TABLETALK - July 2018

I continue in my daily studies to be guided by Tabletalk magazine. 2018 was a study on the Gospel of John and its straightforward presentation of the person and work of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and other doctrines. 

• January 2018 (July 4, 2023 - July 23, 2023) John 1:1-2:22 - The preexistence of Christ, the ministry of John the Baptist and the person of Christ. 
• February 2018 (July 24, 2023 - August 10, 2023) John 2:23 - 3:36 - Regeneration and our need to believe in Christ for Salvation
• March 2018 (August 13, 2023 - September 30, 2023) John 4:1 - 5:29 - Christ is the incarnate Son of God
• April 2018 (October 1, 2023 - November 6, 2023) John 5:30 - John 7:36 - Jesus is as necessary to our souls as food is to our body; Jesus teaches in the temple during the Feast of Booths
• May 2018 (November 7, 2023 - December 22, 2023) John 7:37 - John 9:41 - Jesus experiences opposition and there is a sin-motivated resistance people have toward being enslaved to sin.
• June 2018 (December 23, 2023 - January 21, 2024) John 10:1 - 11:57 - Jesus as our shepherd will lay down His life for His sheep, but some won't hear Him. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in order to impact the faith of the disciples. 
• July 2018 (January 22, 2024 - March 14, 2024) John 12:1 - 13:20 - Jesus as Savior and Judge; salvation comes to Jesus' disciples and the judgment comes to all who reject Him. 

Chapter 12

The Anointing of Jesus (John 12:1-8) - Jesus is anointed by Mary after a meal is served and cites this is His time for this rather than giving to the poor from the proceeds of the sale of perfume. 

Plotting Against Lazarus (John 12:9-11) - Many continue to come to see Jesus and believe but also now they see Lazarus, impacted by Jesus and others want to also put Lazarus to death. 

Greeting the King (12:12-15) - Jesus is intentional, being greeted in Jerusalem with palm branches and then riding on a donkey, humble with foes of sin, Satan, and death.

Misunderstanding Jesus (12:16-19) - The disciples continue to follow but still do not understand Jesus completely, but one day they will, we know this. Meanwhile, the Pharisees remain bothered. 

Death and Glory (12:20-26) - Greeks are looking for Jesus and then Jesus speaks about his future death and how He will die and we need to lose our lives to find fruit and abundant life. 

Hearing A Voice from Heaven (12:27-30) - Jesus admits he is troubled about future judgment before God and yet God has a purpose for people, to give them assurance and Jesus submits to this. 

The Moment of Judgment and Salvation (12:31-32) - The Father has a purpose at judgment and that is to cast out the prince of this world, Satan, and Jesus by his resurrection and ascension will draw men to Himself at an alarming rate. 

Walking in the Light while There's Still Time (12:33-36a) - Despite many expecting Jesus to solve a political agenda they have, Jesus makes it clear that salvation is found in believing in him right now, while he is with them.

The Glory Isaiah Saw (John 12:36b-41) - While Jesus previously appeals to the multitude to believe in Him now, John takes us back to Isaiah to show us that some who refuse are hardened toward believing. 

A Call to Commitment (John 12:42-43) - Following belief in Jesus should be a desire only now for the approval of God and yet people can still at times continue to seek the approval of man instead. 

Seeing the Son, Seeing the Father (John 12:44-46) - Believing in Jesus is believing in God who sent Jesus, and seeing Jesus is seeing God and believing in Jesus transforms people away from living in darkness.

Christ the Judge (John 12:47-50) - The consistent them of the Bible is people go to everlasting life or everlasting contempt and believing in God, believing in Jesus, sent by God is the dividing line. 

Chapter 13

Loved to the End (John 13:1) - Jesus knows his departure time from earth is soon, going to the Father, and His love for people remains. 

The Cleansing We Need (John 13:2-11) - Most of the disciples surrendered themselves to the Servant King, Jesus, but one was unwilling to surrender himself and remained firm in his desire. 

The Example of Jesus (John 13:12-17) - Disciples of Christ must be willing to do what Jesus was willing to do, including acts of service. 

Receiving the One Whom Jesus Sends (John 13:18-20) - The betrayal of Judas was foreseen by Jesus. Let that confirm to us Jesus understanding of the future and confirm that His ambassadors who receive Jesus, receive the Father who sent Jesus. 

Various Scriptures - Guilt and Forgiveness - In washing the feet of His disciples, Jesus made it clear that those who follow Him need both the definitive cleansing from guilt they receive when they first exercise faith as well as continual forgiveness for any sins they commit thereafter (John 13:1–20). This story gives us an opportunity to reflect more on what the Bible says about the guilt of sin and the forgiveness we find only in Christ. 

To the Ends of the Earth - David Brainerd only lived to the age of 29, and yet he had a calling to Native Americans, to share the gospel with them. We have other lessons to learn from 18th century, preachers and theologians. We learn from the past to remember, but also to help us wisely serve and glorify God now, and for the future.

The Eighteenth Century: An Overview - As I read this, I couldn’t help but think about the origin of many of our thoughts today that are now normal. There was the evangelical revival in Britain and the great awakening in America. Also known as the enlightenment. There was less of an emphasis to focus on tradition and learning from it, and instead understanding nature through rational investigation. Reason became the map that included religion. Deism conceived of God as the supreme being rather than the Trinity. Miracles were needless. God simply wound the watch and let it run. God will reward the virtuous and punish the wicked. No savior was required. Thomas Paine was a deist as well as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Jefferson even edited the New Testament known as the Jefferson Bible. The only good news was these thinkers, still placed a value on the Christian faith. Immanuel Kant was the ultimate enlightenment philosopher. For him, human reason could find no path to the knowledge of God. For him, there was no intelligent design, or a transcendent cause. But he still believed that God existed in order to postulate a moral law. But God still can’t be known. For him, there is no reason to explain faith. He values Jesus, but only from the idea that he’s the founder of a new moral kingdom. He grew up Lutheran, with their revival and start a benefit of the Moravians. They influenced John Wesley. And sent out over 200 missionaries to Greenland, Lapland, the Virgin Islands, north and south America and South Africa. In America it was the ministry of John Whitfield. He spurned the planting of many of the denominations we know today. In Roman Catholicism, the Jansenists accepted defeat, not able to reconstitute Augustine’s doctrine of grace. The Jesuits we’re also defeated, but have later revitalized. The 18th century also brought about many composers such as Bach Handel Mozart and Beethoven.

The Methodist Movement - This was the only denomination to plant a church in every county of the United States, most often done by horseback. They felt Christian living should be more than the Anglican church offered, moving to an assurance of their faith and a pious life. After Oxford, John Wesley headed to Georgia to be a pastor, but then failed to secure his wife and was runoff in 1737. In 1738 on the voyage home, the Moravians words helped, giving him that assurance of salvation in Christ alone that he had been yearning for.

George Whitfield as well, rose to prominence, speaking to thousands often. Whitfield also dramatized biblical narratives. Growth occurred through revival and preaching of the Gospel, but Whitfield, a Calvinist and Wesley, an Arminian, were in disagreement, specifically over church discipline. Sanctification was also an issue as well as Wesley felt like our good works were an assurance of our salvation with the idea that the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a persons life, moving that person to walk fully in step with God‘s will. The break was made away from the Anglican church, which had ordained all Methodist preachers. Wesley, not Whitfield rose to greater heights and established the Methodist church.

Next step was Francis Asbury, who would travel some 300,000 miles for the sake of evangelism. The Wesleyan message did much to evangelize people in the Methodist movement, created ministries for the widowed, the hungry, and those in slavery. Whitfield did not have a problem with slavery for economic reasons but as Barry and another convert Harry Hosier believed, a black preacher could speak to a white audience. But there were still others that did not like black Christians, moving those blacks to form the African Methodist episcopal denomination. And of note is one of the biggest influencers of Protestantism is Methodist hymn writer Wesley who wrote close to 6000 hymns. Methodism today still is focused on social change.

Jonathan Edwards and the First Great Awakening - The earliest letter written by Edwards when he was 12 mentions the work of the Spirit of God in saving souls at his father's church in East Windsor, Connecticut. At 27, 2 years after being assistant minister in Northampton, MA, he become senior minister and was then called upon to deliver Harvard's commencement address where he spoke of salvation as a work of God. He continued preaching of grace. In his first book, the conversion of many souls awakened a common theme. In 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut he preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." The First Great Awakening continued but there were some zealots, like Charles Chauncy who wanted order and private expression, critical of these Awakening events. Princeton University, where Edwards would be president till 1759, prior to his death in 1761, began at this time under different names and was a training ground for ministers. Awakenings continue in the next century with Charles Finney, the Dwight L. Moody and finally Billy Graham.

The Birth of Modern Protestant Missions - William Carey, a Baptist Missionary died in 1834 with these words from Isaac Watts hymn, "A wretched, poor, and helpless worm,/On Thy kind arms I fall." In his writing he said no work equals the Moravians. A prayer meeting in 1727 sparked this surge of missionary movement by the Moravians in Saxony, Germany. Prayers for revival occurred in churches in America as well. The Baptist Missionary Society was born and sent Carey to India and Southeast Asia. Carey's sermon "expect great things" and "attempt great things." Without prayer nothing can be accomplished for the expansion of God's kingdom. We need to passionate about winning the lost for Christ and advancing the kingdom of Christ.

The Art of Standing Firm - Standing firm is an art, not to be done out of tension or discipline necessarily. We can unwittingly push agendas that undermine the gospel. We must stand firm to preserve the gospel and not submit to a yoke of slavery (Gal. 5:1). Division, lusts of the flesh, and lure of false teaching will challenge God's people. Speak the truth in love because God first loved us. We stand firm in response to Jesus pouring it out for us in Christ (2 Thess 2:14-15).

Responding to Hardships - 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 speaks of suffering the Apostle Paul enduring in his ministry to the gentiles, teaching him to rely on God. 2 Corinthians 11:23-25 Paul experienced hardships as a church planter. Paul responded on what God was doing through the difficult circumstances in 2 Corinthians 1:9 and who we need to put our trust in. So we are not to lose heart as he records in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, for He gives us an eternal perspective during trials. It is all about Jesus' strength as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. May we truly say, "When I am weak, then I am strong."

Fear and the Reign of God - Monsters are not real, but can still terrify us. Daniel had dream of monsters sent from God to teach him. Daniel saw a dream of 4 grotesque monsters signifying 4 powerful kings and kingdoms in history. First, Nebuchadnezzar (kingdom of Babylon); Second and Third, Idolatrous and destructive kingdoms of the MedoPersians and Greeks. Fourth to be Roman Empire but author thinks it is collective empires of the fallen world. In the dream Daniel also saw the Ancient of Days sitting on His throne and Son of Mans coming in the clouds. History does not always make sense to us, but we can take heart for our God reigns. Christ is coming again. We are secure. Abide in Him. We have nothing to fear.

Sabbath Consciousness - As I grew up, so did my understanding of things in our church. And father preaching was actually saying something that I began to hear. Sermons are sessions that equip God's people to understand how His word works and fits together and how to live out of it. Prayers made more sense. Songs were articulate praise. Worship is transforming and sustaining. We become more conscious of God's work and less of our own. Each Sunday makes us more fit for future reality.

Judgment and Rewards at the Last Judgment - Ecclesiastes begins and ends with a meaningless life ("All is Vanity") and then life will be judged ("God will bring every deed into judgment.") And yet maybe being judged gives us meaning for how often is what we have done in life not even noticed. God cares about my life and what I do. But, to live for eternity, our sins must be judged in Christ, not in our own selves. This will determine how and where we live forever. There are permanent and shattering consequences for sin. We grow strong in grace, possibly suffering, anticipate vindication. Those who lover their enemies, endure persecution and obediently serve their masters will be rewarded (Matt 5:11-2; Matthew 25:23, Luke 6:35). It is selfish to only serve Jesus for the reward. But seeking Him, serving Him, then a reward is fitting. We need to bring to Jesus something to express our gratitude. Live today as one who expects to be judged by God.

Faithful Preaching Amid Persecution - Karem, the writer of this article, mentions being interrogated by police because of word that someone was trying to kill him. Those who live faithful lives to God will encounter trouble and suffering and this has been present throughout church history. Scripture says to expect persecution. Disciples suffered while preaching gospel. Stephen while preaching gave his life. Paul suffered. Jesus saw persecution so will we. So how do we act when it comes? To continue to preach faithfully. Trust God's sovereign will. We are commissioned to declare His glory. So in every season, declare God's word. Confront the fears of being mocked or making enemies. Suffering is a privilege (Phil. 1:29). The valleys may be dark, but the shepherd is by our side.

Defending the Faith - Sometimes Christianity would be easier if it were more inclusive and we could adjust to the sails of all that society believes is important or values. Yet, throughout history Christianity has been in opposition to culture. Though we don't know everything, God does. Nothing is a surprise to Him. We are made in His image, set apart from everything else. As we are challenged, remember I Peter 3:15-16, always being ready to make a defense with gentleness and respect. Reason with the Scriptures. Preach Christ and His resurrection. And yet we can have knowledge of their beliefs as it helps us in those conversations. Those challenges are good as we need to work toward always having a good defense.

Resolutions - Beginning in 1722 at age 19, Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758) wrote 70 resolutions designed to help him live a holy life. Desiring God pens these complete as of August 17, 1723, just before age 20. I have read through these once and at first glance some are weighty and some with language I do not completely grasp based upon 1722-1723 language (300 years ago). Prior to reading them I think I expected them to be more comprehensive than they are. He repeats things. I saw a blogger who in 2012 tried to restate some of these to more contemporary language. Here are some thoughts I saw:

• Do all for the glory of God no matter the time it takes and this is for my good benefit as well.
• Live with all my might.
• Realize always I am a sinner and when seeing sin in others may it show me how not to sin.
• If I am in pain, let me think of the pain of hell and of those who have suffered for Christ before me.
• Remove pride or vanity from my ways.
• Make charity a focus.
• Don't take revenge.
• Flee anger towards others.
• Don't speak evil of another.
• Live with no regrets, till the day I die.
• Don't live in fear of doing things the Lord has called me to do.
• Be wise and healthy with my food choices.
• Be happy.
• When I sin, resolve to trace it back to its beginning so that I do not sin again, fighting and praying against it.
• Examine carefully any doubt I have of the love of God.
• Study the scriptures steadily, constantly, and frequently.
• Have hope that God will answer my prayers.
• Resolve each week to apply God's word better than the week before.
• Be faithful.
• Before going to sleep each night, be reminded of any area I have been negligent, any sin committed, any way I have not acted appropriately.
• Never speak inappropriately on the Lord's Day.
• Frequently renew my commitment to the Lord.
• Don't have any fret or uneasiness toward my mother or father.
• Trust and confide on the Lord Jesus Christ, consecrating myself wholly to Him.
• When I hear of good practice of others, resolve to imitate it.
• In my conversations, let those be about love, cheerfulness, and benignity (tolerance toward others), unless duty requires otherwise.
• Strive to feel and act in a good natured way.
• Toward duty and glorifying God, do it willingly and cheerfully.
• Be an open book before God: laying open all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and everything -- confessing all to God and imploring him for help.