PLEASE HEAR THIS

      

         To all my readers of this blog:  I have good news.  I realize this blog has not been very regular.  Sometimes I would not write anything here for a long time.  That is not a way to benefit anyone.  I am going to bring this blog site to a close, but that is only so I can do something better. 
        At the end of December, 2015 I became fully retired.  I had been the Pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jeffersonville, Indiana.  I was part time, which was why I only had the one church.  The decision had been made by the state Conference Organization to move to only having full time Pastors.  So my retirement became effective December 31.
        Since I will be 66 next month, I was feeling my age and the stress of a church was telling me this was a blessing from God.  I must say my mind has been clearer than ever as I read the Bible.  The Word speaks to me now with a clarity and plainness that it did not do before.  I don't know if it is less stress, or if the Lord is showing me that writing and sharing the insights He gives me is the plan He has for me now.  But I am really enjoying this new chapter.  
        Oh how I want to exalt the Lord both in my life and in the articles I share!  The times we are living in demand a new and growing dedication to God from each one of us.  So how to I plan to close this blog and still write and share the word of the Lord?   I have been putting a lot of work into the website I have had for a few years.  It too has not had much attention except to post the sermons I preached, and an occasional article.  So I ask you to go to the website for Apple Tree Ministries.  My last name, Manzano, means apple tree in Spanish, so that is where the name comes from.
        I invite you to go to:  www.appletreeministries.com  where you can sign up to receive my blog.  On our site you can hear some of my sermons, read articles, sign up for the Blog/Newsletter, or get our daily devotional.  I plan to keep working to make the site better, but for now I especially urge you to sign up for the blog and tell your friends and get them to sign up also.  On the sign up page you will need to check the block that asks you to subscribe to the blog. 
        Let us get serious about preparing ourselves and as many as we can around us for the coming of Jesus.  Character development is absolutely essential to being ready when Jesus returns.  That is the purpose of everything I write and teach.  Please join me in this work of preparation.

Sons Of God

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. 1 John 3:1 

We are exploring this text in a way not usually studied, but the way we are divinely instructed to do as we seek to understand God's Word.

"Meditate on the Scriptures until the understanding, the gate to the door to the heart, is opened to comprehend its requirements and our dependence." {HP277}

In this study we will see a little of what God means when He calls us "sons of God". The Greek word here translated "sons" is not the word that would generally be used to denote a son as "a male child of a particular father."  (In our discussion here I will simply transliterate the Greek word, {in orange} but separating its parts is not germane to our discussion.) 

The word in our text rendered "sons"  is teknon, which is "offspring, or children",  but  more in a metaphorical way such as:  "the name transferred to that intimate and reciprocal relationship formed between men by the bonds of love, friendship, trust, just as between parents and children."  Teknon also carries the sense of: "anything who depends upon it, is possessed by a desire or affection for it, is addicted to it."  The "it" in these definitions refers to the bond, or the intimate union that is necessary to this kind of binding together. (These definitions are from Thayer's Greek Definitions)

Let's look at some of the ideas presented in this text as we meditate on it and seek to learn some of the glory of God's love that is revealed in this concept of being called by God as His "sons". 

First of all let your mind seek to grasp the idea that God is not thinking of us merely as offspring, as beings He created. What God has in mind for us, our purpose, the reason He created us, is so we can enter into the very highest, intimate, and reciprocal relationship that is  "higher than the highest human thought can reach...."(Ed18)  We are to have a unity with our Heavenly Father that is similar to what He has with His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  While we can never be divine as Jesus is, yet we were made to have the unity with God that Jesus exhibited in His existence as a human while on this earth.  In heaven we will enjoy a privilege based upon the position Jesus has as our Elder Brother. 

When I was in my 30's, my Dad and I were talking in the hallway at church one day.  Someone saw us and asked:  "having a father-son talk?"  I will never forget the feeling I had when my Dad said:  "No, we're having a man to man talk."  Obviously I was still his son, but our relationship entered a higher and closer level.  He was showing respect to me as a young man, and my love and respect for him increased.

As our definition of "sons" above says:  "the name transferred to that intimate and reciprocal relationship formed between men by the bonds of love, friendship, trust, just as between parents and children."  What must God think of humanity when His Son became human, and then for all eternity carries that humanity into the highest heaven!  Think about the manner, the kind of love, God has for us because of Jesus. 

This leads to further thoughts on what it means to be called God's sons.  "Anything who depends upon it, is possessed by a desire or affection for it, is addicted to it."  First look at what it means to me as a human to be called God's son.  To have this bond God is speaking of means I must depend on it.  I must realize that my standing with God is based on dependence, I must depend fully and totally on Him.  I have to be possessed by a desire to belong to Him, in fact I need to have a strong affection, I must LOVE the idea, even to the point of being addicted to that dependence on God. 

Sin began because Lucifer wanted to depend on himself.  When God showed His love and Lucifer was convinced of his error, he refused to acknowledge his dependence and sought to be totally independent.  We must be transformed form sinners who think we can do something, anything, on our own.  We have to come to the point where we will never, ever, think of being independent of God.  Rather we must love our dependence.  Even more, be addicted to dependence on God. 

This is the point Jesus tried to reveal to us.  Though He is, and was still while on earth, a divine member of the Godhead, He said:  "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."  (John 5:30)  All His words were what God gave Him to say.  "The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me...." (John 14:10)  Even now that He is in heaven the messages, the revelations we receive from Him originate with the Father.  We are plainly told that the Revelation of Jesus Christ is:  "what God gave unto Him... and He (Jesus) sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John...."  (Revelation 1:1)

Let's think about this for a bit.  From all eternity, from an infinity we cannot comprehend, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always been united in love, purpose, and activity.  Their unity was such that though they are each individually Divine in all ways, yet they had never done anything "on their own" as we would say.  Never acted with a separateness from each other.  Such is their unity that though they are three individuals, they are yet One God.  This adds something to my comprehension of the terror Jesus experienced on Calvary.

Beginning in Gethsemane, and culminating on the cross hear again His agonizing cry:  "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me!?"  Think of some of the words from Proverbs 8 - "The LORD possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old.  I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth was....  I was by Him as One brought up with Him.  I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him." (V.22-30)  This unity Christ carried with Him all during His earthly life.  His greatest delight, the source of all His joy was found in His union with our Father. 

Then it was broken.  "He trod the winepress alone."  Alone!  For the first time in His eternal existence the Son was alone.  To top it off it was an aloneness caused by a purposeful forsaking by the Father.  My sin broke up the eternal union, the union that had never been breached before! 

Oh how terrible sin must be.  How terrible MY sin must be!  So great is God's love that He would endure infinite pain and suffering so we could again have that intimate and reciprocal relationship formed by the bonds of love, friendship, and trust.  He wants us to be more than just offspring.  Our Father wants us to be one with Him, in fulfillment of Jesus' prayer:  "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us"  (John 17:21)

Heart Attack

Heart Attack!

            The words are serious, dreaded, and feared.  We sometimes use the phrase "serious as a heart attack" when we want to assure our hearer that we are very sincere or telling the absolute truth.  My wife had a heart attack when she was 49.  It was so serious she had to rest in the hospital a few days so the heart muscle could be strong enough to stand the procedure of a heart catheterization.  She had to have two stents placed in her arteries.  Her first husband died at 50 from a heart attack.

            Last night we got a call from our daughter-in-law that her husband, our oldest son, was in the hospital ER with a heart attack.  The hospital is calling it "mild", but when it is your loved one it is never mild.  He is only 43.  We pray every day for our children.  We ask our loving Heavenly Father to watch over them and bring them into a close and saving relationship with Him.  Needless to say we prayed more last night after we got the news.  He is scheduled to have a heart catheterization later today and of course we will be at the hospital.

             I don't worry about questioning God's justice or goodness.  I know that God loves each of us and is constantly working with infinite love for the salvation of each person on earth.  He Who gave up His own Son to die for us is not going to turn around and try to destroy us.  The devil is the destroyer, Jesus is our Savior.  What I do question is how can I be a part of God's plan of saving?  I want to be working with God so that what may appear to be bad can be turned into something good.  My desire is to be a channel of blessing in every situation so the love of God can flow and bring salvation to all I come in contact with. 

            In a physical sense having a whole heart is absolutely necessary to life.  If the heart is damaged some of our activities may be curtailed.  We will not be able to do all that we could before.  Damage it enough and life will cease.  So in a spiritual sense.   I typed "whole heart" into my electronic concordance and came up with a number of texts.  One that struck me right away was God speaking in Jeremiah 32:41 - "I will rejoice over them to do them good... with My whole heart and with My whole soul."   God is a Spirit, yet He uses terms that show us there is nothing that He won't do that is for our good.  He will do whatever His infinite power and love can do in order to build us up and restore us. 

            We have to keep in mind that what we think is for our good, and what God knows, are not always the same thing.  "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are My ways your ways...."  Isaiah 55:8-9  He Who sees the end from the beginning is not bound by our limited finite view.  In Romans 8:32 we are assured:  "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?" 

            So today my prayer is that I may be a channel of God's comfort, strength, and healing.  May all my words and deeds point to Jesus and may God use me to reveal His power to save.  May the Holy Spirit fill me and this scripture be repeated:  "It came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching... the power of the Lord was present to heal."  (Luke 5:17)  May God's eternal purpose for our son be done.  And may His eternal purpose be done in each one reading this.

Changes!

     A lot of changes are going on right now. A full time Pastor has been brought in to lead our church along with two other churches in the area.  I was just part time, with the one church, so this is a change that should strengthen the work here in Southeast Indiana.  I am now fully retired.
     I had a surgical procedure on Wednesday, the 20th.  I am not able to get out and walk with our little dog for a few days, plus a lot of snow on the ground, and she seems rather confused and out of sorts.  Maybe like me right now.
     When asked what I am going to do now that I am retired, I say that I hope to write more, which I do.  But now I am wondering how to share what the Lord lays on my heart.  I started this blog a long time ago, but was never able to get out a regular version.  I did get a "newsletter" out almost every week for the church, that included spiritual ideas and admonitions. 
     But when I say I want to write, my idea is more along the lines of bigger articles and books.  Yet at the same time I want to get out smaller "bites" of spiritual food, which is what this "apple-bites" blog is supposed to be.  
     What I am going to try to do is have this blog be more of an exploratory area, where I can put down ideas and thoughts on a more or less regular, meaning weekly, basis.  Then I can use my website:  www.AppleTreeMinistries.com  as a source for longer articles and such. 
     Primarily this is going to be a "learn as I go" proposition.  As I started out saying:  Changes!  Just pray with me that the changes will always be progressive toward the high calling of our Lord Jesus Christ.  That we will be growing more and more into the likeness of Jesus as we prepare for His soon return. 

What Manner Of Love!

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. 1 John 3:1

I have been thinking a lot about this text recently.  Here we are called to "Behold", or as we would say:  "LOOK!"  I have been really "looking" at the thought God is trying to get across to me here and I share some of my insights with you. 

Usually in reading this text the thought we get seems to be: "look at how much love God has for us as revealed in His calling us His children."  We are reminded of the love God has shown us in sending His Son Jesus, as in John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...."  And the wonderful truth that if we believe in Him we can also be born into His family and be His children.  In many different ways God tells us this and it brings hope and assurance to us in our lives here on this earth.

But today I want us to think about  "what manner of love", the "what possible sort" or  "what is the way"  or  "how is God's love exhibited" - the "manner".

I have recently endeavored to show some of this in different ways.   Let me share another illustration that may help to show this.

Rose and I had not been married too long when one day I pulled the car door closed not realizing one of her fingers was partly in the jamb. As the door closed it caught the end of her finger.  I will never forget the look on her face that seemed to say: "you hurt me, how could you hurt me, you betrayed my trust in your loving care" as she began to cry from the pain.  I of course threw open the door and sought to comfort, apologize,  and console her.  But my main thought was that I never wanted to ever do anything to her that would ever bring a feeling of betrayal and pain such as I saw then on her face.

Now look at Jesus on the cross.  He hangs there suffering physically, yes, but even more is the mental agony.  He hears jeers, curses, perhaps the thief that did not ask for salvation said something like: "yeah, it's easy to promise pie in the sky, but why not save us now?" And then perhaps some choice words about fraud and charlatan.  Then Jesus hears the religious leaders say:  "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God."  Matthew 27:43 

Oh how those words must have burned in the ears of Jesus as He hung there, because it was true - God would not have Him then. In Gethsemane, when Jesus fell dying to the ground as the weight of all sin was being laid on Him, God sent an angel to strengthen Him.  But the strengthening was so that He could drink the entire cup of God's wrath. {see DA 693} It was so He would not die then but would continue to live and suffer even more!  Now on the cross God was forsaking Him and punishing Him as His Righteous Wrath will eventually destroy all sin.  The cry of Jesus:  "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"(v.46)  was not make believe.  "He trod the winepress alone..."  He was forsaken by God!!!  There was no comforting thought, or impression, that God sent His Son to help Him in His suffering.  At that time God would not have Him.  He had not just taken my sin as a garment, but Scripture says "He became sin",  "For He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; 2 Corinthians 5:21  Sin is so horrible that it broke up the love and unity of the Divine Godhead.  That which the individual members of the Trinity had shared from all eternity was now broken as the Father punished the Son as He will punish all sin and those who cling to it.  No wonder the cross will be our science and song for all eternity.  I cannot comprehend these words I am typing. 

And all was done because of love for humans. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"  Romans 8:32   We who have chosen to sin are loved so much that all this was done: "That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."  2 Corinthians 5:21

We are going to look at 1 John 3:1 some more, but for now I urge you:  Look at "what manner of love,"  how it has been exhibited, in what way has God revealed His love to us.  Spend time, a lot of time every day, thinking about it.  What is your response to this love?