11 Apostles died for Jesus

   Christmas Eve, in 2008 I think it was, I sat in the small church where I was a member at the time amidst people who were my church family, along with people I had not seen in awhile as well as people who were there at the church for the first time.  The sermon was early in the service, and Reverend Scott Anderson stood before us and spoke.  He proposed some related questions: Why do I believe this Christmas story?  Why do I believe in Jesus?  Why do I believe what the Bible teaches?

   Pastor Scott Anderson said there are three reasons he believes the Bible is true.  First, he believes the witnesses of the Apostles recorded in the Bible.  Second, he believes the witnesses of Christians for the past 2000 years.  Thirdly, he believes the witnesses of a number of Christians he knows now.  In a soft spoken manner, he elaborated on these three clear points.  I thought it was the best Christmas sermon I have ever heard.

   One witness I would add is the witness of the Holy Spirit to the truth of Jesus.  The Bible teaches all of those people needed to rely on the Holy Spirit to be a witness.  And on a personal level, no one besides God knows how much Jesus has done in an individuals heart beside that individual, and hopefully he or she will recognize it as the work of the Holy Spirit.

   Jesus only ministered in this world for three years, an extremely short time in the scope of world history.  Yet He promised the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, would come after Him.  Jesus stated: “All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Advocate, 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 14:25-26 NIV).  The hope of all followers of Jesus rested on this promise, because only by the Holy Spirit could Jesus be followed in the wake of His return to heaven.  Otherwise the early believers in Jesus would have been trying to follow on their own strength the One who would have otherwise left them.  And besides that, since God loves people, He wants to be with people, for more than a three year stint.  If Jesus did not send the Holy Spirit, people would still not be united with God.  Yet thanks to Jesus atonement on the Cross, and the offering of the Holy Spirit, people can be united with God.

   A person receives the Holy Spirit if he or she believes in Jesus because Jesus atoned for sins on the cross, thus He is able to cleanse a person who is not Holy.  Thus a believer is “justified,” and the Holy Spirit can indwell in his or her heart.  And a person with the Holy Spirit in his or her heart can rely on Him to be illuminated by the witnesses Pastor Scott Anderson talked about.

   Having considered some classic Christian books in recent weeks, I was thinking about More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell.  Only the second Christian book I read, I read it on the Washington D.C. subway travelling to and from work back around 1992.  The book helped me, a young Christian, at that delicate beginning stage of my journey following Jesus.  The chapter which most impacted me was where he talked about how 11 of the 12 Apostles died for Jesus.  Mr. McDowell argued that eleven men would not all die for a lie.  I thought the historical evidence he gave was the best support for the legitimacy of the apostle’s witness.  As a person who did not receive Jesus until I was 22, and who had learned about many other subjects at Virginia Tech, this application of history and logic was convincing to me.

   Dr. Craig Blomberg, distinguished New Testament scholar who has taught at Denver Seminary for coming on 30 years, spoke at my church Bethel Grove Bible Church last weekend for a special seminar.  Dr. Blomberg talked about how he turned to Jesus when he was age fifteen, and how the premise of Josh McDowell’s book was a key for his growing faith.  McDowell gave the argument that the teaching and claims of Jesus were such that He was either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord.  Yet the time came when a person challenged Dr. Blomberg on a different issue.  The person claimed the Bible was not historically accurate, so rather than Jesus being a liar, a lunatic, or Lord, Jesus was no more than a fictional character, and the Bible was a fantasy.  Thus there was another consideration to add to McDowell’s list: that Jesus could have been a “legend.”  Dr. Blomberg in faith began a search to learn of the historical accuracy of the Scriptures.  The result was his discovery of support galore for the accuracy of the Bible.  One of his talks this past Saturday, my favorite, examined the issue of whether the Bible transcripts have been corrupted.  His scholarship is extensive.

   Yet after a weekend of much scholarly engagement, Dr. Blomberg, who was also the guest preacher for the Sunday services, closed the sermon saying the Holy Spirit was necessary to produce a historically accurate witness, and the Holy Spirit is necessary for our faith today.  Then my question is; why?  Ultimately the Bible is a witness to God, and we imperfect people need the perfect Holy Spirit to be involved in all facets of the process as we learn about Jesus, our Savior and Lord.

   Though 22 years ago, I still remember the ending of that book where Mr. McDowell talked about how he was quite the popular guy on his college campus, but that on the inside he was suffering, struggling to make it to each weekend.  After he turned to Jesus, his life was radically changed.  The ending of the book went from ancient history to the history of one human being right there in the 20^th century, one human being who is totally loved by God, and who was blessed by receiving Jesus.

   Reading that book 22 years ago sitting on the D.C. subway, I had no idea that one day I would spend much time over the period of years doing my own research, as a believer, to learn more and more about the historical accuracy of the Bible.  This happened in two ways.  First and foremost, I studied the Bible by faith that it is historically accurate.  And wow, my conviction of its historical accuracy went out the roof.  Second, I have read many secondary sources which support the Biblical witness.  For example, after learning from Mr. McDowell that 11 apostles of Jesus were martyred, I will be presenting a series of pieces on the Twelve Apostles.

   “Church” history is full of sinful stuff including fights for power and money.  Yet an extensive look reveals a history full of the mercy and grace of Jesus in the lives of those who followed Him.  And Jesus invites you to join His adventure, even today.

   That leads to my final point.  You and I can experience the truth of Jesus!

   I have read, and I continue to read, the Bible witnesses.

   I have read some witnesses from history.

   I have heard witnesses in my own day and age.

   I have received the Spirit of Christ in my heart.

   AND, I have witnessed Jesus working in my life!

      I have lived a journey with Jesus!!!

   Jesus Christ died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone.  Jesus was the substitute for the consequences of sins, which is spiritual death.  If you believe in Jesus, you will have eternal life in heaven with the Lord God Almighty, who loves you with all of His heart.

Hunter Irvine

God Himself will provide the lamb

   For a seemingly short yet memorable time I taught Bible and World History in Appalachia.  I avoided showing videos except on rare occasions, because I wanted to enhance student reading.  My common longtime practice is to have students read out loud in Sunday school, only on a volunteer basis.  When I was teaching in the rural school, it was not voluntary.  Be it in Appalachia or in a big city, I think it is enriching for students to read.  And reading in front of peers increases confidence in public reading ability.  I have had students who thought they could not do it, usually because they were degraded by someone in the past when doing so, learn they can do it, and even do it well.  Also, other students are more likely to listen to their peers read, thus the students who would fail to read material at home had the opportunity to listen to the material.  Yet these teenage students in Appalachia, like so many other places in the U.S., grew up submersed in videos, so they always were happy on the rare occasion when I showed a video.  The school had an extensive quality Biblical video collection, and I would be less stingy on videos if I had it to do over, because sometimes the students needed more breaks after going so strong in my class.

   So recently I was watching two old “Bible based” movies for my own interest and also as possible Sunday school teaching tools in the future.  Turns out I will not be using them.  I am not going to become a movie critic here, so I will not get into specifics.  I will say the two movies had some good acting and engaging scenes.  Yet in my opinion there were problems.  There happened to be common problems, such as the one was rated “G,” yet there was some nudity I thought was purposely provocative.  Yes I know that most people think I am a prude.  At least I am a cheery prude.

   The key problem I had with the movies was the fact they all veered away from Biblical dialogue.  From changing a word here and there, to totally leaving out verses or passages, to adding dialogue not in the Bible, the scripts, more in some places than others, started to take on a life of its own rather than capturing the historical accuracy of the Scripture.  “Artistic license” is a delicate practice when it comes to portraying God’s revelations in Scripture.

   This leads me to one point I want to make.  The story of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac always stirs my soul.  Knowing now the event foreshadowed the sacrifice by the Son of God, the story is so fitting.  Yet at that time for Abraham, the command to him could be nothing less that agonizing, which was captured in one movie.  How could God ask such a thing?  God speaks of humans sacrificing humans as evil in other Scripture.  His command to Abraham seems contradictory.  And what about Isaac?  I think it would be child abuse to put a child through such a psychological ordeal, even if he was not killed.  Was God not thinking of the trauma it would cause Isaac?  I saw such trauma dramatized in one movie, which provoked this thought in the first place.

   Though God had asked the unthinkable from Abraham, His intention was not abuse.  I believe God knew Abraham would be faithful.

   Now Isaac caught on that something was amiss:

   Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

   “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

   “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7 NIV).

   For several years, I babysat two great kids every Thursday.  And what do kids do?  They ask questions, lots of questions.  I would always answer the kids, even if I had to put some answers on a kid’s level, because question asking is a crucial part of the learning process for kids.  So that is why Isaac’s question is hard hitting for me.  It is a standard question for a kid, yet the answer could be one which would permanently damage his heart.  This is why I think God knew Abraham would stand in his faith in God.  Abraham had made mistakes, but God had remained faithful to him, and Abraham’s faith matured to epic proportion.  I add we have an extensive explanation of Abraham’s faith from the author of Hebrews.  “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death” (Hebrews 11:19 NIV).  Yet in focusing on the story itself in Genesis, the key statement in response to Isaac’s question, which rings out with joy even over four thousand years later, is one which cannot be omitted.

   Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”  And the two of them went on together (Genesis 22:8 NIV).

   This statement is a pinnacle verse, because it shows the faith of Abraham, and it shows the faith of Abraham was enough to console the child, so there was not trauma for the kid who trusted his dad.  And the child likewise had faith.  Isaac went on the altar, maybe a little nervous, I would be anyway, but not in despair.  Abraham said God would provide a lamb.  And God did.

   Jumping ahead to verse 13: “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns.  He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son” (Genesis 22:13 NIV).

   Come this spring, I will have been following Jesus for twenty-five years.  Living by faith in our God who is Spirit has never been an easy path for me.  Yet having faith in Jesus results in goodness which consistently has brought fruit in and from my life, and the blessings even exceed my comprehension.

   Scripture clearly records how the apostle Thomas was someone who witnessed Jesus accomplish many miracles, and yet who was cynical.  At that time, Thomas would have probably brought sourness to the fellowship hall for the doughnut time.  But I have always felt bad that almost two thousand years later he still gets “doubting” attached to his name.  I try not to do that.  An apostle who did ministry work in India, and who was a martyr for Christ, he is not doubting now in heaven.  So I close with the statement of Jesus after He allowed Thomas to put his hand on Him.

John 20:29 – Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me you have believed.  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (NIV).  If you believe in Jesus, you are blessed!

Hunter Irvine

Jesus knocking at the door

   Students love scavenger hunts.  In my youth ministry work over the years at various times in various capacities, my passion has always been teaching.  Teaching for me is fun!  Yet I have always shared an appreciation that teenagers love doing fun doing activities, and I have provided many fun activities for them.  One activity I prepared was clue hunts in churches.  Students are given a sheet of paper with a clue for another location, and when they find that location, there is another clue written on a sheet of paper there.  Students like running around their church poking into places which have been off limits ever since they were toddlers, such as the church office and the janitor’s closet.  It was places like this where I hid a trail of clues.  The final clue would lead to a spot where there was a reward like chocolate.

   The last time I ever did this, the final clue purposely led to an object for a teaching.  Up in the balcony of the church, where I only saw people once in the entire year I worshiped at that church, were two paintings.  I am not positive, but I think Warner Sallman was the artist for both, and if that was the case, one would be from 1946 and the other from 1953.  The painting on the one side was of Jesus holding a lamb in the midst of some sheep.  In the other painting, Jesus is portrayed simply knocking on a door.

   My message for the students standing by the door painting was based on what I learned in the winter of 1998 from the Reverend Dr. John Stott in his classic book Basic Christianity.  Dr. Stott gave an illustration of a 1853 painting whose artist was [William] Holman Hunt which was apparently the original painting of Christ knocking on a door, a model for a number of similar paintings which would follow, such as Sallman’s.  One significant detail common for both Hunt’s and Sallman’s painting was that in both, a door knob is absent.  Regarding Hunt’s painting, Dr. Stott states: “There is neither handle nor latch on the door in Holman Hunt’s picture.  It is said that he omitted them deliberately, to show that the handle was on the inside.  Christ knocks; but we must open.”(1)  Dr. Stott describes how God, who created everything, could get into the house: “He could command us to open to him; instead, he merely invites us to do so.  He will not force an entry into anybody’s life.”(2)  Indeed an invitation is the nature of true love.  It is not something forced, rather it is offered, and the person gets to decide whether or not he or she will receive.

   Dr. Stott used this painting to illustrate the offer of salvation for people.  “Christ came into the world and died for your sins.  He has now come and stood outside the front door of the house of your life, and he is knocking.  The next move is yours.  His hand is already on the knocker; your hand must now feel for the latch.”(3)

   In all fairness to John Stott, I add that in his later years on earth, long after this classic book was published in 1958, John Stott shifted from basic “reformed” principles that most Protestants would agree with, such as that Jesus was the penal substitute, to more disputed reformation doctrines, such as suggesting God regenerates a person before a person makes a choice.  On the flip side, even though John Stott always practiced infant baptism, he always insisted that was not the occasion of regeneration, which is counter to Reformed theology.  This is shown in his eclectic theology book, Evangelical Truth from 1999, which has some doctrines which are strongly “reformed” alongside other doctrines fitting the theology of Karl Barth, or which are quite unique.  Yet even in that book, regarding gaining the kingdom of heaven, Dr. Stott stated: “It could only be ‘received,’ as a little child receives a gift, freely and gratefully…”(4)  And going back to his teaching in Basic Christianity, Dr. Stott stated, “…you can have been baptized and confirmed…and still not have opened the door to Christ.”(5)  And he boldly states in chapter ten what is truly the theme of chapter ten: “Nor can anybody else settle the matter for us.  We must decide for ourselves.”(6)

   I close by giving a statement from Dr. Stott: “A boy in his later teens knelt at his bedside one Sunday night in the dormitory of his school.  In a simple, matter-of-fact but definite way he told Christ that he had made rather a mess of life so far; he confessed his sins; he thanked Christ for dying for him; and he asked him to come into his life.”(7)  The boy here is a self-description by John Stott.  That night he received Jesus into his heart, and after doing so, gave Jesus complete control of his life.  The result was a ministry which had a worldwide impact in the 20th century.  Revelations 3:20 is the verse associated with the paintings: “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me” (NRSV).  This invitation is actually the offer for an eternity.

   If you have never opened your heart to Jesus, may you know that Jesus is knocking, and He is the Lamb of God, the Sacrifice who made it possible for you, whoever you are, to be united with God.

Hunter Irvine

1) John Stott, Basic Christianity (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press,
 1958), 126.

2) Ibid., 124.

3) Ibid., 127.

4) John Stott, Evangelical Truth:
 A Personal Plea for Unity, Integrity, and Faithfulness
 (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 124.

5) John Stott, Basic Christianity (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press,
 1958), 127.

6) Ibid., 121.

7) Ibid., 128.

For those who read my blog: Thank you!!

   Thanks to each and every one of you who reads my blog!  I give my all when writing for this blog and it means the world to me when people are blessed by my writing.  Thank you to everyone at "Blogger" who make it possible for me to have this blog.  And this year I added the incredible "Google Translate" to my blog, so people who speak various languages other than English are able to read my work.  I thank the people at "Google" for providing this service!  I am excited to see when people from countries far away from my own are reading my blog.  Jesus loves all people in every country and of every ethnic group.  And a follower of Jesus is called to witness Jesus in whatever country he or she is in.  In some countries this is extremely challenging, or even dangerous, and requires God's guidance and encouragement.  First and foremost when living as a witness, be yourself, using the gifts God has given to you, all in a reliance in your heart on Him.

  God bless you,

  love in Jesus,

  Hunter

Magi

Matthew 2:1-2     After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” (NIV).

Matthew 2:9-12     After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route (NIV).

   This year, the United States Postal Service issued a Christmas stamp called “Magi.”  A silhouette of three men on camels, the style is similar to the 2012 Christmas stamp which had a silhouette of Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus.  I like the stamp!

  Who were the Magi?  “Magi” are only mentioned in one passage in the entire Bible, which is Matthew 2:1-16.  That passage also tells about King Herod, the reason I did not quote the entire passage since Herod’s story is a whole other historical examination.

   Scripture informs us that first, Magi came from one country (Matthew 2:12).  That country is not named, yet it was in the “east” (Matthew 2:1).  Secondly, they saw his “star” (Matthew 2:1).  Thirdly, their purpose in traveling to Jerusalem was to worship Him (Matthew 2:1).  And they did worship the baby Jesus (Matthew 12:11).  They were able to carry out their purpose!  Lastly I add they gave the baby gifts, as many are familiar with, since it is a staple of the Christmas story and the famous song “We Three Kings.”  Many children even know what the three gifts were.  I add the Bible does not say how many Magi there were, and I suspect it was probably a small crew since they traveled such a distance.  And were they really kings or wise men?

   “Magi” comes from the Greek word “magos,” and in the NIV is translated as such only in this passage.  And for this passage, many other reputable Bible translations use “wise men.”  Vine gives one definition of magos as: “denotes a Magian, one of a sacred caste, originally Median, who apparently conformed to the Persian religion while retaining their old beliefs;…" (1)  Yet he adds magos under sorcerer: "one of a Median caste, a magician…," (2) and also says the word is used in the Greek in Acts 13:6 and 8 to denote sorcerer.  So according to Vine, Magi as traditionally translated in this passage is tied to a people, and the name of the people has roots in sorcery.  So who were these people?

   From a rock cut “Behistan” monument carved on a cliff near Ecbatana, scholars have some public statements of Darius, King of Persia from 521 to 486 B.C.  For a seven month period before him, there was a Median ruler which King Darius discusses.  Yet not only was this short lived ruler a Mede, he was of the Magi tribe!  King Darius states he was a “Magian,” and even states his name was Gaumata. (3)  Darius tells of how the Magian was an imposter who snookered the throne by claiming he was Smerdis.  Darius admits he was involved in killing the Magian.  I add that Darius goes on to tell about a Babylonian revolt.

   Herodotus talks about Magi.  Likewise Herodotus states two Magi brothers snookered the throne by proclaiming the identity of the second brother as Smerdis, son of Cyrus and brother of Cambyses.  Herodotus calls the Magi who declared himself king as the “Magus.”  The reign lasted only seven months.

   Previous to the time of King Darius, Herodotus gives information throughout his history about the Magi, such as that they were one of the people groups brought under the rule of Deioces, king of Media, along with Busae, Parataceni, Struchates, Ariaznti. and Budii. (4)  Then Herodotus tells of the Magi serving as dream interpreters for King Astyages: "Astyages now turned his attention to Cyrus, and summoning the Magi, who had previously interpreted his dream, asked them again what they judged its meaning to be." (5)  So the Magi, in serving King Astyages, were involved in a similar duty as the “magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers” in Daniel 2:2 in the Babylonian Empire around the same time period.

   By now, the Christmas story seems to have officially gone down a wrong path.  As someone who grew up watching shows such as The Little Drummer Boy every December, these Magi, at least there in the fifth century, do not seem like a bunch of noble kings, rather they seemed like a vagabond tribe of Medes.  Yet I think that is the point of the Magi in the Christmas story, even if they did become more noble by the time of the birth of Christ.  I think the point is that Jesus was not presented a fitting and prophetic gift of gold, frankincense, and myrrh from people with a stellar ethnic heritage, a grand kingdom, or, even a righteous relationship with the living God.  Jesus was presented a gift by some eastern Gentiles who were seeking and who were open to what God was doing in this messed up world at that time.

   The lives of Persians and Medes were merged with the lives of Jewish people ever since King Cyrus conquered Babylon, (re-conquered it after it slipped back to self-rule after Astyages’ death I am convinced) (6) where Jewish people were living in exile there in 536 B.C.  The book of Esther shows the extent of Jewish and Persian interaction even many years after Jewish people were permitted to return to Judea by Cyrus.  Many Jewish people did return to Judea, but a number stayed in Persia.  Herodotus seems to neglect this history I add!  And though later on Persia was conquered by Greece, and then that region came under Roman rule, maybe through it all a number of Jewish people in Babylon and scattered amidst many other foreign countries who retained their hope of the Messiah who was to come had shared that hope with Persians and Medes.

   Thus even some of Persian and Median ethnicity were expecting “the king of the Jews.”  These Magi saw the star in the sky, and they knew He had been born since the general time of the arrival of the Messiah was prophesied in Daniel 9:25, and thus known by Jewish people.  The time period prophesied was indeed the time period of Jesus’ birth.  Along with all the prophecy to the Jewish people, God miraculously provided a star to lead, to lead those who were seeking this birth.

   This Christmas story is a prelude of how the Messiah came not only to save the Jewish people, but also the Gentiles, people of all ethnic groups.  God’s purpose for the Messiah was to die on a cross as the substitutional atonement for the sins of all people of all ethnic groups; the human race.  Thus any human being can be saved by the Christ, which is the Greek for the same phrase as the Hebrew word Messiah: both mean Anointed One.  Whatever your ethnic group, whatever you country of citizenship, you will be saved from spiritual death if you believe in Jesus.

Hunter Irvine

---

(1) W.E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Original Greek Words with their Precise Meanings for English Readers (McLean, Virginia: MacDonald Publishing Company, [no date]), 1245.
(2) W.E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words:A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Original Greek Words with their Precise Meanings for English Readers (McLean, Virginia: MacDonald Publishing Company, [no date]), 1074.
(3) William C. McDermott and Wallace E. Caldwell, Readings in the History of the Ancient World (New York: Rinehart and Company, Inc., 1951), 59.
(4) Herodotus, The Histories, trans. Aubrey De Selincourt (New York: Penguin Books, 1954), 48.

(5) Herodotus, The Histories, trans. Aubrey De Selincourt (New York: Penguin Books, 1954), 56.

(6) I offer my thesis that King Astyages is Darius the Mede in the blog post on November 12th of 2012.

Ocean City reverence

   Stepping into the sand of the beach of Ocean City, Maryland, is a special childhood memory.  Hearing the waves pound against the shore thrilled my senses.  Going into that salt water, and jumping over waves was fun.

   My family rarely went on vacation.  The one exception was an annual trip to the same beach every summer for about three days.  We would spend all day at the beach, jumping waves or resting under the big beach umbrella my mom would always rent.  Sometimes we would rent canvas rafts which were so popular in the 1970’s, and ride a nice size wave all the way to the shore.  Sometimes a wave would wipe me out.  This skinny boy would go right back at it facing those waves.  Lunch usually involved a short walk to a boardwalk take-out grill which made the best cheese sandwiches and the best French fries in the world.

   Sometimes, we would still be at the beach into the late afternoon, even after most people had left.  Eventually we would head to the studio beach house where we always stayed.  I felt extra fresh after showering, with all the saltwater and sand washed off.  I would feel tired yet invigorated after a day of swimming.  We would have dinner.  Then we would walk down the boardwalk a few dozen blocks to the amusement park.  We would always do a few rides, and play a few carnival games.  When young, I once won a game where I popped several balloons by throwing darts.  I was proud of myself.  The night at the amusement park was always fun.

   Ocean City was a cherished tradition for me.  I loved the beach.  I liked the boardwalk excitement.  And it was rare family time.

   Here many decades later, there is one aspect of the tradition which I cherish more than any other.  On the boardwalk, only a short distance to the north of the amusement park, there was a man who did sand sculptures.  The owners of an old boardwalk hotel gave him access to a hose and an electric chord, providing him with free water and electricity.  He would spend all day there on the beach, twenty yards or less away from the boardwalk, sculpting sand.  Wetting it down with the hose, he would work with the sand, creating with his artistic gift.  The sculptures he created were scenes from the Bible.  Often it was a scene of the “Last Supper.”  Sometimes the sculptor was of Jesus on the cross.

   The result: On summer nights the boardwalk was filled with people strolling north and south.  Yet at that spot, the noisy boardwalk was usually extra quiet.  Many people would walk by, yet they would lower their voice or remain quiet.  A number of people would stop and admire.  Before us was his sculpture of the day, with two or so portable lights shining on it.  There in a sea of sand, with the backdrop of the dark ocean there at night, was beautiful art depicting a scene from the Bible.  Being art with a message, below each sculpture was even a statement, such as, “This is my body, given for you.”

   Sometimes compliments were quietly stated.  I remember once a man with a long beard who was wearing cut-off jeans, walked over to the artist’s glass jar and put some money in.  That one spot in Ocean City, night after night, was a rare place of reverence.

   As a boy, and then as a teenager as the years continued, I always enjoyed seeing the sculptures of Jesus.  It was a serious moment for me to admire the art, yet also serious moment for me to consider the passion which the artist had for Jesus.

   There in my youth, I was not a Christian.  I had never even heard the complete Gospel of Jesus.  Now I did not learn much from the sculptures.  Yet summer after summer I realized that there was an artist who was so passionate about Jesus that he would spend day after day working to create the sand sculptures centered on Him.  His work was a unique witness to me about that man named Jesus.

   I add to this piece giving some history I learned in this fall of 2014 from the Internet: Mark Altamare started sand sculpting biblical scenes in Ocean City, Maryland, in 1968!  It was his blessed art I saw in my early youth.  Upon retiring from his ministry in 1981, Randy Hofman, an oil painter and a friend of Mark’s, agreed to carry on with the sand sculpting ministry.  Randy devoted himself to the ministry starting there in 1981, and has continued it to this very day!  Thanks to such an unselfish work commitment by both, this ministry has flourished for 46 years.

   Lastly I add here as I do some editing at a later date, that as of the fall of 2014, I had not seen the sculptures since the late 1980’s.  Yet there in the fall of 2014, I was filled with thankfulness for the ministry dedication of Mark Altamare and Randy Hofman for all 46 of those years.

Hunter Irvine

Scripture Love Blog

(Photo copyright randyhofman.com.  Used by permission.)

THANK YOU RANDY!

What should be the objective of Biblical interpretation?

   A quote by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones regarding the intention of Biblical interpretation: 

“…I do feel constantly the need to warn myself and everybody else against becoming so immersed in the mechanics of Scripture that we miss its message.  While we should be concerned about the harmony of the Gospels and similar problems, God forbid, I say, that we should regard the four Gospels as some kind of intellectual puzzle.  The Gospels are not here for us to try to draw out our perfect schemes and classifications; they are here for us to read in order that we may apply them, that we may live them and practice them.” (1)

(1) D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1959), 21.