9/5/13

From Gary... I am responsible!!!


You are the result of choices you make: from that first moment as a toddler you said "NO" to your parents, to the "I DO" at your wedding, right up until you draw your last breath.  YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!!!  The current political environment in the U.S. says you are not, but THEY LIE!!!!!  DO NOT BELIEVE THEM!!!  God, in many places in the Bible, makes this plain and we should listen. Here is but one to think about...

Ezekiel, Chapter 18
1 Yahweh’s word came to me again, saying,  2 What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?  3 As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, you shall not use this proverb any more in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins, he shall die.  5 But if a man is just, and does that which is lawful and right,  6 and has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbor’s wife, neither has come near to a woman in her impurity,  7 and has not wronged any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;  8 he who has not lent on interest, neither has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,  9 has walked in my statutes, and has kept my ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, says the Lord Yahweh.  10 If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things,  11 or who does not do any of those things, but even has eaten on the mountains, and defiled his neighbor’s wife,  12 has wronged the poor and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,  13 has lent on interest, and has taken increase; shall he then live? he shall not live: he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be on him.  14 Now, behold, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father’s sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like; 15 who has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor’s wife,  16 neither has wronged any, has not taken anything to pledge, neither has taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;  17 who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who has not received interest nor increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.  18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.  19 Yet you say, Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live.  20 The soul who sins, he shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.  21 But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.  22 None of his transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.  23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked? says the Lord Yahweh; and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?  24 But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.  25 Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, house of Israel: Is my way not equal? Aren’t your ways unequal?  26 When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in his iniquity that he has done shall he die.  27 Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.  28 Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.  29 Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” House of Israel, aren’t my ways fair? Aren’t your ways unfair?  30 Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways, says the Lord Yahweh. Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.  31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel?  32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies, says the Lord Yahweh: therefore turn yourselves, and live. 

God has said it; that settles it.  If you don't like what God has said to you and really just don't want to listen, then that is your problem; not mine.  I pray that I will listen and do what God wants me to do, each and every day I have left on this Earth.  Further, I pray that each and every thing I have done wrong will be forgiven and forgotten.  I can only answer for myself, because I am responsible for what I do.  If you can't say the same- why not?  Joshua put it this way...

Joshua, Chapter 24
15 If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.” 

From Jim McGuiggan... JESUS AND THE MOB

JESUS AND THE MOB

In John 7:49 there's this: "This rabble that does not know the law—they're accursed."  See.
You have that text and then you have this one, Matthew 14:14, "When he went ashore he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick."
There lies the difference between Jesus and the brass-necked leaders. It isn't the only difference and if you isolate it it's not even the main difference but it is a profound difference.
Jesus saw the mob and when he saw them he felt something and he did something.
In a multitude of 5,000 plus (Matthew 14:21) there must have been a lot of mixed motives, promises unkept, grudges harboured, self-serving, uncleanness and cruelty. Surely there was and if it was there Christ could see it for he knew people. And yet, when he looked, "he had compassion on them and healed their sick." (Matthew 14:14 and 9:36)
Tell me how can I be holy as he is holy? Help me to lift up my eyes and see better, purer, cleaner things. But help me to be holy like him and still look on people with all the marks of unholiness written on their faces and see them as needy people. What a wonder he is that he can look on the sinful and feel what they feel and long to do them good. There is a chasm fixed between us and Christ that we cannot bridge; his holiness simply outdistances our most fervent imaginings but is the chasm anywhere wider than it is at this point? It has nothing to do with miraculous power; it has nothing to do with his being able to feed thousands with little or nothing. It has all to do with his unutterable holiness looking on sinners and wanting to do them good, wanting to heal their sick, wanting to lift them out of their gloom and hurt.
So there he stands looking at them with those big eyes of his. Missing nothing! Seeing all! And while knowing and seeing all he feels his huge heart swelling with pity at these sheep without a shepherd. So he healed their sick. I don't doubt that some there looked at him, fevered and crippled children in their arms, chins stuck out in some desperate look of rebellion: "How can you see us like this and not do something about it?" I'm sure others showed their desperation with "please" written all over them. There they were, here we are with our awful needs stark and obvious to his holy eyes, masses of us clamouring for attention. People with little interest in him until our crying needs drive us out of ourselves and away from our useless schemes and shallow prayers. And still he looks, and still he feels compassion and still he offers rich, wise and desperately needed healing.
Holy Christ! Astonishing Christ who makes it forever clear that true holiness isn't a firewall against fellowship; who makes it forever clear that true holiness is love's raging fire that burns down all that would come between us and his Holy Father who sees and feels and 
does.
And is Matthew 9:36 and 14:14 written there to taunt us? Did that occasion and that crowd exhaust God's good will toward us in Jesus Christ? After that did God say goodbye to the human family? Was it only that crowd he saw as shepherdless sheep, harassed and in awful need? No, it's written there so we'll know he won't forget us—he's committed to us all and one day all who care that he cares will eternally discover that Matthew's words were for them. Read them and laugh!

©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... The Purpose Of The Law (Galatians 3:15-25)



                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS"

                    The Purpose Of The Law (3:15-25)

INTRODUCTION

1. In teaching they were justified by faith in Christ, Paul reminded the
   Galatians that...
   a. They received the Spirit by the hearing of faith - Ga 3:1-5
   b. The heirs of Abraham were those "of faith" - Ga 3:6-9
   c. Those of the works of the Law were under a curse - Ga 3:10-12
   d. Christ has redeemed them from the curse of the Law, that even
      Gentiles could now receive the promise of the Spirit through faith
      - Ga 3:13-14

2. With such comments regarding the Law, Paul anticipated a likely
   objection...
   a. What purpose did the Law then serve?
   b. What was its relation to the promise given to Abraham?

3. We might also ask ourselves...
   a. What value does the Law (Old Testament) have for us today?
   b. Do we even need to study it, since we are not under the Law?

[Such questions are easily answered, first from our text (Ga 3:15-25),
and then from other statements of Paul regarding the value of the OT.
Beginning with our text, consider the purpose of the Law...]

I. FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL

   A. WHAT IT'S PURPOSE WAS NOT...
      1. Not to change the promises made to Abraham - Ga 3:15-17
         a. Even a man's covenant cannot be annulled or added to once
            confirmed
         b. The Law which came 430 years later, cannot annul the
            covenant confirmed by God
      2. Not to provide the promise made regarding the Seed - Ga 3:16-18
         a. To Abraham and his Seed (Christ) were the promises made
         c. The Law did not make the promise of no effect, nor did it
            provide the inheritance regarding the Seed

   B. WHAT IT'S PURPOSE WAS...
      1. It was added because of transgression - Ga 3:19-23
         a. "for the purpose of revealing and manifesting to man his
            sinfulness," - McGarvey
         b. Till the Seed (Christ) should come to whom the promise was
            made
         c. Not against the promise, but it could not provide life
         d. Confined all under sin, that the promise might be given to
            those who believe
         e. Kept them under guard, kept for the faith (Christ) afterward
            revealed
      2. It was a tutor to lead them to Christ - Ga 3:24-25
         a. To bring them to Christ
         b. Now that faith (Christ) has come, they are no longer under
            it
            1) It came to an end when nailed to the cross - cf. Col 2:
               14-17; Ep 2:14-16
            2) Jews converted to Christ have died to the law - cf. Ro 7:
               1-6
            3) Thus it was replaced with a new covenant - cf. He 7:18;
               8:13; 9:9-10; 10:9

[The Law was "holy", "just", and "good" (Ro 7:12), but it was designed
to be temporary.  With the coming of Christ and His New Covenant, it
came to end as a system of justification (Ga 5:4).  What purpose, if
any, does the Law (Old Testament) serve the people of Christ today...?]

II. FOR THE PEOPLE OF CHRIST

   A. FOR THEIR LEARNING...
      1. Note carefully what Paul wrote in Ro 15:4
         a. Things "written before" (i.e., the OT) were "written for our
            learning"
         b. The OT was written and preserved especially for Christians'
            benefit!
         c. The OT provides "patience and comfort", that we "might have
            hope"!
      2. The OT provides a record of God's faithfulness, how He kept His
         promises:
         a. To Abraham and the nation of Israel
         b. To judge the wicked and avenge the righteous
         c. To forgive the penitent, and protect the humble
      -- As we read this history of God's dealings with Israel, it gives
         us hope that God will keep His promises to us!

   B. FOR THEIR ADMONITION...
      1. Paul had just reminded the Corinthians of Israel's fall in the
         wilderness - 1Co 10:1-10
      2. Note carefully what he says in 1Co 10:11
         a. The events described may have happened to Israel
         b. "They were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of
            the ages have come"
         c. Again, the OT was written and preserved especially for the
            benefit of Christians!
      3. We should not be surprised to see how often NT writers appealed
         to the OT in their efforts to admonish Christians
         a. As the writer of Hebrews, in exhorting Christians to remain
            steadfast - He 3:12-19
         b. As James, in encouraging Christians to be patient in their
            suffering - Jm 5:7-11
         c. As Peter, in warning of false teachers and scoffers - 2 Pe
            2-3
      -- We need to study the OT to be reminded of the very real danger
         of apostasy!

   C. FOR THEIR WISDOM...
      1. Paul noted that Timothy had known the "Holy Scriptures" since
         childhood - 2Ti 3:14-15
         a. When Timothy was a child, the only scriptures available was
            the OT
         b. So Paul clearly had the OT in view
      2. He said the OT is "able to make you wise for salvation through
         faith which is in Christ"
      3. How is this possible?  The OT provides:
         a. The fall of man and the rise of sin
         b. The background and development of God's scheme of redemption
         c. Hundreds of Messianic prophecies which describe what to
            expect when He comes
      4. One cannot hope to fully understand such books of the New
         Testament like:
         a. Hebrews, without an understanding of the Levitical
            priesthood
         b. Revelation, without an understanding of OT prophecy and
            apocalyptic literature
      -- If one wishes to be wise concerning their salvation in Christ,
         it is imperative to study the Old Testament!

   D. FOR THEIR PROFIT...
      1. "All Scripture" includes the OT scriptures, especially in this
         context - 2Ti 3:16-17
      2. Therefore the OT is profitable for:
         a. Doctrine - such as the nature of God, man, and sin
         b. Reproof and correction - the need for repentance
         c. Instruction in righteousness - how to live godly lives
      3. Thus the apostles frequently appealed to the OT when teaching
         Christians their conduct:
         a. E.g., Ro 12:19-21; 2Co 6:16-7:1; 9:7-10
         b. E.g., Jm 2:20-26
         c. E.g., 1Pe 3:8-12
      -- While certain aspects of justification and worship have
         changed, many principles of righteousness remain the same under
         the New Covenant

CONCLUSION

1. For the people of Israel, the Law served a valuable purpose...
   a. It helped them to understand the nature of sin, and the need for
      redemption
   b. It guided them until the promised Seed (Christ), through Whom God
      blessed all nations

2. For the people of Christ, the Law continues to serve a valuable
   purpose...
   a. For our learning and admonition
   b. For our wisdom and spiritual profit

While we rejoice in the salvation now offered through faith in Christ,
let us never underestimate the value of studying the Old Testament.  Its
many examples of obedience through faith (cf. He 11:1-40) should inspire
us to likewise walk in "the steps of faith"...



Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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