"THE BOOK OF PROVERBS" Surety, Sloth, Scoundrels, And Strumpets (6:1-7:27) INTRODUCTION 1. The first nine chapters of Proverbs contain discourses extolling wisdom... a. Praising it over folly b. Illustrating its value in life 2. Interspersed throughout are exhortations regarding wisdom... a. Warnings against foolish conduct b. Counsel on behavior that reflects wisdom [Such is the case in the text for our study (Pr 6:1-7:27), where we find warnings concerning "Surety, Sloth, Scoundrels, and Strumpets." Let's start with the warning...] I. REGARDING SURETY (6:1-5) A. THE WARNING... 1. Do not become surety for a friend 2. That is, do not make yourself liable for someone else's debt 3. If you do, get out of it as quickly as possible 4. If necessary, humble yourself and plead 5. The warning is repeated in Proverbs - Pr 11:15; 17:18 B. THE REASON... 1. It may seem like kindness to cosign a loan for a friend 2. But there are reasons it may not be (from the Believer's Bible Commentary) a. You might be helping him to buy something which it is not God's will for him to have b. You might be encouraging him to be a spendthrift or even a gambler c. If he defaults and you have to pay for something that is not your own, friendship will end and bitterness begin 3. Thus it may be better to simply give or loan the money personally - cf. Mt 5:42 [From being too eager to help, we now turn to being too eager to sleep as we consider a warning...] II. REGARDING SLOTH (6:6-11) A. THE WARNING... 1. For sluggards who prefer sleep to work 2. Learn wisdom from the lowly ant 3. Observe her diligence without need of overseer 4. How she provides in the summer and gathers in the harvest - cf. Pr 30:25 5. The emphasis is on being diligent in one's work B. THE REASON... 1. Laziness is the parent of poverty 2. As taught elsewhere in the Proverbs - Pr 10:4; 13:4; 20:4 3. You only steal from yourself when you are lazy 4. Thus diligence in all that we do is the proper course - cf. Ecc 9:10; Ro 12:15 [From personal conduct in ourselves to that seen in others, we next find a warning...] III. REGARDING SCOUNDRELS (6:12-19) A. THE WARNING... 1. The tactics of the wicked described (especially a con man) a. Walks with a perverse mouth (crooked speech) b. Winks with his eyes, shuffles his feet, points with his fingers (winking and giving signals to deceive others, CEV) c. Perversity in his heart, devises evil continually (plotting mischief) d. Sows discord 2. Somatic therapy truly perverted! a. Using the body in ways to deceive others b. Whereas earlier we read of better ways to use the body - cf. Pr 4:20-27 3. Upon such a person calamity and destruction will come quickly B. THE REASON... 1. The Lord hates such behavior 2. It is an abomination to Him: a. A proud look (arrogance) b. A lying tongue (dishonesty) c. Hands that shed innocent blood (murder) d. A heart that devises wicked plans (contemplating evil) e. Feet that are swift running to evil (quick to do evil) f. A false witness who speaks lies (lying in giving public testimony) g. One who sows discord among brethren (note well: this is ranked among lying and murder!) 3. Conduct that destroys relationships with others is just as abominable as that which destroys our relationship with God Himself! [Finally, resuming a thread first started in 2:16-19 and expounded further in 5:1-23, we find a warning that starts in verse 20 and continues throughout the seventh chapter...] IV. REGARDING STRUMPETS (6:20-7:27) A. THE WARNING... 1. Listen to your parents when they warn you 2. They can keep you from the immoral woman 3. Who seduces with flattery tongue and allures with her eyes 4. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart 5. An illustration of one caught up in this folly - cf. Pr 7:1-27 B. THE REASON... 1. She will reduce you to a crust of bread, and prey on your life 2. She is too hot to handle safely, you will only burn yourself 3. People may have a little tolerance for one who steals out of hunger 4. But no one has respect for a man who steals another's wife 5. The husband in particular will never be appeased CONCLUSION 1. Thus the wisdom found in Proverbs is seen to be very practical a. Guiding one in their own behavior b. Guarding one against the behavior of others 2. Warning us against such things as... a. Surety that ensnares b. Sloth that impoverishes c. Scoundrels that mislead and sow discord d. Strumpets that entice and destroy through the lust of the flesh Will we heed the words of wisdom? In our next study we will find Sophia (wisdom) once again pleading for us to heed her cries...
11/4/19
"THE BOOK OF PROVERBS" Surety, Sloth, Scoundrels, And Strumpets (6:1-7:27) by Mark Copeland
Lilith… The First Wife of Adam? by Kyle Butt, M.Div. Harrison Chastain
Lilith… The First Wife of Adam?
by | Kyle Butt, M.Div. Harrison Chastain |
The first chapters of the book of Genesis give us a “play by play” analysis of many of the main events in the creation of the Universe. The text explains that God created everything in the Universe in six, literal days. Included in His “very good” creation (Genesis 1:31) was the formation of the first man—Adam. After God breathed life into his nostrils, the Bible states that God did not want man to be alone, and so the Creator brought into existence a helper comparable to Adam. The Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam, and He fashioned Eve from one of the man’s ribs. This well-known narrative is often one of the first Bible stories children learn.
Over the years, some people have questioned the legitimacy of the story of the first two people on Earth. They have suggested that Eve was not Adam’s first wife. Uninspired Jewish folklore says that a woman by the name of Lilith was Adam’s first wife instead of Eve. The text known as The Alphabet of Ben Sira narrates the mythical story of Lilith, explaining that God originally created her out of the ground just as He created Adam. But when Adam explained to her that he was to be the leader and head of the relationship, Lilith flew away from him. Adam then proceeded to report the incident to God. God sent three angels to retrieve her, and she refused to return (Alphabet of Ben Sira, 2015). [NOTE: The date of this work is unknown, but scholars generally agree it was written some time in the middle ages around 1000-1300 A.D. see “Alphabet of Ben Sira,” 2008].
When the Lilith legend is evaluated closer, however, it becomes obvious that the story is a fabricated myth unsupported by historical fact. It is impossible to nail down when the myth started. Her name derives from a Sumerian word that means “female demons” or “wind spirits.” Lilith’s roots can be roughly traced back to Babylonian demonology, where she is said to have terrorized pregnant women and preyed upon infants, but even that is uncertain. Feminists in today’s society often praise her for attempting to break free from the shackles of Adam’s rule in the Garden of Eden. In most expressions of her myth, she represents seduction, chaos, and ungodliness (Gaines, 2014). There is no historical proof that Lilith existed on the Earth, much less that she was Adam’s first wife who God formed in the beginning.
THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED AND ACCURATE
In order to validate the claim that the Lilith myth is true, adherents insist that Genesis chapters one and two are separate Creation accounts. God supposedly created Lilith from dust at the same time as Adam in one Creation account, and Eve was formed from his rib as the Bible describes in the other. When the words of Genesis are surveyed in greater detail, this claim cannot be reasonably maintained. There are not two different accounts of Creation in Genesis one and two (Jackson, 1991). Genesis two simply provides more details regarding the Creation account of chapter one. Genesis one and two form a perfectly complimentary account of the same events. The biblical text specifically mentions Eve as Adam’s wife and states that she is the “mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). Just as conspicuously, the text does not mention any other wife, nor does it mention other mythological female demons or gods such as Ashteroth, Hera, Ishtar, or Lamia. To artificially insert such a character into the text would be disingenuous and misguided.
When the words of the Bible are evaluated, they have been proven to be factually accurate. The historical facts, archaeological finds, and written records of famous historians “live to tell the tale.” Not only have people such as John the Baptizer and King David been shown to be real, historical figures, but also countless narratives in the Bible have proven to be historically true. In fact, nothing in secular history has ever been shown to be factually true that disproves anything in the 66 books of the Bible. That fact, coupled with numerous other evidences, proves these books to be accurate and inspired (Butt, 2007). Since the Lilith story contradicts the biblical account of Creation, and since we can know that the biblical account is accurate and inspired, then we can conclude that the Lilith myth cannot be true and must be understood to be a myth fabricated over time from human imagination.
CONCLUSION
Does the myth of Lilith match up with the biblical record? Despite the beliefs and personal opinions of some, it does not. There is only one account of creation in the Bible, and the name Lilith is not found in the Creation account. Her name is associated with myths, folktales, and demonology that is based on superstition and imagination, not historical events. The Bible’s account of creation has passed every test of scrutiny and has proven itself to be historically accurate and divinely inspired. Any person or group of people can make up a story, but God’s Word has stood the test of time, and it remains the standard.
REFERENCES
“Alphabet of Ben Sira,” (2008), Encyclopedia Judaica, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0003_0_02541.html.
Alphabet of Ben Sira, (2015), http://jwa.org/media/alphabet-of-ben-sira-78-lilith.
Butt, Kyle (2007), Behold! The Word of God, Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/pdfs/e-books_pdf/Behold%20the%20Word%20of%20God.pdf.
Gaines, Janet Howe (2014), “Lilith: Seductress, Heroine, or Murderer?” Bible Archaeology, http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/lilith/.
Jackson, Wayne (1991), “Are There Two Creation Accounts in Genesis?” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=127&article=1131.
Let the Land Rest by Kyle Butt, M.Div.
Let the Land Rest
by | Kyle Butt, M.Div. |
Throughout history, God has used the Earth to provide man with all of his physical needs. From the beginning of man’s existence on this planet, Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the Earth and cultivated crops. In fact, when God punished Adam for sinning, his punishment involved hard labor in the field. From the time of Adam to the present, one of man’s most valuable commodities has been land. Without fertile ground, crops have no place to grow, animals have no place to graze, and humans have nothing to eat.
God always has known how important it is for man to have fertile land. For this reason, He gave the children of Israel explicit instructions on how to care for their land. In Leviticus 25:3-5 Moses wrote: “Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.” But what would happen to the land if the children of Israel (or anyone else, for that matter) did not take care to protect the land? The American “Dust Bowl” of the early part of the twentieth century provides a fitting answer to such a question.
Beginning in the early 1930s, several western states in America began to have serious problems with agricultural production. The late 1920s had seen a huge demand for wheat, and many farmers in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Kansas planted crops year after year. What they failed to factor into their farming practices was the fact that the land could not sustain growth of the same crop repeatedly without a period of rejuvenation. Nutrients and bacteria (specifically, nitrogen-fixing bacteria) that had been removed from the land as a result of the never-ending sowing-and-reaping cycles needed time to be replaced. But the farmers did not allow the land that precious time, and as a result, the grasses that normally grew in the fields to protect the land from erosion were unable to do so. When matters were complicated by a severe drought and dangerous windstorms in the region, the ground was too weak, and too fragile, to sustain either itself or its crops.
Huge gusts of fifty-mile-an-hour winds moved through the area, causing massive dust storms that filled houses, destroyed valuable farm equipment, and swept away millions of tons of valuable topsoil. People thus referred to this time and place in America as the “Dust Bowl.” Few epochs in the history of the United States have paralleled the Dust Bowl for sheer destruction, depression, and poverty. Sadly, such despair and suffering could have been avoided if the denizens of the Dust Bowl states simply had obeyed God’s commands to grant their vaunted land a period “of solemn rest.” Why is it that we as humans find it so difficult to listen to and obey our Creator?
Leaping and Bible Inspiration by Dave Miller, Ph.D.
Leaping and Bible Inspiration
by | Dave Miller, Ph.D. |
One of the marvelous confirmations of the inspiration of the Bible is the existence of hundreds of prophecies in which the writers predicted events far into the future from their day. This phenomenon is particularly fascinating with regard to the “Messianic” prophecies, i.e., those that anticipated the coming of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ.
One such prophecy uttered by the “Messianic prophet” Isaiah is the one found in chapter 35 of his oracles. Specifically, consider the following:
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert (35:5-6).
This passage, believed to have been uttered in the 8th century B.C., predicted that in the Messianic age to come, i.e., the Christian era, as a result of the miraculous empowerment that would accompany the initial introduction of the Gospel, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the dumb (“mute,” NASB) would experience healing. Interestingly, one would expect as a result of their healing, the blind would be able to see and the deaf would be able to hear. And, comparably, one might expect the prophet to indicate that the lame would walk and the dumb would speak. However, instead, the dumb would not merely talk; they would sing. And the lame would not merely walk; they would “leap like a deer.” This latter detail is intriguing. The prophet might merely have been speaking figuratively, simply highlighting the concept that the lame would no longer be confined to his immobility.
However, when one turns to the New Testament and reads the inspired account of the launching of Christianity in the form of the establishment of Christ’s church after His ascension into heaven—a fact which He fully predicted (Matthew 16:18-19; 18:17; 26:29; Acts 1:3)—one sees the unfolding of the presentation of the Gospel to the Jerusalem Jews. Luke was given the responsibility of reporting for all time the first 30 years of the history of Christianity. Early in his record, he reports an incident that confirms Isaiah’s prophetic prediction:
Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him (Acts 3:1-10).
Observe that the lame man was told by Peter to “rise up and walk.” The lame man walked alright, but Luke meticulously reports that the man also “leaped.” This minute detail cannot be coincidental. By divine assistance, Isaiah peered across more than seven centuries into the first century A.D. to see an unnamed man, who had been lame from birth, leaping up as a beneficiary of the confirmatory (Mark 16:20)1 miracles that accompanied the advent of Christianity, “walking, leaping, and praising God.” How in the world could a mere man have predicted such a minute detail so many centuries in advance? He could not have done so on his own ability. Indeed, as Peter stated: “[P]rophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
ENDNOTE
1 Dave Miller (2003), “Modern-Day Miracles, Tongue-Speaking, and Holy Spirit Baptism: A Refutation—EXTENDED VERSION,” Apologetics Press, http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1399&topic=293.
LIKEWISE PERISH by steve finnell
Is repentance a requirement or just a suggestion?
Luke 13:1-5....but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."(NKJV)
Luke 24:47 "and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.(NKJV)
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(NKJV)
Acts 2:38 And Peter replied, "Each one of you must turn from sin, return to God....(The Living Bible-Paraphrased)
Can Christians continue in an unrepentant sinful lifestyle and not perish.
Matthew 6:15 "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.(NKJV)
If men do not repent of not forgiving others, they likewise perish?
If a professional killer becomes a Christian and fails to repent of killing people for hire, will he likewise perish?
If drunkards fail to repent, will they likewise perish?
If homosexuals fail to repent, will they likewise perish?
If adulterers fail to repent, will they likewise perish?
If idolaters fail to repent, will they likewise perish?
If thieves fail to repent, will they likewise perish?
1 Corinthians 6:8-11....9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God..............
“Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The church of Christ remains the same. by Roy Davison
(Hebrews 13:8).
The church of Christ remains the same.
Just as Jesus and His doctrine are the same, His church is also the same. The church of Christ today has the same Founder, the same Head, the same foundation, the same leadership and the same forms of worship as in the New Testament.
Every church that does not have the same Founder, Head, foundation, leadership or worship, is not the church that Jesus built, but is a human concoction resulting from strange winds of doctrine and rebellion against Christ.
The Founder is the same.
Jesus built His church (Matthew 16:18). How can a church with a different founder be the church of Christ. If Luther, Calvin, Wesley or any person other than Jesus is the founder of a church, it is not the same church that He built. It is an unscriptural religious group.
The Head is the same.
“Christ is head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23). The Father, “put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body” (Ephesians 1:22, 23). There is one Shepherd (John 10:16). “He is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18).
If a church has some head other than Christ, such as a pope, or a president, or a central administration of any kind, it is not the church you read about in the New Testament. It has rejected Christ as its Head.
The foundation is the same.
“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).
The church of Christ is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).
The church is founded on the gospel of Christ. That gospel was put in writing by the apostles and prophets of Christ, and has been passed on to us through the prophetic writings of the New Testament.
Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome: “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith” (Romans 16:25, 26).
Peter wrote: “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior” (2 Peter 3:1, 2).
Because Jesus and His inspired apostles and prophets form the foundation of the church, we read of the first Christians: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine” (Acts 2:42).
The church of Christ today is built on Christ and on His teachings that have been passed on to us in the New Testament by His apostles and prophets.
Our apostles and prophets today are the same apostles and prophets of the first-century church.
The office of Peter and the other apostles was for all time. Of heavenly Jerusalem we read: “Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:14).
A church that has an alleged successor of Peter as its head, is not the church of Christ because the Lord's church has Christ as its only head and Peter himself, with the other apostles, is in the foundation. Peter does not need a successor because he is still serving as apostle through his writings in the New Testament. A church that has contemporary or other apostles and prophets, is not the church that Jesus built, because the Lord's church still has the same apostles and prophets.
The leadership is the same.
In addition to the original apostles and prophets, the Lord has given elders, deacons, evangelists and teachers to lead, serve and instruct His church: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).
Churches with leaders other than those Christ gave to His church (evangelists, teachers, elders and deacons) are not the church that Jesus built because the leaders are not the same.
A church that appoints elders and deacons who do not meet the qualifications set out in 1 Timothy 3:1-12 and Titus 1:5-9 is not the church that Jesus built. A church that has evangelists and teachers who preach and teach something other than the doctrine of Christ, is not the church of Christ.
Public teaching and leadership are provided by men and not by women in the church that Jesus built. “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man” (1 Timothy 2:11, 12). “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church” (1 Corinthians 14:34, 35).
A church that has women teaching men in public, or that has women preachers, elders or deacons is not the same church that Jesus built.
The worship is the same.
In the New Testament we learn how the church worshiped God. The church of Christ today worships God that same way.
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). On the basis of the apostles' doctrine, the first Christians came together for prayer and to break bread (eat the Lord's supper).
They partook of the Lord's supper on the first day of the week (Sunday): “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight” (Acts 20:7).
They also had a free-will collection on the first day of the week: “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:1, 2).
The Scriptures were read: “Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea” (Colossians 4:16). “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
Prayer was sometimes accompanied by fasting (Acts 13:2, 3). “So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23).
They taught and encouraged one another, and praised God in song: “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
Since the prayers and songs of Christians have a teaching function, they must be understandable (thus not just sounds without meaning): “I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15).
Churches that incorporate Old Testament or heathen rituals into their worship such as the burning of incense or candles, the use of mechanical instruments of music, the wearing of distinctive clothing, the veneration of statues or icons, are not the church that Jesus built. Their worship is vain because it is based on the teachings of men rather than the word of God. Jesus said of such worshipers: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8, 9).
The church of Christ today is the same and worships God the same as the church in the New Testament.
Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His church is also the same. It has the same Founder and Head. The foundation is the same. It has the same apostles and prophets. The same doctrine is proclaimed and practiced. Its leadership and its worship are the same.
This is how we can distinguish the Lord's church from the many man-made counterfeit denominations in the world today and “not be carried about with various and strange doctrines” (Hebrews 13:8, 9).
Roy Davison
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)
(http://www.oldpaths.com)
Anagrams, their meanings and "my words" by Gary Rose
Anagrams
are a curious aspect of language. If the letters of a word or a
combination of words are rearranged, they can be reassembled into a
new combination restating the same concept (or perhaps even a
commentary on that original meaning). This is interesting and
sometimes humorous (see “George Bush” and “Mother in law”,
above).
So,
this graphic says a lot about the person who made it. In short, his
words (and the rearrangement of the them) say a lot about him. I
wonder, what does Jesus say about his own words?
“My
Words” are Scripture
John
5 ( World English
Bible )
[45]
“Don’t think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one
who accuses you, even Moses, on whom you have set your hope. [46]
For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about
me. [47] But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you
believe my words?”
John
14 (WEB)
[45]
“Don’t think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one
who accuses you, even Moses, on whom you have set your hope. [46]
For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about
me. [47] But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you
believe my words?”
Jesus
was a Jew speaking to other Jews. They accepted Moses as having been
sent from God and Moses’ writings as being the very words of God.
Jesus’ words are in the same category, but even more so because
Jesus was God in-the-flesh. Therefore, Jesus’ words are Scripture.
See John chapter 8 and especially verses 57 to 59.
“My
Words” WILL ENDURE
Matthew
24 (WEB)
[35] Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words
will not pass away.
In Matthew chapter 24 Jesus discussed the destruction of the Temple
and his eventual return to judge the world. In contrast with the
Temple, Jesus’ words will not pass away and will in fact one day
judge those who he has spoken to. The Temple was the center of Jewish
life, but it was temporary; Jesus (and his words) are eternal –
which would you choose?
“My
Words” have power
John
15 (WEB)
[5]
I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in
him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
[6] If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch,
and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and
they are burned. [7] If you remain in me, and my words remain
in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for
you.
Question:
Do you really listen to Jesus or not? Are you applying his word to
your daily life? If the answer to both of these question is a
resounding “YES”, then the power of his words will affect
everything in your life. Your thoughts, your actions, your desires
will be a reflection of God’s desires for you. This does not mean
that EVERYTHING you pray for will be granted the way YOU want, but
will, according to HIS DESIRE for your service to HIM. Do yourself a
favor and think about this; it will really change your life and your
self-image to one of a servant of God.
“My
Words” will determine your final judgment
Mark
8 (WEB)
[34]
He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to
them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow me. [35] For whoever wants to save his
life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the
sake of the Good News will save it. [36] For what does it profit a
man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? [37] For what
will a man give in exchange for his life? [38] For whoever will be
ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous
and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him,
when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
If
you love God, you will follow HIM and never be ashamed of HIM. If you
don’t really love him, when openly confronted by those who reject
God, you will go along with the crowd and reveal your true judgment
of God- disbelief. Eventually, those who love God will be rewarded
for that love and those who don’t love God will receive their
condemnation. I pray that you always follow Jesus until your last
moment on Earth!
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