remind us of our fallen nature. (Rm. 3:20) And we need The Law to be our measure of obedience as we submit to the guiding of our Advocate, The Holy Spirit. (Jn 16:7-11) And it reminds us of the curse we are under. (Gal. 3:10-14) A curse that Jesus took upon Himself as He paid our debt to the Law at Calvary. (Jn. 19:30)

Think about it. If we do not use our parents' name in vain, why sould we use our Creator's Name in vain? After all, it is written,

What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for

“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

 

as even some of your own poets have said,

 

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:23-31)

What The Prodigal Son Can Teach Us About The Prosperity Gospel

The prosperity gospel is no gospel at all. It teaches that we can ask God for anything we want especially material wealth. Isn't that exactly how the parable of the Prodigal Son begins?

“There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. (Luke 15:11-12)

The prodigal was a spoiled brat. He wanted it all now. And he got it. But he also lost it. This is where "he came to himself". (v. 17) His eyes were opened to his plight that he made himself. He resolved to turn back (repent) to his father. But he did not go back asking for what he had already gotten but with the resolve to be a servant in his father's household. Yes, his father met him along the way but he never forgot to state the reality of his sin, "I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” (V.21) Now many of us remember the rest of the story and that was the younger son received his father's robe and his ring. These were signs of his relationship with his father. With his inheritance spent, the father had that much less money and land to give him. All he had was the sign of his patrimony. And the love of his father.

As with all parables, this is a story of us and our relationship with God. It is about how we are far away from God but are on a journey home. This is usually after we come to ourselves and see that left to our own devices, we can only make a pigsty for ourselves. (v.15) But the prosperity gospel is a false gospel that says God wants us to have it all now. In other words, don't repent of being spoiled brats. It's a gospel that ignores the third chapter of Genesis. Adam and Eve, God's first children, had it all. A garden to frolic in! They had only one command and that was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But that wasn't good enough. They wanted more. And east of Eden they were banished. (Gen. 3:1-24) And eventually we got more commandments because we never learned what was right on our own because we armed ourselves with the knowledge of evil. But the last of the big ten was "Thou shalt not covet." Adherents of the prosperity gospel covet what they do not have. They want more like the prodigal son. They are not content with their Father in Heaven's blessing. And if you are not content you are a spoiled brat. Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread. Sometimes the answer to that prayer from God is something like, "Here, let me open your eyes so you can see what I have given you today!" Scripture admonishes us to be content with what we have. (Heb. 13:5) After all, our good Father knows what we need! It is the false gospel of prosperity preaching that leaves us as spoiled brats wanting more. And the judgment is the pigsties we are willing to build for ourselves!