Daily Archives: March 15, 2023

God Uses Both Men And Women

Last week we studied about Ehud, the left handed Judge who saved Israel from the fat king of Moab. We also talked about Shamgar, a man who’s name meant “sword”, but who had no sword. Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad, what is a hardened pointy stick. The similarity between Ehud and Shamgar is that both Judges lived at the same time, and both killed the enemy with something pointy and sharp. The Book of Judges has been known as a bloody book, for it shows in graphic detail the horrifying effects of sin. One commentary notes:

“Altogether, roughly a quarter of a million people perish in Judges!”

Both Shamgar and Ehud were Judges at the same time. Shamgar’s death is not mentioned in Scripture, but as Ehud dies, Israel returns to their apostasy.

Judges 4:2-3 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

Israel began to worship the fertility gods of Canaan, and to move into sexual sin. Since they chose to walk away from God the Lord “gave them over” to what they wanted. The same language is used in the New Testament to describe how idolatry leads into destructive sexual sin. The Scripture says:… Continue reading

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Why Did Jesus Come?

1 John 3:4-6 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

The world has always demanded that Christians do what it says. This has never changed. Sometimes the world creeps into the Church. When the world infiltrates the Church, it twists what believers should do.

You’ve probably never heard of Thomas von Imbroek. Thomas was a Christian who believed in his Bible. The “Established Church” at that time was the Catholic Church. Backed by the German state, the Catholic Church began what they called “The Inquisition”, a religious court that examined and executed those they deemed “heretics”. Thomas was considered a “heretic” What was his crime? He refused to have his young infant children baptized. Thomas rightly believed that only believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should be baptized, and he cited Scripture as his proof texts. Catholics teach that water baptism is a SACRAMENT that frees a person (even an infant) from original sin, and brings the child into the Catholic Church to be saved. Catholics equate water baptism to the Old Testament practice of circumcision. The Catholic Catechism states, “1250. … The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth”.

Though there is no instance in Scripture that infants were ever baptized in water, Thomas was brought before the Inquisition. Thomas was tortured for days, and pressured to have his children baptized. While imprisoned, his wife wrote him letters, encouraging him to stand firm in his faith. Thomas replied, “the Lord refreshes the afflicted souls that thirst for Him. He is a shadow from the heat of the sun. Tell the brethren to take care of the novices (young believers) and to pray earnestly for me. I will also pray for them, as much as is in my power. Remember my bonds. The Lord be with your spirit. Amen.” Thomas told his persecutors, … Continue reading

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