Month: April 2009

The Search For Talent

Posted on | By krkeyser

Recently the British newsmagazine The Economist ran a major story on the difficulty of finding “talent” in the business sector. With the technological advancements of the past twenty years, the need for science-savvy employees has exploded. What is more, middle and upper management is suffering from a dearth of creative minds. As the world scene becomes more economically interdependent, companies are scrambling to find dependable and capable workers to perform the skilled and innovative tasks that fuel mercantile growth. The need is so pressing, that among large American firms, the human resources manager is frequently among the highest paid executives. Similarly, the Church is in dire need of many spiritually talented people to step forward for service to the Lord.

To read the entire article, click on the title.

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Rich Man, Poor Man

Posted on | By krkeyser

In Mark 10:17-31 we read the account of “the rich young ruler,” as he is often called. This memorable incident is instructive for modern times, for it shows us the difference between human and divine values. The man in this passage discovered that he was completely wrong about himself. More importantly he totally misread the true identity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Modern people often make the same mistake—thinking too little of Christ and overestimating themselves.
At first glance, the man in our passage seems like a prospective convert who is not far from the kingdom. Verse seventeen shows him running to the Lord; therefore, we conclude that he is keenly desiring to speak with Him. Secondly, he kneels before the Lord. This posture indicates that he thinks of Jesus as someone greater than himself—indeed, One Who commands respect. Thirdly, he refers to the Lord in complimentary terms, calling Him “Good Teacher.” (NKJV) Lastly, he asks Christ a spiritual question: “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Unfortunately, this interrogative betrays the man’s utter spiritual ignorance of his own condition, as well as the true character of the Lord Jesus. Of course, the Lord already knows the man’s heart, and orchestrates the conversation in order to enlighten the affluent man.
Christ first asks him what his motivation is for calling Him good. The Lord assures him that in the ultimate sense only God is good. What is more, the Scripture affirms that among men “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Ps. 14:1) Does the man comprehend that Jesus is God? Or is he merely being polite?
Since the man asks what he must do to be saved, the Lord reviews the horizontal “love thy neighbor as thyself” section of the commandments. The man maintains that he has kept all of these since his youth. If man insists on coming to God by human effort, then the Almighty will direct him to the perfect standard as revealed in God’s Law. Of course, fallen man is unable to keep the Law, and therefore should conclude that there is nothing that he can do to gain eternal salvation. The rich man misses this truth, self-confidently believing that he has kept all of the Lord’s commandments perfectly. Undoubtedly, he had a righteous reputation as being an upright pillar of the community. Nonetheless, the Lord Jesus is not fooled by outward appearance, and is privy to the contents of the duplicitous human heart. Christ gives the man instructions that expose his sin. He tells him to divest himself of his many possessions, and disperse his assets to the indigent. He does not do this to cause the man unnecessary pain. Rather, the text plainly states that Jesus “loved him” (v.21.) The man was not expecting this turn of events. Mark tells us: “…he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” (v. 22) Alas, he forgot that the first commandment is “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength…” (Mk. 12:30) If he had done this, then giving up his substance in favor of heavenly riches would have been easy. In fact, his reaction shows us that he did not really love his neighbor as himself or love God with all of his being.

To read the entire article, click on the title.

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Rescued

Posted on | By krkeyser

Millions of Americans anxiously followed the three day drama that transpired in a collapsed mine in Somerset, Pennsylvania. Nine miners were trapped in a damaged shaft that was 240 feet below the ground, rapidly filling with water. Thousands of miners & rescue workers labored round the clock to free the trapped men. An enormous drill was imported from neighboring West Virginia in a desperate attempt to reach the men while air & life remained. Many prayed, others sat glued to their television sets, waiting for word of the fate of the nine endangered men. No doubt some observers gave up hope: the shaft was too deep, there was too much water, there were problems with the heavy excavation equipment. Others desperately hoped that someway, somehow the men would be freed. The beleaguered men themselves wondered if they would be reached in time. Thankfully, on Sunday morning the glad news went forth that all nine had been saved!
This story was a rare example of good news in the media reports. So often the headlines are filled with tragedy & heartache. Nevertheless, this real-life rescue reminds one of an even greater true story of deliverance. Gal.1:4 records it succinctly: “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” (Italics mine) This verse tells us that God undertook a dramatic rescue at great cost to Himself. Humans were in tremendous spiritual peril due to their sins. The Bible teaches clearly that “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom.3:23) It also adds that “…the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom.6:23) Our sins put us under the wrath of a righteous & holy God. We were in danger of being lost not just for time, but also for eternity. Accordingly, God sent His Son into the world to accomplish a recovery effort on a massive scale. The Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily died on the Cross, suffering the judgment that sinners deserved. Gal.1:4 expresses the very heart of the Gospel. The celebrated expositor J.R.W. Stott remarks: “If the nature of Christ’s death on the cross was ‘for our sins’, its object was ‘to rescue us out of this present age of wickedness’ (verse 4, NEB). Bishop J.B. Lightfoot writes that the verb (‘deliver’, ‘rescue’) ‘strikes the keynote of the epistle’. ‘The Gospel is a rescue,’ he adds, ‘an emancipation from a state of bondage.’ Christianity is, in fact, a rescue religion. The Greek verb in this verse is a strong one (exaireo, in the middle voice). It is used in the Acts of the rescue of the Israelites from their Egyptian slavery (7:34), of the rescue of Peter both from prison and from the hand of Herod the King (12:11), and of the rescue of Paul from an infuriated mob about to lynch him (23:27). This verse in Galatians is the only place where it is used metaphorically of salvation. Christ died to rescue us.”

To read the entire article, click on the title.

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Psalm 24: The Vindication of the King

Posted on | By krkeyser

People tend to view the earth as their personal domain and playground. Psalm 24 assures us that this is not the case. Its opening sentence affirms Jehovah’s ownership, saying “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.” He not only “owns the cattle on a thousand hills,” He also possesses everything else around the globe. This psalm speaks of His total sovereignty over mankind and planet Earth. It is His by creation (v.2) and redemption (implied in vv.7-10). Happily, the psalm reveals the secret of the eventual restoration of the earth that man has so marred through sin. It will one day flourish under the benevolent and powerful rule of the Messiah-King.

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The True Measure Of A Man: Psalm 8

Posted on | By krkeyser

Human beings have a tendency to go to extremes; there is no better evidence of this than in their estimation of themselves. Some people think that man is the measure of all things. Other thinkers downplay the importance of humans, esteeming the species as just another class of animal, on the same level as a whale or a chimpanzee. Shakespeare summed up these extremes, famously putting these words into Hamlet’s mouth: “What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculties! in form and moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?”1 In contrast to man’s see-sawing self-analysis, God rightly balances man’s true significance in the eighth Psalm.

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Proper Body Function

Posted on | By krkeyser

Most people take their physical and mental well-being for granted. Until there is a problem, we seldom think about ordinary tasks like putting on our clothes, brushing our teeth, or feeding ourselves. It is only when there is a health crisis that we become mindful of how wonderfully made we really are. Recently my father suffered two “mini-strokes,” which had debilitating effects on his health and movements. (Calling them “mini-strokes” reminds me of a cynical definition I once heard for the phrase “minor surgery”: Minor surgery is surgery performed on someone other than the person dubbing it “minor.” Whoever prefixed the term “stroke” with “mini” obviously never had one!) In all seriousness, the strokes could have been much worse. By the grace of God my father retains his faculties and has an excellent prognosis to recover most, if not all, of his normal abilities. In viewing the aftermath of this episode, it has turned my thoughts toward the common biblical metaphor of the Church as the Body of Christ.

The brain is an amazingly complex thing. It is more sophisticated than any computer that man has developed, and scientists are still probing its mysterious workings. It is capable of doing an astonishing array of tasks and is involved in all of the intricate workings of the human body. When a clot or arterial blockage cuts off the flow of blood to the brain, however, severe repercussions follow for this multifaceted organ. Due to brain damage, what had been easy tasks suddenly become difficult or nearly impossible. As traumatic as this is in the human physical body, this can happen to “the Church which is His Body” as well.

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The Personality & Deity of the Holy Spirit

Posted on | By krkeyser

The Holy Spirit is arguably the most misunderstood person of the Trinity. Thanks to the twentieth century rise of Pentecostalism, along with the subsequent emergence of the “Signs and Wonders Movement,” the Holy Spirit is now the center of attention throughout the publishing and musical wings of Christendom. In spite of the plethora of books, sermons, and songs that have emerged concerning the so called “Third Person of the Godhead,” the biblical doctrine of the Spirit remains obscure in the minds of many Christians. In fact, much of the attention has only muddied the exegetical waters by propounding errors regarding His identity and ministry. Like the other persons of the Trinity, He is often maligned and attacked. Numerous cults deny His personality and deity; others misunderstand His activities. Nevertheless, the Scriptures clearly teach that He is a distinct person of the Godhead with all of the attributes, prerogatives, and activities of deity.
To read the entire article, click on the title.

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The Personality & Deity of the Holy Spirit

Posted on | By krkeyser

The Holy Spirit is arguably the most misunderstood person of the Trinity. Thanks to the twentieth century rise of Pentecostalism, along with the subsequent emergence of the “Signs and Wonders Movement,” the Holy Spirit is now the center of attention throughout the publishing and musical wings of Christendom. In spite of the plethora of books, sermons, and songs that have emerged concerning the so called “Third Person of the Godhead,” the biblical doctrine of the Spirit remains obscure in the minds of many Christians. In fact, much of the attention has only muddied the exegetical waters by propounding errors regarding His identity and ministry. Like the other persons of the Trinity, He is often maligned and attacked. Numerous cults deny His personality and deity; others misunderstand His activities. Nevertheless, the Scriptures clearly teach that He is a distinct person of the Godhead with all of the attributes, prerogatives, and activities of deity.

To read the entire article, click on the title.

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The Future of Israel: An Assurance of God's Faithfulness

Posted on | By krkeyser

Israel continues to dominate the headlines on an almost daily basis. For a small nation with a population of just over seven million, whose land area is about the same size as New Jersey, it holds a remarkable position in world affairs. Some of the brightest minds of Europe and North America have spent the better part of the past sixty years trying to devise a solution to the problems of this tiny democracy. At first glance, all of this attention seems unwarranted. Why is this country so important? Of course, God’s promises to biblical Israel do not justify everything going on in the modern state of Israel or its policies; nevertheless, it is clear that God has a plan for the Land and the Hebrew people.1 This future design has great implications, which extend far beyond the borders of that nation. Furthermore, the Almighty’s will for the Jews is tremendously important for the Gentile world as well. It may be safely (and biblically) said that if the Lord does not carry out His plans for Israel, then there is no assurance of the fulfillment of anything else that He promised in the Bible. Thus, upon the fate of the Jews hinges the credibility of the sovereign God of the Universe. Moreover, His usage of the Gentiles in connection with the Jews displays His incomparable wisdom and mercy.
To read the entire article, click on the title.

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The Future of Israel: An Assurance of God’s Faithfulness

Posted on | By krkeyser

Israel continues to dominate the headlines on an almost daily basis. For a small nation with a population of just over seven million, whose land area is about the same size as New Jersey, it holds a remarkable position in world affairs. Some of the brightest minds of Europe and North America have spent the better part of the past sixty years trying to devise a solution to the problems of this tiny democracy. At first glance, all of this attention seems unwarranted. Why is this country so important? Of course, God’s promises to biblical Israel do not justify everything going on in the modern state of Israel or its policies; nevertheless, it is clear that God has a plan for the Land and the Hebrew people.1 This future design has great implications, which extend far beyond the borders of that nation. Furthermore, the Almighty’s will for the Jews is tremendously important for the Gentile world as well. It may be safely (and biblically) said that if the Lord does not carry out His plans for Israel, then there is no assurance of the fulfillment of anything else that He promised in the Bible. Thus, upon the fate of the Jews hinges the credibility of the sovereign God of the Universe. Moreover, His usage of the Gentiles in connection with the Jews displays His incomparable wisdom and mercy.

To read the entire article, click on the title.

Read More » The Future of Israel: An Assurance of God’s Faithfulness
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