Listen up!! by Gary Rose

Nobody really likes to be faced with the prospect of hell. Nobody. People ignore the idea, make fun of it (like the picture) or try to make it into just another "annoying place". Bad idea! Consider, for a moment that hell really does exist and that its a place of torment. Would you really want to go there? Wouldn't you do anything to ANYTHING to avoid such suffering?

Jesus said...

Matthew, Chapter 10 (World English Bible)

²⁴  “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord.   ²⁵  It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,  how much more those of his household!   ²⁶ Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known.   ²⁷  What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops.   ²⁸  Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna..."(emp. added vs 28, GDR)

Luke, Chapter 16   (World English Bible)

  ¹⁹  “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.   ²⁰  A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores,   ²¹  and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.   ²²  The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.   ²³  In Hades,  he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.   ²⁴  He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ 

  ²⁵  “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted, and you are in anguish.   ²⁶  Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’ 

  ²⁷  “He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house;   ²⁸  for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ 

  ²⁹  “But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ 

  ³⁰  “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 

  ³¹  “He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’” (emp. added vs 31, GDR)

 Matthew, Chapter 17 (World English Bible)

 ¹ After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves. ² He was changed before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.  ³ Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him. 

  ⁴ Peter answered, and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 

  ⁵ While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” (emp. added vs 5, GDR)
 

 Matthew, Chapter 28  (World English Bible)

 ¹⁸ Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.  ¹⁹  Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,   ²⁰  teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (emp. added GDR vss. 18-20)

I don't know about you, but I will listen to both firemen and Jesus. Firemen can lead you to safety from earthly fire and Jesus  from everlasting fire. The picture is funny (in a way), but hell is not. Listen, obey and someday enter heaven. As for that other place, I am going to do everything I can to stay of the there. Hope you will as well!!!

Bible Reading February 13 by Gary Rose

Bible Reading February 13 (World English Bible)

Feb. 13

Genesis 44

Gen 44:1 He commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

Gen 44:2 Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, with his grain money." He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

Gen 44:3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

Gen 44:4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you rewarded evil for good?

Gen 44:5 Isn't this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.' "

Gen 44:6 He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

Gen 44:7 They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

Gen 44:8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord's house?

Gen 44:9 With whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondservants."

Gen 44:10 He said, "Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found will be my bondservant; and you will be blameless."

Gen 44:11 Then they hurried, and every man took his sack down to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

Gen 44:12 He searched, beginning with the eldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

Gen 44:13 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.

Gen 44:14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

Gen 44:15 Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Don't you know that such a man as I can indeed divine?"

Gen 44:16 Judah said, "What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord's bondservants, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found."

Gen 44:17 He said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my bondservant; but as for you, go up in peace to your father."

Gen 44:18 Then Judah came near to him, and said, "Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and don't let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.

Gen 44:19 My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father, or a brother?'

Gen 44:20 We said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.'

Gen 44:21 You said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.'

Gen 44:22 We said to my lord, 'The boy can't leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

Gen 44:23 You said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.'

Gen 44:24 It happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

Gen 44:25 Our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

Gen 44:26 We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man's face, unless our youngest brother is with us.'

Gen 44:27 Your servant, my father, said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons:

Gen 44:28 and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces;" and I haven't seen him since.

Gen 44:29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.'

Gen 44:30 Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the boy's life;

Gen 44:31 it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.

Gen 44:32 For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I don't bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'

Gen 44:33 Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, a bondservant to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

Gen 44:34 For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn't with me?--lest I see the evil that will come on my father."

 

Feb. 12, 13

Matthew 22

Mat 22:1 Jesus answered and spoke again in parables to them, saying,

Mat 22:2 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,

Mat 22:3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come.

Mat 22:4 Again he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "Behold, I have made ready my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast!" '

Mat 22:5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise,

Mat 22:6 and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.

Mat 22:7 When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

Mat 22:8 "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren't worthy.

Mat 22:9 Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the marriage feast.'

Mat 22:10 Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.

Mat 22:11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn't have on wedding clothing,

Mat 22:12 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?' He was speechless.

Mat 22:13 Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness; there is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.'

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few chosen."

Mat 22:15 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk.

Mat 22:16 They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter who you teach, for you aren't partial to anyone.

Mat 22:17 Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

Mat 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test me, you hypocrites?

Mat 22:19 Show me the tax money." They brought to him a denarius.

Mat 22:20 He asked them, "Whose is this image and inscription?"

Mat 22:21 They said to him, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

Mat 22:22 When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.

Mat 22:23 On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him,

Mat 22:24 saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed for his brother.'

Mat 22:25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no seed left his wife to his brother.

Mat 22:26 In like manner the second also, and the third, to the seventh.

Mat 22:27 After them all, the woman died.

Mat 22:28 In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her."

Mat 22:29 But Jesus answered them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.

Mat 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God's angels in heaven.

Mat 22:31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven't you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying,

Mat 22:32 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

Mat 22:33 When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

Mat 22:34 But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together.

Mat 22:35 One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.

Mat 22:36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?"

Mat 22:37 Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'

Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

Mat 22:39 A second likewise is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

Mat 22:40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Mat 22:41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,

Mat 22:42 saying, "What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "Of David."

Mat 22:43 He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,

Mat 22:44 'The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?'

Mat 22:45 "If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?"

Mat 22:46 No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forth.

What is the correct distinction between the Old and the New Covenants? by Roy Davison

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/covenant.html

 What is the correct distinction
between the Old and the New Covenants?

Many wrong practices and doctrines are based on a misunderstanding of the difference between the Old and the New Covenants.

The Old and the New Testaments together form the Holy Scriptures. All Scripture is necessary: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

This does not mean, however, that everything in the Scriptures applies to us as law. Noah was commanded to construct a boat to save his family. His example of faith and obedience is edifying for us, but we do not have to build a boat!

Through Moses, God gave a law to Israel. We can learn much from that law. But it was never given to the church of Christ as a law.

In the first century this point was clarified. Some Jews wanted to obligate non-Jews to keep the law of Moses. “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question” (Acts 15:1, 2).

The same idea was advanced by certain ones at Jerusalem: “But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses’” (Acts 15:5).

Peter refuted this: “And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: ‘Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they” (Acts 15:7-11).

Notice that this applies to all disciples, not just to the Gentiles. Christians are not obligated to keep the law of Moses because it is a yoke that no one can bear.

What then is the value of the Old Testament for Christians? “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

Jesus said: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).

Although the Old and New Testaments together form the Scriptures, the New Covenant supersedes and replaces the Old Covenant. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught many things that are different from the law of Moses. At the same time He emphasized that He was not against the law. The Old Testament had its function in God’s plan. Jesus came to fulfill the old law and bring a new one. Although the law was replaced, that was not a ‘destruction’ because the Old Testament foretold its own replacement!

In Hebrews, Jeremiah 31:31-34 is quoted as proof that the Old Covenant has been replaced: “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah - not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them,’ says the LORD. ‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says the LORD: ‘I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:6-13).

Jesus did not come to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill their predictions. Anyone with true respect for the law of Moses would also accept Jesus and become a Christian. But hypocrites who did not respect the law would also not accept Christ (See John 1:45; 5:45, 46).

In our time, many unchristian practices and doctrines are supported with passages from the Old Covenant: the establishment of central ecclesiastical organizations; the maintenance of a separate priest class; the use of candles, incense and musical instruments in worship; the observance of the Sabbath and the obligation to give a tenth, to mention a few. None of these practices have been given to the New Testament church. But people who want to do such things, or to bind them on others, refer to passages in the Old Testament in an arbitrary manner to support their ideas. I say ‘in an arbitrary manner’ because to be consistent they would have to do everything required under the Old Covenant, but they of course do not want to do that.

Some claim that the ten commandments in the Old Testament still apply as law for believers, even though the rest does not. Their argumentation is: “What? May we murder and steal and commit adultery?” Many are deceived by this superficial argument, but it is not valid.

The ten commandments no longer apply as law because in the doctrine of Christ they are completely superseded. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus demands much more of us than the ten commandments. He not only forbids murder and adultery, but also the causes, hate and lust (Matthew 5:21, 22, 27, 28).

Paul wrote that the ten commandments have been replaced by something much better: “But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious” (2 Corinthians 3:7-11). The ten commandments, engraved on stones, were a ministry of death that had to disappear. Christ brought something better.

The gospel of Christ encompasses all fundamental, unchangeable values of the ten commandments. Christians certainly may not steal or murder. But they avoid this because of their love for God and fellowman, not just because there is a command: “You shall not kill”.

Certain externals in the ten commandments are not included in the New Covenant. A Christian has not been told, for example, that he may not make a statue; he has been told not to worship idols. According to the ten commandments, however, one may not even make a statue.

Nor is the Sabbath command applicable under the New Covenant: “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16, 17).

Although we can learn much from the Old Testament (the Old Testament helps us understand the New), we now live under the New Testament, a covenant of grace.

We are not under the law of Moses, This is stated many times in the New Testament. “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:14, 15). “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another - to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God” (Romans 7:4). “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:6). “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Galatians 3:24, 25). “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:18). “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace” (Ephesians 2:14, 15).

It is important to know when the New Testament went into effect. “For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives” (Hebrews 9:16, 17). Thus, the New Testament took effect after the death of Christ.

Jesus Himself lived under the Old Covenant: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4, 5). This means that many things in the four Gospels still relate to the Old Covenant, although Jesus, in anticipation, also taught many things that are part of the New Covenant. If we use our discernment, we can distinguish between the two.

By overlooking the distinction between the old and the new covenants in the Gospels, certain false doctrines are advanced. Some teach, for example: “Jesus kept the Sabbath, we must do the same.” Jesus also kept the Passover and worshipped in the temple. Must we follow these examples? Of course not. The Sabbath, the Passover and the temple service were part of the Old Covenant. Some have claimed that Jesus’ teaching about divorce does not apply to us because He spoke before the New Covenant took effect. From the text it is clear, however, that Jesus was not teaching the law of Moses (his teaching was completely different). He was presenting His own teaching that is part of the new covenant.

All the Scriptures, both the Old and the New Testaments, are useful for our instruction. But we do not now live under the law of Moses or the ten commandments. The gospel of Jesus Christ applies to us; we serve God under the New Covenant.

What did God say from heaven when Peter’s words indicated that he placed Jesus on a par with Moses and Elijah? “Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’ - because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!’” (Mark 9:5-7).

Let us make a correct distinction between the Old and the New Covenants. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1, 2). Amen.

Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982,
Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise.
Permission for reference use has been granted.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)