Why Did Jesus Come?

Posted on March 15, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Noe De Angelis : https://www.pexels.com/photo/wave-on-sea-coast-at-sunset-15784095/

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,

““I am willing and ready, both to live or to die. I do not care what happens to me. God will not let me down. I am comforted and in good spirits while yet on the earth. God gives me friendly assurance, and my heart is encouraged through my brothers. Sword, water, fire…cannot frighten me…All the persecution in this world shall not be able to separate me from God.”

At just 25 years old Thomas was sent to the execution for the crime of being “Anabaptist”. His head was chopped off on March 5, 1558 – about 465 years ago.

Thank God that we have religious freedom in America. However, if we as Christians don’t stand up for the Lord, and stand up for righteousness, we will lose our freedoms. A virulent form of religion has taken over in America – and we as believers need to stand up against it. This secularized religion called “Humanism” has taken over state governments. Recently Governor Gavin Newsom has canceled the renewal of Walgreens Contract because Walgreens will not dispense the abortion medication Mifepristone in 21 states that restrict its use. Humanism in California believes that women should be allowed to abort the child within them – period.

Another Governor Ron DeSantis is battling Humanism in Florida. The Governor said “In Florida, pornographic and inappropriate materials that have been snuck into our classrooms and libraries to sexualize our students violate our state education standards. Florida is the education state and that means providing students with a quality education free from sexualization and harmful materials that are not age appropriate”. Some material that was found in school libraries was so pornographic, that it was not even allowed on television. Of the 175 books removed from libraries across the state, “153 (87%) were clearly pornographic, violent, or inappropriate for their grade level”.

Humanism is the great secular religion in America today. And Christians, we need to lovingly call out the heresy – and stand with our God!

Sin Is The Transgression Of The Law

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

What is “SIN” and what does God think about “SIN”? To put it in Southern terms,

God is agin sin! He ain’t fer it!

God hates sin so much that He has LAWS against it. When Israel went into the Promised Land God told them:

Deuteronomy 12:31 (ESV) You shall NOT WORSHIP the Lord your God as {the Canaanites do}, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for THEY EVEN BURN THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN THE FIRE TO THEIR GODS …

God hates sin because sin always leads to DEATH. Sincere and well meaning people ignore the Word of God in order to pursue Humanism. Yet in the end result, they BURN THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN THE FIRE. Some children are never born, forcibly aborted through chemical burning or drug induced horrors. Some children are raised without the love of father AND mother. A little girl told me the other day “Mama has a new boyfriend”. Years ago a little girl I know was raped by one of her mother’s special friends. Sin is a horror!

Sin is contrary to the nature of God. Humanism and Christianity are absolutely NOT compatible. God is HOLY (Isaiah 6:3). All three Members of the Godhead are holy. The Bible tells us that (1 John 1:5) “God is LIGHT; in Him there is NO DARKNESS at all”. The Bible speaks of those who …

Proverbs 30:12 (NIV) … are PURE IN THEIR OWN EYES, and yet are NOT CLEANED OF THEIR FILTH (see also Ezekiel 24:13)

The stepbrother of Jesus warned the Children of God to (James 1:21, ESV)

“Put away ALL FILTHINESS and RAMPANT WICKEDNESS and receive with meekness the IMPLANTED WORD (of God), which is able to save your souls …

Sin is a killer. It kills children, it kills families, and it kills YOU. Sin is subtle. The Pharisees rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior because Humanism told them they were good enough. Jesus told them:

Matthew 23:27 (ESV) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

What a horrible statement that is! God looks at the heart of a person. Are you loving HIM, or are you loving YOURSELF? Humanism promotes love of self regardless as to what God’s Word says.

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Word Study: Sin is something you have to “commit”, the Greek poieō which means “to do, to act out, to produce or cause”. It starts in the heart. Jesus said,

Matthew 5:28 (ESV) … I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

This is why Humanism is pushing pornography among our schoolchildren. If you can get a child to look at a woman or a man with “lustful intent”, this is the seed planted that will bring about the violation of the Law called “adultery”. What is it Jesus said?

Mark 7:20-23 (ESV) … What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

Why are there school shootings? Is it the guns? No, the source goes back to the heart. The child raised on violent television shows, bloody movies, vicious killer video games, that child begins to devalue life.

Humanism elevates self love and minimizes respect for others. Humanism shouts down the Law of God and the Laws of Nature.

Sin Is Transgression Of The Law.
What Is Sin’s Solution?

1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Why did God send His Son Jesus to this world? John tells us that Jesus was “manifested” to “take away our sins”. Let’s look at “manifested”, the Greek phaneroō which means “to make visible, to become known”. The Bible tells us that “God was MANIFEST in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16) in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus was “MANIFEST as our Savior” (2 Timothy 1:10). Jesus Christ came to be our Savior. Does the text say that …

This is what some would have us believe. Some say that they can be a practicing _____ (you fill in the blank) and be a Christian. The Bible doesn’t say that. You cannot be comfortable with what God calls sin – the transgression of the Law – and be saved. The Scripture is quite clear:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV) Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Jesus Christ was MANIFEST not to enable sin, but to eradicate it. Jesus Christ died for our sins so that He can FREE us from our sins, and bring us into a right relationship with God.

2 Corinthians 5:19-21 (ESV) …. in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

When a person comes to Christ, calling on Him as both Lord and Savior, God enters that person’s life. God made Jesus Christ to be SIN on our behalf, so that we might “become the righteousness of God”.

Jesus did not come to this earth to ERASE or ERADICATE the Law – but to “FULFILL IT”
(Matthew 5:17-20)

As “the Lamb of God” Jesus took the penalty for our failures before God (John 1:29). As the “Good Shepherd” Jesus daily walks with His people, guiding them away from sin and into a right relationship with God (John 10:11-14). The Scripture says:

1 Peter 2:24-25 (ESV) {Jesus} himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

No Christian is saved to follow Humanism’s god. We are saved FROM sin to follow Jesus. We are saved FROM death to follow life. We are saved FROM darkness to follow God’s light.

1 John 3:6-7 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

The proof of your salvation is in the life you live. If you live following Humanism, making light of sin, then Beloved you have neither “seen him, neither known him”. Your faith is a pretense! You who are Christians indeed are called to “do righteousness”. Now what does that mean? Are you to “do righteousness” as I or someone like me defines it? No! You are to “do righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous”. You are called to imitate Christ. You are called to DO as Jesus said.

The world will call on you to compromise, to go along to get along. But God tells us:

1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Those who lightly sin are not of Christ, but of the Devil. The Scripture commands us to “be IMITATORS OF GOD, as Beloved Children” (Ephesians 5:1). We are to be “IMITATORS OF THOSE who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:12). Our Lord Jesus “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

Jesus Christ came to destroy the works
of the devil – not to enable them.

The Pharisees were religious, but not saved. The Romans were militant, but not saved. What saves a person? The Holy Spirit of God. You must hear the Gospel of salvation. You must hear that Jesus Christ came to give Himself for your sins. You must hear that sin is no trifle, but a horrible thing that enslaves, keeping you from the life of God through Christ.

But God so loved YOU, that He gave His Only Begotten Son for YOU. If you receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God will literally change your life!

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Those who are “born of God” have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God within them. Those people will not long live in sin. God despises sin! Other versions render verse 9 as:

1 John 3:9 (ESV) No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

1 John 3:9 (NLT) Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.

There is a Governor on the life of each and every Christian, and that Governor is the Holy Spirit of God. Is it possible for a Christian to fall into sin? Yes. The Scripture says,

Romans 6:11-18 (ESV) So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Christian, you do not belong to Humanism, the Devil, or this Dark World. You belong to God! Your works are to reflect to allegiance.

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

The Christian DOES RIGHTEOUSNESS, and the Christian LOVES HIS BROTHER. These are the twin marks of the genuine Christian. The Christian does not behead a brother or sister because we do not agree. But a Christian DOES righteousness, and LOVES – even our enemies.

Sin is incompatible with the Christian walk – as is lovelessness. Do you know Jesus? If not, today would be a wonderful day to call on Him. Humanism cannot fix what ails us. But Christ can. God’s Holy Spirit can. Believe on Him, and receive Him as Lord and Savior. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen and Amen.

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When Jesus Was Angry

Posted on March 10, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/human-fist-163431/

John 2:12-16 After this {Jesus} went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. 13 And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

The first two words we see in our text today is “After this”. Last week we saw Jesus turn dirty wash water into wine. The wine He made was the very best wine anyone had ever tasted. Just as Jesus can take a dirty water and make it clean wine, He can take a broken life and make it complete. Jesus loves to fix the broken. If you’re broken, you need Jesus!

The Jewish Passover Shows The Love Of God

Tonight we’re going to see one of the times in Scripture “when Jesus gets angry”. Jesus has just done His first miracle, and now He goes to Jerusalem for “the Jews’ Passover”. The “Passover” is a fantastic time in the life of the nation of Israel.

The first Passover was in Egypt in the Spring of 1446 BC.

Israel had been enslaved by Egypt for many years, and they cried out to God to be released. God raised up a man named Moses, a man from the Tribe of Levi, to stand up for Israel. Moses went to Pharaoh and said, as God told him, “Let My people go” (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1; 8:20-21; 9:1, 13; 10:3-4). Each time the evil King Pharaoh refused to let Israel go. It was then that God told Israel:

“I am coming to strike down the enemy. Take a lamb without spot or blemish, bring it in your home for 4 days, then kill that lamb. Put it’s blood on the house where you are. Where I see the blood, I will not destroy in that family, but will PASS OVER that home” (author’s summary of Exodus 12:1-14, 21-27)

The home that did not have the blood of the lamb would experience death – God would kill the first born in that family. That night, God did as He said. He passed through Egypt, and where He did not see the blood of the lamb, He took the life of the firstborn child (Exodus 12:29).

Egypt let Israel go. God told His people:

Exodus 12:24-27 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshiped.

Israel was supposed to keep the Passover every year, FOREVER. The Passover was used to teach God’s Israel to celebrate the salvation they had through Him. It was to be a time of worship. Every Jew was required to celebrate the Passover, to go to the Temple and make a sacrifice to God, to worship the Lord for His salvation.

As Jews were scattered throughout the land, many were far away from the Temple during the time of Passover. The Jews did not have cars and trucks and planes like we have. They had to walk to Jerusalem, or else ride a donkey or a mule all that way. If you’re going a long way to the Temple, that makes it hard to bring a lamb with you. So over time those who worked in the Temple, the Priests, began to open up the courtyards to people who were selling animals for sacrifice.

John 2:12 … {Jesus} went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.

Jesus lived in Nazareth, but once He started preaching those in Nazareth did not believe He was the Son of God.

Jesus moved to Capernaum (Matthew 4:13-16), a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-3.

Capernaum became His home, which is why His “his mother, and his brethren” along with those who followed Him went to the same place. Capernaum is around a four day walk from Jerusalem, moving at normal speed and taking breaks as you go. Since Jesus is a Jew, He is required to go to the Passover, so He and His family take that trip.

When Jesus gets there, we read:

John 2:14 {Jesus} found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

What has Jesus found? Since people had to sacrifice animals on the Passover, shrewd businesses sold “oxen and sheep and doves”. Rich people would sacrifice OXEN, middle class people SHEEP, and the poorest people DOVES. These merchants were not selling these sacrificial animals at cost, but were marking the prices up. On top of this there were changers of money there. The Jewish Businesses that were selling sacrifices would not accept Roman money. So the money changers would convert your money from non-Jewish to Jewish currency (of course, at a mark up).

Now some have said that God is against making money, against capitalism. I don’t think that is what made Jesus upset. What has upset Jesus is these three words:

found in the temple

In the ancient world, most businesses operated in the gates of the city. The city of Jerusalem had eight gates, and business was often conducted outside those gates. The Temple itself had twelve gates. The gates (1) controlled access and provided defense. The gates also (2) marked the boundary, from the secular to the holy. And finally, (3) the gates were economic centers. A scholarly paper written by Talitha Hart notes:

“Like the city, the temple seems to have had a market in or near its gates where those seeking to offer sacrifice to Jehovah could purchase the animals they needed to offer. (E.P.) Sanders (in his book Judaism: Practice and Belief”, page 87)finds serious problems with the idea of animals being sold actually within the temple{emphasis mine}precincts, based on the requirements of holiness described in both Leviticus and Philo’s On the Special Laws”.

The merchants could have sold their sacrifices in the gates of the Temple, but instead carried the sacrifices into the Outer Court of the Gentiles. Here they sold their goods. How did Jesus respond?

Jesus Was Angered Because God’s Love Was Hidden

John 2:15-16 And when {Jesus} had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

As animals were sold for sacrifice, their leads or ropes used to lead them into the Temple grounds were removed. I believe Jesus went toward the altar, where He found ropes and leads that had been removed and tossed on the ground. Using these ropes as a scourge or a small whip, the Bible says that Jesus:

Matthew 21:12 (ESV) Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

Mark 11:15 (ESV) {Jesus} … entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

Luke 19:45-46 {Jesus} entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

Some have said that Jesus drove out only the animals from the market, but this isn’t what the Scripture says. Jesus drove out not just the sacrifices, but “those who sold and those who bought in the temple”. “Those who bought” probably refers to the money changers, as they were purchasing money for exchange rates. “Those who sold” refers to those who were selling sacrificial animals. Why was Jesus doing this?

Because they were at the Temple for the wrong reasons. Jesus said, “make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise”. The Temple existed to draw people closer to God. It was not there to make money on. Jesus said:

Luke 19:46 It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.

Our Lord was quoting from

Isaiah 56:5-7 (ESV) … I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. 6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Jesus was angry because the Israelites – and in particular the priests – had forgotten that the purpose of the Temple was to bring people into a right relationship with God. By their actions they were hiding the love of God. They were hiding the Gospel of God.

The Temple itself stood for God reaching out to the lost in love. It was in the Temple that God promised:

Isaiah 56:5 I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off…

It is within the Temple that God will first reveal His Son Jesus to those who would worship Him. It is Jesus Christ that …

Philippians 2:9-11 …. God also hath highly exalted {Jesus}, and given Him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus Christ is the “Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36). Jesus Christ is the “Good Shepherd Who gives His life for His sheep” (John 10:11). It is Jesus Who will “give His life for the world” (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus chased out those who would hide the love and mercy of God.

By What Right Do You Do This, Jesus?

After Jesus chases out the buyers and the sellers, we read:

John 2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

The followers of Christ remembered a Messianic Psalm, a prophecy of the Coming Messiah:

Psalm 69:9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

The Messiah when He came would be zealous – almost fanatical about honoring the House of God. Jesus Christ, a lone Man, chased people away from their money! But not only would the Messiah be zealous of God’s House, but “the reproaches of those who reproached God would fall on Him”. The Messiah would take the penalty of our sin against God on Himself.

The Pharisees were upset with Jesus for breaking up their business! We read:

John 2:18-19 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Word Study: They wanted to know what Jesus’ authority was in breaking up their little enterprise. This is not the first time the Pharisees and Priests asked for a “sign” (Greek sēmeion), meaning “a miraculous or God ordained event, something supernatural”. If Jesus were the Messiah, they expected Him to manifest some Messianic “sign” to prove Who He was. Jesus told them:

Destroy this temple, and in three
days I will raise it up

They heard this, and thought that Jesus was speaking of the Temple of Herod. Herod’s Temple took 46 years to build. The Jews said:

John 2:20-21 … Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

Jesus was foretelling His death and resurrection. At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus will be betrayed in to the hands of His enemies, crucified, and will die on the Cross of Calvary. Jesus will be buried in a borrowed Tomb – but will rise again on the third day. The death and resurrection of Christ are the only proofs He would give to the Pharisees and Priests that He is the Messiah. Though they repeatedly asked Jesus:

Matthew 12:38 … Master, we would see a SIGN {sēmeion} from Thee

Yet Jesus told them:

Matthew 12:39-40 … An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Matthew 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Luke 11:29-30 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonah. the prophet. 30 For as Jonah. was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

Jesus Christ proved Himself by rising from the Grave. He died for our sins, and rose again for our salvation. We read:

John 2:22-25 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

Though Jesus did many miracles in Jerusalem at this first Passover, the miracles themselves are not mentioned. Many believed Jesus to be a Prophet because of the miracles, but did not believe on Him unto salvation. Jesus knew their hearts – “he knew what was in man”. He did not trust those who followed Him, but knowing the human heart, placed all His trust in the Father.

May God draw us all closer to Jesus every day. Amen and Amen.

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A Left Handed Assassin And A Man With A Pointy Stick

Posted on March 7, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Bakr Magrabi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-portrait-of-a-soldier-holding-a-spear-5353141/

Last week we looked at the first Judge of Israel, Othniel. Othniel was a representative of the Tribe of Judah, and a man who was filled with faith for the Lord. As we turn to Judges 3:12-13, we’re going to see that Israel was obedient to God as long as Othniel ruled. Once he died, we see there is no godly leadership. Without godly leadership, Israel once more drifts away from the Lord. We read:

Judges 3:12-13 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

The Devil Destroys By Demolishing Divine Design

With all the weirdness and “wokeness” in America today – the Black Lives Matter movement, the Radical Left, the LGBTQ2S+ movements, the “Use My Preferred Pronoun” madness, the Radical Feminism and push for Abortion, the Transgender Modification of young children, and on and on – you might wonder what in the world is happening to our country. What is happening is that Satan has mounted an all out offensive against the Divine Design of Civilization. Satan is attacking the FAMILY.

When FAMILY as God designed it is attacked, modified, twisted, renamed, chaos ensues. When people pull away from God, God “gives them over to a reprobate {adokimos, a false or fake, a pretense, a counterfeit} mind, to do those things that are not convenient {kathēkō, fitting or proper}” (Romans 1:28). God says,

“I am your Father. I am your Savior. I gave you the gifts you have. You live in the land I gave you by grace. You want to reject Me, and my commanded Design. Fine! Then I will back up and let you do do.”

Now God has both a sense of humor as well as a sense of what is right. Israel backed away from the Fatherhood of God. So what did God do?

Judges 3:12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord…

Word Study: God could have used ANY nation to attack Israel. But He chose to use the Moabites, led by “Eglon”. The Hebrew ʿeḡlôn means “Calf Like”. When Israel first rejected God’s leadership at Mount Sinai (right after He had saved them from Egypt) they demanded that the High Priest Aaron make them a golden calf (Exodus 32:4) to worship. Israel refused to follow God, so they followed a golden calf. Now Israel refuses to follow God, and God causes a FAT CALF LIKE King lead them .

But here’s the other truth we see here. Eglon was the King of “Moab”. Where did the Moabites come from? Back when God called Abraham to follow Him, Abraham left his homeland with his nephew Lot. At one point Lot and Abraham had to separate because their flocks and herds had gotten so large that the land would not sustain them. Abraham allowed Lot to choose which direction he wanted to go with his family.

Lot chose Sodom.

The land of Sodom and Gomorrah had become so devoid of righteousness that the traditional Biblical family was no longer the norm. God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, but sent two angels down to Sodom to rescue Lot and his family from destruction. The angels took Lot, his two daughters, and his wife out of Sodom. Lot’s wife looked backward (Genesis 19:26), turning to a pillar of salt. Jesus warned His Church to stay true to Him, especially as His Coming is ever near. Jesus said:

Luke 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife.

Lot found himself in a cave with his two daughters as God rained fire and brimstone from Heaven on Sodom (Luke 17:29). The Bible tells us that:

Genesis 19:35-37 … {Lot’s daughters} made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day.

The lie the devil tells us is that sin doesn’t matter, or sin matters so little that it is inconsequential. The truth is, sin is a horrible decision to walk away from God’s best for us. The Bible says “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Lot’s sin with his eldest daughter – a violation of the Divine Design of the family – created a nation called Moab, and that nation would afflict Israel.

Israel walks away from God’s design – and is punished by an aberration of that hideous sin!

But not only this, we read:

Judges 3:13 And {Eglon the king of Moab} gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

Eglon is descended from Lot’s bad decision with his elder daughter. Eglon gathers “the children of Ammon” or the Ammonites to help him afflict Israel. Where did the Ammonites come from? Return back to Lot’s two daughters. We read:

Genesis 19:38 The younger {daughter} also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

The Ammonites came from the dysfunctional family of Lot, just as the Moabites did. From these two roots great and mighty trees were formed, trees that would rain down poisoned fruit on Israel. Then there is yet one more nation mentioned, “the children of Amalek” or the Amalekites. Where did these these people come from?

Abraham’s son Isaac had two children, Esau the older and Jacob the younger. It was God’s will that the younger Jacob receive the blessing of the elder (Romans 9:13). Rather than wait for God to resolve what God Himself desired, the mother of the children (Rebekah) conspired with Jacob to deceive Isaac and Esau, thus securing the blessing. The fallout from this deception made Esau an enemy of his brother Jacob.

When Esau moved into manhood, he became the father of a mountain people called the Edomites. Esau had a son Eliphaz (Genesis 36:4) who had a concubine Timna who bore him a son named Amalek. None of these things I just mentioned are part of God’s design for the family.

God does not want family internally plotting against one another.
God does not want wives dishonoring husbands.
God does not want husbands keeping concubines.
God does want children dishonored.

Out of this dysfunction came the Amalekites. The Amalekites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites were all dysfunctional families that departed from God’s Divine Design. God used these aberrations to punish Israel. Do not believe that anyone – and I’m speaking to YOU, AMERICAN CHURCH – can depart from God’s Design and go unsullied.

Judges 3:13 {the Amalekites, Moabites, and Ammonites} went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

The “city of palm trees” is another name for Jericho, the place where Israel fought her first battle under the leadership of Joshua. Jericho was:

“a heavily fortified city that stood between God’s people, the Israelites, and the “Promised Land.” Jericho had a massive, impenetrable wall around it that the Israelite army had no hope of getting past, and even if they did, they would have to face an enemy army.”

God knocked down the walls of Jericho when Israel did as He said (Joshua 6:15-20), and the city was easily defeated. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days (Hebrews 11:30, ESV)”. Faith in God tore down walls and defeated the enemy. Faithlessness in God caused Israel to lose that which she was given.

You cannot expect to retain God’s blessing if you will not follow God’s commandment.

Sin Is Like A Cancer That Grows And Hardens

Judges 3:14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

The Bible says:

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

And our Lord Jesus said:

John 8:34-36 … Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

You will serve either sin or the Sovereign Savior. When you serve sin, it becomes your master, and will draw you into death. Sin is sneaky. But notice also this:

When Israel sinned against God in Judges the first time, they were in bondage 8 years until they repented and God raised up Othniel (Judges 3:8). When Israel sins against God the second time, they are in bondage 18 years – over twice as long – until they repent and God raises up a second Judge.

Over time, sin hardens the conscience (Titus 1:15; 2 Peter 1:9).

Judges 3:15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left handed: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

Word Study: As soon as God’s people repented, God raised up a “deliverer” (Hebrew yāšaʿ, Savior) named “Ehud”. His name is interesting, for it means “I will be praised”. I do not think that Ehud wants to be praised. I think that God uses him because GOD wants to be praised, to be glorified. Ehud is a “Benjamite”, from the Tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe of Israel. Judge Ehud, the Prophet Jeremiah, and Paul the Apostle are all from the Tribe of Benjamin. What else do we see about Ehud? He is “a man left handed”. Why is this significant?

Among humans, less than 10% of us are left handed. When we meet one another, we shake hands with the right hand. Why? Because the right hand is where most people would hold are a sword or spear. You shake your right hand to show no weapons are hidden in the sleeves. If people wore a sword, it was worn on the LEFT side of the body to facilitate easy drawing. During the middle ages, knights on greeting one another would raise their right hand, and open their helmet face shield to show they meant no harm. I am told that this is where the original salute came from.

Ehud was left handed. We are told “by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon”. Now Eglon’s body guards would not have allowed Ehud to enter into his presence without first searching him.

Judges 3:16-17 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. 17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

Ehud made a dagger – pointy and sharp on both edges – about 18 inches long (the length of a standard cubit). When Ehud came in, the guards searched his left side, the side that a right hand person would conceal a sword. But since Ehud was left handed, the sword was under his clothes on his right side. They just didn’t see a sword here!

Judges 3:18-20 And when {Ehud} had made an end to offer the present, {Eglon} sent away the people that bare the present. 19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. 20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

After delivering the tribute money, Ehud and those who were with him headed out of the King’s Palace. They all got to Gilgal (Joshua 4:19-24) where Joshua had Israel set up twelve memorial stones commemorating their passage through the Jordan on dry land. At Gilgal, Ehud returned to King Eglon’s Summer Palace, telling him “I have a secret message for your ears alone!” King Eglon sends all his people out. Ehud says:

I have a message from God unto thee

King Eglon rises from his throne, and Ehud strikes. He pulls the double edged dagger – 18 inches long – from under his clothes, and strikes with his left hand.

Judges 3:21-23 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: 22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. 23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them.

Driving the blade into Eglon, he was so fat that the rolls of his flesh encompassed the handle and the haft of the blade. The Bible says “the dirt came out”, that is, it penetrated his bowels and that which was in the bowels gushed out. The length of the blade would have made it come out his back – a horrible death! One commentary notes:

“Although God will often use other nations to discipline His people, after the discipline is over, God has a tendency to destroy the nation that was used to oppress His people. Even though they had been chosen by God as a rod of discipline, God keeps His Word – those that bless Israel are blessed, and those that curse Israel are cursed.”

Judges 3:24-26 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. 25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. 26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

Locking the doors behind him, Ehud uses this time to escape. The smell of Eglon’s “dirt” causes the servants to believe their King is relieving himself. The phrase “covereth his feet” is an idiom for going to the restroom.

Judges 3:27-30 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them. 28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. 29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor; and there escaped not a man. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

Following Ehud, Israel destroyed the enemy that had afflicted them for 18 years. God was in the battle, and Ehud was careful not to take credit for killing the King, or defeating the enemy. Ehud said “the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand”. This was proven when Israel went against the Moabite Army, battle hardened men – and destroyed the entire army.

Our God is an awesome God!

God Used A Left Handed Man –
And A Man With A Pointy Stick

Judges 3:31 And after {Ehud} was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

The third Judge of Israel has very little said about him, a man named “Shamgar”. His name means “a Sword”, but Shamgar did not use a sword. Shamgar battles the Philistines – ancient enemies of Israel – with an “ox goad”. What’s an “ox goad”? It’s a pointy stick that you use to poke an ox when it doesn’t want to move.

Shamgar used an ox goad to fight the Philistines. Why did he use an ox goad? Because he didn’t have a sword. Shamgar used what God allowed him to have. What else do we learn about Shamgar? He is,

Shamgar the son of Anath

Now “Anath” is the Canaanite goddess of war. Shamgar isn’t Jewish – he’s Gentile. Shamgar wasn’t born a follower of God, but came from an unbelieving family. We don’t know how Shamgar became a champion of Israel, nor do we know who led him to the Lord. But Shamgar met God and, believing in God, began to follow God. The Bible tells us later in:

Judges 5:6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,…. the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways.

The people were frightened of the Philistines, and avoided the highways and normal routes. They hid their travel for fear of being harmed. Not Shamgar. Shamgar took the highways. He went looking for Philistines, he and his pointy stick. He made no excuses as to why he couldn’t do what God called him to do. Shamgar trusted God, stepped out in faith, and started poking holes in Philistines.

Shamgar did what he could with what he had
where he was every day of his life.

It is time that we as Christians and we, the Church of Christ, follow the example of Shamgar. The late Dr. R.G. Lee said before he went to be with Jesus:

“The Church needs more action and less faction. More workers and fewer shirkers. More backers and fewer slackers. More praying and less straying. More burden bearers and fewer tale bearers. More tongues of fire and fewer fiery tongues. More zealous effort and less jealous thoughts. More love for the Word and less love for the world. More seeking for grace and less seeking for place.”

May God the Holy Spirit move on our hearts to do as Shamgar did while there is time. Let us let our light shine for God’s glory and Satan’s destruction. In Christ’s name I pray this. Amen and Amen!

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We Are Called Son Of God

Posted on March 5, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Alexey Makhinko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/baby-in-white-and-red-floral-pajama-929435/

1 John 3:1-2 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

On May 12, 2022 the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University led by veteran researcher George Barna released the results from a nationwide survey called “The American Worldview Inventory 2022”. In that survey it was found that only 37% of Pastors held a Biblical worldview. I find that disturbing – maybe you don’t.

What Is A “Biblical Worldview”?

A “worldview” is a set of basic beliefs, assumptions, and values that arise from a narrative about the world. The worldview produces individual and group external action. “Truths” are defined based on your worldview.

A “Biblical worldview” is a worldview dependent on God’s Word, the Bible. Not all professing Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God. For instance, Andy Stanley, the son of Charles Stanley and pastor of North Point Ministries has said:

“The Christian faith does not rise and fall on the accuracy of 66 ancient documents. It rises and falls on the identity of a single individual: Jesus of Nazareth.”

At first glance that might sound fine. The reality is, all we know about Jesus of Nazareth is tied to the Scripture. Is Jesus the One and Only Messiah? It is the Bible that declares this. We read in:

1 John 2:22-23 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

It is the Bible that tells us “Jesus is the Christ”. The word “CHRIST” is NOT Jesus’ last name, but the Greek Christos which means “Messiah” or “The One Sent from God”. There is but ONE Messiah, and the Bible declares it is Jesus.

People say, “There are many ways to God”. The Scripture says, “You are a LIAR if you believe this! There is only ONE WAY to the Fatherhood of God.”

Word Study: “Whosoever DENIETH the Son”. That word “DENIETH” is the Greek arneomai, which means “to refuse that which is offered, to disavow”. If you REFUSE Jesus, then God is NOT your Father. This is the clear sense of the text. One of the greatest passages on salvation is:

John 3:16 For GOD so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

God is the CREATOR of all, but He is not the FATHER of all. God remains “God” until you receive His Son as Lord and Savior. The Scripture goes on to say:

John 3:17-18 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on {Jesus as Christ} is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Word Study: If you DENY the Son {arneomai}, God is NOT your Father, and you are NOT God’s son. If you acknowledge {Greek homologeō, to say the same thing about the Son that the Scripture says}the Son then you HAVE THE FATHER.

The Father says – through the Scripture – “If you receive My Son as your Savior and Lord, I receive YOU as my Child. When I receive you as My Child, you get all the blessings that come with this high state of being.

HOW do we know Jesus is the One and Only Messiah. Because the BIBLE says so. It is the BIBLE that tells us He is the fulfillment of prophecy. For instance,

Matthew 1:22 {Mary will bring forth Jesus} THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED what was written by the Prophet {Isaiah 7:14}

Matthew 2:15 {Joseph took his family to Egypt} until the death of Herod, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED the Word of the Lord by the Prophet {Hosea 11:1}

Matthew 2:23 {Joseph took his family and} dwelt in a city called Nazareth, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED the Word of God spoken by the PROPHETS, {Messiah} shall be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 4:13 {Jesus departed into Galilee, and} dwelt in Capernaum … THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED the Word of God spoken by the Prophet {Isaiah 9:1-2}

Matthew 8:16-17 … {Jesus} cast out spirits with His Word, and healed all that were sick, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet {Isaiah 53:4}

Matthew 12:16-17 {Jesus} told them to tell no one {that He was Messiah}, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED that which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet {Isaiah 42:1-4}

I could continue along this vein all day – but I won’t. The fact that Jesus is indeed the One and Only Messiah is that His ministry fulfilled every Scriptural prophecy that foretold His coming and manifestation. One of my commentaries notes:

“One scholar, J. Barton Payne, has found as many as 574 verses in the Old Testament that somehow point to or describe or reference the coming Messiah. Alfred Edersheim found 456 Old Testament verses referring to the Messiah or His times. Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry.”

God Gave Us His Spirit To Teach Us The Bible

If you are saved and a child of God, this is only possible because you have believed what the Bible has said. It is the writings of the Bible that are the FOUNDATION of the Church. We are told in:

Ephesians 2:19-20 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone…

The writings of the Apostles and Prophets, that which we call the Holy Bible, is the foundation of the Church that our Lord Jesus died for. We are saved by faith in what we have presented to us from the Bible. We live our lives by what the Scripture has said. We read:

John 2:24-27 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Are you saved? We are told “IF”. We read, “If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father”. I was saved by the preaching of the Word of God, the Bible. I dare not walk away from that Word. IF that Word by which I was called “shall remain in” me, then I “shall continue in the Son, and in the Father”. What is this saying? I believe it’s saying this:

You cannot CHERRY PICK what you want to believe out of this Bible. You believe it as God’s Word, or you believe it as something else.

A lot of people today come in – like the serpent in Eden – and say “has God really said”? The proper response to the serpent is, “it is WRITTEN”. The Apostle speaks of the Son of God, the Christian, saying:

the anointing which ye have received
of him abideth in you

What is this “anointing” John is speaking of? The “anointing” is God the Holy Spirit. The day that you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to you, just as He promised. Jesus said:

John 16:7, 13-15 (ESV) 7 I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you … 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

When you call on the name of Jesus for salvation, the Holy Spirit comes and causes you to be “born again” (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:3). You become a “Child of God by faith in Christ”,

1 John 3:1 … Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God …

It is the Holy Spirit that causes your “new birth”. But this Same Spirit comes to live within the framework of your life. Jesus told His disciples, “The Spirit lives WITH you, and WILL BE IN YOU” (John 14:17). If you are a Child of God, your very Body “is the TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit Who lives in you” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The Holy Spirit indwells you so that He can teach you the Word of God, the Holy Scripture. The Bible says of itself:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

It is the WORD of God that shows us the WILL of God, and teaches us how to do the WORK of God.

When the Chief Apostle spoke of the Old Testament Scripture, he wrote:

2 Peter 1:20-21 (ESV) knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit wrote the Scripture through holy men dedicated to God. The Spirit gives us understanding of the Scripture, so that we can understand the mind of Christ. The Spirit indwells us, and draws us closer and closer to the image of Christ in our own lives.

The devil hates that.
The world hates that.
The false preacher hates that.

While you are alive, dear one, Satan and the world will do all it can to draw you away from the image of Christ. The Bible warns us:

Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The world will demand your conformity, but God the Holy Spirit will demand you be a Child of God.

The Spirit Through The Scripture Makes Us
More Like The Son Of God

People are fond today of appropriating Christianity, and then twisting it into their own image. The devil has done this from the beginning.

The Christian – a Child of God by faith in Jesus, a born again Child of God by the empowerment of the Spirit – is called to ABIDE. We ABIDE in the Scripture.

When someone comes to me with some “alternate theory” as opposed to what the Bible says, the Spirit whispers … ABIDE. We are to ABIDE in His Word. When God spoke of creation, we read these truths:

Genesis 3:1-3 (ESV) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

It was GOD Who CREATED all things. It was the SPIRIT OF GOD Who worked order from chaos. Each day of creation was a 24 hour day, as is clearly presented in the Scripture. “The evening and the morning was a day” (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). Who was it that made all things “very good” (Genesis 1:31)? It was GOD, not man. It was GOD, not the angels. What did MAN contribute to the Creation? The Bible says:

Romans 5:12 (ESV) … as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned …

We messed it up – but God fixed it in Christ. We as humans are always trying to mess it up. But praise God, our God is MERCIFUL. Again we read:

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us

Word Study: God in Love with His fallen creation BESTOWED something on us. The word BESTOWED is the Greek didōmi, which means “to grant, to give as a present, to pass over to stewardship of something to another”. What did God BESTOW on us? Jesus. Jesus went to that Cross to die for our sins. The Scripture says:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus did not die on the Cross of Calvary to save us from our sins so that we might continue to sin. Children of God follow after righteousness. We are told:

1 John 2:29 If ye know that He (God) is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

You cannot be a Child of God and DO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. Sin and the Child of God are incompatible. The Christian does not pursue after sin. We pursue the will of God. We pursue the image of Christ. Let me use big word: oxymoron. Do you know what an oxymoron is?

Sin Loving Christian

If you are a Child of God, you are to DO RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now, what is “righteousness”? It is what God has said is righteous in His Word. It is what God has clearly defined as right. If you are saved, we read:

1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

As “now … sons of God” we work along with the Scripture and the Spirit to “put off” the old man, and “put on” the new man. We are told in:

Ephesians 4:22-25 put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

What does this mean? When you are saved, you put away everything that God says is abnormal and put on everything that God says is acceptable. You heed the scripture, the Word of God. You “cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12). You “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14).

In short, if the Bible condemns it, you walk away from it because you are a Child of God. Salvation is by Grace, through faith in Christ. But once saved, you are to be like Jesus.

You cannot be a Christian, and practice racism.
You cannot be a Christian, and practice sexual sin.
You cannot be a Christian, and deny the Word of God.

So are you a Christian? If you are, the Spirit of God indwells you, and guides you to God’s Word to determine how to live your life so as to please the Father. You live to please the Father. You live to glorify the Son. You live not for yourself, but for Him Who …

2 Corinthians 5:15 … died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

May God the Holy Spirit move through this Word, and draw many to Him this very day. Amen and amen.

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Whatsoever He Saith Unto You, Do It

Posted on March 3, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash

Please turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 2.

In the Book of John we will see seven miracles that reveal the goodness and Godness of Jesus. We will see Jesus:

Heal a dying boy (John 4:46-54)
Cause a crippled man to walk (John 5:1-18)
Feeding a the multitude with little (John 6:1-15)
Walk on water (John 6:16-21)
Restore sight to a blind man (John 9:1-41)
Raise a friend from the dead (John 11:1-57)

Today we see Jesus turn water into wine.

John 2:1-11 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6 And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Back when Jesus walked the earth, the Jews celebrated marriages much differently than we do today. In a Jewish Wedding Feast the Bride and Groom would come together, and usually the whole village would turn out for the event. It was the responsibility of the Groom’s family to provide the food and drink for the celebration. Back then there was no Coca Cola, Mountain Dew, Pepsi Cola, coffee – all things served at our weddings today. It goes without saying there was no southern sweet tea, either. The Jews used wine – a very mild form of wine – at their celebrations. People did not drink wine at weddings to get drunk, but to celebrate. God never gives us anything that we are supposed to abuse or take too much of. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 104:1, 14-15 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honor and majesty. … 14-15 {The Lord} causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; 15 and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.

The Bible forbids drunkenness – and the wine that was used at Jewish weddings had very little alcoholic content. Christians are never to get drunk. The Apostle Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 5:11 (ESV) {Do not} associate with anyone who bears the name of “brother” if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

Christians are priests before God. We are God’s Children. The lost person “walks in EXCESS OF WINE” (1 Peter 4:3), and often engages in “rioting and DRUNKENNESS” (Romans 13:13). The Lord tells the Christian to:

Ephesians 5:18 (ESV) … do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

The Jews used a very mild wine in their celebrations.

If the Groom’s family allowed the food and beverage to run out, it was a stain on the marriage!

On The Third Day

John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee

It’s very important to read EVERY word of the Bible, for it is GOD’S WORD. Look at the words “And the third day”. What does this refer to? Well, here’s another thing about the ancient Jewish Wedding Feast. IT WASN’T JUST ONE DAY. The Groom’s parents were to supply the food and drink for up to 1 week of celebration. The Wedding Feast is now in “the third day”.

The “third day” is a very significant number in the Scripture. When God led Israel to Mount Sinai, He told the people through Moses:

Exodus 19:10-11 (ESV) … “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.”

“on the third day” God would come down from His Holy Mountain, and let Israel see Him. When they saw God in all His holiness “there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled” (Exodus 19:16). The people were not glad to see God, for the God of Sinai is the God of the Law. The “people in the camp trembled” because they realized they were so far from God’s holiness and righteousness.

“on the third day” has another significance in the New Testament. Jesus told us that,

Matthew 12:40 (ESV) For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus Christ would go up a mountain called Calvary, and be executed, crucified for our sins. Jesus would be laid in a borrowed Grave, and would stay there for three days and three nights. Jesus said:

Luke 24:7 (ESV) the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.

(see also Luke 9:22; 13:32; 18:33; 24:21; 24:46)

Our Jesus would die for our sins, and rise from the grave “on the third day”. He would descend from the Mountain of God and walk among us – and we no longer tremble, because Jesus makes us right and righteous with God.

Family Matters

Let’s get back to our text.

John 2:1-3 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

We are in the “third day” of this Wedding Feast. The earthly “mother of Jesus was there”. His mother is Mary, and she is related to the Groom’s side of the family. We are told that “Jesus was called” because, related to Mary, He is also related by blood to the Groom’s side of the family.

Family matters to God. When God came to an old man named Abraham in the Old Testament, Abraham and Sarah his wife were without children. God told Abraham:

Genesis 12:1-3 (Author’s paraphrase) “Follow Me. Go where I tell you, put Me first, and I will change you from a childless couple to a GREAT NATION. I will bless those who bless you, and punish those who harm you. And Abraham, through your children I will bring the GREATEST BLESSING on the earth.”

It was God’s intention to one day through the family to bring the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to this earth. This is why the devil in our day attacks the family. It is through family – the family of Abraham – that God sent Jesus to be with us. It is through Jesus that we are invited into the Family of God.

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Family matters to God. God designed the family male and female. The Bible says that when God created Adam,He said:

Genesis 2:18 It is NOT GOOD that man should be alone

God made the family. God commands “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). God commands “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). God commands “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right”(Ephesians 6:1). Anytime we see an attack against the family, whether it be “I have two mommies” or “men aren’t necessary”, you are seeing a Satanic attack on the stability of civilization. Family matters. This is why Mary is at this wedding, and why Jesus came to the wedding feast. When they run out of wine, Mary tells Jesus:

John 2:3 … They have no wine

There were no stores where you can get wine. Wine was made through natural fermentation. Grapes were picked, crushed, and put in leather wine sacks so it could naturally ferment. The Groom’s parents are out of wine – and will be shamed if they do not get some quickly. The Soniclight Commentary notes:

“To fail to provide adequately for the guests would involve social disgrace. In the closely knit communities of Jesus’ day, such an error would never be forgotten and would haunt the newly married couple all their lives.”

So Mary turns to Jesus. Jesus Christ is …

Luke 1:32-33 … the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Jesus is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). There is nothing that Jesus cannot do. Mary knew that Jesus – her Savior and Lord – could fix the problem. Beloved, Jesus can fix your problems. So often we say, “I’ll not take that to the Lord – it is so petty, so small, that I’ll just try to fix it myself”. Oh no, Beloved. Jesus wants us to take our burdens to Him. THE POWER IS NOT IN ME, BUT IT IS IN JESUS. When Mary asked Jesus to handle the problem, our Lord replied:

John 2:4 … Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

When Jesus says “Woman” to His mother, He is not being disrespectful. Jesus came to this earth to “be about His Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). Jesus said,

John 14:9 … he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father

The Catholics believe that, if you pray to Mother Mary, the Virgin, that she will command Jesus for you. I believe Jesus used the word “Woman” instead of “mother” because Jesus does not follow the whim of anyone – not even His earthly mother. Jesus came representing the Father. When Jesus said:

what have I to do with thee?

This is an idiom that means “Your concern and Mine are not the same”. Jesus was not dishonoring Mary, but they weren’t on the same page. She wanted to help her family avoid embarrassment. Jesus came to earth not to enable a smooth human wedding feast, but to bring those who believe in Him into the Family of God.

Throughout the Gospels there is NO PLACE where Jesus refers to Mary as His mother.

Do What Jesus Says!

Mary says nothing else to Jesus, but turns to the servants or waiters at the Wedding Feast:

John 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

Notice that Mary “saith unto the servants”. The words translated “the servants” is the Greek διάκονος diákonos, {pronounced dee-ak’-on-os}, which means “those who wait on others, deacons, ministers, attendants”. Those who were waiting on the guests of the Wedding Feast had a need. Mary told them, “You have a need you can not fix. Whatsoever Jesus says unto you, DO IT”.

Jesus can do anything He wants to do!
Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, God in the flesh.

Colossians 1:15-17 {Jesus} is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Only God can turn nothing into something. Only God can do what Jesus does. Only Jesus can do what God does.

Mary tells the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it”. Just DO what Jesus says. WHATSOEVER. What ever He asks, do it. Only by this can Jesus bring a blessing to those at the Feast.

John 2:6 And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.…”

There are “six water pots of stone” at the Feast, and the purpose of these water pots is for the “purifying of the Jews”. What are these water pots and their significance?

First, there are “six water pots”. Not seven, not five, but six. God created the Heaven and the earth and all that is in it in six days, and rested on the seventh day. When God created everything – humans and animals included – God said it was all “very good” (Genesis 1:31). It was man that brought sin into the world, and death by sin. Not God, but man.

Romans 5:12 by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned

These six water pots were made “of stone”. Clay pots absorbed water, and could hold bacteria. So these water pots were “of stone” to make them more sanitary. These pots – each holding about 20 gallons of water – were used by the Jews attending the Feast. The Jewish tradition was that People were to wash their hands before eating (Mark 7:3; Luke 11:37–38). These water pots held the water that was used for washing the hands. Though people did not wash their hands directly in the pots, water was dipped out, and this water was certainly not sterile!

Jesus tells the servants in charge of this (suspect) water:

John 2:7 … Fill the water pots with water.

Jesus did not tell them to rinse out the pots, but merely to top them off. The water in those pots would not have been clean or fresh. Jesus did not ask the servants the scour the pots before filling them.

John 2:7 … Fill the water pots with water.

Beloved, Jesus does not ask us to clean up our lives when we come to Him. He asks us – commands us – to REPENT, to stop following our own way, and to follow Him.

God asks us to do the possible, and He will do the impossible. “Top off the pots”. Obey Christ’s command. He will do the rest!

In an article I read on this event, published by Revival Ministries International, I read …

“Many Christians want God to use them in a mighty way, but they are too full of opinions, questions, reasonings, and arguments! They say that they have faith, but they really don’t because they will not make a move without an explanation. They want to understand everything before they do what God is telling them to do.”

Murmuring or complaining against God stays His hand of blessing, and can bring His punishment down on us. The first generation of Israel murmured and delayed in doing God’s will, and lost the Promised Land. The Jews often murmured at Jesus as He ministered to the sinners. The Bible says:

Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world …

If you would be blessed by Jesus, do what Jesus says without argumentation. The Bible commands us …

Colossians 3:17 … whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Do not do what Jesus asks you to do halfheartedly. Do it with relish. Do it fully, completely. The servants heard Jesus say “Fill the water pots with water”. That’s what they did. We are told …

John 2:7 … And they filled them up to the brim.

Do not do things halfway when doing what Jesus says. Do it all the way. Excel in obedience to your God. We have studied these words before, but it bears repeating. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock…

When you both HEAR and DO what Jesus says, THEN you are blessed. Trials will come your way – trials come to all of us – but if you are in the habit of HEARING and DOING what Jesus said, your house will stand. Jesus said:

Matthew 7: 26-27 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

There Is NO Blessing Without Obedience

John 2:8-10 And {Jesus} saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

That which you receive from Jesus is the very best. Christ established a pattern throughout His earthly ministry of command – obedience – blessing. Though Jesus could have created wine – and the water pots – out of thin air, He came to this earth to be the Bridge between God and man. Jesus came to establish a relationship between fallen man and infallible God. Jesus came to give us a purpose filled life through faith in Him. Let us trust and obey Him. Let us take our problems – all our problems – to Jesus.

For He is able – and we are not. May God touch your hearts with His Spirit and His Word. Amen and Amen!

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Othniel And The Spirit of God

Posted on February 27, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/masquerade-masks-on-gray-surface-9393609/

Judges 3:1-4 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; 3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. 4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

One of the prayers that Christians have prayed for years is:

Psalm 2:1-3 (ESV) Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

Every preacher of the Gospel has wrestled with this. The Prophet prayed:

Jeremiah 12:1-2 (ESV) “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts”

How is it possible that a pervert named Hugh Hefner entice and deceive young women, and build a Playboy Empire worth $412 million? How can God allow Pablo Escobar – the King of Cocaine – to amass over 33 billion dollars of wealth? How many people did his drugs enslave, how many lives ruined? How is it that actors like Alec Baldwin can kill an innocent person, and get only a slap on the wrist? That ancient preacher Job asked:

Job 21:7 “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?”

God answers His people. The wicked have not escaped judgment, but a judgment day is coming. We who are mortal want this to come today. Our God tells us:

Psalm 37:1-7 (ESV) “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes”

There Are Two Reasons The Wicked Are Blessed

The Bible tells us that God allows the wicked to prosper for two reasons. The Apostle said:

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

God allows the wicked to live and even be blessed in their wickedness because HELL is FOREVER.

Those who leave this life without faith in Christ will find themselves in a place of “everlasting burnings” (Isaiah 33:14). God did not prepare hell for humans. It was made for the fallen angel. Jesus says to the unbeliever, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:14). Hell is a place of unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). The believer in Christ will:

Daniel 12:2 (ESV) … awake … to everlasting life, (but the lost) to shame and everlasting contempt.

Hell is not a place of destruction – but of eternal punishment. If it were a place where you just burn up, our Lord Jesus would have never said:

Mark 9:45-48 (ESV) … if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

When Jesus pictured hell (like in Luke 16:23-24), it is a place of torment, not destruction. It is a place of suffering and sadness. God wants no one to go to hell – He sent His Son to provide a way out of eternal damnation. So God allows the wicked to prosper – for a time – which is nothing compared to the length of eternity. But there is another reason God allows the wicked to prosper, and our enemy to be among us.

Judges 3:1-2 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know

Word Study: God leaves us in the midst of the wicked to “prove” us. The word translated “prove” is the Hebrew nāsâ (pronounced naw-saw’), which means “to assay as to the quality of, to test, to try”. Back during the California Gold Rush in the 1800’s, around 300,000 people flooded that state looking for riches. The way that gold was assayed was by fire (called cupellation). That which is NOT gold will burn off or float to the top, and gold will be left behind. God uses trials to test our faith so that WE will know where we are on faith’s spectrum. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:10-12 (ESV) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

When you walk with Jesus, you will be persecuted. Why? Because the darkness will bid you to join with it. “Let’s just go along to get along”. If you belong to the Lord, you are to walk so as to please the Lord, not the world.

God tests INDIVIDUAL believers, but also tests His KINGDOM.

God left the unbelieving nations in Canaan because He wanted …

the children of Israel {to} know

God’s people need to know when to war, and when to walk. We need to understand NOT to compromise with anyone that will effect our walk with our Savior and King. The enemies that God left were the

Judges 3:3 … five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites

The Philistines were ancient enemies of Israel, much like land based Pirates or Vikings. The Philistines were very skilled blacksmiths, and were experts in forging swords, spears, and arrow heads, as well as making plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles (1 Samuel 13:19-21). The Sidonians (inhabitants of Sidon) were sea faring Phoenicians who relocated around the Mediterranean Sea. The Hivites or Horites (Genesis 36:2, 20, 29) were a warrior class of people. Together these enemies ruled the land and the water of the Promised Land. They were – together – undefeatable. We are told:

Judges 3:4 … they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

Surrounded by the enemy, would Israel cling to the Word of God, or would Israel compromise with the lost in order to live more comfortably?

Judges 3:5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

You cannot control who is around you. You cannot control how other people behave. God never expects His people to move off into monasteries and hide behind walls. Jesus told us:

Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV) You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

God’s people are to reflect the Light of God into the world. We are a “city set on a hill”. We are not to hide, but to stand up. The Bible says that the “children of Israel dwelt among” the unbelievers. That is not a sin. What is a sin is to allow the practices of the lost world to come into your life. Israel compromised.

Judges 3:6-7 And they {the Israelites} took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

Israel allowed themselves to be intimately connected to the lost. They intermarried with unbelievers. It is fine to eat with unbelievers (1 Corinthians 10:25-33). It is fine to work with unbelievers. But we are to be very careful not to get intimate with unbelievers. We are told in:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (ESV) Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

When you get into an intimate relationship with an unbeliever – especially if that relationship is sexual in nature – that unbeliever will cause you to drift into their way of thinking. King Solomon found this out when he married numerous women outside of our faith. He said,

“Above all else, GUARD YOUR HEART,
for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23)

I was asked the other day if I would consider binding with another mainline denomination in order to work together for the Lord. When I was told the name of that denomination I said, politely, “I’m sorry, I can’t do that”. I cannot compromise with any denomination or any people who do not believe the Bible as God’s Word establishes right behavior and life. I have decided I will not compromise with the “Woke Churches” of this age. I’ll love you – but I can’t walk with you, for you are walking in darkness.

Once Israel compromise with the lost world, they forgot Who God was. They forgot what God told them, and commanded them. Then they began to worship other gods.

Judges 3:8 Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.

God is generally known as the “Redeemer” of His people. The Prophet Isaiah (47:4) said, “Our REDEEMER, the Lord of Hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel”. It was God Who “REDEEMED Israel from the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 13:5). It is God Who “REDEEMS our life from the pit” (Psalm 103:4). God has …

Colossians 1:13-14 … rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Oh Redeeming Love, how can it be, You lived and died for me? Though “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). God had redeemed Israel – but now He is selling her back to her chosen master. She chose to follow the false gods of those around her, so God turned her over to the one she served. We are told:

the children of Israel served
Chushan-rishathaim eight years

This Mesopotamian King is called “Chushan-rishathaim”, which means “Cushan of the double wickedness”. Israel served this wicked unbelieving king for 8 years. Why eight years? Because it took that long for them to REPENT.

Judges 3:9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

I suspect that, over the eight years “Chushan-rishathaim” ruled Israel, that the Israelites used various methods to free themselves from their predicament. This is what we all do. We wander away from God, and get into a worst and worst state, much like the prodigal son that Jesus spoke of in Luke 15. After it becomes unbearable, the prodigal stopped eating out of the pig trough, and said “I’ll return to my Father – even if I’m no more than a servant”. Israel had gotten tired of eating at the pig trough.

Word Study: “when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord” I want you to notice that God does not delay. When they cried out, “the Lord raised up a deliverer”. The word “deliverer” is the Hebrew yāšaʿ (pronounced yaw-shah’) which means “A Savior” or “A Avenger”. The idea that “The Lord raised up” this Savior tells us that this is not a human solution to Israel’s problem. God RAISED UP Othniel, the nephew to Caleb. What did OTHNIEL do? God raised him up to be a Savior to Israel, and Othniel SAVED (yāšaʿ) them. But Othniel didn’t do this because he was particularly good or powerful.

Othniel was of the tribe of Judah, a nephew of Caleb, but just as we all are subject to failure. God raised him up … and God EQUIPPED him to do what he was called to do.

Judges 3:10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

Othniel is the first of twelve judges that God would raise up to save Israel. Over and over we see that these Judges or Saviors are not able to do what needs doing. God raises them up, then “The Spirit of the Lord comes upon them”. When God works through a human, it is the Holy Spirit Who does the work. Our Lord Jesus Christ – though Eternal God in human form – did the work that He did for the Father through the Holy Spirit. Jesus visited the Synagogue at Nazareth, His home town, and read from Isaiah 61:1-2:

Luke 4:18-21 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

The Spirit of the Lord was on Jesus. Jesus said “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, the Kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28). It is the Spirit of God Who enabled Kings and Prophets to do the work of God. It is the Spirit of the Lord Who empowered the Apostles (Acts 5:9; 8:39) to do amazing things . It is the Spirit of the Lord Who enables us to be saved by convicting of sin (John 16:8-11). The Spirit of the Lord is on the Christian, making us more like Jesus through the intake of the Word of God and prayer (2 Corinthians 3:18).

With the other Judges, we will see God do amazing things. But with Othniel the emphasis is on the Holy Spirit of God. Othniel is open to God’s Spirit, and so God moves through him to defeat the enemy.

Judges 3:10-11 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the Lord delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. 11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Here are two key take-aways from the life of Othniel. First, If you serve God, you will find victory. But if you serve self, you will find slavery. Othniel focused on pleasing God. Though we know little about Othniel’s war, we know he was victorious. Second, Serving God, you will find rest. We read that while Othniel led Israel to follow God, “the land had rest forty years”. Contrast that the the first generation of Israel, who wandered in the wilderness 40 years. God says:

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Let us find our rest in God. Let us let His Spirit come upon us. Let us surrender our souls to Jesus. May God touch your hearts with His Word. Amen and Amen!

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Love Not The World

Posted on February 27, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Benjamin Suter: https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-photo-of-cityscape-at-night-2362004/

1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Worldly Solutions Will Not Fix Worldly Hearts

So I was reading an article in our local paper “Main Street Maury”, a letter written to the editor entitled “USA 37,000, Japan 101: but it’s not a game” (sic). It was the standard opinion piece where – in comparison to other countries – the gun deaths in the United States are much higher. It was obvious the author had access to the Internet, and knew how to research. The conclusion of the article was, “I know the U.S. will not adopt Japan’s strict standards, but it’s time to consider adopting regulations to lower the number of gun deaths in the U.S.”. The author then quoted Jesus, though he did not give Jesus credit for the quote (which is in Matthew 26:52). Continue quote, “If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword.” Many innocent people are dying because we are living by the sword in America’s obsessive gun culture”. There’s a few things I’d like to note in reference to this article.

First, Jesus not only said “If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword”, He also said at the conclusion of the Communion, also called “The Lord’s Table”:

Luke 22:35-38 {Jesus} said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

When Jesus said “If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword”, He was responding to Simon Peter’s rash attack against a Priest of Israel. Jesus did not tell us to use the sword offensively or aggressively. We are not to attack others (though, if part of the military, allowance is made for that in the Scripture). However Jesus never opposed use of the sword defensively, to protect yourself, your family, your community, and your country.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was hated, and lies were told about Him. Though His Judge Pilate could find no sin nor crime in Jesus, He was nonetheless executed. Why? Because the human heart is “desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Jesus encouraged His disciples to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:38-48), but was not against the defense of life. Life is precious. Every life is precious. God does not expect you to allow the rapist into your home, then look the other way while he molests your loved ones. We who are Christ’s are allowed to defend ourselves and our loved ones.

Secondly, I thought it amusing that the author would compare the U.S. to Japan. In its history Japan has had a long history of weapons bans, going all the way back to 1429 under King Sho Hashi, beginning the first Sho Dynasty. In 1470 the new Sho Dynasty prohibited the carrying of weapons. In 1609, the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan permitted the Satsuma clan to invade the island of Okinawa. The Satsuma samurai renewed the ban on all weapons. As the Japanese were forbidden to carry arms, they developed a fighting system using their farming tools. The martial arts weapons such as the Bo, the Sai, the Kama, Tonfa, or Nunchaku were repurposed from the field to the battlefield. As a young boy I often went to Bruce Lee movies to watch him defeat the enemy with many of these weapons. Japan has less guns because of oppressive laws, but it is no paradise. An article entitled “Despite Japan’s low crime rates, it’s seen a number of mass stabbings in the past decade” cites a killing spree where a 51 year old man kills a 39 year old man, a 12 year old school girl, and injures 15 school children. He carried no guns, but two knives. In 2016, 19 disabled residents were stabbed to death by an employee of that home. The employee said, “It is better that disabled people disappear”. In 2008 a 24 year old man went on a stabbing spree, killing 2 people and injuring 7. That same year a 25 year old man stabbed and killed 7, and injured 10 in a shopping hub of Tokyo. I could go on and on, but I won’t. The data is there.

Until the human heart is changed, no amount of law enforcement is going to lessen our self inflicted hurts. No human law can fix what ails us. We need to get back to the Bible. We need to meet with and surrender ourselves to Christ’s leading. Only through Jesus will our hearts be calmed. Only through faith in Him will we stop tearing one another apart.

Do Not Love The World’s Ways, Dear Christian

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

When you read this text, your first thought might be, “Isn’t John contradicting what Jesus said in John 3:16?” You know the text:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Word Study: The Greek word for “world” is kosmos, which can simply refer to humanity as God’s creation, or it can refer to a godless mindset. When God created the world, the kosmos, He created Adam and Eve distinctly separate from the animals around them. God created Adam and Eve as His representatives on the earth. The Bible says:

Genesis 1:26-30 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.”

God made Adam and Eve to have dominion over the earth and all that is in it. They were to oversee the planet as stewards of God. In their stewardship they were to “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion”. They were to build the family of humanity, and to oversee all things, maintaining order in the Name of God. But they didn’t do that. What did Adam and Eve do? Well, in particular, what did ADAM do?

Adam became WORLDLY.
He stopped working for God.
He chose another employer – Satan.

The WORLDLY mindset is incompatible with a child of God. The Lord Jesus Christ – Eternal God the Son become the Only Begotten of the Father – was tempted just as Adam was tempted. The Bible tells us that while the Son of God was in the wilderness,

Matthew 4:8-9 (ESV) … the devil took {Jesus} to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

The devil was not lying to Jesus. The devil is called “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and he “blinds the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, the image of God”. Satan as a serpent tried this with Adam and was successful. Adam allowed himself to become worldly in his thought process. Instead of referring to God and his Word, Adam used human resources and human reason to seek joy.

Adam lost – and we suffer because of it.
But Jesus wasn’t having any of it.

Jesus told the devil, “Go away Satan! The Bible says, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him ONLY shall you serve.” (author’s paraphrase). This is what a child of God should do.

If God’s Word does not support what is being said, then we need to reject the word we are hearing as inferior, a word from Satan and not God.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

We as Christians SHOULD love people – but we must not love the evil that people do. You can love someone, and yet hate their action … especially if their action is destructive and ungodly. Jesus told us:

Matthew 5:43-48 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

We as believers are to love those around us – to DO GOOD toward them even if they do bad toward us. But this does not mean that we worship their gods and goddesses. This does not mean that we turn away from the Word of God for the highly inferior word of man. You are called as sons and daughters of God to uphold the truth of God’s Word.

We are to please God, not man. The Apostle Paul said:

Galatians 1:10 (ESV) For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

It is not the Christian’s duty to please others. It is the Christian’s duty to please God, and to share the Gospel of salvation. The Apostle said in another place:

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (ESV) … just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

We cannot save the world by pleasing the world. We cannot reach the world by being like the world. We are to be like Jesus. We are to uphold the Word of God, for it is the Word of God that upholds us. The Apostle warns the Church:

1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Sherry and I have been working with little children at Riverside School. Just this past Thursday Sherry was working with a little girl, helping her with her homework. The little girl had it wrong – and wouldn’t listen to Sherry. She just KNEW that she was right … and she wasn’t. But as long as she was CERTAIN her wrong answer was right, she would never get straight.

There are “many antichrists” in the world, people whose sole function is to draw people away from God and into hell. I watched a priest the other day, wearing a “stole” with rainbow colors on it, as he preached the way of godlessness. This so called priest said, in effect,

“God is gay. God is a lesbian.
God is trans. God is gender non-binary.
God is straight. God is Cisgender.
God is you, and you are God.”

This is utter nonsense, divorced from both Scripture and the Gospel. It is certain that God can understand where you are in life. But God does not endorse human philosophies – no matter how sincere you may be – so that you not be offended. God has a standard, and that standard is clearly presented in the Scripture. “God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son”. Why was Jesus “given”? He was “given” to pay the penalty for our sins.

Jesus did not come to enable our sins – but He came to save us from our sins. Sin is barrier between us and God. We are to walk in love with God and with one another. We are not to walk in sin.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake {God} made {Jesus} to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

We are not to walk in sin, but are to repent of sin and walk with Jesus. The other day I had an appointment to meet with the Principal at Riverside. Being escorted into his office, we talked for about 30 minutes before I had to go. I got up, opened the door to go out, and stepped right into the mop closet. As soon as I did, I immediately backed out – amusing the Principal – and went out the right door. This is an illustration of sin. I was sincere when I stepped into the mop closet. I was certain I was on the right path when I stepped into the mop closet. But I was wrong. I could have stubbornly insisted I was in the right place, and invite everybody else into the closet with me. Or I could REPENT, back out of the weird place, and go toward the light. The Apostle said:

1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) {Jesus} Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

And again, Romans 6:1-2, 6 (ESV) What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? … 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

The intent of the Cross of Christ is not just to GIVE LIFE, but to KILL DEATH. The Cross does not just COVER sin, it CHANGES the person. If you are comfortable in sin, you are not saved!

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

There were many in the first century Church that professed Christ as Savior, but were not saved. In fact, there were many who followed Jesus, but who abandoned Him when His teaching became hard. In John chapter 6 Jesus fed over 5000 people with five barley loaves and two fish, a child’s lunch. After this, Jesus went to Capernaum to preach. The crowd followed Jesus – not because they wanted Jesus, but because they wanted their bellies filled. Jesus told them:

John 6:26-27 (ESV) “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

The people then asked Jesus, “What must we do to work the works of God?” Jesus told them,

John 6:29 (ESV) “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Jesus told them that He was the Manna from Heaven, the Bread of Life. Jesus said, “everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). Jesus went on to explain that faith in Him is MORE THAN JUST WORDS. Jesus said,

John 6:51 (ESV) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.

What was Jesus saying? He was saying that saving faith is totally dependent on Jesus. The person saved receives Jesus, breathes in Jesus, puts his everything into Jesus. If you are saved, you are saved to be just like Jesus on this earth. Jesus even got more radical:

John 6:53-57 (ESV) Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.

Faith is feeding on Jesus. It is coming to Jesus hungry – and finding your hunger satisfied in Him. It is coming to Jesus thirsty – and finding your thirst satisfied in Him. That crowd of people thinned out that day. The Bible says,

John 6:66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

There were many who followed Jesus, and yet they were never born again. Those who were born again decided they would continue following Jesus – even if the whole world abandoned Him. Jesus has the words of truth!

Christians Are Called To Obedience

1 John 2:16-17 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Though salvation is a free gift from God, the PROOF of salvation is that we DO the WILL OF GOD.

You cannot be blessed in this life if you do not obey God. Before Israel went into the Promised Land, God told them:

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

God will not bless His people if we go to those “other gods”. We are expected to live FOR and WITH God once we have been saved. God tells us:

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 (ESV) God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

The things of this world are but temporary. God’s Kingdom is eternal. Let us live for Him, and in Him. Let us by our lives glorify Jesus Christ our Savior. Let us follow the leadership of our Lord. We will end with these words:

1 John 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

As believers together, we are to DO the right thing. The Gospel saves from the inside out. If you belong to Jesus, you are called to act like Jesus. If you belong to Him, you will live your lives so as to please Him in all you say and do. May God the Holy Spirit drive this truth deeply into our hearts. Amen and amen.

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Under The Fig Tree

Posted on February 24, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by veeterzy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-leafed-tree-38136/

John 1:43-48 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

Jesus Is Looking For Searching Hearts

Word Study: When Jesus meets people, He reaches out and meets all different types of people. In our text today Jesus meets Philip. Who introduced Philip to Jesus? If you read your text, it’s no one. The Bible says “Jesus … findeth Philip”. The word “findeth” is the Greek heyriskō (pronounced hyoo-ris’-ko), which means “to search for, to seek out to find something of value”. When Herod met the wise men, he told them

“Go, and search diligently for the baby Jesus – when you FIND (heyriskō) Him, come and tell me where He is ..” (Matthew 2:8, author’s paraphrase)

Jesus told us “seek, and you shall FIND (heyriskō)” (Matthew 7:7). Though Heyriskō may mean to stumble upon, it is often used to describe the results of diligently searching for something or someone of value. Jesus was diligently looking for Philip. Why is that?

I believe God is looking for those whose hearts are seeking Him.

The Psalmist said, Psalm 53:2 (CEV) From heaven God looks down to see if anyone is wise enough to search for Him.

In the Old Testament the first King of Israel was Saul. But Saul didn’t follow the Lord very well. Saul became prideful, and rather than follow the Lord began to follow his own agenda. God told Saul, “I seek a person after My own heart to lead My people” (1 Samuel 13:14). God led the Prophet Samuel to the home of Jesse, the father of the shepherd boy David. David the son of Jesse was “a man after God’s heart” (Acts 13:22). God looks for and desires those who look for Him. God is always looking for those who are looking for Him. We are told in the Book of Hebrews that “God rewards those who diligently look for Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Everyone has a knowledge that there must be a God Who made all things. Sometimes we – through human philosophies and foolishness – pretend that there is no God. That everything just “happened”. Yet common sense tells us that this is not true. God calls to our hearts, saying,

Psalm 27:8 “Seek My face”

“The Lord looks down from Heaven, and sees everyone” (Psalm 33:13). He doesn’t just see our outside, but our insides. He sees our hearts. God says,

“My eyes watch what you do – everything you do. There is nothing you do that is hidden from Me – I even see the bad.” (author’s paraphrase Jeremiah 16:17)

Since Jesus is God become Man, and God looks for those who look for Him, it is not hard to understand why Jesus sought out Philip. Philip had been looking for, longing for the Messiah, the Promised Savior of the world. When Jesus comes to Philip,

Jesus doesn’t introduce Himself.
He walks up to Philip and says, “Follow Me”.

What does Philip do? He doesn’t ask Jesus Who He is. Philip just follows Jesus. Verse 44 tells us that “Philip was of Bethsaida”, a town whose name means “the House of Fishing”. Both Andrew and his brother Peter live in Bethsaida, and it’s possible that they were all partners in the same fishing business. Yet Philip does not go to either Andrew or Peter, but to Nathanael.

Why did Philip go to Nathanael? I believe it was because not just Philip, but Nathanael was searching out and praying that the Messiah come. Though the text does not specifically state it, I believe that Nathanael was praying under a fig tree when Philip found him. Perhaps Philip and Nathanael were brothers in faith, who had often met and prayed that Israel would be saved from her sin, and restored to her land along with her King. When Jesus comes to Philip, Philip just knows this is the Messiah. The Holy Spirit confirms Jesus to his heart. And Philip with joy runs to where he and his friend Nathanael had often prayed for their fallen country.

John 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Word Study: Here’s that word heyriskō again. Philip finds his friend praying under a fig tree, and says, “We have found (heyriskō) him”. Nathanael, we’ve been looking for the Messiah. We’ve studied Him through the writings of “Moses in the law, and the prophets”. Our search for the Messiah is over – He is “Jesus of Nazareth”. The great Preacher C.H. Spurgeon said of Nathaniel:

“… Nathanael was an earnest seeker. Philip found him out because he felt that the good news would interest him. “We have found the Messiah,” would be no gladsome news to any one who had not looked for the Messiah; but Nathanael had been expecting the Christ, and perhaps had so well understood Moses and the prophets, that he had been led to look for his speedy coming. The time when Messiah would suddenly come in his temple had certainly arrived, and he was day and night with prayer, like all the faithful of the ten tribes, watching and waiting for the appearing of their salvation. He had not as yet heard that the glory of Israel had indeed come, but he was on the tiptoe of expectation.”

When Philip revealed that the Messiah was “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”, Nathanael responded

John 1:46And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?

For Whom Did Christ Come?

Some of the commentaries I read suggested that Nathanael was being a smart aleck or rude, but I don’t believe this is the case. Nazareth is in the Southern part of Galilee. Galilee was known as “Galilee of the Gentiles”, because there was a large population of Gentiles (non-Jewish people) living there. Nathaniel and Philip had studied about the coming of the Messiah, and knew the prophecies of Micah, that when Messiah came:

Micah 4:1-2 (ESV) It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, 2 and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.”

When Messiah came, Micah said that there would be peace in the land of Israel:

Micah 4:4 (ESV) … they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

Nathanael is under the fig tree praying that the Messiah would come. Oh, that the Christ would come and save His people. Then Philip says, “We’ve found the Messiah – He’s from NAZARETH”. But here’s the problem.

Nathanael has studied the prophesies of the Messiah and His coming. He knows from Micah the prophecy that Messiah would come from BETHLEHEM. Bethlehem is the City of David, the place where the Ruler – the Christ – would come from.

Micah 5:2 (ESV) But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

The Messiah would come to Israel from God to “Bethlehem Ephrathah”. We know that this is what actually happened. When the Wise Men from the East came looking for the Messiah, they came asking,

Matthew 2:2 “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star … and have come to worship Him.”

The Chief Priests and Scribes quoted the prophecy of Micah 5:2 (see Matthew 2:5-6) when citing where the Christ would be born. Good Orthodox Jews knew that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. So when Philip told Nathanael that Messiah was in NAZARETH, his natural reply would be

John 1:46 … Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?

Bethlehem is the City of David, the place of the prophecy. But Nazareth is in Galilee. Galilee was known as “Galilee of the Gentiles”. Why would the Messiah – the King of Israel – be found in Galilee of the Gentiles?

Because it was prophesied of God. God told Israel about the Coming Christ in …

Isaiah 9:6-7 (ESV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

You’ve probably heard me preach this text during the Christmas season. It is very well known, along with the prophecy that the Messiah would be born of a Virgin (Isaiah 7:14). But what’s interesting about the prophecy of the Messiah in Isaiah 9 is what comes in the preceding context:

Isaiah 9:1-2 (ESV) But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

When the Messiah came, He would be found in “Galilee of the nations”. When Jesus began His earthly ministry the Apostle Matthew quotes the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2, saying that when John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus …

Matthew 4:12-16 (ESV) … withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

Jesus went into “Galilee of the Gentiles” to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 9:2. Jesus went into “Galilee of the Gentiles” because He did not just come to save Israel – Jesus came to save whosoever will. The Apostle Paul said:

Romans 1:16 (ESV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The Messiah did not just come for the Jew – but for the Gentile as well. Jesus is the:

John 1:29 … Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1 John 2:2 (ESV) {Jesus} is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

John 3:16 (ESV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only {begotten} Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 11:25 (ESV) … I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live …

1 Timothy 2:6 (ESV) {Jesus} gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Jesus came building the Kingdom of God. As sinners are led of God to repent and surrender to Christ as Lord and Savior, they become citizens of the Kingdom of God – and Christ is our King. When the Apostle John looked into Heaven from the Isle of Patmos, what did he see?

Revelation 7:9-10 (ESV) … I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Our Lord Jesus commanded us just before ascending into Heaven:

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

Nathanael’s confusion is understandable, but Jesus came not just for Israel – but for all who will receive Him as Lord and Savior.

God The Son Saw Nathanael Under The Fig Tree

Philip did not argue with Nathanael, but simply said:

John 1:46-47 … Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is NO guile!

Word Study: As Nathanael comes with Philip to see Jesus, when he gets to Jesus our Lord says, “Here’s an Israelite in whom there is “NO GUILE”. The word “GUILE” is the Greek dolos, which means “deceitfulness, craftiness, trickiness”. Nathanael wasn’t like so many today who, saying one thing, he means another. The Bible tells us that God’s standard is that we:

Ephesians 4:15 … speak the TRUTH in LOVE …

We live in a day where people are deceitful, who use word games to get around and twist the truth. Nathanael was not like that. He spoke the truth, without trying to cushion it, or hide his meanings. When Jesus said “You are an Israelite who is not tricky or deceptive”, our Lord was probably thinking of the Scribes and Pharisees who twisted truth to suit themselves. Nathanael replies:

John 1:48 … Whence knowest thou me?

How do you know me, Jesus? Jesus replies:

John 1:48 … Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

“When Philip came to see you – I was already there, watching you! I saw you under the fig tree. I saw you praying there. I heard what you said to Peter about Me. I’m not mad about it – it was honest. Though I was no where around – I was there. You know why … I’m the Messiah.”

I can imagine chills going down Nathanael’s spine. This is not just some Rabbi from Nazareth. Jesus is more. He is the Messiah, the Son of God. Nathanael says:

John 1:49-51 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. 50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. 51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

In Genesis 28:12 Jacob (who would be called Israel) dreamed about a ladder between Heaven and earth. Angels went up and down this ladder to serve God. Jesus refers to “Jacob’s Ladder”, and the truth that He is the Door to Heaven. No one gets to God apart from Jesus Christ. What a wonderful truth this is!

If you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior, today is the day of salvation. Jesus is watching you. Jesus knows you. Do you know Jesus? If not, turn to Him today. Repent of your godless way of life, and believe that Jesus died for your sins, and rose from the grave to be your King. The Scripture promises:

Romans 10:9-11 (ESV) … if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Amen!

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The Cycle Of Judges

Posted on February 21, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-a-gavel-6077422/

Judges 2:6-10 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

We Are Saved To Shine Against Darkness

One commentary noted of Joshua:

“Joshua spent the remainder of his life leading the Israelites – first across the Jordan and then into battle after battle in the conquest of Canaan. His mission: to carve out a sizable beachhead which would serve as a launching point from which the individual tribes could finish the job in their assigned territories. Despite a few setbacks (Joshua 7, 9) Joshua enjoyed wild success, conquering six nations and thirty-one kings (Josh 11:18-23; 12:24).”

Joshua put the Lord first in all that he did. He did not try and conquer Canaan himself, but helped Israel get to the point where each tribe would be able – in faith – to reach out and conquer their own lands. There is a reason for this, one we can easily see in our present generation.

Costs Nothing, Worth Nothing: When I was growing up, very few parents bought their children their first car. When I wanted a car, dad told me to work for it, and that he would help. My granddaddy gave me a 1958 Rambler (wish I had it today) that I thought little of. It cost me nothing. It was old. Real old. Old As ME. So I really mistreated that car. But when I bought my first car, I spent part of every weekend washing, waxing, and polishing it both inside and out. The kids that received their cars gratis mistreated them, cared little for them. When you work for it, you care about it.

Joshua worked for God, and did as God said. But he expected each believer to do their part. It is a principle of Scripture that:

2 Thessalonians 3:10 … if a person will not work, that person shall not eat …

1 Thessalonians 5:18 … a worker deserves their wages …

Joshua did a great job for the Lord. We read in verse 7:

the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord,
that he did for Israel

The people served God while Joshua was alive. Joshua had seen “all the great works of the Lord”, and shared his testimony of victory with those around him. His testimony led others to trust in and obey the Lord – and this brought unprecedented victory. The people also served God while the “ELDERS THAT OUTLIVED JOSHUA” were alive. Again, these elders who served with Joshua saw how God had been faithful. God had helped Israel overcome impossible odds. God fed Israel with manna. God helped Israel conquer greater foes.

But Israel drifted from testing and trusting God. Faith believes in God, though the evidence appears otherwise. The Bible defines faith thusly:

Hebrews 11:1, 6 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. … 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The faith that saves “believes that God is” as He says He is. The faith that blesses must “diligently seek Him”. God blesses those who shine for Him.

When we come together as God’s people, we do so to encourage one another, to share how God has “given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). We come together as believers – whether as Israel under the Old Covenant or the Church under the New Covenant – to build up our faith. We read:

Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

You cannot “hold fast” your profession of faith if you are not working together with other believers. Your light MUST shine. You must live for God. People need to see Christ in you.

Plant The Gospel Seed Where You Can – Or Else

Judges 2:10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

Why didn’t this “generation” have a knowledge of God? Because God’s people got comfortable in their faith. They stopped telling their children about Jesus, stopped taking their kids to Church. It was too much work. God told Israel – and us:

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 7 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. … 7 and thou shalt teach your children {the Word of God} diligently …

I learned “hot” from my mama. She taught not to be burned, and how to harness fire to cook and care for the family. My dad taught me “fire”, and how to control it to burn off fields, burn trash, make campfires and barbecues. If someone doesn’t teach “hot” and “fire”, the child grows up ignorant and lazy … or an arsonist.

We must teach God to the new generation.
The government won’t do it, and often the parent won’t do it.
We are to get off the couch and shine!

When believers do not share the truths of God darkness grows. When believers stay in the Church and in the home and do not reach out in faith, in time no one remembers the great victories that faith brought in the previous generation. When we are told that this new generation “knew not the Lord”, this doesn’t mean they didn’t have a newspaper or dictionary knowledge of God. The Nelson Commentary notes, “The meaning of did not know [v. 10] is that the people deliberately refused to acknowledge God’s authority. It is not simply that they were ignorant, but that they were in unbelief”. This is much like our America today. Each person – each generation – must experience the power of God.

We live in a day of “easy believism” that touts a salvation without a Sovereign, and Calvary without a Cross.

When you do not pursue God’s presence and God’s will diligently, then in time complacency creeps in. Another commentary notes, “Biblical faith is only one generation away from extinction if parents and the community of faith fail to pass on, not just facts about God, but an intimate, daily, obedient faith relationship with Him (cf. Deut. 6:4-9)!”

It Is Evil For Us Not To Follow God

There are preachers today who teach that you can be saved, and never follow God. I believe these people are deluded – and need to read their Bibles. If you are saved, you MUST follow God. It is not optional.

Judges 2:11-13 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger. 13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

You often see parallels in Judges that help explain the verses. For instance, in verse 11 we read:

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord,
and served Baalim

As I read the text, I see the “children of Israel did evil” where God could see it, then we have “and” followed by “served Baalim”. Let’s start with “What are “Baalim”? This is the Hebrew Baʿal which simply means “lord”. The Baʿal was the supreme male god of the Phoenicians or Canaanites. The Baʿal is a false god, totally detached from the God of the Holy Bible. Just before Jesus went to the Cross – dying for our sins – He prayed these words in …

John 17:1-3 {Jesus prayed} … Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

The God of our Bible, the God that sent Jesus Christ to this earth, is the “only true God”. There are no other gods and goddesses but One, that is our God. The Apostle wrote:

1 John 5:20 (ESV) … we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Moses came representing God under the Law, but man would not listen. So Jesus came representing God under Grace – and yet often man will not listen. Jesus is the Manifest Member of the Godhead. All other gods and goddesses that have ever been are but pale imitations of the True God. Many people chase after these imitations, but what they chase is a figment of the imagination. There is but ONE God, and His story is found in the Holy Bible. The Prophet said:

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV) Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Israel stopped following God, and instead followed Baalim or Baʿal. In verse 11 we read “the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim”. What led them to serving “Baalim”? The next verse says:

vs 12 they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them

Rather than honoring the God Who saved them, they turned away from Him to follow other false gods. Why? We were designed to worship. We are made in the image of God, to walk with God. When we do not pursue God, we will pursue false gods.

Judges 2:13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

Word Study: What is the difference between “Baal” and “Ashtaroth”? The male god Baal was associated with the sun and nature (rain, plant growth). The goddess Ashtaroth was related to sexuality and fertility. These false gods can be traced back to Nimrod, a mighty politician and a mighty hunter (Genesis 10:8-12) who built the cities of Babel, Erech, Accad, Calneh, Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen. He had no love for God, but for himself and his power. When the devil tempted our Lord Jesus in the wilderness, he said:

Matthew 4:9 “All these worldly kingdoms I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me.”

Many people have “gained the whole world, but lost their soul” (Mark 8:34-38). Jesus told Satan,

Matthew 4:10 … “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

You can gain much following Satan. But in time, you’ll find that it’s a bad path to follow. “The Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge” states:

“The greatest sin a human being can commit is not murder or rape or other despicable acts of atrocity. It is to turn his back on the living God to serve man-made gods”.

When we turn away from the God Who made us, the God of the Scripture, we turn against the God Who designed our conscience and our souls.

When God’s People Sin, The Great Shepherd Punishes

Judges 2:14-15 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

If you are a Christian, you are a part of the Family of God – and God is your Father. When God’s Children walk away and wallow in sin, God WILL punish. We are told in:

Hebrews 12:5-11 (ESV) “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

God disciplines His people when they wander away from what He has deemed righteous. Discipline should not discourage us, but encourage us. The proof of salvation is that – when disciplined – we repent and return to our Father and Savior. When God disciplines, He often uses others – sometimes our enemies – to punish us. God “delivered Israel into the hands of spoilers”. The word “spoilers” is the Hebrew šāsâ, the same word as the Egyptian name for the robber Bedouin of the desert, shasu.

These nomadic thieves would come in, rustle cattle, or destroy their crops. Since His people despised their birthright (as did Esau) and sold their Father’s love for a false god, God “sold them” to the unbelievers. They lost their liberty. When we walk away from God, we enslave ourselves to sin and the things of this world. The Scripture says:

Romans 6:16 (NLT) Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

God’s people are to walk in the light with God our Savior, obeying Him, living for Him. When we do so, we walk in victory. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4). Walking in faith with God, we will overcome, for our Jesus is the Overcomer. But Beloved, we must stand with Him. We must “let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Judges 2:16-19 Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. 17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so. 18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. 19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

Now the Bible describes the cycle of disobedience that Israel follows:

Disobedience
Discipline
Despair
Deliverance

Throughout the Book of Judges we do not see Israel gaining any new territory. We see a people stuck in disobedience. But we also see our God Who loves us so much that He raises up Judges to save the nation. We close with:

Judges 2:20-23 … And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; 21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: 22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. 23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

May we as His people not follow the cycle of discipline that Israel chose. May God the Holy Spirit teach us from His Word. Amen and Amen.

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We Keep His Commandments

Posted on February 19, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Jens Johnsson: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-wooden-arrow-signed-66100/

1 John 2:3-6 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Opening: Yet another Church falls from the light of God. Last week the Church of England (Anglicans) decided it would bless “civil marriages and partnerships of same sex couples”. As with many other mainline denominations, compromise with the error of our age will not bless but divide the Church. The Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America noted:

“the Church of England is moving a step at a time to fully accept the practice of homosexuality as part of the life and practice of the English Church. … We have lived through this with other Western Anglican Provinces that continually wavered on the ‘faith once delivered’ (Jude 3) and now outright deny the doctrine of biblical anthropology regarding gender identity and moral behavior. Those in the secular press and culture will argue that these are matters of justice, but God’s justice can never contradict God’s righteousness, and we know these changes attack the very core of biblical authority. Have the Scriptures been clear on human sexuality through the centuries? Yes, they have. The majority of Anglicans around the world have concluded the same. And yet, now, the Church of England has authorized the blessing of sin and declared that sin is no longer sin.”

When sin is normalized, no one wins.

During World War II the German nation under Adolf Hitler began to normalize antisemitism and the destruction of Jewish businesses. Jews were caricatured in newspapers as rats and thieves, and blamed for the poor economy of Germany. It wasn’t long before Jews were gathered into ghettos, stripped of their property, and in time were objects of mass murder and cremation in concentration camps. Most of the Churches in Germany went along with the programs, which allowed for its widespread acceptance and inhumanity. One pastor named Dietrich Bonhoeffer died in Buchenwald prison on February 7, 1945. He was stripped naked and hung for the crime of working with the underground resistance and for helping Jews to safety. What is interesting about his death was that he could have avoided it. Christian History magazine notes,

“His death would not have happened if it had not been for his conscience. At the start of World War II, he had been safe in America. By his own choice he returned to his native Germany, saying “I shall have no right to participate in the reconstruction of the Christian life in Germany after the war if I did not share in the trials of this time with my people.” Bonhoeffer wrote in his book The Cost Of Discipleship, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die … Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God’s will ..”

Yes, We Avoid Sin… But Being A Christian Is More:
Christians DO What Our God Says.

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

Word Study: The word “know” is the Greek ginōskō, which means “to have a knowledge of, to intimately understand”. This same word is used of Joseph when the Angel told him that his virgin bride Mary was carrying the Messiah inside her. The Bible says:

Mathew 1:25 {And Joseph did not} KNOW her until Mary brought forth her firstborn Son: and Joseph called His name JESUS. (Author’s paraphrase)

When the Bible says “Joseph did not KNOW her” it is speaking of an intimate knowledge or experience e, in this case the wedding bed (Hebrews 13:4). To KNOW Jesus is not just to have a dictionary knowledgte of him. I “know” Abraham Lincoln. I “know” Ronald Reagan. Never met them, but I “know” them. But not like ginōskō. It is so important that we ginōskō or KNOW Jesus. If you don’t know Jesus, then one day you’ll meet Him and He’ll say to you,

Matthew 7:23 I never KNEW (ginōskō) you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity ..

Do you know Him? Are you sure? How can I KNOW that I KNOW Jesus? Here we are given the key to eternity:

we keep his commandments

Jesus expects us to “keep his commandments”. Didn’t He say,

John 14:15 … If you LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS …

Do you say you are saved, in a loving relationship with God through Jesus? Then you must OBEY Jesus. You must DO what he says do. The Apostle John repeats this in God’s Book:

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

We know we love Jesus because we obey Jesus. How do we KNOW that Jesus loves us back?

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

The Son of God obeys God. A son of God obeys God. As Jesus obeyed the direction of the Father, we obey the direction of Jesus. One of the most egregious lies ever promoted by Satan – and swallowed by many in the Church hook, line, and sinker, is that

“I can RECEIVE Jesus as SAVIOR and yet
REJECT Him as SOVEREIGN LORD and still be saved”.

Osborne Reef & False Evangelism: There is something called “The Law of unintended consequences”. For instance, have you ever heard of the Osborne Reef (1972)? There were too many old tires filling up land fills, so someone thought it would be a good idea to dump the tires off the coast of Florida. The idea was that it would create a reef that would benefit marine life. Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions! What could possibly go wrong? Tires are round, and they roll, rolling around in the tide and destroying the natural coral that grew nearby. Tires also are leaking toxins into the Florida Coastline. The tires have not helped, but have destroyed the reef in Florida. This mess will take years to clean up, and untold millions of dollars – if it ever gets cleaned up. Consider corn ethanol, found in much of the gasoline we use today. The word was that corn ethanol was cheaper, cleaner, and renewable. So the government mandated its consumption. Sounds like a great idea with the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong? Ethanol produces more greenhouse gasses than traditional gasoline, causing environmental damage. According to scientists at Cornell University and the University of California, making 1 gallon of ethanol requires 1.29 gallons of fossil fuel. How does this tie into the problem of false evangelism? Years ago well intentioned pastors and evangelists thought that preaching the salvation of sinners without the sovereignty of Christ would be a good idea. Let’s get people to walk the aisles of the Church and get them on a membership roll. Once they are on the roll, then we’ll blanket America with the Gospel. It was a great idea with the best of intentions. What possibly could go wrong? Everything! Being on the roll of the Church does not make you the LIGHT that Jesus demands we be. We as the LIGHT are not to compromise with the darkness – something that will often bring us into conflict with the culture around us. A salvation that SAVES but does not bend the knee to the SOVEREIGN Christ is not in the Scripture – A N Y W H E R E! One commentary I came across explained it this way: Many Churches today offer a BASIC salvation package where you can go to Heaven upon death, but it has no effect on your present life. Or you can choose the DELUXE salvation package that is less fire insurance and more like a home renovation package.

NEITHER is Biblical Christianity.

Jesus Christ gave ALL of Himself to save you, and you give all of YOURSELF to Him. If you’re saved, He’s the Boss. Jesus was very clear on what He expected:

Matthew 16:24-27 … If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Jesus will one day REPAY EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO WHAT HE HAS DONE. Yes, salvation is by Grace – it is a free gift from God, fully secured by the Blood of the Christ shed upon Calvary. You are saved by “receiving Jesus”. God the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel causes your spiritual eyes to open. Jesus comes along, and holds out His nail scarred hands. He calls you, “Receive ME”. Now Who is the “ME” that Jesus is? What did the Apostle Peter preach on the Day of Pentecost?:

Acts 2:36 … … God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Jesus is both LORD and CHRIST (Savior/ Messiah). He is not one or the other. He is both. Peter would write the Church long after this in:

2 Peter 3:18 … grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. …

One of my favorite Scriptures is Ephesians 2:8-10, which is a complete picture of salvation. In verses 8-9 we read, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” If you stop here, you see the declaration that “Jesus is Savior”. But when you read verse 10 you hear, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”.

The SAVED are following the SOVEREIGN Christ in works, in behavior, in manifest light – in loving opposition to the world.

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

We keep “his commandments”, not our desires. The soul that comes to Jesus for salvation will be saved from the self centeredness of sin. Your focus, dear Christian, is your RELATIONSHIP to Jesus. He reminds us:

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

If I am preaching to please ME, my target is wrong. If I am preaching to please YOU, my target is wrong. Now apply this to YOUR works. Everything you do should please JESUS. YOUR target is Jesus too. Jesus said that those who “hear His words and DO THEM is wise” (Matthew 7:24), whereas those who “hear His words and DO NOT DO THEM is foolish” (Matthew 7:26). Those who are saved are to be “Light in the Lord” (Ephesians 56:8). We are to live as

Philippians 2:15 … “sons of God, without rebuke, the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, AMONG WHOM YE SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD”

Jesus could not have been more specific when He spoke of His judgment, saying:

Matthew 25:33-40 … (ESV) He will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Jesus did things to lift people up. Jesus expects His sons and daughters to do the same.

We are to feed the hungry.
We are to give water to the thirsty.
We are to share the Gospel of salvation to all.
We are to go to those in need, and lift up.
We are to welcome the stranger,
But we are NOT to welcome the stranger’s false god.
We are to DO GOOD.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

Some professing Christians are NEVER weary in well doing because they’ve never done the first thing for Jesus. They were never baptized. They never give of their finances to others. They rarely read the Word of God, pray, or spend time with God’s people. One day these professors will hear Jesus say,

Matthew 25:41-46 (ESV) … “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ … 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

If you live like you belong in hell or live like you belong in Heaven – you’ll end up there.

Do You KNOW – Intimately Know – Jesus?

1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Word Study: We looked at the word “KNOW”, now let’s look at the word “keepeth”, the Greek tēreō. This word means “to watch for, to preserve, to hold fast to, to guard”. Jesus used this word when He told a young rich man:

Matthew 19:17 … If you want to enter into life, KEEP (tēreō) God’s commandments …

And Jesus told His disciples in the Great Commission:

Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe (tēreō) all things whatsoever I have commanded you…

And again Jesus said,

John 8:51 Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man KEEP (tēreō) MY SAYING, he shall never see death …

The Holy Spirit indwells the Saved!

When a person is saved, the “TRUTH” comes and indwells that person. What do I mean by that? It is the Holy Spirit of God Who draws a person to Christ. Jesus told His disciples while He was on the earth,

John 14:15-17 (ESV) “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

When you turn your life over to Jesus, receiving Him as Lord and Savior, He sends the Holy Spirit of God – the “SPIRIT OF TRUTH” to both “dwell with you and be in you”. When Jesus saves a person, He plants the Holy Spirit into our lives in a very real way. We are saved from the inside out. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. The Comforter, the …

John 14:26 (ESV) … Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

We who are saved do what Jesus said, because the Spirit of God Who indwells us leads us to do so. Our “body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and that YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit lives in us to lead to in the Way of Christ, to be like Jesus. The unbeliever stands convicted under the Law of God, unrighteous and lawless. But the Child of God by faith in Christ is “led by the Spirit of God, and is not under the Law” (Galatians 5:18). If you are saved, the fruit of your life is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit speaks to us, telling us that we a Children of God (Romans 8:9, 15; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 2:27).

A Christian is in a God indwelt relationship with the Creator

You may drift momentarily from God, but the Spirit of God will draw you back. If you say “I know him” and have no concern for Jesus’ commandments, then John very plainly tells you that you are “a liar”. God has given us a very clear illustration of the professing but lost and the possessing but confused in Christ’s Apostles.

Illustration: The Apostle Peter was “possessing but confused”. Peter told Jesus, “I’ll never deny You, Lord”, but Jesus told him, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me” (Luke 22:34). What happened? Peter denied the Lord. Later after our Lord was crucified, dead, and resurrected, Peter ran back to Jesus’ arms. Why? Because – though confused – Peter was possessed of God. He was indwelt of God.

But then you have the Apostle Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot followed Jesus just as long as Peter did. Judas not only denied Jesus, but he betrayed the Master for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). Whereas Peter repented and returned to the arms of Christ, Judas changed his mind (Matthew 27:3) and tried to return the money to the priests. He did not return to Jesus, but to the scene of the crime. He did not turn his heart over to Jesus, but “throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself”. God was not in his life, nor in his heart. Jesus chose Judas, but knew he was a devil (John 6:70).

Judas’ religion was external. It was man made. But Peter’s faith is God made. God’s people may stumble, but they are characterized by walking as Jesus walked.

Those Truly Saved Will Seek To Walk as Jesus Walked

1 John 2:5-6 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

When God saved you – if He saved you – He also predestined you to be like Jesus. We are told in

Romans 8:29 For whom {God} did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

If you are saved by faith in Christ, you are PREDESTINATED to be like Christ. In the first Creation God made all people to be “in his image” (Genesis 1:27). When you were born into this world you, like all humans, are made “in the image of God”. You are not animals. You are above the animals, but lower than the angels. BUT in the second Creation, the Creation you underwent when God entered your life and called you to salvation, you are programmed to be “conformed to the image of his Son”. You are to be like Jesus. You are to imitate Jesus. You are to think like Jesus. You are to love like Jesus. You are to live like Jesus. “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Perhaps in the course of this message, God the Holy Spirit has opened your eyes to the need to “call upon the name of the Lord and be saved”. If He has, today is the day to call upon Him. The Scripture promises you, “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. My prayer is that you run into the arms of Jesus today. May God touch your hearts with His Spirit. Amen and Amen.

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