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THOUGHTS &
COMMENTS
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21Hath
not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel
unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22What
if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make
his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath
fitted to destruction:
(Rom 9:)
JUDAS:
PREDICTED OR PREMEDITATED
Why
was it necessary for Judas to betray Jesus?
17Therefore
doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take
it again. 18No
man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay
it down, and I have power to take it again. This
commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:)
31Then
the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus
answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for
which of those works do ye stone me? 33The Jews
answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for
blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.. . .
. . 39Therefore they sought again to take him: but
he escaped out of their hand, 40And
went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first
baptized; and there he abode. (John 10:)
59Then
took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid
himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them,
and so passed by. (John 8:)
25Then
said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they
seek to kill? 26But,
lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him.
Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? (John 7:)
56Then
sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the
temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? 57Now
both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that,
if any man knew where he were, he should show it, that they might take
him. (John 11:)
2And
the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they
feared the people. 3Then
entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the
number of the twelve. 4And he went his way, and
communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him
unto them. (Luke 22:)
2And
Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes
resorted thither with his disciples. (John 18:)
55In
that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against
a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat
daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
(Mat 26:)
Is
it possible that Judas' betrayal of Jesus was for no other purpose than
to fulfill Scripture?
52Then
said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all
they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53Thinkest
thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give
me more than twelve legions of angels? 54But
how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? . . .
. . 56But
all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be
fulfilled. (Mat 26:)
4All
this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, saying, 5Tell ye the
daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting
upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. (Mat 21:)
70Jesus
answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of
you is a devil? 71He spake of
Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him,
being one of the twelve. (John 6:)
20Nay
but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing
formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21Hath
not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel
unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22What
if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured
with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
(Rom 9:)
4And
the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so
he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make
it. 5Then the word of the LORD
came to me, saying, 6O house of Israel, cannot
I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in
the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. (Jer 18:)
4That
every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in
sanctification and honour; (1Thes 4:)
19Nevertheless
the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth
them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ
depart from iniquity. 20But
in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but
also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21If a man therefore purge himself from
these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the
master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
(2Tim 2:)
15But
the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen
vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel: 16For
I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
(Acts 9:)
5I
am the LORD, and there is
none else, there is no God beside me: I girded
thee, though thou hast not known me: 6That they
may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there
is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there
is none else. 7I
form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I
the LORD do all these things.
(Isaiah 45:)
TWO
ANGELS OF THE LORD?
13And
when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take
the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there
until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy
him. (Mat 2:)
Just
a thought: Jesus is supposed to be the One who appeared in a
pre-incarnate state to those of the Old Testament. Now He is a child
under the care of Joseph and Mary. Yet He appeared to Joseph at the
same time. Of course the appearance is not a true appearance as with
Jacob who actually wrestled with an angel, but rather in a dream.
Just
something to think about.
READING
AND THE IMAGINATION
Have
you ever written a letter to someone, only to have them completely
misread what you had intended and react accordingly? I'm sure you have.
And when you reread what you have written, you find that you have
clearly stated your intentions, and can not possibly see how your words
could have been so maligned.
Isn't
it a treat when you're able to communicate with someone who, if they
misunderstand you, will tell you what they think
you said so you can correct their understanding, rather than destroy
the relationship by overreacting to what hasn't
been said?
When
I read a letter, book, article or any such thing, I read it from my own
perspective, that is, I regard it as it applies to my own personal
experience. "Of course," you might say, "who doesn't?"
And
that is certainly true: "Who doesn't?"
If
I should read a story about a family going about their daily life, I
would picture a father who gets in his car and drives to work each day.
He might wear a business suit, or a pair of overalls, or maybe casual
wear. I would picture the mother in an apron going about her house
doing the daily chores, perhaps with the TV or a radio going in the
background, and a toddler at her side. I would picture the children
with shiny faces, properly attired, well fed, and on their way to catch
an awaiting school bus.
Why
would I picture such a family? Because that has been my experience of a
family. It is such a family that I grew up in, that I saw all around
me, and that is (or was) portrayed on the media.
But
what if I were to tell you that this family in the story being
considered was not from our own culture? What if I were to tell you
that the family in question lived amongst rice paddies in China? Or
what if they lived in darkest Africa? Or the North Pole? Or they were
Native Americans from 200 years ago?
When
we read the Bible we have this same problem. We naturally read into the
Bible what we know (or consider) to be correct. In the case of the
family above, we think of our own family, its behavior and
circumstances, and assume it is the same with those in another country
thousands of years ago.
We
are fortunate in this "enlightened" period of time to have resources to
correct such a view. With but little effort we can know that the
fathers of that day did not wear suits, but a robe. They did not drive
a car but rather they walked or rode a beast of burden. We know that
the mother did not have a TV blaring in the background; and that the
children were not waiting for a school bus, nor were they very likely
shiny faced or even well fed.
We
also know that the house they lived in very likely had a dirt floor, no
indoor plumbing, nor even a dinner table or bed and other such
furniture as we know them today.
When
we read the Bible, we have to mentally "shift gears" so-to-speak. We
have to take ourselves out of the world we live in and imagine
ourselves in the world that is being portrayed. If we do not do this,
the Bible will make little sense to us. We must read what is written,
not what we think we already know.
As
in the misrepresented letter above, we have a tendency to read what we think
a person is saying, or is going to say. If we have done something we
know we shouldn't have, we expect words that will be accusative and
reprimanding. And if we have done something special for that person, we
expect words of appreciation and pleasure. Because we have a
preconceived notion as to what is going to be
said, we ignore any other words that do not fit our expectation, and
react according to what we feel, not what has been said.
Another
reason we might have created preconceived notions is from what we have
been told and taught. We believe what we have been told
is true. And the more we esteem the person who has instructed us, the
more credibility we attribute to their words.
Once
we are given answers, we no longer consider the questions that form the
need of an answer. We no longer seek that which we think
we have found.
This
holds true of the misunderstood letter, and it is equally true of God's
Word to us, the Bible.
Most
of us of any age at all have grown up in a church of one sort or
another. We have formed our conception of God and His Word from what we
have been taught in the church. But even those who have never attended
church have formed opinions of God and His Word. That opinion might
have come from friends, parents, or as is so common today, the media.
Even staunch church goers have acquired more of their conceptions of
the Bible from the movies and TV specials than they have from reading
the Word for themselves.
Why
question that which we already know?
Why
have a yearly physical when we already know we
are healthy and that our teeth are in good shape?
Because
we just might be wrong!
When
we read the Bible we read, not what God has said, but what we expect
Him to say. We read what we have been told the
Words are saying, and if the words don't say what we expect them to
say, then we consider ourself unlearned, and so we accept what others
have told us is true.
The
Bible tells us of two types of people who can not understand the Bible:
the unlearned, and the educated:
9Stay
yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not
with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. 10For
the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath
closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he
covered. 11And the vision of all is become unto
you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men
deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I
pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is
sealed: 12And the book is delivered to him that
is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he
saith, I am not learned. 13Wherefore the Lord
said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with
their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their
heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by
the precept of men: (Isaiah 29:)
13But
he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not
planted, shall be rooted up. 14Let them alone: they
be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the
blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (Mat 15:)
24Ye
blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a
camel. 25Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the
platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26Thou
blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter,
that the outside of them may be clean also. 27Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto
whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are
within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even
so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full
of hypocrisy and iniquity. (Mat 23:)
When
we read the Bible, we are taught that certain "truths" are to be
followed and not be ignored. Because of this, we doubt ourselves when
we read what doesn't fit into these "truths."
Perhaps
the first of these truths, and the most prevalent, is that of the
"simplicity of the Bible." We are told that God wrote His book so that
everyone can easily understand it. We are told the Jesus spoke in
parables so that His words can easily be understood by everyone:
9Whom
shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand
doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the
breasts. 10For precept must be upon precept,
precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little,
and there a little: 11For with stammering lips
and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12To
whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to
rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13But
the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon
precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a
little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be
broken, and snared, and taken. (Isaiah 28:)
10And
the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou
unto them in parables? 11He
answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not
given. 12For whosoever hath, to
him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever
hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13Therefore
speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing
they hear not, neither do they understand. 14And
in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye
shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and
shall not perceive: 15For this people's heart
is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear
with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be
converted, and I should heal them. (Mat 13:)
10And
when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of
him the parable. 11And he said unto them, Unto
you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto
them that are without, all these things are done
in parables: 12That
seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and
not understand; lest at any time they should be
converted, and their sins should be forgiven
them. (Mark 4:)
We
hear what we want to hear; we believe what we want
to believe. We accept that which makes us feel comfortable and
important, and that which makes sense to us. If someone tells us what
we don't already accept, or that we don't want to believe, we turn to
them a deaf ear - just as did the Pharisees and the rulers of Jesus'
day.
But
turning a deaf ear to God is like ignoring the words of the doctor that
says you have a cancerous tumor that must be removed. However, the
doctor's words will effect only the brief life we have here on earth.
Ignoring God's Words will effect our eternal destination.
As
I look at my hand, I see me. I see what is most important to me. I see
that which is with me constantly, that which affects me most distinctly
and clearly. Although I can hurt for someone in pain, I am not nearly
as affected by that pain as I am when it is my own body that is in pain.
The
closer something is to us, the more real it becomes.
We
are in essence the center of our own universe. This is not only true of
us humans, but of every living creature as well. The tiger feels no
qualms about killing an innocent fawn; but he cowers and is in fear if
he, himself is threatened.
Because
we are the center of our universe, we think others
should consider us the center of the universe as well. We think
everyone should bow down and serve us. Oh, most of us would not come
right out and say such a thing: we might not even
let ourself think such a thing. But it is true
none the less.
There
were probably no people more in tune with Jesus, and therefore giving
of themselves than the Apostles who had followed Jesus for three and a
half years, and they said:
35And
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we
would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 36And
he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? 37They
said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy
right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
(Mark 10:)
24And
when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation
against the two brethren. 25But
Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the
Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise
authority upon them. 26But it shall not be so
among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
minister; 27And whosoever will be chief among
you, let him be your servant: 28Even as the Son
of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his
life a ransom for many. (Mat 20)
We
direct the world and our surroundings so that our path might be laden
with a bed of roses. Some take this to an extreme, grabbing the roses
of others for themselves while leaving them with nothing but the
thorns. We can see this exemplified in the lives of the rulers Jesus
had to contend with.
What
are some of the roses we plant by our bed that will likely distort our
understanding of God's Word?
I
have listed just a few below. None of this is to say that one or the
other of these might in fact be true. I am merely placing them here as
examples of the preconceived notions we have when we read the Bible
that will color what God is saying. We make His Words conform to these
notions, and when they seem to differ, we discount that difference.
Take
a look at these and see if they are not part of your own belief system:
- Man
has a soul that is eternal, it never dies. Because the soul is
everlasting, there must be an everlasting place where it must abide.
Question: When does this eternal soul begin? At birth? At conception?
From "before the foundation of the world"?
- Heaven
is a place up in the sky somewhere. Heaven is a place on a cloud where
we will be as angels with nothing to do but "fly around Heaven all day"
and play upon our golden harp. Eternity will be spent in a huge
"mansion" 1,500 miles cubed (or in the shape of a pyramid) with
monstrous gates and many levels. Question: Hmmmm!
- God
is this huge man who is siting on a throne somewhere on a cloud
watching over us just waiting for us to change our mind and come to Him
so He won't have to cast us into that fiery pit with the devil and his
angels. Question: Have we considered? 23But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship
the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that
worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:)
We
are important. We are what God is all about. We, that is the
"Christian" is special and an elite group of people, destined for
eternal bliss, given favors here on earth, and sons and daughters of He
who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Question: What did God tell
Adam and Eve? 19In
the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the
ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust
shalt thou return. (Gen 3:)
And
how about these verses? How do they fit into the
concept of man being valuable?
6But
I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people [Jesus speaking of
Himself through David].
(Psalm 22:)
5I
know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert
cold or hot. 16So then because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17Because
thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (Rev 3:)
We
read what we're taught is being said. We don't question what we're
taught. We are taught not to question what we are
told, and this from birth. Yet it is those who do
question, and who doubt what they are taught who have become great, who
have been the inventors, the innovators of this world. While most of
the world are like lemmings that follow their leader by the thousands
and fall headlong over a cliff and into the sea where they drown.
Lemmings, as I read the Bible are not what God is
seeking to live with forever, but rather the courageous, those who
depart from the crowd and take chances, seeking the truth. He wants
those who will stand up for His Word, who will listen to what He
is telling us rather than what some man says He
is telling us. He is looking for people who will live and die for Him.
Is
this the way you read the Bible? Is this
what you're told from the pulpit and in your Bible study groups? If
this isn't what you read or that you are being
taught, then I hope you are a very good swimmer.
RULING
AND REIGNING
"When
I get to be Corporal, then I'll buckle down and
start soldiering."
"Not
me. I'm not going to get serious about this Army business until they
make me at least a General."
"Are
you guys nuts? What makes you think you're going to get anything
but trouble if you don't buckle down and do what you're told to do
right now, and do it with all you got?"
10He
that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and
he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11If
therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will
commit to your trust the true riches? 12And
if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall
give you that which is your own? (Luke 16:)
29For
unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance:
but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30And cast ye the unprofitable servant
into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mat
25:)
CHANGES
It
was not long ago that God reigned as the center of this nation's
universe. We saw His name everywhere we went, and heard music dedicated
to Him every time we heard a radio or passed by where there was music
playing. It mattered not a whit the type of music being played: Rock
and Roll, C&W, Pop; a fair amount of it would be about God and
of Jesus.
"Under
God" was part of the Pledge of Allegiance that every child recited
before their class began (just before or just after prayer). Today not
only God has been taken out of the schoolroom, but so has the Pledge or
any other form of concern for this nation and those we share it with.
God
was part of our courts. Because God was a part of our justice system we
felt at least a sense of accountability from those who we pay to
protect and defend us. Today we are bugs, and God does not exist. With
such an attitude, what hope can we have that those who stand behind the
seat of justice will serve anything more than their popularity and
their own pocket book? It is interesting that although we have kicked
God out of our courtroom, we, the hypocrites we are, still demand that
anyone taking the stand swear "by God" on a Bible written by someone we
have declared does not exist. And since we have declared God an
nonentity, what reason does the one taking the oath have for keeping
that vow to someone he has been taught does not exist?
On
the money we use to purchase those things that God has graciously
supplied for us there was imprinted on it: "In God We Trust." Although
there are still some antiquated bills and coins in circulation with
this imprint, there is no belief in those words or the meaning behind
them. Little by little those words are disappearing from our monetary
system. As God disappears from our money, so does the value of our
money diminish. While God does not stand behind our money any more,
neither does our government nor our banks stand behind it. We are now
living on air, on green toilet paper with no more value than that value
we place on God who gave us this nation and our wealth.
The
value of our money is not the only values disappearing with our
rejection of God. In our schools where God is no longer welcome, the
quality of education and the learning of worthwhile subjects also
suffer. Teachers no longer have the respect nor the support of their
nation they once had, neither the respect of their students, nor the
parents. And why should parents lend their
support to a system who allows them no say-so nor allows them any
control over their own child or the morals (or lack thereof) they are
taught?
During
the last hundred years this nation had grown from a floundering,
mediocre people to become a people and a nation to be looked up to, if
not fully respected and feared as such; a nation to lead the way and
lend its support to those nations of the world that were in want.
Everyone knew that God was the One responsible for the success of our
nation. And we knew that if we ever fell from grace, we could fail as a
nation.
We
fell away from God, and we are now next to being lowest of all people
in the eyes of the world: a people to be despised and destroyed as a
blight on the universe. This is especially so with those monotheistic
nations of the world, with whom we share our God, but who, in their
own eyes, are working to follow the God they
believe in, but that we have rejected. And, oddly enough, that God they
serve is the very same God we purportedly served when we were looked up
to rather than hated and despised.
We
used to say: "If only we could get a Christian President, then
things would be different!"
We
got our Christian President, just as Fundamental a President as one
could possibly have....
And,
indeed, things have changed!
Half
a century ago you were not asked if you went to church, you were asked what
church you belonged to. Now, to belong to a church is an indication
that there is something psychologically wrong with you.
We
no longer seek God for change in our life, we seek Godless
Psychologists, therapists and books (and drugs) to alter our life.
Prisons
are a place we send those who are not able to function in society in a
socially acceptable manner. Prisons are where we send youngsters just
beginning their life of crime where they can learn from those more
advanced and skillful in the ways of crime so they can further their
education and succeed in their chosen field of endeavor without being
detected and punished.
The
Bible used to be the tool used to help counter the direction these
young offenders were taking. Now Bibles are not allowed in many, if not
most of the prisons anymore, because it hinders and contradicts what
the wardens and the Psychologists are telling the prisoners.
At
one time becoming a Christian was a fairly good indication that a
person was on the way to mending his or her soul. Now, to say one is a
Christian is to indicate one is deceived and not fit for society, a
society of people well-aware of their bug status, but totally unaware
of their deceived condition.
Before
the middle of the last century Christianity was the norm. In the
churches it was common to hear what we call "Fire and Brimstone"
messages intended to drive sinners to their knees in repentance and in
service to God.
Then,
the war over, and so also the fear of war, we began to change our
intentions and our purposes. God and sin was no longer considered. It
was: "Do your own thing:" "I'm OK, Your OK;" "Peace and Love."
Rebellion
was the way of the youth. Whatever made sense and worked toward the
betterment of society was to be frowned upon and cast off.
This
attitude soon spread from the colleges and the culture of Woodstock and
Free Love to the schools of lower education, and the media, and
eventually the churches. The Protestant churches fell sway to the
rhythm of the Hippie generation, taking on the attitude of: "Do Your
Own Thing," and God is Love." The music that emanated from the churches
became indistinguishable from Woodstock unless one listened closely to
the words, if those words could be heard over the overdriven guitars
and the battling drums. (Today it's Rapp and other such where vulgar
and violent words might possibly be replaced with "Jesus," but even the
most Worldly of Rappers is unlikely to recognize the replacement.) The
church has conformed to the world rather than separate itself from it
as we are instructed to do by the Word of God.
Even
the old established churches that had stood firm as a fencepost for a
multitude of generations fell to the power of the people. The wisdom of
age was no longer to be respected in the churches; it was now the noise
and the immaturity of the youth who led the way. Wisdom and dedication
to God had no place in the church: it was now "sit in your pew and
behave like the kids," or you were encouraged to find a new church to
attend.
As
generations passed, those rebellious youths became the grey-hairs who
rule our churches, our schools, our businesses, and yes, our government.
Youth
had no reason to mature, because maturity was to be avoided at all
cost. Thus we see the result of turning our world over to the Hippie
generation who knew nothing more than to rebel against anything
established, and to direct everything it encounters to itself.
The
only ones, it seems, who refuse to budge from their firm stance of
dedicated service to God as they see it, are the Jews, the Muslims, and
those the respectable denominations call: "Cults."
The
respectable Christians say all the above are
wrong in their form of worship. I say: is there anyone right?
There
are a few: a very few, who refuse to go the way
of the World. In standing still these few have appeared to the
multitudes who have fallen to have departed from the faith. In time to
come the faithful will have shifted from being the majority to being
the persecuted minority: and this by the very church who professes to
follow the God they no longer recognize as their Lord. Jesus said it,
and it is so:
1These
things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 2They
shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time
cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3And these things will they do unto you,
because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4But
these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may
remember that I told you of them. (John 16:)
DO
IT, AND LIKE IT!
It's
hard to accept when our parents tell us we have to do something that we
don't want to do. It makes it no easier when our parents add to this
commandment: "You're going to do it, and you're
going to like it!
Anyone
who has served in the Armed Services has also had such a command
presented to them.
But
parents and Army DI's are not the only ones who are given to such
contradictory affirmations. No indeed. God is also prone to tell us we
must do what we want least to do, and to like it:
10Blessed
are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed
are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all
manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12Rejoice,
and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in
heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (Mat
5:)
12Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is
to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto
you: 13But
rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's
sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also
with exceeding joy. (1Pet 4:13)
37He
that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he
that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And
he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me,
is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth
his life shall lose it: and he
that loseth his life for my sake shall find
it. (Mat 10:)
28Come
unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. 29Take
my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Mat 11:)
14But
and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye:
and be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled; (1Pet 3:)
35And
he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them,
If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and
servant of all. (Mark 9:)
12So
after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set
down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13Ye
call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14If
I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye
also ought to wash one another's feet. 15For
I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16Verily,
verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord;
neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17If
ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (John
13:)
44But
I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you, and persecute you;. . .48Be
ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect. . (Mat 5:)
39But
I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever
shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40And if any man will sue thee at the law,
and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41And
whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42Give
to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn
not thou away. (Mat 5:)
17If
ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
(John 13:)
LORD,
LORD
LORD
G2962 kurios koo'-ree-os From
kuros (supremacy);
supreme in authority, that is, (as noun) controller;
by implication Mr. (as a respectful title): -
God, Lord, master, Sir.
21Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven; but he that doeth the will of
my Father which is in heaven. 22Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24Therefore
whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken
him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And
the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat
upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And
every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which
built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that
house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Mat 7:)
46And
why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which
I say? (Luke 6:)
MASTER
G1320 didaskalos did-as'-kal-os From
G1321; an instructor (generally or specifically):
- doctor, master, teacher.
RABBI
G4461 rhabbi rab-bee' Of
Hebrew origin [H7227] with pronominal suffix; my master,
that is, Rabbi, as an official title of honor: -
Master, Rabbi.
As
with so many of the original Greek and Hebrew words, "Lord, Master, and
Rabbi" have rather ambiguous meanings, that is, unclear. When we say
"Lord," do we mean "Hey you, Mister," or do we mean "My Lord and my God
who I will serve to my death"?
ADORABLE
We
use the word "adorable" to describe everything from a rag doll to
whatever. But just what does the word mean according to the experts on
words?
ADORE:
(according to the dictionary)
to
speak, pray
1
: to worship or honor as a deity or as divine
2
: to regard with loving admiration and devotion
<adored his wife>
3
: to be very fond of <adores pecan pie>
Like
all words, over time we minimize them and turn their meaning into
nothing. Consider "Love." How much affection does a wife feel from her
husband when he says he "loves" her, and at the same time, and with the
same words, expresses his love for potato chips and beer.
How
much regard does God give our adoration for Him? Does He count it as:
"intense devotion, loyal or loving" as He requires of us, and demands
of His followers? Or does He see our adoration as the final meaning
above: "very fond of pecan pie"?
We
need to watch our words.
36But
I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall
give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37For
by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be
condemned. (Mat 12:)
A
side note on this issue. I was rebuked on the use of this very word not
long ago, thus my investigation of it. As you can see, I was wrong in
treating the word lightly, and she was once again right.
There
is great blessing in being wrong: it affords a person the opportunity
to learn what is right. When a person is "right" all the time, they are
very likely to be firmly affixed in a wrong mode
and are totally unaware of it.
DIGNITY
"I
wouldn't work for those low wages. It's beneath my dignity. Why, I'd
rather go on welfare than degrade myself like that."
Dignity:
"Deserving of respect, worthy."
The
Bible tells us:
11But
he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And
whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble
himself shall be exalted. (Mat 23:)
We
of this nation have chosen dignity over humility. Pride is the
all-important characteristic to strive for.
In
time past humility was our aim. Because of our direction toward
humility, we achieved greatness and power. Such also was the situation
with Solomon who desired wisdom to rule God's people, and for his
unselfish request, he was given wealth untold as a bonus.
This
nation strives for pride. We will not work for a paltry sum that is
beneath our station in life. Because of this egotistic view, we have
turned our jobs, our wealth, our power and our security over to those
in other countries who will lower themselves to
become common laborers. We have become a nation indebted to those who
hate us and wish us ill. Instead of a nation that "walks softly and
carries a big stick," we are now a people with no strength to carry the
big stick we drag threateningly behind us.
All
this in half a century. What can we expect in the future if we continue
in the direction we are going?
REASONS
TO ATTEND CHURCH
There
are essentially two types of people who attend church. The first group,
and surely the largest group of attendees are the needy. It might be
monetary help they need, or it might very possibly be emotional support
they need. And for certain there are many who are in need of physical
(health) support.
And
then, of course, there are those who want to merely have their ticket
punched for their train to Glory.
The
other group of church attenders are the givers. The givers attend
church to contribute to the needs of others. Giving is what they do
best, and what makes them feel good. They feel good because they are
making a difference in this world, and they feel good because they
"feel good" about themselves for their giving.
Givers
give, and takers take. It is a rare occurrence when a giver is in need.
And when they are in need, it is rarely, if ever,
the taker who is willing to be of assistance to the giver. When in
need, the giver must allow themself to be helped by another giver, or
very likely a stranger who they will never see again (who, of course,
is a giver desiring only to give without recompense).
The
churches desire givers, but they advertise for and embrace takers. In
itself this is not necessarily wrong: if the
church also made any effort toward converting the taker to become
givers.
But
they don't.
The
attitude of the churches is that everyone is perfect once they step
through the portals of the door and sign their name to a pledge that
can be broken at a whim without accusation or loss.
The
Bible speaks of the takers, referring to them as "tares." Because of
the tares, the churches are growing in size, but diminishing in effect.
This
is not true of every church, of course, some
churches are growing rapidly. Most of these expanding churches are
classified as "cults" and have not fallen into the slacking of
requirements. And many of the mainline churches are drifting toward the
cult status while still posting signs stating they cling to their
original belief, but according to their actions, it is clear they do
not.
CREDIT
"They
cut me off, how am I supposed to survive?!"
"Who
cut you off?"
"My
credit card company. They won't let me have any more credit, and they
want me to pay off my account."
"That's
not so bad. It might even be a good thing. It's
too easy to go way in debt with those things."
"Not
me. I wasn't doing anything unusual with my card. I just did like the
company said, and like everyone else does."
"What
did you use your card for?"
"Well,
you know, the everyday things like food and
gas and furniture and everything like that."
"Did
you spend more than you make? I mean, if you had to pay for everything
you put on the card out of your paycheck, could you do it easily
enough?"
"Of
course not. But I made sure I was able to
make the minimum payment with my paycheck. That's what you're supposed
to do, isn't it? That's why I'm worried, how am I supposed to survive
on my paycheck, and make payments on the card too?"
We
have an old expression that says: "We're living on borrowed time."
Never
more was this statement true than it is today. Everyone, from all the
governments right on down to the poor are living, not only on borrowed
time, but borrowed income as well.
We
also know, and have known for some time, that our souls are going to be
required of us in the not too distant future. At this time we will have
to reckon with the One who has been lending us this time and this life.
We will have to give an account for what we have done with what we have
been given. If we fail to repay what we owe, which there is no way that
we can, especially those of us who are living on a false hope of
Eternal Social Security, then we will be "sold until our debt has been
paid."
23Therefore
is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take
account of his servants. 24And when he had
begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand
talents. 25But forasmuch as he had not to pay,
his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all
that he had, and payment to be made. (Mat 18:)
11And
as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he
was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God
should immediately appear. 12He said therefore,
A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a
kingdom, and to return. 13And he called his ten
servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy
till I come . . . . .. 20And another came,
saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I
have kept laid up in a napkin:. . . . . . . . 24And
he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it
to him that hath ten pounds. 25(And they said
unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 26For I
say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from
him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. 27But
those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them,
bring hither, and slay them before me. (Luke 18:)
11And
when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had
not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto
him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?
And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to
the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him
into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14For
many are called, but few are chosen. (Mat 22:)
23Then
said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto
them, 24Strive to enter in at the strait gate:
for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
25When once the master of the house is
risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and
to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall
answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26Then
shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and
thou hast taught in our streets. 27But he shall
say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye
workers of iniquity. 28There shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,
and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves
thrust out. 29And they shall come from the
east, and from the west, and from the north, and from
the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30And,
behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which
shall be last. (Luke 13:)
Just
what does the above verses mean?
I
for one do not want to find out.
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