4/7/13

From Gary... Spin


Strange, but when I looked at this beautiful tree this morning, I thought of how our government "spins" the truth in order to achieve its own ends.  To me, the truth is like the tree in all its glory, illuminated by the light and those who would deceive us make it look like something other than it really is.  The image they project is but a dark reflection of what really is and can come to no good end.  And so I thought of this tale from the book of Genesis...

Genesis, Chapter 27

 1 When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, “My son?” 

He said to him, “Here I am.” 

  2  He said, “See now, I am old. I don’t know the day of my death.  3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison.  4 Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die.” 

  5  Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.  6 Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,  7 ‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before Yahweh before my death.’  8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you.  9 Go now to the flock, and get me from there two good young goats. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves.  10 You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.” 

  11  Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.  12 What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing.” 

  13  His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me.” 

  14  He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son.  16 She put the skins of the young goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck.  17 She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 

  18  He came to his father, and said, “My father?” 

He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 

  19  Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me.” 

  20  Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” 

He said, “Because Yahweh your God gave me success.” 

  21  Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 

  22  Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”  23 He didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau’s hands. So he blessed him.  24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” 

He said, “I am.” 

  25  He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless you.” 

He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank.  26 His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.”  27 He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, 
“Behold, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed.
  28 God give you of the dew of the sky,
of the fatness of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
  29 Let peoples serve you,
and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers.
Let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you.
Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”


Issac and Rebekah each favored one of their sons.  Rebekah favored Jacob and knew Issac's favorite, Esau, was about to receive the blessing.  So, she concocted a scheme of deceit to "help" her son.  She played on Issac's weaknesses of old age - sight, hearing, smell and reasoning.  Her "spin" on the truth of Jacob's identity won him the blessing.  Success, you might say, but no- Jacob had to leave home for many years and was separated from his brother.  Ultimately God blessed him, but at what cost?  Lies and deceit are never a good thing.  The truth is beautiful beyond description and worth pursing at any cost.  The farther our nation strays from it, the greater the penalty we will ultimately pay.  I just hope and pray more and more of us will long for the day when we can trust what people say and believe what we hear.  I don't know about you, but I hate "spin"- give me the truth, every single time!!!

From Gary V. Womack... WORSHIP - THE LORD IS WORTHY



WORSHIP - THE LORD IS WORTHY

Rev. 4:1-6, 8-ff; 5:8-ff THE THRONE ROOM 
                                   SCENE

WHEN YOU READ THAT - WHAT IS YOUR REACTION?

Does it cause you to long to be there?

To join in the angelic songs of praise?

To raise your voice with the heavenly host to declare His greatness?

To rejoice in the knowledge that all eternity is ours to share in the unending bliss of one another's presence before God?

Does it make you realize this is only a pilgrimage - that this is not our home?

OUR WORSHIP IS A FORETASTE OF WHAT AWAITS US.

If we don't find joy in our worship together - we won't enjoy heaven, because heaven is a place of worship.  If we don't find joy in our worship together - we won't be there, because only those who love the Lord & reverence Him will be there.

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

Singing? Praying? Lord's Supper? Teaching? Giving?

Yes. These are acts of worship - but what prompts these responses?

Worship [proskuneo] (pro = towards/ kuneo = kiss)
ILLUSTRATION: Blowing a kiss. "To make obeisance, do reverence to."

Jn. 4:24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him 
               must worship in spirit and truth."

THIS IS DEMONSTRATED IN THE EXAMPLE OF CAIN & ABEL'S WORSHIP

And example of worship in spirit without truth.

Gen. 4:1-8 Abel's worship was acceptable to God, 
                  Cain's was not

NOTE - Cain was more worried about what he felt (resulting in jealousythan how God felt.

Heb.11:4 "By faith Abel offered to God a more 
                excellent sacrifice than Cain, through 
                which he obtained witness that he was 
                righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and 
                through it he being dead still speaks.

NOTE - How our influence in worship can continue after we are gone.

An example to me was brother Woods in Tennessee. He was deaf but faithful in attendance. He recognized his influence on others. He used to tell me, "I could learn more by staying home because I can't hear. But I come because I might be able to influence some younger person to be faithful."

HE IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP 

See above reference to Rev. 4 & 5

MAN IS NOT WORTHY OF WORSHIP

Acts 10:24-26 Peter would not accept Cornelius' 
                       bowing to him. (A far cry from Catholic "priests" who look to Peter as first Pope.)

Mt. 23:5-12 Not to wear titles. "Father, rabbi, 
                   teacher - Doctor, reverend"

(In Masonic lodges - "Most worshipful master")

Psm. 111:9 "...Holy and awesome (reverend, kjv) is 
                       His name."

Psm. 99:3 "Let them praise Your great and 
                  awesome (terrible, kjv) name - He is
                  Holy."

Reverend [yare'] "To fear. To revere, To be made afraid, dread (dreadful), terrible.

NOTE: This term is never used in reference to man.


ANGELS ARE NOT WORTHY OF WORSHIP

Rev. 19;9-10; 22:8-9 John bowed before the angel 
                                 & was told not to do that.

Rev. 1:12-18 But John bowed before Christ & the 
                     Lord accepted his worship.


ALL WILL WORSHIP HIM, IF NOT NOW, AT THE JUDGEMENT

Rev. 19:1-7 The praise of God at the marriage of 
                    the Lamb.

Rom. 1:9-12 Everyone will bow & confess.

OUR CHOICE IS: WILL WE WORSHIP NOW OR AT HIS THRONE

Josh. 24:14-15 Choose you this day whom you will 
                         serve.

WILL WE RESPOND AS THOSE PEOPLE DID?

Josh. 24:16-25



EXAMPLES OF UNACCEPTABLE WORSHIP

SCRIBES & PHARISEES WERE ABUSIVE IN THEIR GIVING

An example of how we can obey in part and be unacceptable to God.

Mt. 23:23 "Woe unto you , scribes and Pharisees, 
                hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint, 
                anise and cumin, and have neglected the 
                weighter matters of the law: justice and 
                mercy and faith. These you ought to have 
                done, without leaving the others undone."

SCRIBES & PHARISEES WERE ABUSIVE IN THEIR TEACHING

An example of how we can speak words of praise from and empty heart.

Mt. 15:3-9 They honored Him with their lips, but 
                 their heart was far from Him.

NOTE - God's commands never contradict eachother.

THESE WERE ABUSIVE IN OBSERVING THE LORD'S SUPPER

An example of how we can practice this memorial for the wrong purpose

1 Cor. 11:20-22 They turned the Lord's supper into 
                          a common meal.

WHAT CAN HINDER OUR WORSHIP?

OUR MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP

1 Pet. 3:7 "Likewise you husbands, dwell with them 
                 (your wives, gvw) with understanding, 
                 giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker 
                 vessel, and as being heirs together of the 
                 grace of life, that your prayers may not 
                 be hindered."

Mal. 2:13-16 Under the old law, this hindered their 
                    worship.

RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR BRETHREN



From Jim McGuiggan... It's time


It's time!

The Roman Empire was too big for her to manage on her own so she developed a system of "client kings" which meant that subjugated kingdoms would have rulers appointed by Rome; rulers who would keep the Roman peace and send the huge taxes on time if they were to continue in office. (Daniel 2:40-43 and 11:39 speak to that, I believe.)
So Joseph and Mary headed for Bethlehem. It all reads like a pleasant little story but behind the brief words and the well-known script there is uprootedness, serious inconvenience, oppression, national humiliation, weariness and experiences such as a lot of genuine asylum seekers experience. Mary is heavily pregnant and by the time she gets to Bethlehem the mother of our Lord Jesus is more than ready; a cattle-shed, a feeding trough and there he is.
Had the decree been given six months later maybe they'd have been to Bethlehem and back and her baby would have born in Galilee; six months earlier and she would have carried the baby with her to Bethlehem. How did it happen that the Emperor sent out the decree just at the right time? God looked at his big watch and said: Time! Explain how we will all the mass of details that must dove-tail for any event to take place including this one; but in the end, the decree was given because God said it was time. Chesterton was right; the sun doesn't come up in the morning because the earth spins this way or that but because God says: Get up!
Why did it have to be Bethlehem? It was David's birthplace. Yes, but why did it have to be David's birthplace? The prophet said it would be. Yes, but why did the prophet say it would be? In the end, because God said: So it shall be!
Insist—and so we should—that people do what they want to do, that they have their shrewd schemes, flex their muscles, control the armies and hand out orders. Say all these things because they're true; but say this also, that in and through all that God gets his way and as surely as Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God is the Lord of history.
It's easy for believers to believe that while reading a text of scripture, an ancient story but "the facts" sometimes just get right in your face and snarl "rubbish"! And if we are to find peace at all (and some of us don't, all our lives through) it will not come in our being able to figure out how this brutal fact or series of facts or this brutal life can be smoothed into a sweet story. If we're to find peace at all it will only come because we have come to believe there really is someone "in charge" and he has made a commitment to the human family—us included.
The crisis in the book of Esther comes to mind—read it. It just happened that on the critical night that the king couldn't sleep, that he was in the mood to read, that he took down the right scroll and read the right piece and just at that moment the right man was heading for the palace and…
The more ancient crisis in Egypt comes to mind. The pharaoh is killing off the baby boys for he wants no leader or troops to arise in Israel. After a weary day of reports and meetings with his advisors he goes home to tell his wife and daughter how silly these Jews are to say that their God controlled the world. Then he takes his adopted grandson on his knee—Moses. The only boy in the world he needed to kill and God has him protecting and educating him.
Yes, yes, all very interesting and then we turn to life and there are the stubborn "facts". We should believe and accept stubborn facts.
Which ones do we have in mind?
Do they include an ancient decree for a census, a baby in a feeding trough and an 8th century BC prophet? 

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Jesus Cleanses A Leper


                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                    Jesus Cleanses A Leper (1:40-45)

INTRODUCTION

1. One of the more moving accounts of Jesus' miracles is that of
   cleansing a leper...
   a. Described by Mark in our text - Mk 1:40-45
   b. Also by Matthew and Luke in their gospels - Mt 8:2-4; Lk 5:12-14

2. There is much that can be gleaned from this miracle...
   a. About the compassion and power of our Lord Jesus Christ
   b. Not only toward the leper himself, but toward us as well!

[In this study, we shall note some similarities between the leper's
condition and cleansing, and that of our own condition and need for
cleansing.  As we begin with Mk 1:40, consider first...]

I. THE LEPER'S CONDITION

   A. HIS CONDITION...
      1. Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases - ESV note
      2. Today it is often applied to Hanson's bacillus, a progressively
         disfiguring disease - BKC
      3. It is likely this man suffered a pitiful existence - ibid.
         a. Not just from the physical ravages of the disease
         b. But from ritual uncleanness and exclusion from society
            imposed by the Law of Moses - cf. Lev 13:44-46
      -- The leper was truly a wretched man

   B. OUR CONDITION...
      1. What leprosy is to the body, so sin is to the soul!
      2. Sin progressively enslaves us - Jn 8:34; cf. Ro 7:14-24
      3. Sin separates us from God, and from His people - Isa 59:2; 1Co 5:11
      4. Sin is universal - Ro 3:23
      5. Sin leads to eternal death - Ro 6:23; Re 21:8
      -- As long as we remain guilty of sin, we are truly wretched!

[Should we ever see a leper, let us remember that without Christ our
condition is much worse!  The leper had heard of Jesus' power to heal,
and so he came to Him.  We next notice...]

II. THE LEPER'S CRY

   A. HIS CRY...
      1. It was earnest and desperate - "imploring Him"
      2. It was reverent - "kneeling down to Him"
      3. It was humble and submissive - "If You are willing"
      4. It was believing - "You can"
      5. It acknowledged need - "make me clean"
      6. It was specific - not "bless me" but "make me clean"
      7. It was personal - "make me clean"
      8. It was brief - five words in the original
      -- The leper gives us an instructive example of the prayer that
         God answers (BBC)

   B. OUR CRY...
      1. For forgiveness of sin is first made in baptism
         a. It is how we call upon the name of the Lord - Ac 2:21,37-41;
            22:16
         b. For baptism is an appeal for a good conscience - 1Pe 3:21
            (ESV, NASB)
         c. Only through the blood of Christ can we truly purify our
            conscience - He 9:14
      2. For forgiveness of sin is then found through prayer
         a. As Peter counseled Simon after his baptism - Ac 8:13,22
         b. As John counseled his brethren in his epistle - 1Jn 1:9
      -- The gospel describes how we can make our appeal to Christ
         today!

[We have undoubtedly heard the gospel; have we made our appeal to
Christ? We next read of the wonderful compassion of our Lord as Mark
describes...]

III. THE LEPER'S CLEANSING

   A. HIS CLEANSING...
      1. Actuated by the Lord's compassion - cf. Mk 6:34; 9:36
      2. Accompanied by the touch of His hand - cf. Mk 1:31
      3. Accomplished as soon as the Lord spoke, "I am willing, be
         cleansed." - Mk 1:41-42
      -- Through a simple touch and with simple words, the leprosy was
         gone!

   B. OUR CLEANSING...
      1. Actuated by God's love - 1Jn 4:9,10
      2. Accompanied by the blood of Jesus - Ep 1:7; 1Pe 1:18-19
      3. Accomplished when we are united with Jesus in baptism - Ro 6:
         3-7; Col 2:12-13
      -- Through a simple act of faith (immersion), our sins are washed
         away!

[The leper received his cleansing; have we received ours?  Finally, let
us note in Mk 1:43-45...]

IV. THE LEPER'S COMMISSION

   A. HIS COMMISSION...
      1. Sent away quickly with a strict warning - Mk 1:43
      2. Told to tell no one anything, but to show himself to the priest
         - Mk 1:44
         a. To offer what Moses commanded for his cleansing - cf. Lev 14:1-7
         b. As a testimony to them (of Jesus as the Messiah?) - 
            cf. Mt 11:5; Lk 7:22
      3. The leper failed to keep the commission given him - Mk 1:45
         a. Told to keep quiet, he proclaimed what happened so that news
            of it spread
         b. It forced Jesus away from cities, and forced people to find
            Him in deserted places
      -- With misdirected zeal, the leper hindered rather than helped
         Jesus and others

   B. OUR COMMISSION...
      1. Jesus gave His disciples a great commission
         a. To produce disciples of Christ- Mt 28:19-20
         b. To preach the gospel to every person - Mk 16:15-16
         c. To proclaim repentance and remission of sins to all nations
            - Lk 24:47
      2. The early church was faithful to that great commission
         a. Their words went out to the ends of the world - Ro 10:18
         b. The gospel had gone to all the world - Col 1:5-6
         c. It had been preached to every creature under heaven - Co
            1:23
      3. What about the church today?
         a. Are we remaining faithful to that great commission?
         b. Or are we, like the leper, doing what we think best?
         c. Many have the church focusing on social rather than
            spiritual needs
      -- With misdirected zeal, are we hindering rather than helping
         Jesus and the lost?

CONCLUSION

1. The cleansing of the leper provides insight into...
   a. The compassion and power of our Lord Jesus Christ
   b. The humble faith needed to receive the benefits of such compassion
      and power
   c. The danger of misdirected zeal in hindering the cause of Christ

2. We may not suffer from leprosy, but we do face a much greater
   problem...
   a. The spiritual disfigurement and isolation caused by sin
   b. Which requires the same compassion and power of Jesus
   c. Along with the same humility and faith to receive forgiveness

3. Once we have been cleansed of our sin, shall we not show proper
   gratitude...?
   a. By fulfilling the commission given to all His disciples?
   b. By directing our zeal in the same manner as did the early church?

May we learn from both the positive and negative examples of the
leper...


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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