Unpardonable Sin

Posted on June 15, 2020 by bibleteacherorg
Audio Message

Matthew 12:28-32 … if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

In our modern Church I hear very little preaching or teaching on the Holy Spirit of God. I find that odd, because of all the sins a person can commit, there is only ONE sin that God will NEVER forgive – that is “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost”. Jesus even said “you can speak a word against the Son of Man, but if you speak against the Holy Spirit IT SHALL NOT BE FORGIVEN, either in THIS WORLD or IN THE WORLD TO COME”. Who is “the Son of Man”? The Prophet Daniel foresaw the coming of the Messiah (Daniel 7:13), and called the Messiah the Son of Man. Jesus adopted this title for Himself, as Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. He is the “Son of Man”. Jesus in essence said:

“You can speak again Me, the Messiah, and it shall be forgiven. But if you speak against the Holy Spirit it shall never, ever be forgiven, not on earth nor in eternity”

This is a frightening statement to say the least. If there is a sin out there that gives me an express ride to hell, I want to know all about that sin so I can avoid it. Don’t you? Some people believe that the unpardonable sin cannot be committed today. I disagree. Jesus spoke on the unpardonable sin, and made sure that two men of God, the Apostle (Matthew) and early Church Evangelist (Mark) wrote about it. In Mark’s account we read:

Parallel Text Mark 3:27-30 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. 30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

If it is ONCE in the Bible, I heed it. If it is TWICE in the Bible, look out! God is serious. It is possible to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, an unpardonable sin. So let’s break this down. First of all,

What Is “Blasphemy”?

Years ago I assumed – as a young preacher – that everyone understood the words I was using, especially if I was using the King James Bible. I remember one sermon where I preached God’s word, and told the people that “heathen need to come to Jesus”. I preached that day believing everyone understood the message – I thought it was very clear – that is, until I stood at the door at the end of the service. A little old lady, a dedicated believer in the Lord, came to me and asked,

“Brother David, what’s a heethern?” (sic)

That’s exactly the ways she said it and, no, I am not mocking her. I love her, and love you. But I preached an entire message that she and others did not understand because I failed to explain a main word. A heathen is an unbeliever, one who has rejected Jesus Christ as Savior. So, what is “blasphemy”?

  • Blasphemy is to speak against God, to belittle or chip away at God and His glory with your tongue. The first use of the word “blasphemy” is in the Book of the Law. In Leviticus 24 God is telling ancient Israel how to set up the Tabernacle, the tent where His people were to meet with Him, and where sacrifices were made. God tells the priests to use pure olive oil in the lamps, and make the lamps burn continually while the tent is set up (Leviticus 24:1-4). What do these “lamps” or “lights” symbolize? They symbolize the Light of God, Jesus Christ our Lord.

God is the Bringer of Light (Genesis 1:3).
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world (John 8:12)

Leviticus 24:10-11 the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; 11 And the Israelitish woman’s son BLASPHEMED the name of the Lord, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) “Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord,
he shall surely be put to death”

Isaiah 36:19-20 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20 Who are they among all the gods of these lands, … that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

  • It is also blasphemy to teach against what God has said is true. Jesus warned us:

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Acts 20:28-30 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. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking PERVERSE things, to draw away disciples after them.

Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to ALL generations.

Psalm 100:5 .. the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

John 17:17 Sanctify (or set them apart) them through thy truth (O Father): thy word is truth.

1 Timothy 1:19-20 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to BLASPHEME.

Blaspheme is therefore the use of the tongue to degrade or to deny God and what He has said is truth. When Jesus warned against Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, the Pharisees had said something terrible. What did they say?

Earlier that day Jesus cast a demon out of a man who was could neither see nor hear (Matthew 12:22). Jesus healed the man. The Bible tells us, though:

Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard {of what Jesus did}, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Jesus was casting out devils by the Spirit of God (Matthew 12:28). The Holy Spirit – at Christ’s Word – was coming to people who were in an absolutely helpless estate – and healing them. The man who was unable to see or hear was absolutely powerless. Jesus touched him, and through the intercession of God’s Holy Spirit, the sick were healed, and the demonically oppressed were freed. When John the Baptist told his disciples of Jesus, he said:

John 3:34-35 For he whom God hath sent (Jesus) speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto (Jesus). 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

The miracles that Jesus did, He did them not by the power of the devil, but the Spirit of God did them. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit were partners from Heaven, sent to show the way of God unto man. The Pharisees saw Jesus heal people and said “He is doing this by the Prince of Demons”. Mark tells us that the Pharisees committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit of God because:

Mark 3:30 Because {the Pharisees} said, He hath an unclean spirit.

The Pharisees attributed the work of God – a clear work of God – to that of Satan. Jesus did the works – the wonderful works of healing and blessing – not using His own divine power, but by the Spirit of God.

Matthew 12:28 … if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you

Why Is Blasphemy Of The Holy Spirit Unforgivable?

Jesus makes a statement that most people skip over when they read it. Read with me:

Matthew 12:28-29 … if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Who is this “strong man”?
The “strong man” is Satan and his network of evil.

Jesus casts out “devils” by the Spirit of God. The fallen angels – Lucifer included – are “devils”. Jesus Christ “entered the strong man’s house”, He entered this fallen world. Jesus could not spoil the strong man’s goods (the sin and wickedness that are produced because of unbelief) unless He first binds the strong man. Jesus’ ministry is under attack by the religious establishment known as the Pharisees. The Pharisees, along with the Scribes, continually challenge Jesus’ authority as Messiah, even though He does the work of the Messiah.

  • Jesus Christ came to this earth to crush the strong man, the devil we call Satan or Lucifer. In the Garden of Eden Mankind lost the beauty of Paradise because Adam listened to a talking serpent, a picture of Satan. In the first Book of Scripture, Satan is pictured as a “serpent”, and in the last Book of Scripture, Satan is still a “serpent”:

Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

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

Matthew 4:9 … All these things (the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them) will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Matthew 4:10 … Get thee hence, Satan: for IT IS WRITTEN, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

  • Jesus crushes the strong man (the devil) by destroying the power of sin. Jesus said:

Matthew 12:31 … All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men …

Matthew 9:2 … Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

Matthew 9:6-7 … that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house.

Acts 5:31 {Jesus} hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 13:38 … {Jesus Christ} is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins ..

Ephesians 1:7 {In Jesus Christ} we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Colossians 1:13-14 … delivered from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Jesus Sends The Holy Spirit To Crush The Strong Man, Satan. The Sent Holy Spirit Of God Who Gives Us New Birth And Eternal Life. Jesus’ Blood Makes Our Salvation Possible. The Spirit’s Activity Secures Our Salvation Once We Receive Christ as Lord And Savior.

So return to our first question: Why is blaspheme of the Holy Spirit unpardonable? It is because we are born into this world spiritually blind and deaf. It is the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes and ears to hear the Gospel. It is the Holy Spirit, that blessed Third Member of the Godhead, Who convicts of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Jesus in speaking of the Holy Spirit promised His disciples:

John 16:7-14 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Holy Spirit of God opens our eyes to the Word of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit of God convicts of sin. The Bible tells us that the strong man, the little “g” god of this world loves to hide the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 4:3-5 … if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

When the Pharisees spoke up against Jesus that day so long ago, they attributed the work of God’s Grace to Satan. There are many who do the same thing even today. While hearing the glorious Gospel, that Christ came to give us life, to cover our sins “to deliver us from this evil world” (Galatians 1:4), some resist the Spirit. They make excuses. They examine their lives in the light of others and say, “Well, I’m not that bad?” They like the Pharisees mock Christ, and reject the Messiah and the way unto salvation.

Salvation is a supernatural work, done by a supernatural God. When your eyes are opened to your sins you must repent, and run into the arms of Christ. Then and only then will you be “born again” of the Spirit of God. YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN (John 3:7)!

It is not the denomination that you are in that saves you. It is Jesus. It is not the works of righteousness that you do that saves you. It is the finished work of Calvary. We are born into this world separated from God. No man or woman can come to Jesus, unless the Father which sent Jesus DRAWS YOU (John 6:44). Remember Christ’s words:

John 3:6-8 … That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

It is blaspheme of the Holy Spirit to feel His leading, and to reject Him. If you reject the Spirit, you reject the One Who washes you. You reject Him Who causes your new birth. In short, it is blaspheme of the Spirit to reject the call unto salvation, to refuse Him Who pleads for you. To do so, like the Pharisees, is to die in your sins, hopeless, helpless for all eternity. Do not do so. Repent, run to the arms of Jesus today. Do not die in your sins. There is no forgiveness, none after death if you reject the Spirit’s call now. May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen!

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The Thing Greatly Feared (Life of Job #3)

Posted on June 15, 2020 by bibleteacherorg
Audio Message

Job 3:23-26 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? 24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. 25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. 26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

We have been studying in the Book of Job, the most ancient Book written in our Holy Bible. Job is an interesting – albeit difficult – study because it examines the life of a man tried. Job was a man tried.

If you live long enough, trials will come your way. Trials may come in the way of disease, or sickness, or by job loss or loss of income. You may bring trials on yourself, or others may bring trials to you. Trials come almost, at times, by accident. You may have a loved one pass away, or be involved in a bitter divorce when love dies. The Bible says:

Job 5:6-7 Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; 7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

Someone once said that everyone is headed toward a trial, or is in a trial, or has just finished a trial. If you breath, you will have trials. That’s why God gave us Job.

Job was a man tried, not because he was at fault, but because he loved God. Listen to this, Beloved. If you love God you WILL be tried. Job did not do anything wrong.

Let me chase rabbits for a minute. I got back to my house yesterday after being at Church all day. I live in a neighborhood of mixed race. My next door neighbor is a black woman, and my neighbor to the left is a liberal. I have two members of the Church of Christ that live behind me, and several houses on my street are occupied by Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hispanics, and whites. I live in a good neighborhood. People cut their grass, and keep their lawns neat. A Jewish neighbor flies an American and an Israeli flag, and a Mexican neighbor flies the flag of … you guessed it, Mexico. As I got ready to turn into my drive a young black man – NOT one of my neighbors – roars through the neighborhood at twice the speed limit. He needs a ticket before he kills himself or someone else. If he gets a ticket, he brought that trial on himself. It was his choice to speed. If he kills a child going 50 mph in a 25 mph neighborhood, he brought trials to that child’s family. Color has nothing to do with it. Trials come, many times, at our invitation. I pray the young man learn this while he can.

Job did not bring trials on himself. He lived to honor the Lord. We are told:

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect {complete, mature} and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed {rejected} evil.

Job loved the Lord, and this is what led to Job’s trials.

Satan challenged God that if he be allowed to take away all that Job had, then Job would in turn curse God to His face. God allowed Satan to take away Job’s:

Fortune (Job 1:14-17)
Family (Job 1:18-19)
and finally Job’s Fitness (Job 2:1-8)

Job lost everything. Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2:10) even though he was in agony and suffering. The Rabbis in the Talmud note that Job did not sin with his LIPS, but began to sin in his HEART. That often happens when we go through trials. Outwardly we may appear calm, but inwardly our hearts hurt. There are times when we may even question our God. Where is God when the trial comes? He’s never far from His child – but often our hearts cloak His presence. That’s why we need friends, people of like faith to come around around us when we are tried.

We Need Friends – A Family –
A Church To Embrace Us When We Suffer

Job 2:11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

When we go through trials, we desperately need friends, people in whom we can trust and share our hearts. We need people of like faith to reach out to us and help us. We need “friends”, friends of Jesus. Jesus said:

John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

A true “friend” is someone who will stand
by you while you suffer.

Job had friends. Though they were from three different places the Bible says:

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place

Friends step outside of their own comfort zone and come to be with you when you are suffering. There is nothing in the text that tells us that Job called for these friends. When they heard of all this evil they did not stay at home and GOSSIP about Job. No, as friends they came from where they were to where their suffering friend was. This is what God’s vision of the Church is. The Lord says:

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 …. the members {of the Church} should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

When a member, a friend suffers, we should leave our place and go to where they are. These men loved Job. These men are from different areas – I suspect their skin color was not the same as Job’s. They are:

Eliphaz the Temanite – an Edomite (Arab)
Bildad the Shuhite – (Genesis 25:2) relative of Abraham
Zophar the Naamathite – (genealogy unknown)

The Bible says in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

These men:

vs 11 made an appointment together to come to
mourn with him and to comfort him.

These friends came to Job – though they lived in three different area – with the express purpose of “mourning with him, and comforting him”. The wisest man who ever lived was Solomon, and he wrote:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Friends do not pick, nor do they aid in your destruction. Friends grieve with you. When these friends saw Job …

Job 2:12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

Job was disfigured by the boils on his face and body, so much so that his friends could hardly recognize him. They cried out, greeting Job … and then they sat down with Job in the dirt.

Friends “sit down in the dirt” with us.
Be a “Friend” not a “Fixer”.

Often when people suffer we want to “fix it”. The desire to “fix it” is often born out of a heart of love. But neither I nor you can “fix” people. Only God can. The Bible says:

Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

Illustrate In other words, SHUT UP! When we try and “fix” a person with our opinions, we can drive the sufferer deeper into despair. In the cartoon Calvin and Hobbes – one of my favorites – the little boy Calvin runs home to tell his mamma that his stuffed tiger has been lost. A dog grabbed Hobbes, and ran off with the toy. As the boy tearfully tells his mother his cherished Hobbes is lost, her response is “Well, Calvin, if you wouldn’t drag that tiger everywhere, things like this wouldn’t happen.” In the last panel Hobbes, speaking to the reader, says “There’s no problem so awful that you can’t add some guilt to it and make it even worse.” Though but a cartoon, those words are oh so true. Author Eugene Peterson said, “Sufferers attract fixers the way road kills attract vultures”.

Friends need to be there. We don’t need to minimize what our suffering friend is going through by comparing what they are going through with what others have gone through. The Apostle said:

2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Each person’s suffering is unique, and very real to that person. We cannot nor should not minimize nor patronize their suffering. Job’s friends did right.

Job 2:13 So they SAT DOWN WITH HIM upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and NONE SPAKE A WORD unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

Job’s friends did absolutely nothing. They were just there, waiting with Job, silently praying for Job. They saw that his grief was very great so they just shared the moment with him. They waited for Job to speak before they spoke. This is what we are called to do as believers in Christ.

Romans 12:10, 12, 15 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; … 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; … 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

All trials have a purpose. God is behind that purpose. The Scripture says:

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Every trial that comes upon a Christian, comes upon us because we are “the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus {to do} good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”. God uses trials to shape and grow our faith. Job and his friends sat quietly for

Job 2:13 … seven days and seven nights …

Seven days and nights was the usual time of mourning for the dead (see Genesis 50:10; 1 Samuel 31:13). These dear men waited for Job to speak before uttering anything to him.

Job Did Not Curse God With His Lips
But His Heart Is In A Bad Place

Job 3:1-5 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. 2 And Job spake, and said, 3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. 4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. 5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

Though Job did not “curse God to His face” as Satan expected, Job did curse his day. He began to question the reason for his existence. He said Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. The trials that came upon him made him doubt his worth and purpose. Job was saying “the day of my birth was a day swallowed up in darkness”. He said:

Job 3:6-10 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. 7 Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. 8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. 9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: 10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

Though Job will not lose more nor suffer more from Satan’s hands, the greatest battle now is the battle for Job’s mind. He believes his life to be a mistake.

He wishes that the day of his birth be utterly stricken from the calendar. Job is not the only Biblical character to have thought this way of themselves. Even the best and strongest believers can suffer despair. Consider Elijah, a mighty Prophet. When threatened by Jezebel he ran, then gave up on himself, saying …

1 Kings 19:4 … It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

The Prophet Jeremiah had such a hard ministry in Israel that he cried out to God:

Jeremiah 20:14-18 Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. 16 And let that man be as the cities which the Lord overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; 17 Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. 18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

You may have despaired of life before. You are in good company. Job despaired. Hear his words:

Job 3:11-19 Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? 12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? 13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest, 14 With kings and counselors of the earth, which build desolate places for themselves; 15 Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver: 16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light. 17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. 18 There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. 19 The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

Job saw death as a place where you “rest” or “sleep”, where there were no more trials. Job was not contemplating suicide by any means, but was suffering so much that he wanted to die and “rest” rather than continue as he was. If his friends had not come Job MAY have took his life. He lost his purpose.

One of the saddest things in life is when we, through suffering, lose our purpose. God made us for a purpose. He loves us, and will not abandon us. The Apostle Paul – a man who suffered terribly for the Christian faith – wrote:

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.

And again,

2 Timothy 1:8-10 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

The Child of God by faith in Christ has a purpose as long as God allows us to live on this earth. We may not understand His purpose, nor why we go through suffering, but we should trust the heart of God when we cannot understand what He is doing. I say again,

We should trust the HEART of God when we do not understand what His HAND is doing.

What Was “The THING” Job Greatly Feared?

Job started by cursing his birth, then by doubting his purpose. Now he wondered why he was given light. He says:

Job 3:20-25 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; 21 Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; 22 Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave? 23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? 24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. 25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

Word Study What is the thing that overwhelms Job? The THING which he greatly feared. You see that word THING? Not THINGS plural but THING. The one thing that Job greatly feared was that God had somehow abandoned him. In the pain and the suffering he began to doubt the presence of God.

Job thought God had left him – this was
the “thing” he greatly feared.

God promises never to leave His children. God promises His people that He will fulfill His purposes in Him. God told Jacob:

Genesis 28:15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

God told Jacob that He would not abandon him until He fulfilled His promise in him. Shall God promise His Child Heaven, and abandon him while on this earth? Absolutely not! God does not leave His child by faith. Moses told Israel:

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of {the enemy}: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

God never fails His child. The Psalmist declared:

Psalms 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Psalms 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

The wicked are cut off, but God takes care of His own. God is not fickle as humans are. God does not “fall into” love then “fall out of” love, like a mud puddle or a ditch. Those Whom God loves, He never leaves. He promises:

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

A friend reminds a suffering friend that God is still there, and God is faithful. Job’s friend Eliphaz tells him:

Job 4:3-4 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. 4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. 5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

“Job, you have helped others through bad times. You have helped others who have struggled in trials. Now you are in trial.

Job 4:6-8 Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? 7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

“Remember how you encouraged others, Job. Do you remember? God does not cut off the righteous. He cuts off the wicked, the sinner that has no time for Him. But God does not abandon His children.”

When you, dear Christian, are afflicted, do not judge what God is doing. Just trust God, love Him, and magnify His name throughout the trial. This trial has a purpose. As Peter wrote:

1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ …

God will not leave you, dear one. Look up! Our God reigns! Amen and Amen.

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My Heart Is Fixed

Posted on June 12, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

Psalm 108

The Book of Psalms is divided into five sections, with each section ending with a doxology or benediction. There are five books, so I am told, to reflect the five books of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy).

  • Book 1 (Psalms 1-41) emphasizes that God is beside the believer, watching us all the way. “The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Psalm 1:6). The doxology is, “ thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.” (Psalm 41:12-13).
  • Book 2 (Psalms 42-72) emphasizes that God goes before the believer. The Book starts with the Christian being compared to the deer that seeks water when it is thirsty. “As the {deer} panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2). The doxology is “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.” (Psalm 72:18-19)
  • Book 3 (Psalms 73-89) emphasizes that God is all around the believer. When we are weakest is when God is strongest in us. “I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” (Psalm 73:23-26). The doxology is “Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and Amen.” (Psalm 89:52).
  • Book 4 (Psalms 90-106) focuses on how God is above the believer. Psalm 90 is the one psalm written by Moses. “Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations” (Psalm 90:1). The doxology in Psalm 106:48 says “ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.”
  • Book 5 (Psalms 107-150) emphasizes how God is among His believers. The doxology for Book 5 is the entirety of Psalm 150: “Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”

God placed the 5 Books of the Psalms in the center of our Bible to remind us who are Christians the importance of praising God. What your focus is on will effect your spirit. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:22-23 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be SINGLE {ἁπλοῦς haploûs, pronounced hap-looce’ meaning WHOLE or HEALTHY}, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be EVIL {πονηρός ponērós, pronounced pon-ay-ros’ meaning WICKED or DISEASED}, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

Many of us today have our eyes focused on WICKED things rather than HEALTHY things. We watch bodies autopsied, plague statistics, rioting on the news, horrible, horrible things. Our focus is on darkness, and thus our focus stays dark. The Psalms reminds us

God is beside me
God is before me
God is all around me
God is above me
God is among us, when we gather in His name

Let’s look at Psalm 108. This Psalm is actually taken from two other michtams of David. No one really knows what the word michtam means, though some commentaries suggest it is a psalm as precious as stamped gold.

Psalm 108:1-5 is taken from michtam Psalm 57:7-11

There is a reason God repeated these words.
In Psalm 57 David fled from Saul in the cave:

1 Samuel 22:1-2 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. 2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

God provided David and others in need a way of escape. Later on King Saul and three thousand chosen men out of Israel would come into the mountains looking for David and his men. Saul entered the cave, and went to sleep – a cave that David and his men hid in. His men encouraged David to kill Saul, for they said:

1 Samuel 24:4-7 … Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily. 5 And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. 6 And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. 7 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

Psalm 108:1-2 O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.		The enemies of David are raised up against him. The Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines seek to do harm to David and to Israel. David will not do the convenient thing. David will not allow fear to drive him. David fixed his heart on God. God is beside, before, around, above, and with me. God is there.

The Christian is to fix his or heart on God, to live for His smile, not the smile of the world. Following the death of George Floyd – a horrible tragedy – I have seen people do foolish things in the name of Christ. Let me ask, Did Jesus ever do this?

Did Jesus ever treat others shabbily?
Did Jesus bow the knee to anyone but God?
Did He? No, not one bit.

Word Study Our hearts are to be fixed on God. That word “fixed” is the Hebrew כּוּן kûwn, (pronounced koon), which means “to be on the solid foundation of a thing, firmly established”. It is a Niphal participle, which denotes a life of faithfulness to God’s path, not man’s path. We who are the saved of God are to always put God’s pleasure and God’s desire first. There are but two forces in the world:

The forces of God, and
The forces of Satan

The Church and the Christian is in a daily battle for the souls of mankind. The Apostle saw this as an ever constant war. At no point are God’s people to compromise on fixing our hearts on our Savior. Take heed of the words of Scripture:

Ephesians 6:10-14 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

David’s heart was fixed – steadfast on pleasing God. We as God’s children are to be fixed on pleasing our God, on imitating the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 108:1b-3 O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
3 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.		The characteristics of the fixed or faithful heart is:
1. I will sing to my God
2. I will sing praises to my God
3. I will awaken praising God
4. I will praise God in the Church
5. I will praise God among the lost
6. Whatever glory belonged to David, he gave it to God!

“The Psaltery [lute] was a stringed instrument, usually with twelve strings, and played with the fingers. The harp or lyre was a stringed instrument, usually consisting of ten strings. Josephus says that it was struck or played with a key. It appears, however, that it was sometimes played with the fingers.” (Barnes, cited in Spurgeon).

If God has given you talents, then as faithful children you are to devote those talents to the Lord. We are to start our day praising God, then live throughout the day so that others can see our love for God.

Psalm 108:4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.If God’s mercy were to be measured, it would extend above the heavens, and His truth above the clouds.

Man’s truth is subject to change, but God’s truth is limitless. As God is infinite, His mercy is infinite. The Scripture says:

1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Jeremiah 33:11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever

Psalm 108:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;It is God Who is to be honored, God Who shall receive all glory.

Psalm 108:6-13 is taken from michtam Psalm 60:5-12

Psalm 108:6 That thy BELOVED may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.God went with David in battle in 2 Samuel 8:1-14 , allowing him to defeat several enemies. In verse 14 we are told “the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went”.

God protects His Covenant people, God’s Beloved. There are numerous times in the New Testament where God refers to His people as “Beloved”:

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.

Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

God’s covenant people – saved by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord – are the beloved of God. We are not to be

“.. menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6)

We are to remember the admonition and example of Paul, who said:

Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Psalm 108:7-11 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
9 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.
10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?		God owns everything.
1 Corinthians 10:26 For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.
Hebrews 3:4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
Haggai 2:7-8 I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.

It is God Who gives the land to Israel, and God Who gives us the victory. We are not to live to please man, but to please God. He is in control. Trust Him, and cling to His Word. As the Soniclight Commentary states, “victory was possible if God would grant it, but impossible if He would not. David was relying on Israel’s Warrior, not his army, to defeat the enemy. He realized and confessed that if victory depended on the sinful people, they would fall in defeat”

Psalm 108:12-13 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.		Military alliances often backfire. We are not to trust in alliances with the world and the worldly. We are to trust in God.

C.H. Spurgeon said, “We ought to pray with all the more confidence in God when our confidence in man is altogether gone. When the help of man is vain, we shall not find it vain to seek the help of God.” We dare not, Church, make alliances with the lost. This is the way to disaster. God calls us to stand firm in Him. Our eyes on Jesus. Our ears attuned to His Word. Our trust in Him Who saved us. Not in a fickle and fallen world, but in the Lord alone.

May God touch your hearts with His Word! Amen and Amen.

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One Greater Than The Temple!

Posted on June 8, 2020 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by AK¥N Cakiner on Unsplash

Matthew 12:1-8 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shew bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

What is the “Sabbath”?

When we study the things of God we need to be very careful how we handle His Word. The Pharisees charged Jesus with allowing His disciples to do something which broke the Law of the “Sabbath”. Now, what is the “Sabbath”? If you look the word up in a secular dictionary, such as the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, you are told that “Sabbath” is:

“a. The seventh day of the week observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening as a day of rest and worship by Jews and some Christians.

b. Sunday observed among Christians as a day of rest and worship.”

The Jews considered each “day” to be “evening and morning”, with sunset to be the beginning of a new day. This is why the Jews keep the Sabbath from Friday at Sunset to Saturday at Sunset. Keeping the Sabbath was the earliest command that God gave humanity. In the Book of Genesis this day of rest was not called “Sabbath”, but we read:

Genesis 1:31-2:1-3 God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

The seventh day – the Sabbath – was a day that God set apart from all the others. Creation was finished. A loving God built our planet, and put Adam and Eve in it’s special Garden called Eden. The Sabbath was a day to reflect on the love of God toward His creation, especially toward humanity. God did not have to make humanity. He was not compelled to care for us, but loved us, and loves us still. He made humanity “in His image and after His likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

The Sabbath is a time to rest and reflect on the undeserved love of God our King.

The first time the word “Sabbath” occurs in the Bible is in the Book of Exodus. Israel had been freed from Egypt, and were traveling through the wilderness of Sin. Sin is both a place as well as a bad state to be in. Israel should be loving God, thanking Him for freeing them from slavery. But instead Israel:

Exodus 16:2-3 … murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: {saying} Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt …

God heard their murmuring. Instead of punishing Israel, God sent quail and manna – the bread of Heaven – to feed His people. God told His people to gather a certain amount every day, but on the sixth day to gather twice as much. Why? The Lord explained:

Exodus 16:23 … To morrow is the rest of the holy SABBATH unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and {boil} that ye will {boil}; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

Word Study Israel was not the work in gathering quail nor manna on the שַׁבָּתShabbâth, {pronounced shab-bawth’, it means “intermission”}. God gave Israel this Law of Rest “to prove or test them, whether they will walk in My Law or not.” When Israel got to the base of Mount Sinai, and Moses went up into the Mount to receive the Law, God told Israel:

Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the Shabbâth day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Shabbâth day, and hallowed it.

Made in the image of God, the Lord wanted Israel to imitate Him, to do as He did at creation. One day in seven was set aside as Shabbâth, {pronounced shab-bawth’}, which means “intermission”. As God expanded the Law every seventh year was also a Shabbâth, an intermission:

Leviticus 25:4 … in the seventh year shall be a Shabbâth of rest unto the land, a Shabbâth for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

The Shabbâth for the Israelite was not optional. To fail to keep the Shabbâth was to commit a Capital Offense.

Exodus 31:14-16 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

The Shabbâth rest was specifically given to Israel, a perpetual covenant, something that would never cease until rescinded by God. It was a one sided contract. God said “You will do it”, and Israel was to do it. To fail to do it was a death sentence (see Exodus 35:2).

Illustrate When Nehemiah led the refugees of the children of Israel back to rebuild Jerusalem he caught the Israelites buying and selling on the Shabbâth. Nehemiah chastised them, saying (Nehemiah 13:18) “Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Shabbâth..”, From that point on the gates of the city of Jerusalem were locked, and guards posted, so that there would be no buying and selling on the Sabbath. God promised Jerusalem if they kept the Shabbâth holy and unto the Lord that there would be blessing on all (Jeremiah 17:21-27). If they failed to keep the Shabbâth, there would be a curse brought on them.

Why was it a death penalty for the Jew to knowingly break Shabbâth? Because Shabbâth – the weekly intermission, the festival intermission, or the 7 year intermission represented something greater than just a time of rest. Shabbâth was a Royal Decree, a Commandment from the King of Israel. It was not just another day to work and increase your riches. It was a day to recognize the Kingdom of God and it’s King. To fail to keep Shabbâth was to commit treason against the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Shabbâth emphasized faith in God and allegiance to God. It was a rest with God as it’s focus!

Your Disciples, Jesus, Are Law Breakers!

The Bible makes it very clear that Shabbâth is a special day set aside for the Israelite, an intermission to show your allegiance to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Matthew 12:1-2 Jesus went on the Shabbâth day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Shabbâth day.

Jesus was not eating any corn, but His disciples were pulling ears of corn and eating them on the Sabbath Day. “Your disciples are doing that which is unlawful on Shabbâth”!,the Pharisees said. What the Pharisees were accusing the disciples of Christ was a Capital Offense! You could be stoned with stones until dead for breaking Shabbâth. Shabbâth was not optional, but a mandate from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Were Jesus’ disciples sinning? Absolutely not. To believe that Jesus allowed His disciples to sin while He watched is to diminish our Lord and Savior. The Bible is very clear that Jesus is:

John 1:29 … the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world

It is this same Jesus Who shed His blood for you, Who,

Hebrews 9:14 … through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Jesus cannot take away the sin of the world, nor can He be a suitable offering unto God for our sin, if He Himself is a sinner. Only a sinner would stand by and watch others in his charge sin. Jesus Christ, our High Priest, was in all points tempted as we are, yet never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). What Jesus’ disciples was doing was not wrong, nor a twisting of God’s Law of the Sabbath. Jesus did what He often did when challenged by the Pharisees.

Jesus quoted Scripture.
Shabbâth is an intermission to honor God.
Shabbâth is not broken if what you are doing is in service to God.

Matthew 12:3-4 {Jesus} said unto {the Pharisees}, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shew bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

In the Tabernacle and later in the Temple there was a Table Of Showbread, also called “The Bread of His Presence”. This Bread was constantly in the Presence of God (Exodus 25:30). This “Hallowed Bread” was not to be eaten but by the priests of Israel, and only after fresh bread was baked. The passage that our Lord quotes is from 1 Samuel 21. David and his men have been evading King Saul, running for their lives, and came to the Tabernacle hungry. David asked for 5 loaves of Showbread that the priest was in process of switching it out with fresher loaves. Only the priests – according to the Law – were to eat of this showbread (see Leviticus 24:5-9; Exodus 25:30). Yet the priests gave this bread to David and his men.

Why was it o.k. for David and his men to eat the Hallowed Bread? Because David was chosen by God to succeed King Saul (1 Samue1 16:1, 7, 10-13) as King over Israel. The priests served God by feeding David and his men, men who were evading King Saul, who was trying his best to kill David. David was God’s anointed. You are not violating the Law when you are doing the will of God.

Jesus went on to tell the Pharisees:

Matthew 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Shabbâth days the priests in the temple profane the Shabbâth, and are blameless?

Jesus also noted that – according to the Law – the Priests were to make burnt offerings on the Shabbâth days.

Numbers 28:9-10 And on the Shabbâth day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: This is the burnt offering of every Shabbâth, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.

The priests are serving God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords when they make burnt offerings on Shabbâth. It is not a violation of Shabbâth to serve God as King. Shabbâth is recognizing and honoring God as King.

The disciples were following Jesus on Shabbâth day when they became hungry. Jesus Christ is no mere mortal man. He is no mere Rabbi (teacher). Who is Jesus?

Jesus Christ Is GREATER Than …

Matthew 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is ONE GREATER THAN the temple.

The Priests served God in the Temple on the Shabbâth – but our Lord Jesus is GREATER than the Temple. Jesus made this “greater than” statement many times in His ministry. He wanted us all to know that He is no mere Man. Listen Beloved:

Jesus is GREATER THAN Jonah (Matthew 12:41)
Jesus is GREATER THAN Solomon (Matthew 12:42)
Jesus is GREATER THAN Jacob (John 4:12-14)
Jesus is GREATER THAN John the Baptist (John 5:36)
Jesus is GREATER THAN Abraham (John 8:53-58)
Jesus is GREATER THAN Anyone or Anything, Ever!

Jesus Christ is the Greatest Person Who has ever lived. He is the Son of Man, the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God, Eternal God among us. Here are just a few scriptures that speak of Christ:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 20:28 .. Thomas answered and said unto {Jesus}, My Lord and my God.

Philippians 2:6 {Jesus}, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

Hebrews 1:8 But unto the Son {the Father} saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

In the Book of Revelation Jesus told John “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8). I could go on and on. The Scripture is quite clear that this Jesus is “God with us” (Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22–23). Jesus possesses the abilities of God, being eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent and immutable. See the following: (Eternal (Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2; John 1:1–2; 8:58; 17:5; 24; Colossians 1:15, 17; 1 John 1:1; Revelation 1:8); omnipresent (Matthew 18:20; 28:20; John 3:13); omniscient (John 2:24, 25; 16:30; 21:17; Revelation 2:23); omnipotent (Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 3:21; Revelation 1:8; cf. John 5:17; Hebrews 1:3; Matthew 28:18) and immutable (Hebrews 1:10–12; 13:8)).

Then Jesus makes it quite clear to the Pharisees. He says:

Matthew 12:7-8 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the Shabbâth day.

The title “Son of Man” is used by Jesus of Himself 81 times in the New Testament. The title “Son of Man” was used in the prophecies of Daniel to describe the Promised Messiah:

Daniel 7:13-14 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

When the Messiah came, He would bring forth a Kingdom that would never end. Jesus Christ believed Himself to be the Promised Messiah. When Jesus stood being judged by the Rulers of Israel, just prior to His crucifixion, the High Priest asked Jesus:

Mark 14:61-62 …. Art thou the Christ {the Messiah}, the Son of the Blessed {the Son of God}? 62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Jesus Christ is the Son of Man, the Messiah, God Incarnate, God with us, God come to save us. His disciples do not break the Shabbâth to eat while they are following Jesus. When you are following Jesus, you are honoring God. Jesus told the Pharisees:

Matthew 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Jesus quotes a portion of Hosea 6:6. The full verse reads, “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” The Pharisees followed not God, but ritual. They did not know why they did the rituals they did, for they had no knowledge of God. The disciples of Christ, however, were following God when they were following Jesus. If you follow God, God will meet your needs. I have quoted this scripture quite often, but I feel compelled to quote it once more:

Matthew 6:31-32 … saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The disciples in following Jesus were “seeking first the Kingdom of God”. They were “learning of Jesus” (Matthew 11:29). They were not sinning, but serving. The best place to be as a Christian is in the footprints of the Master. Live for Him! Follow Jesus, shine for Him. Let His Spirit live in you – and you will be blessed!

Who Is Jesus Christ To You?

The Pharisees saw Jesus as a wayward Rabbi, a disrupter of their rituals and power. Those who follow Jesus find Him to be much, much more. God gave the Law of Shabbâth to Israel. This ritual was never given to the Church. The Apostle Paul, speaking to Christ’s Church, writes:

Colossians 2:16-17 … Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

The Jewish restrictions on what could and could not be eaten, the festivals and special feasts, and the Shabbâth were Old Testament shadows of the New Testament Jesus Christ. The Church – the Body is of Christ. It is Jesus Christ Who saves us by His sacrifice on Calvary. It is Jesus Christ Who promises us Eternal Life in Him. It is Jesus Christ Who is our rest, our Shabbâth. We pursue Him. We serve Him. We love Him. Not just once a week, not just one day in seven, but every day. This is where the power of salvation lies. It is in Christ. Do you know Him? If not, Jesus Christ came to be your rest, your Shabbâth. He is greater than the Temple. He is Lord and Savior of His people. Receive Him as He is, for He asks you:

John 11:26 … whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

May God touch and change your hearts through His Spirit and His Word. Amen and Amen!

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Divided We Die

Posted on June 7, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

Matthew 12:22-26 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

How Was Christianity Received In Ancient Rome?

When Christ and the New Covenant called “Christianity” first came into the world, it was not embraced the those who were in charge.

Word Study Have you ever heard the word “superstition”? When we hear this word, we think of it as myths or unfounded beliefs that some people hold. For us, “superstition” says:

“Walking under a ladder is bad luck”
“Friday the 13th is a cursed day”
“If a black cat crosses your path – uh oh!”
“If you get jinxed, rub the head of a red head boy”
“If your nose itches company is coming”

I could go on and on. There are many “superstitions” in the world, and some have even crept into architecture and science. The next time you ride an elevator, look for a thirteenth floor”. Odds are, you won’t find one. “Superstition”.

The word “superstition” actually comes from ancient Rome. The Latin word “superstitio” was applied to anything that was considered “shameful, ridiculous, subversive, and socially dangerous”. In other words, that which was “superstitio” was a threat to Rome itself. Rome was quite liberal in its treatment of religion. You could worship anything or anyone you wanted. Rome thought that was fine. But you also – along with your gods and goddesses – had to respect and worship the gods and goddesses or Rome. Michael Kruger in his book Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the future of the Church:

“…a superstitio is a religious group that was out of sync with the traditional Roman understanding of what religion was designed to do.”

Whatever your religion, as long as you worshiped – in addition to your gods – the gods of Rome and the Cult of Caesar – then you were fine. However Jesus Christ and His followers – derisively called “Christians” – refused to worship the other gods. Roman Senator Tacitus said of Christianity:

“a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular… {Christianity is the very essence of} hatred against mankind” (Annals, 15.44).

Pliny the Younger, an Imperial Governor declared the Christian faith “depraved, excessive superstition”. He was upset that the pagan temples were emptying out, and animal sacrifices were ceasing. The growth of the Christian superstition was effecting the economy of Rome, and thus was a threat to the empire. Pliny wrote:

“The contagion of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and countryside, but it can probably be arrested and cured. It is quite clear that the temples which has been almost deserted for a long time have begun to be frequented and that the sacred rituals that has long lapsed are being revived, and that there is a general demand for sacrificial animals which, for some time, were finding very few buyers.” (Warrior, 15.5)

Suetonius, a biographer to the Caesars, wrote “Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition” (Nero, 16.2). Christians were tried in Roman courts. When the Christian was charged and stood before the judgment seat, he or she was given a chance to repent and honor the gods and the emperor. If they did not recant, the Christian was put to spectacular death in the Coliseum, a means of entertaining the faithful Roman public while ridding the empire of this contagion.

All the Christians had to do was compromise with the other gods and goddesses. If they would compromise, they would be spared. But the Christians would not compromise. Christians made ridiculous claims like:

Mark 12:29 {Jesus said} The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Mark 12:32 … there is one God; and there is none other but he

John 17:3 … this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6 … we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. 5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Galatians 3:20 … God is one

1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Christians refused the recant. They were saved by faith in Jesus Christ, and they worshiped the only God that was indeed is God. This angered Rome, and caused many Christians to be martyred for the faith.

The Christian is called to follow Jesus. Not public opinion, not political correctness. We are to follow Jesus. It will not be easy, but it is anti-Christ and pagan to compromise with the world. The Word of God defines our truth.

Jesus Christ Came To Represent God To All
Who Are Broken, All Who Need Love

When Jesus Christ came to this earth, He came representing the One True God. When Philip asked Jesus to “show us the Father”, Jesus told him:

John 14:10 … Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Jesus is the Messiah, the Mediator between God and Man. He is the “image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15). Jesus said:

Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

We are told in Hebrews that “in these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things, through Whom He also made the world” (Hebrews 1:2-3). Jesus Christ was born of a virgin to enter this world and represent the Father.

Jesus showed us the Father’s love. He entered the Synagogue – the local Church – on a Sabbath day. When Jesus came into that congregation the Bible tells us:

Matthew 12:10 … there was a man which had his hand withered. And {the Pharisees} asked {Jesus}, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

God gave the Sabbath to Israel as a time of “intermission”, a time when they were supposed to pause and praise the Lord Who saved them. (We’ll discuss the Sabbath in more detail tonight). The Pharisees knew that Jesus was going about supernaturally healing people. They asked Jesus “Is it lawful (according to the Mosaic Law) to heal on a Sabbath day?”

The Pharisees thought by asking this question that Jesus would compromise, and not do a healing out of respect for the Sabbath.

It is significant that this incident happened in a Synagogue, which is like a local Church today. They thought that Jesus would compromise, and leave this poor man broken because of the Sabbath. Will Jesus compromise?

Let’s examine a similar setting in Luke.

Luke 13:10-17 … {Jesus} was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and GLORIFIED GOD. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, BECAUSE THAT JESUS HAD HEALED ON THE SABBATH DAY, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

God loves people, and loves to heal broken people. Religion had taken the Law of God and turned it into a heartless thing. God gave the Law out of love. He gave the Sabbath to Israel out of love.

We can see, even our day, that the farther a people get from the God Who is, the God of the Bible, the worst a nation becomes.

People need the Lord. This poor woman – bound by an infirmity brought on by Satan for 18 years – this woman needs the Lord. What will Jesus do? Will He heal her, or will He please the religious but lost crowd. Jesus healed her, then called the religious out on their hypocrisy. Jesus does the same thing in our text today. We read:

Matthew 12:11-12 And {Jesus} said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

God loves us. If the Pharisee had a sheep or an oxen fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, that same person would get the animal out. No one but the most heartless of people would hear an animal moan and suffer throughout the day, Sabbath or no. The Bible says:

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

God is love. God would not – could not – have a poor man with a withered hand sit in His Bible class suffering, hurting. Humans are made in the image of God. Sheep and goats are not, neither are oxen or cattle. God made us in His image, and loves us as His creation. We do not watch others suffering without trying to help, trying to have compassion.

1 John 4:16 … we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

It is lawful – fully in keeping with the Mosaic Law – to do good on the Sabbath. To love others is to do good. I say again, to love others, DEMONSTRATIVELY love others, is to do good. Jesus did not compromise with the world. Instead He loved, radically loved, though the Pharisees hated Him for it.

Matthew 12:13 Then saith {Jesus} to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

Jesus did good. He demonstrated the love of God to others. He healed a man on the Sabbath. What did the Pharisees do in response?

Matthew 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

This is not love. This is not “Being the Light” that God wants you to be. Love stands up and does the right thing, the loving thing. Love lifts others up. Love never justifies sin – absolutely not!

Love does not stand in opposition to the Law, but is Lawful, and fulfills the Law.

How many people did Jesus heal on this Sabbath day? We do not know. But once the Pharisees left, the Bible tells us:

Matthew 12:15-16 when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; 16 And charged them that they should not make him known:

Jesus left the Synagogue – the local Church – but He continued to show God’s love toward ALL. Great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them ALL. Jesus did not just heal Jews. Jesus healed Gentiles as well. How do I know this? Because of what is said next. Matthew quotes Isaiah 42:1-4 as he writes:

Matthew 12:17-21 {Jesus healed all} That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by {Isaiah} the prophet, saying, 18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

Jesus Christ was never racist. He came to save whosoever will. If Jesus Christ came to save all who believe in Him, then we who are His must magnify His name to all people regardless of color or status in life. The Pharisees were focused on keeping the Law as long as what they believed was “The Law” honored their select group of people. Jesus Christ was on their hit list because He came representing God to the whole world – not just a select few.

Divided Kingdoms Are Brought To Desolation

Matthew 12:22-23 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

When Jesus’ followers saw our Lord cast a demon out of a man (see also Luke 11:14), His followers said “Is this not the Son of David?” That title belongs to the Messiah, the One Who would one day sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem. This not only frightened, but infuriated the Pharisees. They told the people:

Matthew 12:24 … This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Word Study The name Beelzebub refers to Ba’al, the Canaanite fertility god from the city of Zebub (called Baalzebub in 2 Kings 1:6). The name literally means “The lord of dung” or “the lord of the flies”. Beelzebub was considered the chief demon under Satan. The Pharisees said that Jesus was “casting out devils” from people using satanic power.

Matthew 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them

I want you to notice first that Jesus knew THEIR THOUGHTS. They did not say this to Jesus’ face, but as Incarnate God He knows what they are thinking. The Psalmist said “Lord, You know my thoughts before I think them” (Psalm 139:2), and also “The Lord knows the thoughts of people” (Psalm 94:11). Jesus knew what the Pharisees were telling others behind His back. You cannot hide anything from God. Jesus told those who would listen:

Matthew 12:25-27 … Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

Word Study The word “desolation” is the Greek ἐρημόω erēmóō, {pronounced er-ay-mo’-o} which means “to lay waste, to nullify, to make as nothing, to be stripped of all value”. It refers to utter destruction. If Jesus were in league with Satan, then both Satan and Jesus’ respective Kingdoms would cease to exist. Light cannot blend with darkness. Either darkness erases the light, or light washes out the darkness. A divided house cannot stand.

  • A divided mind will not be blessed. Our minds are to be on Jesus, believing His Word. The Scripture says:

James 1:5-8 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. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

  • A divided faith will not stand. Jesus Christ cast out devils by the Spirit of God. We read:

Matthew 12:28-30 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen!

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A Matter Of Integrity (Life Of Job #2)

Posted on June 4, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Mika on Unsplash

Job 2:6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. 8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. 9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

In Trials, Do You FRET or REST?

Last Sunday we looked at the life of Job, a man horribly tested and tried in his faith. We learned a great deal in Job Chapter 1, and, as I promised, we are now in Job chapter 2. In Chapter 1 Job’s home life was attacked by Satan with God’s permission. Job lost all of his personal, prized possessions. Job was struck in FOUR different ways:

  1. The animals of the field (oxen, mules) were taken, and his field workers killed by the Sabeans, an ancient people of Southern Arabia (Job 1:14-15) He lost his cash crops..
  2. Lightening (fire of God) struck, killing both his sheep and shepherds (Job 1:16). Job lost his textile goods, for sheep were used for clothing.
  3. The Chaldeans (Babylonians) took his transportation animals (camels), killing those who watched over them (Job 1:17).
  4. Job’s children were killed by a wind storm (Job 1:19). Job lost his heritage.

When you are reading the Bible, pay attention to the details. There were FOUR horrible occurrences that Satan engineered against Job.

Why FOUR?

Because FOUR is an important number in the Scripture. The Fourth Commandment is to remember the Shabbâth – the Sabbath – a day to rest and reflect on the majesty and love of God (Exodus 20:8-11).

Every Christian – if you are indeed a Christian – are to rest in Christ. The Bible says “there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). We rest in the power and faithfulness of our God.

Though Job was horribly afflicted he rested in his faith in God. The rested mind does not fret nor curse God when afflicted. The rested mind honors God. “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (1:21)”

What did Jesus say? “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Job rested in Christ. He trusted his God though everything He had was taken away.

Everything, that is, but his own personal health.

What Will You Do When You Lose Your Health?

Now we come to Act 2 of this story. Job did not curse God though all he possessed was taken away. Satan once more enters the Throne room of God. We read:

Job 2:2 … the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

God asks Satan what has he been doing. Again, God knows what he’s been doing. God knows everything. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 139:1-6 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

God possesses two attributes or traits that we do not have. God is omniscient or all knowing, and God is omnipresent or everywhere simultaneously. There are no secrets from God. He knows. God knows everything, and is every where. He knows that “your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). God asked the devil where he had been so that we could see his response. He has indeed been out doing evil, and provoking unbelievers to the darkness. Yet there is one person that the devil could not trip.

We come once again to Job.

Job 2:3 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is NONE LIKE HIM IN THE EARTH, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Word Study God tells Satan “there is no one on this earth like Job”. Job is “perfect”. Last time we say that this word תָּםtâm, {pronounced tawm} means “to be complete”. The believer in Jesus Christ is complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). Job “feared God”, which means he respected God as He is. God also noted that Job rejected or departed from (סוּר çûwr, pronounced soor) evil.

You cannot call yourself “God fearing”
if you play in Satan’s sand box!

God notes that, though He allowed Job to lose call things, Job retained his integrity. I looked up the word “integrity” in the Oxford Dictionary, and found:

1. The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles,
moral uprightness.

2. The state of being whole and undivided.

Trials Test Our Integrity And Our Faith. Integrity is what we do in the dark when no one is around but God.

Job 2:3 {Job} holdeth fast his integrity, although thou {Satan} movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Job was true to his faith. He kept his eyes on the Lord, trusting Him, though he was horribly afflicted without cause. Believers suffer. James, the stepbrother of Christ, wrote:

James 5:10-11 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

When you stand up for the Lord, you become a target of Satan. The devil does not care if you come to Church or not, nor does he care whether you tithe, sing in the choir, read your Bibles, or join a Church. He is totally unconcerned as to whatever religious ritual you may perform or may not perform. But to stand up for Jesus, and to reject evil while shining for Christ – the devil hates this. The darkness despises light. Job was the light of God no matter what happened to him. We count them happy which endure, who retain their integrity.

If a person walks away from Christ because of persecution, was that person ever saved in the first place? I don’t know, but I do know that Jesus said:

Matthew 5:10-11 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Jesus never sugar coated our faith – that was the job of many snowflake preachers! Jesus was very clear that those who love Him and live as Jesus says will be targeted by the world and Satan. Satan is specifically targeting Job because the man is living for the glory of his Lord and Savior. In the Book of Hebrews the Scripture often uses the DIVINE IF when speaking of faith. Listen:

Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, IF we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Trials test us. Trials test whether we are genuine Children of God, or Satan’s counterfeits. It is a great thing and very blessed to be tested by trials. Better to discover that my faith is false NOW, rather than pass into eternity without Christ. We are PARTNERS WITH CHRIST IF …

Hebrews 3:14 … IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;

We who have been saved have no confidence in ourselves, but in God. The genuine Christian is “not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:39). If you have been born again your integrity will endure the test, because God is IN you and WITH you. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 41:12-13 … And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. 13 Blessed be the Lord God …

Salvation Is More Than Skin Deep. It Is A Profound Inner Change, A Spiritual Genetic Change That Will Not Be Eradicated By Trials – For God Is With You

The Devil knows that there are many who PROFESS God but are not POSSESSED of God. He though Job was of this sort. He told God:

Job 2:4-5 … Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

The devil tells God that if the attacks were physical, then Job would renounce his faith. “Skin for skin” is a bartering term. It means to compromise with another in order to save your own skin. The devil believes Job’s faith will dissipate, but God isn’t worried. Why? Because …

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

The Lord knows them that are His, and Job belonged to Jesus. We have all had times when trials or threats have made our faith slip. Many of the greatest Heroes of the Scripture had times when their faith slipped.

  • Before Abram was Abraham he willingly followed God where ever God led. But as Abram passed through unfamiliar territory he became frightened that he might lose his life. He told his wife Sarai to say that she was his sister instead of his wife. “Abram would preserve his life” (see Genesis 12:13). We have all had slips, but those who belong to God stay the course, moving from Abram to Abraham. God knows who are His, and He keeps His child from falling (Psalm 56:13; 116:8; Jude 24).
  • Though David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22), he had a fall from faith. God had David anointed to be Israel’s next king. But until he came to the throne, the present King Saul chased after David to kill him. As David was running he was caught by the men of Achish the King of Gath. In fear for his life David – the same David who destroyed Goliath – “changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.” (1 Samuel 21:13). Though David temporarily lost his faith, God held on to him. God knows them that are His!
  • Simon Peter told Jesus that he would fight to the death for the Lord. He told Jesus “Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.” Yet when the time came, Peter denied knowing Jesus (Luke 22:60-62). Jesus knew that Peter would do this (see Luke 22:34). Our Lord saved us knowing we are not perfect. But the Lord knows them that are His. If you have genuinely received Jesus as Lord and Savior, this same God knows you are imperfect, a work in progress. You are the workmanship of God (Ephesians 2:10), and God will not let you go!

The devil does not understand the New Birth of the Christian. He told God that – if he was allowed to personally afflict Job – Job would “curse Thee, O God, to Thy face”. The Child of God cannot curse God to His face. God is our hope, our peace, our possessor, our everything.

Job 2:6 … And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

Why is God allowing this? God loves Job, and using Job to teach the Angels the glory of the Gospel of Christ. Those who surrender to the Gospel – though broken – are destined for greatness in eternity. We who are saved are “all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). We are no longer bound to the fallen world. We are bound to God.

Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

Job, faithful Job, son of God Job is suddenly afflicted. He laid down one night to sleep, and woke up in agony. He has “sore boils – from the bottom of his feet to the very top of his head”! That is horrible! I have been told that the Coronavirus is a horrible sickness to get. I have been told that cancer is a horrible disease to suffer. There are terrible things I have seen as a pastor in my lifetime, things I would not wish on my worst enemy. Alzheimer’s, dementia, Polio, Leukemia – all very terrible, and all very painful and crippling. I believe Job suffered the worst. I saw a man once who had a single boil on his neck. He was in agony, and in a bad disposition as long as he had it. Can you imagine being covered with boils?

See The Patience And Love Of Job For Our God

Job 2:8 And {Job} took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

This has always puzzled me. Why would a suffering man sit down in a pile of ashes, and scrape his skin with a piece of broken pottery. You might find it interesting, but wood ash has a number of helpful benefits.

It removes skunk smell.
It runs off snails, slugs, and ants from the garden.
It melts ice.
You can make soap with it.

Wood ash is also anti-bacterial, and can be used to treat wounds, as well as to clean and exfoliate your skin. Job did what he could to alleviate his suffering. There is nothing wrong with this. Job took positive steps to fix what ailed him – but he did not offend the Almighty.

Satan has the power to attack humanity – but no farther than God will allow him to go. Satan inspires others to be his agents of suffering (see Job 1:14; 1:17), and can bring natural calamity on mankind (Job 1:16, 18-19). In Luke 13 Jesus healed a woman on the Sabbath day, saying:

Luke 13:16 … ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

The devil can afflict – but God can correct. God is in control. Job did what he could to bring comfort to himself, but would not curse God. Sadly, Job had an unbelieving wife that told him:

Job 2:9 … Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

Job’s reply is classic – and thoroughly Christian. He said:

Job 2:10 Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Job called his wife a “foolish woman”. The term “fool” in the Scripture is a reference to an unbeliever.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God!
Psalm 14:1; 53:1

The child of God will not curse his Father in Heaven. Though we may lament and cry out, we who are saved by faith in Christ are like Peter, who said to Jesus:

John 6:68-69 … Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Our God has the words of life. Shall we receive blessing from Him, and hate Him for that which does not seem to bless? Our God knows what is best.

Lamentations 3:37-41 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? 38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? 39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? 40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. 41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

Our God is always gracious, and good. Our God is faithful. Our God knows what is best for us. Let us be like Job. Regardless as to what may come our way, let us look upward and trust in the One Who saved us and will keep on saving us. Let us trust in our Jesus.

May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen!

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Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord

Posted on June 1, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Why Is God Letting “Good” People Hurt?

When trials come our way – trials like the Coronavirus – we all respond to the trials in a variety of ways.

  • Some people blame Satan for the trial. Certainly a good and loving God, they say, would not allow such suffering.
  • Others blame a political party or a leader. He allowed the virus to spread – it is his fault that it is all happening.
  • Some blame God. They ask, “If God is so good and loving, and God can do anything, then why doesn’t He stop this?”.
  • The humanist and atheist cry is “Why would God allow things like this to happen to good people? If there is a God He either is NOT Almighty, or He is NOT good.”

Why would God allow bad things to happen to “good people”? Let me answer the question with a question:

“Are people “good”?

Now I didn’t ask if people are “moral” or “nice” or “friendly”. There are a lot of “moral” people in the world. There are a lot of people who have never met a stranger, that are pleasant to be around. But are any people “good”? Before you say “Yes, there are”, may I point to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ:

“there is none good but one, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18)

Was Jesus right, or did He misspeak? I believe He is absolutely correct. The Bible makes it clear that – compared to God – there is none good. The Psalmist draws an interesting picture in:

Psalm 14:2-3 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, no, not one.

We as humans are not the definers of “good”. It is God Who defines “good”. Ever since the Garden of Eden where man ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of GOOD and EVIL (Genesis 2:17) we as humans believe that we have the right to define “good” and “evil”. Yet God says over and over again scripture:

there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, no, not one (Psalm 52:3)
there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, no, not one (Romans 3:12)

The question “Why do bad things happen to “good” people is therefore a bad question.

According to Scripture there are none who are “good” when compared to God.

The Lord is good, blessed is the one who trusts in Him (Psalm 34:8).

The Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures forever (Psalm 100:5).

The Lord is good, sing praises to His name (Psalm 135:3).

The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works (Psalm 145:9).

The Lord is good; for His mercy endureth forever (Jeremiah 33:11).

The Lord is good to them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him (Lamentations 3:25).

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7).

God is good. The Scripture declares it. So why does a Good God allow suffering? That’s the better question. Well, we have an answer in our text today.

Even “Perfect” People Suffer. Consider Job.

Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

The Book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible. Some believe it was written some four hundred years before the Book of Genesis. It makes sense that Job is the oldest Book of Scripture. Man has suffered from the beginning of the fall. Adam’s foolishness brought the curse:

Genesis 3:17-19 … cursed is the ground for your sake, Adam, thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, in the sweat of thy face you shall eat …

Man suffers. Women suffer. Children suffer. Suffering comes to the wealthy as well as the poor. It comes to the famous, as well as the obscure. Job was, the Bible says:

Job 1:3 … this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Now Job was not a “good” man (for we have established the Scripture says that none are “good” – Remember?). Job was a SAVED man. He believed in God, and trusted Jesus Christ as His Savior. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no one comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). Jesus knew the Lord. We know that he knew the Lord by how his life was lived. We read:

Job 1:1 {Job}was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and {rejected} evil.

There are many who are wealthy or beautiful or powerful who worship their money, their looks, or their domination of others. Job was not like that. He loved the Lord. Those who love the Lord treat that which Christ has created with respect and care and kindness. Job was “perfect”.

Word Study The word “perfect” is actually the Hebrew word תָּםtâm, (pronounced tawm), which means “COMPLETE”. Noah was described as:

Genesis 6:9 “… a JUST man and PERFECT (תָּמִים tâmîym, pronounced taw-meem’) in his generations, and Noah walked with God ..

To be “perfect” or “complete” is to walk with God daily, to believe on Him as Lord and Savior. Noah walked with God daily. So did Job. Job, like all who have ever been saved, was saved by faith in the Lord Jesus. When you walk with God you are blessed. You may not be wealthy – God does not give all wealth – but you are blessed. You are COMPLETE in Him, in Jesus. The Apostle wrote:

Colossians 2:9-10 … in {Christ} dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are COMPLETE in {Jesus Christ}, which is the head of all principality and power:

Job was COMPLETE. No one is COMPLETE apart from Jesus Christ. Until we find Christ, until we come to know Him as Savior and Lord, we are IMPERFECT and INCOMPLETE. But in Christ we are complete. Job was complete.

Job had many blessings bestowed on him by God. We all have many blessings bestowed on us by God. When you follow God through Christ you will be blessed! Jesus said:

Matthew 6:31-34 {do not worry} saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God is to be sought after FIRST. God is not to be an afterthought, but our forethought. We should seek His will and His blessing first. Our Heavenly Father is Sovereign, in control of all things. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

God is in control of all things. I say,

God Is In Control Of ALL Things: He Is Sovereign!

Job knew that God was in control of all things, and he treated God with absolute respect. We read that his children had a party, with lots of food and lots of wine. Though Job did not attend the party we read:

Job 1:5 …. when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

Job was complete in Christ. He did not want his God offended. Job put God first above all else. Job walked with the God Who save him. He honored God, not just with his lips, but with his life. After the party Job sought first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He made sacrifices for his family. Job honored the Lord, praying for his family lest they had sinned against God.

Job loved the Lord. He lived for the smile of God. Are you living for the smile of God, or for the satisfaction of man?

Job was doing everything right. Then Satan came into the picture. Satan comes into the Throne-room of God, and …

Job 1:7-8 …. the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and {rejects} evil?

God is blessed by Job, and points him out as a man that walks by His side. God said “Job is a complete and upright man. He fears God, and rejects evil”. Now notice Satan’s words to God, words that God does not correct.

Job 1:9-10 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

The riches that Job has, he has because God has blessed him. Job sought God first, and God blessed Job. If you are blessed, that blessing came from God. If you have power, that power came from God. The Bible says:

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

God is ultimately in control. When Naomi, Ruth’s mother in law lost her husband, two sons, and a daughter in law through famine, Naomi said:

Ruth 1:20-21 … the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

When Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers he later as Reagent of Egypt could have punished those brothers. Instead, Joseph told them:

Genesis 50:19-20 …. Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Joseph did not say “God USED it for good”, but “God MEANT it for good”. Though the brothers of their own wills chose to sell Joseph into slavery, God MEANT it to happen. He caused the event. God is in control. The Apostle said that everything that is, is

Ephesians 1:11 … according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

God holds absolute sway over the world. Satan is in subjection to God. He tells God “the reason Job does so well is because YOU did so well for him”.

What Will Job Do When The Blessings Are Gone?

God is in control. Satan can do nothing without God’s allowance. So Satan challenges God. He says to our Lord:

Job 1:11 But put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

God knows what Job will do, for He sees Job’s heart. “The LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). God knows Job’s heart, and doesn’t need to try Job to see what he will do. But God allows this trial of Job to go forward so that YOU can see what a believer should do. It is in the midst of trials that we as humans see what genuine faith looks like.

Genuine faith stands on the Rock that is Christ whether on a mountaintop, in a valley, or at the bottom of the sea. Genuine faith, the faith that saves, does not abandon God when the hard times come. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my Portion forever (Psalm 73:26)!”

God told Satan:

Job 1:12 … Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

God told Satan that he could take over anything in Job’s life EXCEPT his life. God is in control. Though the devil brings the suffering, it is God Who allows him to do what he does. God has said of Himself:

Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

It is our God Who controls all things. When we think of tomorrow the Apostle tells us:

James 4:14-15 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

We in our arrogance believe that we are in control. We are not. God is in control. It is God Who reigns. He tells Satan what he can do. The devil leaves the presence of God and suddenly Job’s life is upended.

Job 1:14-19 …. there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Job had done nothing to earn nor deserve what happened to him. He walked with God. He was perfect (complete) and upright. And yet God allowed Satan to take his things, his riches, his pleasures. God allowed Satan to knock down the home where Job’s sons and daughters were once more partying. His children were killed. Job has lost everything.

But Job still has his God!

Satan cannot hurt Job without God’s permission. Satan cannot hurt us without God’s permission. Satan wanted to sift Peter as wheat (Luke 22:31-34), but Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would be strong.

A New Testament Job, the Apostle Paul writes:

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 …. lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Though Paul cried out to God three times that this “messenger” be removed, the Lord told him “No! My Grace is sufficient for you!”. What is your faith in? I ask again, what is YOUR faith in? Is it in God, or your STUFF? Is it in Jesus Christ, or in your PROSPERITY? Is it in God, or in your GOOD HEALTH? Where is your faith? As believers in Christ (if you are a believer in Christ), we are to:

Proverbs 3:5-12 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 the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 9 Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. 11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: 12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Job Kept His Eyes On Jesus
As All Around Him Disaster Struck

Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job received a great deal of bad news. In just one day a lifetime of things, children he has raised, blessings received. Does Job “curse God to His face” as Satan suggested. No. His behavior is quite strange to the world, but is normal behavior for a Christian.

  • Job ROSE up. He did not give in to self pity nor depression. Job didn’t lie down and die. Many believers throughout history have been through much suffering. When threatened by Jezebel, Elijah ran for his life. He lost his focus on Jesus. He laid down in the wilderness, and begged God to take his life.

    1 Kings 19:4 … O Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers!

    What did the Lord do?     He told Elijah, “Rise up and eat, and go to the Mountain of God” (1 Kings 19:7-9). Rise up, Child of God. Rise up! In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart, Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). Rise up! Look up, Child! Look up! Look unto Jesus!

    Hebrews 12:1-2 … seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus …
  • Job RENT his mantle, and shaved his head. These are actions that denote mourning or grieving. It is all right to grieve the loss of family, the loss of blessings. But as you mourn, keep it all in the perspective of God. Our God is in control! Trust Him! The Psalmist wrote:

    Psalm 30:5 … in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

    The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart (Psalm 34:18).
  • Job RENDERED worship to God. Though he lost all his stuff, he honored God with his mouth. He praised the Lord anyway.

Job 1:21 … the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord

What you have, you have because God gave it to you. What is taken away, is taken away because God took it from you. The Bible says “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (verse 22).

If you lose everything, dear Christian
– you still have Christ!

Romans 8:31-32 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Where is your faith? My faith is in my Jesus. My faith is in my God. Beloved, invest your life in Him Who loves you, and only then will you begin to live. May God touch your hearts with His Word!

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Take Jesus’ Yoke Or Become Satan’s Joke! (Red Letters Series #27)

Posted on May 31, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

Matthew 11:29 … Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me …

This past week events in Minneapolis took our minds – albeit temporarily – off of the Coronavirus. A handcuffed black man named George Floyd was killed while in police custody. As several bystanders recorded the incident on their phones, a police officer knelt down on the neck of a handcuffed man. As Mr. Floyd cried out that he couldn’t breath the officers – I’m told there were four – joked about it. As I watched the video the officer kneeling on Mr. Floyd’s neck was totally unconcerned that he was being videoed, and no where was there any compassion shown. I would not have treated a dog that way. Mr. Floyd died as he was slowly strangled to death, as he cried out for mercy. His last words were “I can’t breath”. The officers were fired. This past Thursday Al Sharpton held what he claimed was a “prayer vigil” at the site where George Floyd died. I heard no praying, but did hear Mr. Sharpton stirring up the crowd. Several years ago Dr. Martin Luther King – a Pastor I highly respect – led civil rights marches to bring about change in America. This was change that needed to happen. Reverend King frowned on riots and destructive behavior.

Following Al Sharpton’s remarks Minnesota was set on fire. Businesses were destroyed, many after being looted by protesters. The Minneapolis Police Station, 3rd Precinct, was overrun by looters and rioters. The Minnesota National Guard deployed 500 soldiers to Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding areas to “protect life, preserve property, and the right to peacefully demonstrate”.

The St. Paul Police Department said more than 170 businesses were looted or damaged Thursday, and dozens of fires were set.

Violence begets violence. The darkness can never be defeated by more darkness.

When Jesus was captured in the Garden of Gethsemane the Bible says: “Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the High Priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear” (John 18:10-11). Jesus told Peter: “Put your sword back into it’s sheath. All those who take the sword shall perish with the sword.” (Matthew 26:52). Jesus orders His Children by faith in Him to follow the path of non-violence, inasmuch as is possible. Violence begets violence. Reverend King said:

“Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love…”

I Must “Take Jesus’ Yoke Upon Me” To Be Saved

Our message today is part of our “Red Letters” series, and the Lord gave me this title: “Take Jesus’ Yoke Or Become The Devil’s Joke”. There are many who believe that you can be saved by walking and aisle and being baptized, yet continue to live as you lived before you were saved. This is patently untrue.

God has delivered us from the power of DARKNESS, and has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13)

Jesus illustrated the entry into the Christian Way of Life as a new birth, or being born again. Jesus told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Pharisees, a member of the ruling Council of Israel:

John 3:3 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

When you and I were first born into this world – and everyone breathing in this room today was born the same way – we came forth from our mother’s. The Bible teaches that we are all born the first time physically alive but spiritually dead. God told Adam “the day you eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Adam and Eve became spiritually dead that day. The Bible says that “by one man sin entered the world, AND DEATH BY SIN; and SO DEATH PASSED UPON ALL men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). This is why Jesus Christ came to this earth. Born of a Virgin according to prophecy (Isaiah 7:14) God would be with us in Christ Jesus. The Bible says that the Christian …

Ephesians 2:1-3 {has been made spiritually alive} who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our {way of life} in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

The unbeliever who has not been born again is “yoked” or bound to sin and bound to the ways of Satan. We did not – before we met Christ – live our lives for the glory of God but for the satisfaction of ourselves. We were “yoked” to sin and Satan. We were “yoked” to spiritual death and darkness.

Everyone is yoked.
You are either yoked to Jesus, or yoked to darkness.

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

What you DO shows who your master IS. You can claim to be Christ’s. But if you claim to be Christ’s then you “walk in the light as Christ is in the light”.
(1 John 1:7).

A “yoke” binds us to the world, to Satan, or to Jesus. Jesus Christ came to this earth preaching that He is Lord, the Bringer of the Kingdom of God. A “yoke” is placed on a beast to control that beast, to give control to the one on the other end of the “yoke”. Jesus calls on us to willingly:

Matthew 11:29 … Take my yoke upon you …

Jesus says “take the yoke upon you”. This is a willingly decision to bind yourselves under the hand of Christ. Salvation does not come upon us if we fail to understand this. What does the Scripture say?

Romans 10:9 … if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Jesus Christ is LORD to those He saves. We come to Him and lay our lives down, heeding Him and Him alone. He is Lord. We are saved by Grace, a free gift given to us when we allow Jesus to yoke us.

1 Corinthians 1:3 … Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the LORD Jesus Christ.

We are yoked to Christ Alone to Be Saved!

Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father …

“All things” are delivered unto Jesus. I heard talk show host Oprah Winfrey make the statement:

“There couldn’t possibly be just one way {to God}. .. “One of the mistakes that human beings make is believing that there is only one way to live … there are many paths to what you call God.”

This is not what Jesus said. Jesus was quite emphatic when He said:

John 14:6 …. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus does not say “take many yokes” but “take MY yoke upon you”. The early Church understood this great truth. The Apostle Peter preached:

Acts 2:38 … Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 4:11-12 {Jesus Christ} This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Jesus said ALL THINGS are DELIVERED TO ME. Not some things, but ALL THINGS. Dr. J.C. Ryle wrote in his Expository Thoughts On The Gospel of Matthew:

“All things have been handed over to {Jesus}. He bears the keys – to Him we must go for admission into Heaven. He is the Door – through Him we must enter. He is the Shepherd – we must hear His voice and follow Him if we do not want to perish in the wilderness. He is the Great Physician – we must apply to Him if we would be healed of the plague of sin. He is the Bread of Life – we must feed on Him if we would have our souls satisfied. He is the Light – we must walk after Him if we do not want to wander in darkness. He is the Fountain – we must wash in His Blood if we would be cleansed and made ready for the great day of account. Blessed and glorious are these truths! If we have Christ, we have ALL THINGS:

1 Corinthians 3:21-22 “all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

I was saved by taking Christ’s yoke upon me. This is a yoke that the worldly do not want.

This world wants to yoke GOD! And that’s a joke!

Matthew 11:16-19 … But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

When Jesus Christ came the worldly wanted Him to please them. “We have piped (played music) for You, Jesus, but You refused to dance to our tune”. Many people regard Jesus this way. They consider Jesus to be a Cosmic Waiter Who exists just to please themselves. “We cried, Jesus, why aren’t You crying with us?” The world and the worldly believe that WE put our yoke on the Son of God, that JESUS exists to please US. When Jesus would not “go with the flow” and continued to “rock the boat” the world and the worldly said “Jesus eats and drinks with sinners. He is just a glutton, a drunkard”. But Jesus says:

Wisdom is justified of her children

Jesus would have never knelt on the neck of a black man. Jesus never degraded or devalued people like they were furniture! When Jesus ate and drank with those who were less than, offering them the Gospel through faith in Himself, these people found results. Broken lives were mended. Shattered dreams were healed. The wisdom of this world makes God out to be our Waiter, and through our prayers we put a yoke on Him. Yet this worldly wisdom never brings the peace and contentment that being under Christ’s yoke brings. God’s wisdom is proven true by the results. Those who give their lives to Jesus, willingly yoking themselves to Him as Savior and Lord, these people are blessed, these people are at rest, these people are at peace with God. The wisdom of this world says “put ME first and ALL OTHERS last”. The Apostle says:

1 Corinthians 1:18-21 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

The kneeling policeman is a picture of a “me first” world, a destructive world. The wisdom of this world says “Me first, all others last”. The wisdom of God is “take Christ’s yoke upon you. Willingly let Him have all of your life.” Then kneel – not on others as furniture, but to serve and love others. This is the way of Christ.

If Jesus Is My Savior I Daily Take HIS Yoke On Me

Pastor Peter Marshall, former chaplain to the US Senate, prayed, “Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand, and what to stand for.”God has given us a clear vision in Jesus Christ.

Where do I stand? If His yoke is on me, I stand before Him, ready to follow His direction. What do I stand for? If Christ’s yoke is on me, I stand where Jesus tells me to stand, and follow His direction in all things. The Lord calls us to have the faith of a child. Jesus said:

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

We are told in another place:

1 Corinthians 3:18-20 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

The wisdom of the world says “make all things about you”. But the wisdom of God says, “Make all things about Christ Jesus”. Jesus tells us to “become like little children”. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 1:23-31 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

The message of Christ is that we are to come to Him and Him alone, and willingly submit ourselves to Him. We place His yoke upon ourselves. Doing this, we are often mocked by the world. Yet salvation is found in repenting of our own goodness, and receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Every day we are offered a choice: will we follow the world, or will we follow Christ? If we follow the world we will not be blessed nor a blessing.

What if I do not follow Jesus? Expect destruction to come on America – a destruction WE bring on OURSELVES!

Matthew 11:20-22 Then began {Jesus} to {defame or reproach {ὀνειδίζω oneidízō, pronounced on-i-did’-zo}} the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! {New York} woe unto thee, Bethsaida {Minnesota}! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

Jesus speaks of four cities in this passage we are not acquainted with: Chorazin, Bethsaida, Tyre and Sidon. Jesus preached His Gospel and demonstrated His Authenticity as Messiah in the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida. Jesus said, “If I had done these same works in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago”. Both Tyre and Sidon were destroyed according to Biblical prophecy. Tyre rejoiced at the fall of Jerusalem, so God pronounced judgment on that city in Ezekiel 16:2; 26:3. Tyre was destroyed of many nations, and most of it was scattered into the sea. Sidon was also destroyed by a series of lost battles. Jesus promised Chorazin and Bethsaida that “It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.” As they were destroyed, so will the cities that rejects the light of God’s Gospel. What if we were to substitute American cities in the places Jesus cursed? Jesus was preached in the Synagogues of Chorazin and Bethsaida, just as He was preached in the local Churches of New York and Minnesota, and yet few would hear Him. Jesus promised these cities that – because they rejected the light of the Gospel – they would cease to exist. They would be destroyed for their unbelief, a punishment they brought on themselves. Will God not do the same for America? Will we not bring destruction on ourselves if we do not repent? Jesus went on …

Matthew 11:23-24 And thou, Capernaum {Tennessee}, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

Jesus also taught quite frequently in the Synagogue at Capernaum, just as He has been preached in local Churches throughout our great state of Tennessee. He tells us that – when judgment came – “it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you”. Sodom was destroyed in Genesis 19 for sexual sin. So great was it’s destruction that Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).

We must get back to the Bible. We must bend the knee not to kneel on one another, but to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We must serve Him by loving others. If not, we will be part of the flame that destroys America!

The farther a city or a community wanders away from God, the darker things become. I do not believe that the Coronavirus Pandemic is a mere coincidence. I believe that – though it may or may not have originated with God – that it came with the oversight and permission of God. I believe that the Scripture teaches that nothing – absolutely nothing – occurs without purpose and without the oversight of God. The Bible says that there is no such thing as “luck”, but:

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

Amos 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil {רַע raʻ, pronounced rah = distress} in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?

Lamentations 3:37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

God is in control. God allows things for His purposes, and is in absolute control of the outcome. He is God! When a people wander away from His design, and reject His commandment, then in time destruction comes on that city, on that country.

If we wish America to continue to stand, then we who are saved by faith in Christ must take His yoke upon us. We must live the way that He has called us to live.

Christ’s Yoke Is Love – And Is CROSS Shaped

Matthew 11:29 … Take My yoke upon you, and learn of me

As Jesus is, so must we who are His be. No one would put a yoke on a dead ox. The yoke is placed on the beast so that the Master may guide it to accomplish His purpose. We take upon ourselves Christ’s yoke. We follow Him.

  • Christ’s yoke must be in the marriage. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves His Church, and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). Wives are to love their husbands as the Church loves Christ (Ephesians 5:24). We are saved by the love of Christ. We love as Christ loves.
  • Christ’s yoke must be in our neighborhoods. The yoke of love extends to everyone. It extends to our neighbors, to those closest to us whether we know them or not.

Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.

Matthew 22:39 … Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Love of others is the yoke that binds the Christian. Love is the fulfillment of the Law:

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

James 2:8 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:

  • Christ’s yoke must be to our enemies. We must not let self righteousness grip us. Pray for the officers who did evil. Pray for the man who knelt on that poor man’s neck. We as believers are even to love our enemies. This is what our Lord Jesus did, and what we ourselves must do.

Matthew 5:44-45 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Love treats others the way that you want to be loved. We must do this. We must love God our Father “with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matthew 22:37). And we must love one another.

  • Christ’s yoke must be on display for all to see. What if, when the errant policeman was kneeling on Mr. Floyd’s neck, what if a Christian, regardless of color, had stepped forward? What if that Christian had said, “I beg you in the name of Jesus Christ to take your knee from his neck. I mean no disrespect, but I beg you – he is made in God’s image just as are you.” What would have happened had this occurred? No one will ever know. People filmed the incident, relied on the flesh, and watched as a man strangled to death. The errant policemen were approached in the power of the flesh, not under the yoke of Christ.

We need God’s people to be God’s people. God’s people are not identified by a denominational label. They are identified by the yoke of love.

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

If we want America to survive, the Light of Christ must go forward. It will not go forward if it does not go forward through us, His Yoked people. May God the Holy Spirit touch your hearts with the Words of our savior. Amen and Amen!

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Heroes Of The Cross, Parts 1&2

Posted on May 25, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Photo by Jacob Boavista on Unsplash

Matthew 10:38-40 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Part 1, Heroes Of The Cross

During the Coronavirus Pandemic we as Americans are being told to voluntarily submit to house arrest in the name of good health. We are being selfish or greedy if we do not comply without question. We are to, without question, follow the direction of unelected bureaucrats and elected politicians, to hide ourselves one from another so as to save ourselves. We are racists, haters, and filthy capitalists if we do not comply.

During this Pandemic “I” am the most important thing. “I” must not get sick. “I” must go into hiding so that “I” will not infect other “I”s. If “I” infect other “I”s by my carelessness, then “I” am being selfish, or racist, or rude, or whatever. “I” must be a good citizen and, regardless of the economy, take care of “I”.

May I offer two other points of view: one view from a career Airman (now retired) of the United States Air Force, and another view from the Cross.

On Memorial Day we are supposed to remember those who died in active military service to our country. Those in the military give up their own freedoms in order to protect the nation. The military goes WHERE we are ordered WHEN we are ordered regardless as to how we FEEL. No questions are allowed. We worked in hazardous areas without regard for physical health. If we die for our country, this is called “doing our jobs”.

During this Pandemic I am seeing signs all about, celebrating “Heroes” who are working at risk so that our citizens can be fed and clothed. Once more, let’s focus on the “I”. This is the way of the world. For myself I am uncomfortable with the “Heroes” tag, as I never considered myself a “Hero” for doing my job. To fail to do my job as an Airman was cowardice. Every military person sees their lives as expendable for the greater good of the nation.

What does our message today have to do with the Pandemic, Memorial Day, and the “I”? Just as the military, along with other first responders, are to put themselves in harms way for the greater good, so does Jesus command every Christian to do the same. Jesus commands us to the Cross. It is the Cross that saves.

A Christian, just like a military man or woman, is expected by the Master to put themselves in harm’s way. We as Christians are not to hide in a basement lest we be harmed. Now, I am not advocating that we stubbornly refuse to wear masks or protective equipment. I have heard so much foolish talk about wearing or not wearing masks, or practicing safe distancing. Nearly every month that I was in the military we went through “Chemical Warfare Exercises” where I had to suit up and wear a full Chemical Warfare Ensemble like the one you see here. Imagine working in summertime in the 101 degree temperature of the aircraft tarmac tightly wrapped up, unable to feel even the slightest breeze of comfort. Imagine working on delicate aircraft electronics with your hands covered with thick, rubber, charcoal permeated, sweat soaked gloves. Imagine sweat running down your body into your boots, so much so that you squish when you walk. If there was a hell on earth we enjoyed it.

I, along with my comrades in blue, green, or gray would have rejoiced to wear a flimsy cotton mask as the President is requesting we wear today.

Beloved, we need to take precautions – but we do not need to hide. Christians in particular must NOT hide. We are told in 2 Timothy 1:7 that “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.“ If you are a Christian you were left on this earth to do what Jesus said. Listen to Him:

Matthew 10:38 And he that taketh not HIS CROSS, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

The Christian is commanded not to hide from suffering, but to chase after suffering. We are commanded of Christ to “take up your Cross, and follow Jesus”. There are some who say “you can be saved and NOT follow Jesus”. I don’t think so. I think Jesus is quite plain – in fact, the New Testament is quite plain.

Salvation is a free gift from God, but once you receive it you are expected by Jesus to follow Jesus. “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”. Take up YOUR Cross and follow YOUR Jesus. The Christian does not live for “I” but for the Master and the greater good.

John Stonestreet wrote in the article Pandemic or No, We Must Live Out Our Faith: “We … are called to live out our faith in the middle of this culture, in our communities, where we work, seeing every area of life and every culture as the mission field to which we are called.”

Jesus Went To The Cross FIRST For You

Matthew 10:38 … he that taketh not his cross, and FOLLOWETH AFTER ME, is not worthy of me.

What does the Cross look like?

It surprised me as I studied the various commentaries that not all Christians agree with what the Cross looks like. The word translated “Cross” is the Greek σταυρός staurós, (pronounced stow-ros’). Though this word is translated “Cross” in our Bibles, in ancient Greek literature, such as the writings of Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, or Xenophon, the word staurós is used for “an upright stake or pole, often pointed, such as used in fences or palisades” (see Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words for full treatment). Based on its usage some believe the Cross to look like the traditional “t” that you see behind the pulpits of many Church buildings. Some have suggested that the Romans buried heavy, upright beams in Golgotha. The convicted criminal then carried the horizontal member to his execution. Ropes were passed over the stake, and affixed to the horizontal member, and the criminal was raised up. Some believe the original “Cross” to be not “t” shaped but “T” shaped. We really don’t know. We do know this.

The Cross is a place of SELF denial.
The Cross is a place of SUFFERING.
The Cross is a place of SELF SACRIFICE.
The Cross is the place our SAVIOR went for us.
Without the Cross not one of us would be SAVED.

You have heard me say repeatedly over the last 7 or so years that we are all sinners in need of the Savior. Though I have said this, and continue to say this, it rolls over many of you like water over rock. The Cross is so very necessary because of the Nature of sin. Sin is a horrible offense against an Eternal God.

The serpent in Eden (representative of the devil – see Revelation 12:9; 20:2) misrepresented sin as but a small thing. “Has God really said you cannot eat the fruit of every tree in this Garden? Though God said you would die if you eat of it, you really won’t die. As a matter of fact, if you go ahead and eat what He has forbidden you will be like gods, knowing good and evil. Go ahead. Pleasure yourself! Eat! (Genesis 3:1-5, my paraphrase). The devil has been selling this from the beginning of time. The Cross is optional. Not even Jesus needs to go to the Cross. Avoid that place of suffering, and wait on Heaven. But what does the Scripture say? What did God say?

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:

Oh, the devil loves to minimize sin. Oh, the world loves to minimize sin. Yet God makes much of sin.

… SIN hath reigned unto DEATH (Romans 5:21)

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

… the wages of SIN is DEATH (Romans 6:23)

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of SINS, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto DEATH. (Romans 7:5)

Sin is an affront to an Eternally
Holy and Righteous God.

Sin is a slap in God’s face. Pastor Steven J. Cole writes in his article The Meaning Of The Cross:

“That God sent Christ to bear our sins means that God does not just shrug off our sin. We live in a day of loose justice at best. People commit horrible crimes and get off with a slap on the wrist. A man admits to sexually molesting, killing and dismembering numerous boys, but pleads insanity and will likely end up spending some time in a mental ward. We all know that that is not justice.

Yet I talk to people all the time, many of them Christians, who think that God’s justice is like that. They shrug off sin as if it’s no big deal to God. They think He will just overlook it. But the Bible is very clear: All sin must be judged! Either your sin is on you and you will bear the penalty; or your sin is on Christ who bore the penalty. Either way, God does not take sin lightly! The just penalty must be paid.”

Sin is a debt that we could not pay. This is why Jesus had to go to the Cross. Sin is an affront to God.

I remember quite often the story of David, a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). One day King David minimized sin, and took another man’s wife to be his own. When the Prophet Nathan was sent from God to David in 2 Samuel 12 God condemned him, saying:

2 Samuel 12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

David repented of his sin. What did David say?

2 Samuel 12:13 … I have sinned against the Lord…

David would recount this time later in the Book of Psalms when he writes:

Psalm 51:1-4 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight …

Sin is an affront to God FIRST. Yes, sin hurts others. But only God can forgive sin. Only God can cover our sins. We cannot do penance. We cannot correct our transgressions, our offenses. Even if we promise God we will stop and not do it again, every act of sin is a slap in the Immortal’s face.

Hence the Cross. Jesus introduces the Cross for the first time in Matthew 10, but this is not the only time He will do so. Just 6 chapters later Jesus is telling His disciples that He had to go to the Cross. Turn with me to the text.

Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he MUST go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Jesus MUST go to Jerusalem at Passover.
Jesus IS the Lamb of God that takes away our sins (John 1:29).
Jesus MUST suffer under the hands of religion.
Jesus MUST be killed.
Jesus MUST rise on the third day.
Jesus MUST!

But when Peter hears this, he responds like most of the world does. Peter says:

Matthew 16:22 Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: THIS SHALL NOT BE UNTO THEE.

When Jesus heard these words, He was not pleased at Peter’s care for His well being. On the contrary, Jesus REBUKED Peter, saying:

Matthew 16:23 …. GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

It is satan that tells humanity “you can pay for your sin”. It is satan that says “the Cross is optional”. It is satan that tells us “Take care of yourself. Make the world all about YOU. Live for YOU. And one day YOU will died, and go to Heaven, where there is more of YOU”. That is devilish. That is serpentine. That is the whisper of the Garden of Eden.

Pastor Patrick Schreiner wrote in his article 10 Things You Should Know About The Cross:

“A Bible without a cross is a Bible without a climax, a Bible without an ending, a Bible without a solution. The spiral of sin that began in Genesis 3 must be stopped; the death of Jesus terminates the downward spiral. In Jesus’s body, he took on the sin of the world and paid the price of all humanity. At the cross the new Adam, Abraham, Moses, David arises to create a new humanity, family, and kingdom. That is why Paul doesn’t say he decided to knowing nothing except the incarnation, resurrection, or the ascension of Jesus, but the nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). Wisdom was found not beyond the cross, not above the cross, not below the cross, but in the cross.”

The Lord’s Table Is A Picture Of The Cross

Matthew 10:38-39 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

The Cross is a place where you lose your life for God’s sake. Those who will not go to the Cross cannot be saved.
The Cross is self sacrifice. The Cross is salvation.

On the night prior to Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary, He enjoyed the Passover Meal with His disciples. As the meal came to a close, Jesus told His disciples:

Luke 22:15 …. With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer:

Jesus will, in just a few hours, suffer on the Cross of Calvary. To illustrate the suffering of the Cross the Bible says:

Luke 22:19 {Jesus} took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Jesus was not forced to take this bread. The Feast of the Passover was over.

Jesus voluntarily took this bread.
Jesus thankfully took this bread.
Jesus Himself willingly broke – not cut, mind you, but broke the bread.

The Cross is a place where Jesus gave up His self, as the Father called Him to do. Jesus suffered on that Cross. His Body was broken on that Cross. When we go to the Cross, our self is broken. Though Jesus went willingly, He would have done something else, if possible, to save us. The Cross is not a happy place, but a saving place. The Scripture that Jesus prayed in Gethsemane:

Luke 22:42-44 Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Jesus knew what was coming. He Who is Eternal God in human flesh knew that He would be beaten, bruised, mocked, shamed. Jesus knew that He would – as the Passover Lamb of God – be nailed to that Cross. He went anyway. After giving His disciples the broken Bread – representing Jesus’ body – Jesus gave them the Cup:

Luke 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

A New Covenant – not a Covenant of Law but a Covenant of Love – is put in place by the sacrifice of Christ. His Body had to be broken, and His Blood then spilled, so that we who receive Him as Lord and Savior can be saved.

You cannot have salvation without self denial.
You cannot have salvation without the Cross.

A young man came to Jesus one day, and asked Jesus:

Mark 10:17 … Good Master, WHAT SHALL I DO that I may inherit eternal life?

How can you get “eternal life”? How can you become a son of God? You must do as the Son of God did. You must lay down your self, and pick up the Cross.

Laying down self means believing what God has said in His Word. Jesus told this young man:

Mark 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

Do what God says. Heed His commandments. When the young man said “I have done all these things from the time I was a child”, the Bible says:

Mark 10:21-22 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

Jesus beholds you, and loves you. Do you wish eternal life? Then you must deny yourself. If your self worth is in your possessions then, like this young man, lay these things down at the feet of Jesus. If your self worth is in your beauty, or your brilliance, or whatever, lay this down. Give it to God. Then “come, take up the Cross, and follow Jesus”. God does not compel this, but He does command it. If you are saved, you will take up His Cross, and follow Him.

Let us partake of His Table. This message will continue tonight.

Part Two, Heroes Of The Cross

Matthew 10:38-40 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Saved By The Cross,
We Are Commanded To The Cross

Matthew 10:5 … Jesus sent forth, and commanded them

Matthew 10:38 … he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

To “take up the Cross” is not a suggestion, but a command. It is not optional. It is something every Christian is called to do.

We share the Cross with Christ. If we are saved, we follow Jesus to the Cross.

Matthew 10:38 … he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

The Cross is not a place of pleasure, but it is a place of self denial. It is not a happy place. People are content to follow Jesus to Heaven, but are not so happy to follow Jesus to the Cross. Yet we must all go to the Cross.

The Cross Is A Denial Of Self

Jesus introduced the Cross on Chapter Ten. Pastor Patrick Schreiner wrote:

The Cross is not only where our sin is paid for, where the devil is conquered, but the shape of Christianity.

Because the Cross is God’s means of salvation and God’s method of life, it will be hated by the world. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:17-20 … beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

Jesus wanted us to know that we who are saved by the Cross will be despised by the world. The religious world will despise the Christ follower. Religion focuses on ritual, on looking good, on looking outwardly “righteous”, but has no inner love. Religion is the Church elder who, dressed up in a suit, shuns the visitor in shabby apparel or with unkempt hair. Religion says “I love you” but shows no hospitality to others.

Religion focuses on the “I”.
The Christ follower focuses on the Cross.

If you belong to Jesus, you are to do as He did. We are told in:

1 John 3:13-16 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

The Cross is not optional, but it is a place of self sacrifice. Jesus went willingly to the Cross, and we who are his are commanded to go willingly to the Cross. The Cross is a command. We lay our lives down for Christ daily. The Cross is self denial, just as our Lord did. Jesus told us:

Matthew 16:24-26 … Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

To “come after Jesus” requires the Cross. You must “deny yourself”. Deny pleasures, and worldliness. Deny the excesses of this world. “Deny yourself”. The Cross is a place where self goes to die. Jesus went to the Cross to pay for our sins. Did Jesus want to go to the Cross? He was willing. Oh, He was willing. He loved us that much. Jesus willingly laid His life down for us, saying:

John 10:18 No man taketh {my life} from me, but I lay it down of myself.…

God loved us, and gave Himself for us.

1 John 4:10-11 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

The Cross is what Jesus did for us before we ever knew Him. The Cross is what we do for all others whether they appreciate it or not. We love as Jesus loved. We do not live in darkness as the world does, but let the light of Christ, a self sacrificing light, shine through us. The Cross we are called to carry is a DAILY Cross:

Luke 9:23-24 And {Jesus} said to them ALL, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross DAILY, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

The Cross is a daily thing we are to pick up. The Cross – which is the death of self – must be picked up every single day. The world lives for self – the Christ child lives to die. The Cross is not where the world or the worldly is or wants to be. The world thinks the Cross is foolish, stupid.

The World Hates The Cross – Carry It Anyway

Matthew 10:21-22 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Jesus knew that His radical way of life – the Light of the world – would be misunderstood to those enslaved to self and self satisfaction. Jesus knew that what He advocated would cause divisions in families, that the Christ follower would be hated. Jesus did not sugar coat what He told us. Light is despised by darkness. When the Apostle Paul went out preaching the Cross of Christ, he knew that the message would not be well received. He wrote:

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

The Pharisees and Sadducees hated Jesus for what He stood for. The politicians, the Herodians, they hated Jesus for what He stood for. They slandered Jesus. Some called Jesus the son of a whore, a bastard born out of wedlock. Others accused our Lord of being empowered by satan. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:24-28 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his Lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? 26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Jesus did not allow fear to guide Him as He moved toward Calvary. Jesus tells us Who love Him to look unto Jesus, to follow Jesus toward the Cross daily. This message has been perverted in the American Church for the last 50 or so years. It is time that we cease heeding the world. Christians, for the most part, have just as high a divorce rate as do the unbelievers. Christians, for the most part, have just as high a suicide rate as the unbelievers.

My brothers and sisters, it must cease being so. The Cross we are called to is a place of willing self denial. It is the same place our Master went – and where we MUST go if we are children of the Most High God. Jesus said:

Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

The Cross is about giving of yourself, not about taking. Christianity is not about getting, but giving. We give our lives to God so that God can give His life to us. We are called to self sacrifice. But the world does not understand this.

Three Crosses On Calvary

Consider the world at that Hill called Calvary. There are three crosses on Calvary. On that center Cross is an innocent Man. Pilate asked:

Mark 15:12 What will ye then that I shall do unto him {this Jesus} whom ye call the King of the Jews?

The world cries out, “Crucify Him!”. Pilate asks, “Why? What evil what evil hath He done?” (Mark 15). The world cries out, “Crucify Him!”. The angels in Heaven look to the Throne of God. What will the Father do? Surely He will stop this travesty. But the Father says nothing. There they lay Jesus down on the cold wood beam. The ring of a hammer on steel. Bones do not break, but the hardened steel pushes its way into flesh and into wood. The Son does not cry. Then He is lifted upward. Muscle, flesh, and sinew strain around the spikes. Blood oozes from the cuts in His flesh from the whip. The crown of thorns on His head make His head feel as heavy as an anvil. He can barely hold His head up.

This is what love looks like.

The thief on Christ’s left is like the world in suffering. This thief chased money his whole life. He had been spared death before this, but the other night he invaded a home to feed his habit. He found a little old lady, barely existing on her meager stipend. He murdered her for the few coins she had, blast her hide! This thief cries out to Jesus:

Luke 23:39 … If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

Get Yourself down, Jesus, and then save us. This thief was not alone in telling Jesus to shun the Cross. The Bible says that those who passed by – the amused spectators, they told Jesus:

Mark 15:30 Save yourself, and come down from that Cross.

Surely there were no others? But yes, there was. We see the religious crowd, the non-denominational and denominational “holier than thou” bunch.

Mark 15:31-32 … He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. ….

I’ve heard this cry many times throughout this Pandemic. “If there is a God, a Jesus, let Him cure this Pandemic so we can go back to the “I”. “I” matter. Get me down from this Cross, or I will not believe in You, Jesus!

But Jesus could not come down from the Cross if we were going to be saved.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other {than Jesus Christ crucified}: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Oh that God would touch more hearts! Oh that the worldling would wake up and ask, “What MUST I DO to BE SAVED?” (Acts 16:30). What indeed?

Acts 16:31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

No, dear Thief on the Left. Jesus cannot come down.
No, dear Spectator. Jesus cannot leave that place of torment.
No, Religious and Politically Correct person. Jesus must stay.

If He comes down, we are all damned forever. But there is one other voice on Calvary. This one is the minority, not the crowd. You can barely hear his voice – but it was heard, and was recorded by God Almighty. This thief on the right of Christ whispers:

Luke 23:42 … Lord, remember me when thou
comest into thy kingdom.

Christian, this is who we are to be. We are to be like this thief on the right, this thief who follows his Lord to Calvary. It is Calvary that gives life. It is the Cross that teaches us how to live. The world hates the Cross, but the Cross is not only our salvation dear believer – it is also our way of life. The Cross is where we boast with the Apostle:

Galatians 6:14 God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

A Cross-less Christianity Is A Christ-less Cult

Matthew 10:36-39 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

The Cross and Christ must mean more to us than even our own families. Without the Cross we have no hope of salvation. But if we love Jesus, if we take up His Cross daily and follow Him, come what may, the love we have for Him will attract our loved ones. One Pastor, Brian Tabb, put it this way:

“Christians suffer in hope. We pray not only, “How Long, O Lord?” but also, “Come, Lord Jesus!” He suffered to ransom us from our sins and reconcile us to God, and his resurrection is the first installment of the restoration of all things. We may still ask why when our bodies hurt and our hearts ache. We may wonder when God will make all things new. But we remember who suffered in our stead to secure our salvation. And until Christ returns, we follow our Servant King on the road to Calvary.”

I am not ashamed of His Cross. Beloved, we must follow our Master! May Jesus Christ touch your hearts through His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen.

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Jesus Christ Is Racist (Red Letters #25)

Posted on May 22, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

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Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

The Pharisees, leaders of the Jewish Ruling Council (called the Sanhedrin), called the newspaper, the Jerusalem Times, about a fellow called “Jesus Christ”. This uneducated son of the carpenter Joseph was going about Jerusalem and the outlying areas preaching “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. The Pharisees said this man was making shocking claims, blasphemous claims that He was somehow related to God. This Jesus, the Pharisees said, healed a man sick of the palsy (Matthew 9:2) after saying,

“Son, be of good cheer! Thy sins be forgiven thee!”

Who can forgive sins but God? When the disciples of the honorable John the Baptist, asked Jesus why His disciples didn’t fast like they did, the Pharisees said:

“The children of the wedding cannot mourn while the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) is with them” (Matthew 9:15)

When the Pharisees asked Jesus why do you eat with sinners, this same Jesus, it was reported, said:

“I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”
(Matthew 9:13)”

This last statement got the attention of the editor at The Jerusalem Times. He sent a crack reporter out to ask this Jesus fellow some questions. Jesus has gathered twelve men around Him that He called “Apostles” (ἀπόστολος apóstolos, pronounced ap-os’-tol-os). These men were “disciples” or students of Christ’s before He named them “Apostles”. The Apostles were:

Matthew 10:2-4 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and his brother John were simple fishermen. Matthew was a tax collector. No one knows what

Simon the Zealot,
James the son of Alphaeus,
Thomas,
Philip,
Jude,
nor Bartholomew (also called Nathaniel)

did prior to following Jesus. One of Jesus’ “Apostles” was Judas Iscariot, a particularly greedy little man. Every one of these twelve “Apostles” had one thing in common – they WERE common. They occupied the least places among the leaders of Israel. If there were a “Who’s Who” these people would not even deserve a footnote or an honorable mention. They were just common people, rejected people, the least and the less among the elites of Israel. The reporter from the Jerusalem Times didn’t know what to say about this Jesus and His followers, but then he heard Jesus send these twelve, motley men out,

Matthew 10:5-7 COMMANDED them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The Reporter had his news headline. He went back to the paper, and once the headline published every news channel throughout the world picked up on it. CNN, ABC, NBC, CSNBC, NPR, and even FOX broadcast the headline:

“Jesus Christ Is A Racist!”

Is Jesus Christ A “Racist”?

Though this little story is just something I made up, it is certainly something that would be written about Jesus today if He did what He did back then. Did you read the text. Jesus told His disciples, literally “COMMANDED them” {παραγγέλλω parangéllō, pronounced par-ang-gel’-lo: to order or charge, as if directing a subordinate}:

Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel

One of the harshest charges that can be laid on anyone in our day is “that person is racist”. We hear reporters of color calling President Trump “racist” because he has called the Coronavirus “The Chinese Virus”. I heard an Asian American reporter call the President “racist” just the other day at a press conference.

To win an argument, I am told, if you cannot disprove what someone is saying, find a way to attack the character of that person.
This is called the “Ad Hominem” attack.

The Pharisees did this with Jesus earlier when they said:

Matthew 9:34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

and when Jesus called out the Pharisees for plotting to kill Him, they replied:

John 7:20 … Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

Jesus tells us as His people to

John 7:24 … Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

I have been concerned about the killing of a young man named Ahmaud Arbery. Two white men, Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael shot and killed Ahmaud while he was apparently out jogging one day. A video of the shooting incident was recorded and released online, and people on both sides are coming out accusing one another. Celebrities and politicians – including ex vice president Joe Biden, LeBron James, LL Cool J, and Kim Kardashian West have been demonstrating – along with great crowds of people – that justice be served. What made the case so very messy is that the men guilty of killing Ahmaud were never arrested or tried after doing what they did. They should have been immediately arrested. Investigators should have been assigned, and the two should have been judged by a jury of their peers, according to United States code.

What disturbs me is that people are making judgments as to what actually happened based on what was seen on a few minutes of video. What happened earlier in the day? I know some people will use an Ad Hominem attack on me for just suggesting that not all the facts are yet revealed.

I DO want these men to receive justice.
I DO believe these men exceeded their authority.
I Do want these men to be tried according to U.S. Law.
I DO NOT want to be part of the mob that riots, twisting law.
I DO NOT want to depart from the commands of my Lord Jesus Christ.
I DO want God’s Church and God’s people to be “the Light of the World”.
I DO NOT want God’s Church to be part of the darkness.

The Apostle Paul commands us – through the power of God’s Holy Spirit – to

Ephesians 4:17-24 … henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Christ’s Church cannot afford to chase the darkness with the world. Again, I DO want justice to be served. But I do NOT want to be drawn into the darkness with the unbeliever.

There are three driving forces for the Christian. First and foremost, we are driven by Jesus Christ. That’s why we are called “CHRISTian”. Second, our driving force is “It Is Written”, what the Bible says. Third, our driving force is the Holy Spirit of God.

Jesus Christ Is NOT Racist

When Jesus said:

Matthew 10:5-6 COMMANDED them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

it sounds as if Jesus is racist. “Don’t go to the Gentiles or Samaria, but stick with bringing the Gospel to the Jews”. If you read ONLY these words without turning to the rest of the Scripture, it would be easy to brand Jesus a racist. But what does the Bible say? Jesus prayed for His Church before going to Calvary:

John 17:15-17 I pray not {dearest Father God} that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil {One, that is, Satan}. 16 They {my Church} are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 SANCTIFY {set them apart} THEM THROUGH THY TRUTH: THY WORD IS TRUTH.

The Word of God is where the Christian finds our truth. It is what God has said. Jesus, throughout His ministry, repeatedly used these THREE WORDS:

“it is written”

Written in what? The fictitious Jerusalem Times that I made up? In the T.V. Guide? In the magazines, newspapers, or televised news? No, the Word of God. The Bible. What God has said. When Jesus said:

Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But GO RATHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.

he was not being RACIST. Jesus was being OBEDIENT. When God promised Abraham that he would be blessed, and through him a nation would come forth to bless the whole world (Genesis 12:1-3), God never forgot this promise. God established Israel – one of Abraham’s children who was previously known as “Jacob” – as His Chosen people. God was going to bless Abraham by giving Him a people {Israel}, through which people the Messiah would come. Jesus Christ is that Messiah. Jesus Christ came according to prophecy:

Isaiah 42:6 … a Covenant of the people {Israel}, for a light of the Gentiles

God said that He would send Jesus the Messiah,

Isaiah 49:6 … 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.

God prophesied of Israel:

Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, a promise that God was going to keep. Jesus Christ came to be the Savior and Lord of Israel FIRST. God would bring Messiah out of Israel and to Israel first. But God is no Respecter of persons, as Peter preached:

Acts 10:34-36 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But IN EVERY NATION he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

And the Apostle Paul preached:

Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

The Gospel of salvation is given to all people. Again, the Apostle Paul said:

Romans 1:16 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.

Jesus Christ is NOT racist. Jesus Christ came to give His life for the sins of the whole world. He sent His twelve Apostles to the twelve tribes of Israel FIRST. But Jesus ALWAYS intended to reach EVERYONE with the Gospel of salvation. Here’s a few more texts to jot down that proves this point.

Hebrews 10:9-10 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first {covenant}, that he may establish the second {covenant}. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once FOR ALL.

John 6:40 {Jesus said} … And this is the will of him that sent me, that EVERY ONE which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 1:29 {John the Baptist said} … Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away THE SIN OF THE WORLD.

John 3:16 {Jesus said} For God so loved THE WORLD, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 John 2:1-3 {Jesus Christ} My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

Romans 10:9-13 … if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich UNTO ALL that call upon him. 13 For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We Represent Jesus To The Whole World

Our Lord loves you and I so very much. Beloved, we MUST follow Jesus. We MUST heed His commands. We MUST NOT allow the world to draw us into the darkness of hatred, prejudice, and evil. We must not be drawn into worldliness. We are to go out into the world with Jesus’ words. Jesus said:

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

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

We must not allow ourselves to become part of the empty, nihilistic, vain, and useless
dialogue of the worldly.
We are to DO as Jesus said DO.

We are to DO what Jesus said, not what the world said. James (1:22) said:

“Be ye DOERS of the WORD, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves”

We who are Christians are saved by and carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us:

Matthew 10:11-15 … And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12 And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

We carry immortal words and an amazing Gospel. We are to share this Gospel with every person. If they will not receive that Word, then we are to shake the dust from our feet – and move on. The world of darkness does not understand the ministry of Jesus Christ. The religious person believes they are going to Heaven because they are better than those they stand next to. The self righteous person believes that they have all the answers. The world believes humanism, Darwinism, science, anything but Christ. But Jesus tells us that we are to go into the world, but to not let that world enter into us. He said:

Matthew 10:16-17 … Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men …

The world will never understand the light that is Jesus Christ. We must never compromise with the darkness. On my website I never allow comments to be posted. Why? Because I have seen other websites with a comments section with nothing but darkness in it. God calls us to shine, to be the light of the world. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). When we love as Jesus loved then we have fulfilled the Law – for love toward others fulfills the Law (Romans 13:8-13).

I am praying for Ahmaud Arbery’s family. It is the darkness of sin that took his life. I am praying for those who took Ahmaud’s life. If they die in their sins without Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they will spend an eternity in hell. But I am also praying for Christ’s Church that we not be caught up in the darkness, but that we love as Christ has loved us. After all, did He not say? …

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Ahmaud‘s killers need Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So do we all. We will all stand before God one day, and give an account for our lives. If Jesus Christ was to us no more than a “Facebook Friend” or a hobby that we occasionally dabbled in, then we have no hope for Heaven. Christ must be our “all in all” (1 Corinthians 12:6; 15:28; Ephesians 1:23). May God touch your hearts with His Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen!

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