Monthly Archives: February 2014

The Story of Sin: 
Part XIV: Regaining the Story’s Big Picture…

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© 2014
Fellowship at Cross Creek
The Story of Sin…
Part XIV:
Regaining the Story of Sin’s Big Picture…
By Joseph M. Cross
2/22/14
 
For just a moment, since we seemingly have covered a lot of ground through the first thirteen parts of our “Story of Sin,” let’s take a look back…
 
Here’s the chapter by chapter overview…
 
Part I: It Started with a Christmas Curiosity: What did the angel truly mean when he instructed Joseph to “…name the child Yah-Saves (Jesus) because he will save the people from their sins” Matt. 1:21?
 
Parts II-IV: What does biblical scholarship say about “sin”?
Part V: The Overview of my Exhaustive NT studies concerning Sin…
 
(Here we go…The fruits of my labors…)
 
Part VI: The Priest Zacharias’ Prophesies that His Son John will Give the People the “Knowledge of Salvation by the Forgiveness of Sins” (Luke 1).
Parts VII-XI: John’s Preaching Fulfills Isaiah and Malachi’s Ancient Prophecies Concerning the Preparing of God’s People for the LORD’s Coming Deliverance and Forgiveness (the Gospels).
Parts VIII-X: The Reason for the People’s Powerful Response to John’s Preaching: Yah’s Original Covenant’s Blessings, Judgment and Forgiveness (Deut. 28-30).
Part XII: Elijah’s Voice, John, Blazes a Trail for God’s People and God’s Deliverance to Meet (the Gospels).
Part XIII: John’s Great Declaration: God’s Slaughtered Lamb—the One Who Stands Before Us–Will Take Away the Sins of the World! (Is. 53; John 1.)
 
Now here are the summaries for the first thirteen parts or chapters… Continue reading →

Gen. 40:1ff Momentarily Forgotten

Ruins. Genesis Studies
© 1998-2014
Fellowship at Cross Creek
Gen. 40:1ff
Momentarily Forgotten…
2.23.14

Intro… What kind of dreamer are you? Do you dream much? Did you dream last night? Or was it a nightmare perhaps? If you do dream, can you retrace the possible source of your dreams? Ever had a crazy or strange dream? Ever had a recurring dream? Do you like dreams or not? Do you think that God can speak to people in dreams?

Several years ago, I had two dreams separated by a short time space…I can’t recall how long of a time space, but perhaps within two weeks of each other. In my dream a good friend that was about to leave on a six-month missions trip was sitting in a certain seat in our church. Eventually, I told her about my dreams and wondered if she would remain and be a shot in the arm to our body? She did and served as my part-time assistant for a year. In the process she served as a much-needed sounding board for me. She knew how I thought. She was incredibly helpful. In addition, because she stayed around, she was able to explore a friendship with a guy whom she had just met—a relationship that no doubt would have gone by the way side had she left. Eventually their friendship, mutual respect and love for one another grew to the point that this past year I officiated their marriage. Was my dream God’s way of keeping her around so that she could get to know what turned out to be her future husband? I am not sure, but I am highly suspicious.

Also several years ago, I experienced what for me was somewhat of a traumatic ministry experience. Afterwards, I had several troubling nightmares. Though the dreams were very symbolic, it was easy to figure out their connection to my recent trauma. Even though I had really done nothing wrong, it was as if my mind was trying to work through what felt like a shared guilt in the matter. Someone died who was dying anyway…just a bit sooner. All I could have done was spoken up to possibly delay it a few hours, but I didn’t. And although I have been with quite a few dying souls in their last minutes, I had never been in that particular moment before when I knew what was about to happen—and it did happen much as I had feared. Even today, several years later, I can discuss that night and once again dream, and the dream will be symbolic, much like the dreams Joseph is about to interpret within this story, but I know exactly my dream’s interpretation. Exactly.

Things may get a bit wild or out there, but in order for your students to better connect with this story, I would risk some time discussing their dream experiences. One never knows what they will come up with. Bottom line…dreams are important, and they do have a function, even if that function is not always clear.

Recently, we began a new unit or section or person of study…the life of Joseph. Essentially, the story of Joseph, is for the most part, our story. Chosen by God for a special purpose, Joseph must first endure much suffering and injustice before arriving at his God-ordained purpose and calling, and what a purpose it will be.

As we read, I want you to continue pondering, your special identity in Christ, and that just because you may be going through difficult days, your suffering…your waiting is NOT in vain. As God’s child…as God’s children, just as with Joseph and his brothers, you…we…all have a purpose in Christ (Romans 8; Eph. 1; 1 Peter 1).  Continue reading →

The Story of Sin: Part XIII God’s Slaughtered Lamb Takes Away Man’s Imperfection…

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© 2014
Fellowship at Cross Creek
The Story of Sin…
Part XIII: God’s Slaughtered Lamb Takes Away Man’s Imperfection…
By Joseph M. Cross
2/14/14

Last time… It was clear from the synoptic gospels–Matthew, Mark, Luke–that Isaiah 40’s Crying Voice or Malachi 4’s figurative Elijah was indeed the priest Zacharias’ son, John the Baptist. His role or purpose…to cut a path or road through the world’s harshest, hottest, most desolate, brutal desert wilderness…the wilderness of man’s imperfection–misunderstanding, ignorance, foolishness, thoughtlessness, immaturity, hurt, crime, poverty, injustice, immorality, fear, worry and rebellion…just to name a few… or everything that is less than perfect, which is… EVERYTHING…SIN and the effects of man’s deadly fall from the Creator’s supernatural protective grace, love, mercy, kindness, peace and presence …IMPERFECTION!

And how is Isaiah’s Crying Voice doing this? 1) By preparing the people to NOT miss out on the LORD’s appearing and his deliverance from their imperfection or sin, as well as, 2) identifying the LORD’s actual appearing. In other words, the Voice, much as a mediator attempts to reconcile two unreconciled parties, is cutting a path both ways through the wilderness of  man’s sins or imperfection…one way, which leads from man to God via man’s repentance from, confession of and symbolic cleansing of sin, and the other, leading from God to man, via John’s divinely-inspired identifying of Yah-Saves as God’s Son (as one who is the Son of God, or a the very least, represents the Father).

So now…what does the son of Zebedee, Yah-Saves’ beloved disciple and gospel writer, John, now add to the Voice’s song? Everything–the gospel in a nutshell…the good news in one sentence…one dramatic metaphor that says it all. Will John’s audience fully get it? Probably not, but with this one profound declaration by the Voice, the reader gains a huge, curious insight as to just how Yah-Saves will save or deliver the people from their sins.

Finally, the Fourth Gospel declares… Continue reading →

Gen 39:1ff Lie with Me! 2-16-14

Ruins. Genesis Studies
© 1998-2014
Fellowship at Cross Creek
Gen. 39:1ff
Lie With Me!
2.16.14

Recently, we began a new unit or section or person of study…the life of Joseph. Essentially, the story of Joseph, is for the most part, our story. Chosen by God for a special purpose, Joseph must first endure much suffering and injustice before arriving at his God-ordained purpose and calling, and what a purpose it will be.

As we read, I want you to continue pondering, your special identity in Christ, and that just because you may be going through difficult days, your suffering…your waiting is NOT in vain. As God’s child…as God’s children, just as with Joseph and his brothers, you…we…have a purpose in Christ (Romans 8; Eph. 1; 1 Peter 1).

Intro… Why does it seem to be within our human nature to want things either totally good or bad as opposed to in-between? Why does the glass need to be completely full or none at all…or we think…none at all, when in all reality, it is more than we imagined? Perhaps perfect is never perfect enough? Perhaps our hearts long for heaven? For bliss? How does one ask this of kids or students, I am not quite sure. Perhaps, some of them can either embrace the question abstractly or you can set up a scenario…such as…think of the perfect event, more or time…what you really love. Why do you love it so? Now mess it up a bit. Throw in a wrench. Has anyone experienced this lately? The fly in the ointment? How did or would you react to the distraction? How do you feel about the proposition that God is with us through our difficulties? That God uses others’ sins or imperfections to do a Spiritual work within our lives? If this is true, why would God work in such a manner? Continue reading →

The Story of Sin: Part XII Elijah’s Voice Prepares a Path…

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© 2014
Fellowship at Cross Creek
The Story of Sin…
Part XII: Elijah’s Voice Prepares a Path for both Sinner and Savior to Meet…
By Joseph M. Cross
2/8/14

So if the son of a late first-century B.C.E. Jewish priest named Zacharias—that is, John the Baptist–was prophetically destined to become Isaiah 40’s Crying Voice, Malachi 3’s Messenger and Malachi 4’s figurative Elijah, then just how did John specifically clear the way for the LORD’s promised appearing and deliverance?

Remember John the Baptist’s father, Zacharias, and his prophecy at John’s birth?

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways…

(And how will Zacharias’ son prepare the Lord’s ways or the Lord’s way? By…)

“…giving his people knowledge (or understanding) of salvation by the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 1:76-77).

And how did John the Baptist give God’s people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins? Well, lets’ look at how the Four Gospels (the stories of Yah-Save’s life…Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) described John’s prophetic ministry.

First, Mark’s account… Continue reading →

The Story of Sin: Part XI A Voice Arises in the Wilderness

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© 2014
Fellowship at Cross Creek
The Story of Sin…
Part XI: A Voice Arises in the Wilderness
By Joseph M. Cross
2/7/14

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways…to give people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 1:76-77).

In addition to prophesying Judah’s national forgiveness and salvation (as explained in “The Story of Sin: Parts IX and X), a late first century B.C.E Jewish priest named Zacharias was prophesying that his new-born son, John (who would later come to be known as John the Baptist) was in some manner, a fulfillment of the last words of the Old Covenant or Testament, found in Malachi 4:5-6 and spoken over four hundred years earlier:

“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6.

Zacharias, inspired by God, was now prophesying that his son, John the Baptist, was indeed Malachi’s prophetic and “figurative” Elijah.

I say Malachi’s figurative “Elijah” because when some Jewish priests and Levites were sent to John later as he was preaching and baptizing at the River Jordan and asked him if was Elijah, he answered that he was NOT…meaning I am NOT THE Elijah, the 9th century Old Testament prophet (John 1:21), and John wasn’t.  Continue reading →