JOHN PIPER-WHY WAS JESUS PUT TO DEATH IN OUR PLACE?

Piper misses a couple crucial things in this sermon.

First, he misses (or at least doesn't mention here) that Jesus was God, as the first eleven verses of John's Gospel clearly indicate. Hence, God the Father (Jehova, Yahweh) placed a part of Himself in Mary's womb that was subsequently birthed as Jesus Christ. Hence, God delivered up a part of Himself on the cross for the forgiveness of the offences we had committed against Him.

Secondly, Piper gets it wrong in that the purpose of the resurrection wasn't because (or just because) Jesus had been dead long enough to pay for the sins of mankind. Rather, (or maybe additionally), it was because if Jesus, who was God the Father (see above) had stayed dead for eternity as man deserves to, then that would have made Christ not the God of the universe but, instead, a mere man like every other person, or at most a God like the Greek gods, Norse gods, etc. who was more powerful than mere human beings but could still be killed the same way people could.

LAMENTATIONS

Partially based on Great Is Thy Faithfulness: Lamentations Simply Explained by Richard Brooks. London: Hodder and Stouton, 1989.

 Chapter 1

 V2: Indeed, the world really doesn’t want Christians to act like them. The mainline Protestant denominations have compromised and ignored the Scripture on many issues, but their numbers continue to dwindle markedly. Likewise, all the world’s love for Pope Francis has not resulted in increased attendance at Catholic churches.

 V5: In the Western nations where the modern day descendants of Israel dwell, and for the same reason given in this verse, their enemies are now rising higher and higher in these societies. In a more spiritual way of looking at this verse, where Christians were once leaders in thought and philosophy, celebrated authors and composers of immensely popular works that have sustained their appeal throughout the centuries, now Christians are regarded as ignorant and backward.

 V7: Just like the people in Jerusalem, many Christians just go on and on about the glory days of the Puritans, the Great Awakening or similar past glories.

 God’s enemies mock our values because of our sins, including our hypocrisy.

 V8: Don’t get me wrong. I think there are still many people around the world who love America, and Western civilization in general, and appreciate what it brought to the world. Still, there are many who now hate the West because they have witnessed the sins it has committed. In parallel, many unbelievers still have respect for Christianity, but there is a large contingent who find Christianity odious and, hence, the sinful, hypocritical Christians are causing God to be blasphemed.

 V10: Brooks apparently doesn’t realize we are now under the new covenant and not under the old, so thus we don’t have a physical temple anymore. However, we have let the ungodly in amongst the people of God and elevated them to high positions and lauded them as some of the best Christians and shining examples for others of God’s people to follow.  These include the legalistic Pharisees, the Judeising pharisees, the heretics, the nostics, the pagans, and those who exhibit another sort of phareseiacal spirit which insists everyone think, act and believe as one does.

 V11: This verse reminds me of Germany in the 1920s, when people were literally taking their life savings to the grocery store to buy a bushel of potatoes. This kind of hyperinflation happens in other countries, of course, when the economy collapses, and hyperinflation will occur in the West as well. Indeed, it has already started.

 V19: Look at this verse, all you Christians who are participating in the Chrislam movement. Repent now or you will be sorry.

 V20: Abroad, our sons and daughters are getting killed in foreign wars, peacekeeping operations, training missions, and the like. At home, people are dying from homicide, suicide, and a myriad of diseases, some formerly old person’s diseases and some others diseases we thought had been irradicated.

 Chapter 2

 V6: Today, most of God’s people have forgotten His appointed feasts. If they stopped keeping Christmas and Easter and started keeping these seven observances, they would grow closer to God because they would recollect more what God has done for them and His glorious return.

 God abhors our despicable politicians, the type of people who would give a eulogy in praise of a man they clearly hated; who do not even obey rules of basic courtesy and civility, let alone the two great commandments; who jockey for what’s best for them when a man isn’t even buried; who decry the disobedience of the law of the land except when breaking it suits their purposes.

 We are under the new covenant and according to Peter, all Christians are priests. Therefore, we can infer from this verse God hates the majority of lazy, compromising, falsely humble, Pharesaeical (in all its definitions), willingly ignorant Christians.

 V9: Today, are rulers are the heathen and the Law of God has been forgotten or ignored by most of His people.

 V10: Where once a lot of teenagers walked around freely spending money and committing various acts of sin, now the money they earn must go to supporting their families. Of course, many good teenagers have to work to help support their families as well. Sins don’t just affect those who commit them.

 V11-12, v19-21: You think the same thing won’t happen in North America and Europe the way food prices are rising?!

 V14: The false prophets and teachers preach foolish things to the people, such as prosperity without obedience, a people who utterly hate Christ being His chosen people and lasting (or returning) good times without repentance. Hey people, start listening to the prophets and teachers out there who are still preaching getting right with God. True prophets and true Christians are still out there; you just have to look for them.

 Preachers today see false burdens and causes of banishment as well, such as not blessing Israel, not giving your money to their ministry or not obeying commandments they have set up for you that aren’t really in the Bible.

 V22: This is a very interesting verse. Jeremiah doesn’t mean that literally everyone has been killed. Instead, he means that every household has lost people. In our land today, scarcely a family has not been touched by crime, mental illness, disease, other medical conditions, various other kinds of afflictions, or suicide.

Chapter 3

v19-36: So many times there is the temptation to help God along in our own will and strength, like the young guys wanted to do in this passage so they would be delivered from Babylon's captivity (as the Lord had promised) that much sooner. Jeremiah warns them in effect not to do this and says it is good they are suffering for the sins they have committed so they will learn from that affliction and not commit those same sins in the future. Many members of the patriot community would do well to read this passage.

v37-39: Likewise, many people who are awake to what is going on today with us present-day Israelites would do well to read and learn from these verses as well. To act and speak the way many people do today about what is happening in our land is shameful, especially in light of this passage and the previous passage, for that matter.

Chapter 4

v12: "That'll never happen here." Famous last words.

v13-16: This passage makes me think of the verse in Revelation that says, "they shall hate the whore and make her desolate." You can see the precursor of this passage being fulfilled for the latter times in our day because of the number of unbelievers (v15) who want nothing to do with the things of God due to the behavior of her clergy. This is also taking place among a fair number of Christians with respect to getting out of the institutional church.

v21-22: The modern-day Edomites are the people we call Jews today. If you don't believe me, order "Who is Esau-Edom" from Scriptures For America.


Chapter 5

v2: Today, our wealth and property is being consumed by the aliens, the people mentioned in the above paragraph.

v3: How many have been made widows, widowers and orphans by plagues such as cancer, heart disease and other such diseases?

v4: Notice how we also have to pay for our own drinking water and fuel to heat our houses?

v5: Today, those who still have jobs work all the time. The concept of a day of rest has vanished into the past.

v6: So much of the food eaten in North America is imported.

v8: Today in our land, the stranger is rising higher and higher and those of God's people are going lower and lower.

THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14 -- 'THE AMAZING JAM' AT THE BLACK DOG IN STIRLING

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Good songs and good music,  and good company to share them with!
That’s what you’ll find this  Sunday afternoon at the Black Dog in Stirling.
Yes! THIS Sunday afternoon! 
So come on out and join us  to share a few tunes at the Amazing Jam? Maybe some of your own, maybe a couple  from someone else....
The Black Dog, 227 West Front St. in Stirling.   
We start up at 2 pm, run until    5....
Looking forward to see you  there.
*And    don’t forget to check the Facebook page ‘BV Amazing Music’ for postings    about more music and events in this area. There’s something happening    here....
The ‘Amazing Jam’! Even more amazing music... 
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This Sunday afternoon  at The Black  Dog in Stirling. We’ll be playing music there for about 3 hours. Welcomed by both staff and the patrons in the lounge and  restaurant, our music is appreciated. 
Once a month on Sunday afternoons. This Sunday afternoon  (February 14th). Time is from 2 pm until 5.
The format is a ‘song circle’ with  the lead changing from person to person among the group. Everyone has the option  to offer a tune when their turn comes around, or pass to their neighbour if  they’d rather. Depending on the music, the mood, choice of instruments, etc.  some will choose to support whoever is leading a song, others may prefer to sit out and listen.   DSCF1663
We invite you to come out and join us, making music with old friends;  for sure, there’ll be some new faces too.
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Remember....
“Bring your instruments, your voices and your music. It’s  all unplugged  and it’s all good! Guitar, bass,  harmonica, banjo,  mandolin, ukulele,  fiddle, accordion,  flute, celtic harp – the list goes  on.
“There may be only 4 or 5 of us or maybe a whole room full of  musicians. A place for ‘first-timers’ and experienced  players alike. A  good bunch of people playing all kinds of music together.  People in their teens all the way through  proto-geezers. Maybe even an incipient-geriat or two....
“The blues does not rule. Any acoustic music from punk to polka!”
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(Baritone sax and tuba set up in the  parking lot....)
Hope to see you Sunday afternoon in  Stirling.
James