The Holy Eraser - C S Lewis

 

                                     The Holy Eraser 

                                                       --  From The Problem of Pain, by C S Lewis

     It would, no doubt, have been possible for God to remove by miracle the results of the first sin ever committed by a human being, but this would not have been much good unless He was prepared to remove the results of the second sin, and of the third, and so on forever.

     If the miracles ceased, then sooner or later we would have reached our present lamentable situation: if they did not, then a world  thus continually underpropped and corrected by Divine interference, would have been a world in which nothing important ever depended on human choice.

     As we see, the chess player's freedom to play depends on the rigidity of the square and the moves.

                                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[And who would want to live in a world where "nothing important ever depended on human choice"? Thank God for giving us choices, for asking us to clean up this world, holding us responsible for our choices, allowing us to live in a  world where judgment is a moral necessity. We are not robots, we were created in the  holy image of God, and He treats us with dignity and respect, by making us accountable as guardians of His creation.]

                                                 

All We Need - Abundantly!

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, 

having all that you need, you may abound in every good work.

                -- 2 Corinthians 9:8

It's God's Word, so we know it's the truth!

We can count on it because we can count on Him.

God is ready, willing and able to bless me -- not just a little -- but abundantly in all the things I face today.

He is all I need to persevere and gloriously win every battle and defeat every enemy!

And there is not one moment when He takes His eyes off me and gets distracted from seeing what I need.

He is always paying attention and is ready to supply everything to help me get through the work I have to do. 

It's like He is standing there beside me, reminding me that His hand is open, saying "Here, take this -- you'll need it today, and take it all -- I have plenty more. And just look at Me when you feel worried or pressured.

With Me you've got this! You've already won! Your medal already has your name on it."

What a great God we have! Yes, God is good -- all the time!

Challenge - Jesus' Close Friends - Philip - Review

Lesson 7 - Challenge

This Challenge covers the 6 studies on Philip



1. List the first six disciples:  ____________,
___________,_______________,____________,
______________, and ______________ (Matthew 10:2-3. Bartholomew is also called Nathanael).


2. The disciples are listed in Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:14 and Acts 1:13.  Philip is listed in the same position in each list. What is that position?___


3. In the list of disciples in Acts 1:13, who (verse 14) joined them?____________________________
What were they doing?___________________


4. Put these events in chronological order:

     1. Andrew and John become followers of John the Baptizer
     2. Philip asks Christ to "show us the Father"
     3. The Greek gentiles ask Philip to let them "see
Jesus"
     4. Christ asks Philip how to feed a great multitude of followers
     5. Andrew and John become disciples of Christ
     6. Philip finds Nathanael and tells him he has found the one Moses had written about

Write the numbers in the correct chronological order:

_____,_____,_____,_____,_____,______


5. What town was Peter, Andrew and Philip from?

     _____1. Jerusalem
     _____2. Samaria
     _____3. Bethsaida
     _____4. Bethlehem


6. Philip went to his friend Nathanael and said (John 1:45):




7. _____ (T/F) Jesus told the crowd that John the
Baptizer was "one of the greatest men who had ever lived" (Matthew 11:11).


8.  In Titus 3:5 we read that Jesus saves us, not
because of_____________________________, but
____________________.


9. In Ephesians 1:3-4 we read that God the Father chose us to be in Christ - when? __________________________________.


10. What does "chosen" mean?_______________

___________________________________________________________________________.



11. What other group in the Bible (Old Testament) did God also "choose"?______________________


12. Who will be with Jesus in the new kingdom
(Revelation 17:14)?_______________________
_______________________________________


13. What bothered the Pharisees in John 12:19?

________________________________________


14. In Revelation 5:9-10 a "new song" is being heard.  Why was Jesus worthy of their praise?
______________________________________
______________________________________


15. In the same passage, what will happen to the people Jesus purchased (redeemed)?
_______________________________________

Where did they come from?________________

Who did he purchase them for?_____________


16. In Revelation 5:12, what is Jesus worthy to receive?________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________


17. Jesus tells his disciples that he no longer regards them as_______________ but as______________.


18. See Proverbs 17:17. When does a friend 'love'?
________________________________________

What does the next phrase mean?
________________________________________


19. What part of God did Moses see?___________
________________________________________

20. How did Elijah hear the voice of God?_______
________________________________________.


21. In John 14:9-10 Jesus talks about "seeing" and
"knowing." But in Verse 11 he tells us what is of
supreme importance. What is that?_____________
Did Philip understand his words? Do you?


22. Jesus told His disciples he would have to leave
them but that the Father would send a helper.
In John 14:15-31 this helper is called by several names. List them:_______________________
______________________________________


23. In John 14:23-24 "love" is linked directly with
_______________. Turn to Nehemiah 1:5 and
notice how the 2 same characteristics are linked together. Throughout the Bible they are linked as
solidly as "ham and eggs" and "bread and butter"
and "salt and pepper."


24. Look at John 14:21. Who is the one who truly loves Christ?_____________________________

What Finally Happened to Philip?

Ancient non-biblical texts tell us that Philip, following Christ's resurrection, went with his sister, Mariamne, and Bartholomew (Nathanael) to preach in Greece, Phrygia and Syria. The traditional record says Philip, while at Hierapolis (in Phrygia, modern Turkey), miraculously healed the wife of the proconsul of the city, and she accepted Christ's gift of salvation.

The enraged proconsul had Philip and his sister and

Bartholomew tortured. Philip and Bartholomew were crucified upside down and Philip preached from his cross. The watching crowd released Bartholomew, but Philip insisted they not release him, and he died.

Symbols for Philip have traditionally included the Latin Cross, a cross with two loaves, a basket filled with bread.

On Wednesday, July 27, 2011, the Turkish news agency reported that archaeologists had unearthed the Tomb of Saint Philip during excavations in Hierapolis, close to the Turkish town of Denizli.

The Italian professor Francesco D'Andria stated that the scientists had discovered the Tomb within a newly revealed church. He stated that the design of the Tomb and writing on its walls definitely prove it belonged to the martyred Apostle of Jesus.

Jesus' Close Friends - Philip - Part 6

What Was on Philip's Mind?

What was Philip thinking that night, listening to the words of Jesus (referred to as the Upper Room Discourse) - the one who had searched him out months before, saying, "Follow me"?

Philip had followed, had found his friend Nathanael
and brought him into the circle of disciples.

Now, this close to the arrest of Jesus, what was on
Philip's mind?

     Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth
     and the life. No one comes to the Father except
     through me.

     If you really knew me, you would know my
     Father as well. From now on you do know him
     and have seen him.
 
     Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and
     that will be enough for us."

     Jesus answered, "Don't you know me, Philip,
     even after I have been among you such a
     long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen
     the Father?

     How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't
     you believe that I am in the Father, and that the
     Father is in me?
                                    - John 14:6-10

Remember when the Greek gentiles came to Philip
and said, "We would like to see Jesus!"

What Would be Enough?

Now Philip is going further- "Show us the Father!"
he says to Jesus. And he adds....and that will be enough for us....

That would be the final proof? The last word? the
convincing argument?

Sometimes each of us has probably voiced that
thought -  "Oh God, please show yourself to me!"

We know God does not have tangible form -
that he is Spirit. Sometimes he might seem remote
and distant.

But how could he seem remote and distant to Philip? Jesus was sitting right there!

Philip had been with him - listening to his teachings,
witnessing his miracles - for months.

Shame on you, Philip!

On the other hand, it seems to me, from the context,
that Jesus provoked this discussion. He wanted
his disciples to question and ponder the great divine
idea that Jesus himself was (is) God - the eternal,
Creator. Jesus wanted this to be supremely clear.

He knew that in a few hours God would seem remote
and unreachable, not just to them, but also to himself.

From now on, Philip, you do know God and have
seen him! Jesus told him.

Seeing God in the Old Testament

Perhaps Philip was thinking about the Old Testament
prophets who also yearned to actually see God.

For one, Moses:

He had asked to see God's glory, and God replied,

"I will cause all goodness to pass in front of
you, and I will proclaim my Name, the LORD, in
your presence."

....you will see my back, but my face must not be
seen...  (Exodus 33:19-23)          


Then the LORD placed Moses in a sheltered place in
the rock, covered the space with his hand, and
passed by.


Another, Elijah:

The LORD said, "Go out on the mountain in the
presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to
pass by.

And the LORD caused a great wind, earthquake and fire to pass before the prophet, those he was not in
the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire. He was
in the still, small voice Elijah heard afterward.
(I Kings 19:11-12)

Neither Moses nor Elijah actually saw God. They saw evidence of God's presence.

Philip wanted an experience like that.

Seeing and Knowing

But, Philip, you've already had experiences like that!

You have seen right before your eyes what the
prophets yearned to see - they were peering into
the future, anticipating the moments you would be
spending with God himself, through the visible
manifestation of his Son!

In the verses above we read "know" 4 times and
"seen" or "show" 5 times.

Then look at the next verse to see Jesus'
comment:

     Believe me when I say that I am in the
     Father and the Father is in me,  or at least
     believe on the evidence of the miracles
     themselves.   
                      -- John 14:11

    
It's not about "seeing" or "knowing." He doesn't use those words.

It's about believing!

Seeing is believing?

No, Believing is Seeing!

    

Mary, did you know, when you kissed your baby boy, you kissed the face of God?

We can't determine all that Mary knew or understood
during the life and ministry of her Son.

But we do know she believed because we see her
listed in Acts 1:14 as being with the disciples:

     They all joined together constantly in prayer,
     along with the women and Mary the mother
     of Jesus, and his brothers.

And Philip was there also (see verse 13).

Mary and her sons, Jesus' brothers, were vital
members of the early New Testament church.

Not because of what they "knew" or "saw",
but because they were believers!

Our predicament today: The same as Philip's.
It's not about visual proof, not about logical
arguments - it's still about believing!

Shame on all of us for not believing!

Take the Challenge

Go to:

Jesus' Close Friends - Philip - Part 7

Jesus' Close Friends - Philip - Part 5

The final picture (the fourth) we have of Philip is when he and the other disciples have joined Christ for the Passover meal during Christ's final hours before the crucifixion.

During these last hours Christ explains to His disciples:

     My command is this: love one another as I
     have loved you.

     [Note: in the verses before he said 'As
     the Father has loved me, so have I loved you'
     and now he commands that they love each
     just as much (1) as God loves His Son
     (2) because that is how much God's
     Son loves them.
    
     The friends of the King must not only love him,
     they must love one another....a joyous
     everlasting circle of love.]

     Greater love has no one than this, that he
     lay down his life for his friends.

     You are my friends if you do whatever I
     command. I no longer call you servants,
     because a servant does not know his master's
     business.

     Instead I have called you friends, for everything
     that I learned from my Father I have made
     known to you.

     You did not choose me, but I chose you....
                                            - John 15:12-16

The Perfect Friend

These verses summarize what it means to be a 'friend.' A friend in general, but also specifically a friend of the "Lord of lords and Kings of kings."

It is a humbling experience to be His friend, and we can remind ourselves each day that He chose us, we did not choose Him.

A friend keeps in touch. A friend is aware of what
each one needs. A friend listens and responds in
kindness. A friend shares what is on his heart and
does not refrain from loving counsel.


A text or e-mail might come to me: 'Please call' and I do. Because it is a plea from my friend!


A friend shares his plans and confides his secrets.


     The LORD confides in those who fear him;
     He makes his covenant known to them.
                                  - Psalm 25:14


And Christ is sharing His plans right there in that
Upper Room where He is sharing the last Passover.

Christ, by example, is the perfect friend!

The Perfect Helper

It would not be easy for the disciples to take it all in -- after all, that week began with Christ's Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday) into Jerusalem, and would end with His crucifixion and resurrection - but Christ promises the gift of the Holy Spirit to comfort them and to bring them remembrance and understanding:

     I will ask the Father and he will give you
     another Counselor to be with you forever -
     the Spirit of truth.

     The world cannot accept him, because it
     neither sees him nor knows him...

     All this I have spoken while still with you.
     But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom
     the Father will send in my name, will teach
     you all things and will remind you of
     everything I have said to you.
                             - John 14:16-17, 25-26

(What an exciting promise -- they didn't even have to worry that they would forget some of His teaching!
So their past months of being in the presence of the God-man could be, like gleaming treasures, moment by moment, retrieved and savored for the rest of their lives!)

    

 What Was Bothering Philip?  

Jesus had already given his command to 'love one
another' to His disciples in John 13 (verse 34).
Jesus repeats it several times. (John 15:12 and 17 for two examples.)

And it is stated again and again throughout the New
Testament.

Philip, along with the rest of the disciples, listened
to all this and tried to put it all in context.

But something else had been bothering Philip.


See Jesus' Close Friends - Philip - Part 6