A Messiah Who "Sneaks" Into History? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=172

A Messiah Who "Sneaks" Into History?

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

As Paul stood before King Agrippa’s throne, relating the story of Christ, he declared of the Messiah’s life: “This thing was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26). Those few words have reverberated through centuries of history as one of the hallmarks of the story of Jesus. Never was the life, death, or resurrection of Christ meant to be kept secret—as something might be when it is stored away in a box in an abandoned attic, to be discovered later by accident only by a fortunate few. Rather, the many facets of Christ’s earthly ministry were readily available for inspection by anyone, anytime, anywhere.
In fact, centuries before Christ set foot on the Earth in human form, the prophets of old repeatedly had spoken of His impending arrival. Over 300 messianic prophecies fill the pages of the Old Testament. God did not try to “sneak” the Messiah into human affairs under cover of darkness and without warning. Truth be told, He went to considerable effort to announce to the world the news of its heralded Savior.
One such instance can be found in Genesis 49:10, wherein Moses wrote: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes.” The word “Shiloh” has long been recognized by biblical scholars as another name for the Messiah. This verse, then, explains exactly when the Messiah was to arrive—when the scepter had departed from Judah.
So what is the “scepter,” and when did it depart from Judah? The scepter was a staff kept in possession of the elders of each of the twelve tribes of Israel and engraved with the name of the tribe. It symbolized the national sovereignty and judicial power of God’s people. As long as the scepter was in place, the Jews could govern themselves, excommunicate one of their own, and even administer corporeal punishment (including the death penalty).

Artist’s concept of Paul before King Agrippa (image courtesy of ArtToday.com)

Interestingly, the scepter remained in place even while the Jews were in captivity under both the Babylonians and the Medes and Persians. It also remained in place for a time under Roman captivity—until the Emperor instituted procurators. When that occurred, even first-century Jews recognized the departure of the scepter because the Romans (around A.D. 11) took away the Jews’ right to administer capital punishment. One Jewish teacher, rabbi Rachmon, put the situation in these terms: “When the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves deprived of their right over life and death, a general consternation took possession of them; they covered their heads with ashes, and their bodies with sackcloth, exclaiming: ‘Woe unto us, for the scepter has departed from Judah, and the Messiah has not come’ ” (as quoted in McDowell, 1999, p. 195).
When the members of the Sanhedrin found that they could not put Jesus to death themselves, but had to request instead that Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator, do so on their behalf (Luke 23:24), they should have known the Messiah was in their midst, for that was the exact prophecy Moses had recorded. The scepter had indeed departed from Judah—and the Messiah had indeed come! Yet the Jews ignored the voice of God and demanded the death sentence for His only begotten Son. Why? Because they were the people who “always resisted the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51).
Woe to those individuals in our day and age who ignore the powerful evidence that God has provided as proof of the deity of His precious Son, Jesus Christ! Let us ensure that we today do not become as blind to Christ’s Sonship as those first-century Jews.

REFERENCES

McDowell, Josh (1999), The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson).

Do Natural Disasters Negate Divine Benevolence? by Bert Thompson, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1102

Do Natural Disasters Negate Divine Benevolence?

by	Bert Thompson, Ph.D.

Q.

The Earth is plagued with all kinds of natural disasters (tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, etc.). How can these tragedies be reconciled with a supposedly good, benevolent God?
A.
September 21, 1989—Hurricane Hugo strikes the southeastern coast of the United States. Over 25 people are killed, and over $10 billion worth of damage results. One month later—October 17, 1989—an earthquake registering 7.1 on the Richter scale strikes the San Francisco Bay area in California. At least 62 people are killed, and damage estimates are placed at well over $1 billion. August 24, 1992—Hurricane Andrew hits three counties in southern Florida. More than a dozen people lose their lives, and damage estimates are set at over $20 billion. A year later, on September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki devastates the Hawaiian islands. At least four people die, and damage is set at over $1 billion. In June 1993, huge portions of numerous states along the Mississippi River and its tributaries experienced the worst flooding in their history. Entire cities were covered with water measured not in inches, but in feet. At least 47 people died, and more than 25,000 were evacuated from their homes.
Do these types of natural disasters represent merely isolated, infrequent events? Hardly. Throughout history, man has recorded many such tragedies. In 526, an earthquake hit the country now known as Turkey and left 250,000 dead. A similar earthquake in China in 1556 killed over 830,000 people. Another quake in India in 1737 annihilated 300,000, and quakes in Central China in 1920, 1927, and 1932 killed 200,000, 200,000, and 70,000 people respectively. In 1889, the famous “Johnstown Flood” occurred in Pennsylvania. The dam of the South Fork Reservoir, twelve miles east of the city, burst during heavy rains. Over 2,000 people were killed, and property damage was estimated to be over $10 million. In 1969, Hurricane Camille killed more than 250 people in seven states from Louisiana to Virginia, leaving behind over $1.5 billion in damage. In 1983, Hurricane Alicia struck near Galveston, killing 21 and causing over $2 billion in damage.
It is rare indeed, it seems, for a single generation in a given locale to be spared at least some kind of natural disaster. Without warning, tornadoes sweep down from the afternoon sky and destroy in a moment’s fury what took decades or centuries to build. Floods cover “old home places,” and remove forever any vestige of what were once storehouses of hallowed memories. In a matter of seconds, earthquakes irreparably alter once-familiar landscapes. Hurricanes come from the sea, demolish practically everything in their paths, and then dissipate as if they never had existed. Each time humanity suffers. And each time there are those who ask “Why?”

THE “WHY?” QUESTION

In the face of disasters such as those described above, there is hardly any question likely to be asked more routinely than “why?” But the question is not always asked in the same way, or with the same intent. Some stand on the charred remains of what was once their home and ask, “why me?”—and mean exactly that. Why them and why now? All they want is to understand the physical events that have changed their lives, and to learn what they can do to correct the situation and avoid a repeat of it. They are not looking to assign blame; they merely want an explanation of the prevailing circumstances.
Others view the destruction around them and ask “why?,” but their inquiry is brief and their response immediate. They correctly view the Earth as a once-perfect-but-now-flawed home for mankind. Rather than their faith in God being diminished by the ravages of ongoing natural phenomena, it is strengthened because they: (a) know that there are rational biblical and scientific explanations for such events; (b) understand that after all is said and done, “the Judge of all the Earth will do that which is right” (Genesis 18:25); and (c) put their faith into action as they work to help themselves, or those around them whose lives have been affected by a disaster.
Still others view natural disasters and ask “why?,” when what they really mean is: “If a benevolent God exists, why did He allow these things to happen?” The implication of their statement is clear. Since these things did happen, God must not exist.

THE BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO THE “WHY” QUESTION

It is not my purpose here to address the “why me, why now?” question that seeks a physical explanation as to what kind of swirling wind current spawns a tornado, or what kind of geological phenomena may be responsible for an earthquake. Much has been written on these topics that can provide adequate answers for those willing to research the problem. Instead, I would like to answer the more pressing philosophical questions of why the Earth experiences natural disasters in the first place, and why such disasters are not incompatible with a benevolent God.

Our Once-Perfect-But-Now-Flawed Planet

At the end of His six days of creation (Genesis 1:31), God surveyed all that He had made, and proclaimed it “very good”—Hebrew terminology representing that which was both complete and perfect. Rivers were running, fish were swimming, and birds were flying. Pestilence, disease, and human death were unknown. Man existed in an idyllic paradise of happiness and beauty where he shared such an intimate and blissful covenant relationship with his Maker that God came to the garden “in the cool of the day” to commune with its human inhabitants (Genesis 3:8). Additionally, Genesis 3:22 records that man had continual access to the tree of life that stood in the garden, the fruit of which would allow him to live forever.
The peacefulness and tranquillity of the first days of humanity were not to prevail, however. In Genesis 3—in fewer words than an average sportswriter would use to discuss a Friday night high school football game—Moses, through inspiration, discussed the breaking of the covenant relationship between man and God, the entrance of sin into the world, and the curse(s) that resulted therefrom. When our original parents revolted against their Creator, evil entered the world. Moses informs us that as a direct consequence of human sin, the Earth was “cursed” (Genesis 3:17). Paul, in Romans 8:19-20, declared that the entire creation was subjected to “vanity” and the “bondage of corruption” as a result of the sinful events that took place in Eden on that occasion. Things apparently deteriorated rapidly. Just three chapters later, Moses wrote:

And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens (Genesis 6:5-7).

Genesis 6-8 records the global destruction resulting from the Great Flood sent by God as His instrument of judgment. The text indicates that the waters which caused the Flood derived from two sources: (a) “the fountains of the great deep”; and (b) “the windows of heaven” (Genesis 7:11). Water fell for forty days and nights (Genesis 7:12,17), and eventually covered “all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven” (Genesis 7:19). We may only surmise the changes that the Flood wrought upon the Earth. Local floods can cause tremendous damage in very brief periods. Imagine, then, the damage that water covering every mountain fifteen cubits (Genesis 7:20; approximately 22½ feet) must have caused. As one writer has suggested:

The destructive power of flood-waters is evident from what flood waters in recent years have done. They moved blocks of granite weighing 350 tons more than a hundred yards. Boulders weighing 75 to 210 tons have been moved by flood waters only 15 to 20 feet deep.... What vast devastation must have been created when all those forces of the earth worked together; rain gushing down from the canopy above the firmament, earthquakes shaking the earth, many volcanoes erupting and exploding at one time, continents shifting, mountains lifting up, tornados, hurricanes and wild windstorms raging, gigantic tidal waves with crosscurrents and whirlpools raising havoc.... Truly, the Flood was the greatest and most violent catastrophe in the history of the world, with total destruction of all forms of life and of the entire surface of the earth (Sippert, 1989, pp. 78-79).

What were conditions like on the Earth prior to the Great Flood? Numerous biblical scholars have suggested that conditions were radically different than those we see today, and that the Earth was devoid of the many natural disasters that it presently experiences (see Rehwinkel, 1951; Whitcomb and Morris, 1961; Dillow, 1981). Whitcomb and Morris have stated, for example:

This is inferred from the fact that the “breaking-up of the fountains of the great deep” (Genesis 7:11), which implies this sort of activity, was one of the immediate causes of the Deluge; therefore it must have been restrained previously.... Thus the Biblical record implies that the age between the fall of man and the resultant Deluge was one of comparative quiescence geologically. The waters both above and below the firmament were in large measure restrained, temperatures were equably warm, there were no heavy rains nor winds and probably no earthquakes nor volcanic emissions (1961, pp. 242,243).

It is not unreasonable to suggest, knowing the changes caused by local floods, that the global Flood of Genesis 6-8 not only radically altered the face of the Earth, but simultaneously produced circumstances that are responsible for many natural disasters experienced since that time. New, higher mountains and lower valleys were produced by God after the Flood (Psalm 104:6-10). Approximately 71.9% of the Earth’s surface remained covered with water. Temperature changes occurred, producing seasonal variations unlike any before. No doubt other factors were involved as well.
What causes natural disasters on the Earth today? One cause is the vastly different geological and meteorological phenomena now present. Tall mountains and deep valleys may be conducive to localized extremes in weather. The drastically changed components of the Earth’s crust (e.g., fault lines, etc.) give rise to earthquakes. Vast bodies of water, and large global climatic variations, spawn hurricanes and tropical storms.
Taken at face value, then, the wickedness of mankind in Noah’s day (which precipitated the Flood) is responsible ultimately for the changes that now produce various natural disasters. As Brad Bromling has observed:

While we may never know with precision what conditions prevailed between the Edenic period and the Flood, it seems that the weather systems with which we are familiar were largely absent at that time. The fossil record bespeaks a period when the entire Earth enjoyed a temperate climate. This storm-free era most certainly predates the Flood. Since that event, man has been imperiled by tornadoes, blizzards, monsoons, and hurricanes.... Upon whom should we heap blame for the suffering resultant from such weather? Is it fair to accuse God, when He created man’s home free from such things (Genesis 1:31)? In all honesty, the answer is no. Sin robbed us of our original garden paradise, and sin was responsible for the global deluge (Genesis 3:24; 6:7) [1992, p. 17].

One writer concluded: “[T]he cause of all that is wrong with the earth is not godliness but rather ungodliness” (Porter, 1974, p. 467, emp. in orig.). The matter of man’s personal volition has much to do with this. The Scriptures speak to the fact that since God is love, and since love allows freedom of choice, God allows freedom of choice (cf. Joshua 24:15; John 5:39-40). God did not create mankind as robots without any free moral agency. Mankind now reaps the consequences of the misuse of freedom of choice (i.e., the sin) of previous generations. Surely one of the lessons here is that it does not pay to disobey the Creator. In his second epistle, Peter made a clear reference to “the world that then was,” and its destruction by the Flood (3:6). That world no longer exists. Today we inhabit a once-perfect-but-now-flawed Earth. Man—not God—bears the blame.

Natural Disasters and a Benevolent God

The Bible teaches that God is both all-powerful and loving; thus He is benevolent, as love demands. How, then, can He allow natural disasters to occur? Do not natural disasters negate the benevolence of God, and strike at His very existence? In addition to the reasons listed in the section above, I would like to suggest the following reasons why they do not.
First, God created a world ruled by natural laws established at the Creation. If a man steps off the roof of a five-story building, gravity will pull him to the pavement beneath. If a boy steps in front of a moving freight train, since two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time, the train will strike the child and likely kill him. The same laws that govern gravity, matter in motion, or similar phenomena also govern weather patterns, water movement, and other geological/meteorological conditions. All of nature is regulated by these laws, not just the parts that we find convenient.
Second, some disasters may be the by-product of something that itself is good. In addressing this point, Norman Geisler has noted:

In a physical world where there is water for boating and swimming, some will drown. If there are mountains to climb, there must also be valleys into which one may fall. If there are cars to drive, collisions can also occur. It may be said that tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are likewise by-products of a good physical world. For instance, the purpose of rain is not to flood or drown, but the result of rain may include these disasters. Likewise, hot and cold air are an essential and purposeful part of the physical world, but under certain conditions they may combine to form tornadoes (1978, p. 72, emp. in orig.).

The natural laws that God created allow man to produce fire. But the same laws that enable him to cook his food also allow him to destroy entire forests. Laws that make it possible to have things constructive to human life also introduce the possibility that things destructive to human life may occur. How can it be otherwise? A car is matter in motion, and takes us where we wish to go. But if someone steps in front of that car, the same natural laws that operate to our benefit will operate in a similar fashion to our detriment.
Third, natural laws are both inviolate and non-selective. Everyone must obey them or suffer the consequences. In Luke 13:2-5, Jesus told the story of eighteen men who perished when the tower of Siloam collapsed. Had these men perished because of their sin? No, they were no worse sinners than their peers. They died because a natural law was in force. Fortunately, natural laws work continually so that we can understand and benefit from them. We are not left to sort out some kind of haphazard system that works one day, but not the next.
Those who rail against God because of natural disasters often are overheard to ask, “But why can’t God ‘selectively intervene’ to prevent disasters?” Bruce Reichenbach has addressed this question:

Thus, in a world which operates according to divine miraculous intervention, there would be no necessary relation between phenomena, and in particular between cause and effect. In some instances one event would follow from a certain set of conditions, another time a different event, and so on, such that ultimately an uncountable variety of events would follow a given set of conditions. There would be no regularity of consequence, no natural production of effects.... Hence, we could not know or even suppose what course of action to take to accomplish a certain rationally conceived goal. Thus, we could neither propose action nor act ourselves (1976, p. 187).

If God suspended natural laws every time His creatures were in a dangerous situation, chaos would corrupt the cosmos, arguing more for a world of atheism than a world of theism! Further, as Geisler has remarked:

First, evil men do not really want God to intercept every evil act or thought. No one wants to get a headache every time he thinks against God. One does not want God to fill his mouth with cotton when he speaks evil of God, nor does he really desire God to explode his pen as he writes against God or destroy his books before they come off the press. At best, people really want God to intercept some evil actions.... Second, continual interference would disrupt the regularity of natural law and make life impossible. Everyday living depends on physical laws such as inertia or gravity. Regular interruption of these would make everyday life impossible and a human being extremely edgy! Third, it is probable that chaos would result from continued miraculous intervention. Imagine children throwing knives at parents because they know they will be turned to rubber, and parents driving through stop signs, knowing God will create crash-protection air shields to avert any ensuing collisions. The necessary intervention would finally grow in proportions that would effectively remove human freedom and responsibility (1978, p. 75, emp. in orig.).

How, then, exactly, would the unbeliever suggest that an understandable, dependable world be created, and operated, other than the way ours presently is? How could natural disasters be prevented, while maintaining natural laws and human freedom?

CONCLUSION

Those who suggest that the existence of a benevolent God is impossible as a result of “natural evil” often call for a better world than this one. But they cannot describe the details necessary for its creation and maintenance. When—in an attempt to “improve” it—they begin to “tinker” with the actual world around them, they invariably find themselves worse off.
Instead of blaming God when tragedies such as natural disasters strike, we need to turn to Him for strength, and let tragedies, of whatever nature, remind us that this world was never intended to be a final home (Hebrews 11:13-16). Our time here is temporary (James 4:14), and with God’s help we are able to overcome whatever comes our way (Romans 8:35-39; Psalm 46:1-3). In the end, the most important question is not, “Why did this happen to me?,” but instead, “How can I understand what has happened, and how am I going to react to it?” With Peter, the faithful Christian can echo the sentiment that God, “ who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. To him be the dominion for ever and ever” (1 Peter 5:10).

REFERENCES

Bromling, Brad T. (1992), “Who Sent the Hurricane?,” Reasoning from Revelation, 4:17, Semptember.
Dillow, Joseph C. (1982), The Waters Above (Chicago, IL: Moody).
Geisler, Norman L. (1978), The Roots of Evil (Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan).
Porter, Walter L. (1974), “Why Do the Innocent Suffer?,” Firm Foundation, 91[30]: 467,475, July 23.
Rehwinkel, A.M. (1951), The Flood (St. Louis, MO: Concordia).
Reichenbach, Bruce (1976), “Natural Evils and Natural Laws,” International Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 16.
Sippert, Albert (1989), From Eternity to Eternity (North Mankato, MN: Sippert Publishing).
Whitcomb, John C. and Henry M. Morris (1961), The Genesis Flood (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).

Freethought: Not So Free After All by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=926

Freethought: Not So Free After All

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

One of the most popular terms used by atheists and agnostics to describe themselves is the term “freethinker.” Accordingly, their self-styled brand of reasoning, known as “freethought,” is hitting the upper echelons of academia as the in vogue way to think. From the ideas contained in this compound word, its advocates are attempting to lead people to believe that freethinkers are free to think as they like. Supposedly, freethinkers can go where the evidence leads them, since they are not bound by traditional ideas on morality, deity, the inspiration of the Bible, and other “wayward” notions that have “hindered” freedom in the past.
One of the most outspoken defenders of freethought is a man named Dan Barker. Prior to his “deconversion” into freethought, he was a zealous denominational preacher and missionary. In his most famous written work describing his new-found atheism, Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist, he includes an entire chapter titled, What is a Freethinker? At the end of this chapter, Barker says, “Freethought allows you to do your own thinking…. Freethought is truly free” (1992, p. 136). Obviously, Mr. Barker wants everyone who comes in contact with freethought to believe that it is an avenue of thinking that allows each individual to go where his or her thoughts lead.
Upon further investigation, however, freethought is not so free after all. On the very first page of his chapter on freethought, he contends, “No one can be a freethinker who demands conformity to a bible, creed, or messiah.” So, according to Mr. Barker, since he and his group of freethinkers do not think they see enough evidence for the Bible’s inspiration, then all “freethinkers” must reject conformity to the Bible. What happened to the idea that freethought allows “you to do your own thinking.” Again, on the same page he wrote, “Freethinkers are naturalistic” (p. 133), meaning that freethinkers cannot believe in anything outside the realm of what can be measured scientifically using the senses. What if certain evidences compel a person to believe in a supernatural deity? According to freethought, a person is not free to follow that type of evidence. Once again, freethought proves to be much less “free” than we have been told.
Another telling statement from Barker’s pen comes on page 134, where he says, “Individuals are free to choose, within the limits of humanistic morality.” Freethought, then, allows a person to choose freely any set of ethical and moral standards, as long as those standards conform to the “humanistic morality” adopted by Barker and his fellow “freethinkers.” But what if those moral standards fall outside the realm of “humanistic morality?” Then a freethinker must choose some other standard—or cease to be a freethinker.
In one of his concluding paragraphs, Barker states: “A multiplicity of individuals thinking, free from the restraints of orthodoxy, allows ideas to be tested, discarded or adopted” (p. 135). Barker subtly omits the other restraints such as naturalism and humanism, from which freethinkers are not free. In essence, freethinkers, according to Dan Barker, are those people who think like him and his fellow freethinkers. If a person does not think like the humanistic, naturalistic Dan Barker, then that person must be an enslaved thinker, not a freethinker. In reality, “freethought” is a misnomer and is not free after all. In fact, it is one of the “least free” ways to think that is available in the marketplace of ideas. In actuality, the only thing that can ever make a person free is the truth (John 8:32). From the statements quoted above, it is evident that Dan Barker and his fellow freethinkers are not really interested in freedom but, rather, are interested in forming a group of “freethinkers” that toes the party line on such false concepts as naturalism and humanism.

REFERENCE

Barker, Dan (1992), Losing Faith In Faith—From Preacher to Atheist (Madison, WI: Freedom from Religion Foundation).

Hidden Hittites by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=888

Hidden Hittites

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Almost fifty times in the Old Testament, we can read about a people known as the Hittites. They were major players in Jewish history, and were listed as one of the nations that the children of Israel needed to conquer when entering the Promised Land (Joshua 11:3-4). Also, King David had among his army a valiant Hittite named Uriah, who was murdered by David because the king had committed adultery with his wife, Bathsheba. Without a doubt, the Old Testament frequently mentions the Hittites as a very real group of people. But for many years in secular history and in archaeology, the Hittites were as invisible as men from Mars. No solid archaeological evidence could be found that verified the existence of the Hittites. For this reason, many people scorned the biblical record and insisted that the absence of information concerning the Hittites proved that the Bible was filled with incorrect material.
However, the year 1906 saw many people changing their minds about both the Hittites and the Bible. An archaeologist, Hugo Winckler, visited a city in Turkey named Boghaz-Köy. Upon excavating portions of the city, he found a breathtaking number of human artifacts—including five temples, many sculptures, and a fortified castle. But more important, he found a huge storeroom filled with over 10,000 clay tablets. After completing the difficult task of deciphering the tablets, it was announced to the world that the Hittites had been found. The sight at Boghaz-Köy had been the Hittite capital city, Hattusha (see Price, 1997, p. 83).
All the people who had used the absence of archaeological evidence about the Hittites to mock the Bible’s accuracy were shamefaced and silent, and another small piece of evidence was added to the ever-growing mass of facts verifying the Bible’s accuracy.

REFERENCES

Price, Randall (1997), The Stones Cry Out (Eugene OR: Harvest House).

"THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW" The Temptation Of Jesus (4:1-11) by Mark Copeland

                        "THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW"

                    The Temptation Of Jesus (4:1-11)

INTRODUCTION

1. One of the blessings of having Jesus as our Savior is His ability to
   comfort and aid those who  are tempted...
   a. This is because He too was tempted - He 2:18
   b. He is sympathetic, and can provide mercy and grace to help in
      time of need - He 4:14-16

2. One of His greatest periods of temptation was at the beginning of
   His public ministry...
   a. Immediately following His baptism by John - Mt 3:13-17
   b. Just prior to starting His preaching ministry - Mt 4:12-17

3. Studying "The Temptation Of Jesus" can be fruitful for several
   reasons...
   a. It reminds us that Jesus can understand our own temptations
   b. It reveals how we can be more successful in overcoming temptation

[With that in mind and using Mt 4:1-11 as our basic text, let's begin
with...]

I. THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS REVIEWED

   A. THE SETTING OF THE TEMPTATIONS...
      1. Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness - Mt 4:1
         a. The same Spirit which descended upon Him in bodily form as
            dove - Mt 3:16; Lk 3:22
         b. It was likely the wilderness of Judea, a desolate place
      2. To be tempted by the devil - Mt 4:1
         a. It appears that this challenge was initiated by the Spirit
         b. For it was the Spirit who led Jesus to the wilderness for
            this purpose
      3. Where Jesus fasted and was tempted for forty days - Mt 4:2
         a. His fasting is reminiscent of Moses and Elijah - Exo 34:28;
            1Ki 19:8
         b. Luke reveals that temptations occurred over the period of
            forty days - Lk 4:2
         c. Mark mentions wild beasts - Mk 1:13
      -- Thus it was after forty days of temptation that we find Satan
         approaching Jesus for a "climax" involving three particular
         temptations

   B. THE CLIMAX OF THE TEMPTATIONS...
      1. The first temptation - Mt 4:3-4
         a. Satan's appeal to the lust of the flesh
            1) Having fasted for forty days, Jesus was naturally hungry
            2) Challenging Jesus' identity, Satan appeals to His
               fleshly hunger: "command that these stones become bread"
         b. Jesus responds with Scripture
            1) Quoting Deut 8:3, "Man shall not live by bread alone..."
            2) There is more to life than just fulfilling physical 
               desires; man is dependent upon the Word of God to truly
               live!
      2. The second temptation - Mt 4:5-7
         a.  Satan appeals to the pride of life
            1) Again challenging Jesus' identity, Satan sets Jesus on
               the pinnacle of the temple, tells Him to "throw Yourself
               down"
            2) Quoting scriptures himself, using Ps 91:11,12
         b. Jesus responds with Scripture
            1) Deut 6:16, "You shall not tempt the LORD your God"
            2) While the passage Satan quoted is true, it would be an
               abuse of it to purposely test God
      2. The third temptation - Mt 4:8-10
         a. Satan appeals to the lust of the eyes
            1) Taking Jesus to high mountain and showing Him the 
               kingdoms of the world
            2) Offering to give Jesus all the kingdoms if He will 
               worship Satan
         b. Jesus responds with Scripture
            1) Deut 6:13, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him
               only you shall serve"
            2) Though offered a shortcut to receiving power over the
               nations, Jesus does not take the easy path - cf. Re 2:
               26-27; 3:21

   C. AT THE END OF THE TEMPTATIONS...
      1. Angels came and ministered to Jesus - Mt 3:11
         a. Exactly what they did is not mentioned
         b. Perhaps they provided bodily nourishment (Hendricksen)
      2. This would not be the last time Satan would seek to tempt 
         Jesus - cf. Lk 4:13; Mt 16:21-23
      
[With forty days of overcoming temptation behind Him, especially the
temptation of taking a short cut to His rule as the Messiah, Jesus was
now prepared to begin His public ministry.

What observations might one make regarding "The Temptation Of Jesus"?
Here are a few...]

II. OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS

   A. WE HAVE THE SAME ADVERSARY...
      1. Jesus was tempted by the devil, and so are we - 1Pe 5:8-9
      2. The devil now directs his attention towards the disciples of
         Christ - Re 12:17
      -- We should not treat him lightly, for the conflict is real! 
         - Ep 6:12

   B. WE HAVE SIMILAR TEMPTATIONS...
      1. The lust of the flesh - e.g., immorality, especially when 
         young
      2. The lust of the eyes - e.g., materialism, especially when 
         middle-aged
      3. The pride of life - e.g., pride and arrogance, especially when
         elderly
      -- These we must overcome, if we wish to have the love of the 
         Father - 1Jn 2:15-16

   C. WE HAVE THE SAME TOOLS TO OVERCOME...
      1. Jesus appealed to the Word of God, and so can we - cf. Ep 6:17
      2. Jesus had faith in the plan of God (victory through 
         suffering), we need a similar shield of faith - Ep 6:16; cf.
         He 10:35-39
      3. Jesus undoubtedly prayed, for He taught us to use prayer in
         overcoming temptation - Mt 26:41
      -- The Word of God, faith, and prayer...against these the devil
         has no chance!

   D. WE HAVE SIMILAR BLESSINGS WHEN WE OVERCOME...
      1. Jesus was administered to by angels, angels will carry us home
         - cf. Lk 16:22
      2. Jesus received wonderful blessings when He ultimately overcame
         and ascended to heaven; He has promised similar blessings for
         us - cf. Re 2:10,26-27; 3:21

   E. WE CAN LEARN SOME IMPORTANT LESSONS...
      1. Material sustenance alone cannot truly satisfy, we need the
         spiritual sustenance from God's Word
      2. While we are to trust in the Lord, we should not foolishly
         tempt Him
      3. Scripture can easily be abused, as well as used - 2Pe 3:16
      4. The way to glory is not quick and easy, but long and hard 
         - Ac 14:22; Ro 2:7

CONCLUSION

1. But perhaps the greatest lesson to glean from "The Temptation Of
   Jesus" is that we have a Savior who in all things was made like
   us...
   a. That He might be our merciful and faithful High Priest - He 2:17
   b. That having suffered, being tempted, He can aid us who are
      tempted - He 2:18
   c. That He might be sympathetic, providing mercy and grace to help
      in time of need - He 4:15-16

2. Are you burdened with temptations?
   a. Look to Jesus as your example in learning how to overcome
      temptation in your life!
   b. Look to Jesus as your High Priest when you need to approach God
      in prayer and receive mercy and grace for those times when you
      succumbed to temptation!

As in all things, look to Jesus, as the writer to Hebrews exhorts us...

   "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who 
   for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising
   the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
   God.

   For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against
   Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."

                                   - He 12:2-3

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

"THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW" The Preaching Ministry Of Jesus (4:12-17) by Mark Copeland

                        "THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW"

               The Preaching Ministry Of Jesus (4:12-17)

INTRODUCTION

1. In Mt 4:12-17, we read of Jesus' public ministry in Galilee...
   a. Which followed the imprisonment of John the Baptist - Mt 4:12
   b. Which began at Capernaum, on the edge of the Sea of Galilee 
      - Mt 4:13
   c. Which fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah - Mt 4:14-16; Isa 9:1,2

2. His public ministry involved "preaching"...
   a. "From that time Jesus began to preach..." - Mt 4:17
   b. Compare also Mt 4:23, "Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in
      their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom..."

3. The word "preach" (Gr., kerux) means "to herald, to proclaim"...
   a. But what was the message Jesus was proclaiming?
   b. Is it a message that should be proclaimed today?

[In this study our focus will be on Mt 4:17, as we seek to understand
the message proclaimed by Jesus during His public ministry.  From this
verse we learn first that...]

I. JESUS PREACHED REPENTANCE

   A. HE CALLED UPON PEOPLE TO REPENT...
      1. Just as John the Baptist did - Mt 3:2
      2. As Jesus would say later:  "For I did not come to call the 
         righteous, but sinners, to repentance." - Mt 9:13

   B. WHAT DOES "REPENT" MEAN?
      1. Many people have misconceptions concerning repentance
         a. E.g., that repentance is "sorrow"
            1) But repentance is an outcome of sorrow - cf. 2Co 7:9-10
            2) Sorrow leads to repentance; sorrow itself is not
               repentance!
         b. E.g., that repentance is "a changed life"
            1) Thinking that repentance is a converted life
            2) But repentance and conversion are two separate things 
               - cf. Ac 3:19
               a) Peter says "Repent therefore and be converted"
               b) If repentance means the same as conversion, then 
                  Peter was redundant
      2. W. E. Vine defines "repentance" as:
         a. A "change of mind"
         b. That which "involves both a turning from sin and a turning
            to God"
      3. Repentance is thus "a change of mind" in which we DECIDE to
         "turn from sin and turn to God"
         a. Which is preceded by sorrow
         b. And followed by a changed life
      -- Jesus was therefore calling upon people to change their minds
         regarding sin, because of what He taught about the kingdom
         (more on that shortly)

   C. DOES REPENTANCE NEED TO BE PROCLAIMED TODAY?
      1. Most certainly!
         a. Repentance is to be preached in Jesus' name to all nations
            - Lk 24:46-47
         b. God now calls men everywhere to repent - Ac 17:30
         c. Thus Paul preached to both Jews and Gentiles that they 
            should repent - Ac 26:20
      2. Wherever there is sin, the message of repentance needs to be
         proclaimed!
         a. People need to be told to "change their minds" (repent)
         b. They need "turn to God, and do works befitting repentance"
            - cf. Ac 26:20; Mt 3:8
      -- Any gospel preaching that does not include a clarion call to
         repent is not the true gospel!

[In calling people to repent, Jesus proclaimed why they needed to 
change their minds and turn from sin to God: "for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand".  This leads to our next point...]

II. JESUS PREACHED THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

   A. THIS WAS A MAJOR THEME OF HIS PREACHING...
      1. Just as it was with John the Baptist - Mt 3:2
      2. It was the focus of His itinerant ministry - Mt 4:23
         a. The theme of His Sermon on the Mount - Mt 5:3,10,19-20; 
            6:33; 7:21
         b. The theme of many of His parables - e.g., Mt 13:24,31,33,
            44,45,47
      3. It was the theme of the Limited Commission - Mt 10:7
      -- During this time, the kingdom of heaven was "at hand" (drawing
         near)

   B. WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN?
      1. It is the same thing as "the kingdom of God"
         a. Some try to make a distinction (e.g., Scofield Reference 
            Bible)
         b. But a quick comparison of the gospels indicate the terms
            refer to the same thing
            1) Cf. Mt 4:17 with Mk 1:14-15
            2) Cf. Mt 5:3 with Lk 6:20
            3) Cf. Mt 13:31 with Mk 4:30-31
         c. Matthew used the expression "kingdom of heaven" almost 
            exclusively, while the other gospel writers used the phrase
            "kingdom of God"
         d. It may be that since Matthew wrote his gospel to the Jews,
            he chose to use the phrase "kingdom of heaven"...
            1) Because of the Jews' reluctance to use the name of God
               (out of reverence)
            2) Because of the Jews' misconception of the coming kingdom
               a) Many anticipated a physical kingdom
               b) The expression "heaven" (literally, "heavens") would
                  emphasize a spiritual kingdom
      2. The "kingdom of heaven" involves four inter-related concepts
         a. God's kingship, rule, or recognized sovereignty
            1) The term "kingdom" as used by the Jews often stressed
               the abstract idea of rule or dominion, not a 
               geographical area surrounded by physical boundaries
            2) It is used this way by Jesus in Mt 6:10 - "Your KINGDOM
               come; Your WILL  be done..." (note the connection 
               between kingdom and will)
               -- Thus, the "kingdom of heaven" would involve the rule
                  of heaven in the hearts of men
         b. This rule of heaven is spiritual in nature
            1) It is not a physical kingdom - cf. Jn 18:36
            2) But one that is spiritual - cf. Ro 14:17
         c. Its visible manifestation today is in the form of the
            Lord's church
            1) For the church is that community of souls in whose
               hearts God is recognized as Sovereign
            2) That the church constitutes the kingdom of God on earth,
               consider:
               a) How the term "church" and "kingdom" were used
                  interchangeably - Mt 16:18
               b) Comments made to those who were in the church - Col 1:
                  13; 1Th 2:12
               c) The description of those in the churches of Asia
                  - Re 1:4,6,9
         d. It has a future element as well as a present one
            1) Its future aspect is spoken of by Jesus, Paul, Peter 
               - Mt 25:34; 1Co 15:50; 2Ti 4:18; 2Pe 1:10-11
            2) Peter described the coming of its future state in 2 Pe 3:10-13
      3. Thus the "kingdom of heaven" today is both present and future
         a. In the present sense...
            1) It is found wherever the sovereignty of God is accepted
               in the hearts of men
            2) It is a spiritual kingdom, for God rules in the hearts
               of men
            3) Its outward manifestation today is the Lord's church
            4) This rule or kingdom of God was "inaugurated" on the Day
               of Pentecost (Ac 2)
         b. In the future sense...
            1) The rule or kingdom of God will be "culminated" with the
               coming of the Lord
            2) It will involve that "news heaven and a new earth in 
               which righteousness dwells", described by Peter and John
               - 2Pe 3; Re 21-22
            3) It will be experienced only by those in the church who
               are submitting to God's will today! - cf. Mt 7:21-23;
               2Pe 3:13-14

   C. DOES THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN NEED TO BE PROCLAIMED TODAY?
      1. Most certainly!
         a. Philip "preached the things concerning the kingdom of God"
            - Ac 8:12
         b. The apostle Paul in his preaching and teaching:
            1) Spoke of the challenges in entering the kingdom in the
               future sense - Ac 14:22
            2) Reasoned and persuaded with people concerning the 
               kingdom - Ac 19:8
            3) Had gone among the Ephesians, "preaching the kingdom of
               God" - Ac 20:25
            4) Solemnly testified of the kingdom of God to the Jews in
               Rome - Ac 28:23
         c. In his epistles, Paul wrote of:
            1) The nature of the kingdom - Ro 14:17
            2) Those who will not inherit the kingdom - 1Co 6:9-10;
               Ga 5:21; Ep 5:5
            3) Jesus giving the kingdom to God when He returns - 1Co 15:24-26
            4) How flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom - 1Co 15:50
            5) How we are now in the kingdom - Col 1:13
            6) His companions as fellow workers for the kingdom - Col 4:
               11
            7) How we might be counted worthy of the kingdom - 2Th 1:5
            8) God calling us into His kingdom and glory - 2Th 2:12
            9) Jesus judging us at His appearing and His kingdom - 2 Ti4:1
           10) The Lord preserving him for His heavenly kingdom - 2 Ti 4:18
         d. The Hebrew writer referred to our receiving a kingdom which
            can't be shaken - He 12:28
         e. James described the faithful poor as "heirs of the kingdom"
            - Jm 2:5
         f. Peter wrote of how we might have an abundant entrance into
            the everlasting kingdom of our Lord - 2Pe 1:10-11
         g. John described himself as a brother and companion in the
            kingdom of Jesus Christ - Re 1:9
      2. There is a slight difference in our message, however...
         a. John the Baptist, Jesus, His disciples in the Limited 
            Commission...all proclaimed the kingdom "at hand" (drawing
            near)
            1) For the rule of God as foretold by the prophets was 
               about to be manifested - cf. Mk 1:14-15
            2) During Jesus' earthly ministry that kingdom (reign) was
               yet future
            -- That was the "good news" (gospel) of the kingdom then:
               it was near!
         b. However, after the ascension of Christ, the preaching of
            the kingdom proclaimed it both present and future
            1) The rule of God is now being fully manifested in the
               person of Jesus Christ - cf. Mt 28:18; Ep 1:20-22; 1 Pe 3:22
            2) Those who "gladly receive" the message can be added by
               the Lord Himself to His church or kingdom (i.e., the 
               community of believers who submit to His authority) 
               - cf. Ac 2:36-41,47; Col 1:13; Re 1:9
            3) Those who persevere to the end can inherit the heavenly
               and everlasting kingdom of our Lord - Ac 14:22; 2Pe 1:
               10-11
            -- This is the "good news" (gospel) of the kingdom now:  it
               is both now and coming!

CONCLUSION

1. In "The Preaching Ministry Of Jesus", two themes permeated His
   message...
   a. The need to repent
   b. For the kingdom of heaven was at hand

2. As we fulfill the Great Commission today (Mt 28:18-20), our themes
   should be similar...
   a. The kingdom of heaven has come and is coming (implied in "All
      authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.")
   b. The need to repent (implied in "Make disciples of all the
      nations")

If you desire to experience the bliss of the everlasting kingdom of our
Lord and Savior, you must do the Father's Will (cf. Mt 7:21-23) and be
in the kingdom of His dear Son today (cf. Col 1:13).

Have you submitted to the gospel of the kingdom as proclaimed by our
Lord's apostles?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

LOVE acts by Gary Rose

Well, I am running late today because I needed to take pal for shots. While I was waiting at the vet, I started up a conversation with a couple about their dog, who had a swollen eye (just like I do, today) and was lovingly wrapped in a blanket. I learned that their dog was 16 years old, could no longer walk and had severe eye problems. Sadly, they were at the Vet to put the dog down. The gentleman went to pay the bill and the lady continued to talk about how much she loved her little dog. I asked if I could pet the cute little thing and as I did, it licked my hand. The lady broke down into uncontrollable tears and knowing how much losing a dog does to you (remember, I lost my dog, Buddy about 6 months ago), I gave her a hug.  Neither of us said anything- we didn't have to...

I couldn't help but think of this passage of Scripture...

1 Corinthians, Chapter 13 (World English Bible)

1 If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing.
3 If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
5 doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;
6 doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;
10 but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.
13 But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.

Sometimes I feel all sorts of ways about "things", but when I do something about it (compared to just talking about it) I know I have done the right thing.

 

Love acts. As for today, the hug was the right thing to do.

Bible Reading November 15 by Gary Rose

Bible Reading November 15 (World English Bible)

Nov. 15

Jeremiah 10-13

Jer 10:1 Hear the word which Yahweh speaks to you, house of Israel!

Jer 10:2 Thus says Yahweh, "Don't learn the way of the nations, and don't be dismayed at the signs of the sky; for the nations are dismayed at them.

Jer 10:3 For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe.

Jer 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it not move.

Jer 10:5 They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and don't speak: they must be carried, because they can't go. Don't be afraid of them; for they can't do evil, neither is it in them to do good."

Jer 10:6 There is none like you, Yahweh; you are great, and your name is great in might.

Jer 10:7 Who should not fear you, King of the nations? for to you does it appertain; because among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royal estate, there is none like you.

Jer 10:8 But they are together brutish and foolish: the instruction of idols! it is but a stock.

Jer 10:9 There is silver beaten into plates, which is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the artificer and of the hands of the goldsmith; blue and purple for their clothing; they are all the work of skillful men.

Jer 10:10 But Yahweh is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth trembles, and the nations are not able to abide his indignation.

Jer 10:11 You shall say this to them: The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.

Jer 10:12 He has made the earth by his power, he has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding has he stretched out the heavens:

Jer 10:13 when he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain, and brings forth the wind out of his treasuries.

Jer 10:14 Every man is become brutish and is without knowledge; every goldsmith is disappointed by his engraved image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

Jer 10:15 They are vanity, a work of delusion: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Jer 10:16 The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: Yahweh of Armies is his name.

Jer 10:17 Gather up your wares out of the land, you who abide in the siege.

Jer 10:18 For thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and will distress them, that they may feel it.

Jer 10:19 Woe is me because of my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is my grief, and I must bear it.

Jer 10:20 My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth from me, and they are no more: there is none to spread my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

Jer 10:21 For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not inquired of Yahweh: therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.

Jer 10:22 The voice of news, behold, it comes, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling place of jackals.

Jer 10:23 Yahweh, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.

Jer 10:24 Yahweh, correct me, but in measure: not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.

Jer 10:25 Pour out your wrath on the nations that don't know you, and on the families that don't call on your name: for they have devoured Jacob, yes, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.

Jer 11:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,

Jer 11:2 Hear you the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

Jer 11:3 and say you to them, Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who doesn't hear the words of this covenant,

Jer 11:4 which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so you shall be my people, and I will be your God;

Jer 11:5 that I may establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day. Then answered I, and said, Amen, Yahweh.

Jer 11:6 Yahweh said to me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear you the words of this covenant, and do them.

Jer 11:7 For I earnestly protested to your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

Jer 11:8 Yet they didn't obey, nor turn their ear, but walked everyone in the stubbornness of their evil heart: therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they didn't do them.

Jer 11:9 Yahweh said to me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Jer 11:10 They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words; and they are gone after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

Jer 11:11 Therefore thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will bring evil on them, which they shall not be able to escape; and they shall cry to me, but I will not listen to them.

Jer 11:12 Then shall the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry to the gods to which they offer incense: but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

Jer 11:13 For according to the number of your cities are your gods, Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have you set up altars to the shameful thing, even altars to burn incense to Baal.

Jer 11:14 Therefore don't you pray for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry to me because of their trouble.

Jer 11:15 What has my beloved to do in my house, seeing she has worked lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from you? when you do evil, then you rejoice.

Jer 11:16 Yahweh called your name, A green olive tree, beautiful with goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he has kindled fire on it, and its branches are broken.

Jer 11:17 For Yahweh of Armies, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have worked for themselves in provoking me to anger by offering incense to Baal.

Jer 11:18 Yahweh gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it: then you showed me their doings.

Jer 11:19 But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter; and I didn't know that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

Jer 11:20 But, Yahweh of Armies, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, I shall see your vengeance on them; for to you have I revealed my cause.

Jer 11:21 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, saying, You shall not prophesy in the name of Yahweh, that you not die by our hand;

Jer 11:22 therefore thus says Yahweh of Armies, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine;

Jer 11:23 and there shall be no remnant to them: for I will bring evil on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.

Jer 12:1 Righteous are you, Yahweh, when I contend with you; yet would I reason the cause with you: why does the way of the wicked prosper? why are all they at ease who deal very treacherously?

Jer 12:2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; they grow, yes, they bring forth fruit: you are near in their mouth, and far from their heart.

Jer 12:3 But you, Yahweh, know me; you see me, and try my heart toward you: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

Jer 12:4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? for the wickedness of those who dwell therein, the animals are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our latter end.

Jer 12:5 If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? and though in a land of peace you are secure, yet how will you do in the pride of the Jordan?

Jer 12:6 For even your brothers, and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; even they have cried aloud after you: don't believe them, though they speak beautiful words to you.

Jer 12:7 I have forsaken my house, I have cast off my heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.

Jer 12:8 My heritage is become to me as a lion in the forest: she has uttered her voice against me; therefore I have hated her.

Jer 12:9 Is my heritage to me as a speckled bird of prey? are the birds of prey against her all around? go you, assemble all the animals of the field, bring them to devour.

Jer 12:10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

Jer 12:11 They have made it a desolation; it mourns to me, being desolate; the whole land is made desolate, because no man lays it to heart.

Jer 12:12 Destroyers are come on all the bare heights in the wilderness; for the sword of Yahweh devours from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh has peace.

Jer 12:13 They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and profit nothing: and you shall be ashamed of your fruits, because of the fierce anger of Yahweh.

Jer 12:14 Thus says Yahweh against all my evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them.

Jer 12:15 It shall happen, after that I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

Jer 12:16 It shall happen, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, As Yahweh lives; even as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built up in the midst of my people.

Jer 12:17 But if they will not hear, then will I pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it, says Yahweh.

Jer 13:1 Thus says Yahweh to me, Go, and buy you a linen belt, and put it on your waist, and don't put it in water.

Jer 13:2 So I bought a belt according to the word of Yahweh, and put it on my waist.

Jer 13:3 The word of Yahweh came to me the second time, saying,

Jer 13:4 Take the belt that you have bought, which is on your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

Jer 13:5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as Yahweh commanded me.

Jer 13:6 It happened after many days, that Yahweh said to me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the belt from there, which I commanded you to hide there.

Jer 13:7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the belt from the place where I had hid it; and behold, the belt was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

Jer 13:8 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

Jer 13:9 Thus says Yahweh, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

Jer 13:10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and are gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this belt, which is profitable for nothing.

Jer 13:11 For as the belt cleaves to the waist of a man, so have I caused to cleave to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says Yahweh; that they may be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

Jer 13:12 Therefore you shall speak to them this word: Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall tell you, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

Jer 13:13 Then you shall tell them, Thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings who sit on David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

Jer 13:14 I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says Yahweh: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them.

Jer 13:15 Hear you, and give ear; don't be proud; for Yahweh has spoken.

Jer 13:16 Give glory to Yahweh your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

Jer 13:17 But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and my eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because Yahweh's flock is taken captive.

Jer 13:18 Say you to the king and to the queen mother, Humble yourselves, sit down; for your headdresses are come down, even the crown of your glory.

Jer 13:19 The cities of the South are shut up, and there is none to open them: Judah is carried away captive, all of it; it is wholly carried away captive.

Jer 13:20 Lift up your eyes, and see those who come from the north: where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?

Jer 13:21 What will you say, when he shall set over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? shall not sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail?

Jer 13:22 If you say in your heart, Why are these things come on me? for the greatness of your iniquity are your skirts uncovered, and your heels suffer violence.

Jer 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil.

Jer 13:24 Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that passes away, by the wind of the wilderness.

Jer 13:25 This is your lot, the portion measured to you from me, says Yahweh; because you have forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

Jer 13:26 Therefore will I also uncover your skirts on your face, and your shame shall appear.

Jer 13:27 I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries, and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! you will not be made clean; how long shall it yet be? 

Nov. 15

Hebrews 1

Heb 1:1 God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

Heb 1:2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.

Heb 1:3 His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Heb 1:4 having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have.

Heb 1:5 For to which of the angels did he say at any time, "You are my Son. Today have I become your father?" and again, "I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?"

Heb 1:6 Again, when he brings in the firstborn into the world he says, "Let all the angels of God worship him."

Heb 1:7 Of the angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire."

Heb 1:8 But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.

Heb 1:9 You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows."

Heb 1:10 And, "You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands.

Heb 1:11 They will perish, but you continue. They all will grow old like a garment does.

Heb 1:12 As a mantle, you will roll them up, and they will be changed; but you are the same. Your years will not fail."

Heb 1:13 But which of the angels has he told at any time, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?"

Heb 1:14 Aren't they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?