But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).
It is at least interesting that the fruit of the Spirit of Joy is positioned between Love and Peace. Could it be coincidental that we must find love which comes before joy in order to find peace in our lives?
When and from what sources do you find joy? Is it in a job well done? From your career, hobby, family, possessions or good fortune?
This word, JOY, in the Bible and from the Greek language in which it was written, is ‘chara’, (pronounced, khar-ah’), means joy, delight, gladness, a source of joy. The picture is “to extend favor, lean towards, be favorably disposed”. More properly, it means the awareness of God’s grace and favor. Joy is found when God’s grace is recognized.
Read with me over the coming episodes, examples of what the scriptures say about JOY.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field.”(Matthew 13:44)
What kind of treasure could cause you to sell everything that you have in order to buy a parcel of land in order to obtain what is buried there? And what is the source of joy, found here? Is it earthly riches of great material wealth? Or is it something greater – much greater?
Keep in mind that this is a simile, comparing two things. In this case, the Kingdom of Heaven compared to a treasure hidden in a field. One is from the spiritual realm, the unseen world; and the other is from the natural world, the seen world.
It is also important to recognize that the kingdom of heaven, the spiritual realm, where all things originate; the natural world is where they manifest. The spiritual realm is the beginning of all things, and the natural world is the end of all things, where ‘dust returns to dust’.
This parable is telling us that there is something in this natural world, a treasure of unimaginable value, which is hidden from the natural mind and therefore, out of view of the natural eye.
Understanding that the natural mind cannot understand or fathom what is hidden, then you must know that this ‘man who found it and hid it again’ had gained the ability to see and understand what he had found. How is this possible? 1 Corinthians 2:14-15, tells us that
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. But the one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned by no one”.
This man had gained a spiritual mind.
John 14:16-17 tells us the secret. Jesus has said that
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you a Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.”
By this you are born again, and the Spirit of God dwells within you, giving you the eyes to see and ears to hear!
Still, what is this treasure of great value? Here is an answer taken from Got Questions.Org:
The unparalleled importance and power of God’s Word in the life of those who love, honor, and obey it is the theme of Psalm 119. In verse 11, the psalmist acknowledges, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you,” stressing the purifying quality of the Word of God to keep believers from straying into sin. Outward obedience comes from having the Scriptures buried deep within our hearts like a priceless treasure.
How can we have God’s Word hidden in our hearts? Let’s start by gaining a better understanding of what the psalmist is saying. The word for “hidden” in the original Hebrew means “to treasure, to regard as highly valued, to hide, keep, save up, store.” Translations range from “I have treasured your word in my heart”, to “I have stored up your word in my heart”, to “I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart”.
God’s Word is the agent of His Spirit used to cleanse the hearts of all who believe in Christ and are saved (Ephesians 5:25-27). And it is through keeping God’s Word securely planted in our hearts and living according to what it says that believers continue to walk in holiness (Psalm 37:31; and Psalm 119:9).
The Lord commanded Israel, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 11:18-20). This passage mentions several of the ways we can hide, treasure, and store up God’s Word in our hearts. Let’s explore these in detail.
Read
One of the first steps in hiding God’s Word in our hearts is reading the Bible. We get to know God and understand His plan for our lives through the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; and Psalm 119:105). Every Christian ought to pursue a consistent method of reading through the Bible.
Listen
Proverbs 2:1-5 conveys the benefits of listening to the Word of God: “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God”.
Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ”. The spoken Word of Christ, the peaching of the gospel message, has the power to produce faith and reveal Christ. In Jesus Christ’s day, Scripture was read aloud in the synagogues and recited in households. When we listen to the Scriptures, either in music or read out loud, we reinforce God’s Word in our hearts.
Write
Proverbs 7:1-3 states, “My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands, and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Writing down our thoughts as we read and listen to the Bible will help clarify and strengthen those biblical truths in our hearts, (Exodus 34:27; Deuteronomy 6:6, and verses 8-9; and Habakkuk 2:2).
Talk About
Discussing God’s Word with our children, spouse, friends, and small group members will further strengthen, illuminate, and solidify its teachings in our hearts and minds (Deuteronomy 6:7).
Study
The Bible urges us to study the Scriptures for greater understanding (Acts 17:11). The apostle Paul told Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Use a study Bible and other resources to help you accurately apprehend what Scripture is saying, not superficially, but historically and in the proper context.
Meditate
The Bible also encourages us to “delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night” (Psalm 1:2). We are to think about God’s instructions and promises all day and night long (Psalm 119:97 and verse 148). As we ponder God’s Word continually, treasuring, storing, and hiding it in our hearts, it will literally transform how we think and behave (Romans 12:2). (end excerpt).
Believe
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”(Matthew 17:20-b)
Where does this joy come from? It is hidden deep within you, knowing that through Christ Jesus, you are now eternally safe, secure, made whole, your life filled with purpose and all things are now possible for you!
The Kingdom of Heaven vs The Kingdom of This World
Jesus answered and said, “My kingdom is not of this world. My kingdom is not of this realm.” (John 18:36).
Jesus said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you areofthisworld, I am notofthisworld.” (John 18:23).
Jesus said, “you arenotof the world, [you no longer belong to it], but I have chosen you out of the world. And because ofthis, the world hates you.” (John 15:19).
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (The Apostle Paul, Ephesians 6:12).
Despite these clear words from the Bible, and for some strange reason, it seems many Christians, including pastors, theologians, and the like, seem to think that we are warring with people who hold certain political, social and religious views. They seem to think that we are in a war of worldviews and a war of words.
It is in one of these worlds, the weapons of warfare are crafted by the minds and hands of men and women. They range from words of deceit, lies, anger, spite, hate and division to knives, guns, bombs, beatings, torture, imprisonment, and death. These are of the passions of the flesh.
In the Other of these worlds, the weapons of warfare are truth, freedom, righteousness, the Gospel of peace, faith, salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.
One brings death and defeat; the Other brings in peace and life.
I hear pastors and Christian apologists use phrases like, “the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to say nothing” as a defense for using political and social means to wage war against forces that are antithetical to the Gospel of Christ.
The Word of God is both our defense and our offense. It is our full armor against the weapons of darkness and our sword in battle.
How is this so? This is the mystery: Everything that is seen comes from that which is unseen. Every thought and idea originates from the unseen world, whether of darkness or of light, and is manifest in this natural world.
The natural ‘seen world’ is simply the ashes of creation. Fighting in the natural is swinging at shadows of the past. It is fruitless and has no lasting effect.
But engaging the enemy of the kingdom of this world in the Spiritual realm of the Kingdom of Heaven, puts an end to evil at its root.
Therefore, we must take up the full armor of God, so that we will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, we must stand firm. We must belt our waist with truth, and put on the breastplate of righteousness, and strap on our feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all this, we must take up the shield of faith with which we will are able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (See Ephesians 6).
We must pray at all times in the Spirit, and with every prayer and request, we must stay alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints.
A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – “Not Peace but a Sword”, Part 47
Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional
“Not Peace, but a Sword”
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.
The Words of Jesus, Matthew 10:34-36
This hardly sounds like the Jesus we were taught about in Sunday school. Jesus has said things like, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”. (John 14:27); and the word peace is used and talked about over ninety times in the New Testament. Yet here we have it straight from the mouth of Jesus, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
These words are not spoken in anger. Jesus did not come into this world to condemn, but to save. It is because of their unbelief that some are already condemned.
We know that Jesus is our Great Shepherd, and that He cares for and protects His sheep (His followers). But to those who reject Him, He is an obstacle and a stumbling block, creating division between the righteous and the unrighteous, believers and the rebellious, dividing households and even families.
This is the ‘great divide’ (my term). We hear that at the End of the Age, God will divide the ‘wheat from the tares’, and the ‘sheep from the goats’, and those whose names are written in the Books – the ‘Book of Life’ and those whose names are not found in that book – some to everlasting glory with God, and some to eternal torment in the lake of fire.
We (Christians – disciples of Jesus) are to follow Him in His methods and His ways. We are to be gentle as doves, yet wise as a serpent. Filled with the fruit of the Spirit, (the result of His presence within us), resulting in love, unselfish concern for others, joy, inner peace, patience, not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Lifting the name of Jesus, so He will draw many to Himself through our lives.
Still, the Apostle Paul reminds us that, “There are many, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, who live as enemies of the cross of Christ [rejecting and opposing His way of salvation], whose fate is destruction, whose god is their belly [their worldly appetite, their sensuality, their vanity], and whose glory is in their shame–who focus their mind on earthly and temporal things. “But [we are different, because] our citizenship is in heaven.” (Philippians 3)
It is at least interesting that the fruit of the Spirit of Joy is positioned between Love and Peace. Could it be coincidental that we must find love which comes before joy in order to find peace in our lives?
When and from what sources do you find joy? Is it in a job well done? From your career, hobby, family, possessions or good fortune?
This word, JOY, in the Bible and from the Greek language in which it was written, is ‘chara’, (pronounced, khar-ah’), means joy, delight, gladness, a source of joy. The picture is “to extend favor, lean towards, be favorably disposed”. More properly, it means the awareness of God’s grace and favor. Joy is found when God’s grace is recognized.
Read with me over the coming episodes, examples of what the scriptures say about JOY.
“The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy”. (Matthew 13:20).
What is the source of joy in this one? So we can get a better understanding of this verse, let’s look at the complete parable of the sower:
“Listen then to the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away. And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”(Matthew 13:18-23)
The source of joy in this one is the hearing of the word of the kingdom!
The gospel is the “good news” because it contains the exceedingly wonderful message of God’s redemption of sinful humanity through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. The gospel is the heart, the central core of Christian preaching.
The gospel is good news because in it we find God’s promise of forgiveness from sin. John testified that Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29; see also Luke 24:46–47; Isaiah 53:4–6; Acts 13:38; Hebrews 9:28). Through the gospel, we receive God’s power to live a new life in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
The gospel is good news because “to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12–13).
Everyone who believes in the gospel and submits to its demands receives new life in Jesus Christ. We are adopted into God’s family (Romans 8:14–17; Galatians 3:26). We are “born of the Spirit” (John 3:5–8) and receive the “gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38; see also John 7:37–39), who guarantees our heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:13–14).
The gospel is the greatest love story ever told (John 15:13). What could be more excellent news than its promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ?: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
There are many who hear the Gospel and initially are filled with joy over this Good News. But because they do not understand it, the evil one is able to come and snatch away what has been sown in his or her heart.
It is because a person has no firm root in themselves that when affliction or persecution occur, as they will come, the joy of the word will immediately fall away.
But if you hold firm to this Good News, take it into in your heart, your mind and incorporate it into your life, it will produce the fruit of righteousness in your life. You will be made into a new creation and your life will begin to produce the fruit of the Spirit of God which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You will find yourself in right standing with God and with others.
You can hear the word of the kingdom and take it casually, and it will fade away, and your life will resume its dreadful trek. Or you can engage the word of the kingdom and find a new life, full of purpose, meaning and hope!
It is your choice. Begin to pray and read and study the word. Make it your own. Become a child of God.
As a result, as a nation we are radically redrawing moral boundaries. For example, those surveyed were more likely to say it is morally unacceptable to renege on repaying a small debt to a relative than to have an abortion.
Less than half said it was morally unacceptable to tell a lie to protect their personal interest or reputation, with 27% saying it was morally acceptable or that it was not a moral issue at all.
Lying, stealing, killing, murdering, sexual perversion, alcoholism, drug addiction, and increasing violence of all kinds have been on the rise for decades.
When a society loses its ability to trust its institutions, its authority figures, its government, then it will cease to function which can lead to the kinds societal chaos and anarchy we are now witnessing.
When members of society cannot trust or depend on one another it will descend into widespread violent discord, and eventually, it will cease to exist.
There are those who claim that statistics show that things are no worse today than they have ever been in America. But statistics can be subject to several variables. In this case, there are three standards of judgment.
(#1). Some are based on situational ethical standards, which are subject to the interpretation of the individual based on their personal view of the situation or circumstances at hand. This standard is highly subjective and is never static.
EXAMPLE: It is okay to steal food if you are hungry and cannot afford to pay for it.
EXAMPLE: It is okay to lie if you don’t think it will hurt anyone or if you think it will protect someone from a hurtful truth.
#2).Next are conditional ethics which highly subjective to the desires, needs, wants and opinion of the those making the judgment. This standard is unreliable and subject to manipulation. It says “I will give you my approval if you give me what I want”.
EXAMPLE: It is okay to gossip and hurt the reputation of someone if they will not support you in a project or in your efforts; or to promote them above others who are less qualified, because they support you – even if your behavior, project or effort is questionable. A tit-for-tat ethos.
(#3). Finally, a moral absolute – an absolute standard of truth. Coincidentally, the moral values and standards underpinning the foundations of the American Experiment, which sprang from a Judeo-Christian ethos, postulates a moral absolute – an absolute standard of truth. (This absolutism is stated in the second paragraph of our Declaration of Independence, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident…”).
EXAMPLE: You do the honest and the right thing simply because it is the right thing, regardless of how it benefits you – because the Bible says it is the only way.
Now I ask, using one of the standards are listed above, where do you stand? Please review the list below, of the TEN COMMANDMENTS which are taken from the Bible, and decide which of the three standards of ethics most closely defines your view of good morals and acceptable ethical standards. (at the end of each choice you received a score of 1, 2 or 3. Keep your score and total it when completed):
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).
Conditional – ‘It depends on what I get in return.’ (score 2 points).
Absolute – ‘There is no doubt about it.’ (score 3 points).’
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below….” This command forbids the use of any man-made image for the purpose of worship. No human has the ability to create a piece of artwork or construct a statue that accurately represents God. He alone is worthy of worship. (New Testament References:
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).’
Conditional – ‘It depends on what I get in return.’ (score 2 points).’
Absolute – ‘There is no doubt about it.’ (score 3 points).’
Don’t misuse God’s name—This command forbids mishandling, lightly using, or speaking in vain the name of God. (New Testament References: 1 Timothy 6:1, Matthew 5:33-37)
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).’
Conditional – ‘It depends on what I get in return.’ (score 2 points).’
Absolute – ‘There is no doubt about it.’ (score 3 points).’
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy—This commandment required the Israelites to set aside a specific day of the week to dedicate as a day of rest to the Lord—the Sabbath. (New Testament References: Hebrews 4:1-11 tells us that Jesus fulfilled this law completely. Christians find their Sabbath rest in the person of Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:16 confirms that New Covenant Believers are no longer required to adhere to Sabbath laws.)
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).’
Conditional – ‘It depends on what I get in return.’ (score 2 points).’
Absolute – ‘There is no doubt about it.’ (score 3 points).’
Honor your mother and father—This command requires that parents be shown honor and respect. It’s also the only command that comes with a promise. “so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (New Testament References: Ephesians 6:1-2, Matthew 15:4-9)
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).
Conditional – ‘It depends on what I get in return.’ (score 2 points).’
Absolute – ‘There is no doubt about it.’ (score 3 points).’
Do not murder—This command forbids the premeditated killing of another human being. (New Testament References: Romans 13:9; 1 Peter 4:15)
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).’
Conditional – ‘It depends on what I get in return.’ (score 2 points).’
Absolute – ‘There is no doubt about it.’ (score 3 points).’
Don’t commit adultery—This command forbids breaking the sacred marriage covenant by having sexual relations with anyone other than one’s spouse. (New Testament references: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, John 8:1-20)
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).’
Conditional – ‘It depends on what I get in return.’ (score 2 points).’
Absolute – ‘There is no doubt about it.’ (score 3 points).’
Don’t steal—This command forbids taking someone else’s possessions without permission. (New Testament References: Ephesians 4:28, Luke 19:8)
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).’
Conditional – ‘It depends on what I get in return.’ (score 2 points).’
Absolute – ‘There is no doubt about it.’ (score 3 points).’
Don’t give false testimony against your neighbor—This command forbids testifying falsely against someone in court, but the context also implies that lying is forbidden. New Testament References: Revelation 21:8, John 8:44)
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).’
Conditional – ‘It depends on what I get in return.’ (score 2 points).’
Absolute – ‘There is no doubt about it.’ (score 3 points).’
Don’t covet—This command forbids harboring a desire for someone else’s possessions, spouse, or property. (New Testament References: Colossians 3:5, Ephesians 5:3)
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).’
Conditional – ‘It depends on what I get in return.’ (score 2 points).’
Absolute – ‘There is no doubt about it.’ (score 3 points).’
Now, total your score.
(1). If you scored between 10 and 15 points, you lean toward situational ethics. You tend to be your own judge and jury and the judge and jury of others depending on how you view circumstances and situations. (You can be what some consider as a nice, caring person, and tend to take up matters of perceived social injustice with a driving passion, but often times your passions can cloud your judgment and will polarize people against you. Your circle of friends tends to be small and highly opinionated. You would be considered, by many, as a social and political liberal or a progressive.
(2). If you scored between 16 and 25 points, you lean toward conditional ethics. You tend to be self-centered. This one is hard to admit, but you know if you are. Your decisions and judgements based almost solely on how circumstances and situations affect you first and foremost, and what will benefit you most. I.e., what you will gain or get in return. You are probably a thoughtful person and a deep thinker. You might be considered as a social or political moderate, with friends on both the social and political right and left. Some people may consider you non-committal and undecided on many issues and would have a hard time trusting your views or opinions.
(3). If you scored between 25 and 30 points, you may lean toward an absolute standard of morals. You can tend to be a rule keeper and you could be hard on yourself and harsh toward others at times, unless you balance justice with mercy. You may tend to be more closeminded on issues as you have your mind settled on matters. You are probably a very transparent and dependable person and many will call on you for help. You would probably be considered a social and political conservative by most and far right by the progressive-left.
Next, regardless of what you chose as your standard of ethics, choose a word from these two sets of motivations, from the ones in red text or the ones in blue text. Find the motivating word or the word that most closely describes how you feel about the foregoing list of the Ten Commandments:
For example, “I shall have no other gods,(other than the God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac)”. This implies you must believe absolutely, in the One True God of the Bible. You do not give room for other religious beliefs systems or other religion’s gods. Choose a word from either the red letter list or the blue letter list that best describes the most likely outcome of having the ‘only the One True Living God in your life’:
I DISAGREE that having OTHER gods in my life will result in :
sexual immorality, impurity,
sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control),
idolatry, sorcery,
hostility, strife,
jealousy, fits of anger,
disputes, dissensions,
factions [that promote heresies], envy,
drunkenness, riotous behavior,
OR
I AGREE that having OTHER gods in my life will result in :
love – unselfish concern for others, joy,
inner peace, patience
kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control.
The main points here are:
Point number 1.
(a). If you lean toward ‘situational ethics’ you tend to be your own judge and jury and the judge and jury of others depending on how you view circumstances and situations.
(b). If you lean toward ‘conditional ethics’ you tend to be self-centered. This one is hard to admit, but you know if you are. Your decisions and judgements based almost solely on how circumstances and situations affect you first and foremost, and what will benefit you most. I.e., what you will gain or get in return.
(c). If you lean toward an ‘absolute standard of morals’ you can tend to be a rule keeper and you could be hard on yourself and harsh toward others at times, unless you balance justice with mercy.
Point number 2.
Knowing the motivations for your ethical standard can help you better understand others response toward you. For example, if you are constantly in personal conflicts it may be because you think others are ‘out to get you’ or that you deserve better than others, so your decisions and ethical standards are geared to that motivation.
If you want a better life for yourself and for others your motivation may be to apply kindness, self-control, patience and a modicum of love when making judgments of circumstances, situations and of others.
You might make better decisions if you know your motivations.
Point number 3.
(a). The social and political liberal-progressive left tends to adhere to the red letter list, above. They not only adhere to such thinking and behaviors, they promote and defend it and excuse or define the outcomes as ‘freedom’, i.e., being free to do as you choose despite the natural outcomes and consequences of hostility, selfishness, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envy, riotous behavior, disease, sickness, mental illness, poverty, divorce, broken relationships, broken families and premature death.
(b). The social and political moderate or libertarian may appear to straddle the fence on many of the issues found in both the red letter and the blue letter lists. They usually seem to be neither hot nor cold on many issues but tend to be lukewarm on most issues. They seem to adopt a ‘live and let live’ or that ‘everyone is entitle to their own view’ attitude toward life. I say ‘they seem to’ but they really to hold fast to their centrist views. I would dare to guess that this might define a majority the middle class.
(c). The social and political conservative and Christian right tends to adhere to the blue letter list, above. They not only adhere to such thinking and behaviors, they promote and defend it and define the outcomes and benefits as ‘freedom’, i.e., being free to do as God has directed and chosen for you, with the natural outcomes of love, (the unselfish concern for others), joy, inner peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, right thinking, strong mental health, prosperity in your soul, mind and body, fewer diseases, less sickness, strong marriages, families and relationships and a longer healthier life.
NOTE TO SELF
It can be easier to follow and keep the letter of the law, i.e., keeping rules. It can much more difficult to follow and keep the spirit of the law, i.e., make your ethical decisions from a motivation of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness and self-control. Justice balanced by mercy.
PS: I will leave you with this video. I do this cautiously because it has political overtones and is strictly secular in its approach to morals and ethics. It is a TED talk on The moral roots of liberals and conservatives by Jonathan Haidt. But it makes some good points.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).
It is at least interesting that the fruit of the Spirit of Joy is positioned between Love and Peace. Could it be coincidental that we must find love which comes before joy in order to find peace in our lives?
When and from what sources do you find joy? Is it in a job well done? From your career, hobby, family, possessions or good fortune?
This word, JOY, in the Bible and from the Greek language in which it was written, is ‘chara’, (pronounced, ‘khar-ah’), means joy, delight, gladness, a source of joy. The picture is “to extend favor, lean towards, be favorably disposed”. More properly, it means the awareness of God’s grace and favor. Joy is found when God’s grace is recognized.
Read with me, over the coming episodes, examples of what the scriptures say about JOY.
“After hearing the king, the maji went on their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on ahead of them until it came to a stop over the place where the Child was to be found.
“When the maji saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
“And after they came into the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh”. (Matthew 2:10-11).
What was the source of JOY for these maji? Was it the star? Was it where the star came to a stop? Or was it because of the Christ Child?
When the maji saw the star, they knew. They knew the prophecy was true. These magi came from the east, and when they had arrived in Jerusalem they said,“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
They were filled with ‘chara’. The grace of God was being manifest through the birth of His Son, the promised savior of the world! God was extending His favor, leaning toward the earth, as He was favorably disposed to extend His grace to all humankind. And as the maji recognized and became aware of God’s grace and favor, they were filled with an inexpressible joy!
Where do you find joy? Is it in a job well done? From your career, hobby, family, possessions or good fortune? Or is it through recognizing and becoming aware of God’s grace toward you, having granted you a savior?
May we fall down and worship Him as we find joy, today!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
NEXT: JOY – Episode 2 – Matthew 13:20 – “The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy”.
(Please bookmark or subscribe for future episodes).
The Sabbath & The Lord of the Sabbath, The Pharisees Rebuked
Jesus continues His mission and journey, teaching His disciples by example as they encounter various circumstances in life. These circumstances, though they may seem random, they are not. They are foreknown by Jesus, and His responses are both calculated teaching moments to prepare His disciples to carry His work forward. They are also examples of Jesus fulfillment of the Jewish Law, the Torah (see Matthew 5:17-18). The Old Covenant has passed and the New Covenant has come, and the religious establishment is enraged.
This is also an opportunity for us, the contemporary Christian, to discard personal religious biases, views, habits and rituals that do not conform to Jesus’ person, character and teachings, and to follow Him, only.
(Just as an observation: I believe it is doubtful that Jesus would be a welcomed guest in most of the postmodern church – the Church which He built. Please, think about that as you read. If Jesus said these same things and did these same miracles, what would the reaction be within the church, today?)
Sabbath Questions
Matthew 12:1-29,At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. Verse 2. Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!” Verse 3. But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, verse 4, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? Verse 5. Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent? Verse 6. But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. Verse 7. But if you had known what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned those who are the innocent.
Lord of the Sabbath
Verse 8. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
(Commentary Break: First, let’s put this in contemporary terms. Suppose you, as a local religious or civic leader, see a man and his friends trespassing in a grain field which they do not own, stripping off the heads of grain and eating them, on a Sunday morning. What is your initial reaction?
In this case, a group of Pharisees, went to Jesus and complained, not about trespassing or eating another man’s grain, but that the religious law forbade any work on a Sabbath day, in this case, picking or harvesting grain.
Jesus’ response is to point out the hypocrisy of the practitioners of the Law and to remind them that the Law actually says that God DESIRES COMPASSION, RATHER THAN SACRIFICE. In other words, people come before the restrictive nature of a religious and ritual Law; people come before programs and that the Law of God is meant for our good and not for our condemnation. These verses define the failure of the Pharisees, the scribes and the Sanhedrin, and the failure of many postmodern churches.
Jesus then ‘doubles down’ as they say, and proclaims Himself as Lord of the Sabbath! I.e., He is greater than the and above the laws of the Mosaic Covenant, and as Creator, He is the original Lord of the Sabbath, and as Lord of the Sabbath, He had the right, power and authority to dispense it any way He chose. Is there little doubt why He enraged the religious Jews? Imagine he would walk, unannounced, into your church and said the same thing? (End Commentary Break).
Verse 9. Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. Verse 10. And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”, so that they might bring charges against Him. Verse 11. But He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? Verse 12. How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Verse 13. Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. Verse 14. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
Verse 15. But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, verse 16, and warned them not to tell who He was. Verse 17. This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:
Verse 18, “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL DELIGHTS; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE WILL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.
Verse 19. “HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.
Verse 20. “A BENT REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A DIMLY BURNING WICK HE WILL NOT EXTINGUISH, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.
Verse 21. “AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”
(Commentary Break: The Pharisees are now attempting to ‘set Jesus up’ for an arrest. Instead, Jesus turns the table on the Pharisees with a simple question with a conclusive statement, and proceeds to heal a man. The Pharisees then conspire to destroy Jesus, and being aware of their plot, Jesus withdraws from that area but does not withdraw from His mission. Many follow Him and He heals them all!
Would you say Jesus is deliberately behaving like a radical, or is He obeying His Father and staying true to His Mission? The next verse clearly says, “This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled”: HE WILL NOT EXTINGUISH, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. “AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”
We are to follow Jesus and His example, so, it is important to ask how you would react to the current religious establishment if you were truly serving God but perceived to be transgressing a local church rule. (End Commentary Break).
The Pharisees Rebuked
Verse 22. Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to Jesus, and He healed him so that the man who was unable to speak talked and could see. Verse 23. And all the crowds were amazed and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” Verse 24. But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
Verse 25. And knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand. Verse 26. And if Satan is casting out Satan, he has become divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? Verse 27. And if by Beelzebul I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. Verse 28. But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Verse 29. Or, how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
(Commentary Break): Verses 22 through 29 should be enshrined over the door of every church sanctuary and emblazoned of every hymnal and church program handout as a reminder and a warning against becoming apostate or joining the apostasy, and blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and as a reminder of the resultant disaster for those who are part of that rebellion.
To repeat, “And all the crowds were amazed and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?”. Can you hear this question?
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons. Do you hear the blasphemy?
Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan is casting out Satan, he has become divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? And if by Beelzebul I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges.
But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Or, how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
This is the warning to all of His church throughout all of the ages! (End Commentary Break).
Jesus is ‘the Strongman’ referred to in these foregoing verses, Who is being tied up in the hearts and minds of these religious Jews. How can anyone be surprised at the flames of tribulation that have engulfed Israel since these deeply prophetic words were spoken by Jesus in or around A.D 30? Can anyone be surprised at the trouble besetting the United States and the world? They, and we, were warned. We must turn to Jesus for our salvation.
A Special Note: Jesus warned that the great apostasy within the church would occur. His words of warning are found in Chapter 24 of the book of Matthew, and the results of those who stay faithful are found in Chapter 6 of The Book of The Revelation. What we are seeing here in Matthew chapter 12 are the seeds of the breaking of the 5th Tribulation Seal, which has been overlapping and is intensifying with the previously broken tribulation seals one through four. Jesus calls these seals and this phase of the tribulation period “the beginning of the Birth Pangs”. (see Matthew 24:9)
Matthew 12:30, The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters. Verse 31, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Verse 32. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
(Commentary Break): Please note that although Jesus’ intended audience is Greek-speaking Jewish Christians, these remarks draw a stark line between the ‘saved’ and the ‘unsaved’. Jesus makes a distinction here between those who believe in and have confessed Jesus as their Lord and are His disciples.
(i.e., the one who ‘gathers’, i.e., (from the Greek word), ‘sunagó’, that is the one who ‘joins with and come together’ with Jesus), and
those who do not believe in Him but ‘scatters’, i.e., (from the Greek word), ‘skorpizó’, that is one who ‘dissipates and wastes’ this most valuable and precious gift from God.
Verse 31 begins with the connecting and defining word ‘therefore’, indicating that what comes next is based on what was said before: Therefore, every sin and Blasphemy (blasphemia), that which is abusive, scurrilous, and evil; that which exchanges what God says is good for that which is evil. Exchanging the truth of God for a lie, will be forgiven, even if it is spoken against the Son of Man, i.e., Jesus. But if blasphemy is spoken against the Holy Spirit, cannot be forgiven.
Please Note: Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, at the time of the speaking of these words, had to do with accusing Jesus Christ of being demon-possessed instead of Spirit-filled. The Pharisees were in a unique moment in history: they had the Law and the Prophets, they had the Holy Spirit stirring their hearts, they had the Son of God Himself standing right in front of them, and they saw with their own eyes the miracles He did. Never before in the history of the world (and never since) had so much divine light been granted to men; if anyone should have recognized Jesus for who He was, it was the Pharisees. Yet they chose defiance. They purposely attributed the work of the Spirit to the devil, even though they knew the truth and had the proof. Jesus declared their willful blindness to be unpardonable. Their blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was their final rejection of God’s grace. They had set their course, and God was going to let them sail into perdition unhindered.
This exact kind of blasphemy cannot be replicated today.
After Christ’s resurrection and ascension to the Father, the unpardonable sin, (blasphemy), is the state of continued unbelief. The Spirit currently convicts the unsaved world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). To resist that conviction and willfully remain unrepentant is to “blaspheme” the Spirit. There is no pardon, either in this age or in the age to come, for a person who rejects the Spirit’s promptings to trust in Jesus Christ and then dies in unbelief. The love of God is evident: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And the choice is clear: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). But, as long as you are alive, it is never too late to confess and repent of your sins and turn to Jesus for complete forgiveness and to receive His free gift of salvation (see GotQuestion.Org). (End Commentary Break).
Words Reveal Character
Verse 33. “Either assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; because the tree is known by its fruit. Verse 34. You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. Verse 35. The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things. Verse 36. But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment. Verse 37. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
(Commentary Break): Jesus begins with a metaphor of a tree and its fruit, then reveals the subject of His metaphor is the Pharisees – and Jesus leaves little to the imagination. He calls them vipers and evil; bad trees that produce bad fruit. Jesus reminds us that it is ‘the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart’ which is revealing wisdom, both then and now.
Besides rebuking the Pharisees, Jesus warns of the dangers of their errant words, which is true for everyone at any time.
As I discussed in a recent article, the state of your heart and mind is revealed by the words you speak and, in a real sense, it is those words which condemn you or justify you. (End Commentary Break).
The Desire for Signs
Verse 38. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” Verse 39. But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign; and so no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet; Verse 40. for just as JONAH WAS IN THE STOMACH OF THE SEA MONSTER FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. Verse 41. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. Verse 42. The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
(Commentary Break): Jesus is rebuking the unbelieving Pharisees, then, and the unbelieving world now. He is saying, in essence, ‘I don’t need to prove anything to you. There is enough evidence and proof already available, if you chose to see it. You claim to believe what happened with Jonah and you claim to understand about the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, yet you deny all that is written about Me. You offspring of vipers! You believe only those things you desire but you neglect the greater things!’
Likewise, it is not our responsibility to use extra-Biblical means to convince others about Christ. Everything necessary is recorded. We believe by faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We don’t have to and should not try to prove anything more. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 43.“Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Verse 44. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Verse 45. Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”
(Commentary Break): These are ominous and prophetic words. It foretells and forecasts the condition of those who reject Christ, Jew and Gentile alike. NOTE: The final words of verse forty-five say ‘that is the way it will be also with this evil generation’ (meaning this race, family or generation, and the characteristic unbelieving behavior of this generation), which, when used with another time word (such as ‘and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first’) perfectly indicates an infinity of time. I.e., So it will be forever!
The succeeding generation will be plagued with and identified and controlled by unclean spirits, getting progressively worse with time! We can see examples of this already in our world today with the rise and acceptance of child sacrifice (abortions), Satan worship, murders, rapes, acceptance of homosexuality, transgenderism, hate, violence, rampant thievery, the spread and acceptance of drug use, and more. It would appear that paganism and satanism is on the rise and Christianity is on the wane. But Jesus warns of their fate. (End Commentary Break).
Changed Relationships
Verse 46. While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. Verse 47. Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.” Verse 48. But Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” Verse 49. And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! Verse 50. For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
(Commentary Break): There is no clearer example of what the family of God represents. If you think blood relatives should be close, then you should now know that the Blood of Christ relatives are also your family and should be help close as well.
It is obvious that there are cliques and groups in the church that ever-so-politely exclude others. Those who treats some a more important than others, leaving some out of their social gatherings, their activities and their lives, while including others. The Apostle Paul corrects the church on these matters: “But we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who diligently labor among you and are in leadership over you in the Lord, and give you instruction, and that you regard them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people.”
The Apostle Peter also encouraged the family of God, saying, “Since you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently loveoneanother from the heart.” (End Commentary Break).
This is how we know if we are His disciples, by our love and respect for one another!
Is heaven real? If so, how does a person get into heaven? And, why should I care?
Put in the simplest of terms, the Bible says heaven is real, although, probably not like what you may think. It is beyond your wildest imagination in glory, and magnificence. The Bible also tells you of the only way to get into heaven, and I think you should care because the Bible says the only alternative is an eternal torment in a lake of fire, also known as Hell.
Christianity is the only religion that teaches that a person can do nothing to earn or pay his or her way into heaven. Humankind, a slave to the sin nature he was born with, must completely rely on the grace of God in applying Jesus Christ’s sacrifice to the sins of the believer. People are saved by faith in the death and resurrection of Christ. Upon death, the spirits of Christians go to heaven, while the spirits of unbelievers go to a temporary holding place called hell. At the final judgment, unbelievers are separated from God for eternity in the lake of fire. The odd thing about all of this is that you have the power to choose to believe or to reject God’s offer.
I have been a Christian for about 49 years, and during that time, I have been a student of the Bible, to the best of my ability. I have had classroom training on and about the Bible, God and Christianity. I have been, and am now, a Bible teacher, a pastor, and an evangelist. I can quote the scriptures relating to a person’s salvation and heaven. But being perfectly honest, I know that it is hard to understand WHY ‘confessing your sins with your mouth to Go and saying I that will repent or turn away from your former sinful ways to follow Jesus and His teachings, and asking Him to take up residence within your heart, mind and body, can possibly save your corpse from rotting in a grave and your essence or your soul from perishing after you die.
The Bible says this matter of heaven, hell and salvation is nonsense to those who do not believe, and that you or I must believe in Jesus and His power to forgive us and cleanse us of our sins and of our sinful nature, and to save us from perishing and giving us a home, in heaven, with Him.
Now, please allow me to change the paradigm.
You came into being from nothing. (And, yes, I know the biology. But what came before the sperm and the egg? And, do you really buy the alternative ‘swamp goo’ theory of evolution?)
According to the Bible, you were born with a sin nature. Yes, even that cute little, innocent and harmless baby was born with a sin-nature deep within his or her core. The process after that is far too complicated to discuss, but the outcome can be obvious. You are considered a good person or a bad person, or somewhere in between. Regardless, the Bible teaches that without a supernatural intervention by the God Who created you, you will die, rot and perish. Just like a flower that sprouts, blooms and dies and is soon forgotten. But this is the natural view of this matter.
Spiritually speaking, your spirit (or soul) is given a body at birth and your mind is a blank slate. Your experiences and what you may be taught, then create ideas, feelings, core values, mindsets and attitudes. Over time, those things are expressed in your behaviors and actions. Additionally, all of these things are, or can be, influenced by DNA and genetics. In time, however, you are revealed to be what you have become. Good, bad or in between.
If you have some kind of philosophical view that good and evil don’t exist, this will be especially difficult for you. But even if you think ‘a basically good person’ will get into heaven, then defining what is good becomes problematic, because only God can set that standard. The Bible tells us that “No one is good. No, not even one” (see Romans 3:10-12), and that even your best efforts at ‘being good’, still will not get you into heaven.
So, if you think, given your few years on earth, you know better than the prophets of God and His written Word, perhaps you should ‘get saved’ or have died as an innocent infant so you can think you at least have a chance at heaven. But alas, this is all too subjective, and too confusing to work this out by our shallow reason or our flawed logic.
A natural approach of human logic based on feelings and emotions is futile, so, at this juncture, we are left only with spiritual avenues.
For example: You are who and what you are at any given time. Your destiny, at present, is set by the way you believe and think. The only way to influence or affect your ultimate fate is by non-physical or other-worldly means, i.e., by the Spirit.
We consider the spirit of a man or woman is as the Bible teaches. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for spirit is: רוּחַ. Transliteration: ruach; Phonetic Spelling: (roo’-akh); Definition: breath, wind, spirit.
In the New Testament, the Greek word for spirit is πνεῦμα, ατος, τό; Transliteration: pneuma; Phonetic Spelling: (pnyoo’-mah); Definition: wind, spirit, breath.
The Bible teaches that our physical life springs forth from this spirit. The Hebrew word for our natural body is ‘nephesh’, or flesh, and the Greek word is ‘soma’ or body.
Everything that emanates from the flesh, (our natural body, mind and soul), originates in and comes from the spirit. Our mind, will, emotions (a.k.a. the soul) and our body is determined and sustained by the spirit of our natural life.
After our physical death, our body goes to the grave to dissipate, but the spirit within us, our true essence, lives on for eternity, either in the terror of fire and darkness or in the peaceful presence of God in heaven. These are spiritual matters, first told about by the prophets, and by Jesus Christ, and then recorded by men under the influence and inspiration of God.
We therefore know that it is only when the Spirit of God intervenes and intersects with our spirit, after our natural birth, that our spirit is made alive, giving our essence, (our spirit), a divine-like eternal nature. We are made alive or quickened as the Bible states. This is called ‘being born again’ by the Spirit of God. Jesus said it best, as found in John 3:3, when H said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
So, when Jesus teaches and demonstrates the nature of the Good News, of His New Covenant, His new contract with His creation, which, as the Bible says, “Is written in His Blood”, what He is doing is explaining how one can be “born again to a living and eternal hope”.
He is also warning of the obstacles and pitfalls to obtaining and walking in this new life, and He puts His Message in a form that the human mind can accept and understand. Jesus spoke in the dialect of the ‘nephesh’, the ‘soma’ and of the ‘psuché’, (Hebrew and Greek words from the Bible which describe the natural flesh; a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotions).
Jesus, as I have previously stated, did not come to start a religion or a denomination. He did not come to put new laws in place to regulate our lives. He came to tell us how to get out of the lost and miserable state we find ourselves and to find our way to God and how to live a meaningful, purposeful life now, and later, how to enter heaven for all eternity. Jesus proved all this by His life, death, His resurrection from the grave and His ascension to heaven.
I would suggest we quit thinking and reasoning with our natural minds. I suggest we stop reading the Bible as some sort of religious artifact; and I suggest we stop living our lives as if religion and going to church is some ritual or practice to ‘fit into’ for our enjoyment until we die. Furthermore, I suggest that we read the Bible as it is written and as it is intended: A love letter written to you for your good and for your salvation!
Finally, please try to grasp the idea that Jesus not only told us of the way, but He has showed us the way. He says we just follow Him, and He will get us to safety!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young.
“God gave His only Son, so that whoever would believe in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.”
Assume with me, if you can, that you have never thoroughly read a Bible, or that you have only read it for cursory content information.
Please, further assume with me, that by chance these verses are the ones that might have caught your attention:
Matthew 24:4-31, (Jesus), describing a panorama of the tribulation and the Last Days. Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, (see Matthew 24:3-4),
(1). “In the Last Days, there will be a rise of false Christs and false prophets.(This was an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35. See Matthew 24:4-5).
(5). In the Last Days, there will be a falling away from the faith. (This has been an ongoing problem since as early as A.D. 35, and has been increasing to this very day. See Matthew 24:10).
These things, false Christs, wars and rumors of war, famines, earthquakes and plagues, persecutions, martyrs, which Jesus calls the ‘Birth Pangs’ of the tribulation, are nothing new; and from these cited verses, we can plainly see that the first 5 tribulation Seals have been broken, and the effects had begun betweenthe time of the birth of Jesus and A.D 95, and have been overlapping and increasing in their intensity since those early days.
Acts 2:14-17, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last daysit shall be…’(Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
1 Peter 1:20, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “He, (Jesus), was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.”(Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
1 Peter 4:7, (the Apostle Peter), saying, “The end of all things is at hand.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
2 Peter 3:3. (the Apostle Peter), saying, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days.”(Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
If these verses say all these things began occurring in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60, and Peter called those days the LAST TIMES, THE LAST DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
What would you think?
1 Corinthians 10:11, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Hebrews 1:2, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Hebrews 9:26, (the Apostle Paul), saying, “But as it is, Jesus has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
If these verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
What would you think?
2 Timothy 3:1, (Timothy), saying, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
If these verses say all these things began occurring in the LAST TIMES, THE DAYS, and it is THE END OF ALL THINGS.
What would you think?
1 John 2:18. (the Apostle John), saying, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour.”(Spoken and written in or around A.D. 30 to A.D. 60).
Revelation 1:9, (The Apostle John), saying, “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation.” (Spoken and written in or around A.D. 95 to A.D. 100).
If these verses say that John was a fellow participant IN THE TRIBULATION in the year A.D. 95.
What would you think?
These testimonies clearly tell us that the Last Days, also known as The End of All Things, The End of the Ages, The Last Hour, The Last Times and the tribulation, began at the birth of Christ and these first 5 tribulation Seals have been overlapping and intensifying since those days. (We are still awaiting the breaking of the 6th tribulation seal, also known as the Great and Terrible Day of The Lord, the Wrath of the Lamb and the Great Tribulation.
Luke 12:54,And He was also saying to the crowds, “Whenever you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. Verse 55. And whenever you feel a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it turns out that way. Verse 56. You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time?”
You and I have been caught up in a maze which leads to lack, want, fear, spiritual poverty, and eventually to death, from which there is only One Way out. Jesus. He is showing us the only way out of this trap. He is showing us how to be truly and powerfully set free.
Jesus has brought the way to a magnificent freedom, so that we can put away all the religious entrapment, cast aside all the religious garbs and dress ourselves in the freedom of Christ.
You and I can choose to dress ourselves in freedom’s clothing of love, and joy, in peace, and in kindness, goodness, self-control, faithfulness, and gentleness.
We can forsake fear, doubt, lack and want, for in Him, everything good is provided for us and nothing is impossible for us.
This requires, first, that we must, as Jesus forcefully taught, repent – we must change the way we see Him. We must change how we think about Him and what He taught. We must repent, for the Kingdom is now at hand.
Please listen, friends. Jesus did not come to earth neither to start a religion nor start another religious denomination. Those things are the inventions of men and women.
Jesus came to earth both as God and as a man. He has shown us God the Father, as He is the exact representation of Him. Therein, He came to warn us of our impending doom and to buy us back, (redeem us), from the death and destruction of our sin and to prepare us to become like Him, to live with and rule with Him, eternally.
It was only in this way that we, humankind, could relate to Him and understand Him, as He spoke to us in the language of our lives.
Jesus came to earth as the fulfillment and the satisfaction of the requirements of Jewish Law of the Torah. (see Matthew 5:17). We no longer need to be held captive to external written religious laws. We have been set free from the bondage, the slavery of man-made laws, and from the sentence of sin and death. Jesus’ cancelled those things and has written in new governing ‘law’ of love and companionship in our hearts and minds.
Jesus came to earth to seek and save those who are ‘lost’ to those things. (see Luke 19:10).
(The ‘lost’ are, according to the Greek language in which these verses were written, are those who have been permanently and absolutely cut off from God and from life. They are, from birth, perishing and will die both physically and spiritually, i.e., their very essence will perish. Their existence will come to ruin and will be destroyed in a miserable end.)
Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing, but will raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”(see John 6:38-40)
Jesus said, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth… Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”(see Luke 12:49-53).
Jesus is dividing the light from the darkness, dividing the sheep from the goats, dividing the wheat from the tares.
Jesus said, “I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness.” (see John 12:46).
Jesus said, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth.” (see John 18:37).
Those are the reasons.
Following Jesus does not mean that we are recruiting for a religious movement or a certain, denomination. Following Jesus means we are to be like Him, doing the very things He told us we can and must be doing. We are to tell everyone about the Good News, that Jesus has come to set us free, to save us, and to put us upon the high and glorious domain of the King!
The old things have passed, and the New has come!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
SAVED: Strong’s concordance #4982 = sozo = safe, save, make whole, heal, be whole.
1) to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction; (from injury or peril)
2) to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health
3) to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue
4) to save in the technical biblical sense; to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment
To be made safe, saved, made whole, healed, to be made whole, and kept safe and sound, rescued from danger or destruction in your marriage; with your family; with your friends; in your career or job; in your body, mind, soul and spirit; where you live; where you travel; while you sleep and when you get up.
Don’t be deceived, in this world you will have tribulations (troubles and stresses), but the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears are toward their cry for help. The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to eliminate the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The afflictions of the righteous are many, but the LORD rescues him from them all. (see Psalms 34:16-19)
A PROPHETIC WORD FROM JESUS – “Everyone who acknowledges me before men”
Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional – Part 46
“Everyone who acknowledges me before men”
“So, everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
The Words of Jesus, Matthew 10:32-33
Have you ever been encouraged by your pastor, Sunday school teacher to memorize Matthew 10:32-33 as important verses in the Bible? (I didn’t think so. Me neither.)
The wording of these verses is of a highly technical nature. They also issue a grave warning.
The word ‘acknowledge’ (or ‘confess’ in some versions), is the Greek word ‘homologeó’, meaning to voice the same conclusion, i.e. agree, (“confess“); to profess because in full agreement; to align with, (to endorse). Covenant, acknowledge.
The word ‘denies’ (or ‘rejects’, in some versions), is the Greek word ‘arneomai’, means to deny (refuse); hence, contradict, refuse to affirm or to confess (identify with); disown (repudiate), to abnegate (To give up rights or a claim; to renounce. To deny. To deny and reject; to abjure.)
Is it possible that you ‘deny’ Jesus when you continually disobey Him? (This is different from sinning, feeling remorse and turning away from that sinful behavior).
Is it possible that you are denying Jesus in ways you are not recognizing? Do you pray? Do you treat your enemies with respect? Do you witness Christ to others? Do you regularly do things in private that you would be ashamed to do in public?
This is urgent because if you are denying Him, His commandments, His ways, His methods, you may be at grave risk.
Jesus says, plainly and flatly, “whoever denies (or rejects) me before men, I also will deny (and reject) before my Father who is in heaven.”
The funny thing about salvation is that it is ‘all in’ or ‘not in at all’. I hear preachers say you can ‘squeak into heaven’ or you can ‘make it to heaven by the skin of your teeth’, but that is a dangerous lie.
Jesus warns us that the devil is shrewd, and that we are to be sober, well-balanced and self-disciplined; we are to be alert and cautious at all times. Because your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a fiercely hungry, roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, (see 1 Peter 5:8), and that ‘someone’ is you and me.
Many in the current-day, postmodern church are turning a blind eye to sin and sinful behavior. In fact, sin is in fashion in the world and has crept fashionably into the churches. (Look how many people dress, talk, act and reject the ‘old ways’ of Christ). They call themselves Christians. They go to church, and, they would never consider themselves as ‘tares’, waiting to plucked up in the Great Harvest, thrown onto the fire and burned up, but that is the risk some are taking. DON’T BE ONE OF THOSE.
Understand this, that in these last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane,[and they will be] unloving[devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control[intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of[outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power[for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them. (See 2 Timothy 3:1-5)
But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, [misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning]. (See 1 Timothy 4:1-2)
Dear brothers and sisters, let’s be on the alert and always ready to preach the word[as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct[those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn[those who sin], exhort and encourage[those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. (See 2 Timothy 4:2).
The day of His return is very near – let’s pray for one another to stay sober, ready and on the alert.
I find it extremely satisfying when I pick up any kind of knife, and it does the job for which it is designed. Conversely, I am greatly disappointed when I go to cut something such as fruit or when cutting the skin off a fish or fat off a piece of meat, and I find myself grinding into the cutting board and tearing things unevenly.
So, by pulling the knife’s blade against the whet stone, I sharpen the knife. I do this frequently, so it is always ready to get the job done, quickly and efficiently.
The same goes for a person’s mental, emotional, physical and spiritual life, although on a much higher and more important level – especially the spiritual. A person’s mental, emotional and physical health and well-being flow from their spiritual core.
The Bible puts it this way, “As a person thinks, so are they”. The spirit of a person, (sometimes referred to as the subconscious or ‘core’), is the hidden place where human awareness and acuity begin. Interestingly, the spirit of a person can be considered to be ‘alive or dead’, ‘full of light’ or ‘full of darkness’, and this will determine how a person will think (the mind), how they will feel (the emotions), how they will make decisions (the will), and how they will act (the physical body).
The Bible, when speaking to this matter, compares this inner person to the ‘eye’. “The eye,(the mind’s eye or one’s view of matters) is the lamp(one’s guiding principles) of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, (healthy and sincere with a single undivided focus, i.e. without a secret “double agenda”), your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad,(i.e., evil, bad, wicked, malicious, slothful; emphasizing the inevitable agonies and misery, that always go with evil), your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (see Matthew 6:22-23).
One must sharpen, or hone his or her spirit, mind, will, emotions and body to a fine edge in order to be able to live the life for which you have been designed and efficiently attain a purposeful and satisfying life.
It is your choice, of course. It is Light or darkness.
Living in darkness equates to a negative attitude, a lack of basic needs, friend-lessness, hopelessness, resentment, anger, depression which can often lead to death.
Living in the light can bring a positive outlook, a steady supply of what you need physically, mentally, emotionally in terms of friendships, hope for the future, gratitude, joy and happiness, a bright spirit and an abundant life.
Living in the Light does not come automatically. For most people it takes an awareness, and the desire to live a meaningful and purposeful life, coupled with discipline, hard work and endurance.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
”In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”. (1st Peter 1:6-7).
The Bible tells us that all of the Law, (the Torah), and all Prophecies are to be fulfilled by Jesus. (see Matthew 5:17). In fact, the entirety of the Bible, all the narratives, all the events, each and every word points to a time when there would be a bright Scarlet Line etched into the cosmos and into the hearts and minds of every person on the earth.
This is the Blood of Christ, spilled on our behalf. An immutable Scarlet Linedrawn in the eternal sands of time, dividing truth from error, deception and lies, and life from death, and you must choose. Choose which side of this line you will stand.
Many people, Christians included, seem to miss or overlook the fact that the Bible is a purely prophetic book. About 27 percent of the Bible is predictive or prophetic, that is it ‘foretells’ the truth of what was, is and is to come.(By one count, Payne, J. B., The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, Baker Pub. Group, 1980, p. 675). The remaining 73 percent of the Bible is prophetic in the sense that it ‘forthtells’ these same truths and directly supports, explains and defines the predictive prophecies.
Surprisingly and sadly, however, you can listen to many preachers and Bible teachers tell what they call ‘stories’ from the Bible. They focus on the narratives and the moral lessons to be gained. They cannot see the profound prophetic significance of every word, sentence, chapter and book in the Bible. They assume, speculate and muse about many things written there, supposing what they might mean. Some will ignorantly or deliberately reframe the meaning of the Bible texts into their own perspectives.
There are those who foolishly try to redefine certain words in the Bible, or to convince others to there is no Line you can cross. They will say ‘it is not so. There is no true Line.’ They will say there are many different ways to see and interpret the things that Jesus spoke, taught and demonstrated. But, the Bible informs us, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”(see 2 Peter 1:20-21). These men and women have Crossed The Line, and that is a dangerous game. (see Matthew 5:17-19, and Revelation 22:18-19).
I have to ask, in light of all this, why do they not just accept the Bible as it is written and in the context it is written? Why would anyone take these documents (The Bible), which they purport to believe, and then deny its accuracy and inerrancy? Is it a deliberate deception of evil intent, or is it lunacy, the work of fools? Or, both?
Why do I call this The Bright Red Line? It is because there are no ‘shadows of turning’ nor are there any ‘shades of gray’ in the Bible. There is the Truth and there is Error. One leads to life and the other leads to death. However, following ‘the letter of the law’, does little eternal good. It is living on the side of Truth, which is faith in and loving obedience to Jesus’ Words. Crossing that line only leads to trouble.
“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”Romans 8:6-8.
Those who ‘have eyes to see’, know that this Red Line is the demarcation of a permanent end to the power of sin and the sting of death. This is the Good News.
But to those who choose to ignore or cannot see the Scarlet Line, it marks the edge of the precipice to eternal darkness, damnation and the fires of hell. Simply put, the Bible is The Book of Life, The Word of God for all who would believe. For those people who would speculate otherwise, a millstone waits for their neck and the depths of the ocean for their grave, and all the plagues of the Bible and eternal death will be added. (see Luke 17:2, Revelation 22:18-19).
CAN THE BIBLE BE ABOUT COMPROMISE AND BALANCE?
The Bible is about balance – a radical balance of extremes.
Is this going too far? Is this ‘out of balance’? Is this too radical? What if I told you Jesus said or did things such radical things, such as:
John 18:37“Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”
TO BRING A SWORD
Matthew 10:34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Verse 35. For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; Verse 36and A PERSON’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.”
TO FULFILL THE LAW
Matthew 5:17, “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.”
TO CALL SINNERS
Mark 2:17, “And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
TO SAVE THE WORLD
John 12:47, If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”
TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH
Luke 12:49, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! Verse 50.But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Verse 51. Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather to create division.
WHAT HE REALLY MEANT
John 14:12, “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. Verse 13.And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Verse 14.If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
“(I never lie). I testify to the truth. I AM the Truth!
“I do not bring peace, but a sword to the world”.
“I am turning sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers”.
“I am the fulfillment the Hebrew and Judaic law and that of their prophets”.
“I have the right to call sinners to righteousness”.
“I am bringing fire upon the earth and creating division”.
“I came into the Temple and beat men with a whip and turned over tables”.
“I am openly calling the scribes (lawyers) and Pharisees (religious elites) hypocrites, whitewashed tombs, robbers, murderers, blind guides”.
Jesus gave up His own life to give you a life.
Jesus died for sins He did not commit, so you could be forgiven of the sins you did commit.
Jesus prayed for and died for even those who killed Him.
I could go on with examples, but you get the idea, right? Even His own family said, “He has lost His senses”. (Mark 3:21).
What I am illustrating is that, when kept in context, Jesus said exactly what He meant and meant exactly what He said. And no matter how much you wish that some of what He said were not so, the consequences for abrogating His Words, can be dire. It is like wandering off a path of safety into a nightmarish quagmire.
THE CHURCH
Jesus said He would build His Church, in or around A.D. 30, “And I say to you that you are Peter, (just one small stone), and upon (a more massive) rock, (constructed of many stones such as you), I will build My church”, (see Matthew 16:18), and that “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever youbind, (i.e., forbid) on earth shall have beenbound in heaven, and whatever you loose, (i.e., permit) on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”And the prophetic work began.
But only a few years after Jesus had spoken these words, the drift of the Church began.
In or around A.D. 95, John heard these things and wrote them in seven letters to the 7 churches at that time:
Revelation 1, Verse 4. “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, verse 5, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood, verse 6, and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.Verse 9. “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in thetribulation(which has now begun), and (in the) kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Verse 10. I was in the Spiriton the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, verse 11, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
These letter reveal that:
False apostles had crept into the church.
The church at Ephesus had lost its first love for Christ.
There were some in the church who were ‘of the synagogue of Satan’.
Those at the church of Pergamum held to the false teachings of Balaam, of sexual immorality and of the Nicolaitans.
There were those in the church at Thyatira who tolerated the woman Jezebel who called herself a prophetess, and she taught and led Jesus’ bond-servants astray so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
There were those at the church of Laodicea who were lukewarm, toward God, and lazy, arrogant and self-reliant.
Herein lies the early seeds of drift, rot and failure within the Church. Here is where the church began to cross theRed Line Jesus had drawn.
There are several warning signs that the church has entered the age of apostasy, as described in the Bible. However, most Christians cannot adequately describe what this means.
2nd Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 1 through 3, tell us about the coming apostasy and of the timing, “Now we request you, brethren, (1) with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you
(2) not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
We read about it again in Matthew 24:10, “And at that time many will fall away (from the faith), and they will betray one another and hate one another.”
Apostasy, from the Greek word apostasia, means “a defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.”
IN A.D 35 THE CHURCH WAS A MOVEMENT
During the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, in AD 35, The Church of Jesus Christ, The Body of Christ, had no buildings, little money and no wealth, but, the Church was a Movement.
Jesus said to make disciples; collect no money except to make your journey.
The penalty for becoming a Christian was often death, still, the Church grew exponentially.
THEN THE CHURCH BECAME A PHILOSOPHY
A.D 49, The Church expanded into Greece. The Church became a philosophy to many. The Church grew and size and influence.
THEN THE CHURCH BECAME AN INSTITUTION
A.D 313, The Church expanded into Rome, and it gained recognition. It grew in power and popularity. It obtained wealth, buildings, property and influence. It became an institution.
THEN THE CHURCH BECAME A CULTURE
A.D 380, The Church expanded into Europe. It was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. It grew in wealth, stature, power and influence. It had become a culture.
THE CHURCH BECAME A BUSINESS
A.D 1607, The Church reaches America.
A.D 1681, The Church became corporate. It had become a business and incorporated. It became regulated by the government.
The Corporate Church grew. It needed money to support growth and expansion, which meant the Corporate Church needed more people.
A.D 1777, The state of Virginia granted tax exemption to houses of worship.
A.D 1894, The corporate church was granted tax exemptions by the Federal Government.
A.D 1954, The Federal Government regulated what a church could and could not say in order to retain tax-exempt status.
The church continued to grow, and in order to attract more people, the Corporate Church lowered its membership and doctrinal standards. More people became ‘members’ and gave more money to support more growth.
The Church corporation is complete with leaders, boards and membership and a business model.
Local churches compete against one another for members (customers). The church is selling itself in “three line slogans”.
The Church members now have choices and have become religious consumers. Church people can shop around for the religious brand and standards that best suits them. (see 2nd Timothy chapter 3).
The Leadership (pastors and preachers) have become CEOs, disciples have become church leaders, growing their 501(c)(3) business models.
And just like in business, record numbers of pastors quitting the ministry because of stress, burnout or are being fired by their congregations (some stats say 1500 – 1700 leave “the ministry” each month).
Contrary to what the Bible say about debt, the Church debt in America soars; church foreclosures soar.
THE CHURCH ABANDONS THE TRUTH
A.D 1968, Despite what the Bible teaches about homosexuality, the church begins to ordain homosexuals as clergy.
A.D 1972, The United church of Christ ordains homosexual clergy
A.D 2010, The Lutheran church ordains homosexual clergy
A.D 2012, The Presbyterian church, USA, ordains homosexual clergy
There are several warning signs that the church has entered the age of apostasy. As described in the foregoing paragraphs, we can see the onset, and its progression. Still, most Christians cannot adequately describe what this means.
Apostasy, from the Greek word apostasia, means “a defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.” This the final act the 5th tribulation seal, the climax of the apostasy, will usher in the beginning of the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation, the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal.
Despite all the signs and warnings, it seems like the contemporary church, (i.e., Christians), are far more concerned with their comfort and safety rather than taking up their Cross and following Jesus.
Again, I believe that most professing Christians do not have a good grasp on what it means to follow Jesus. If you ran a survey, most Christians might say that following Jesus is nothing more than doing a good deed here-and-there, attending church and being nice most of the time. And that discipleship is sitting in a classroom learning.
Jesus says, you must deny yourself and do His Will, His Way. You must leave family friends and home if necessary, and go where He directs and where He is needed. You must put your worldly concerns aside and focus on Him and His mission.
Additionally, many more professing Christians are more concerned with receiving a blessing than being a blessing. This too, is a departure from the way of Jesus.
We, The Church, The Body of Christ, You and I, must return to Jesus’ Way. We must be doing those Works that Jesus does and the way He does them.
Jesus faced the same circumstances during His earthly ministry. But He and His disciples stood out from the crowd. They were counter-cultural. They were reviled, mocked, spit upon, and persecuted. And they changed the world and glorified God!
The postmodern church’s way of inventing new ways of ‘doing church’ in order to connect to the culture is failing! We are not of this world – we must stop acting like it. We must be and act like Jesus.
Despite these things, we do not lose hope. There is a time coming, and is close at hand, when God will purge, cleanse, and refine His Church, in preparation for the wedding of the Groom, Jesus, and His Bride, the Church. (see Daniel, chapter 12).
Be Berean. Read, study and pray to be prepared.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Ephesians 2:13, But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Hebrews 9:14, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
1st Peter 1:19, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
Hebrews 10:19, Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
1st John 1:7, but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Matthew 11:20. Then He began to reprimand the cities in which most of His (works of power and) miracles were done, because they did not repent. Verse 21. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the (works of power and) miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in (symbols of mourning), sackcloth and ashes. Verse 22. Nevertheless, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. Verse 23. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades! For if the (works of power and) miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. Verse 24. Nevertheless, I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.”
(Commentary Break: These words of Jesus are spoken, both to those in that day and are prophetically spoken to everyone of all the ages since that day.
Jesus is patient and loving beyond our comprehension. He is the embodiment of love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control.
But there is a time coming when the faithful will be rewarded and the faithless will be judged. And Jesus words should be taken with all the seriousness and gravity as one would expect from God’s judgments.
Jesus is warning the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Tyre, Sidon and Capernaum of God’s coming judgment for their unbelief, their sins and their worship of false gods despite the fact that they had seen and experienced the acts of Jesus in their midst. This warning is extended to each and every person, city, state and nation who falls in the category of the unbelieving ways of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Tyre, Sidon and Capernaum. BE AWARE and BEWARE!
These coming judgments are pictured as seven seals opened, seven trumpets blown, and seven bowls poured out. God’s judgment against the wicked will leave no doubt as to His wrath against sin. (Besides punishing sin, these judgments will have the effect of bringing the nation of Israel to repentance.) (End Commentary Break).
Come to Me
Verse 25. At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants. Verse 26. Yes, Father, for this way was well pleasing in Your sight.
Verse 27. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son determines to reveal Him.
Verse 28. “Come to Me, all who are (exhausted), weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Verse 29. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND A RESTING PLACE FOR YOUR SOULS. Verse 30. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”
(Commentary Break): We see, in the earlier verses of this chapter eleven, that Jesus has given tribute to John for his faithful and obedient work, and He answers John’s questions about Him (Jesus) being the anticipated Messiah.
Jesus then gives John’s disciples evidence of His own divinity, and warns the gathering crowds (and all future potential followers) of the dangers of misunderstanding His intentions and the consequences of unbelief. He continues by warning of the coming “day of judgment”.
Please do not miss the significance of the context of these remarks. The tribulation period, the days of distress is beginning – and as we will see, the various seal judgments will begin to overlap and intensify. Then, with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal, the final 7 years of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord will begin. (Also known as Daniel’s 70th week or the Great Tribulation period.)
Jesus, now praying to His Father, is thanking Him for hiding the great oracles of God and the prophetic truth about His (Jesus’) identity; about His plan and purpose and the fate of the heavens and the earth.
The ‘wise and understanding’, those from whom these things are hidden, are the teachers and leaders of Israel (Jews) such as the Sanhedrin, the scribes and the Pharisees. These are the ones who have seated themselves ‘in the chair of Moses’. They tell you what to do according to scriptures but do not comply, themselves. These are the ones who tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people. (see Matthew 23).
Notice that the spirit of these who consider themselves as ‘the wise and understanding’ as still among us today. Still exalting themselves, still dressing in their robes, ‘broadening their phylacteries’ calling themselves Rabbi, teacher, Father and leader. Jesus issues eight woes to those who believe and act like them. Be warned, all who hear these words!
Jesus then thanks His Father that He has revealed these things to ‘to little children’, meaning ‘like a simple person, even an immature Christian’. Someone who believes and follows Jesus with a simple, abiding faith and obedience. One who is not encumbered by traditions, customs, rituals and the teaching of men.
Jesus now makes the most astounding of all claims to His Divinity, Sovereignty and His Authority: All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
Jesus continues by telling us that those who come to Him, will find that His authority and sovereignty will bring them rest for their souls: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
It is those who are humble in heart, those who submit themselves wholly to Jesus, His ways and His teachings, who find rest. (End Commentary Break).
And, as odd as it may seem, it is these same gentle sheep of the Great Shepherd who gird themselves with the full armor of God, having become strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might, be able to resist the evil in that day, extinguishing the flaming arrows of the evil one. And with every prayer as an ambassador of Christ, making known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.
Please don’t make the mistake of reading these words and believing they were spoken only to and for the Jews present at that time – or you miss the entire point of what Jesus is saying. These words were spoken to the Jews at that time AND for you and me in our time. Also, please remember specifically, the words of Jesus are never random. His Words are always creative, causative, prophetic, and instructional, and are spoken to and for all people of all the ages.
We must grasp the reality, the immediacy and urgency of this fulfillment of prophecies in, as explained by Jesus in these last days – which are evidenced by the coming of John and of Jesus.
Situational – ‘It depends on the circumstances.’ (score 1 point).
Matthew 24:4-31,
