Perry’s Scope: Christian sermons, lessons, and resources for teachers

In the spirit of Memorial Day I did a few patriotic and semi-patriotic things this past weekend. I flew the American flag. I participated in a ceremony at the Union Soldiers Cemetery in Oklahoma City. I watched movies about WWII.

While watching “Patton,” I thought about one of the great differences between America and so many other nations of the world. History has shown that nations rise and conquer. They subdue the defeated and rule them. Not so with America!

As we marched through North Africa, then into Sicily, then into Italy, we did not fight to rule the citizens, we came to free them. We LIBERATED Europe and Asia in the Second World War. How thrilling it must have been for our service personnel to have driven away the enemy and restored freedom to a town. It must have been sobering to liberate concentration camps and see the absolute epitome of “man’s inhumanity to man.”

We hear about how arrogant America has been in our history. We hear apologies for our role in world history. Certainly we are not perfect, there is only One is. But for all of our shortcomings, we have been a servant to the world.

How many applications are there through our history! Since the USA was founded on biblical principles, it is evident that so much of who we are and what we do comes from the Book. The spiritual qualities of sacrifice and freedom fill its pages.

Think of God bringing deliverance to the Hebrews as they were enslaved in Egypt. Think of Jesus’ coming to lay down his life for his friends and his enemies (John 15:13-15; Romans 5:8). Think of the words of Christ ringing the sound of freedom from spiritual oppression for us (John 8:32). Think of the path of freedom that Jesus has laid out for us (John 14:6)

Freedom comes at a high price. It cost our American Founders their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.” Our spiritual freedom cost the life of the Son of God.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

So begins Longfellow’s poem of Paul Revere’s famous ride to warn of the coming British. In particular, the Redcoats were after John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Revere’s ride was primarily to warn them. He did so, finding them asleep at the home of Minister, Jonas Clarke, he informed them of the British intentions.

Along the way, he warned other colonists of the British advance. Before the evening was over, there were upwards of forty messengers sounding the alarm. This included William Dawes, who appeared at the Clarke parsonage repeating the same warning.

Revere and other messengers headed for Concord. The British were not easily evaded and three of them were detained. Two escaped, but Revere was interrogated by an officer who held and gun to his head and threatened his life. The next day he was able to escape and went on foot to help Hancock and his family escape.

There are some spiritual lessons for us in this great tale of courage. First, there is the concentration of an important task. This ride may not have seemed that significant to Paul Revere and the others. They may have thought that it was a job that needed to be done and they were willing hands. In retrospect, of course, what Revere, Dawes, Prescott and others did was risky and of great significance to the cause of freedom.

Second, mission is infectious. As the initial riders went through the countryside sounding the alarm of the approaching British, other patriots joined the cause and rode with the same warnings. It is too bad that Al Gore had not yet invented the internet or Bell the telephone. Either would have made things much quicker.

Third, there is the matter of seeing a task completed. Revere was captured, interrogated, intimidated, and escaped. Many of us would have found the quickest way home and gone. Our famous silversmith did the honorable thing. He went back to where he could best serve the cause and helped the people he came to warn.

Jesus lived out these lessons and impacted the believers of the eighteenth century. Jesus came with a job to do – the will of his Father (John 4:34). He intended that we all catch the vision he presented and share the message of both warning and good news (Matthew 28.18-20). He made sure that he completed the task that was set before him (John 19:30).

Paul Revere and the patriots of old are heroes. They risked life and property for the American cause. In doing so, they imitated some of the great qualities of the Son of God. Perhaps a reason that they did so was because they spent great amounts of time coming to know him.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

One of my favorite things in Bible study is to look at the symbolism that God uses to describe various things that he did. I have heard that some rabbis teach multi-levels to the words of God. The first level is the historic event. Embedded in the event is symbolism of things to come. The use of a lamb at the initial Passover and the annual feast, reminds us, of course of what he would do in Jesus. Jesus, as the Lamb of God took away the sins of the world to deliver us from its condemnation and power over us.

There is symbolism in the numbers used – 3, 7, 12, etc. There is symbolism in the feasts of Israel such as Passover; Shavuot (Pentecost); Trumpets; Tabernacles; Yom Kippur; etc. These feasts, in some way, point to the work of Jesus, some of which is yet to be fulfilled.

The Tabernacle (and later the Temple) also contains great symbols. I won’t describe all of them here. The Tabernacle was divided into a Holy Place (where only priests could go) and the Most Holy Place, where only the High Priest could go into the very presence of God. In the Most Holy Place there are numbers of symbols. The Ark of the Covenant contained the “Mercy Seat.” This was the “residence” of God.

What strikes me about this is that it is the MERCY seat. Pilate sat on the JUDGMENT seat (Matthew 27:19) and sentenced Jesus (and others) to death. God, in his MERCY, wants to give life.

Our picture of God, especially in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible), is that he is angry and wanted to condemn the Hebrews (and us). We seem to think that he is lurking in the shadows, watching our every move so that he can pounce on us with, “Aha! Now I’ve got you!” Maybe you had a teacher like that in school, that through his insecurity he could not let you have a good grade. He had to find something wrong with your work so he would not have to give you an “A.” Not so with God.

He sat on the MERCY seat. THEIR view of God was that he was there to HELP them through his instructions/commands and his PRESENCE. While that was an awesome thing, it was a privilege for them. They did fear God in admiration and appreciation of his presence. It was not a burdensome to do his will. It was a privilege that they looked forward to because he is merciful, not vengeful (at least not until pushed to his limit – see Jeremiah).

Jesus has opened the way for us to personally go into the Most Holy Place of heaven today. We may daily come confidently into that place and make our offerings of prayer and worship to our God (see Hebrews 4.14-16). Here we remember that God wants to give us MERCY not JUDGMENT.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I recently read of Marine Gunnery Sergeant, Nick Popaditch.  Sgt. Popaditch (his friends nicknamed him, “Gunny Pop”) is running for a Congressional seat in a California district that borders Mexico. This decorated Marine veteran fought in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm and, more recently, Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2003, Popaditch’s unit helped topple the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad’s Firdos Square. He was awarded the Silver Star for combat action in Fallujah after he was hit in the head by a rocket-propelled grenade and blinded in one eye on April 7, 2004, during Operation Vigilant Resolve. The blast left him with only eight percent vision in his other eye. A proud Marine, Popaditch now sports a prosthetic eye emblazoned with the Marine Corps’ eagle, globe and anchor logo.

I have to say that I am impressed with America’s Patriots. Popaditch and others have put themselves in harm’s way for the cause of Freedom and the safety of America. Unlike the Vietnam days, Americans tend to appreciate these veterans and their sacrifices. Maybe we are realizing that the cost of Freedom is high for each generation.

It is too bad that so many of our politicians can’t see what Sgt. Popaditch can in spite of his vision impairments. He knows the value of America to the world. He knows that if America goes down the hope for freedom will be lost to countless peoples all over the world. America has to stay strong. America has to follow its Constitution. America has to resolve to be the people our Founders intended for us to be.

If you read the original writings of the Founders you will see a great emphasis on character. I personally do not believe that they intended for Americans to check their character at the door of the Capitol or the Oval Office and resort to deceptive behavior as our current Administration does.

John Jay, America’s first Supreme Court Chief Justice said, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”

Patrick Henry stated, “Bad men cannot make good citizens. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience are incompatible with freedom.”

Thomas Jefferson (yes, Thomas Jefferson) said, “The only foundation for useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion.”

The Founders knew that only GOOD PEOPLE can lead a GOOD NATION.

“Gunny Pop,” good luck in your quest for a Congressional seat. We need dedicated patriots to lead our country. Certainly the Marine Corps (pronounced as ‘core’ not ‘corpse’) emphasizes honor and integrity as they develop quality citizens.

Why leave it up just to “the Corps”? Isn’t this a call for ALL Americans? Shouldn’t we All develop integrity? Shouldn’t we all base our actions on a code that is higher and greater than we? Isn’t this where the word of God impacts our lives and our way of life (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Have you noticed that some church people are not fond of Jewish people? Christians at times can be highly anti-Semitic. Why do you think that is?

One person told me that she did not like Jews because they crucified Jesus, or at least initiated it. Another said that he did not like Jews because they still reject Jesus as the Messiah. These ideas set me to thinking about Jewish-Christian relationships.

Without getting too far into Christian atrocities toward the Jews, it seems interesting that Christians have little animosity toward the Italians. Pilate and his Roman Legions had a significant role to play in the death of Jesus. They were just as guilty as Jews in his crucifixion. In addition, there are hosts of Italians who do not believe in the Jesus of the New Testament.

A question comes to mind. Which of the Jews actually wanted Jesus to die? It was not his Jewish disciples – not the 12; not the 120. It was not the Essenes. It was not the Pharisees. It would not have been the Zealots. It was not the working class. The group primarily responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus was the Sadducees.

The Sadducees are noted for their disbelief of the resurrection and angels (they are “Sad, You See”). They did not believe in the Oral Law as did the Pharisees (and Jesus). They were primarily the Priests of the day headed by Annas and Caiaphas. They made a great deal of money trafficking in the religion of the Jews. This was done at the expense of the individual worshiper. Jesus was a threat to them and their financial gain (“It’s the Economy, Stupid!”)

Let’s go another step. Consider this. The priests had some significant duties according to the book of Leviticus. They tended the altar fire. They made the ritual sacrifices of animals. They determined the cleanness of animals and people. They determined leprosy and the healing of leprosy in individuals and mold in the homes. They had a great number of things to do, especially where the tabernacle and temple were concerned. At Passover and Day of Atonement, and daily, they made the animal sacrifices – the blood of the innocent for the cleansing of the guilty. These sacrifices foreshadowed to the death of Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

Isn’t it fitting that the Sadducees (priests) would be responsible for the death of Jesus? They were the ones charged with making the sacrifices. They would be the ones to initiate Jesus’ once for all sacrifice (see John 11:49-53). These priests offered up the Lamb of God for the sake of the nation and the world (John 3:16).

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Last night I watched “The Diary of Anne Frank” on our PBS channel. This is part of the Holocaust remembrance as this month marks the 65^th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day. The allies liberated many concentration camps during this month in 1945.

General Eisenhower did some very good things in this regard. He had the camps and inmates photographed for posterity. He knew that people would deny it had ever happened if there was not photographic evidence as proof. He was right; people are denying it today. He also had his troops bring the nearby townspeople for a tour of the camps so they could see what they had allowed to happen by their passivity.

As I watched the movie’s reenactment of the Franks and others hiding in a relatively nice Amsterdam attic space, I wondered about some things. As Jews, they were required to wear a yellow Star of David on their clothes. You will recall of the Nazi’s contempt for Jews. This was due to a number of issues, but they and others became the “scapegoats” for everything that was wrong with Germany.

The Nazis told the public that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus and they wanted everyone to be aware of who was guilty of that atrocity. It is interesting to me that the Italians seem to have had a hand in the death of Jesus with Pilate’s sentencing and the soldiers carrying out the order. Italy was a part of the Axis (Germany, Italy, and Japan), so Hitler could not very well stir up his citizens against them. It had to be the Jews.

What would it be like if I was forced to wear a cross on all of my clothing? This would not be a designer look but something to make me stand out to pagans who did not like Christians. Maybe they would use some kind of excuse regarding the worship of the Earth or the worship of an ungodly President as their reason for turning their ire on Christians. What would I do?

What would I do if that persecution was to the death? Would I stand and take it, or deny my faith? Would I go into hiding and hope for the war to pass? If I went into hiding, could I withstand the daily rigors of the possibility of being caught?

Millions of Jews died during the holocaust simply because they were the descendants of Abraham. Many courageously faced their end with the words of the “Sh’ma” on their lips. “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. . .”

There are real persecutions going on in the world today. People are dying in Oriental and Arabic countries because of their belief in Jesus. What if it happened in the good old USA? “That could never happen!” you say? Why not? If it was to happen here, what would I do?

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, were among those chosen by God to be his priests. However, they were executed by God for bringing “strange fire” to him (see Leviticus 10.1). Does it make you wonder what that fire was like? Was it the wrong color? Was its temperature wrong? What was “strange” about it?

Among other things, the Levites had been given an important task of keeping the Tabernacle’s and Temple’s fire going – always. In Leviticus 6:13, God told them, “The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.” They used this fire to burn the morning and evening sacrifices and all the ones in between. In addition, the priests would light the menorah with it and use its coals to burn the incense.

The altar fire was from the Lord. It was intended for HIS use. No other fire was to be used. If the priests brought in unauthorized fire, it was considered “strange fire.” Thus, when Nadab and Abihu brought in their strange fire, it was without God’s authorization.

To American Christians this may seem trivial. Fire is fire, right? What difference does it make where we get it? It all burns and does the required job.

While fire may be fire, God is not just a god. He is supreme and deserves respect and love. Who are we to trivialize ANY of his instructions? Who are we to replace anything he has revealed to us?

God teaches and tests us with his commands. His words carry symbolism as well as practical applications. If we violate one, we violate the other. If we omit a small one, we will likely omit larger ones. It is just a matter of time (Luke 16:10).

Let us keep his fire burning in our lives. That is the fire that comes from him and cannot be replaced by any worldly allure. It is a fire of passion (Jeremiah 20:9). It is a fire of love and respect (Matthew 22.34-40).

Keep The Fire Burning!

Perry Greene

“The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body, and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar.” Leviticus 6.10

One of the more mundane activities of the Levitical priests was the removal of the ashes of the sacrificial animals from the altar. I read that during the period of the second temple, priests would race to claim the privilege of ash removal. They must have been the younger priests!

What would make those men compete to dispose of these ashes outside of the city? It was a dirty job. It was a tedious job. It was not a sensational job, but it had to be done.

This was a small part of the worship of God. The upper echelon of priests, particularly the High Priest, would be a lot more glamorous to us. Can you imagine our most popular TV evangelists in a foot race to win the privilege of ash removal?

When we consider the instructions of God, we may be tempted to overlook the simple things. We may not want to have a hand in the “small” things God ordains. We may prefer the attention-getting activities over the “lesser” ones. Yet, God teaches that his “small” commands are not to be overlooked.

What would our churches be like if we developed an attitude of accentuating the small? What would it be like to have “competitions” to: fill communion trays; empty the trash; clean the fellowship hall; or teach Jr. High? This attitude has the power to transform a Christian community.

Jesus said, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10). Too often we want the much before we master the little. If we can learn not to overlook the little, God will give us much in due season – “if we faint not.”

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I recently watched the youtube.com replay of Kathy Griffin’s acceptance speech at the Emmy Award ceremony. In her statement she criticized Jesus and people who give him credit for their accomplishments. She went on to declare that her Emmy was her god.

Today I watched her interview with Larry King. She made what may appear to be a profound observation. Her intent was to make fun of people who believe God (Jesus) is interested in their awards; helps them win football games; or assists with three-pointers in basketball. Doesn’t He have more important things?

At first it seems foolish that the God of the universe would care whether or not I win an award or even excel in my craft. Aren’t people hungry? Aren’t there wars? Aren’t America’s own politicians stripping away our God-given freedoms and rights? Aren’t these bigger, more important issues than my petty awards?

Then I remembered the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:29-31 (ESV).

“²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.³⁰But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

How much does God care about me? He cares down to the minutest of details. That may or may not include awards or athletic heroics. It does include my well-being and my walk with him.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I am sure we have all heard things like, “don’t worry about the letter of the law; just get the spirit right.” We tend to by-pass the “little” commands of God, especially when we do not see the validity. We excuse it by saying that we have the right attitude.

When God directed the Hebrews to build the tabernacle, he gave them minute details. To a fat and sassy American Christian, this seems a little overdone. Why didn’t God just give them a general plan and let them use their creativity to accomplish it? Maybe at this stage in the history of the nation the people needed exacting details as to how to accomplish what God commanded.

In Exodus 39 and 40, the phrase, “just as the Lord commanded Moses” is used fourteen times. There are seven occurrences in each chapter. The first set of seven has to do with the manufacture of the tabernacle parts. The second set has to do with putting it together. In every detail, the people did exactly as God instructed.

How important is the “minutia”? I heard about two men discussing this very subject. One was frustrated at the commands of God that seem to be so trivial. The second man asked him what would happen if you missed even one dot or letter in an internet address. The answer, of course, is that you would not get to the site you wanted.

God’s ways are not ours. His thoughts are not ours (Isaiah 55:8). What may seem unimportant to me may be of critical importance to God. Why should I consider anything that God tells me of little importance?

God rewards us according to how we handle the little things in life. Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10). Why should God trust me with the big things if he can’t trust me with the small? Why should he expect me to be a great person of faith if I do not do even the little things he instructs me?

Keep The Light Burning!
Perry Greene