At 13:32 4/21/2000 -0700, Duane Wheeler wrote:
>Brian Wood wrote:
>
> > Duane
> >
> > What a co-incidence, we attended a passover meal at Aspull Methodists
> run by
> > the Manchester Messianic Alliance of Jews.
>
>Perhaps co-incidence... or perhaps Passover is held around easter<G>
>and I do hope you are haveing a "good friday"<G>
Happy Passover, everyone!
Remember, Jesus' last supper was the Passover meal.
>One thing I didn't add was that the famious portrait of the last supper was
>fictional..
>
>Jesus was a poor man in a poor country... they sat on the ground, reclined
>with
>the left hand
>as a brace and dipped food from one bowl...with the right hand.
...
> > He also gave a little bit of post
> > crucifixion history. Apparently Jesus forestalled the hight priest when he
> > said, "It is finished" as that is what the high priest normally said
> when he
> > had been to the Holy of Holies.
>
>*Right we were told it was a greek word meaning "Done- paid in full" and it's
>what everyone would write over a paid bill.
Yes, and at the same time as the evening sacrifice...
> > He said that not only did the temple curtain
> > tear from top to bottom but the scapegoat had a red ribbon tied to its neck
> > which always miraculously turned from red to white. After the
> crucifixion it
> > stayed red. Also, the incense kept sinking and blowing under the temple
> > doors which on other occasions would open by themselves in accordance to
> > some scripture which I cannot remember.
>
>*That's ok MPJ remembers every scripture<G> ....that only ONE of the reasons I
>love
>him so much<G> "mickymicky tombo oh so rhombo"
Hmmm... I don't remember that Scripture. I don't think it is in the Bible,
but perhaps in the writings of Philo or another historian?
... and its
"Micky-Micky-Tombo-No-So-Rombo-Oh-Mah-Moochie-Gahma-Gahma-Goochie" (a story
better told than typed that purports to explain why the Chinese people
prefer short names).
> > By pentecostal standards it was a low key affair but still had a powerful
> > spiritual effect on me.
That is because the Passover was instituted by God and it is also, for us
Christians, made so much richer by our celebration of communion.
>Someone recently preached on the "Poverty of Jesus"... that he had nothing
>but his rags and was hungry and thirsty... I'd never thought of that,
>poverty
>meaning hunger.. wealth meaning drink and food offered with a blessing.
Hang on, there, before you accept this assumption without checking the
Scriptures. Jesus was well provided-for by some rather rich supporters, and
although He fasted from time to time, He never lacked food before His final
arrest. It was at THAT point that He became poor that we could become rich.
He did associate with people of both high and low social status, and with
little and with much. Because he travelled a lot, preaching, He often
stayed with others rather than having His own house, but I really don't
think of Jesus as poor until they took even the clothes on his back from
Him (and remember, it was a rather NICE garment that they didn't want to
tear, woven in one piece). On the cross, he had NO possessions, hunger, and
EXTREME thirst. Before His arrest, he never lacked for food, and indeed
performed some serious provisional miracles (big catches of fish, feeding
multitudes with one boy's lunch, etc.). Jesus lacking food when he wasn't
intentionally fasting? No way! He had more than enough for Himself and
enough to share with others as well.
Of course, if you compare Jesus' material wealth on this planet with what
He left in Heaven to come redeem us, and the wealth He returned to, I
suppose you might call what He had here look like poverty. It really wasn't
abject poverty in terms of this world, though, because God is a much better
Father than that. It wasn't massive wealth like the landowners and kings
had, but I think myself rich enough if I never lack for food for me, my
family and those I share with, I can tithe and give offerings generously,
and I can do all that God puts on my heart. In that sense, Jesus was rich
enough.
There is nothing holy about poverty. It is a curse. (See the list of
blessings and curses in Deuteronomy, if you don't believe me.) God wants to
bless, not curse, His children. Of course, riches can be a curse if they
become an idol or make you rely on them instead of God. That is what the
whole story of the camel and the needle's eye is about. (I have a cool rope
trick to use telling that story.)
>Lately- I'm revisiting some suttle principals of Christian ethics... The slow
>minded
>man "Marvin" came in to talk to me about heaven this morning and we had
>a chat... *I asked him if a smart man could go to heaven...
>
>He replied quickly: "Sure.. Smart people are Christians.. God only has
>problems
>with the RICH ones!"
I know some rich people who are very godly Christians. With God, camels CAN
get through needle's eyes. The key, though, is keeping God first, and being
generous with God's money that you control, paying tithes and offerings,
supporting missionaries, etc. That helps you keep your eyes on God, and not
the money.
Some very poor people are actually more materialistic than rich ones, as
they see money as the answer to all of their problems.
If you read through the money-related Scriptures in the Bible (and there
are LOTS of them), you will find that the optimal wealth to have is in
between two extremes: too poor (not enough to support yourself and your
family and share generously), and too rich (so rich that the wealth is
honored above God). Those aren't dollar values, and I assure you that you
can't tell if someone is too rich by their bank balance. On the other hand,
a good look at your spending habits will tell volumes about your
relationship with God.
Michael Paul Johnson
aka Soaring Golden Eagle
PO Box 1151, Longmont CO 80502-1151, USA
Rocky Mountain outpost 207, New Creation Church
Jesus Christ is Lord!
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