OUR PART IN THE NEW COVENANT OF GRACE

SERMON@TCC, Tablon, CDO

March 11, 2012

THE TERMS OF THE NEW COVENANT

Hebrews 8:10-13

10Mao kini ang kasabotan nga himoon ko tali sa katawhan sa Israel

human niadtong mga adlawa, nag-ingon ang Ginoo. Ibutang ko ang akong mga balaod diha sa ilang mga hunahuna, ug isulat ko kini sa ilang mga kasingkasing. Mahimo ako nga ilang Dios ug mahimo sila nga akong katawhan. 11 Ug dili kinahanglan nga magtudlo pa sila sa ilang isigkalumulupyo O magsulti sa ilang isigkalungsoranon, ‘Ilha ang Ginoo!’ Kay makaila silang tanan kanako, gikan sa labing ubos hangtod sa labing halangdon kanila. 12 Pasayloon ko sila sa ilang mga kalapasan

ug dili ko na hinumdoman ang ilang mga sala.”

"For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

"None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds [fn] I will remember no more."

What are the laws that God will put in you?

·      John 13:34 – it is the royal law of love

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

·      Romans 3:27 – It is the royal law of faith

Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

Karon, unsa na may angay tang ipanghambog? Wala! Ngano man? Tungod ba kay ang tawo nagtuman sa Balaod? Dili, kondili tungod sa iyang pagtuo.

What is our part in the New Covenant of Grace?

·      It is simply to BELIEVE!

What should we believe?

·      We are to believe in Jesus!

 What it means to believe in Jesus?

·      To believe and receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior who died on the cross for all your sins.

·      To believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation and that once you receive Him, you receive the gift of eternal life.

·      To believe beyond the shadow of doubt that all your sins—past, present and future—were all punished on the cross and today all your sins and lawless deeds He remembers NO MORE!

“…I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE?

·      If you don’t believe this, it will be impossible for you to depend on and expect God to protect, provide and prosper you.

·      If you don’t believe this, it will rob you of the ability to receive His goodness, His blessings, His unmerited favor and His success in your life.

THE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS

        

·      Jesus is the Son of God and His blood is untainted by any sin. That is why the shedding of His pure and innocent blood is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

·      His blood does not cover sins temporarily like the blood of bulls and goats in the old covenant.

·      His blood blots out and completely erases all our sins!

YOUR FORGIVENESS IS BASED ON HIS PERFECT SACRIFICE

You are forgiven not according to the riches of your good works, but according to the riches of God’s grace (unmerited favor).

         ALL YOUR SINS—PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE—HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN!

  

Colossians 2:13

Kaniadto patay kamo sa espiritu tungod sa inyong mga sala ug tungod kay dili man kamo mga Judio busa wala mahisakop sa Balaod. Apan karon gibanhaw na kamo sa Dios uban ni Cristo! Gipasaylo na kita sa Dios sa tanan tang mga sala.

 Hebrews 7:27

Lahi siya sa ubang mga pangulong pari kay dili man siya kinahanglan nga maghimog mga halad sa tanang adlaw, una alang sa iyang kaugalingong mga sala ug unya sa mga sala sa katawhan. Gihimo niya ang iyang halad sa makausa lamang ug alang sa tanang panahon sa dihang gihalad niya ang iyang kaugalingon!

WHY A REVELATION OF YOUR FORGIVENESS IS SO IMPORTANT

1.    If your have no confidence that all your sins have been forgiven, then your eternal security and salvation will always hang in the balance.

2.    If you think that your sins were not fully dealt with at the cross, then you can never have the confidence to enjoy the Lord’s presence because you can never be sure if He is on your side, or if He is waiting to punish you for your failures.

3.    If you do not believe that Jesus has already forgiven all your sins, it means that when you fail, you will believe that you are not “right” with God and that fellowship with Him has been cut off.

My friend, God does not evaluate you based on your behavior. He sees only Jesus’ perfect work.

The cross of Jesus qualified you, but unbelief in the main clause of the new covenant disqualifies you.

         The new covenant is based entirely on His unmerited favor. There is nothing for you to do, nothing for you to perform, nothing for you to accomplish.

The Difference Between The Old Covenant of Law and The New Covenant of Grace

Under the old covenant of law	Under the new covenant of grace
God demanded righteousness from man	God imparts righteousness to man through the finished work of Jesus (Romans 4:5-7)
God will visit your sins to the third and fourth generations (Exodus 20:5)	God will by no means remember your sins (Hebrews 8:12; 10:17).
The children of Israel were blessed only if they obeyed God’s commandments perfectly—inwardly and outwardly (Deuteronomy 28:13-14).	Believers don’t have to depend on their self-efforts to receive God’s blessings, because Jesus fulfilled every one of the requirements of the law on their behalf (Colossians 2:14).
The children of Israel were cursed if they did not obey God’s commandments perfectly (Deuteronomy 28:15-16, 18, 20).	Believers can enjoy God’s blessings and undeserved favor because Christ became a curse for them on the cross (Galatians 3:13).
Depending on self-effort produces behavior modification without heart transformation.	Beholding the loveliness of Jesus and His finished work brings about inner transformation, which produces good works that are motivated by God’s love (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The blood sacrifices of animals covered the ins of the children of Israel for only one year, and the process had to be repeated every year (Hebrews 10:3).	The blood of Jesus has removed the sins—past, present and future—of believers, completely and perfectly, once for all (Hebrews 10:11-12).
Having the law could not and did not give the children of Israel the power to stop their sin in their lives. The law has no power to make anyone holy, just and good.	Sin has no dominion over believers (Romans 6:14), as the power of Jesus to overcome temptation kicks in when they are conscious that they are righteous in Christ apart from their works (Romans 4:6).
The children of Israel were robbed of their confidence in the goodness of God because they were always looking at themselves to see how well or poorly they performed (i.e. self-conscious)	Believers can have a tremendous sense of confidence and security in Christ because they are now looking to Jesus and not themselves (i.e. Christ-conscious).
The children of Israel could not have an intimate relationship with God because their unrighteousness put distance between them and God.	Believers can enjoy a close, intimate relationship with God as their Father because they are made righteous by faith in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 5:7-9; Hebrews 10:10).
The children of Israel could not enter the holy of holies (where the presence of God was). Only the high priest could, and that only once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:2, 14).	Not only can believers enter God’s holy presence, they can also come boldly to His throne of grace to find mercy and grace in their time of need because of Jesus’ perfect atonement (Hebrews 4:16).
The children of Israel were under the ministry of death (2 Corinthians 3:7).	Believers are under the ministry of Jesus’ abundant life (2 Corinthians 3:6; John  10:10).

God's Best for the Worst!

SERMON@TCC, TABLON, CDO
March 4, 2012


Introduction: Ang passage nga atong basahon, hulagway tali sa tawo nga ilalom sa Kasugoan ug sa tawo nga ilalom sa grasya. 

Atong basahon ang hinubay…

Lucas 7:36-50

36Unya may usa ka Pariseo nga midapit kang Jesus sa pagpangaon. Busa miadto si Jesus sa balay sa Pariseo ug nakigsalo kaniya.

·      This gives us a picture of two persons coming together under different views of life.

-Simon the Pharisee – law or legalism

-Jesus – grace and truth

37 Niadtong lungsora may usa ka babaye nga daotag kinabuhi. Sa iyang pagkadungog nga si Jesus nagkaon didto sa balay sa Pariseo, miadto siya dala ang usa ka tibod nga alabastro nga puno sa pahumot.

·      Basi sa pagtuon, kini nga babaye usa ka “prostitute” o “babaye nga bayaran”.

·      Miadto siya sa balay ni Simon nga Pariseo, dili tungod kaniya, kondili tungod kang Jesus! Matingala kita kon ngano?

·      Matingala kita kon “ngano?” Sa akong pag-aninaw, ang tawong legalistic ug batasan, lisud duolon ilabi na gayod sa mga makasasala. Ang ilang “aura”, “bayhon” dali masabtan nga dili sila basta-basta maikauban.

·      Apan si Jesus, aduna siyay talagsaong kinaiyahan nga moingganyo sa mga tawo nga modulo kaniya, bisan ang mga makasasala, sama sa daotang babaye nga gihisgotan dinhi.

Si Jesus aduna Siyay maabi-abihon nga kinaiyahan!

Si Jesus aduna Siyay mahigumaon nga kinaiyahan!

Si Jesus aduna Siyay mapasayloon nga kinaiyahan!

Si Jesusaduna Siyay gaan ug buot nga kinaiyahan!

Ang Iyang pagkatawo, sa kinatibuk-an, hulagway sa tinuod nga grasya ug kamatuoran,

Juan 1:17

Ang Balaod gihatag sa Dios pinaagi kang Moises apan ang grasya ug ang kamatuoran miabot pinaagi kang Jesu-Cristo.

                

Mateo 11:19

Mianhi ang Anak sa Tawo ug mikaon siya ug miinom. Ug miingon na usab sila, ‘Tan-awa ninyo kining tawhana! Hangol siya sa pagkaon ug  palahubog, unya higala pa gyod sa kobrador sa buhis ug sa mga makasasala!’ Apan ang kaalam sa Dios milutaw nga husto diha sa mga resulta niini.”

·      Dili hamay-hamay ang gibuhat ni Jesus, ug mosugot nalang Siya kon unsay ihingalan sa mga reliheyosong tawo ngadto kaniya, basta nga iyang maalagaran ang mga makasasala, apil ang mga bata, tungod sa iyang gugma kanila! Wha!

38 Samtang diha siya sa luyo sa tiilan ni Jesus, mihilak siya ug nahumod sa iyang mga luha ang mga tiil ni Jesus. Unya gipahiran niya sa iyang buhok ang mga tiil ni Jesus ug gihagkan ug gibuboan sa pahumot.

·    Hilabihan gayod ka “condemned” kining maong babaye sa iyang kaugalingon, nga tungod niini dili niya mahimo ang pag-atubang kang Jesus, kondili sa luyo sa Iyang tiilan.

·    Apan pagka-anindot tungod kay ang iyang pagkamakasasala na-overcome sa gugma ug grasya ni Jesus!

·      Mas maayo kon ang impresyon sa katilingban kanatong mga Krsitohanon, nga kita mahigugmaon, makihigalaon ug maluloy-on kay mao kini ang mag-ingganyo nila nga mosulod sa atong panagtigum.

·      Wala unta bisan gamay nga impresyon sa pagkahinawayon nga ilang makita kanato batok kanila kondili gugma ug grasya.

·      Wala unta bisan gamay nga impresyon nga kita nanghukom kanila kondili gugma ug grasya.

·      Ang mga makasasala, problematic, condemned nga mga tawo nangita ug sulbad sa ilang gipas-an nga problema ug kini ang giingon sa Pulong sa Dios nga “Maayong Balita”

39 Sa pagkakita niini sa Pariseo nga nagdapit kang Jesus, miingon siya sa iyang kaugalingon, “Kon tinuod pa nga propeta kining tawhana, makaila unta siya kon kinsa kining babaye nga mihikap kaniya ug unsa kadaotan ang iyang kinabuhi!”

·      Kon inyong namatikdan, wala na e-mention ang ngalan “Simon”, kondili “Pariseo” na.

·      “Pariseo”

-matang kini sa reliheyon

-matang kini sa panghunahuna

-matang kini sa pag-alagad nga naghatag ug dakong pagtagad sa performance ingon nga requirements aron dawaton sa Dios.

-matang kini sa pag-alagad nga nag-emphasize unsaon pagpahimuot ang Dios pinaagi sa buhat (self-righteousness)

·        Mao kini ang relehiyon nga nagbugaw sa mga tawo pahilayo aron dili makasulod sa gingharian sa Dios!

“Kon tinuod pa nga propeta kining tawhana, makaila unta siya kon kinsa kining babaye nga mihikap kaniya ug unsa kadaotan ang iyang kinabuhi!”

·        Mao kini ang didto sa hunahuna sa Pariseo samtang nagtan-aw siya sa gibuhat sa daotang babaye ngadto kang Jesus.

·        Inay unta ang babaye maoy iyang pangutan-on, si Jesus na hinuon ang iyang gibuhatan ug obserbasyon.

Nahibalo mo kon ngano? Kay ang “legalistic” o “relegious” mind nagtuo nga ang mga alagad sa Dios mahugawan sila kon makig-uban sa mga makasasala. Mao nga dili gayod sila magpahikap sa mga daotan sama niining babayhana.

Nahibalo mo kon ngano? Kay mao ni ang ilang nasabtan sa Kasugoan. Sama pananglit,

·      Sanlahon – ilalom sa Balaod ang tawong sanlahon hugaw, ug tungod niini, tanang butang ilang mahikapan, mahimong hugaw. Ug ang tawo nga makahikap (makalingkod) sa gihikap o gigamit sa sanlahon, mahugaw usab.

·        Mao kini ang “religious spirit” nga kanunayng nag-disqualify nato.

·        Mao kini ang “religious spirit” nga kanunayng naghadlok nato matagpanahon nga makig-uban kita sa atong mga higala nga dili sama kanatog pagtuo.

·        Kita nato unsa ka ngilngig ang usa ka tawo ilalom niini nga panghunahuna. Jugmental ug condemning attitude!

40 Apan miingon si Jesus kaniya, “Simon, aduna akoy isulti kanimo.” Si Simon mitubag, “Sigi, Magtutudlo, sultihi ako.” 41 Miingon si Jesus, “May duha ka tawo nga nakautang sa usa ka tigpahulam ug kuwarta. Ang usa nakautang ug 500 ka denariod ug ang usa 50 ka denario. 42 Apan kay silang duha dili man makabayad, gipapas na lamang sa nagpahulam ang ilang mga utang. Karon, kinsa man sa duha ang labaw nga mahigugma sa nagpahulam kanila?” 43 Mitubag si Simon, “Sa akong hunahuna, kadtong dakog utang.”“Husto ang imong tubag,” matod ni Jesus.

·      Si Jesus nagbuhig usa ka sambingay ug kini nagpasabot o naghulagway sa kinabuhi ni Simon u gang daotang babaye.

Si Simon – siya ang nakautang ug gamay (50 kaneraio)

Ang daotang babaye – siya ang nakautang ug daku (500 kadenario)

o   Ang punto mao nga silang duha utangan ug dili makabayad sa ilang utang.

·      Si Simon, kay Pariseo man siya, naghunahuna nga gamay ra siyag sala, ug mas matarong siya sa iyang kaugalingon kon itandi sa daotang babaye.

o   Tunogd niini, wala niya mabuhat ang dapat buhaton ngadto sa iyang pinasidunggang dinapit, nga mao si Jesus, pinaagi sa paghatag ug tubig aron ihugas sa iyang tiil ug paghalok ingon nga gesture sa pag-abi-abi kaniya.

o   Tan-awa ra god, si Simon nga usa Pariseo, particular sa mga balao ug oral tradition, wala na hinuoon makahimo sa dapat buhaton ngadto kang Jesus- ang buhat sa pag-abi-abi.

o   Inay iyang ipakita kang Jesus ang pinakamaayo nga pag-abi-abi ingon nga pinasidunggan nga dinapit, wala na hinuon.

o   Sa akong giingon kaganina, nga ang legalistic (religious) spirit nagtuo nga buotan sila pero dili sila mahibalo moabi-abi sa ilang mga bisita ilabi na sa mga makasasala.

44 Unya milingi siya sa babaye ug miingon kang Simon, “Nakita mo ba kining bayhana? Mianhi ako sa inyo ug wala mo ako hatagig tubig aron ihugas sa akong mga tiil apan gihugasan niya ang akong mga tiil sa iyang mga luha ug gipahiran sa iyang buhok. 45 Wala mo ako hagki sa imong pagdawat kanako apan siya nagsigig halok sa akong mga tiil sukad sa akong pag-abot. 46 Wala mo dihogi ug lana ang akong ulo apan iyang gidihogan ug pahumot ang akong mga tiil.

·      Wow, sa verse 44, si Jesus milingi sa babaye..!

Si Jesus nga puno sa grasya maoy milingi aron ang daotang babaye nga maulaw sa iyang pagkadaotan, makakita kaniya sa nawong ug nawong. Ang kasingkasing ni Jesus tus sa mga makasala!

Nakita ba nimo? Si Simon, nga pariseo, nag-condemn sa daotang babaye, apan si Jesus nga puno sa grasya nag-abi-abi kaniya.

Please…please…please…give me your full attention!

Kini nga portion sa akong sermon maoy pinakaimportanti nga kon mahimo ihatag ninyo kanako ang bukas ninyo nga panghunahuna.

         Matud pa ni Jesus, kalabot sa babaye,

o   Gihugasan niya ang tiil ni Jesus pinaagi sa iyang luha, inay tubig.

o   Gipahiran niya ang tiil ni Jesus pinaagi sa iyang buhok, inay tualya!

o   Gihagkan niya ang tiil ni Jesus, inay sa aping!

o   Gibuboan sa iyang mahalong (maomaong) pahumot, inay lana!

MGA KAMATUORAN:

1.    Ang tawo nga nakaamgo (o nakasinati) sa kadako sa gugma sa Dios sa iyang kinabuhi, makabuhat siya labaw sa naandan, nga walay magsugo kaniya, sama sa gibuhat sa daotang babaye.

2.    Ang gibuhat sa babaye ngadto kang Jesus, DILI KADTO REQUIREMENT ARON SIYA PASAYLOON (O KALOY-AN), KONDILI RESPONSE HUMAN NIYA MADAWAT ANG KAPASAYLOAN GIKAN KANG JESUS.

Luke 7:47 (International Standard Version)

So I'm telling you that her sins, as many as they are, have been forgiven, and that's why she has shown such great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little."

     New Living Translation

"I tell you, her sins--and they are many--have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love."

·      Klaro kaayo, nga ang babaye nagbuhat sa ingon dili aron kaloy-an o pasayloon kondili gibuhat niya kadtong tanan ingon nga response tungod sa labihan niyang kalipay nga ang iyang tanang sala gipasaylo na.

Ang pasaylo, kaluoy ug gugma sa Dios dili nato e-earn (trabahoan) kondili dawaton!

Mao kini ang Grasya sa Dios!

What is grace?

o   It is unearned and unmerited favor of God

o   It is a gift

It is unbiblical, unscriptural to say that the woman in the story did all those things to Jesus as requirements for her to earn God’s love and favor. This is an insult to the nature of God.

§  Kini nga mga statement morag nindot pamation, ngadto sa mga reliheyosong tawo, pero insulto sa gugma sa Dios.

§  This is religious spirit!

§  This is unscriptural!

§  This is legalism!

Kon ang kaluwasan, kapasayloan sa atong mga sala ug kalapasan, gasa sa Dios, ang uban pa kahang butang nga atong gikinahanglan aning kinabuhia dili gasa sa Dios?

·      Ako mosimba, dili aron kaloy-an ug higugmaon, kondili tungod kay gikaloy-an ug gihigugma ko sa Dios. Ug kini nga gugma buhi gayod sa akong kinabuhi.

·      Ako mohatag, dili aron panalanginan, kondili tungod kay gipanalanginan ko Niya, otherwise wala koy mahatag kon wala ko Niya panalangini.

·      Ako mobasa sa akong Biblia aron masayod ug dugang sa gugma sa Dios nga nahigugma nako.

·      Ako moampo aron makig-estorya sa akong Amahan nga nahigugma kanato.


Kon ako mag-soul-winning, ako magbuhat niini tungod sa compassion nga ang mga tawo makasinati usab sa akong masinatian ug dili tungod sa compulsion, nga ako gipugos nga mobuhat niini.

ANG DUGANG KAMATUORAN:

·      Walay tinuod nga hatag sa tawo nga naghunahuna nga ang iyang paghatag requirement aron panalanginan siya sa Dios. Hatag ba diay na!

·      Walay tinuod nga kalipay sa pag-ampo kon ang nag-ampo naghunahuna nga kaloy-an siya sa Dios kay nag-ampo siya.

·      WALAY TINUOD NGA GUGMA, KALIPAY, KALINAO KON ANG TANAN NGA ATONG GIBUHAT TINUKMOD INGON NGA REQUIREMENTS NGADTO SA DIOS.

·      Dili makasinati si bisan kinsa sa gugma sa Dios kon ang iyang pagtan-aw sa Dios dili madalidali nga Dios. Ug mao kini ang hunahuna sa mga tawo nga nailamum sa balaod. APAN KITA NA ILALUM SA GRASYA UG GIDAWAT SA DIOS INGON NGA IYANG MGA PINALANGGANG ANAK TUNGOD KANG KRISTO JESUS!

DUHA KA KLASE NGA PAGKAMATARONG SA BIBLIA:

1.    Pagkamatarong Ni Cristo – gasa kini sa Dios

2.    Self-righteousness – kontra kini sa Dios

(basahon Isaias 64:6)

47 Busa sultihan ko ikaw nga ang daghan niyang mga sala gipasaylo. Tungod niini, dako ang gugma nga iyang gipakita. Apan kinsa kadtong gipasaylo sa diyutay lamang nga mga sala nagpakita ug diyutay usab nga paghigugma.”

·      Tiaw mo na, lisod diay buhaton sa legalistic nga tawo ang gibuhat sa babaye, kay naghunahuna man siya sa iyang kaugalingon, sama sa pariseo, nga nagbuhat sa iyang mga tulomanon nga daw buotan siya labaw sa uban tungod niini, nga dili na niya makita ang ka daku sa grasya ug gugma sa Dios sa iyang kinabuhi kondili ang iya na mang kaubotan sa kaugalingon.

48 Unya giingnan ni Jesus ang babaye, “Gipasaylo na ang imong mga sala.”

         Ang ngalan “Jesus” nagkahulogan “manluluwas” o “Manunubos”

·      Ang Job description ni Jesus mao ang pagluwas sa mga makasasala!

49 Ug ang uban nga didto sa kan-anan nakapangutana sa ilang kaugalingon, “Kinsa ba kining tawhana nga nagpasaylo man gani ug mga sala?” 50 Apan miingon si Jesus sa babaye, “Ang imong pagtuo nagluwas kanimo. Pauli nga malinawon.”

·      Ang kaluwasan, gugma, kaluoy sa Dios madawat pinaagi ra sa pagtuo!
.  Si Jesus ang nag-deklarar sa kapasayloan ngadto sa babaye, ug kini dili na mausab!

·      Ang tawong malinawon mao sila nga nagtuo nga ang ilang tanang sala gipasaylo na sa Dios ug wala na silay idugang pa niini kondili tuohan ug dawaton!

PANAK-OP:

·      Our BEING (our position in Christ) is far important than our doing!
.   You see, ang daotang babaye, human miduol kang Jesus nabag-o ang iyang kinabuhi.


    Sa Daang Tugon, ang matarong matakdan sa hugaw nga tawo kon iya kining hikapon, apan sa Bag-ong Tugon, ang matarong ang motakod sa mga makasasala. 


Ang pagkamatarong nga ania kanato, iya kini ni Cristo ug dili kini mahugawan sa bisan unsa tungod kay kini dili man akong buhat.

HOW GOD PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO ABRAHAM

by Barry Setterfield

INTRODUCTION

In the Biblical book of Galatians, the Jewish Rabbi Paul, who had studied under the well-known and widely respected Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), made a significant comment. In Galatians 3:8 Paul stated that "the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles through faith, preached in advance the Gospel unto Abraham ..." The end result is stated in Genesis 15:6 namely "that Abraham believed God (by faith) and it was counted to him for righteousness." Paul's comment in Galatians implies that just as Abraham believed the Gospel by faith when it was preached to him by God, so, in a similar way, the Gentiles will be justified by faith in the same Gospel. The question is, "How did God preach the Gospel to Abraham, and what was that Gospel?" A brief glance at Genesis 15:5 shows that the stars were intimately involved in this process, while Galatians 3:16 implies it was not the number of stars but the story they told that was important. So star names seem to be involved in this process. Let us look more deeply into this.

WHO NAMED THE STARS?

In Genesis 1:14 we are told that the stars are to be for SIGNS, seasons, days and years.

The seasons, days and years are familiar to us, but what about the SIGNS? Signs are designed to give us information; they carry a message. If we are traveling down the freeway and see a sign that reads "Los Angeles 200 miles", this gives us information. In a similar way the star signs also carry a message. But how is this message given? It is certainly not through demonic astrology which is condemned by the Scriptures of Truth. No, rather it appears that the message of the stars may be given by their NAMES and the constellation patterns. This conclusion is reached as a result of further Scriptural comment on the matter.

In Isaiah 40:26 and Psalm 147:4 we find two statements that God personally gave the stars their names. This is significant. Adam was given the prerogative of naming the animals, but God felt it important enough to name the stars Himself. It might be asked when did this naming take place? The answer is given in Isaiah 40:26. when He "Brought out the (starry) host by number, He called them all by their names", that is at the Creation event. So these star names have been known since Creation. In Psalm 147:4 the second statement reads "He TELLS the number of the stars; He calls them all by their names." The word translated "TELL" (Hebrew 'saphar') is a census-taking word. It literally means "to recount, to list in sequence (as with a name and a number - like the military), to enumerate, to take a census of, to tabulate, to tell-out, or number."

STAR NAMES AND LANGUAGES

One important fact emerges here. Many star and constellation names in a variety of languages around the world have a similar meaning. For example, one constellation was known as Virgo to the Romans, Bethulah to the Hebrews, Parthenos to the Greeks, and Kanya to the Indians, but all mean "VIRGIN". Linguistically, this strongly implies there was a common origin for the names. It is accepted theory that the three main linguistic branches from which most languages diverged had a common origin in Anatolia (see Gamkrelidze and Ivanov in Scientific American March 1990, or Colin Renfrew in Scientific American October 1989). Scripturally, this division of languages occurred at Babel, which was near Anatolia. This would imply an origin of star and constellation names prior to the Babel event which suggests that they may have been known as far back as Noah and the Flood. Linguistically, that is as far back as we can go. However, the Isaiah 40:26 statement takes us right back to the Creation and Adam.

In the mid to late 19th century, star names became fixed by astronomical convention. The name chosen for a given star was sometimes the Latin, or Hebrew, or Chaldean, or Arabic version of the original name. As a result of this process, some names have been lost. However, those who studied this topic in detail, namely Frances Rolleston, Joseph A. Seiss, and E. W. Bullinger wrote at a time when the star names in other languages were still extant. Some important information on these matters can also be found in Jamieson's Celestial Atlas of 1822 which appeared well before astronomical convention fixed the names.

Rolleston's work of 1862 comprised 221 pages of small typeface in four parts. The author died just prior to the completion of Part 4. In Part 2 there is an extensive study of star names in a variety of languages, and their primitive roots. Most give a concordant testimony. However, as noted by a number of recent commentators on the topic, modern Arabic interpretations are often discordant with the overall picture that emerges. However, Rolleston did point out the source of this problem on page 5 of Part 1. The difficulty arises because modern Arabic use of the basic roots of words gives meanings that are divergent from ancient Arabic. By reference to the ancient Arabic use of roots, corroboration of the story given by the other star names is usually obtained.

SEASONS AND CONSTELLATIONS

The time or season of the year used to be known by the constellations passing overhead or the one that the Sun was in. In Job 38:32 God said to His upright servant "Can you bring forth Mazzaroth (the 12 signs) in their season?" These 12 signs form the path that the Sun appears to take in the heavens, namely the Zodiac. The word ZODIAC comes from the Greek word ZOAD meaning "a way, a step, a circuit, a circle". In Chaldean the word has similar associated meanings. Psalm 19:6 actually uses the Hebrew equivalent of this word where it states that "(the Sun) goes from one end of heaven, and his CIRCUIT is unto the other end of it:"

There is evidence that the constellation patterns making up the Zodiac, and indeed the rest of the night sky, were formed and named by God. In Job 26:13 we find the statement "By His Spirit He has garnished and decorated the heavens; His hand has formed the FLEEING SERPENT." Note that in Hebrew poetic style the heavens and the fleeing serpent are connected. So we ask "Is there a fleeing serpent in the heavens?" The answer is YES! The constellation of HYDRA. It is a particularly apt constellation to remark upon as it is the longest constellation in the sky. It takes 7 hours to pass overhead. This comment in Job implies that the Spirit of God Himself formed and decorated the heavens with the constellation patterns, and, as shown above, He gave them their names as well. Obviously, Abraham was familiar with the constellation patterns and star names because God used the message there to instruct him. What is this message?

THE STARS CARRY A GOSPEL MESSAGE

In Romans 10, Rabbi Paul gives us some key verses to help with this. Verse 15 states "and how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written 'How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the GOSPEL OF PEACE, and bring GLAD TIDINGS of good things'." So the bringing of the GOOD NEWS, the GOSPEL OF PEACE is what Paul is talking about here in this context. In verse 18, Paul then goes on to say: "But have they (the heathen) not heard? YES! Truly they have heard! For 'their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world'." What a fascinating statement! Paul says here that the heathen have heard the Gospel of Peace, because "THEIR sound went into all the earth and THEIR words unto the ends of the world." The question is who are the "THEY" that are doing the preaching? Well, if you have a marginal reference, you find that Paul is quoting directly from Psalm 19:4 where the stars are being spoken of. Indeed, Psalm 19:3 gives the additional information that "there is no speech or language where (the stars) voice is not heard." Therefore, the "THEY" in Psalm 19 and Romans 10:18 are the stars in the heavens. As a consequence, it can only be concluded that it is the stars that are preaching the Gospel - in a particular way by their names and the arrangement of the constellation patterns.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SUN

The next point to note comes from Psalm 19:4-6. Dr. D. E. Spencer paraphrases verse 4 as "In amongst these starry witnesses, God has established a dwelling place for the Sun." The next verse goes on to describe the SUN as the Heavenly Bridegroom, who comes forth to run his race and returns to his place of origin. But in the Bible, John the baptiser speaks of Christ (Messiah) as coming down from heaven, and calls Him the "Bridegroom" (John 3:25-31). The beloved disciple John also refers to the relationship of Christ to His Church as that of a heavenly bridegroom with an earthly bride, while Rabbi Paul echoes the idea in Ephesians 5. 

It is therefore apparent from Psalm 19 and the other passages that the Sun represents Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom.

This idea is accentuated by the prophet Malachi. He calls Israel's Messiah the SUN of Righteousness who will blaze forth for the sake of His people in the Last Day (Malachi 4:2). So the Sun represents Christ, the light of the world (John 8:12), who came from heaven, ran His race on earth, and returned to Heaven. The race that the Sun runs is given by the Zodiac constellations or star patterns, so all the strong-man figures along the Zodiac represent Christ the SUN of Righteousness and the work He was to do. Note further that Psalm 19 is in two parts: In Part 1 we have the message of the stars - In Part 2 we have the message of God's word, the Bible being discussed. One is set against the other in such a way that David, who wrote this Psalm about 1000 BC, is implying that the message in the stars and the message in the Scriptures are one and the same.

THE STRONG MAN CONSTELLATION FIGURES

The story told by the strong man figures of the sky has been corrupted by Greek and Roman mythology. This was recognised by Jamieson in his Celestial Atlas published in 1822. On page 40 he states that "The Lion does not seem to have been placed among the zodiacal symbols because Hercules was fabled to have slain the Nemean Lion. It would seem, to the contrary, that Hercules, who represented the Sun, was said to have slain the Nemean Lion, because Leo was ALREADY a zodiacal sign." Notice here that this nineteenth century astronomer actually states that the Sun (the light of the world) is symbolised by the strong man Hercules. This is in agreement with the Biblical interpretation which identifies the strong man who runs his race along the path of the Sun as Jesus Christ the victor.

Another point is also pertinent. The Greeks thought of each of these "strong man" figures as being a different deity. In the Biblical interpretation they represent different works of the same person, namely Jesus Christ the Messiah. Even though it will pre-empt the discussion later, an example may be appropriate. To the Greeks, the Zodiac sign of Gemini the Twins represented Apollo and Hercules, the twin sons of Zeus, the chief deity. The Roman equivalent was Castor and Pollux which star names are retained today. It is shown later that these two pictures are of the same Lord Jesus Christ in His twin role as the Son of God and also the Son of Man.

THE ORIGIN OF MYTHOLOGY AND TRADITION:

Interestingly enough, the skeptic Volney is recorded by Rolleston as saying that "Everywhere in antiquity is the existence of the tradition of the expected conqueror of the serpent, a divine person, born of a woman, who was to come." Rolleston noted that Volney "sees this tradition reflected in the constellations, but why it should be there he does not say."(Part 1 page 19). A very similar statement is made by Depuis in L'Origine des Cultes who admits that this tradition was prevalent in all nations. Greek, Roman and other pagan mythologies have been built around this message from the stars and as a result must be considered as a perversion of the original. Nevertheless as Dr. D. E. Spencer concluded "Pagan mythology still retains sufficient of the truth for you to recognise it." (Word Key "Mazzaroth," broadcast over radio HCJB 1972).

Rolleston (Part 1 p.23) elaborates on this: "Should the tradition of the Divine yet woman-born Conqueror of the serpent, crushing His foe, but suffering from its venom, be met with among all nations, it is only what might have been anticipated among the descendants of one common father. From the Grecian Hercules, half human and half divine, subduing the hydra and dying from its poison; from the Indian incarnation of the Divinity, the virgin-born Krishna, slaying a serpent and wounded by it in the heel; to the serpent-worship of Mexico, and that of the woman-born and unfathered deity Mexitli; this image is everywhere present, pointing to one origin of the tradition and the race."

Dr. Spencer gave a further example of interest. In mythology "Zeus, the supreme deity of the Greeks reigned on Mount Olympus 'in the midst' of the twelve lesser gods of the Greeks." He then points to the pre-existent truth that has been corrupted by this mythology and makes an important observation. "Is it not more than chance that just as the blazing fire of the Sun dwells in the midst of the twelve constellations of Mazzaroth, so the blazing pillar of fire was the dwelling place of Jehovah in the midst of the twelve tribes of Israel? Furthermore, can it be mere chance that Jesus Christ, 'the Light of the world', is the One who dwelt in a tabernacle of flesh in the midst of the twelve disciples?" (The Gospel in the Stars, pp. 20, 53).

GOD'S PROMISE TO ABRAHAM

As noted at the beginning, Galatians 3:8 says that God preached the Gospel unto Abraham. It is important that we know when He did this as the stars were mentioned by God to Abraham on two distinct occasions, once in Genesis 15, then again in Genesis 22. We must not confuse these two separate incidents. Galatians 3:6 gives us the answer to this question. Rabbi Paul states that it was on the occasion when "Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness." Importantly as we search both Genesis passages, it becomes apparent that this quote comes directly from Genesis 15:6. The context was given by Genesis 15:5. Abraham was childless and had no heir. Then God "brought him forth abroad, and said, 'Look now towards heaven, and TELL the stars if you be able to list them'; and He said unto him, 'So shall your seed be'."

Several important points emerge from this interview that Abraham had with the Almighty. In the first place, the word "TELL" is the same census-taking word as used in Psalm 147:4 so the star names are in view here. The second point is vital. The Almighty made a key comment when Abraham had finished listing off the star names. He said: "So shall your seed be." Does this mean that Abraham was to have many children? We have Rabbi Paul's exegesis of the original Hebrew on this. In Galatians 3:16, Paul says: "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not, And to seeds (plural) as of many; but as of one, 'And to your seed (singular) WHICH IS CHRIST!"

Here is an amazing statement! Abraham lists the star names in sequence from constellation to constellation telling the story of the stars from their names, and God says to him "So will your seed, the Messiah, be." Here was the promise to Abraham that the Messiah would come from his lineage. Furthermore, the Gospel was obviously associated with these star names as Galatians 3:8 states that God preached the Gospel to Abraham on that occasion - a Gospel associated with the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

It is important not to confuse this incident in Abraham's life with a later one. On the second occasion in Genesis 22:17, Abraham was promised seed like "the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea shore for multitude." This is a different interview with the Lord when the Patriarch received a different promise. According to Paul in Galatians 3, it was specifically on the first occasion in Genesis 15 that Messiah was promised from Abraham's lineage and Abraham believed God. Finally note that God preached the Gospel of Christ to Abraham by this method, and by faith Abraham accepted the message. The stars must therefore be preaching the same message in every language around the world, because Psalm 19 states that there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SPHINX

Well, if there is a message in the stars, where does the story begin since the Zodiac is a circle. An important clue is obtained from the Sphinx in Egypt. The word SPHINX comes from the Greek word SPHIGGO which means to "bind closely together". The significance of this meaning becomes apparent when ancient Egyptian Zodiacs are inspected. In those zodiacs such as one in the tombs of the kings at Karnak, the sphinx curiously linked the 12 signs together. Its woman-like face gazed upon the sign of Virgo, while its lion-like body and tail pointed to Leo. Dr Spencer notes that several other places in the Near East have similar inscriptions. Dr Spencer writes: "The sphinx is the key symbol which shows where the story in the stars begins and ends. It begins with Virgo the Virgin, and the first coming of Jesus Christ as Saviour; and closes with Leo the Lion, marking the Return of Messiah as the Lord of Glory. It begins with the story of His coming in humility and seeming defeat, and climaxes with the story of His coming again in power and overwhelming victory."

A PERSONAL TESTIMONY

Dr Spencer had a reason to be sure of that. On his radio study "Mazzaroth", he stated that on one occasion in the late 1960's he preached in Los Angeles at the Church of the Open Door on Romans 10:18 and concluded that all men had heard the Gospel in one way or another. After the service was over a very old woman introduced herself to him. She had been a missionary in Japan in her youth. She said to Dr Spencer: "I was sent far up into the hills to teach a class of women who had never seen a Christian of any kind. They had never heard the Gospel. They had never heard the name of Jesus from the lips of anyone. It was before the days of radio and television, and few of them could even read. They were totally without the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ as far as I knew. Yet when I had finished telling them the beautiful story of the Redeemer, whose shed blood had paid the price for their sins, an old crone stood to her feet and said 'Missy! That is the same story that I have been telling my village for years, but this is the first time we have ever heard the Redeemer's name.' Upon careful inquiry, I discovered that she had been repeating the names of the stars along the path of the Sun from the ancient Japanese charts of the Zodiac. These, she said, told exactly the same story that I had shared with them concerning the Lord Jesus Christ." This missionary then went on to tell Dr. Spencer that the Gospel message is even hidden cryptically in the characters of the Oriental alphabets. For example, the Chinese word for "COME" consists of a figure on a large central cross with a smaller cross on either side, while the word for "RIGHTEOUSNESS" consists of a slain lamb over the pronoun "I."

With that introduction, we are now prepared to examine briefly the 12 signs of the Zodiac to see what the Story says in its essence. Let us take note of the clue given by the Sphinx and begin with the constellation Virgo.