The MADE-UP Jesus

There has arisen a lot of debate in recent years, over what is referred to as the "historical" Jesus and posed by some as being in opposition to the biblical Jesus. The question then becomes, what do we believe? John Dominic Crossan in an article February 27, 2011 states in an overarching message is that you don't have to accept the Jesus of dogma. That there's another Jesus hidden in Scripture and history who has been ignored. Crossnan is a modern reputed scholar and former catholic priest and touted modern "authority" on the "Historical Jesus." So, what do we believe? Who do we believe?

Why is a real relationship with Jesus so difficult? Why is it so challenging? It is because we tend to create a quasi-relationship with a "made-up Jesus." Since the world presents to us a conflicting view of what we see in the gospels, people then tend to create their own version of Jesus in their minds, one who makes few demands on us. This made-up Jesus basically does what we expect, and then leaves us alone. After all, if He's just a historical figure and "an exploited "peasant with an attitude who didn't perform many miracles, physically rise from the dead or die as punishment for humanity's sins ( John Dominic Crossan's 'blasphemous' portrait of Jesus February 27, 2011 By John Blake, CNN)."

Here’s the problem, this made-up Jesus doesn’t care if we succeed or fail, if we’re blind or able to see, if we live or die. We have done what Paul has warned us not to do,

• "But even if we — or, for that matter, an angel from heaven! — were to announce to you some so-called "Good News" contrary to the Good News we did announce to you, let him be under a curse forever! (Gal.1:8 CJB)"
• "They have exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, by worshipping and serving created things, rather than the Creator — praised be he for ever. (Rom.1:25)."

There we have it. People such as Crossnan - or the Bible! What is the truth?

Here's the rub! If we accept the view of people like Crossnan, then we have a version of Jesus who makes few or no demands on us. This made-up Jesus basically does what we expect, and then leaves us alone. But, here’s the problem - this made-up Jesus doesn’t care about us. He doesn’t care if we succeed or fail, if we’re blind or able to see, if we live or die. Is that the truth? do you believe that? is that what YOU want to accept?

Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (NIV). That doesn't sound like someone who doesn't care to me. It sounds to me like the real Jesus cares deeply about us. That He loves us passionately and has been pursuing us since the day we were born. The Jesus of the Bible, doesn’t want a relationship of rote prayers, rule keeping and formulas. Paul wrote, "that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.(Eph.3:16-19)."

This is a rich and deep and ultimately fulfilling relationship. Sometimes, it will be messy, uncomfortable, and a passionate relationship. That’s why the Jesus of the Bible won’t leave you alone, because He wants you to experience real and eternal life. This is a real relationship with the real Jesus who hung on a cross for you. Picture him there, looking across through time and into your eyes saying, “I love you. I’m willing to die for you. I’m willing to give everything so that you can know me and have a real life of passion, love and eternal life.”

You can ignore him; you can curse him; you can refuse to believe He exists. But regardless of what you think or what you choose to believe, there is a fact that remains true throughout time. "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Pet.3:9)."

Where are you at? Are you content to live the life that you’ve lived? Are you content to continue deluding yourself that Jesus isn't real, doesn't' care, or that he's just some historical being that was a peasant with an attitude? Or are you ready to cross that line to live a passionate and real relationship with a real Jesus who loves you?

"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!"

Everyone who hears this should say, "Come!"

If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It's free!"

Rev.22:17

Jim

First skyscraper was a monument to intimidation: How Jericho's 11,000-year-old 'cosmic' tower came into being

First skyscraper was a monument to intimidation: How Jericho's 11,000-year-old 'cosmic' tower came into being

ScienceDaily (Feb. 17, 2011) — Discovered by archaeologists in 1952, a 28-foot-high stone tower discovered on the edge of the town of Jericho has puzzled scientists ever since. Now, eleven millennia after it was built, Tel Aviv University archaeologists at the ancient site Tel Jericho are revealing new facts about the "world's first skyscraper."

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• Ancient Civilizations
• Cultures
• Fossils
• Lost Treasures
• Anthropology
• Origin of Life

Reference

• Amarna letters
• Crane (machine)
• Excavation
• Stone Age

Recent computer-based research by doctoral student Roy Liran and Dr. Ran Barkai of Tel Aviv University's Jacob M. Alkow Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at the Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities sheds light on who built the 28-foot-high tower -- and why.

The researchers note that this is the first instance of human beings erecting such a tall structure, even before the transition to agriculture and food production in the region. Liran and Dr. Barkai now believe that the tower, which required about ten years to build, is an indication of power struggles at the beginning of the Neolithic period, and that a particular person or people exploited the primeval fears of Jericho's residents in persuading them to build it. The new revelations about the ancient tower were recently published in the journal Antiquity.

"In the newly published article, we present a new and exciting discovery," Liran and Dr. Barkai said in a joint statement, "which is connected to the exact position of the tower on the edges of the village of Jericho, and the shadow that covers the site when the sun sets on the longest day of the year."

A stairway (and tower) to Heaven

"Reconstruction of the sunset revealed to us that the shadow of the hill as the sun sets on the longest day of the year falls exactly on the Jericho tower, envelops the tower and then covers the entire village," the researchers explained. "For this reason, we suggest that the tower served as an earthly element connecting the residents of the site with the hills around them and with the heavenly element of the setting sun." Its construction may be related to the primeval fears and cosmological beliefs of the villagers, they note.

Tel Jericho, located in modern day Jericho in the West Bank, is one of the most ancient sites in the world. The eight and half meter tower, which was built with a steep flight of stairs approximately one meter wide, rises above a four-meter wall that probably encompassed the city. The existence of the tower led to Jericho's identification as the first city in the world, even though it was in fact a settlement of pre-agricultural hunter gatherers.

"This was a time when hierarchy began and leadership was established," Dr. Barkai told the Jerusalem Post. "We believe this tower was one of the mechanisms to motivate people to take part in a communal lifestyle."

Debunking old theories

Some researchers have proposed that the tower and wall together comprised a system of fortification and a defense against flooding. Others have suggested the tower and wall as a geographical marker, defining the territory of the early residents of Jericho, and a symbol of the wealth and power of the ancient village.

In a 2008 article, the Tel Aviv University researchers proposed that the tower and wall of Jericho should be seen as cosmological markers, connecting the ancient village of Jericho with the nearby Mount Qarantal and sunset on the longest day of the year. The new paper fortifies their hypothesis.

This idea is based on the fact that the axis of the flight of stairs in the tower was built at a precise angle to the setting of the sun on the longest day of the year behind the highest peak overlooking Jericho, Mount Qarantal. They believe that it is humanity's first skyscraper, however small, and also the world's first public building.

Grass on the roof | Ferrell's Travel Blog

Grass on the roof | Ferrell's Travel Blog

In the previous post we wrote about the account of some men putting a hole in the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching in Capernaum. Our photos illustrated the way roofs were constructed at the time. This art by Balage Balogh of Archaeology Illustrated shows clearly the roofs. You can see the flat dirt roof with the poles (we might say rafters) showing under the surface.

The houses of Capernaum in the time of Jesus. Art by Balage Balogh, ArchaeologyIllustrated.com

Other biblical passages become clear when we understand the nature of house construction during Bible times.

Take a look at Proverbs27:15. Think of what the winter rains might do to one of the roofs of the day.

A continual dripping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike. (Proverbs 27:15 NET)

One of the Psalms of Ascent calls for the overthrow of those who hate Zion.

May they be like the grass on the rooftops which withers before one can even pull it up, (Psalm 129:6 NET)

In another text we are told that King Hezekiah of Judah prayed to the Lord during the days of the Assyrian threat to Judah. The prophet Isaiah informs the Assyrian king Sennacherib that the Lord has overthrown His enemies in the past and will do so again. Notice the illustration:

Their residents are powerless, they are terrified and ashamed. They are as short-lived as plants in the field, or green vegetation. They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops when it is scorched by the east wind. (2 Kings 19:26 NET = Isaiah 37:27).

The Problem With Jesus

The Problem With Jesus

"And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples,

"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Matt.9:11

The Pharisees had a problem with Jesus. He didn't act like the other teachers and was often seen in the company of people that were of an unpleasant crowd (in their estimation). Sinners were not here for compassion, sinners were here to be rebuked, disciplined, scolded for their abhorrent behaviors! They often would be found "sitting by (Lk.5:17)" watching him as he would be found eating and drinking with "sinners."

The author of the book of Hebrews explains that high priests were chosen to represent men before God and God before men. The high priest, although he was able to enter into the presence of God as no one else could, was still human. His humanity meant that the high priest, understanding human weaknesses himself, could deal “gently” with the “ignorant and wayward.” This unique word in Heb. 5:2, which the ESV translates “gently,” could also be translated “holding his emotions in restraint.” When confronted with ignorance or even error, the faithful high priest kept control of his passions and held his anger in check. Many Christians could do with a lot more of this quality! Yes, sometimes people’s sins may call for anger! Jesus was angry at the “hardness of heart” of some of the Jews, yet, He was also grieved by it. The Gospels spend much more time expressing Jesus' compassion, being moved in his heart, "because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. (Mk.6:34)."

There’s ignorance (being unlearned, untaught) and then there’s ignorance (suppressing the truth, refusing to learn or listen). Of those who aren't walking the narrow path, there are those who are misled and deceived, confused spiritual strays – and there are those who stubbornly insist on their own way. We use compassion – listening, seeing the other’s perspective, trying to identify our shared feelings in someone else – to know the difference.

The Pharisees were not wrong to confront error. In the context of what Jesus considered the second greatest commandment, the Jews were told not to hate a brother. They were to rebuke a neighbor in the wrong, either so as not to share in his sin or else to rescue him from it. All was to be done neither in vengeance nor with a grudge, “but you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev.19:17,18).” Paul told Timothy to rebuke those who persisted in sin ; he told the Ephesian Christians to “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them (Eph.5:11).” James writes that bringing someone who has wandered from the truth saves the sinner’s soul from death and “covers a multitude of sins (Jas.5:19,20).”

If the Pharisees had a problem with the sinners Jesus ate with, or with Jesus for eating with them, how should they have handled it? Certainly not by ignoring or downplaying sin, and not by gossiping as they did. Did you notice how the Pharisees attacked Jesus’ disciples for Jesus’ behavior? They got an answer only because Jesus overheard the criticism. We ought to have a zeal for God’s Word that mimics Jesus’ own. But the Son of God was never wrong! When He rebuked the scribes and Pharisees it was because without a doubt they had misinterpreted or misapplied the Scriptures. He knew when and how to be gentle, or tough. We, on the other hand, must always approach reproving others (or even approving them) infused with humility. We are not infallible; our arguments on others’ wrongs could be wrong themselves. Unlike the Lord, even when we’re right we may not always choose the best approach to a situation.

How could the Pharisees have reconciled Scriptural teaching on keeping separate from sinners, rebuking sinners, and at the same time being merciful to them? Perhaps they could have approached the situation with humility, considering their own weaknesses (Gal.6:1-3). Perhaps they could have done a “heart check” for uncontrolled anger or grudges. The Pharisees might have had compassion for the sinners (and Jesus), trying to understand why they were what they were. Would they have laid down their lives for the ones they were criticizing and arguing with? “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends,” said Jesus (Jn.15:13). One of the Lord’s criticisms of the religious lawyers of His day was that they loaded people “with burdens hard to bear,” and they were totally unwilling to help people with those burdens. Were the Jewish religious teachers willing to live under the same obligations they placed on others? Could they? Did the scribes and Pharisees love the people they were correcting enough to climb down out of the judgment seat and give them a hand?

"And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will."

2 Tim.2:24-26

This Article Adapted from a book manuscript

"Arguing Like Jesus

by Kerry Gately, pgs.98-104

Was this Jericho tower the world’s first skyscraper? | Ferrell's Travel Blog

Was this Jericho tower the world’s first skyscraper? | Ferrell's Travel Blog

Many who have visited Tell es-Sultan, the site of Old Testament Jericho, have been amazed at the tower built on the inside of the city wall. The tower was uncovered during the excavation by Kathleen Kenyon in 1952-1958. Kenyon dated the tower to the Neolithic period, about 7000 B.C. The current material makes the tower 11,000 years old, but the entry by Kenyon in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, gives the date of 7000 B.C.)

Holland describes the tower:

On the West side of the town in Trench I, the first town wall was associated with a large stone-built tower situated against its inner side, 8.5 meters in diameter [almost 28 feet] at the base with a surviving height of 7.75 meters [about 25½ feet]. The construction of the tower was solid except in the center, which had a staircase providing access to the top from the interior of the town. — The Anchor Bible Dictionary 3:727

A photo suitable for use in teaching is available by clicking on the image. This tower is definitely in need of cleaning and restoration.

The Tower excavated by K. Kenyon at Jericho. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Kenyon thought the tower served some defensive purpose. A new computer analysis study by two Israeli archaeologist, Ran Barkai and Ron Liran, has led to the conclusion that when the tower “was built the nearby mountains cast a shadow on it as the sun sets on the longest day of the year.” They say, “The shadow fell exactly on the structure and then spread out to cover the entire village.”

A brief article in the The Jerusalem Post says,

The world’s first skyscraper was built by early farmers, who were frightened into erecting a solar marker by mankind’s early bosses, archaeologists say.

Long before its Biblical walls came tumbling down, Jericho’s residents were being enticed to give up hunting and gathering and start farming for a living. They settled in this oasis next to the Jordan River and built a mysterious 8.5-meter (28-foot) stone tower on the edge of town.

When discovered by archaeologists in 1952, it was dated at over 11,000 years old, making it the first and oldest public building even found. But its purpose and the motivation for erecting it has been debated ever since.

Now, using computer technology, Israeli archaeologists are saying it was built to mark the summer solstice and as a symbol that would entice people to abandon their nomadic ways and settle down.

“The tower was constructed by a major building effort. People were working for a very long time and very hard. It was not like the other domestic buildings in Jericho,” said Ran Barkai of the Department of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University, who was part of a team that did the computer analysis.

The stone tower is about nine meters in diameter at its base and conical in shape. Built out of concentric rows of the stones, it also contains an enclosed stairway. Archeologists say it wasn’t used as a tomb.

Barkai and fellow archaeologist Roy Liran used computers to reconstruct sunsets and found that when the tower was built the nearby mountains cast a shadow on it as the sun set on the longest day of the year. The shadow fell exactly on the structure and then spread out to cover the entire village.

The complete article may be read here. The brief article is based on a scholarly article by the two archaeologists in Time and Mind: the Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture, available in PDF here. There is a short article by Liran and Barkai in the March, 2011, issue of Antiquity, here. There is also an article in The Media Line here.

It may be that the tower served an astronomical purpose, but the suggestion that it was built to entice the local inhabitants to become farmers is nothing more than an interesting speculation.

Note also that this tower has nothing to do with the biblical account of the destruction of the city of Jericho as recorded in Joshua 6. That did not occur until about 1400 B.C. (or later, according to the “late date” theory of the Exodus).

HT: Joseph Lauer

CRUELTY!

CRUELTY!

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up,

as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Eph 4:29

Cruelty is a deliberate infliction of pain or suffering, an action that displays a quality or characteristic of being cruel. We associate cruelty with people that are evil and void of conscience, someone with malicious intent. Murder is a cruel act in and of itself but in certain circumstances can be even more heinous and cruel by things that take the act itself to the extent of torture. We don't often associate godly things with cruelty, because of the negative its nature.

We have the truth, God's word that can set us free! Its wisdom can show us the paths to walk, and its pages testify to the grace that God gives. You and I are told to study it, examine it, search it, and live it. We are told in 2 Tim.3;16,17 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." Yes! -- reproof (to convict) - we're going to slap them in chains! Correction - we're going to take a stick to them! Instruction in righteousness - for all that evil living that they are doing, we're going to rake them over the coals of God's word! But -- is this the attitude that Jesus tells us to have? I agree, that there is a time and place for all things. There is a time, when someone is doing wrong, that we need to convict them of the wrong, sometimes more sternly than others. Yes, there is a time to correct, again sometimes more sternly than others. And....there are times to rake people over the pointed edges of the word of God! But, I find these times few.

We wax bold with God's word because it makes us righteous, but we should take care to heed Paul's warning in 1 Cor.8:1, that"..knowledge puffs up.." The same word that tells us to do the things that we mentioned above also warn you and I as followers of Christ

1. Eph 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
2. Col 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
3. Jas 3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
   

Just because we "have" the truth, does not mean we can use it indiscriminately. Again, God's word itself reminds us, Heb 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." It is two edged, meaning that what I use, can come back and cut me as well. If I use God's word in judgmental, harsh, and cruel ways, I may be speaking truth, but what does God's word reveal of my own intention?

Let's take care in our zeal to defend the word of God, that we do not under the guise of proclaiming "righteous judgment" inflict with our voices, actions, and mannerisms a cruelty that God does not. It is true that we must let the Bible speak for itself, and it does so very clearly. But it does not need our emotional embellishment, nor does it need our baggage attached. This is why Jesus warned the Pharisees, Matt. 7:5 "You hypocrite! First, take the log out of your own eye; then you will see clearly, so that you can remove the splinter from your brother's eye! "

Jim

New Testament artifacts in the Israel Museum | Ferrell's Travel Blog

New Testament artifacts in the Israel Museum | Ferrell's Travel Blog

New Testament artifacts in the Israel Museum

Posted on February 9, 2011 by ferrelljenkins| Leave a comment

There are some highly significant artifacts relating to the study of the New Testament in the Israel Museum.

• The Pilate inscription from Caesarea Maritima (Acts 13:28; 1 Timothy 6:13).
• The ossuary of the high priest Caiaphas (Matthew 26:3). An inscription on the ossuary reads “Yehosef bar Qafa” (Joseph the son of Caiaphas). There are several ossuaries bearing common names of the New Testament period such as Mary and Jesus.
• The fragment of one of the warning inscriptions once in the wall separating the Court of the Gentiles from the Court of the Women (Acts 21:29; cf. Ephesus 2:14). The only full inscription discovered in Jerusalem is now in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
• The Theodotus Inscription. This inscription came from a Synagogue of Freedmen (liberated slaves). Stephen contended with some men from this synagogue (Acts 6:9). This item was previously displayed in the Rockefeller Museum.

Theodotus Inscription now displayed in the Israel Museum.

And more….

One item I failed to see (if it was on display) was the “Chair of Moses” from the Synagogue at Chorazin (Matthew 23:2). In some cases the replicas at the site of discovery are good — and they may be photographed. Examples are the chair of Moses and the Pilate inscription.

The Israel Museum should reevaluate the policy of not allowing photographs. There is nothing on display that has not already been published in numerous places. Teachers like to have their own photos to show their students.

The Myth of the Lone Ranger | Evangelism.net

The Myth of the Lone Ranger | Evangelism.net

EBRUARY 7, 2011 | WRITTEN BY AJ RINALDI

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There’s a romantic notion in Westerns and Action movies about the loner. A hero who acts alone and never needs any help. However, there always comes a point in any story where the hero suddenly finds himself in a situation of dire circumstances and a welcome ally appears to help save the day. In a moment of humble revelation, he realizes that no man can function effectively by himself.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the Christian life. A quick read of Romans 12:3-5, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, and Hebrews 10:24-26 reveals at least three things in consideration of Christian Fellowship.

1. In humility, admit the need.

Having a specific function within the body of Christ, we must consider our position as one among many (Romans 12:3-5). It is a mark of humility for us to admit to ourselves and others that it is impossible to accomplish alone what God calls us to do as His people. It is an act of humility to function that way.

2. A group without individuals isn’t a group at all.

In other words, you matter. Your unique gifts and talents, how you contribute to the effort of the whole (in this case of course- the Body of Christ) will determine the effectiveness of the group itself. First Corinthians 12:4-6 (NKJV) says,

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

In other words the same God who works “all things in all persons” does so in such a unique way that the overall effect is more powerful than the sum of the parts.

3. Encouragement is interactive.

Living the Christian life is hard enough as it is. Trying to make it through every day with temptations and discouragement is impossible without other believers with whom we can share our struggles. The significance of having someone to lean on who shares the same faith—and even deeper yet, the same mission focus in life, cannot be overstated. As Hebrews 10:24-26 declares, it really is getting harder and harder as time goes on. We are living in a world now that is increasingly becoming more hostile toward Christianity. We don’t need each other to keep the gospel message relevant, but we do need each other to keep ourselves authentic.