Meditate on it

Jack Abeelen Let's Get Real Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 "I think when I got saved is when my life became optimistic. The world hadn’t changed, but I had, and I had come to know the God who changes lives. And though I know where I’m headed, and I know what His promises are, I don’t want to deny the reality of the place that we live. I think it was Charles Colson who wrote that life isn’t a book. It isn’t logical or sensible or orderly. Life’s a mess. And most of the time your theology and relationship with God, you have to live out in the midst of the mess." -JA "It is the inconsistency of seeing good people get the shaft and the absolute dirtbag skate through life that frustrates people. There’s a theological term for it, by the way. The term is theodicy. It means to reconcile a powerful, good God with the existence of evil." -JA "There are many folks who, looking at the world’s evil and then trying to consider a good God – the God that we share and preach

Jack Abeelen Some Wisdom For A Better Life Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 Lots of practical but intangible wisdom in this chapter "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. " Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 From the transcribed sermon at Morningstar: "Jesus comes along in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:4, and He said, “Blessed are those who mourn,” Really? “For they shall be comforted.” Sounds ridiculous on the surface, but it isn’t because to be mourning is to look for answers. And in the context there, Jesus is talking about man mourning over his sinfulness, over his inability to change his heart, to correct his behavior, to make things better……..promises he can’t keep. And in mourning over

Notes from the sermon: Jack Abeelen Some Dead-End Streets Ecclesiastes 6 Three points: 1. Wealth without joy. Wealth creates more needs often, not joy.  Joy is found in knowing God. Mirror and glass analogy--with a little silver, you only see you. Joy in the Bible is never found by direct pursuit; it's always a byproduct of seeking Him, knowing Him. 2. Long life without satisfaction. The understanding of the ancient world is that children and family are an inheritance and blessing. His soul is not satisfied "saba"---full, enough with the blessing of God. It's not quantity that determines satisfaction but thankfulness. David--of increase, you don't have to set your heart upon them...because his satisfaction was in God. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts and be thankful.--Paul Don't look around regrettably, look around thankfully. Make a list of thankfulness in the morning. Thankfulness--during a time when they were digging seven grave

Jack Abeelen Why Emptiness Increases Ecclesiastes 4 Driven by.... 1. Oppression Oppression drives people to separation and isolation. "Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor." Ecclesiastes 4:4 2. Competition Competition separates.  It's a worldly concept for the individual.  He's not talking about corporate competition (capitalism), but the competition that exists on the individual level. Solomon is not a friend of laziness. 3. Compulsion--compulsive desire to acquire Hebrew poets would emphasize something by increasing or decreasing a value...one, two, three.... one==singular value obsessive compulsion to be the successor Two are better than one (Biblical concept, right out of Genesis...man alone not good) reciprocal benefit, like body heat, both benefit You don't have to go to church to be a Christian, but you do if you want to stay one. There is safety in numbers.

Jack Abeelen The Worshiper Before His God Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil." -Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 Solomon noticed mechanical worship and called it "a sacrifice of fools." There are many religious folks work their way into formalism.  They substitute this for relationship. Offerings can be a covering for lack of relationship. Cain brought an offering. Saul brought many offerings. Isaiah sent to people to complain about the abomination of their sacrifices. "God is never impressed with pageantry that hides wicked hearts." "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few."  Ecclesiastes 5:2 People became with careless speech.  The formalization of prayer is also useless.

Title: A Moment of Clarity in a Life Out of Focus Speaker: Jack Abeleen Solomon was a pessimist. "Then I turn myself to consider....." stops doing and starts observing Compares wise man and fool.  Then laborer and not so much laboring.   Both viewed in light of death. He takes a moment at the end to glance up, beyond the clouds, looking at what's beyond, God. Wisdom should have advantages.  Comparison between someone who carefully plans and one who doesn't (fool).  One who lives his life with reckless abandonment.  There is benefit to how to live one's life. I can pass my wisdom along to the next ruler... The wise man lives with alertness. But then I die...and when all is said and done, no one is going to remember either one of us. Will "lay up" things for his children....unless....my children are fools  (Rehoboam) Rehoboam was a "wing nut." ; ) Luke 12---build a barn---can't keep it. God tells us we CAN store up trea

Notes from Jack Abeleen's sermon. " The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem." -Ecclesiastes  1:1 Preacher qôheleth ko-heh'-leth Feminine of active participle from H6950; a (female) assembler (that is, lecturer); abstractly preaching (used as a ‘nom de plume’, Koheleth): - preacher. Why study Ecclesiastes? 1. Remember: It's how the world outside the church often views life. 2. Remember: Solomon with all of his assets fell. Solomon---drifted from God despite wealth and wisdom, he became a philosopher of sorts, an observer He's an observer without factoring God in. It's not about how much you know but how much you will incorporate into your life. If your head is full of knowledge of God but your life is not, you are the fool.  He played the fool. Biblical principle: That which is your greatest asset can become your greatest problem. Person--strength--weakness Noah--purity--but became drunk Abraham--faith--but lie

I began this study on the 23rd of February 2018 and finished on the 17th of July 2019.  It was a solid time of being immersed in the gospels, slowly drinking in the details and implications.  It's been so long since I began, I'd forgotten how I came across this study or what I knew about the authors when beginning it. From Wikipedia : John William (J. W.) McGarvey (March 1, 1829 – October 6, 1911) was a minister, author, and religious educator in the American Restoration Movement. He was particularly associated with the College of the Bible in Lexington, Kentucky (today Lexington Theological Seminary) where he taught for 46 years, serving as president from 1895 to 1911. He was noted for his opposition to theological liberalism and higher criticism. His writings are still influential among the heirs of the conservative wing of the Restoration Movement, the Churches of Christ and Christian churches and churches of Christ. Although McGarvey wrote extensively throughout his

Section 144 THE ASCENSION (Olivet, between Jerusalem and Bethany) MARK 16:19, 20 LUKE 24:50-53 ACTS 1:9-12 "How strangely calm and brief is this record of so stupendous an event! Do these sparing and reverent words sound to you like the product of devout imagination, embellishing with legend the facts of history? To me their very restrainedness, calmness, matter-of-factness, if I may so call it, are a strong guarantee that they are the utterance of an eyewitness, who verily saw what he tells so simply. There is something sublime in the contrast between the magnificence and almost inconceivable grandeur of the thing communicated, and the quiet words, so few, so sober, so wanting in all detail, in which it is told." -MacLaren "And while they were looking steadfastly into heaven as he went, behold, two men [angels in human form] stood by them in white apparel;  who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? this Jesus, who was received up from

Section 142 THE GREAT COMMISSION GIVEN (Time and place same as last section.) MATT. 28:18-20 MARK 16:15-18 LUKE 24:46, 47 It's easy to glide over this passage--it's familiar, it's grand, it's hard to get traction with.  All authority?  Go? Always with me? Of course, I know the pat answers, and that's why it's easy to just keep sliding through it instead of intentionally engaging and wondering. "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Matthew 28:18 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations — rather, “make disciples of all nations”; for “teaching,” in the more usual sense of that word, comes in afterwards, and is expressed by a different term. -JFB "The adaptation of the Gospel message to all. It deals with all men as on one level. It addresses universal humanity. ‘Unto you, O men, I call, and My voice is to the sons of men.’ It speaks the same language to all sorts of men, to all s

Section 140 & 141 SEVENTH APPEARANCE OF JESUS (Sea of Galilee) JOHN 21:1-25 My summary: The disciples were fishing at night unsuccessfully.  Jesus called them from the shore to cast their nets, and they responded, bringing in a haul of fish. Peter recognized that this was Jesus and swam to him.  The rest brought the boat and fish to the shore, where Jesus had a fire and invited them to breakfast of bread and fish.  Oddly, Jesus asks Peter three times in slightly different words if he loves him more than the others.  When Peter says yes, he replies, "then feed my sheep." "Some critics have argued that this chapter is anticlimactic after the great conclusion in Joh_20:1-31, and therefore was written by another (anonymous) writer. But the linguistic evidence does not support this notion." -BKC I find it noteworthy that the gospel of John forgoes the birth narrative of Christ, going all the way back to the foundations of the universe and life.  But at the e

Section 139  SIXTH APPEARANCE OF JESUS (Sunday, one week after the resurrection.) JOHN 20:26-31 I. COR. 15:5 My Summary: Thomas was not with the other disciples when they saw Jesus among them.  He commented that he would have to have physical proof to believe. "But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”" John 20:25 Jesus appears to the disciples a second time, eight days later.  Again, John includes the detail that the door was shut: "This shows that the Lord had now the spiritual body, soma pneumatikon, of 1Co_15:44."-Bullinger Jon Courson views the initial absence of Thomas as evidence that he was straying and that the disciples and Christ drew him back in.  I'm not sure what I think of this.  In one way, I can see how his absence was notable--why was he initially missing?  In another, I feel like that's a rathe

Section 138 FIFTH APPEARANCE OF JESUS (Jerusalem. Sunday evening) MARK 16:14 LUKE 24:36-43 JOHN 20:19-25 My summary of Luke:  When Cleopas and the other spoke with the disciples in Jerusalem, Jesus appeared among them, "As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” " -Luke 24:36 "Here are the disciples, with questions mounting and confusion rising like waves on the sea—when suddenly, just as before, Jesus comes to them and stills their storm with one word: Shalom. His first word is, "Peace." He doesn't say, "You guys are busted. Where have you been? I'm on the Cross and you're running around, pretending like you don't even know Me. What's the big idea?" No, that's not what Jesus does. He comes to them and says, "Peace." And that's what He says to you (Rom_5:1)." -Jon Courson "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have

Section 136 SOME OF THE GUARDS REPORT TO THE JEWISH RULERS MATT 28:11-15 Summary:  Some of the guards who were at the tomb went into the city and reported the events to the chief priests.  The priests and elders agreed to pay them off, so they would tell the story that Jesus left the tomb. Esteeming it folly to guard an empty tomb, the soldiers went to their barracks, while their officers returned to those who had placed them on guard to report what had happened. They rightly judged that the plain truth was their best defense. They could not be expected to contend against earthquakes and angels. Their report implies that they saw Jesus leave the tomb, and after the angel opened it.* -fourfold Section 137 THIRD AND FOURTH APPEARANCES OF JESUS (Sunday afternoon.) MARK 16:12, 13 LUKE 24:13-35 I. COR. 15:5 "After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe

Section 135  FIRST AND SECOND APPEARANCES OF THE RISEN CHRIST. THE RESURRECTION REPORTED TO THE APOSTLES (Jerusalem. Sunday morning.) MATT. 28:9, 10 MARK 16:9-11 LUKE 24:9-11 JOHN 20:11-18 My summary:  Mary stoops to look into the tomb and sees two angels: "But Mary was standing without at the tomb weeping: so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she beholdeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain ." John 11-12 Then Jesus appears to her: "Jesus saith to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father: but go unto my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God." John 17 "Touch me not (μή μοῦ ἅπτου) The verb, primarily, means to fasten to. Hence it implies here, not a mere momentary touch, but a clinging to. Mary thought that the old relations between her Lord and herself were to be renewed; that the o

Part XIII OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION, APPEARANCES AND ASCENSION. JUDEA AND GALILEE TIME, FORTY DAYS. SPRING AD. 30. Section 134 ANGELS ANNOUNCE THE RESURRECTION TO CERTAIN WOMEN. PETER AND JOHN ENTER THE EMPTY TOMB Joseph's Garden. Sunday, very early MATT. 28:1-8 MARK 16:1-8 LUKE 24:1-8, 12 JOHN 20:1-10 My Summary:  Early in the morning on Sunday, the women traveled to the tomb with spices for his burial. There was an earthquake, and an angel rolled back the tombstone and sat upon it.  The angel is described as appearing as lightening and wearing white, and the guards stationed at the tomb trembled at his appearance.  When the women arrived, they found the stone rolled back and the tomb empty.  According to John, Mary Magdalene left and told Peter of the loss of the body. "The divergences of the Evangelists reach their maximum in the accounts of the Resurrection, as is natural if we realise the fragmentary character of all the versions, the severely condensed sty

Section 133 THE CRUCIFIXION Subdivision D JESUS FOUND TO BE DEAD. HIS BODY BURIED AND GUARDED IN THE TOMB MATT 27:57-66 MARK 15:42-47 LUKE 23:50-56 JOHN 19:31-42 My summary:  John recounts that soliders came to break Jesus' legs, but he was already dead.  They "pierced his side with a spear." On that Friday evening (immediately before the Saturday Sabbath) Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus.  Pilate released it to him; then he and Nicodemus prepared it with spices and laid it in Joseph's own tomb, rolling a stone in front of it.  The women were also there.  The chief priests and elders recalled Jesus commenting that he would rise on the third day, so they requested to be able to seal and guard his tomb. Pilate agreed to this. The Entombment, Antonio Ciseri, 1883 "It is strange that those who were not afraid to be disciples were afraid to ask for our Lord's body, ye

Section 133 THE CRUCIFIXION Subdivision C DARKNESS THREE HOURS AFTER FOUR MORE SAYINGS, JESUS EXPIRES. STRANGE EVENTS ATTENDING HIS DEATH. MATT. 27:45-56 MARK 15:33-41 LUKE 23:44-49 JOHN 19:28-30 My summary: Jesus is crucified.  He's taunted by those around him and several women sit in the distance watching.  He's offered wine but refuses. Significantly, he "offers up his spirit" upon his death.  Multiple signs occur at this point: the veil in the temple is split, tombs crack open and spirits arise (then or after his resurrection), earthquakes rock the land, and there is darkness during the day. Lots of thoughts and commentary from others: http://www.artway.eu/content.php?id=767&lang=en&action=show "Climactically Mark recorded five phenomena that accompanied Jesus’ death: (a) darkness (Mar_15:33), (b) Jesus’ cry, “My God…” (Mar_15:34), (c) Jesus’ loud cry (Mar_15:37), (d) the temple curtain torn from top to bottom (Mar_15:38), and (e) the Ro

Section 133  THE CRUCIFIXION Subdivision A. ON THE WAY TO THE CROSS (Within and without Jerusalem. Friday morning.) MATT. 27:31-34 MARK 15:20-23 LUKE 23:26-33 JOHN 19:17 " And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him."  "Only the women bewailed him. They were not Galilæans, but women of Jerusalem."-FF But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.  "Some of these women, and the children of others, would survive till the terrible siege of Jerusalem and suffer in it. Jesus bore his own suffering in silence, but his pity for those upon whom these days of anguish would come caused him to speak."-FF "And when they came unto the place which is called The skull, they gave {offered} him wine a to drink mingled with gall: {myrrh:} but when he had tasted it, he would not drink. (he received it not). "This mix

Section 132 REMORSE AND SUICIDE OF JUDAS (In the temple and outside the wall of Jerusalem. Friday morning.) MATT. 27:3-10 ACTS 1:18, 19 Summary--The dark tale of Judas. In the end, he was but a pawn of the priests and elders. "Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind [repented] and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” Matthew 27:3-4 metamellomai met-am-el'-lom-ahee From G3326 and the middle of G3199; to care afterwards, that is, regret: - repent (self). "But mere sorrow avails nothing unless it leads to change of mind and life (metanoia), the sorrow according to God (2Co_7:9). This sorrow Peter had when he wept bitterly. It led Peter back to Christ. But Judas had only remorse that led to suicide."-RWP "But the testimony of Judas, in the free, untechnical court o

Section 131  THIRD STAGE OF THE ROMAN TRIAL PILATE RELUCTANTLY SENTENCES HIM TO CRUCIFIXION (Friday. Toward sunrise) MATT. 27:15-30 MARK 15:6-19 LUKE 23:13-25 JOHN 18:39-19:16  Pilate welcomed the demand as a possible escape from his difficulties.-Fourfold "And the multitude went up and began to ask him to do as he was wont to do unto them." "It was still early in the morning, and the vast majority of the city of Jerusalem did not know what was transpiring at Pilate's palace. But they came thither in throngs, demanding their annual gift of a prisoner. Pilate welcomed the demand as a possible escape from his difficulties." -FF And Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people. "He did not wish to seem to take advantage of our Lord's accusers by releasing him during their absence. Possibly he knew of the triumphal entry the Sunday previous, and thought that the popularity of Jesus would be such that his release wo