Fearing God Is The Beginning Of Knowledge

Posted on December 16, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Rene Asmussen: https://www.pexels.com/photo/grayscale-photo-of-woman-peeking-on-planks-25757/

A subject that I have heard come up repeatedly in our Church lately is “Fear of the Lord”. What is “Fear of the Lord”? What is NOT “Fear of the Lord?”

Illustrate: Over a decade ago, in the Baptist Association that I was a part of, one of our associate local Churches began to baptize and receive into membership those who were living together in same sex marriages. Though every Baptist Church enjoys autonomy in how they conduct their services and operations, every Baptist Association is also autonomous. To join a Baptist Association you agree to its doctrinal view. As an Association we affirmed the Baptist Faith & Message (2000). By baptizing and receiving practicing LGBTQ persons into Church membership, this particular local Church rejected not only the Bible teachings, but also the Southern Baptist Faith and Message, portions of which read:

XV. The Christian and Social Order

“In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. ..”

XVIII. The Family

“Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.”

Our Association asked the Pastor of this Church to come and speak to the matter. Though every Church is autonomous, every Association is autonomous in which churches they will bind together with. When that Pastor came to speak, though I do not remember the man’s name, I remember his opening “monologue”. He opened with …

“A middle aged woman named Susan had a heart attack. Being rushed to the hospital, she is revived – but not before she has a near death experience. During that experience she meets God, and asks ‘is it time for me to leave this earth?’. God tells her, ‘No. You’ve got another 30 years coming to you. Go back!’ After her recovery Susan decides that – since she has 30 more years – she would get her body “fixed”. She had a face lift, liposuction, laser surgery on her eyes, breast augmentation … if it could be done, she had it done. Leaving the hospital after her final “surgical fix” she steps out into the path of a speeding ambulance, and dies instantly. Arriving before God she complains. ‘God, You told me I had 30 more years.’ God replies, ‘Why Susan, I didn’t recognize you’.”

I see a few strained grins, but frankly I didn’t find it to be funny. It does, however, show an absolute disrespect for God, and Who God is. The joke is not funny because:

  • No one goes to Heaven without a saving knowledge of God through faith in Christ Jesus (John 14:6; 1 Peter 2:4; John 3:13; 1 John 2:2; Hebrews 10:26).
  • No one can meet God face to face and live (John 1:18; Exodus 33:20)
  • The Bible tells us that “there is one God, and one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus speaks for the Father.
  • Nothing can be hidden from God (Hebrews 4:13; Luke 8:17)

I could go on and on. But it was evident to me that this Pastor of that particular local Church had absolutely no fear of God.

What Exactly Is “The Fear Of The Lord”? Solomon Speaks.

When people hear “Fear of the Lord” they assume it means the kind of fear that causes one to run and hide. The fear of the Lord can be that way. For instance, when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden and heard God coming, the Bible says:

Genesis 3:8 … Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

When questioned by God as to why they hid themselves, Adam said:

Genesis 3:10 … I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Adam hid from our Holy God because he disobeyed the Lord – and rightfully “was afraid”. This is a right fear of God. Or else, we can see the fear of God revealed at the final judgment:

Revelation 20::11 … I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

These are instances of “fearing God” that are valid. But this is not what God is commanding us to do in the Scripture when we are told to “fear the Lord”.

Fear of the Lord is NOT a phobia, but is a state of always putting God in first place, and all else second.

Fear of the Lord means to be more concerned about what God has said than your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter followers believe. King Solomon became the greatest King this world has ever seem by “fearing the Lord”. When Solomon prayed to God, the Lord came to him in 1 Kings 3:5-28 and said:

“Solomon, you can have anything you want. Ask and I will give it.”

Solomon did not ask God for riches, or power, or fame. Solomon asked God to make him the best king he could possibly be. He said, “God, give me the wisdom to rule and judge your people well”. This is “fear of the Lord”. It is a desire to put God first in all that you do. Because Solomon “feared the Lord”, God gave him the promise,

“You will have riches and honor all your life.
There will be no other king in the world as great as you!”

When Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs, he highlighted the importance of fearing God as a believer.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The “Fear of the Lord” is the starting place for KNOWLEDGE. Adrian Rogers said, “Knowledge is learned, but wisdom is given”. Knowledge deals with facts, truths, reality. Knowledge can be gained by study. Wisdom comes from God. Wisdom shows us how to apply the knowledge we have to our lives. The Bible says:

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Fear of the Lord means that we understand that proper living can only come by submission to Him. Solomon said “fools despise wisdom and instruction”. The word “fool” is used in scripture for those who despise God and His Word, for those who reject the Bible for human philosophies. Twice we are told in the Psalms, “The FOOL hath said in his heart, THERE IS NO GOD” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). President Ronald Reagan said many years ago,

“I do not understand Atheism. Sometimes when I’m faced with an atheist, I am tempted to invite him to the greatest gourmet dinner that one could ever serve, and when we have finished eating that magnificent dinner, to ask him if he believes there is a cook.”

Solomon speaks sixteen times on what the “fear of the Lord” is, more than any other Book in the Scripture.

We previously saw that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of KNOWLEDGE”. Even in Solomon’s day people turned away from “fear of the Lord” in favor of humanism and vain philosophies. Since God is the Giver of Wisdom, to turn from Him is to cut off the Source of wisdom, to become more and more foolish. They bring upon themselves destruction:

Proverbs 1:27-30 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

Putting human systems of faith above faith in the Creator leads us down a wormhole to destruction. Because Israel turned from “fear of the Lord”, they were conquered from without. Because America turns from “fear of the Lord” we are headed toward the same abyss!

It is “fear of the Lord” that encourages a people
to avoid what God has called “sin” (Exodus 20:20)

Proverbs 2:3-5 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

God is willing to share the truth with anyone who seeks it out. People do not have a “fear of the Lord” today because the average person has no respect for God’s Word, the Bible. People would rather watch a re-run on television than read the Word of God. People would rather go to a park or a ball game on Sunday than pick up the Holy Book.

We actually cherish what we do, and do what we cherish. As a Christian studies and pursues the truths that God has given in His Scripture, that Christian will begin to “fear the Lord”, to respect God as He is. God is not like us. We have limits. God is limitless. Jesus said:

Luke 1:37 … with God nothing shall be impossible

When we “fear the Lord” and put God first, we have the promise that God will lengthen and bless our lives.

Proverb 3:1-8 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear {יָרֵא yârêʼ, [yaw-ray]} the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

Fear of the Lord is to fully trust in God with all your heart.
Fear of the Lord is to distrust your own abilities.
Fear of the Lord is to be open to His direction.
Fear of the Lord is to seek wisdom from God only.
Fear of the Lord is to reject evil in any form.

When we put God first “fearing” Him above all others, God physically and spiritually blesses our lives.

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Word Study: Those who choose to “tolerate” sin rather than to reject it have no fear of God. “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil”. What is evil? It is “pride”, to elevate what you “feel” above what God has declared. After “PRIDE” there is “ARROGANCY”, the Hebrew gâʼôwn, [pronounced gaw-ohn’] which means “to be majestic, puffed up, visibly pompous”. This is accompanied with a “froward” (tahpuḵôṯ) or “perverse mouth”.

Rather than carrying the Cross for Christ amid the jeers and japes of the world, those with no fear of God carry the rainbow flag to the delight and adulation of the lost crowd.

Many today are afraid to stand up for their faith in Christ. When we fear to stand up with God and lovingly speak the truth, we become part of the darkness rather than children of light. Solomon encouraged his Israel, saying:

Proverbs 14:25-27 A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies. 26 In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

To stand up with God in Christ while rejecting the false philosophies of this world will “deliver souls” from death and damnation. In putting God first, the Gospel leads people away from darkness and death and into the light of God.

Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

It is God Who made us, and God Who knows what is best for us.

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

The Bible tells us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). When we reject the way of Christ and the way of God’s Word for our own path, we make ourselves miserable. Those who fear the Lord have the promise of life. Jesus said:

John 10:10 … I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

If we would choose life, we must choose to fear the Lord. To fail to fear the Lord is to put yourself, your family, your community, and your nation at risk.

God Can Protect Us If We Put Him First

I have heard it said that God does not expect our fear, but our love. I cannot agree with that. Fear of the Lord is bound to the Fatherhood of God. God told His people Israel when they went into the Promised Land:

Deuteronomy 6:1-3 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: 2 That thou mightest fear {yârêʼ, [yaw-ray’]} the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

God sent Israel into a land filled with not only milk and honey, but also filled with enemies. God told His people that He had given them “commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them”. Israel was to focus on pleasing God by doing what God said. Israel was to “fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments”. As long as their focus was on putting God first, Israel would be protected from the superior forces around them. As a nation Israel would “increase mightily” because they did that which God told them to do.

Our Lord Jesus applied the same standard to what He told us to do. He said:

Matthew 7:24-27 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: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 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.

To not only HEAR but to DO what Jesus said is to have fear for the Lord. It is to fear the consequences of rejecting His directives. America has no fear of God today, thus we make laws that are the total opposite of what the Bible clearly teaches. We normalize sinful activity, and say that such behavior is beneath the scrutiny of God. Yet this is absolutely not true. We are to fear the Lord – to be in awe of Him:

Psalm 33:6-13 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear {yârêʼ, [yaw-ray]} the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. 13 The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.

We fear God because of His utter immensity. He merely spoke, and with a few words uttered all things into existence. We fear the Lord, that is, stand in awe of Him. “Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him”. God is not the “Big Man upstairs”, as some have depicted Him. God is not the “Sky Daddy” as others have mocked Him. God is immense in power. People plot and plan against God and His Word. Congress passes laws that mock God and creation. And yet, “The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect”. In the end God dismantles the evil, for the “counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations”. God cannot be thwarted or turned against. His ways will stand forever. Solomon not only wrote Proverbs, but Ecclesiastes, a series of ancient sermons. In

Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

Those who reject the Gospel and the salvation only found by faith in Christ may prosper for a timer on this earth. But in time their feet shall slip, for they are not embraced of God.

If you reject Jesus as Lord and Savior, you should fear God because judgment in an eternal lake of firer is coming. If you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, you should fear God because He punishes the child who disobeys Him (see Hebrews 12:5-11). David Hocking wrote in his essay, The Fear of God:

“So, what is the fear of the Lord? It is the knowledge of God Himself. When you fear God, you have decided that knowing who God is is more important than anything else in life. Are you following? … You say, what is the fear of God? It is the key to knowledge and understanding and wisdom. It is also the knowledge of God Himself, and it is respect for the power of God’s Word. You stand in awe. You fear, why?-because He spoke and it was done. … When you fear God, you hate what He hates. You hate sin. You say, “What is the fear of God?” It is the hatred of sin. And what do we see in our culture? We see a giant toleration of sin. We see also a redefinition of sin-things that God says are wrong, people are saying that it is okay. Listen, if you fear God, what that fear of God is, is a hatred of sin.”

Is Fear Of The Lord A New Testament Standard?

Yes, it is. Our Lord Jesus commanded us in:

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather Fear {phobéō, [pronounced fob-eh’-o]} Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 12:4-5 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear {phobéō, [pronounced fob-eh’-o]} Him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Our God is loving, merciful, and forgiving. But our God is also holy, just, and righteous. We realize that our God is bigger than anything – even us – and that there is nothing our Lord cannot do. We also need to understand that God despises sin. The Chief Apostle wrote:

1 Peter 2:17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear {phobeō} God. Honor the king.

As the Apostle Paul went out sharing the Gospel with the Gentiles, his motivating force was fear of God:

2 Corinthians 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror {phobos, fear} of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

When Christians comes together, they are to cooperate with one another under the leadership of Christ because we fear God:

Ephesians 5:18-21 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear {phobos} of God.

And it is the fear of God that encourages us to be more like Jesus every day. The Scripture says:

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear {phobos} of God.

Fear of God is not an antiquated notion. It is the bedrock upon which the Christian faith is built. Let us put God in first place in our Church, our homes, our communities, and our country. Only then will we experience the the blessings of God Almighty. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12). May God the Holy Spirit guide you in understanding this great truth. Amen and Amen.

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Where Will You Fill Your Cup?

Posted on December 14, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Chevanon Photography: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-coffee-cup-on-table-312418/

In Romans chapter 1, the Apostle encouraged the Church to continue placing all its trust in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel has the power to save whosoever will. The Gospel gives the one who believes in it purpose of being.

The Gospel effects the heart of the recipient,
which in turn guides the hand of the recipient.

If the Gospel believed does not change the outward works of the one who receives it, then the Gospel was never received in the first place. We saw how following an idol or empty god leads to idle or vain behavior. The Apostle said of those who reject the Gospel that …

Romans 1:28 … And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Word Study: The words “not convenient” is the Greek mē kathēkō, meaning “things not becoming or fit, actions that are improper”. The same word was used by the Pharisees for the Apostle Paul in Acts 22:22. Paul told them that Jesus called him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles. At hearing this word the Pharisees cried out:

Acts 22:22 (ASV) Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

They were going to kill Paul (though they didn’t get away with it). To them, what Paul said was mē kathēkō, not fit nor right. When people reject the Gospel of salvation by faith in Christ then their outward works become mē kathēkō, not fit nor right. The point is this:

You Can Open Your Life To Jesus, And He Will Fill Your Cup, or
You Can Refuse The Gospel, And The World Will Fill Your Cup

What do people fill their lives with if they reject Jesus? We come to a section of Scripture most people skip over, but what is very important for us to understand. We will look at these godless traits found in the world today in detail. The Apostle says that the rejector of the Gospel is “Being filled”. Every day that the Gospel and the Word of God is rejected, the devil and the world actively fill the souls of the lost with darkness. The devil never takes a day off.

Illustrate: I read a devotional this morning where the author (I forget his name) said that foolish people consider the Church of Christ to be a cruise ship. On the cruise ship, every day is a party, and the ship exists to satisfy the desires and wants of the passengers. The author noted that the Church is NOT a cruise ship, but a battleship. We are at war with a powerful foe who is serious about defeating our Commander in Chief Jesus Christ. We are not passengers. We are members of the crew, with important duties we must do.

Without the Gospel people are “Being filled with” the works of darkness. We read:

Romans 1:29 … Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Word Study: “unrighteousness” (Greek adikia) means “that which God has said is not right or according to His standard”. Starting this list with “unrighteousness”, the Apostle now gets very specific. He addresses

Word Study: “fornication” (Greek porneia) is where we get our word “pornography”. It is a blanket term for sin outside of the Biblical wedding bed. The word “wickedness” (Greek ponēria) is “depravity, iniquity, malicious acts, purposes or desires”. When the Pharisees plotted to trap Jesus with His own words (Matthew 22:15) Jesus “perceived their ponēria/ wickedness”. It is evil plotting that seeks to ensnare, characteristic of Satan and his forces (see Ephesians 6:12). “covetousness” (Greek pleonexia) is a “greedy desire for more than God has given”. Jesus warned us:

Luke 12:15 … Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth

If you value your life based only upon the things that you possess, then you will be apt to commit suicide if you lose your stuff. To elevate STUFF above the SOUL is foolish. When Job lost all his stuff he said, “the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD”.

It is not what you POSSESS, but
WHO POSSESSES YOU that matters!

Word Study: “maliciousness” (Greek kakia) is “evil or wicked actions that the doer perceives without shame”. When the Sorcerer Simon sought to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit from the Apostles, Peter told him

Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee

There is no evidence Simon ever repented – though he asked the Apostles to pray for him.

Word Study: “full of envy” (Greek mestos phthonos) means “to desire what another has”. The Pharisees delivered Jesus to Pilate for judgment because they envied His following (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10). It is interesting that phthonos or envy of another precedes MURDER (Galatians 5:21), FIGHTING (1 Timothy 6:4), HATE CRIMES (Titus 3:3) and BACK BITING or SLANDER (1 Peter 2:1). We are not called to envy or desire what another person has. We as Christians are called to love and uplift others to the love of Christ.

Word Study: “murder” (Greek phónos) is the taking of innocent life. “debate” (Greek éris) is to “quarrel, to verbally strive over, to bring contention or division by word into the relationship”. Christians are not to be argumentative, but to be …

Ephesians 4:15 speaking the truth IN LOVE ….

Illustrate: I heard motivational speaker Neal Foard tell a story of a young man who invited a girlfriend home to meet his parents at Thanksgiving. It was his intention to ask this young lady to marry him. During the meal, the man’s mother and his girlfriend got in an argument about gluten. It got very heated, and the young lady got up from the table. The man’s father got the young girl to the side and counseled her, saying – and I love this:

“Conversation is not a battle to win. It’s an investment
that grows in value over time.”

God gave us tongues not to rip one another apart with. He gave us tongues so we can pray, worship Him, and lovingly share His Word with others. Sun Tzu, a very successful Chinese Military General (544-496 BC) wrote, “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle”. Those are good words!

Word Study: “deceit” (Greek dolos) means “to sneak about, to be tricky or sly like a weasel or a fox”. The Pharisees plotted together to “take Jesus by subtlety (dolos)” (Matthew 26:4). God despises hypocrisy, people who say one thing then – sneaking about – do the exact opposite. When Jesus met Nathaniel our Lord said, “Behold a TRUE Israelite in whom there is no GUILE (dolos)”. Jesus never had dolos. He always spoke plainly (see 1 Peter 2:22). God promises long life to those who avoid verbal hypocrisy (1 Peter 3:10).

Word Study: “malignity” (Greek kakoētheia) is “malicious craftiness”. “whisperers” (Greek psithyristēs) is “behind the back slandering”. Again, a form of hypocrisy.

Romans 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Word Study: “Backbiters” (Greek katalalos) means “one who speaks evil of another”. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:22 … whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Word Study: The word “Raca” (Greek rhaka) means “you have an empty head, you are senseless or brainless, you don’t have the sense God gave gave a billy goat!”. To say to a brother in the faith that he is senseless could be cause for that speaker to be brought before the Council or the Jewish Sanhedrin for judgment. The Sanhedrin did not examine minor infractions – these were judged by the priests. But to call someone empty headed was a serious charge of slander. However to call someone a “fool” (Greek mōros) is to say that they are “godless”. The mōros person is one who has turned against the clearly presented Word of God. Jesus said that …

Matthew 7:26 every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish (mōros) man, which built his house upon the sand:

Jesus often chastised the Pharisees – the religious right of His day – of being mōros (Matthew 23:17-19) because they heard God’s Word but did not follow it.

Word Study: “haters of God” is self explanatory. Our world is filled with haters of God, the God of the Scripture. “despiteful” (Greek hybristēs) means “those who are insolent, insulters, those who wrongly speak so as to wound another’s life”. The categories “proud” (Greek hyperēphanos), “boasters” (Greek alazōn), and “inventors of evil things” is again self explanatory. Those who are “proud” are following the same self destructive path that Lucifer, the fallen Archangel, is taking. The Bible says:

James 4:6 … God resisteth the proud (hyperēphanos), but giveth grace unto the humble.

And again in 1 Peter 5:5 … God resisteth the proud (hyperēphanos), and giveth grace to the humble.

It is interesting that both Peter and James uses the exact same statement on pride. God cannot work with the prideful, but only with the humble.

Evil Is Always Very Creative

Word Study: “inventors of evil things”. When righteousness is forsaken, and the Gospel is rejected, then sin evolves into ever greater darkness. Adrian Rogers said:

“We’re told, “God is a God of love, so He can’t be a God of wrath.” He is a God of infinite, measureless, fathomless love. But that’s only part of the truth. If you take part-truth and say it’s all of the truth, that part-truth becomes an untruth. God is also righteous and holy, a God of judgment and wrath. (see Romans 1:18)”

The Church is called to stand up and stand against sin, while directing the lost to Jesus. If a sinner is said to be normal, and sin is seen as excused, then why would anyone want to go to Jesus? George Washington wrote in his farewell address:

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness”.

In 2019 the President of the Southern Baptist Convention J.D. Greear said:

“The Bible appears more to whisper on sexual sin compared to its
shouts about materialism and religious pride.”

That’s not true.

– It was sexual sin that led to the Worldwide Noahic Flood (Genesis 6:2).

– It was sexual sin that led to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20; 19:4-5; Ezekiel 16:49-50).

– It was sexual sin that stained King David’s ministry (2 Samuel 11:2)

– It was sexual sin the early Church specifically avoided (Acts 15:19)

– It is sexual sin that God rebukes in the last days Church (Revelation 2:20)

– It is sexual sin that the Apostle Paul particularly pointed out as unfitting for the Christian. We read:

1 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV) Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (ESV) For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

Like a car running downhill without engine or brakes, if sin is not addressed and the brakes of repentance applied, then sin will bring self destruction. We are not to justify sin!

Word Study: Now we read “disobedient to parents”. Children learn respect for authority – both civil and Divine – from their parents. Children will disobey. This is part of the sin nature in all of us. But when parents not only allow disobedience without addressing it, the child will grow up believing the world owes it a living. Children are commanded in Scripture:

Colossians 3:20 (ESV) Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1-3 (ESV) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land”.

The Apostle Paul quoted the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12) that the Lord gave to Israel as being applicable to the Church. The Bible says:

Proverbs 13:24 (ESV) Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Children must be taught right from wrong, and that child is given in stewardship to the parent, NOT to the state. God expects the parents (father and mother) to lovingly correct the children. God told His people:

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 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. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Illustrate: Several years ago Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote a book called “It Takes A Village”, taken from the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”. This is socialism dressed up in apparent concern. One thing I did agree with in her book, was when she said:

“Home is the child’s first and most important classroom” (HRC)

God wants His people to teach their children about Him, and to exhibit a sold out love for God not just in the Church, but in the privacy of the home. If parents do not train their children in the way of Christ, the world will school your children in the way of Lucifer! When Jesus rode into Jerusalem just before He was crucified the children came out and praise God in His Name. When the Pharisees complained about this, Jesus told them:

Matthew 21:16 (ESV) … have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”

quoting Psalm 8:2. The fact that these children praised God for Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey shows us that their parents took their responsibilities as parents seriously. The reason we have so many godless people in the world today is because parents (and usually just a single parent) allowed their children to find their own way to God. They inadvertently created unbelievers.

Those Who Justify Rather Than Repent Of Sin
Make Horrible Citizens

Romans 1:31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Word Study: Those raised without an understanding of God are “Without understanding” (asynetos, senseless), “covenant breakers” (asynthetos, faithless), “without natural affection” (astorgos, without family love, loveless), “implacable” (áspondos, truceless), and “unmerciful” (aneleēmōn, merciless). These people are “right” in their minds, and will not admit to being wrong. Yet the Scripture says:

Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

They know that they are at odds with God, for all people have a conscience. Yet their first deny, then harden their conscience so that they can continue down their own self appointed path. What do the fallen do? This brings us to chapter 2. In the original text there were no chapter and verse divisions. These were added to the 1560 Geneva Bible, and imported into the Bibles that followed. So when we come to:

Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

Whenever you see a “Therefore” then ask yourself, “What is it there for?”. Those who fall away from God’s Grace and into sin begin to make judgments so as to cover their sins. God alone is the Judge. What does His Word say?

I was reading an article by Kelly Williams, a contributor for the Christian Post. In her article she noted she was asked by a woman, “What do you think of my lesbianism?” She told her “I didn’t create you, I didn’t die for you, and I won’t be your judge”. The lady then asked her, “What does God think of my lesbianism?”. Kelly replied, “Let me get you a Bible and you can read it for yourself”. She shared Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6 with her – which led to the young lady repenting and giving her life to Jesus.

God does not call us to be judges, but sharers of His Word. There are scriptures which forbid homosexuality, transgenderism and all sexual expression outside of the Biblical wedding bed (see Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9 & 1 Timothy 1:10). Transgenderism is rebuked in …

Deuteronomy 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

Let the Scripture define the sin – and then present the Gospel as God’s solution to what ails us. As we address others, we first need to make sure that we are where we should be with God. The Apostle says:

Romans 2:2-6 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds …

God judges our deeds, what we do each day. The New Covenant believer loves God with all their heart, and treats others with the love that they expect to be treated with. Belief in the Gospel brings about a change in the inner man, which is evidenced by the behavior of the outer man. We need to daily remind ourselves that we alone shall stand before God and be judged for how we lived OUR lives in Him. If we do not live for Jesus, but reject His Gospel and His Presence – then we need not expect to be with Jesus in the next life. May God the Holy Spirit keep us mindful that New Covenant believers follow Jesus, act like Jesus, and are being shaped by God the Holy Spirit to ultimately be like Jesus. May God open your eyes to this great truth! Amen and Amen!

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A Virgin Named Mary

Posted on December 14, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Ivan Samkov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-standing-beside-a-man-8957839/

Luke 1:26-29And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

Our God does the impossible by doing the improbable
through those who are incapable but willing to serve Him.

God works miracles in human history through the birth of Children. Jesus loves the little children. The Father of our faith, Abraham, was unable to have children. God promised Abraham that – if he would follow the Lord – Abraham would not only have a child, but a nation that would bless the whole world. Abraham followed, and at the young age of 100 (Genesis 21:5) had Isaac. Through Isaac, God would found the nation Israel. Now the time has come for God to complete His promise to Abraham. We read:

Luke 1:26-27 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin …

Focus first on “IN THE SIXTH MONTH”. Why is that important? The Angel tells Mary:

Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

God uses the broken but willing to bring blessing into this world. He gave Barren Hanna a child, the Prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1-2). God gave Barren Sarah a child so that Abraham’s line could continue. And God gave Barren Elisabeth a child six months before Gabriel came to Mary. Elisabeth will give birth to John the Baptist. But God has other plans for Mary. God sends Gabriel to Mary six months from the time Elisabeth began to carry John. Mary is a virgin.

Luke 1:27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

Word Study: Mary was “espoused to a man whose name was Joseph”. The word “espoused” is the Greek “μνηστεύω mnēsteúō”, which means “to be promised in marriage”.

In ancient times marriages were prearranged between families, with the fathers making the decisions. Mary and Joseph had been promised to one another by their parents. Though they had not officially married, they were engaged to be married. Mary was a virgin. She was saving herself for her marriage.

Why does God choose Mary to participate in the Incarnation of Christ? Because Mary and Joseph are people of faith. The Angel says to Mary:

Luke 1:28, 30 (KJV) …. Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. … 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.

Word Study: The Angel calls Mary “highly favored” (Greek charitóō, khar-ee-to’-o), which means “to be given special honor”. Gabriel also said that Mary “found favor with God”. This is the Greek “heyriskō charis”, which means “you have been found by GRACE”.

There are two horrible things that people have said about Mary and the Incarnation of Christ.

God Uses The Willing But Imperfect To Do His Will

One of the horrible things is that Mary was somehow sinless herself, a special creation of God that never sinned nor knew sin. This is what our brethren the Catholics believe. They offer up prayers to Mary as

“The Mother of God”
“Blessed Mother”
“Queen of Heaven”
“Cause of our Joy”
“Mother of Mercy”

The Catholics see Mary as a Mediator between God and Man. The see Mary as “Immaculate”, that is, sinless. So therefore they pray for Mary, asking her to intercede for them. But the Scripture (which is our standard) tells us:

1 Timothy 2:5 … there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus …

The only Mediator we have is Jesus. Further, when Jesus our Mediator told us to pray, He said:

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven …

Mary is not sinless. Like us all Mary has her flaws. But Mary will be given blessing from God because Mary “heyriskō charis”, that is “has been found by GRACE”.

When the broken are open to and available to God, God will pour Grace out on them. Mary is a recipient of Grace. God’s grand plan of salvation is Grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) For by grace (χάρις charis) are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

2 Timothy 1:9 (KJV) {God} hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace (χάρις charis), which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Eve helped Adam in the downfall of all creation. Mary will help God in the redemption of this fallen world. She will bring forth blessed Jesus.

Mary Was NOT Forced To Bring Forth The Messiah

A second horrible thing the devil has floated through media is that Mary was forced to bear Christ. Some come right out and say that God RAPED Mary. Is this true? Not according to the Scripture. When the Angel came and told Mary that …

Luke 1:31 behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

The pregnancy had not yet occurred. This is future tense, “thou shalt conceive”. At this point Mary is still a virgin, and still without child. When the Angel tells Mary that she shall have a Child Who would be the Messiah, Mary simply asks:

Luke 1:34 How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

How can she, a virgin, bear a Child such as this? The Angel tells her:

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Again, the Angel is speaking in future tense. “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee” and “the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee”. God has not made a move to cause Mary to be with Child yet. God is waiting. He is waiting on Mary. Now God knows the end from the beginning. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 139:4 (ESV) Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

The God Who made us “counts the number of the stars, and gives names to each one” (Psalm 147:4). Our God knows the secrets of our hearts (Psalm 44:21). He “declares the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done” (Isaiah 46:9-10). Yet God is in no hurry. He has a plan that He wishes to use Mary in, but God will not force this plan. God initiates the Virgin Birth … but does not carry through until she agrees. What was Mary’s response?

Luke 1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Word Study: Mary made herself available to God. What did God do to Mary after her acceptance? The Archangel told Mary says “the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee”. The word “overshadow” is the Greek episkiázō, {pronounced ep-ee-skee-ad’-zo}, which means “to envelope, to cover”.

Illustrate: In the Old Testament when God rescued Israel from Egypt, He led them out with a Pillar of Cloud by day and a Pillar of Fire by night. Israel was saved in the shadow of God. The world has been ensnared in another Egypt, the lostness of humanity. Mankind has fallen deep into sin and desperation. Now God – just as He overshadowed Israel – He overshadows Mary. God will bring the Messiah into humanity through this willing virgin.

Illustrate Another Overshadowing: Many years later, after Christ becomes Incarnate, God becomes Man, Jesus will take Peter, James, and John with Him to a mountain. While on that Mountain Elijah – the Greatest Prophet, and Moses – the Giver of the Law would stand and speak to Jesus. Come to be known as “The Mount of transfiguration” God would give Peter, James, John, and His Church a clear picture of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus came to fulfill the Law (Moses). Jesus came to fulfill the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament (Elijah). Peter spoke not to either Elijah or to Moses, but to Jesus. He said to Jesus:

Matthew 17:4 … Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

Some believe that Mary was immaculate and without sin, this being the reason that God used her. No, that is not the case. Mary would later praise God for His wonderful Gift, saying:

What happened next? The Bible says:

Matthew 17:5 While {Peter} yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Just as Mary will be “overshadowed” (episkiázō, {pronounced ep-ee-skee-ad’-zo}) with God, Peter James & John were “overshadowed” by God. God causes the three Apostles to understand on the
Mount of Transfiguration. He causes Mary to be with Christ.

Grace Is God Doing The Work Through Us

We do not know at what point Mary became with Child. Mary is not forced to bear Jesus. God tells Mary (and us) what He wants to do with her. God will use Mary – but only with her permission. God told Mary:

1(vs 31) “Behold, Thou Shalt Conceive In Thy Womb, And Bring Forth A Son”. Jesus will come into the world through Mary as a boy, a man. Mary would conceive Jesus totally apart from any man’s intervention. This will be a fulfillment of the first prophecy of the Messiah. God told Satan in the Garden of Eden:

Genesis 3:15 (NASB) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.

A woman does not produce SEED, but the EGG that the man fertilizes. Yet God said that the Avenger that would one day come and destroy Satan – that Old Serpent (Revelation 12:9) will be the “Seed of the Woman”. Later on in Scripture the Prophet would tell us in:

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Mary is this promised virgin. “Immanuel” or “God with us” will come from Mary. Mary is not a perpetual virgin as some think. She would go on to have children by Joseph’s seed (see Matthew 12:46; Luke 8:19; Mark 3:31). Jesus had four stepbrothers named James, Joseph, Simon & Judas (Matthew 13:55), as well as stepsisters (Matthew 13:56), though their names are not mentioned.

God chose Mary to bring His Son into this world because of the promise He made to Abraham (Genesis 12:3) and King David (Isaiah 11:1). Jesus was a Male Jew, just as God foretold. The Scripture says:

Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

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

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (NASB) For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Adrian Rogers said:

“No virgin birth, no deity. No deity, no sinless life. No sinless life, no sacrificial death. No sacrificial death, no salvation. No salvation, you’re going to hell. Jesus came to earth that we might go to Heaven: born of a virgin that we might be born again. Thank God for the virgin birth!”

Sin entered the world through man’s failure. Christ came as a Son into the world to pay the penalty for our sins. Mary is also told that …

2(vs 31) … and shalt call his name Jesus. In the ancient world the father of the child named the child. Though Joseph is a good man, rightfully betrothed to Mary, he is NOT the father of Jesus. God tells Mary “you shall call Him JESUS”. The Archangel also goes to Joseph, telling that good man:

Matthew 1:20-21 … the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Word Study: The name “Jesus” (Greek Ἰησοῦς Iēsous) means “Jehovah is salvation”. The same name in Hebrew is Yeshua, the English Joshua which means “Jehovah is salvation”. The Heavenly Father named Jesus as He did because

“He shall save His people from their sins”

In the Old Testament a believer named Joshua (the Hebrew equivalent of “Jesus”) led Israel into the Promised Land, defeating every foe that stood against them. Jesus leads His people today into the Kingdom of God, and promises that one day we shall be in THE Promised Land of Heaven.

If you have given yourself to Christ, if He is your Lord and Savior and you are HIS PEOPLE, then you SHALL BE SAVED FROM YOUR SINS. Not IN your sins, but FROM your sins.

3(vs 32) “He Shall Be Great, and Shall Be Called The Son Of The Highest”. Jesus has ALWAYS been great, because Jesus is more than a mere Man. Jesus is God in the flesh. The Scripture says:

John 1:1-3 (KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

and the Apostle Paul declares:

Colossians 1:15-17 (KJV) {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.

He shall be great because He is God in the flesh. He shall be great because He is the …

Revelation 1:8 (KJV) … Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

He is the Word become flesh to dwell among us. He is the Light of the world. He is the Only Savior that God has sent. And He shall be called the Son of the Highest, the Son of God. People today do not see Jesus as He is, but those Who saw Him when He walked this earth knew He was more than just a man.

Illustrate His Worship: When the Wise Men came to see the Baby Jesus the Bible says:

Matthew 2:11 (ESV) … going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

God said in Hebrews 1:6, “Let all the angels of God worship Him”. Jesus Christ is to be worshiped.
Jesus walked on water and was worshiped (Matthew 14:33)
Thomas touched the Risen Savior and worshiped Him (John 20:28)
Following His Resurrection from the Grave Jesus was worshiped (Matthew 28:17)
And we will worship Him now and in Heaven (Revelation 22:3)

The fact that Jesus is worshiped makes the shedding of His Blood so much more valuable than the shedding of the blood of another man. Jesus’ Blood covers the sins of those who call on His Name and receive Him as He is.

1 Peter 1:18-20 (KJV) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

He shall be Great, for He laid His life down for you and for me.

4(vs 32) “The Lord God Shall Give Unto Him The Throne Of His Father David”. Though Christ would be born of Mary, the Genealogies of Christ found in Matthew (1:1-17) and Luke (3:23-38) show that both His Stepfather Joseph as well as Mary His Mother can be traced back to King David. In fact, Joseph is called “son of David” in Matthew 1:20-21. This Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise God made to King David in:

2 Samuel 7:12-13New American Standard Bible (NASB) …. I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

This Child would be the fulfillment of the Covenant that God the Father made with King David. Jesus alone is the One to Whom “God gave Him the Throne of His Father David”.

5(vs 33) “He Shall Reign Over The House Of Jacob Forever”. God did not say that this Child would rule over the House of ISRAEL, but of JACOB. So what’s the difference.

Jacob is the name of an Unsaved Man.
Israel is the name given Jacob when He was saved.

The world that this Child entered into was a world not of Israel, but of Jacob. Israel had rejected God and ignored His Word, so Israel was occupied by Rome, a foreign superpower. Israel was ruled by Herod, an Idumean or descendant of Edom not a Judean nor a Son of David. The High Priest of Israel was not a believer in God, and the rulers of Israel had turned from God’s Word. In short, Israel had become Jacob, a nation as lost as the Romans around them. Certainly God had a remnant. God has always had a remnant. But the remnant was small at this time.

Israel was fallen.
Unbelief reigned.
America has fallen.
Unbelief reigns.
Yet Christ shall rule over Jacob!

God is not done with Israel, and I do not believe His is done with America. He shall rule over Jacob. Christ shall triumph in the end. He is …

Revelation 1:5-7 (NASB) … Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

Jesus Christ rules and reigns. As the Apostle Paul wrote:

Romans 14:11 (NASB) … “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.”

Philippians 2:10-11 (NASB) … at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

6(vs 33) “And Of His Kingdom There Shall Be No End”. Jesus shall in the end rule and reign over this earth. His Kingdom will never cease. This is an eternal Kingdom with Jesus at the helm. So you must make a choice. Will you follow self, or follow Him? The Kingdoms of mankind come and go, but Christ’s Kingdom is eternal.

What Will YOU Do?

When Mary heard all the things that God promised her – and willingly agreed to it – the Archangel left. His job was done. What does Mary do?

Luke 1:39-40 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

Mary did not stay where she was, but she got up, and went to help her cousin Elisabeth deliver her baby. Mary moved. What will you do? Knowing Who Jesus is, will you stay as you are? Or will you move, and be Jesus to someone in need? God reached into the world to move in the life of Mary. He did this to bring blessing to us all through the birth of Jesus. Saved by Grace, what will you do? May God the Holy Spirit move you to yield yourselves to Him this very day. Amen and Amen.

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Tommy Hanvy’s Memorial Service (Homecoming)

Posted on December 14, 2022 by bibleteacherorg

On behalf of the family of Tommy Hanvy I thank you all for being here today. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to testify for Tommy and for Jesus. I apologize in advance if my voice is a little off – I’m battling a head cold. It’s not Covid – I checked. I’m a little broken. But so are we all.

The obituary for Tommy (Fate Thomas Hanvy) noted that he was a retired forklift operator for Samsonite. I read also, “Born July 21, 1944 in Maury County, he was the son of the late Herman L. Hanvy, Sr. and the late Ophelia Dial Hanvy. Mr. Hanvy never met a stranger, loved spending time with his grandchildren, woodworking, traveling to the Gulf Coast, and eating. He was a member of Riverview Baptist Church”.

Tommy has gone on to a place that Jesus promised to those who love Him.

I know that Tommy’s family & Friends will miss Tommy –
I know we at Riverview will miss Him.

Tommy received Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and as a believer he is with the Lord in another place. It is a place that the Bible says:

“{Heaven is where} God dwells with His people. God Himself will be with them as their God. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away”
(my paraphrase of Revelation 21:3-4)

Personal Testimony: I first met Tommy over 11 years ago in a hospital room. My wife Sherry and I had come to Riverview at the request of the Pulpit Committee, and were yet to be called as Pastor. I heard that Tommy was in the hospital so Sherry and I went to visit him and pray for him. From that moment on we became friends.

Tommy loved coming to our Tuesday night Bible studies, and was an active participant in the class. Tommy loved his Sunday School class. It was Jimmy Aslinger – a dear friend also with the Lord – that got Tommy into the Men’s Class. When Jimmy went to be with the Lord, Tommy continued to come and be a part of that class. He enjoyed Tim Laws and Tony Scott’s teaching. Tommy was good natured, and loved to laugh along with the men as they told “fish tales”.

Tommy loved to eat! He loved coming to the “Eating Meetings” at Riverview, or going to the Legion meals with his friend and brother in Christ David Patterson. Tommy loved our Monday morning coffee meetings at the Church. He loved to sit and swap tales with the men. We will miss Tommy at these meetings – but we will see him again one day.

Our Lord Jesus promised to those who loved Him:

John 10:7-9, 11, 14, 27-28 Verily, Verily I say unto you, I am the Door of the sheep. I am the Door. By Me if any person enter in, He shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. I, Jesus, am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine.

27-30 My Sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are ONE.

None of us are perfect. None of us are unbroken. But this is why Jesus came to this earth. He came to rescue us from our brokenness.

Jesus said, “There are none good, but One, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18). Compared to God there are none of us “good”. We fall far short of the glory of God. Even “our righteousness is as filthy rags” in the eyes of God (Isaiah 64:6). No, we all fall short. When asked why Jesus loved meeting with the broken, He said in …

Mark 2:17 …. They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The Bible says that “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 sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him 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.” (John 3:16-18)

Knowing that Tommy believed on the Lord Jesus Christ is what comforts my heart today. This should also comfort your hearts if you love Jesus as well.

________________________________________________

The Bible has what I consider one of the oddest verses in it in:

Romans 8:28 And we know that ALL THINGS work together FOR GOOD to them that LOVE GOD, to them who are the CALLED according to HIS PURPOSE.

The Bible does not say that all things are GOOD, but that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD.

We would not dare say that CANCER is good. I do not believe that any disease among humans if good. There are a lot of bad things in this life. HEART DISEASE, ALZHEIMER’S, DEMENTIA, there are so many diseases that afflict us as humans. Not just bad people get sicknesses and diseases. “Good people” suffer along with the bad. Sometime the most evil live, while it seems as if the young die.

But the Bible says “ALL THINGS work TOGETHER for GOOD to … THEM THAT LOVE GOD”. There are bad things. But even the bad things are good things when we love Jesus. The Bible is very clear that this life is but a tip of the iceberg of each of our stories. Once we leave this life, this chapter may end, but another – and greater chapter – begins. The Bible says:

Romans 8:31-32 What shall we say to these things? If God be FOR us, WHO can be AGAINST us? God spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up FOR US ALL, how shall He not with Him also FREELY GIVE US ALL THINGS?

When I was a young boy, people understood that the very nature of God is holiness. It is certain that God is love (1 John 4:8). That is a key part of God’s character. But just like us, God’s character is not just one note. The Bible says that God is holy. God told His people in the Old Testament:

Leviticus 19:2 … You shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.

From the first of the Bible to the last, we see that God is both LOVE as well as HOLY, unbroken. We all fall far short of God’s standard. But this is why Jesus Christ came.

Jesus is the Messiah, the Mediator between God and Man. Jesus was born long ago in a manger. He was not just a “good teacher”, but when Jesus’ birth was announced to Joseph, Mary’s husband to be the Angel Gabriel said:

Matthew 1:20-23 Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Jesus Christ is “God with us”. He is the Eternal Son of God. He is the only Mediator between God and Mankind.

Jesus Christ came into this world to “save His people from their sins”.

We are all “sinners” in need of a Savior. Being sinners, the Bible says, we cannot save ourselves. But God does not expect us to save ourselves. God sent His Son to this earth to make a way for us to go to Heaven. God calls on us all to repent – to turn from being our own God – and to turn to and follow Jesus. When Jesus was born into this world – born of a virgin – the Archangel Gabriel told the virgin Mary:

Luke 1:35 … The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Jesus Christ – Eternal God the Son – became man so that He could receive our punishment for sin on Himself. This is the “Gospel” or “Good News” that God sends to us. This is the reason for the Christmas Season – a time to remember that when we could not save ourselves, Jesus came to save us. As the Only Begotten Son Jesus laid down His life for us on a Hill called Calvary.

Will salvation make you perfect? Not in this life. But salvation will bring you into a loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The Bible promises:

Romans 10:9-12 If you shall confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. With your heart you believe unto righteousness; and with your mouth confession is made unto salvation. The Scripture says, whosoever believes on Jesus shall not be ashamed. There is no difference … the same Lord is rich to all that call on His Name.

What makes a person right with God? It is NOT our works. The Bible says:

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

When we hear the Gospel that Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary, that Jesus Christ lived out His life on this earth reaching out to sinners, and that Jesus Christ died on a Cross, and rose again the third day to save us …

Oh, how we love Jesus! God “justifies” or makes us right in His eyes when we lovingly embrace Jesus by faith.

Romans 8:33-34 … it is God that justifies or makes us right. Who can condemn us? It is Christ that died, and that has risen from the Grave, Who now sits on the right hand of God the Father, making intercession for us.

The Christian is not perfect – but Jesus is. The Christian receives Jesus as Lord and Savior, and begins to trust in Him and follow Him one day at a time. Tommy followed Jesus the best he could.

Beloved, we all will eventually meet Jesus!

As cancer returned to Tommy and he began to go down physically, I asked Tommy “Are you ready to meet Jesus?” He told me that yes, he was. This is the greatest question each and every one of us needs confront and answer before we reach death’s door. Tommy’s journey is over now. This chapter of his life is over. But Tommy’s life is not over.

One day Jesus sent His disciples out with the power to heal the sick. They came back elated, saying:

Luke 10:17 (ESV) “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

Jesus told His disciples – those who lovingly followed Him:

Luke 10:19-20 (ESV) I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

How can your name be written in God’s Book? It is only through Jesus Christ that you can be saved. You must receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, believing He died for you, and rose again to forever be with you. I’ll end with this Scripture:

Romans 8:38-39 (ESV) I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

May God the Holy Spirit draw you to Christ’s side this very day. Amen and Amen!

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A Biblical Examination Of The Hymns Of Christmas

Posted on December 9, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-black-suit-standing-in-front-of-kids-singing-7567334/

I love Christmas and the Christmas Carols. So it’s not my intent to be a “Scrooge” tonight. This past Sunday Jerry mentioned “We Three Kings” as being one of the most theologically incorrect songs in our hymnal. That kind of peaked my interest, so I thought tonight we’d examine a few of the Christmas songs we sing and see if they are Scripturally accurate.

Away In A Manger

Away In A Manger is a beautiful song that focuses on the birthplace of our Lord Jesus. The song is supposed to reflect the Scriptures in:

Luke 2:4-7 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

The first four stanzas are:

Away in a manger, No crib for a bed.
The little Lord Jesus, Laid down His sweet head.

The stars in the sky, Look down where He lay.
The little Lord Jesus, Asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, The Baby awakes.
But little Lord Jesus, No crying He makes.

I love You, Lord Jesus, Look down from the sky.
And stay by my cradle, Till morning is nigh.

The song has been wrongly attributed to the German Reformer Martin Luther, saying that he wrote it for his child. This is not true. This false association can be traced back to a book written by James R. Murray (1841-1905) called “Dainty Songs for Little Lads and Lasses” (1887). Discipleship Ministries notes

“… the hymn first appeared with two stanzas in Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families, a Sunday school collection published in 1885 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America. Stanza three first appeared unattributed in Gabriel’s Vineyard Songs (1892), compiled by gospel composer Charles H. Gabriel (1856-1932).”

The song is not a terribly bad song – until the third stanza. It reads:

The cattle are lowing, The Baby awakes.
But little Lord Jesus, No crying He makes.

A baby that does not cry is a baby in trouble. Babies cry for a variety of reasons. They can be hungry, have a dirty diaper, or have a need to burp. Babies need attention, and crying helps them bond with their parents. The Bible says of Jesus that:

Hebrews 2:14-18 (ESV) Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Jesus Christ – though Eternal God prior to His incarnation, when He became incarnate He became “like his brothers in every respect” – and yet, “WITHOUT SIN” (see Hebrews 4:15). Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God without spot or blemish. When He went to the Cross, Jesus went without complaint. We are told in

Isaiah 53:7 (ESV) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Though Jesus was born of a virgin, supernaturally induced by God the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:35), He was just as human as we are. He had to be, in order to make payment for our sins.

In the early Church there was a cult that sprang up called
Docetism, that taught that Jesus only had a body
that seemed like a human body.

The Apostle John wrote against this in:

1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Jesus Christ “CAME or WAS INCARNATE IN THE FLESH” so He could pay for our sins. Throughout His life Jesus behaved like a regular human being:

Jesus wept (John 11:35; Luke 19:41; Hebrews 5:7-9
Jesus was weary (John 4:5-6)
Jesus slept (Matthew 8:18-22)
Jesus was hungry (Mark 11:12; Luke 4:2)
Jesus got angry (John 2:17; Mark 3:5; John 11:38)

So though we don’t know whether there were “cattle lowing” around Jesus, we do know that, like a normal baby, Jesus cried and made sounds. He came into this world (incarnate) a perfectly sinless baby.

We Three Kings Of Orient Are

“We Three Kings” was composed by an American preacher John Henry Hopkins, Jr, and appeared in his Carols, Hymns, and Songs collection (1872). The song was referencing:

Matthew 2:1-12 (ESV) Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

As Jerry brought out on Sunday, there were not “Three Kings” who went to see Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem. These were “wise men from the east”, called “Magi” or “Astrologers”. There is evidence that these men – number undetermined – came from Babylon to Jerusalem. The Prophet Daniel was assigned to the High Office of

Daniel 5:11 … (ESV) chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers ..

by King Nebuchadnezzar. A group called “Stand To Reason” notes:

“How did Babylonians know about Jewish prophecy at all, and what led them to believe that this particular star was the one that would lead them to a great, newborn king? …

This is where the prophet Daniel comes in. Not only was Daniel chief of the Magi, but his prophecies became known throughout the ancient Near East. Even the Romans were aware of his prophecies of a coming king of Israel.

The Magi of the first century would have most certainly studied the writing of Daniel and possibly other Jewish writings Daniel likely referenced, such as the book of Isaiah. This connection between Daniel and the Magi may help to explain why almost six hundred years later, the Magi in question expected a Jewish king to arrive in Judea near the end of the first century B.C. It is likely that the Magi followed the star based on their study of the prophet Daniel’s writings.”

Craig Chester a past President of the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy”wrote:

“Magi often wandered from court to court, and it was not unusual for them to cover great distances in order to attend the birth or crowning of a king, paying their respects and offering gifts. It is not surprising, therefore, that Matthew would mention them as validation of Jesus’ kingship, or that Herod would regard their arrival as a very serious matter”.

The account in Matthew does not tell us how many Magi there were, but it tells us that they brought three gifts to Jesus: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. These Magi were considered “King Makers” because their predictions of future kings are unquestioned. This is the reason King Herod was troubled (Matthew 2:3) at the appearance of the Magi. And his disturbance led to the murder of all the children in Bethlehem two years old and younger (Matthew 2:16), a fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:15.

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing & Other Great Songs

In a recent Breakpoint article, John Stonestreet and Kasey Leander wrote on “How The Hymns of Christmas Teach Right Doctrine”. They noted that “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” (1739) written by Charles Wesley was written to specifically answer the false doctrine called Arianism.

Whereas Docetism taught that Jesus only “looked human”, Arianism taught that Jesus was merely a created being and NOT God among us.

The Bible teaches us that the Angel of the Lord told Joseph:

Matthew 1:20-23 … Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

When Jesus was born (as was prophesied) He came to “save his people from their sins”. Jesus’ birth was a fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14:

“… the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.”

Matthew quotes this verse, adding the definition of Emmanuel: “a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us”.

According to the most recent study that Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research have made, 43% of Evangelical Christians believe “Jesus was a great teacher, but not God”. Hark The Herald Angels Sing teaches us that:

(Stanza 2) Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”

“Hark the Herald” celebrates the great truth that God came from Heaven to earth, so that He could take man from earth to Heaven. Because of Jesus “God and sinners (are) reconciled”.

Another song “O Holy Night” brings in the reconciliation we have to God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices.
Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born.
Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born!

Or another favorite, “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen” tells us that “Christ was born on Christmas Day”. We don’t know that Jesus was born on December 25th, but that is when we celebrate His incarnation. And it is Scripturally true that Jesus was born:

To save us all from Satan’s pow’r, When we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

When we look at the Christmas Carols, there are more that are Biblically accurate than those that are not. So this Christmas let’s sing praises to Jesus. He is worthy. He is the Only Way unto God. Let’s not lose Jesus in the midst of Santa Claus and Black Friday, Christmas Trees and lawn decorations. Praise God for Jesus. Or I will close with the second verse of “Angels From The Realms of Glory”:

Sinners, wrung with true repentance, Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence, Mercy calls you; break your chains.

I love Christmas and the Christmas Carols. So it’s not my intent to be a “Scrooge” tonight. This past Sunday Jerry mentioned “We Three Kings” as being one of the most theologically incorrect songs in our hymnal. That kind of peaked my interest, so I thought tonight we’d examine a few of the Christmas songs we sing and see if they are Scripturally accurate.

Away In A Manger

Away In A Manger is a beautiful song that focuses on the birthplace of our Lord Jesus. The song is supposed to reflect the Scriptures in:

Luke 2:4-7 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

The first four stanzas are:

Away in a manger, No crib for a bed.
The little Lord Jesus, Laid down His sweet head.

The stars in the sky, Look down where He lay.
The little Lord Jesus, Asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, The Baby awakes.
But little Lord Jesus, No crying He makes.

I love You, Lord Jesus, Look down from the sky.
And stay by my cradle, Till morning is nigh.

The song has been wrongly attributed to the German Reformer Martin Luther, saying that he wrote it for his child. This is not true. This false association can be traced back to a book written by James R. Murray (1841-1905) called “Dainty Songs for Little Lads and Lasses” (1887). Discipleship Ministries notes

“… the hymn first appeared with two stanzas in Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families, a Sunday school collection published in 1885 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America. Stanza three first appeared unattributed in Gabriel’s Vineyard Songs (1892), compiled by gospel composer Charles H. Gabriel (1856-1932).”

The song is not a terribly bad song – until the third stanza. It reads:

The cattle are lowing, The Baby awakes.
But little Lord Jesus, No crying He makes.

A baby that does not cry is a baby in trouble. Babies cry for a variety of reasons. They can be hungry, have a dirty diaper, or have a need to burp. Babies need attention, and crying helps them bond with their parents. The Bible says of Jesus that:

Hebrews 2:14-18 (ESV) Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Jesus Christ – though Eternal God prior to His incarnation, when He became incarnate He became “like his brothers in every respect” – and yet, “WITHOUT SIN” (see Hebrews 4:15). Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God without spot or blemish. When He went to the Cross, Jesus went without complaint. We are told in

Isaiah 53:7 (ESV) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Though Jesus was born of a virgin, supernaturally induced by God the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:35), He was just as human as we are. He had to be, in order to make payment for our sins.

In the early Church there was a cult that sprang up called
Docetism, that taught that Jesus only had a body
that seemed like a human body.

The Apostle John wrote against this in:

1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Jesus Christ “CAME or WAS INCARNATE IN THE FLESH” so He could pay for our sins. Throughout His life Jesus behaved like a regular human being:

Jesus wept (John 11:35; Luke 19:41; Hebrews 5:7-9
Jesus was weary (John 4:5-6)
Jesus slept (Matthew 8:18-22)
Jesus was hungry (Mark 11:12; Luke 4:2)
Jesus got angry (John 2:17; Mark 3:5; John 11:38)

So though we don’t know whether there were “cattle lowing” around Jesus, we do know that, like a normal baby, Jesus cried and made sounds. He came into this world (incarnate) a perfectly sinless baby.

We Three Kings Of Orient Are

“We Three Kings” was composed by an American preacher John Henry Hopkins, Jr, and appeared in his Carols, Hymns, and Songs collection (1872). The song was referencing:

Matthew 2:1-12 (ESV) Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

As Jerry brought out on Sunday, there were not “Three Kings” who went to see Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem. These were “wise men from the east”, called “Magi” or “Astrologers”. There is evidence that these men – number undetermined – came from Babylon to Jerusalem. The Prophet Daniel was assigned to the High Office of

Daniel 5:11 … (ESV) chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers ..

by King Nebuchadnezzar. A group called “Stand To Reason” notes:

“How did Babylonians know about Jewish prophecy at all, and what led them to believe that this particular star was the one that would lead them to a great, newborn king? …

This is where the prophet Daniel comes in. Not only was Daniel chief of the Magi, but his prophecies became known throughout the ancient Near East. Even the Romans were aware of his prophecies of a coming king of Israel.

The Magi of the first century would have most certainly studied the writing of Daniel and possibly other Jewish writings Daniel likely referenced, such as the book of Isaiah. This connection between Daniel and the Magi may help to explain why almost six hundred years later, the Magi in question expected a Jewish king to arrive in Judea near the end of the first century B.C. It is likely that the Magi followed the star based on their study of the prophet Daniel’s writings.”

Craig Chester a past President of the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy”wrote:

“Magi often wandered from court to court, and it was not unusual for them to cover great distances in order to attend the birth or crowning of a king, paying their respects and offering gifts. It is not surprising, therefore, that Matthew would mention them as validation of Jesus’ kingship, or that Herod would regard their arrival as a very serious matter”.

The account in Matthew does not tell us how many Magi there were, but it tells us that they brought three gifts to Jesus: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. These Magi were considered “King Makers” because their predictions of future kings are unquestioned. This is the reason King Herod was troubled (Matthew 2:3) at the appearance of the Magi. And his disturbance led to the murder of all the children in Bethlehem two years old and younger (Matthew 2:16), a fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:15.

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing & Other Great Songs

In a recent Breakpoint article, John Stonestreet and Kasey Leander wrote on “How The Hymns of Christmas Teach Right Doctrine”. They noted that “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” (1739) written by Charles Wesley was written to specifically answer the false doctrine called Arianism.

Whereas Docetism taught that Jesus only “looked human”, Arianism taught that Jesus was merely a created being and NOT God among us.

The Bible teaches us that the Angel of the Lord told Joseph:

Matthew 1:20-23 … Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

When Jesus was born (as was prophesied) He came to “save his people from their sins”. Jesus’ birth was a fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14:

“… the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.”

Matthew quotes this verse, adding the definition of Emmanuel: “a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us”.

According to the most recent study that Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research have made, 43% of Evangelical Christians believe “Jesus was a great teacher, but not God”. Hark The Herald Angels Sing teaches us that:

(Stanza 2) Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”

“Hark the Herald” celebrates the great truth that God came from Heaven to earth, so that He could take man from earth to Heaven. Because of Jesus “God and sinners (are) reconciled”.

Another song “O Holy Night” brings in the reconciliation we have to God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices.
Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born.
Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born!

Or another favorite, “God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen” tells us that “Christ was born on Christmas Day”. We don’t know that Jesus was born on December 25th, but that is when we celebrate His incarnation. And it is Scripturally true that Jesus was born:

To save us all from Satan’s pow’r, When we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

When we look at the Christmas Carols, there are more that are Biblically accurate than those that are not. So this Christmas let’s sing praises to Jesus. He is worthy. He is the Only Way unto God. Let’s not lose Jesus in the midst of Santa Claus and Black Friday, Christmas Trees and lawn decorations. Praise God for Jesus. Or I will close with the second verse of “Angels From The Realms of Glory”:

Sinners, wrung with true repentance, Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence, Mercy calls you; break your chains.
Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King.

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Do You Love Jesus?

Posted on December 5, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Tara Winstead: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-s-palm-with-letters-8383448/

Hebrews 7:22-25 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

John 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Do You Love Jesus? This Is Faith’s Thermometer

Opening: I was reading an article on “The 3 Misconceptions That Many Muslims Have About Christianity” the other day. I love to read, and learn much by it. One of the largest problems in witnessing Christ to Muslims is that they believe the West is “Christian”. Muslims regard their faith – Islam – as both a religion and a state. If I had never been exposed to Christianity and was told “America is a Christian nation”, I’d have some serious problems with that. If you brand America as “Christian”, then you must believe that sexual immorality, shedding of blood, and celebration of drug and alcohol use are endorsed by Christ. That’s not true. Neither America nor the West are Christian. The bloody “Christian” Crusades endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church are not “Christian”.

Do you know what “Christian” is? It is to love Jesus. It is to obey His Commands, regardless as to what anyone thinks. That’s “Christian”. Anything else is fake.

Being “Religious” does not make you “Christian”. You can know all the songs in the Baptist hymnal by heart and be lost. Jesus’ greatest critics were the Pharisees, who were extremely religious. God turned the tables on the Pharisees when He knocked down the one called Saul of Tarsus (Acts 23:6 & Philippians 3:5) on the Damascus Road, converting him to Christianity. After Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle he often spoke against those who …

“had a form of godliness, but denied the power of God”
(2 Timothy 3:5).

Illustrate: Have you ever seen a Rubik’s Cube? I owned one years ago. The Rubik’s Cube has 43 quintillion (a quintillion has 18 zeros), 252 quadrillion, 3 trillion, 274 billion, 489 million, 856 thousand likely patterns that you have to overcome to unscramble it. I figured out how to unscramble a Rubik’s Cube in about 10 minutes. I peeled off the little paper colored squares, and re-pasted them where they were supposed to be.

In short, I cheated!

It is possible to solve the Rubik’s Cube without cheating. There are people smart enough who have figured out its patterns, and have written books on solving that Cube. The Rubik’s Cube was made by a man. I want you to imagine a Rubik’s Cube created not by man, but by God. That’s what the Law of God is. It is a Rubik’s Cube made by God. It cannot be resolved by human prowess or human intellect. The Rubik’s Cube of the Law was designed specifically to show us that we – that is ALL OF US – do not measure up to God’s standard. That Pharisee Saul who God remade into the Apostle Paul wrote:

Romans 3:19-20 (ESV) whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law {that’s all of us}, so that every mouth may be stopped, {shut yo’ mouth!} and the whole world may be held accountable to God. {You’re not excluded} 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since

through the law comes knowledge of sin.

God gave the Law to a saved but hard headed Israel as they camped at the foot of Sinai. God gave the Law to make Israel understand that no one deserves God’s salvation. We must be saved by faith in God.

When God gave the Law to Moses on Israel, Israel had already been saved from Egypt. The Law was given to show God’s Israel that they must be saved by faith in Him. Many people today do what the Pharisees do. They watered down or twist the Law of God. You say, “But I’ve never done that”. Sure you have. Consider the Sixth Commandment, which simply states:

Exodus 20:13 You shall not murder.

How many murderers do we have in here? I don’t expect to see any hands raised – I hope. BUT have you ever treasured anger in your heart toward another human? Jesus told us:

Matthew 5:21-22 (ESV) You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

Murder begins in the heart. The Pharisees held hatred in the hearts for Jesus. They

Matthew 12:14 …. held a council against {Jesus}, how they might destroy him.

Have you ever held a grudge against someone else? Do you cherish anger against another? In your secret place, have you imagined evil against an enemy? We all have. This is murder. Now consider the seventh commandment:

Exodus 20:14 (ESV) You shall not commit adultery.

Again, if I were to ask a show of hands as to who has committed the sexual sin of adultery, I don’t expect I would see any hands raised. The Pharisees prided themselves on not committing adultery. But have you ever held lust for a woman or man not your own in your 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.

Sexual sin begins in the heart, and is culminated in the flesh. Trans-sexuality, homosexuality, all heterosexual expression outside of Biblical marriage begins in the heart before manifested in the flesh.

But here’s the key. The Law is given by a Just and Holy God. If you break but ONE of its provisions, you have broken ALL because you have offended God. The Bible says:

James 2:10-11 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. {11} For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

The Law was “a yoke that the fathers could not bear” (Acts 15:10). That was the intent of the Law. The Law is an impossible Rubik’s Cube that I cannot solve …

but Jesus can!

Galatians 3:19-22 (ESV) Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the Offspring {this is Jesus} should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary {This is Moses}. … 21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything {and everyone} under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Illustrate: I cannot solve a Rubik’s Cube without cheating … unless I buy and read a book by one of the genius’ who have unlocked it. I cannot solve God’s Rubik’s Cube unless I buy the Book that the Son of God wrote, and lovingly believe in Him. Oh, how I love Jesus! Jesus is the Prophesied Savior, the One promised in the Garden of Eden:

Genesis 3:15 (NKJV) And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.

In Genesis, Jesus is the Seed of the Woman
In Exodus, Jesus is the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus, Jesus is our High Priest
In Numbers, Jesus is the Pillar of Cloud and Pillar of Fire leading, and the Rock feeding
In Deuteronomy, Jesus is the Prophet like unto Moses

Jesus is in every book of this Scripture. He is the Good Shepherd of the Psalms. Jesus is the Bridegroom of the Church in Song of Solomon. Jesus is the Glorious Lord of Ezekiel, and the Giver of the Holy Spirit in Joel. Oh, how I wish I could preach! Jesus is the Burden Bearer of Amos, and the Ruler from Bethlehem in Micah. Jesus is the One Mighty to Save in Zephaniah, and the Son of Righteousness in Malachi.

As we enter the Christmas Season we will see that Jesus was MADE and not CREATED. He is no mere mortal, but God become Perfect Man for us!

We Love Jesus Because HE WAS MADE For Us

I didn’t forget Hebrews. Go back to …

Hebrews 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

Word Study: Three words are KEY to understanding this verse. The words “made”, “surety”, and “testament”. The word “made” is the Greek γίνομαι gínomai, {pronounced ghin’-om-ahee} which means to come from one state to another. The Devil used this word in the wilderness when he tempted Jesus, saying,

(Matthew 4:3) If You are the Son of God, command these stones be MADE bread

Satan wanted Jesus to command the stones to be turned from stone to bread. I cannot make stone into bread. I can ground stone. I can bake stone. I can put stone on your plate. But I can’t bring stone from a non-food item to a food item unless I am God. God can do anything! The Devil wanted Jesus to gínomai stone to bread. We see in Hebrews, Jesus was ginomai(-ed). He came from one state to another.

Jesus WAS God, but GINOMAI, was MADE Perfect Man!
His birth is unique.

God prophesied of the day that He would come to us. He said in …

Isaiah 7:14 (ESV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

This is unprecedented. What “virgin shall conceive and bear a Son”? Only God can turn stone to bread. Only God can take eternal, and bring it into human flesh. The Child born shall be called “Immanuel” or “God with us”. This happened in Jesus. The Angel came to Joseph the husband of the little virgin named Mary and said:

Matthew 1:20-23 (ESV) Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”(which means, God with us)

Jesus Christ is God become flesh. Jesus is MADE.

Hebrews 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety

Word Study: Jesus was made a “surety”. Oh, I love the King James, but sometimes that Old English confuses me. This is the Greek ἔγγυος éngyos, {pronounced eng’-goo-os}, which means “the SPONSOR, the REPRESENTATIVE of the Covenant”. We have had wonderful sponsors among men.

– Consider Abraham, the Father of Faith. What a wonderful representative he is. He followed God without question. God made a covenant with Abraham. But is Abraham perfect? No! Abraham lied twice, saying his wife was his sister in order to protect himself.

– Consider Moses, by whom God gave the Law. What a wonderful representative he is as he stands with the “rod of God”, parting the Red Sea. But look! Now in the wilderness he disobeys God, striking the rock rather than doing as God says, taking credit to himself.

– Consider David, the shepherd become King. He defeated Goliath! He loves the Lord with all his heart. But then he steals another man’s wife, and murders him.

No matter where you look throughout our Bible you will find flawed men and women who loved God and were saved by faith. Look at the Priests, and the High Priest Aaron. It was Aaron who – when Moses went up into Mount Sinai to receive the Law from God – barely 40 days passed before Israel stood before him demanding another god. “Make us a god to lead us back to Egypt”, the people demanded. Did Aaron tell them “Get lost! I obey only God!” No he didn’t. He told them:

Exodus 32:2, 4 (NKJV) “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” … 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.

Every representative or sponsor among mankind – born of Adam – has one terrible flaw. We are all subject to sin. The éngyos or sponsor of the Abrahamic Covenant was a sinner. The éngyos or sponsor of the Davidic Covenant was a sinner. The éngyos or sponsors of the Law, Moses and Aaron, were sinners. Not so Christ. Jesus Christ is the High Priest of the New Covenant. We read:

Hebrews 7:26-27 For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; {27} Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up Himself.

The Levitical High Priest always had to atone for their sins before they could atone for others. The blood of an animal had to be shed. The blood of a specific – unmarked or unblemished animal – had to be killed, and its blood sprinkled on the altar and on the people. But this was only temporary.

No so Jesus. He was MADE – God become Man – so that He might represent us. Jesus Christ is described as:

holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens

God demands His people be HOLY. He has said:

1 Peter 1:16 … You shall be HOLY, for I AM HOLY

And yet, God alone is holy (Revelation 15:4). Where do we find perfect holiness? By hiding ourselves by faith in Jesus. We who are saved believe in, and surrender to Him. He is the Author and Finisher of a better Covenant, a New Covenant.

Hebrews 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

Word Study: The third word is “testament”. Jesus came from one state to another (ginomai). Jesus was made Man from God to be our Perfect Sponsor (engyos). Why did God through all this trouble. To bring us into a better “testament” or diathēkē (Covenant). Jesus is the Author and Finisher of the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was represented by very temporary Priests.We read:

Hebrews 7:23-24And they {the Old Covenant priests} truly were MANY priests, because they were not {allowed} to continue by reason of death: 24 But THIS Man, because He continueth {for}ever, hath an unchangeable Priesthood

The Old Covenant priests offered sacrifices for their sins, then for the sins of people. But Jesus Christ – God become Man – became Man from God to lay down His life for us. Dying on the Cross of Calvary, He gave His life for your sins and mine. Jesus is not only

John 1:29 The Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (also John 1:36)

but He is the High Priest Who offered that Lamb. Jesus said:

John 10:18 No man taketh {My life} from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have POWER to lay it down, and I have POWER to take it again. …

Jesus died for our sins – but death could not conquer Him. The Scripture says “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He “hath an unchangeable priesthood”. Because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cannot die as other High Priests, His intercession for His people cannot be interrupted. We are told:

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore {Jesus} is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

We Love Jesus Because He Saves To The Uttermost

There are times I betray my God – but there is never a time when my Jesus betrays me. Jesus Christ saves to the uttermost. If you are saved, the Bible says that Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God interceding for you. The Apostle said:

Romans 8:34 (ESV) Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Why is this important? Because Jesus has a Name above every Name. The Bible says:

1 Peter 3:22 (ESV) {Jesus} has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to Him.

Who is it that intercedes for the believer? It is GOD! Jesus is

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV) … the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Oh, how I love Jesus! Without Jesus in our lives …

Isaiah 64:6 … we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

But Jesus saves us. You may slip when following Jesus. Who has not slipped. But you will NOT rejoice in sin if you are a child of God by faith in Christ. Jesus Christ came to save us TO THE UTTERMOST. He not only saves us by COVERING our sins, but He saves us by FREEING us from our sins. Jesus told the Pharisees

John 8:34-36 (NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

The saved are not enslaved to their sins. They are bound to God by a New Covenant. God said of the New Covenant:

Jeremiah 31:33 … I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The saved do not rejoice in what God has said is sin. We love Jesus. We love our Heavenly Father. When we sin – and we do slip – we like children run back to the arms of Jesus, back to the arms of His Holy Spirit. We live, because he lives. We shine, because He shines. Do not be deceived. God did not save us in Christ so that we can do the works of the devil. Jesus did not save us to enable us to sin guiltlessly. Jesus Christ saves us to bring us into the Family of God. Jesus Christ saves us to “bring many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10).

Do you know Him? Do you know our Jesus? If not, believe that He loves you so. Believe that He came to save you. And believe that He – God became Man – that He might bring us to God, not to Satan. May God the Holy Spirit draw us deeply into His Word, for Christ’s glory. Amen and Amen.

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A Word For America Today

Posted on December 5, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-unrecognizable-patriot-celebrating-memorial-day-showing-american-flag-4386232/

Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We live in strange days in America.

Our First Amendment rights are slowly being removed – and it seems that no one cares. It happens in subtle ways. During the Covid-19 Pandemic (and its still there) some made the remark that this was the Wuhan or Chinese Virus, only to be shouted down as being politically incorrect. The reason we call it the Wuhan Virus is because Wuhan is the place that recorded the first major COVID-19 outbreak. The virus was traced to that area. When people speak of the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever it is not racism that gives it that title. It is called the “Rocky Mountain” Spotted Fever because it was first identified in the Rocky Mountains. Likewise the sickness called MERS or the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is so named because it was first identified in the Middle East.

The 1996 “Defense of Marriage” Act was passed by the 104th U.S. Congress and signed into law by Bill Clinton. This Act banned federal recognition of same sex marriage by limiting the definition of marriage to the union of one man and one woman. Just recently the U.S. Senate passed the 2022 “Respect for Marriage” Act. One of the sponsors of the Act Susan Collins (R-Maine) said “The Respect for Marriage Act would ensure that all married couples—including same-sex and interracial couples—are entitled to the rights and responsibilities of marriage, regardless of the state in which they live.” Though it must pass in the U.S. House, all indications are the it will be signed into law soon.

At last count I heard there are from 147 to 68 genders in America. God is not the Author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), but Satan and the world are.

A lady recently sued Kraft for 5 Million Dollars because the “time it takes to make its microwaveable cup of Velveeta macaroni and cheese is longer than what the claims on the label indicate”. The label says “ready in 3 ½ minutes”, but doesn’t include the amount of time it takes to open the packaging and add the water and stir it. No, I’m not making this up.

America has lost its mind, but the Church that Jesus loved
and died for must NOT lose it’s mind.

How do we deal with the madness going on all around us? We keep our eyes on God’s Word, and speak His truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) regardless as to what others may do. As the Apostle Paul addressed the Church in Rome – a Church surrounded by the same madness that we see in America today – he wants Christ’s Church to not lose hope.

To ALL That Be In Rome, Beloved Of God

God speaks to ALL of His Church in Rome. Though madness has gripped the land, God is STILL in control. How can we say this? Well, look at the first two verses of our text:

Romans 1:1-2 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

Let’s consider first the Messenger

When we read the Scripture, we are reading text written by – as Peter said – by

2 Peter 1:21 … Men who spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit

So Paul must have walked with Jesus while our Lord walked this earth. Did he? Absolutely not! God has a great sense of humor. He could have chosen anyone to go and spread His Gospel to the Gentiles. But who did God choose? Jesus chose someone who described himself as:

Acts 23:6 (ESV) … a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees …

Paul was at one time Saul, “an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:1). As all Pharisees did, when Paul was Saul he hated the Gentiles. Paul was “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law of Moses, a Pharisee” (Philippians 3:5). Saul hated Gentiles, but the thing he hated most was the Church of God.

Starting at the execution of the Deacon and Evangelist Stephen, Saul “breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the High Priest and asked for warrants for Damascus, so if he found any following Jesus, he could bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2). It was on the Damascus Road that this racist and hateful man found Jesus – or rather, Jesus found him. And – miracle of miracles – Jesus chose Saul to be Paul the Apostle. His calling was absolutely undeserved. Paul would later write the Churches and say:

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (ESV) I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.

And in another place:

Galatians 1:11-16 I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles

It was only after Saul met Jesus on the Damascus Road that he realized Christ is indeed the Gospel. As a Pharisee Saul went forward to promote Judaism, thinking that he was doing the work of God. But then God knocked him down on Damascus, and by Grace called him to preach the Gospel. Paul described his call by saying:

Galatians 1:15 he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace

When Saul traveled through the streets of Judea, capturing and killing Christians, he followed the pathway of darkness. God allowed him to do so for a little time. But then God called the messenger. He not only called, but he converted, then equipped Saul to be Paul. And though Paul often looked back on his time as a Pharisee, he nonetheless praised God daily. Paul said:

1 Corinthians 15:10 His grace toward me was not in vain

No matter how dark the days may seem, God is still in control. As America goes through the degradation of sin and the darkness, God can still change whatever God can change.

If God can change a Saul into a Paul, God can change any lost person into a son or daughter of God. Our God is able.

Saved by Grace, the Messenger Paul was 100% committed to sharing the Gospel outside of his comfort zone. Though Paul loved to go to the Temple and Synagogues, speaking the the lost Jews, he nonetheless kept his eyes on what Jesus called him to do. Paul wrote:

Romans 1:14-15 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

One of the biggest barriers to salvation is the hardened heart – yet Christ was able to break through the heart of this “Pharisee of Pharisees”. Paul was saved on purpose for a purpose.

Word Study: Paul said that he was a “debtor” not to the Jews (though he shared the Gospel with the Jews) but to the “Greeks” and “Barbarians”. The word “debtor” is the Greek opheiletēs (pronounced of-i-let’-ace), which means “to be indebted to, to owe another, to be under obligation to or bound by duty to”. Paul knew that God entrusted the Gospel to him not to hide it, but to share it with the Gentiles. Notice that Paul breaks the Gentiles down into two different categories:

“Greeks” and
“Barbarians”

Why does he do this? Geoffrey Stone, the Edward H. Levi Distinguished Service Professor of Law at the University of Chicago wrote in his book “Sex And The Constitution”:

“From the sixth to the fourth century B.C. … The Greeks of this era generally {deliberately avoided using} the legal enforcement of moral or religious notions of “right sexual conduct.” Classical Greek morality and law focused not on sexual sin, but on whether an individual’s conduct was harmful to others.

The Greek gods indulged freely in sexual pleasure. In Greek mythology, Zeus variously became a bull, a swan and even rain with the goal of seducing mortals. Aphrodite was the goddess of love and of sexual rapture. Sex was “ta aphrodísiæ” — “the things of Aphrodite.” It is said that during the festival of Aphrodite her priestesses had sexual intercourse with strangers as a form of worship.

A distinctive feature of classical Greek sexual life was the practice of pæderasty. Adult men, both married and single, often had sexual relationships with adolescent boys. (These relationships did not involve children, but post-pubescent adolescents, usually between the ages of 15 and 19. Sex with prepubescent boys was punished, sometimes quite harshly.)

Greek boys were not taught to see themselves as either heterosexual or homosexual, a distinction that did not exist for another 2,000 years. Instead, Greek culture acknowledged that same-sex and opposite-sex sexual desires could naturally coexist in varying degrees in the same individual, just as we today might think of the different desires individuals might have to engage in some sexual acts more than others. To the Greeks, same-sex sex was simply a sexual act. It did not define a type of person.”

I believe the reason Paul spoke of being under obligation to both “Greeks” and
“Barbarians” was to distinguish between the sexually confused Gentiles of his day, and the other Gentiles who were not so afflicted. Rather than run away from sexual sinners, the Apostle shared the Gospel with them. The sexual immorality we see in America today is – as King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun”

Because it is strange or seemingly insurmountable to us, do not believe that God cannot fix it through Christ. Paul was not discouraged. He said:

I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also

Paul did not rely on his own power,
nor the power of politics,
nor the power of peer pressure,
but only on the power of God by sharing the Gospel.

Let’s next consider the Message

Romans 1:1 Paul … separated unto the gospel of God,

What is “the gospel of God”? First of all, the GOSPEL is the ONLY WAY anyone can be saved. The Gospel is God’s Grand plan of Salvation.

Romans 1:2 (Which {Gospel} He had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

The GOSPEL is not a last minute, “Hail Mary” pass from God to help defeat the devil. The Gospel was promised by God BY HIS PROPHETS in the Holy Scriptures. Paul is speaking of the Old Testament. As he writes these words, the New Testament has not yet been written. The Church will be

Ephesians 2:20 … BUILT on the foundation of the APOSTLES (Jesus’ hand picked representatives following His incarnation to humanity) and PROPHETS (Jesus’ hand picked representatives under the Old Covenant or Old Testament), with Christ Jesus Himself as the Chief Cornerstone …

God foretold the Gospel all throughout the Old Testament. Starting in Genesis 3:15 God foretold the “Seed of the Woman” would crush Satan’s head. Our Jesus took upon Himself flesh and blood,

Hebrews 2:14 … (ESV) that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil

Jesus did not come to make peace with sin nor the devil, but He came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). In Abraham God promised

Genesis 12:3 … in you {Abraham} shall all the families of the earth be blessed

The Apostle Paul tied into this promise in …

Galatians 3:8 (ESV) And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

The Gospel is God’s Grand Design, foretold from the beginning of creation. When Abraham paid tithes to an ancient Priest named Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18), he was paying tithes to a pre-incarnate Jesus Christ (Hebrews 6:20). When Melchizedek brought out bread and wine (Genesis 14:18) this was a foreshadowing of the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-29), where Jesus took bread and said, “Take, eat, this is My body, broken for you. Take, drink, this is My blood of the New Covenant, poured out for the forgiveness of sins”.

It was in Isaac, the son of Abraham that God said:

Genesis 17:19 (ESV) … Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

Jesus Christ – God become Man – is the everlasting offspring of Isaac. When Jacob slept and saw a staircase to Heaven (Genesis 28:12), Jesus was that staircase. He said, “I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51).

Our Lord Jesus is the Shiloh (Genesis 49:10), the Eternal Life from God (John 17:3).

Our Lord Jesus is the Lamb without spot or blemish (Exodus 12:5), sacrificed for the sins of the people.

Hebrews 9:13-14 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

It is His Blood that saves once and for all. It is His precious Blood, like that of a Lamb without spot or blemish that makes us right before God (1 Peter 1:19). The power is in the Gospel of Christ!

When Moses stood before the Rock at Horeb (Exodus 17:6), and struck that Rock, Moses was showing the Gospel. We read:

1 Corinthians 10:4 (ESV) {Israel} drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

Jesus is the Gospel. Jesus is all throughout the Old Testament. Oh, how I wish I could preach! When the sacrifice was killed outside the camp (Leviticus 16:27), this is a picture of Jesus Christ coming to Golgotha (Matthew 27:33), the Place of the Skull. Though we rightfully call it “Calvary”, the original term is that ugly word “Golgotha”. A place of horror, a place of suffering. It was outside the city of Jerusalem, a place where only lepers and trash was gathered. There Jesus died that lonely death – nailed to a tree between two thieves – for you and for me. We who believe in Jesus cry out with Job:

Job 19:25-27 … (ESV) I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

This Message – this Gospel – has been preached by Jehovah through His Prophets and Apostles from the beginning of time. This is why Saul become Paul preaches:

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

The Gospel has the power to save anyone – even the sexual sinner. Therefore:

We Must Not Turn Away From The Message Of The Gospel

Many churches today have compromised with the darkness. They have either become abusive toward the sexual sinner, or untruthful toward the sexual sinner. Beloved, God’s standard and God’s design is not subject to debate or vote. What God has said stands true forever.

After discussing the Gospel, the Apostle turns to this:

Romans 1:18-20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

God will judge all “ungodliness and unrighteousness of men”. Those who reject Christ “hold the truth in unrighteousness”. The word translated “hold” is the Greek katéchō, {pronounced kat-ekh’-o}, which means “to hold back, detain, or restrain”. Those who HOLD BACK the truth are supporting unrighteousness and darkness, not light. God has left Himself a witness that is outside of the Bible, and this is the Creation all about us. As we are told in verse 20, “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen”. People know that this current creation did not just spontaneously evolve into what it is. All creation shows an order. All creation shows the hand of a Creator. And all people know this.

When people turn against God, they invoke His “wrath”. God does not wink at sin. He does not look the other way. God punishes sin. And yet, though God has left us the witness of Creation and the witness of our Consciences, some choose to turn away.

They move into idolatry.

Romans 1:21-23 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

If a person rejects the Creator God, then they will turn to empty idols to worship. We were designed by God to worship. An empty faith in a false god will make you worship yourself, the creation of your own gods.

This is where sexual deviancy comes from.

Romans 1:24-28 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Sexual sin, whether heterosexual or homosexual, sexual confusion that leads to 147 genders, these things are where the idolatrous Greeks went once upon a time. This is where America is today. And yet, God is able … if we cling to and continue to present the Gospel.

But we must not compromise.

We cannot show acts of hatred toward the sexual sinner, nor should we justify their sins. We must stand firm on sharing the Gospel to them as lost ones whom God wants to save. We must not compromise. We must remember that – though we are in Rome …

Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are “beloved of God, called to be saints”. Jesus can fix anyone. He fixed Saul, and turned him to Paul. We are not able, but Jesus is able. Let us stand firm on His Gospel, for His glory. In Christ name I pray. Amen and Amen.

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Come Join Our Team

Posted on December 2, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Belle Co: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-photography-of-group-of-people-jumping-during-golden-time-1000445/

Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Do you KNOW where you are going?

Opening: Two friends were traveling through Louisiana when they saw a sign that said, (and I’m going to spell this):

N_a_t_c_h_i_t_o_c_h_e_s
5 Miles

How do you think you’d say that word? Unless you were born there, you probably wouldn’t know it’s pronounced Nack-a-tish. It’s a French word. Well, they began to argue about how the name of the town was pronounced. When they got to town, they pulled into a fast food restaurant and went inside. After ordering their meal, one asked the cashier, “Can you settle an argument for us? Very slowly, tell us where we are.” The cashier leaned over the register and very slowly said:

“Burrrgerrr Kinnnng”

America has lost its way. People don’t know where they are. Our current President said are 54 states in the union. A past President said there were 57 states. One reporter asked people on the streets of New York city simple questions like “Where is Mount Rushmore”. Several thought it was in Korea.

As a nation we’re having trouble getting people to work. Many young people today have said – I’ve heard it – “Just print more money and give it out. Let everybody have 75,000.00 dollars a year!” Millennials (those born from1981 to 1996, and who reached adulthood after 2000) and Generation Z (born from 1997 to 2012) have been taught that everyone deserves a paycheck whether they work or not. The Apostle said:

2 Thessalonians 3:10 If any would not work, neither should he eat ..

The mentality that pushes Socialism over Capitalism
has horribly afflicted our country.

Many businesses are putting out signs now – flags fluttering – proclaiming to the world the need for workers. I passed by a gas station the other day that had these huge self standing banners out front, 5 or six of them. The ones that caught my eye said:

Join our Team!
Great Benefits!
High Starting Pay!
Wonderful Retirement Plan!

I nearly pulled over myself and went in to get an application!

I began to think along these lines. Why don’t we have signs like this outside of every Church in America? We serve a great God! I think the reason is what Clay Hallmark, the President of the Tennessee Baptist Convention preached during our recent Annual Meeting. The Baptist & Reflector notes:

“In a sermon titled, “We are the mission field,” Hallmark declared, “The largest mission field in Tennessee right now is sitting in … Tennessee Baptist churches” because “Tennessee Baptist churches are filled with cultural Christians who are not committed to Jesus Christ.” … While crime, suicide, pornography and other social issues continue to rise across the state, the greater tragedy is that churches are powerless because they have “substituted the power of God for programs, processes, and personalities” Hallmark said.”

We need to return from where we have fallen. We need to get back to Jesus!

The World Desperately Needs Jesus

Illustrate: Not too long ago a shooter went into a LGBTQ bar in Colorado Springs, Colorado and killed 5 people, injuring 19 others. Christians were blamed for the attack. It was later revealed that the shooter was not Christian, but a self identified non-binary named Anderson Lee Aldrich. Major news networks were “left speechless” at the revelation because they couldn’t blame the Christian. Don’t be surprised. The early Church was blamed for burning Rome, though the evil Emperor Nero was the culprit. The darkness will always try to suppress the light. Jesus told us this. He said:

John 16:33, “in the world you will have tribulation. But take courage, I HAVE OVERCOME the world”.

We cannot find our solace in politics, social networks, or tribes. When Adam fell, he brought thorns and thistles into the world. We tried from Adam – through Noah – through the Law given at Sinai – up until the time of Christ’s coming to find peace.

We all need Jesus! Not just a little Jesus, but Jesus every day. Billy Graham said: “The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement”. He still needed Jesus. Knowing Jesus does not take away all pain – but gives us confidence even in trials. The Psalmist sang:

Psalm 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul…

As creatures made in the image of God (James 3:9), we have bodies and souls. Those who are in the family of God have a place to turn when in suffering. Notice the Psalmist doesn’t say, “Bless the Lord, O MY BODY”. There are times when the sin riddled world Adam gave to us brings forth “thorns and thistles” (Genesis 3:18). I mentioned this earlier. Why “thorns AND thistles”. Thorns is the bad stuff you can see, but thistles are the bad things you can’t see.

Thorns are the bad terrors you see coming.
Thistles are the hidden terrors.
The cancers. The lupus. The diseases.

There are times when we say in our bodies, “O me! O my!” Nonetheless we are encouraged by God’s Spirit to say “Bless the Lord, O my soul”. He is the Lord. Whatever comes my way as His Child is His responsibility.

Psalm 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and
all that is within me,

We do not curse God when we who are saved suffer. We run to Jesus. We know that our completion is in Him. We don’t just bless the Lord for what we consider good. We bless God for what we consider bad. It all serves a purpose for the Christian. If we believe the Scripture of

Romans 8:28, ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER for good to those who love the Lord,

Trials purify Christian faith, but putrefy the Charlatan!

Have you ever prayed, “Lord, make me more like Jesus” ? If so, know that God makes Children through the trials of life. It is through the carving of pain that we become the workmanship of God. Once you understand this, you begin to praise God for your pain and suffering. The Apostle suffered terribly for the faith once delivered, but nonetheless said:

Romans 5:3-5 (ESV) … we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

“We REJOICE in our sufferings”. Everything that comes to the believer in Christ comes for a purpose. It comes to make you more like Jesus. What else? One of the first martyrs of the faith James wrote:

James 1:2-4 (ESV) Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:12 (ESV) Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

I mentioned that grand old Saint Job this past Sunday. Consider his example in suffering. Losing all that he had he “fell on the ground and worshiped” God, saying:

Job 1:21 The LORD gives and the Lord takes away, BLESSED be the Name of the LORD”

When later his wife encouraged him to “Curse God and die”, Job rightly told her,

Job 2:10 You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive {the bad}?

The Greatest Blessing You Can Receive From God Is Christ

Psalm 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

What is the highest good that God can give to you?

Money? The devil can give money.
Fame? The world can grant fame.
Good health? Medical science can aid us with our health.

There is something God can give you that neither the devil, nor the world, nor science and technology can give you. Do you know what that is?

Only God can offer forgiveness of sin.
Only God can make us acceptable to Him.
Only God can impute to us Holiness.
God is HOLY!

Listen Beloved, “Bless His HOLY Name”. God is HOLY. He is RIGHTEOUS. His ways are PURE. His JUDGMENTS RIGHT.

When Isaiah was graciously shown into the gates of glory, he cried out in shock: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5). When we are compared to the holiness of God of God we fall so far short that we should be horrified. Consider all His commandments. Consider what Jesus said:

Matthew 22:37-38 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment”

Do we love God above all else? Does God hold first place in our hearts? I think we can all say that we fall short of this standard. But until we love God and put Him first, we will not love our neighbor who is created in the image of God. Jesus said:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39)

God calls us to His side. Until we see Jesus as the greatest gift, and others through the eyes of Christ, America will flounder.

God calls us to repent and believe on the name of Jesus. When we come to God through Christ, bending our knee to Him, He forgives us our sins and shortcomings. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 103:2-3 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities …

God is holy. But we are fallen creatures. We must have Jesus!

We are imperfect, prone to sin. We are, as the Psalmist said in another place, “wicked from the womb” (Psalm 58:3). We think we are good, but the Law of God convicts us of sin. What did our Lord Jesus teach? He plainly said:

“…there is none good, but ONE, that is, God” (Mark 10:18)

Illustrate: In our humanity we believe that we are fine. It’s like the young student who burst into his college professor’s office. He said, “Professor, I don’t believe I deserve this ‘F’ that you gave me!” The professor said, “I agree. You don’t deserve the ‘F’. Unfortunately, an ‘F” is the lowest grade I can give you.”

The God of the Scripture is Holy, Righteous, and Just. The Bible says that

Habakkuk 1:13 God is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and can not look on iniquity.

God is Holy – and we are not. God would be entirely justified in destroying this world and all that is in it. And yet, God does not.

Psalm 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

God cannot call sin “good”. God must judge sin.
He must punish sin. But God delays. He offers us all an alternative.

Jesus is the alternative. Jesus said:

John 14:6 I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me

When Jesus said these words, His disciples had no concept as to how horrible and yet wonderful this statement would be. God cannot just look the other way on sin. He cannot. Throughout the Old Testament He taught His Israel:

Hebrews 9:22 … without shedding of blood, there is NO FORGIVENESS

The Jew brought the sacrifice to the Temple over and over again. No animal could pay for our sins. But God sent His Beloved Son to this earth to give Himself for our brokenness. Blood had to be shed. Jesus was born of a virgin, born into humanity perfect and holy. He was born to be the “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Do you see Him? Beaten by soldiers, abandoned by friends. See Him carrying His Cross down that dusty road. See Him dragging that tree, impressed into His blood soaked shoulders. Up the hill called Calvary. There He is, stripped naked, shown in shame to the world. Nailed to that terrible Tree, He is raised up as a bloody flag.

Mocked.
Shunned.
Bleeding.
Dying.
Struggling.

Was it an accident? Was it a mistake? No. It was the plan of God. Pastor A.W. Pink wrote:

“The Lord Jesus died as none other ever did. His life was not taken from Him; He laid it down of Himself. This was His claim: “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” (John 10:17-18).”

It is only Jesus Who gives us peace with God. God’s anger at sin cannot be appeased by anything we do. His anger at sin is appeased through His own death on the Cross.

Psalm 103:9-12 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

To those who come to Christ, repenting of their sins, He covers their sins with His perfect work of Calvary. A.W. Pink went on to say:

“No one else ever did this or died in this way. His birth was unique. His life was unique. His death also was unique. In “laying down” His life, His death was differentiated from all other deaths. He died by an act of His own volition! Who but a divine person could have done this? In a mere man it would have been suicide: but in Him it was a proof of His perfection and uniqueness. He died like the Prince of Life!”

Truly Saved People FEAR The Lord

Psalm 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

Salvation is a free gift from God. But once the Free Gift
is received, your life belongs to God.

A Christian “fears God”. Salvation is indeed a free gift from God. But you may not know this, but the words “free gift” are only found in THREE VERSES IN ALL OF THE SCRIPTURE. This is in Romans 5:15-18. In that context the Apostle Paul emphasizes that when Adam sinned he brought spiritual death into the world – and that all are equally dead and divorced from God. Our works cannot make us right before God, because “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Beloved, none of is have the ability to save ourselves (Ephesians 2:1). We are all – outside of Christ – dead in trespasses and sins.

Salvation is of necessity a “free gift”.
But do not think because it is a “free gift” that it is a “cheap gift”.

Once saved, you become a member of the Family of God. Once saved, you become a son of God. Once saved, you become the workmanship of God (Ephesians 2:10). Once saved, you are accountable to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Psalm 103:15-19 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

Once saved, you are members of the Family of God. As such, you are expected to DO what God tells you to do. You are to obey His commands, rain or shine, mountaintop or valley, good days or bad days.

Are you His? Do you know Christ as your Lord and Savior? If so, bless the Lord, O my soul! If not, today give yourselves to Jesus! There is only one place that you will discover peace with yourself, and peace with God. That is in the arms of Christ. Run to Him. Give your lives to Him not just once, but daily and forever. For in Christ is power and glory.

May God the Holy Spirit draw you to His side. Amen and Amen.

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Rightly Dividing God’s Word Part 3

Posted on November 29, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Mat Brown: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-wind-vane-552600/

Turn with me in your Bibles to:

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved {δόκιμος dokimos} unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing {ὀρθοτομέω orthotomeō} the word of truth.

The Apostle tells us that we are to prove the genuineness of our salvation through study of God’s Word. But we are not to just take scriptures singularly or out of context. We are to “rightly divide” the Scripture, a word that means “to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly”. When the Scripture is not “rightly divided”, when Bible verses are read out of Scriptural or historic context, problems occur. For instance, some people quote:

2 Peter 3:8 beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

and use this to support Evolutionary Theory. They say, “This proves the earth is millions of years old just as Evolutionary Scientists teach”. Hogwash! When we study the Bible, we will see that God created all things within a six day, 24 hour day. If you disbelieve this, you disbelieve the Bible.

“Rightly dividing” the Scripture reads the Bible verse in context. What is around the text of 2 Peter 3:8? Peter is addressing those unbelievers who say:

2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

These unbelievers, “scoffers”, say “We’ve heard that God is coming again. If He is, then why does He linger?” Peter tells us that God does all things according to His timetable, not according to ours. God is eternal. What God promised – like the Noahic Flood – God will accomplish in His time.

Context Teaches Us What Applies To Our Lives

Illustrate: It seems as if you can hardly turn on the television without seeing someone push one of the following:

Transgenderism or Gender Dysphoria
Same Sex Marriage (LGBTQ2S+)
Heterosexuality outside of traditional marriage
Polygamy or Polyamorous Relationships

I am told that there are 57 different genders that a person could be – though that number is debated (for anything not of God can be confusing – 1 Corinthians 14:33). Most of the confusion could be cleared up if people would believe God and read His Bible! Turn with me to Genesis chapter 1. The first five books of the Bible are written by Moses as he was inspired by God (Jesus spoke of this in Mark 1:44; 7:10; 10:3; 12:19; Luke 16:29; Et al.). The Law of God to Israel was written by Moses – again, as God directed. In three parts, the Mosaic Law had moral codes that were to all people, social codes that were to Israel alone, and ceremonial codes that were temporary shadows or teachings of the coming Christ.

Though not all of the Mosaic Law applies to anyone but Israel, Moses also wrote the Creation Account which precedes the creation of Israel, and applies to ALL PEOPLE.

How do we KNOW that God created all things in six – 24 hour days? We know from the Creation Account of Genesis. Read with me:

Genesis 1:5 And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis 1:8 And the evening and the morning were the second day.
Genesis 1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
Genesis 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Genesis 1:23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

The phrases “ evening and evening” are normal language for a 24 hour day. God created everything but the land creatures on the first five days. On the sixth day God spoke into creation the land creature out of the soil of the earth:

Genesis 1:24 Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

All creatures were spoken into being by ‘ĕlōhîm – except mankind. Mankind was MADE or MANUFACTURED by God.

Genesis 1:26-27 And God {‘ĕlōhîm} said, Let us make {ʻâsâh, aw-saw’, to manufacture} man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them

Word Study: Chapter one tells us that humanity was deliberately made or manufactured by ‘ĕlōhîm – this being the Triune Name of God. God is an OUR and a US in our creation. God is Triune or a Trinity, and all of God was involved in our creation. God says to Himself:

Let us make {ʻâsâh, aw-saw’, to manufacture} man
in our image, after our likeness

God is One God in three Persons – Father, Son, and Spirit – a Compound Unity. “Man” is in God’s image, and is a compound unity like God is. Genesis Chapter 2 is a periscope that gives us more information on the creation of humanity:

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord {Yᵊhōvâ} God {‘ĕlōhîm} formed man {‘āḏām} of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

“Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm” created man by breathing into Adam life. He did not do this with animals. After the breath of God entered Adam, he became “a living soul”. Only man has a living soul. God created man distinctly different than the other creatures because man was to rule creation:

Genesis 1:28-30 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Though creatures have life, they do not have the image of God. Humanity was told to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion”. Mankind, not animal-kind, was given orders to follow.

Genesis 2:15-19 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

Adam was created BEFORE Eve. God gave Adam very specific instructions – commands – and told him what would occur in he, Adam, disobeyed. It was only after Adam was given these instructions that we read that woman was created.

Genesis 2:21-24 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Why wasn’t Eve formed of the dust of the ground as was Adam? Because Man and Woman are in “The Image of God”. Within the Godhead, the Father leads the Trinity, whereas the Son and the Spirit follow.

Father, Son, and Spirit are co equal in worth and in Godhood
– but the Father leads the Compound Unity called the Trinity.

Woman is equal in value to man, and BOTH woman and man were commissioned to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion”.

Just as the Father leads the Trinity, Man leads in the Marriage.

The Pattern of Creation Precedes The Mosaic Law

Though we know that the Mosaic Law largely applies to Israel alone, the Design of God in creation precedes the creation of the nation of Israel. What God designed in the Garden of Eden is a pattern that applies to ALL people today. Rightly dividing the Word of Truth helps us to understand this. When someone asks the question:

“Why don’tyou believe inordaining women Pastors?”

my answer is simply, “Because of God’s design in creation”. Man and woman are of equal value in the eyes of God. Yet in a Compound Unity, one must lead. God created man to lead in the marital union. Some have suggested that this policy only applied while in the Garden of Eden. Yet the Apostle Paul applied the creation account to the Church itself.

1 Timothy 2:11-15 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I {do not allow} a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

In our modern age you might be tempted to call Paul misogynistic (a woman hater). You would be wrong. In Romans we read:

R omans 16:1-5 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. …

Paul was not a woman hater, but commended women who worked with him in ministry. Yet Paul is careful to affirm the Divine Design of Genesis 1-2 of the marital union. Within the marital relationship, the man is to instruct and guide his wife in the Word and Will of God. The statements that we see above relate to Adam and Eve, or the bonds of marriage.

God demands that man be the leader in the marriage.

The Divine Design of the Garden translates to the leadership of the Church itself. Paul wrote:

1 Timothy 3:1-7 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop {ἐπισκοπή episkopē, the office of the Overseer}, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

The “episkopē” or the Office of the Overseer or Pastor is limited to men who are mature in the faith, and the husband of but one wife. Furthermore, the “episkopē” or Overseer must “rule well his own house”or his family. The question is asked:

For if a man know not how to rule his own house,
how shall he take care of the church of God?

I have known young men who wanted to move into the office of Pastor who were disqualified because they did not lead their families. A man who will not lovingly lead in marriage is not needed in the Pastorate. It is the call of men to lead. Paul told the Pastors at Ephesus:

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Deacons likewise are expected to lovingly lead and serve their families:

1 Timothy 3:8-13 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Deacons are to be the husbands of one wife, and leaders in their family. This is based on the design of God in creation. Again, both man and woman is of equal worth. However, in the marital relationship, the man is to lovingly lead and the wife to lovingly follow his leadership.

The Effect Of Poor Leadership In Marriage
Led To The Fall Of Humanity

The Covenant that God made with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is called “The Edenic Covenant”. As long as man led his family to love God, then the family would enjoy the blessings of Paradise. Both man and woman are called to together oversee God’s creation, and man was to lead in this oversight. What caused the fall of man from Paradise? Man failed to protect creation and to lead and protect his family. The Serpent (Satan, that Old Serpent – see Revelation 12:9; 20:2) came into the Garden. He came to Eve, not Adam and asked:

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

The Devil came into the marriage, and tested Adam and Eve. Did Adam lead in the marriage when challenged by Satan? No. We read:

Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Adam was with Eve while Satan was tempting her. The Bible says that the husband is to

E phesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Husbands must lead in the family. The reason that children grow up to be adults who are confused sexually is because they grew up in a household that did not follow Divine Design. The way to blessing is to do as God directs, to be as God has made you. Do not fall for the trap that Satan has set before America.

May God the Holy Spirit guide you to the truths of God’s Word. Amen and Amen!

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Let Us Be Light

Posted on November 27, 2022 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Jonathan Petersson: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-and-green-grass-field-during-sunset-1237119/

Isaiah 49:6b … I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

This was the focus of the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. We stopped frequently throughout the Convention to pray that God’s Holy Spirit would move on us, on our churches, and on our nation. The theme of our convention was:

Across the Streets
Across the States
Across the Seas

The Convention Scripture is the one we started our message with today, a portion of Isaiah 49:6. So I thought I’d preach on that tonight, and on the faithfulness of our God.

We Must Not Be Discouraged, For God Is Faithful

Isaiah lived in a particularly bad time in Israel’s history, some 700 years before Christ would be born of the Virgin Mary. Israel has divided into Northern and Southern Israel. The Ten Northern Tribes of Israel has established their own worship system apart from the Temple of God in Jerusalem. As Israel drifted away from the Word of God, she began to worship false gods and goddesses, contrary to the command of God their Savior.

Isaiah was raised up of God to do His will, to preach repentance to a people that would not repent. Yet God wanted Israel to know that He was not done with His people. But before He could assure Israel, God had to assure Isaiah. Isaiah’s ministry was very discouraging. The words we see above are not addressed to Israel, but to Isaiah. Though the TBC {Tennessee Baptist Convention} only quoted part of the text, let’s read the WHOLE text:

Isaiah 49:6 And {God} said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Word Study: Isaiah had begun to wonder if there was any hope for Israel, any hope for his ministry. But God told Isaiah “It is a light thing” that God raised up Isaiah. This is the Hebrew qâlal, {kaw-lal’}, which means “something very small and insignificant, a trifle, a feather’s touch”. The Lord told Isaiah, “What I did when calling you was so simple. If your calling was so simple, then I certainly can use you to reach the remnant of Israel”. What did God do in calling Isaiah? Isaiah said:

Isaiah 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

God needed Isaiah to be His Prophet to Israel, and not just to Israel, but to the Gentiles. It was God’s plan to reach the Gentiles through Israel. This is what God promised Abraham, the Father of faith. He told him:

Genesis 12:2-3 … I will make of thee {Abraham} a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

God would, from Abraham, make “a great nation” or Israel. This was God’s promise. “God is not a man, that He should lie”(Numbers 23:19). “Not ONE of ALL the Lord’s good PROMISES to Israel failed; every one WAS FULFILLED” (Joshua 21:45). “The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago” (Lamentations 2:17). God’s Word will always come to pass regardless as to the conditions of mankind. Isaiah was becoming depressed, discouraged. But God tells Isaiah, and tells us:

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

It was not Isaiah’s mama and daddy that made him a prophet to Israel. It was God. God called Isaiah to be a prophet to Israel before the sperm met the egg. He called Isaiah to be a prophet to Israel before his mama and daddy’s parents were even born. Isaiah is in the mind of God from eternity, and God’s will will be done.

Isaiah 49:2 And {God} hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in His quiver hath He hid me;

When God called Moses to go to Pharaoh with the message, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness”, Moses told God:

Exodus 4:10 O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

God told Moses,

Exodus 4:11-12 … Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

It is God Who raises up the Prophet and the People. It is God Who will give Isaiah the Word to speak. God did not want Isaiah to fear man, but to trust Him. “In the shadow of His hand hath He hid me”.

Isaiah is to be AVAILABLE to God, resting in God’s hand.

Isaiah is but an ARROW, something to be pulled from God’s quiver, and notched on God’s bow. Isaiah could not control the direction he was to be shot, nor the target that he would hit. Isaiah’s responsibility was to allow God to speak, allow God to use him, allow God to place him. Isaiah struggled with his worth. We see the struggle in:

Isaiah 49:3-4 And {God} said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. 4 Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.

Every servant of God struggles with self worth. The Apostle Paul, blessed man of God, wrote:

Romans 7:22-25 I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Struggle is part of the Christian way of life. God needed Isaiah to trust Him, and to do as He asked, to speak the Word that was given him. God told Isaiah that his calling was not in vain. Isaiah said:

Isaiah 49:5 And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

Isaiah said that he would trust not what his eyes saw, but what His God said. What does the Scripture say that FAITH is?

Hebrews 11:1-2 Now FAITH is the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things NOT SEEN. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

FAITH “must believe that GOD is, and that GOD is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6). Faith follows God, trusting His will. We will not always see the harvest of what our faith planted.

Abraham never saw Israel, though he was promised Israel.
Moses never saw Israel take the Promised Land, though God promised they would.
Daniel saw the mouths of lions stopped, but never saw the Promised Messiah.
Isaiah will not see the restoration of Israel, but will be put in a hollow tree,
and sawn asunder under the orders of evil King Manasseh.


Isaiah’s name in Hebrew, yᵊšaʿyâ (pronounced yesh-ah-yaw’) means “Jehovah has Saved”. His promises are sure!

I had a dear pastor friend who years ago preached revival at a Church I shepherded. One thing he said stuck in my mind. He said, “When you do not understand what the hand of God allows, trust in the heart of God”. God loves His people. God loved His Israel in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant, and loves His Church today under the New Covenant. God tells Isaiah:

Isaiah 49:8-10 Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

God had a long range plan in place. God was going to keep Israel from total destruction so that the Messiah could come to the world. The devil would do – and will do – all that he can to stop the plan of salvation. But God’s will will be done. The Apostle Paul would quote a portion of this passage in Isaiah to the Church at Corinth:

2 Corinthians 6:2 (For {God} saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

God preserves His people so that we can share the glorious Gospel of Salvation through Christ Jesus. We are not preserved for our sake. We are preserved for the sake of the Gospel. God wanted Isaiah to know that – though it looked bleak – the Messiah was going to come. God was going to fulfill His plan of salvation.

God Will Not Abandon His People:
We Are Graven On His Hands

God will bring all of His Children home. His Children are not those who are just Jewish by blood, but His Children are those who look for and believe in the Messiah. Jesus told the Pharisees:

John 8:42-44 If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. … Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do…

Those who belong to God’s True Israel love Jesus. They, like Abraham before them, saw Jesus as Messiah and rejoiced
(John 8:56)

True Israel believes on and follows God. The true Church believes on and follows the Lord. God tells us that “they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Romans 9:6). Being born a Jew will not save you. Being born again by faith in God WILL save you! God will call His Israel back to the land. He will bring Messiah through His Israel. He tells Isaiah:

Isaiah 49:12-15 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. 13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. 14 But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

In our day many women murder their children through abortion, which is a sad truth in our “me too” America. I look for America to codify abortion into law, a truly abominable thing! Yet God will never forget His people. Though His people wandered away from Him, He loves them still. God will regather Israel. God will triumph in His Church!

God prophesies of the Messiah.

Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Word Study: God told Isaiah, “I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands”. The word “” is the Hebrew châqaq, (pronounced khaw-kak’), which means “to cut in, to scribe, to cause a scar, to inscribe”. Verse 16 begins with “Behold”, a word of astonishment.

All of Heaven and Earth would not be astonished to see the name of God engraved on the palms of His hands, for His Name is Holy (Psalm 103:1). God is righteous, and God is right.

We would not be astonished to see the names of Michael the Arch Angel, or Gabriel the Arch Trumpeter of Heaven written on the palms of God’s hands. These angels, unlike Lucifer, have been faithful and true.

Yet the Lord has not written His own Name in His palms, nor the holy angels, but behold, He has written the names of those who have believed in Him in that wondrous place. Can you imagine that? When we compare ourselves with God we must say along with Bildad:

Job 25:4-6 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? {5} Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. {6} How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

We are nothing, yet our little faith causes Infinite God to do the unimaginable. “Behold, I have graven thee”. Note that we did not do this great thing, but God – in His infinite mercy – did this. It was not our goodness, our rituals, our prayers, or our tears that put us on God’s hands. It is merely that we did as He said. We REPENTED, and gave our broken lives to Him. We BELIEVED what God told us about Jesus.

Dear Christian, we live in some of the darkest days of America. And yet, do not give up. Trust in Him. Believe in Him! God loves to see the soul saved. Doesn’t the Scripture say:

Luke 15:7, 10 Joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repententh. There is joy in Heaven in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repententh.

In the history of eternity there has never been a time when God has forgiven an unpunished violation of His Law. Never! Never! Look in the palms of His hands and what do you see? Nail scars! Nail scars!

Galatians 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: {14} That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

These terrible wounds, these graven marks cry out to you and to all the angels and saints of Heaven “It is finished”. You are graven in the palms of His hands. The holes there remind you that He paid your debt. He paid all of your debt. All that is you is in the palms of His hands. Your person, your works, your temptations, your weaknesses, your wants, your everything is graven in His hands. There are those who believe that a Christian may be saved one day, lost the next – what utter foolishness! It was God Who engraved you on the palms of His hands. It was Infinite and All Knowing God Who engraved you – knowing all about you – on the palms of His hands. It was infinite and never changing God Who engraved mortal you on His immortal hands. The Scripture tells us:

Hebrews 1:10-12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: {11} They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; {12} And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

Illustrate: The works of God’s hands shall perish when He Himself remains. And you, dear believer, are graven in the palms of His hands. Make a fist with me. What is protected? It is the palm of your hands. We are graven on God’s palms. One day Jesus shall return to rule and reign on this earth. He will smite the enemy with His fists, and we shall be with Him. Yet as He smites, we are protected. God’s Children by faith are always protected.

The three Hebrew Children were protected, though cast in a fiery furnace.
The Shepherd David was protected, though he charged a giant with a rock and a sling.
Gideon threshed wheat in hiding, yet God used him and 300 men to defeat the enemy.

When the Church came together and preached the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost, it was not the strength of the Apostles nor the power of the 120 in the upper room that led many to salvation. It was that God’s people went into that upper room and prayed until the power of God came upon them. I’ll close with this text:

Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

Let us not be discouraged, but trust in God and His power. Amen and Amen!

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