OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Christmas is over and we are in that awkward week at the end of the year between holidays. While some put a lot of emphasis on the welcoming of a new year, to most of us January 1^st is just another day. Some of us may even be asleep at midnight. Historically, January 1^st is the first day of the Gregorian calendar, adopted in 1582 as an adjustment of the Julian calendar. It was the Julian calendar that established the 365-day year we enjoy today.

In ancient days there was no uniform method of time record keeping. And whereas many ancient cultures kept their own crude calendars of their own history, it wasn’t until 46 BC that the first universally-accepted calendar was established by the Romans. But a problem emerged with this new world calendar---in an effort to catch up with their existing calendar ninety days were added to the year 46 BC. Ancient writings called 46 BC “the year of confusion.”

New Years is all about time. The Bible speaks much of time and space; we are spatially-bound creatures within the earth time He established (Genesis 1:14). God is Lord over time and time is the vessel through which He unveils His purposes and program for us and to us (Galatians 4:4; Romans 5:6). God created matter, space and time (Genesis 1:1) in three dimensions; past, present, and future; and He is present in all three (Hebrews 13:8).

Theologically, there are two attributes of God that speaks to our understanding of time. The immanence of God is that He is everywhere within human time (Psalm 139:1-10); the transcendence of God is that He is independent and outside of time (Isaiah 55:8-9). Interestingly, immanence is not to be confused with imminence, which deals with the timing of Christ’s return. 2016 has been a tough year and none of us knows what 2017 will bring. One thing we can be assured of—He is both present with us and above all. Out with the old, in with the new. Think about it. Happy New Year.

THE LOVE OF GIVING

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Percy Ross lived a colorful life. He died in 2001 at the age of 84, but his legacy long surpasses his lifespan. Percy Ross grew up poor, worked hard and by the age of 42 had gained and lost two fortunes. But he never considered himself a failure; in 1959 he purchased a bankrupt plastics business and by 1977 had revived the business to make himself a multi-millionaire. It was then that Ross embarked on his most fulfilling occupation---giving all his money away.

In 1983 Percy Ross began writing a weekly column that appeared in over 800 newspapers for sixteen years. That column, entitled Thanks a Million featured the many requests for assistance answered by this generous man. Ross and his staff received 10,000 letters a week from people asking for help. In Ross’ last column in 1999 he revealed that he had given away all his money---over $30 million dollars. He also thanked his readers for the happiness they brought by allowing him the joy of giving.

This week we celebrate the birth of the Baby of Bethlehem’s manger who gave up all vestiges of His heavenly royalty to come to this planet as a human for a brief period of time (Philippians 2:6-8). Theologian Millard Erickson wrote of this natal sacrifice, “The magnitude of what He gave up is beyond our power to even imagine, for we have never seen what heaven is like.” Jesus, the King of Kings became poor so that we could become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Percy Ross was a generous man, but not without his critics. Some believed he was merely showing off in an effort to gain heaven by his good works. Who knows? Only God knows his heart and the motives of his works (1 Corinthians 4:5). Interestingly, the Hebrew word for love and give is the same word. The most familiar verse in the Bible teaches us this wonderful theological truth----“For God so loved…He gave” (John 3:16). You can give without loving; but it is impossible to sincerely love without giving. He gave all because He loves all. Think about it. Merry Christmas.

THE GOOD LORD RIDE ALL THE WAY

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

We interrupt our study this month of the theology of Christmas with news of the passing of a true American hero, astronaut and former US Senator John Glenn. Glenn died on December 8^th at the age of 95, marking the end of the era of early manned spaceflight. In an age of rampant turmoil and cynicism, we pause briefly to salute the last of NASA’s original Mercury astronauts, brave men epitomized in Tom Wolfe’s 1979 literary account of them in The Right Stuff.

While countless articles over the past few days focus on Glenn’s career, including that famous quote “God Speed John Glenn” from capsule communicator (and fellow Mercury astronaut) Scott Carpenter, there was another quote just before Carpenter’s well-wishes that garners attention. NASA Flight Engineer Tom O’Malley was the one who literally pushed the button to lift Glenn into space. On the morning of February 20, 1962; as the countdown reached zero, O’Malley made the sign of the cross and spoke into his headset, “May the good Lord ride all the way.” And with that John Glenn rode into history.

One detail lost in many of the news reports was of John Glenn’s deep abiding faith in Jesus Christ. As a lifelong Presbyterian, Glenn delivered a sermon in his church shortly after his return to earth. His message, “Why I Know There Is a God” emphasized the vastness of the universe and the work of his Creator God, as well as details of his three-orbit space flight. Interestingly, Glenn added to his testimony years later after his return flight to space in 1998; stating that looking at the earth from outer space strengthened his faith in God.

John Glenn’s testimony corresponds with what the scriptures say about faith. It is only through faith that we can understand the creative work of God (Hebrews 11:3). Theologically, faith is an invisible substance demonstrated in the visible realm (Hebrews 11:1; Romans 1:20). This past Thursday a man of faith took his final flight as he passed the surly bonds of the heavens to ride into the presence of his Savior. The good Lord ride all the way John Glenn. Think about it. Merry Christmas.

JESUS, THE SON OF DAVID

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Genealogy is the tracing of family generational roots; a hobby enjoyed by millions worldwide. Experts in the field testify that genealogy got a big boost in popularity as the result of Alex Haley’s classic story of his family. Haley’s 1976 bestselling book, Roots: The Story of an American Family was made into a popular television miniseries of the same name a year later. The series was remade in 2016 to present the patriarch of Haley’s family as a Muslim. The television ratings of the remake’s first episode pale in comparison with the original---28.8 million views (1977); 5.3 million (2016).

There are twenty-four genealogies listed in the Bible. Family bloodlines were (and continue to be) very important to the Jewish people. Ancient Jewish non-biblical writings typically began with a family tree. Historically, the NT Sanhedrin was tasked with keeping Jewish family records. Tragically, all those ancient records were lost when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Jesus’ family tree is recorded twice in the scriptures (Matthew 1 and Luke 3). Luke presents Jesus as the Son of Man; the genealogy lists seventy-four members tracing Jesus all the way back to the first man. Matthew, the Jewish tax collector presents Jesus as the King of the Jews. Matthew omits names from Christ’s forty-two name genealogy so as to arrange them in a fourteen name per three-stanza chronology (Matthew 1:1-17). Interestingly, the beginning of that genealogy lists Jesus as the son of Abraham and David. Joseph and Mary were both relatives of King David.

Jesus is called the “Son of David” sixteen times; and other than the Lord Himself, David is the most important man in the Bible, mentioned more than any other person---1,118 times. Consider the connection between Jesus, David and the number fourteen. The numerical value of the three Hebrew letters that make up David’s name, Dalet=4, Vav=6, Dalet=4, equals fourteen. Theologically, Jesus will one day sit on the King David’s regal throne (2 Samuel 7:24-25). Simply stated, the Baby born in a lowly stable will one day return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16). Think about it. Merry Christmas.