Desperation. The one needed emotion we need today to walk with Jesus may be the very one which we speak so little of have feel so seldom. Desperation Mark – Mark 7:24-30 24Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27"First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." 28"LORD," she replied, "even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." 30She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone., Mark 7 24-30 passage. 24Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[a] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil[b] spirit came and fell at his feet. 26The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27"First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 28"Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." 30She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. What do you guys think the Meaning of this passage is, the message, the lesson/moral and the theme? tells us that the word of God is “living, powerful, & sharper than any two edged sword. This passage reminds me that His word is living because it teaches so many truths. Mark 7:24-30, A word of encouragement for the church to pursue unity and faith in troubled times without compromise. Desperate Times - Desperate People I. Hope or No Hope?... Praise the Lord! If you have your Bible turn with me to Mark chapter 2 this morning. How many in here this morning knows that we’re living in desperate times? We live in a day and time where doom and gloom are all. Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man 2 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Desperate Times Desperate Men. Sermon encouraging people to go after God and to know that Jesus is always there for us. Mark 2:1-12 2:1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. Mark 2:1-12 Pentecostal. When repeatedly faced with overwhelming circumstances, Joel gives us a plan of action. how Jesus went to warn the very people who were plotting to kill him. April 1, 2001 Luke 20:9-19 Lexham English Bible (LEB)
The Parable of the Tenant Farmers in the Vineyard
9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man[a] planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time. 10 And at the proper time he sent a slave to the tenant farmers, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenant farmers sent him away empty-handed after[b] beating him.[c] 11 And he proceeded to send another slave, but they beat and dishonored that one also, and[d] sent him[e] away empty-handed. 12 And he proceeded to send a third, but they wounded and[f] threw out this one also. 13 So the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when[g] the tenant farmers saw him, they began to reason[h] with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him so that the inheritance will become ours!’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and[i] killed him.[j] What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they[k] heard this,[l] they said, “May this never happen!” 17 But he looked intently at them and[m] said, “What then is this that is written:
‘The stone which the builders rejected,
this has become the cornerstone.’[n]
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls—it will crush him!” 19 And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay their[o] hands on him at that same hour, and they were afraid of the people, for they knew that he had told this parable with reference to them.
Footnotes:
Luke 20:9 Some manuscripts have “A certain man”
Luke 20:10 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“beating”) which is understood as temporal
Luke 20:10 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
Luke 20:11 Here “and” is supplied because the two previous participles (“beat” and “dishonored”) have been translated as finite verbs
Luke 20:11 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
Luke 20:12 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“wounded”) has been translated as a finite verb
Luke 20:14 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
Luke 20:14 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to reason”)
Luke 20:15 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“threw”) has been translated as a finite verb
Luke 20:15 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
Luke 20:16 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
Luke 20:16 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
Luke 20:17 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“looked intently at”) has been translated as a finite verb
Luke 20:17 Literally “the head of the corner”
Luke 20:19 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
Lexham English Bible (LEB)He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him . Luke 20:9-19 Lexham English Bible (LEB)
The Parable of the Tenant Farmers in the Vineyard
9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man[a] planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time. 10 And at the proper time he sent a slave to the tenant farmers, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenant farmers sent him away empty-handed after[b] beating him.[c] 11 And he proceeded to send another slave, but they beat and dishonored that one also, and[d] sent him[e] away empty-handed. 12 And he proceeded to send a third, but they wounded and[f] threw out this one also. 13 So the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when[g] the tenant farmers saw him, they began to reason[h] with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him so that the inheritance will become ours!’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and[i] killed him.[j] What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they[k] heard this,[l] they said, “May this never happen!” 17 But he looked intently at them and[m] said, “What then is this that is written:
‘The stone which the builders rejected,
this has become the cornerstone.’[n]
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls—it will crush him!” 19 And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay their[o] hands on him at that same hour, and they were afraid of the people, for they knew that he had told this parable with reference to them.
Footnotes:
Luke 20:9 Some manuscripts have “A certain man”
Luke 20:10 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“beating”) which is understood as temporal
Luke 20:10 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
Luke 20:11 Here “and” is supplied because the two previous participles (“beat” and “dishonored”) have been translated as finite verbs
Luke 20:11 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
Luke 20:12 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“wounded”) has been translated as a finite verb
Luke 20:14 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
Luke 20:14 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to reason”)
Luke 20:15 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“threw”) has been translated as a finite verb
Luke 20:15 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
Luke 20:16 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
Luke 20:16 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
Luke 20:17 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“looked intently at”) has been translated as a finite verb
Luke 20:17 Literally “the head of the corner”
Luke 20:19 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
Times Call For Desperate Measures Series. When we’re confronted with desperate times, we can’t just do things the way we’ve always been doing them. - Have you ever been really desperate about something? o Maybe you lost your job and didn’t have any way to pay your bills or didn’t have any place to go. o Maybe you lost your home or your insurance and you didn’t know what you were going to do. - I think the most . Joel 1 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Locust Plague in Judah
1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
The Land Laid Waste
2 Hear this, you elders,
And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land!
Has anything like this happened in your days,
Or even in the days of your fathers?
3 Tell your children about it,
Let your children tell their children,
And their children another generation.
4 What the chewing [a]locust left, the swarming locust has eaten;
What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten;
And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.
5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep;
And wail, all you drinkers of wine,
Because of the new wine,
For it has been cut off from your mouth.
6 For a nation has come up against My land,
Strong, and without number;
His teeth are the teeth of a lion,
And he has the fangs of a [b]fierce lion.
7 He has laid waste My vine,
And [c]ruined My fig tree;
He has stripped it bare and thrown it away;
Its branches are made white.
8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth
For the husband of her youth.
9 The grain offering and the drink offering
Have been cut off from the house of the Lord;
The priests mourn, who minister to the Lord.
10 The field is wasted,
The land mourns;
For the grain is ruined,
The new wine is dried up,
The oil fails.
11 Be ashamed, you farmers,
Wail, you vinedressers,
For the wheat and the barley;
Because the harvest of the field has perished.
12 The vine has dried up,
And the fig tree has withered;
The pomegranate tree,
The palm tree also,
And the apple tree—
All the trees of the field are withered;
Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men.
Mourning for the Land
13 Gird yourselves and lament, you priests;
Wail, you who minister before the altar;
Come, lie all night in sackcloth,
You who minister to my God;
For the grain offering and the drink offering
Are withheld from the house of your God.
14 Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
Into the house of the Lord your God,
And cry out to the Lord.
15 Alas for the day!
For the day of the Lord is at hand;
It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
16 Is not the food cut off before our eyes,
Joy and gladness from the house of our God?
17 The seed shrivels under the clods,
Storehouses are in shambles;
Barns are broken down,
For the grain has withered.
18 How the animals groan!
The herds of cattle are restless,
Because they have no pasture;
Even the flocks of sheep [d]suffer punishment.
19 O Lord, to You I cry out;
For fire has devoured the [e]open pastures,
And a flame has burned all the trees of the field.
20 The beasts of the field also cry out to You,
For the water brooks are dried up,
And fire has devoured the [f]open pastures.
Footnotes:
Joel 1:4 Exact identity of these locusts unknown
Joel 1:6 Or lioness
Joel 1:7 Or splintered
Joel 1:18 LXX, Vg. are made desolate
Joel 1:19 Lit. pastures of the wilderness
Joel 1:20 Lit. pastures of the wilderness
What Would You do to bring someone to Christ? Looks at the full text Luke 5:17-26 17One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the LORD was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." 21The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 24But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 25Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today." with a call for decision at the end.Luke 19:1-10 “Desperate For God” Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the Master passed that way, He looked up in the tree. And He said, “Zacchaeus, you come down. For I’m going to your house, (Video Clip – “It’s a Wonderful Life”, George’s Prayer of Desperation) Poor George. It’s a Wonderful Life, but George is at the end of his rope. Desperate, he admits he is not a praying man. Still he asks, that if God is there, to show him the way. Not that unusual of a circumstance. Proverbs 13:24
Sunday, May 31, 2020
bp152
In high school-- WBHS-- we were voting. i thought i deserved wittiest. truth is, i deserved dorkiest. something i inherited from my player papa. i call him that, the work horse he was who died of a worn out body-- bc Dad's employee saw his navy pic in my room. he called him a player. & boy was Granny hot. i told her id dated her if i was her age 20. she said she wouldnt date me. she said that bc she liked nobodies. im not bragging, but my ALJC youth minister's wife was in my class. i asked her if i was popular. she said YES, u hung out with -------. i said, no, he hung out with me. she laughed, nodding her head. & as i was in ICU, the cheerleading squad & homecoming court was in my floor crying. i clubbed w & dirty danced with them. that was my teen god. i wish id had different values. but i was a clown in school. & such a mocker! in the wittiest blank, i thought about putting me, but put my bff, a suave clown. i was a dorky clown. truth is i thought i deserved it. but God told me if i put my buddy He'd give e greater fame. boy did He ever. when we graduated that year, against my therapists' will, i dropped my feet from my wheelchair & put my arms up. they got under each arm & we walked the catwalk! 2000 people gave me na standing ovation & it went in the winder+atlanta paper! then i wrote some books. my pic & pics of books went in the paper too! if i had not voted for my buddy, i wouldnt have gotten the fame God promised!
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4808659209318211445#allposts <<< click 'blogger'.
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4808659209318211445#allposts <<< click 'blogger'.
bp149
i was just reading CRADLE & ALL. a Catholic priest hypnotizes & impregnates a good 14f virgin. as i read it, i remembered my mid 20s. at the pulpit, giving an announcement, f bombs flying all over the place. perverted. i was talking about my sexual encounter. i was 12. my 16m neighbor was showing me his older sis' xxx movie, TABOO II. i was 12. i was telling the church about how appallingly, disgustingly, abhorishly, filthy i thought it was. i was 12. i started an Apostolic church that year. i was 12. i went 4 years. a yr later went through a car window my football emt coach carried me from. $1m+ medical. but what about the testimony? 19-29 i returned to Apostolic in a wheelchair. mid 20s. standing in front the church. scattering f bombs? i'll tell you in a minute. there was a pipeliner in the congregation. i said his name after i said "my neighbor." he said amen, michael. the 16m's mom married his bro. i told them God had already given me permission to give the testimony with such tenacity. i told the moms theyd be AMAZED to know what their kids know. at lunch, our classmates tell us what their older bros & sis's tell them. i was 12. on our pond church boyscouts went camping at, i told my 9m bro how to make babies. 12m, he lost his virginity to a 21f. Mom knew her. 28m, he was murdered by drug dealers as he wanted custody of his son. https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4808659209318211445#allposts
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PRAY FOR A CORONAVIRUS CURE, COVID-19 CURE, + THAT IM A WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER IN MY LIFETIME IN GOD'S NAME
IN GOD'S NAME, PRAY THE BOOKS I'VE WRITTEN KEEP ME A BILLIONAIRE & I READ 50,000 BOOKS
IN GOD, PRAY FOR A CORONAVIRUS + COVID-19 CURE
^ ^ ^ ^ put any of these articles in your paper. Put "BY LULU.COM AUTHOR 'MICHAEL dee HOUSE'
Saturday, May 30, 2020
bp148
In the midst of these trying days in which we live, God’s Word offers us hope, strength, guidance and the promise that we are surrounded by His Promises, Peace, Protection & Power. Is that why i was put in a college dorm before lies yanked me out of it!? Psalms 125:2 (NKJV) 2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. In the midst of these trying days in which we live, God’s Word offers us hope, strength, guidance and the promise that we are surrounded by His Promises, Peace, Protection & Power. 1. Surrounded By God’s Promises 2 Peter 1:4 (NKJV) 4by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature… We are surrounded God by believing and accepting He’s promises, we receive His presence. We receive cleansing and are filled with the Holy Spirit when we commit our lives totally to God; we are partakers of His divine nature. 1 John 2:25 (NKJV) 25And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. 2. Surrounded By God’s Peace Philippians 4:7 (NKJV) 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Many are searching for peace in our troubled world. In education, psychology, medicine, weapons, and war they find disappointment and frustration. My dorm l;ife was wonderful. i made great friends. Though i found the women VERY fake. There is no real and lasting peace outside of God. When we encounter troubles, tests, and trials, we should rely on the peace of God. This holds us steady through storms of life. John 14:27 (NKJV) 27Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. The rehab manager, Marian Hope, who led me to that college, TMC, which lied about my schedule, also led me to Dr. Callahan, who also left my shunt .25" short. Psalms 91:11 - 12 (NKJV) 11For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. Download this sermon with PRO. Our world is a dangerous place, unsafe by night and by day. Many people move, hoping to find safety from the violence produced by man and nature. When we live in the will of God, we are safe and secure in God’s hands, God surrounds us with His protective care while we do the work He wants us to do. When our life work is finished, God has reserved a home in heaven for us in heaven for us where there is eternal safety. But in the long run, definitely not the short run, i found peace in sermon writing. John 14:1 - 3 (NKJV) 1“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2In My Father’s house are many £mansions; if it were not so, £I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4. Surrounded By God’s Power. 1 Peter 1:5 (NKJV) 5who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Nations seek for power to control or destroy other nations. Some individuals want power to dominate other people. This kind of power is satanic and self-defeating. God’s power is greater than Satan’s power. We are kept by God’s power, conquers through Him. Romans 8:37 (NKJV) 37Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. The Holy Spirit empowers us for service: to share the message of the Gospel, to help the needy, pray for the sick, comfort the bereaved. Acts 1:8 (NKJV) 8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be £witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Conclusion. We are surrounded by God’s promises, peace, protection, and power as we surrender to and walk in His will. The blessings and promise of God that flow in our lives will overflow and touch the lives family, friends and co-workers are all contingent or dependent on our walking and living in right relationship with God. We must maintain a right relationship God at all times. How is Your relationship with God today? Scriptures: 1 John, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Acts 1:8, John 14:1, John 14:27, Philippians 4:7, Psalms 125:1-5, Psalms 125:2, Psalms 91:11, Romans 8:37
John 14:1 1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
Psalm 91:11 11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
Romans 8:37 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Philippians 4:7 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 91:11 11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
Romans 8:37 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Psalm 125:1-5 1Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. 2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. 3The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. 4LORD, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. 5But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be on Israel.
Sermon Topics: Discipleship
John 14:1 1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
Psalm 91:11 11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
Romans 8:37 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Philippians 4:7 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 91:11 11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
Romans 8:37 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Psalm 125:1-5 1Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. 2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. 3The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil. 4LORD, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. 5But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be on Israel.
Sermon Topics: Discipleship
bp147
Anxiety fails to acknowledge that the Father cares for me and is in complete control. I was in a class you fail then study the tests for the next quarter. i was told try harder when i withdrew. anytime i asked, try harder, try harder, try harder, try harder, try harder. But i was led to my sermon writing. 2400 Floridians have died! Only God possesses perfect peace (vv. 25-28). I wasn't going to be at TMC a 2nd quarter, so the only sensible thing was drop the impossible class. Try harder, try harder, try harder, try harder, try harder. Knowledge of God without application will lead to pride, not peace. Only God can give perfect peace (vv. 29-30). To Experience the peace of God, we must have genuine humility and utter desperation. Only God has overcome the world (vv. 31-33). Sermon Action Items: Memorize “Father, I thank you that I have nothing to fear. You will keep me safe” (Isaiah 8:13 New International Version (NIV) 13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, = he is the one you are to dread.) Evaluate my life to see where I am not accepting the peace God offers Ask a friend to point out areas of my life where they see I have peace and joy Read the farewell discourse in John 13-16 in its entirety. More sermons and info on GraceChapel.org or subscribe to the sermon podcast. Sermon Transcript: I once met a lady in Chicago in the homeless shelter as I traveled out on Sunday nights to preach a service to those who resided there. There was one woman was a hypochondriac, worrying constantly about germs. I remember her saying, “Preacher, wash your hands and say your prayers because Jesus and germs are everywhere.” We all long for peace, be it from war or from viruses, yet we are plagued worry. This week I entitled my message, “The Promise of Perpetual Peace.” I want to show you that peace is not the absence of all that is bad, but rather that it is the presence of God in our life. Anxiety is the new depression. What Prozac was for the previous 20 years, Xanex is for this present time. We have moved from down and depressed to stressed and anxious. Truth is, anxiety is real… but it almost always lies to you. However, anxiety doesn’t have to win, even it tells you it will. My meds are bc i have nerve damage. Anxiety manifests itself in a multitude of ways: feeling distressed, uneasy, worried, upset, fearful, apprehensive, agitated, fretful, restless, nervous, and fidgety, to name just a few. Fear can be a symptom of anxiety, or the cause of it. Fear and anxiety are different yet interrelated. Dr. Archibald Hart said, “The difference between fear and anxiety is that fear is usually caused by tangible objects or threats. Anxiety picks up where fear leaves off and is mostly directed toward imaginedor unrealized objects or conditions. Anxiety is more vague yet more pervasive.”[i]. I will be honest and tell you that anxiety has had a timeshare on the property of my heart and finds its sneaky ways to intrude on me weekly, if not daily. Anxiety is senseless because it fails to acknowledge that God the Father cares for me and is in complete control. Anxiety accomplishes nothing useful on its own. It serves no purpose unless we turn our worry and fear into a desire to grow our faith. We can choose to remain an anxious mess or we can allow our anxiety to be a promoter for greater trust in God. The Pervasive Problem with Anxiety. Sarah Fader, a thirty-seven-year-old social media consultant in Brooklyn, made it clear that anxiety is no long a problem for some but a generalized disorder for all. She texted her friend about coming to visit, but when she didn’t write back quickly, Sarah started to get uneasy. Sarah posted on Twitter to her sixteen thousand-plus followers: “I don’t hear from my friend for a day — my thought, they don’t want to be my friend anymore.” She appended the hashtag #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike. Her hashtag became as viral and the feeling of anxiety itself. Thousands of people were soon sharing their own examples under the same hashtag; some were retweeted more than a thousand times. Ms. Fader struck a nerve. If you think about it, I am sure you could chime in using the same hashtag right now about something in your life. Why? Because we are all human and feel worked up about something nearly all the time.[ii] The New York Timesreported that our society has moved from being depressed to being anxious. The news source said, “Prozac Nation Is Now the United States of Xanax.”[iii]Anxiety disorders are the number one mental disorder in America, affecting 40 million adults in the United States age eighteen and older, or 18.1 percent of the population every year.[iv]According to data from the National Institute of Mental Health, some 38 percent of girls ages thirteen through seventeen, and 26 percent of boys, have an anxiety disorder. On college campuses, anxiety is running well ahead of depression as the most common mental health concern. The number of Google searches related to anxiety has doubled in the last five years, according to Google Trends.[v] i was put on antidepressents. They didn't work. 225 f still rejected me. [The origin of Anxiety — Genesis 3] When Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden after their rebellion against God, they lost direct experience with God’s Presence and were removed from a home of abundance and security, and the joy of perpetual harmony with one another and the world. i quit taken antidepressants! In other words, they were cast into a new and frightening reality of a world created by sin, a world of anxiety and sorrow. Although God continues to work on people’s behalf, it is difficult for us to recognize His presence and accept His provision in a world fractured by distrust and self-love. As a result, many people look to false sources of joy and peace, only to be left bitterly disappointed and empty. Without risperdone & depokopte i'm extremely wrathful. God’s response to the world’s dilemma of unrest is beautifully captured in Isaiah 55:6-7 6Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. John 6:57-58 57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." Isaiah 55:1-3 1"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. 3Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.. To those thirsty for true satisfaction and hungry for real life, the Lord says, “Come to the waters, those who have no money; come, buy and eat!” In the same way, Jesus offers Himself as true food and His blood as true drink, proclaiming that faith in Him is the only way to satisfy and sustain the soul. God is intent on glorifying Himself through delivering us from the lies of the world. We hear this in Jesus’ words, “If anyone thirsts let him come to Me!” The response of the gospel to sin-laden and weary souls is “COME,” “Come to God and find forgiveness from sin, rest from striving, lasting joy, and unconquerable peace.” To experience true peace through intimacy with God, we must come before Him in genuine humility and utter desperation. We do not say, “God, I need you,” but shout from the depths of our soul, “God, you are all I need!” Please find John 16:25-33 25"Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father." 29Then Jesus' disciples said, "Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God." 31"Do you now believe?" Jesus replied. 32"A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. 33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." in your Bibles. We are on page 902in the Bibles in front of you. You can also follow along on the app or on the back of the bulletin. As you find it, let me remind you what we talked about last week. Jesus is giving some final words of hope to His disciples before leaving them. He tells them to have hope and perpetual joy in the fact that He will ascend and be at with the Father, and they too will ascend and have victory over death. And that we have security in the fact that Jesus hears us from Heaven. But he used the analogy of childbirth to say that sometimes joy requires a journey through sorrow first. There were confused by several things He said, so we pick up as he provides clarity for them to make clear His perpetual joy and peace: [25] “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. [26] In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; [27] for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. [28] I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” Although Jesus has already spoken clearly of the Father elsewhere in John, He is now promising that the nature and character of the Father will be even more clearly revealed. Jesus is have told them twice that they can ask in His Name (meaning in His will) and it will be given, but not because Jesus has to convince the Father to love us, but because HE DOES LOVE US. Don’t miss verse 27 — “the Father himself loves you” and if you need proof, look at your love and believe in me. By believing in me, you have the Father’s love on your side. No longer servant, but friend. Where Anxiety goes off course is when it [Anxiety] fails to acknowledge that the Father cares for me and is in complete control. He loves us and is sovereignly working out His will for us. He is all-powerful and all-present and all-knowledgeable and totally eternal; therefore, you and I can trust He is totally present for those who believe. Jesus’ is the foundation of our peace. Carolina at the 4thof July Parade On Wednesday we joined the annual neighborhood bike parade. It was the first time that my four-year-old was able to ride her bike and not be pushed in a stroller. The entire way she just kept saying, dad, don’t let go of me. Please don’t let go. She was doing great and even has the breaking thing down, but if I removed my hand from her shoulder she freaked out. As we strolled down the parade, I said to her, ya, know, sometimes we say to God, “Please don’t let go…” and He promises to never let go. There are times we won’t feel Him, but that doesn’t mean that He has let go… He is still right by our side. While this may have been more for me than her, it was an opportunity to live our Deuteronomy 6:7 and teach her about God as we went along the road. But He is so faithful—and I don’t always feel Him— but I can have peace to know He is present and always keeping to His promise to never let go. Anxiety creeps in when I fail to remember that He is in control and that He cares for me and is working all things out for His glory and my good. My own stress, or feeling like it is solely my responsibility to manage my life can often keep me from trusting Him. Peace Starts with Trust The only way to have the peace of God as you lead your company or department, as you teach those kids, meet those quotes, lead that meeting or hit that deadline is to acknowledge that God is God and you are not. It starts with trusting Him and then tapping into His power to fulfill what is in front of you. It reminds me of Jeremiah 17:7-8 7"But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.", “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” He mentions a shrub in the dessertprior to this passage, saying that if we do not trust, we are shallow bearing no fruit, anemic in our faith and therefore anemic in our fruit. This was unlike the redwoodsof California I saw a few weeks ago. These are massive trees, known as Sequoia trees, planted in the valleys and by streams, soaking up the water, remaining green year round and not anxious or fearful of drought. Jerimiah admonishes us to not be like a trustless shrub, but a firmly rooted tree because we are accessing the true source of all peace. The truth is thatonly God possesses perfect peace(vv. 25-28). His message in these three verses is one of invitation and mobilization: come to me, I will take you to the Father and He will give you what is necessary for you, no matter what you face. To not accept this invitation and strive on your own is ignorance and pride. One of the problems in the church today is that we are overcome by anxiety, which in and off itself is opposite of how God wants His Children to live. Christ is the Prince of Peaceand of the 300 times peace is used in the Bible it is always associated with God’s presence. So why then are we so plagued by worry and fear? My reasoning is that we know a lot about God, but we do not know how to apply God to our current circumstances. We grow puffed up with what we know or what we think we can do on our own and as a result we forfeit the peace He offers us. I wrote this down: Knowledge of God without application will lead to pride, not peace. We will never have peace as long as we look at ourselves as we are — or at our history as we have lived it, or at our future as we hope to live it (knowing who we are). There is only one place in all the world where we can have peace: “IN ME,”in Jesus’ faithful, undying friendship with us, in his infallible love for us… “In me you may have peace,” Jesus promises, because who he is and what he has done for us far exceed anything we can be or do for him.[vi] Ephesians 2:14 14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” Peace exists in Christ because we have access to God. This is not just a ticket to Heaven in the afterlife, but access to God in the present life. Jesus makes the Father known to us, and as He is saying in John, I am going to the Father by way of the cross for you. This then accesses the vault of God for US now! When the nature and character of the Father is revealed, peace prevails. [29] His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! [30] Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” What are they saying/getting? We have no need to question where I peace comes from, now or when you are away from us, all of it comes from God through you. They acknowledge that only God can giveperfect peace(vv. 29-30). Jesus was not merely giving them knowledge of what the Father would and could do for them, but He was moving them to total trust. He knew what they would face. He knows what we will face. It isn’t until we acknowledge God’s control and return with submission to His mighty hand that we find His heart of peace. To Experience the peace of God, we must have genuine humility and utter desperation. He knew what they would face… [31] Jesus answered them, “Do you nowbelieve? [32] Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. [33] I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Only God has overcome the world(vv. 31-33). What a powerful and promising statement! You have not overcome the world, and nothing will overcome you — but I have overcome the world, so have peace! I am with you and the Father is with me! Of the 28 times OVERCOMEis used in the New Testament, at least 21 of those occurrences are within John’s writings: John 16:33; five times in 1 John, and 15 times in Revelation. Of the 15 occurrences in the book of Revelation, it is used ten times to refer to “the one who conquers,” that is believers who overcome temptation, tribulation, even the “beast” himself (cf. Rev. 15:2) through their faith in the Conquering Lamb. The idea here seems to be that Jesus’ overcoming of the world is a final conquering of the cosmic “rulers and authorities” (Col. 2:15) of evil who have exerted their influence over the world and its systems since the Fall, “disarmed” them, divesting them of their power to eternally destroy His children. He “put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in the cross” (Col. 2:15). This is the inauguration of the victory given to believers through faith. We are no longer are slaves to sin and death (cf. Rom. 6), held captive by the “domain of darkness;” now God through Christ has “transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.). And not only this, but, as revealed in Revelation, Jesus will finally and ultimately conquer Satan and the powers of evil, thereby ushering in His kingdom on the new heavens and new earth. The overcoming Jesusdescribes in John 16:33 33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.", therefore, is both for today and for the future. Today believers overcome sin, temptation, and despair through Christ, knowing that one day they will overcome Satan Himself and the kingdom of darkness through the final victory of Christ. Let’s read verse 33 again (screen): John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Friday, May 29, 2020
bp146
When Granny loudly, loudly, loudly laughed, calling my promised truck a dream, i had NO peace but vengeance. I tried to go to college, but uncle & Granny stopped me. At home, Joyce Meyer was very compelling. i started writing sermons. & i saw that is where my peace is. eace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.—The immediate context speaks of His departure from them (John 14:25 25"All this I have spoken while still with you. (John 14:28 28"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.), and it is natural therefore to understand these words as suggested by the common Oriental formulas of leave-taking. Men said to each other when they met and parted, “Shalom! Shalom!” (Peace! Peace!) just as they say the “Salaam! Salaam!” in our own day. (See Luke 7:50 50Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." 1 Samuel 1:17 17Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." Acts 16:36 36The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace."; 1 Peter 5:14 14Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. Ephesians 6:23 23Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the LORD Jesus Christ. James 2:16 16If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 3 John 1:14 14I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name..) He will leave them as a legacy the gift of “peace.” And this peace is more than a meaningless sound or even than a true wish. He repeats it with the emphatic “My,” and speaks of it as an actual possession which He imparts to them. “Peace on earth” was the angels’ message when they announced His birth; “peace to you” was His own greeting when He returned victorious from the grave. “He is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14 14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,), and this peace is the farewell gift to the disciples from whom He is now departing. (Comp. John 20:21 21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." John 14:27 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 16:33 33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 20:26 26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" John 20:19 19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"
bp145
When Christians ask about vocation (or "calling"), we usually mean, “Is God calling me to a particular job, profession or type of work?” This is a significant question, because the work we do is important to God. If work is important, it makes sense to ask what work God wants us to do. I KNEW it was my calling to go to college. But Granny complained 110% every ride. So i moved to a dorm. They put me in 4 classes to drop 2. 1 was a must. a 2 year unit. i wasn't going to be there the next quarter but AT. So i moved home, but couldn't get back in college. So i started writing Bible Papers & found that's where i belong. In the Bible, God does indeed call people—some people, at least—to particular work, and gives all people various kinds of guidance for their work. We will explore biblical accounts of these “calls” in depth. Although scripture seldom actually uses the word “call” to describe God's guidance to jobs, occupations, or tasks, these occurrences in the Bible do correspond to what we usually mean by a vocational “calling.” So, as a preliminary answer, we can say “yes,” God does lead people to particular jobs, occupations, and types of work. i'm not paid in money but blessings. The Calling of https://www.bing.com/search?q=Levi+5%3A27-32&form=WNSGPH&qs=SW&cvid=e07a0eceb7f84fbe9b534311f75a7cc6&pq=Levi+5%3A27-32&cc=US&setlang=en-US&nclid=9EF8B8C5736674CA440AE64878CFBB58&ts=1590802642237&elv=AXK1c4IvZoNqPoPnS%21QRLOM1*Hm2ZbiueZ*kyhCgEe6ZWmxLV0Lyye3PVzno1COREhoPffPqDv5mGhAD0i65F8ku16SPkK0CHc2lfpGygDkF&wsso=Moderate
Again Jesus' attention turns to a social outcast, in this case Levi the tax collector. Luke has already discussed tax collectors when he described the ministry of John the Baptist (see 3:10-14). Jesus initiates relationships with outcasts, even though pious people in Israel challenge such associations (https://www.bing.com/search?q=levi+7%3A36-50%3B+15%3A1-2%3B+19%3A1-10&cvid=1f13fefeb5624629b9208919575b28de&FORM=ANAB01&PC=U531). As the earlier account with Peter showed (https://www.bing.com/search?q=Levi%205%3A1-11&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=levi%205%3A1-11&sc=0-11&sk=&cvid=1CEB4EDE472C4558AE919053CE4B7A0E), Jesus calls sinners to righteousness and to share in mission with him. Jesus does not merely forgive sinners, he openly associates with them.
But why? Why does Jesus associate with sinners when so many righteous people do not want to have anything to do with them? Many people think one must choose absolute separation if one is to remain pure, but for Jesus this is a false choice. Jesus views people in terms of what God could make them into, rather than pigeonholing them into who they currently are. There is no compromise with holiness in his relationships with sinners, because one of the very characteristics of God's holiness is the way he reaches out in mercy to those in need (1:46-53). God graciously takes the sinner who is responsive to him and begins the work of transformation.
The story in this passage proceeds simply. Jesus observes the tax collector Levi at work and calls him to follow (9:23, 59; 18:22). Levi's response is total—he got up, left everything and followed him. The instantaneous and comprehensive nature of the decision to join Jesus shows both the reputation Jesus has and the quality of an exemplary response to Jesus. Levi has put Jesus first. To follow him is a priority.
In fact, Levi wishes to celebrate by introducing Jesus to his friends. Such is often the case with recent converts to Jesus. Unchurched friends are often the first to hear about the new discovery. So it should be. The tragedy is that after people have been in the church for a time, they find it hard to relate to outsiders. Jesus does not suffer from this problem; he consciously makes an effort to associate with those outside his community. He does not run or hide from the world in need, but engages with it realistically so its real needs can be addressed. Often what wins an outsider to God is a genuine friendship. Despite Levi's low social status, he feels free to associate with Jesus. Jesus' invitation has made that clear. As i watched WWE, i thought of how i watched that with my carpet laying boss. i thought of how college held me in 4 overwhelming classes. i thought of how that led to my dream career; profit free sermons. A contrasting attitude emerges in the grumbling among Jewish leaders. Their commitment to purity, their sense of what God requires of them and their fear of risking exposure to the world cause them to shun outsiders and criticize those who try to relate in a healthy and engaging way to sinners. Table fellowship in the ancient world meant mutual acceptance. So at stake in the Pharisees and scribes' response is a worldview question. Should we really get close to the socially objectionable, to people like tax collectors and sinners? The Greek word used for their complaint, egongyzon, is significant because it is the term https://www.bing.com/search?q=Numbers+14%3A26-35&cvid=4a4b87e3a58f46b2a9e46756d309e0a6&FORM=ANAB01&PC=U531 LXX uses to describe the nation's grumbling to God in the wilderness. This word sounds like its meaning; we can almost hear the harsh tone of voice as we read the words (7:34 repeats the complaint).
i was edified. God used uncle to get in the way of my degree. i shouldn't be mad at him. He is how i found my calling.
Jesus' reply makes it clear that recovery, not quarantine, is the message of his ministry. Jesus pictures himself as a doctor who treats the sick, not the strong. The remark takes the Pharisees' perspective, though it does not endorse their righteousness. Jesus' point is that those who know they need help will respond to the Physician. Often the unrighteous are aware of their need, whereas the unrighteous "righteous" are not. The unrighteous need a breath of potential acceptance and a whiff of God's grace to open up to his work. The appeal to physician imagery is common in Judaism (Is 3:7; Jer 8:22; esp. Sirach 38:1-15; Bovon 1989:259, n. 24).
Jesus' second point is a mission statement that explains why he seeks the outsider. This is one of several such mission statements in https://www.bing.com/search?q=Luke+7%3A34%3B+12%3A49%2C+51%3B+18%3A8%3B+19%3A10&cvid=33079aca086348c9ad4f981893d5196f&FORM=ANAB01&PC=U531). Jesus has come to minister to those who have need of repentance. He calls to them to repent. Repentance is a major Lukan theme, and only Luke mentions it in this scene (3:3, 8; 13:1-5; 15:7-10; 16:30; 17:3-4; 24:47). Here Jesus offers a picture of true repentance: it is like going to a doctor for help. The "cure," if it is to come, must come from outside of oneself. A repentant heart is open to God and to his administering the necessary medicine for life. God graciously gives this medicine to those who seek forgiveness through him. Jesus sees opportunity for restoration for sinners and works to achieve relationship with them so they can experience the healing they need. When tax collectors and sinners come to the table in the clinic, Jesus, the Great Physician, is not about to turn them away. As in the other events chronicled in Luke 4:31—5:32, Jesus reaches out to all types of needy people. All can benefit from the power of his healing presence.
Some are still uncomfortable with such an open ministry, but this is evangelism in its most authentic form. Jesus' ministry is about compassion and grace. When Jesus proclaims God's love, the outsider knows Jesus means it. Both his words and his actions show it. In his openness Jesus risks criticism and ridicule. But given that Jesus pursues such contacts with gusto, can his disciples do otherwise?
IVP New Testament Commentaries are made available by the generosity of InterVarsity Press.
Again Jesus' attention turns to a social outcast, in this case Levi the tax collector. Luke has already discussed tax collectors when he described the ministry of John the Baptist (see 3:10-14). Jesus initiates relationships with outcasts, even though pious people in Israel challenge such associations (https://www.bing.com/search?q=levi+7%3A36-50%3B+15%3A1-2%3B+19%3A1-10&cvid=1f13fefeb5624629b9208919575b28de&FORM=ANAB01&PC=U531). As the earlier account with Peter showed (https://www.bing.com/search?q=Levi%205%3A1-11&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=levi%205%3A1-11&sc=0-11&sk=&cvid=1CEB4EDE472C4558AE919053CE4B7A0E), Jesus calls sinners to righteousness and to share in mission with him. Jesus does not merely forgive sinners, he openly associates with them.
But why? Why does Jesus associate with sinners when so many righteous people do not want to have anything to do with them? Many people think one must choose absolute separation if one is to remain pure, but for Jesus this is a false choice. Jesus views people in terms of what God could make them into, rather than pigeonholing them into who they currently are. There is no compromise with holiness in his relationships with sinners, because one of the very characteristics of God's holiness is the way he reaches out in mercy to those in need (1:46-53). God graciously takes the sinner who is responsive to him and begins the work of transformation.
The story in this passage proceeds simply. Jesus observes the tax collector Levi at work and calls him to follow (9:23, 59; 18:22). Levi's response is total—he got up, left everything and followed him. The instantaneous and comprehensive nature of the decision to join Jesus shows both the reputation Jesus has and the quality of an exemplary response to Jesus. Levi has put Jesus first. To follow him is a priority.
In fact, Levi wishes to celebrate by introducing Jesus to his friends. Such is often the case with recent converts to Jesus. Unchurched friends are often the first to hear about the new discovery. So it should be. The tragedy is that after people have been in the church for a time, they find it hard to relate to outsiders. Jesus does not suffer from this problem; he consciously makes an effort to associate with those outside his community. He does not run or hide from the world in need, but engages with it realistically so its real needs can be addressed. Often what wins an outsider to God is a genuine friendship. Despite Levi's low social status, he feels free to associate with Jesus. Jesus' invitation has made that clear. As i watched WWE, i thought of how i watched that with my carpet laying boss. i thought of how college held me in 4 overwhelming classes. i thought of how that led to my dream career; profit free sermons. A contrasting attitude emerges in the grumbling among Jewish leaders. Their commitment to purity, their sense of what God requires of them and their fear of risking exposure to the world cause them to shun outsiders and criticize those who try to relate in a healthy and engaging way to sinners. Table fellowship in the ancient world meant mutual acceptance. So at stake in the Pharisees and scribes' response is a worldview question. Should we really get close to the socially objectionable, to people like tax collectors and sinners? The Greek word used for their complaint, egongyzon, is significant because it is the term https://www.bing.com/search?q=Numbers+14%3A26-35&cvid=4a4b87e3a58f46b2a9e46756d309e0a6&FORM=ANAB01&PC=U531 LXX uses to describe the nation's grumbling to God in the wilderness. This word sounds like its meaning; we can almost hear the harsh tone of voice as we read the words (7:34 repeats the complaint).
i was edified. God used uncle to get in the way of my degree. i shouldn't be mad at him. He is how i found my calling.
Jesus' reply makes it clear that recovery, not quarantine, is the message of his ministry. Jesus pictures himself as a doctor who treats the sick, not the strong. The remark takes the Pharisees' perspective, though it does not endorse their righteousness. Jesus' point is that those who know they need help will respond to the Physician. Often the unrighteous are aware of their need, whereas the unrighteous "righteous" are not. The unrighteous need a breath of potential acceptance and a whiff of God's grace to open up to his work. The appeal to physician imagery is common in Judaism (Is 3:7; Jer 8:22; esp. Sirach 38:1-15; Bovon 1989:259, n. 24).
Jesus' second point is a mission statement that explains why he seeks the outsider. This is one of several such mission statements in https://www.bing.com/search?q=Luke+7%3A34%3B+12%3A49%2C+51%3B+18%3A8%3B+19%3A10&cvid=33079aca086348c9ad4f981893d5196f&FORM=ANAB01&PC=U531). Jesus has come to minister to those who have need of repentance. He calls to them to repent. Repentance is a major Lukan theme, and only Luke mentions it in this scene (3:3, 8; 13:1-5; 15:7-10; 16:30; 17:3-4; 24:47). Here Jesus offers a picture of true repentance: it is like going to a doctor for help. The "cure," if it is to come, must come from outside of oneself. A repentant heart is open to God and to his administering the necessary medicine for life. God graciously gives this medicine to those who seek forgiveness through him. Jesus sees opportunity for restoration for sinners and works to achieve relationship with them so they can experience the healing they need. When tax collectors and sinners come to the table in the clinic, Jesus, the Great Physician, is not about to turn them away. As in the other events chronicled in Luke 4:31—5:32, Jesus reaches out to all types of needy people. All can benefit from the power of his healing presence.
Some are still uncomfortable with such an open ministry, but this is evangelism in its most authentic form. Jesus' ministry is about compassion and grace. When Jesus proclaims God's love, the outsider knows Jesus means it. Both his words and his actions show it. In his openness Jesus risks criticism and ridicule. But given that Jesus pursues such contacts with gusto, can his disciples do otherwise?
IVP New Testament Commentaries are made available by the generosity of InterVarsity Press.
don't
Don't criticize. Don't be unreliable. Don't be wishy-washy. \Don't be weak. Don't be unkempt. Don't be unrighteous. Don't be unloyal. Don't be a quitter. Don't boost gods. Don't be unworthy. Don't be unhealthy. Don't be a scaredy cat. Don't be nervous. Don't be antisocial. Don't be a bad example. Don't dwell on mishaps. Don't be bitter. Don't be a user with no return. Don't be irresponsible. Don't be a sore loser. \Don't be unfit. Don't be melodramatic. Don't be unsentimental. Don't disregard values,Don't disregard this> Christian values historically refers to the values derived from the teachings of Jesus Christ and taught by Christians throughout the history of the religion. The term has various applications and meanings, and specific definitions can vary widely between denominations, geographical locations and different schools of thought. The terms Christian values and family values are often used as a euphemism for familialism by the Christian right. Christian values also relate to the Christian identity in identity politics. Don't forget your devotions. Don't expect too much out people. Don't be a smart alleck. Don't be grumpy. Don't abort babies. Thou shalt not kill. Don't vbe miserable. Don't be brash. Don't be ungroomed. Don't be dirty. Don't be foul. Don't be unGodly. Don't be cheap. Don't make competition your god. Don't covet. 1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molek is to be put to death. The members of the community are to stone him. 3 I myself will set my face against him and will cut him off from his people; for by sacrificing his children to Molek, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 4 If the members of the community close their eyes when that man sacrifices one of his children to Molek and if they fail to put him to death, 5 I myself will set my face against him and his family and will cut them off from their people together with all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molek. 6 “ ‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people. 7 “ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy. 9 “ ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head. 10 “ ‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death. 11 “ ‘If a man has sexual relations with his father’s wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. 12 “ ‘If a man has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law, both of them are to be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads. 13 “ ‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. 14 “ ‘If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you. 15 “ ‘If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he is to be put to death, and you must kill the animal. 16 “ ‘If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. 17 “ ‘If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible. 18 “ ‘If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people. 19 “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible. 20 “ ‘If a man has sexual relations with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless. 21 “ ‘If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless. 22 “ ‘Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. 24 But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. ” I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations. 25 “ ‘You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those that I have set apart as unclean for you. 26 You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. 27 “ ‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads. ’ ” Don't be a know-it-all. \Don't justify sin. Don't be violent. Don't be a trouble maker. Don't gamble-- no, that's ok. Don't get too far ahead of yourself. Don't be heartless. Don't forbid prayer. Don't bear falsehood. Don't be unaccountable. Don't think dt has a chance with 110k dead. Don't try to take the boy out of the country. Don't seek revenge without God. Don't be unsuccessful. Don't put down Indian food. It's DELICIOUS!Don't be secular. Don't play politics. Don't be a coward. Don't be rude. Don't make fun of disables. Don't be troublesome. Don't be controversial. Don't be unlawful. Don't misrepresent God. Don't forget to vote. Don't forget to buy batteries. Don't give too much advice. Don't open a can of worms. Don't talk bad about Republicans because 100k died under them. Don't be unclean. Don't pile on too many responsibilities. Don't forget the homeless. Don't be greedy. Don't be stingy. Don't be pompous. Don't gossip. Don't fully rely on what you hear & see. At the laekhouse, i was SOO excited. RAW was the following day. My favorite wrestler, Kevin Nash. My cousin's bf said his best buddy, Kevin Nash, went into wrestling. They went to Cobb High! I was amazed! amazed! amazed! He was my FAVORITE. Don't disillusion people. Don't talk bad. i do. Don't put the innocent on trial. Don't make false suggestions. Don't make violations. Don't be callous but tender. Don't abuse others' property. Don't act up. Don't put on a show. Don't get steemed. Don't be deterred. Don't be derailed. Don't be shaken. Don't get drunk. Don't invade others' privacy. Don't avoid edification. Don't be immodest. Don't think your outside is more important than your inside. Don't be unruly. Don't partake in sin. Don't poke fun at emotional people like me. Don't be discourteous. Don't go through otherss' belongings. Don't daily ask for a truck payment. Don't get revege. Don't disregard your lessons. Don't forget to tell deliveries NO CONTACT. Don't forget to wear your face mask. Don't forget to pray for a coronavirus+covid19 cure. Don't be disrespectful. Don't abuse animals. Don't be unvaccinated. Don't forget to wash your hands+social distance. Don't leave home if youre sick. Don't think God put you here to make all your kids' decisions. Don't be too outward. Don't talk trash. i do. Don't have a bad attitude. Don't save face. Don't make money your god. Don't play hookie. Don't be unprotected during sex. Don't be preposterous. Don't be a golddigger. Don't condemn holiness. My favorite cousin who disagreed with his mom's church killed himself. Don't be fruitless. Don't manipulate. Granny thought my being promised a truck then told it was a dream would make me ride the bus. Instead, i gave her i waited till i was a Senior in 23 months to unbuckle & pray for death, go through a window, decade rehab, countless surgeries, nerve damage, speech impairment, limp, etc. , etc. Don't belittle people. Don't forget to listen to gospel. Don't put down classic country. Don't keep illicit contacts after your born again. Don't brainwash people. Don't cheat.
Gay Christians
After 225 women rejected me, I found this interesting material. This controversial material stays on my mind. Think what you will. God told me to make my r ejectors history.
Does Leviticus Apply To Christians Today?
No, Leviticus does not apply doctrinally
to modern Christians.
Nablus (ancient Shechem, between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal), was occupied by Samaritan Jews nearly two thousand years ago. This photo was taken around 1909.
Leviticus is important in the Bible but it was written to Jews living under the law in the land of Israel, not to Christians. Many Christians have a peculiar obsession with the Levitical holiness code and the topic of homosexuality. Unwilling to accept the clear statements of scripture about Leviticus, they insist that Jewish Law applies to everyone everywhere, from creation to eternity. This odd belief is absolutely contrary to what scripture actually says.
Leviticus and the Holiness Code
are for the children of Israel,
not for Christians.
Samaritan Jews, early twentieth century.
Are these verses crystal clear?
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 1:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying...” Lev 4:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying...” Lev 11:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying...” Lev 12:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 15:2
“Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 17:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 18:2
“Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 19:2
“Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel...” Lev 20:2
“Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron...” Lev 21:1
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 23:2
“Command the children of Israel...” Lev 24:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 25:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 27:2.
Yes! Crystal Clear! Leviticus Is Written
To Israel, NOT To Christians!
Leviticus is written specifically for the children of Israel, containing laws and rules for Israel to obey as they prepare to occupy the land of Canaan.
Moses with the Ten Commandments.
Does God tell us, in the Bible, to whom the laws in Leviticus apply? Yes, God states precisely, to whom Leviticus and the Law applied. Moses writes under inspiration, 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
“The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, [the Jewish nation] who are all of us here alive this day.” Deuteronomy 5:3.
“This day” was around 1450 BC, when Moses originally wrote the Law that God gave him on Mt. Sinai for the nation of Israel.
Notice Two Important Things
First, the law of Moses did not apply to anyone before God gave it to Moses.
Read Deuteronomy 5:3 again and let it sink into your heart. Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not under the law of Moses.
Second, God made His covenant of law, as given in Leviticus, in approximately 1450 BC, with Moses and the Jewish people who were getting ready to possess the land of Canaan, what we today call Israel.
The Holiness Code was not given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They lived hundreds of years before Moses.
The Holiness Code was not made with everyone living on earth. It was a specific covenant with a specific people, the Jews, at a specific time in history, for specific purposes related to the specific situation in Palestine at that time.
The Molech idol, where pagans sacrificed their children to a false god.
The Holiness Code of Leviticus did not apply to anyone anywhere, until God gave it to Moses, for Israel to obey, in the land of Israel, Deuteronomy 4:5, 14, 5:31, 6:1.
Throughout Leviticus, Moses is speaking to the children of Israel, giving instructions for living in the land, under the Law. Moses is not setting down rules and regulations for Christians, in the twenty first century. The Holiness Code was intended to outlaw the pagan practices of fertility goddess cults in ancient Canaan.
It is important to distinguish
between Jews and Christians
as we interpret the Bible.
Christians do not show up in scripture until Acts 11:26, some fifteen hundred years after the Holiness Code was given.
Some of the Bible is written to Jews but not written to Christians. For example, we have demonstrated above, that Leviticus is written to Jews (the children of Israel).
The New Testament never instructs us that Christians must live under Jewish Law or that Christians must observe Jewish rituals practiced by Old Testament Jews.
The Law Of Moses went out of force
when Jesus died on the Cross.
If you don't understand that, you'll have difficulty understanding the difference between law and grace.
Jesus on the Cross
God, through Moses, addressed Himself to a particular people in a particular cultural situation at a particular time in history for a particular purpose in a particular land under particular Jewish Laws which went out of force the moment Jesus died on the Cross.
“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.” Matthew 27:50, Old KJV
“Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant [the New Testament] was put into action at Jesus’ death.” Hebrews 9:16, The Message.
The New Testament went into force
when Jesus died on the Cross.
The New Covenant, what we call the New Testament, went into effect when Jesus died on the Cross. The Old Covenant, what we call the Old Testament, went out of force when Jesus died on the Cross.
"For where a testament [covenant] is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator [the person making the covenant]. For a testament [covenant] is of force after men are dead..." Hebrews 9:16-17.
The Law was in effect from the time God gave it to Moses on Mt. Sinai, around 1450 BC until Jesus died on the Cross, around AD 30. When Jesus died on the Cross, even the Jews who did not believe in Him knew things had radically changed because the veil of the temple, which shielded the Holy of Holies, was torn from top to bottom.
"And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain [torn in two pieces] from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent [were torn]. Matthew 27:51.
As we noted above, Leviticus is not addressed to people who lived before the Law, Deuteronomy 5:3, and it is not addressed to people who live after the Law ended.
This is easy to understand because
the Bible is so clear and specific.
Hands holding Bible
Matthew 11:13 tells us “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John [the Baptist].”
That word until is important. If I'm going on vacation and I ask you to watch my house until I get back, does that mean you have to watch my house forever or only until I get back? Well obviously, you would be watching my house only until I get back. Until indicates an ending point.
Just so, when the Bible says "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John" God is telling us that the Law is not in force forever. According to Jesus, the Law was only in force until John the Baptist.
The Old Testament Law
Had An Ending Point.
The Law ended when the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, died for the sins of the world. Calvary and the old rugged Cross is the focal point of time and eternity! God's grand plan of redemption, with Jesus on Calvary's Cross, taking upon Himself the wrath of God against our sins, Romans 1:18, is the fulcrum of human history, the pivot point of our theology, the cornerstone of our Christian experience.
God never intended Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13 to be applied to Christians
in the twenty first century.
In Leviticus 18:1-3, Moses speaks to Jews, the twelve tribes of Israel, under the Law.
Sterling silver Torah pointer
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.”
Important Fact Number One: In Leviticus, God and Moses are not laying down laws for Christians in the twenty first century.
Important Fact Number Two: In Leviticus, God and Moses are not laying down rules to prohibit two men who love God and each other and want to live together and serve God, from doing that.
Important Fact Number Three: God and Moses are not laying down rules to prohibit two women who love God and each other and want to live together and serve God, from doing that.
In Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, God intends to prohibit shrine prostitution and Molech worship, that is, men having sex with men in worship of Ashtoreth, Molech's Canaanite fertility goddess consort.
We know that by the context.
Leviticus 17:7 and 18:3 and 18:21 set the context for Leviticus 18:22. God warns Israel against worshiping the goat idols, the goat demons, the pagan gods and pagan practices of Egypt and Canaan, also specifically mentioning Molech (which includes Molech's fertility goddess consort, Ashtoreth).
Leviticus 20:2-5 & 23 set the context for Leviticus 20:13. God makes the same warning against the pagan practices of Egypt and Canaan, specifically mentioning Molech. The rules God gives in Leviticus specifically target the children of Israel. They are God's rules for Israel, living under the Law, in the land of Palestine, at a particular time in history.
We know these rules do not apply universally because God never told us they apply universally.
God Himself never applied these rules universally.
God never states in the New Testament that Christians must obey the Leviticus Holiness Code to be in right relationship with Him. God only applied these rules to Jews living in the land of Palestine, under the Law of Moses.
Christians are commanded to study the Bible, rightly dividing the word of truth, 2 Timothy 2:15.
Behold the Man!
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim 2:15.
"Rightly dividing" means to apply the scripture in its proper context. 2 Timothy 2:15 is God's warning that we must not take scripture out of context. All scripture is written for us but all scripture is not written to us to practice. For example, Old Testament Law required Jews to bring a ram or a lamb to the Tabernacle and give it to the priests as an offering for sin. Jesus became our passover Lamb.
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29.
For even Christ our passover [Lamb] is sacrificed for us." I Corinthians 5:7.
The Cross of Christ
The Cross Is The Great Dividing Point
Since Jesus died on the Cross, God requires no one, including Jews, to offer blood sacrifices at the Jewish Temple because Jesus has shed His sinless blood on Calvary. The sinless blood of Jesus appeased God's wrath by making a satisfactory offering for sin while also satisfying all the demands of God's justice and therefore, never needs to be offered again - once for all - one sacrifice for sins forever, Hebrews 10:10, 12, 14.
God no longer requires us to offer a blood sacrifice or to keep the Law in order to be right with God or to get saved. God requires us to accept Jesus' blood as the offering for our sins, a transaction that took place nearly two thousand years ago. Have you accepted Jesus' payment for your sins? Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior from sin, hell and the wrath of God?
Scriptural Conclusions Based On
What The Bible Actually Says
Christians are not under Leviticus Law or Jewish Law or Moses' Law.
The New Testament never tells Christians they must keep the Jewish Law. The Bible says we are not required to keep the Law, Acts 15:24, 21:24-25.
The New Testament specifically tells us we are not under law but under grace, Romans 6:14, 10:4, Galatians 3:24-25.
The Open Bible
Why Christians do NOT keep the Saturday Sabbath.
There is no logical analogy between ancient cult prostitutes who worshiped the fertility goddess and modern homosexuals.
If you cannot tell the difference between a mob intent on gang raping Lot and his angel visitors in Genesis 19 and a loving legal marriage between two men or two women, then you are struggling with a dishonest heart.
Discover why readers LOVE our eBook Gay Christian 101
From Leviticus, Return to the Gay Christian 101 Home Page
The Hebrew word towebhah, which we translate as abomination never refers to homosexuality in the Bible.
I am saying that the Holiness Code was aimed at Israel,
What was a sodomite in the Bible?
Gay Christian 101: Spiritual Self-Defense For Gay Christians
Family Values in the Bible are so different from Traditional family values as taught by Focus On The Family
Did you know that Christians are not required to keep the Old Testament Law?
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Contents of this website Copyright
© 2006-2020 by Rick Brentlinger
Does Leviticus Apply To Christians Today?
No, Leviticus does not apply doctrinally
to modern Christians.
Nablus (ancient Shechem, between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal), was occupied by Samaritan Jews nearly two thousand years ago. This photo was taken around 1909.
Leviticus is important in the Bible but it was written to Jews living under the law in the land of Israel, not to Christians. Many Christians have a peculiar obsession with the Levitical holiness code and the topic of homosexuality. Unwilling to accept the clear statements of scripture about Leviticus, they insist that Jewish Law applies to everyone everywhere, from creation to eternity. This odd belief is absolutely contrary to what scripture actually says.
Leviticus and the Holiness Code
are for the children of Israel,
not for Christians.
Samaritan Jews, early twentieth century.
Are these verses crystal clear?
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 1:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying...” Lev 4:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying...” Lev 11:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying...” Lev 12:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 15:2
“Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 17:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 18:2
“Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 19:2
“Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel...” Lev 20:2
“Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron...” Lev 21:1
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 23:2
“Command the children of Israel...” Lev 24:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 25:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them...” Lev 27:2.
Yes! Crystal Clear! Leviticus Is Written
To Israel, NOT To Christians!
Leviticus is written specifically for the children of Israel, containing laws and rules for Israel to obey as they prepare to occupy the land of Canaan.
Moses with the Ten Commandments.
Does God tell us, in the Bible, to whom the laws in Leviticus apply? Yes, God states precisely, to whom Leviticus and the Law applied. Moses writes under inspiration, 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
“The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, [the Jewish nation] who are all of us here alive this day.” Deuteronomy 5:3.
“This day” was around 1450 BC, when Moses originally wrote the Law that God gave him on Mt. Sinai for the nation of Israel.
Notice Two Important Things
First, the law of Moses did not apply to anyone before God gave it to Moses.
Read Deuteronomy 5:3 again and let it sink into your heart. Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not under the law of Moses.
Second, God made His covenant of law, as given in Leviticus, in approximately 1450 BC, with Moses and the Jewish people who were getting ready to possess the land of Canaan, what we today call Israel.
The Holiness Code was not given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They lived hundreds of years before Moses.
The Holiness Code was not made with everyone living on earth. It was a specific covenant with a specific people, the Jews, at a specific time in history, for specific purposes related to the specific situation in Palestine at that time.
The Molech idol, where pagans sacrificed their children to a false god.
The Holiness Code of Leviticus did not apply to anyone anywhere, until God gave it to Moses, for Israel to obey, in the land of Israel, Deuteronomy 4:5, 14, 5:31, 6:1.
Throughout Leviticus, Moses is speaking to the children of Israel, giving instructions for living in the land, under the Law. Moses is not setting down rules and regulations for Christians, in the twenty first century. The Holiness Code was intended to outlaw the pagan practices of fertility goddess cults in ancient Canaan.
It is important to distinguish
between Jews and Christians
as we interpret the Bible.
Christians do not show up in scripture until Acts 11:26, some fifteen hundred years after the Holiness Code was given.
Some of the Bible is written to Jews but not written to Christians. For example, we have demonstrated above, that Leviticus is written to Jews (the children of Israel).
The New Testament never instructs us that Christians must live under Jewish Law or that Christians must observe Jewish rituals practiced by Old Testament Jews.
The Law Of Moses went out of force
when Jesus died on the Cross.
If you don't understand that, you'll have difficulty understanding the difference between law and grace.
Jesus on the Cross
God, through Moses, addressed Himself to a particular people in a particular cultural situation at a particular time in history for a particular purpose in a particular land under particular Jewish Laws which went out of force the moment Jesus died on the Cross.
“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.” Matthew 27:50, Old KJV
“Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant [the New Testament] was put into action at Jesus’ death.” Hebrews 9:16, The Message.
The New Testament went into force
when Jesus died on the Cross.
The New Covenant, what we call the New Testament, went into effect when Jesus died on the Cross. The Old Covenant, what we call the Old Testament, went out of force when Jesus died on the Cross.
"For where a testament [covenant] is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator [the person making the covenant]. For a testament [covenant] is of force after men are dead..." Hebrews 9:16-17.
The Law was in effect from the time God gave it to Moses on Mt. Sinai, around 1450 BC until Jesus died on the Cross, around AD 30. When Jesus died on the Cross, even the Jews who did not believe in Him knew things had radically changed because the veil of the temple, which shielded the Holy of Holies, was torn from top to bottom.
"And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain [torn in two pieces] from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent [were torn]. Matthew 27:51.
As we noted above, Leviticus is not addressed to people who lived before the Law, Deuteronomy 5:3, and it is not addressed to people who live after the Law ended.
This is easy to understand because
the Bible is so clear and specific.
Hands holding Bible
Matthew 11:13 tells us “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John [the Baptist].”
That word until is important. If I'm going on vacation and I ask you to watch my house until I get back, does that mean you have to watch my house forever or only until I get back? Well obviously, you would be watching my house only until I get back. Until indicates an ending point.
Just so, when the Bible says "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John" God is telling us that the Law is not in force forever. According to Jesus, the Law was only in force until John the Baptist.
The Old Testament Law
Had An Ending Point.
The Law ended when the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, died for the sins of the world. Calvary and the old rugged Cross is the focal point of time and eternity! God's grand plan of redemption, with Jesus on Calvary's Cross, taking upon Himself the wrath of God against our sins, Romans 1:18, is the fulcrum of human history, the pivot point of our theology, the cornerstone of our Christian experience.
God never intended Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13 to be applied to Christians
in the twenty first century.
In Leviticus 18:1-3, Moses speaks to Jews, the twelve tribes of Israel, under the Law.
Sterling silver Torah pointer
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.”
Important Fact Number One: In Leviticus, God and Moses are not laying down laws for Christians in the twenty first century.
Important Fact Number Two: In Leviticus, God and Moses are not laying down rules to prohibit two men who love God and each other and want to live together and serve God, from doing that.
Important Fact Number Three: God and Moses are not laying down rules to prohibit two women who love God and each other and want to live together and serve God, from doing that.
In Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, God intends to prohibit shrine prostitution and Molech worship, that is, men having sex with men in worship of Ashtoreth, Molech's Canaanite fertility goddess consort.
We know that by the context.
Leviticus 17:7 and 18:3 and 18:21 set the context for Leviticus 18:22. God warns Israel against worshiping the goat idols, the goat demons, the pagan gods and pagan practices of Egypt and Canaan, also specifically mentioning Molech (which includes Molech's fertility goddess consort, Ashtoreth).
Leviticus 20:2-5 & 23 set the context for Leviticus 20:13. God makes the same warning against the pagan practices of Egypt and Canaan, specifically mentioning Molech. The rules God gives in Leviticus specifically target the children of Israel. They are God's rules for Israel, living under the Law, in the land of Palestine, at a particular time in history.
We know these rules do not apply universally because God never told us they apply universally.
God Himself never applied these rules universally.
God never states in the New Testament that Christians must obey the Leviticus Holiness Code to be in right relationship with Him. God only applied these rules to Jews living in the land of Palestine, under the Law of Moses.
Christians are commanded to study the Bible, rightly dividing the word of truth, 2 Timothy 2:15.
Behold the Man!
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim 2:15.
"Rightly dividing" means to apply the scripture in its proper context. 2 Timothy 2:15 is God's warning that we must not take scripture out of context. All scripture is written for us but all scripture is not written to us to practice. For example, Old Testament Law required Jews to bring a ram or a lamb to the Tabernacle and give it to the priests as an offering for sin. Jesus became our passover Lamb.
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29.
For even Christ our passover [Lamb] is sacrificed for us." I Corinthians 5:7.
The Cross of Christ
The Cross Is The Great Dividing Point
Since Jesus died on the Cross, God requires no one, including Jews, to offer blood sacrifices at the Jewish Temple because Jesus has shed His sinless blood on Calvary. The sinless blood of Jesus appeased God's wrath by making a satisfactory offering for sin while also satisfying all the demands of God's justice and therefore, never needs to be offered again - once for all - one sacrifice for sins forever, Hebrews 10:10, 12, 14.
God no longer requires us to offer a blood sacrifice or to keep the Law in order to be right with God or to get saved. God requires us to accept Jesus' blood as the offering for our sins, a transaction that took place nearly two thousand years ago. Have you accepted Jesus' payment for your sins? Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior from sin, hell and the wrath of God?
Scriptural Conclusions Based On
What The Bible Actually Says
Christians are not under Leviticus Law or Jewish Law or Moses' Law.
The New Testament never tells Christians they must keep the Jewish Law. The Bible says we are not required to keep the Law, Acts 15:24, 21:24-25.
The New Testament specifically tells us we are not under law but under grace, Romans 6:14, 10:4, Galatians 3:24-25.
The Open Bible
Why Christians do NOT keep the Saturday Sabbath.
There is no logical analogy between ancient cult prostitutes who worshiped the fertility goddess and modern homosexuals.
If you cannot tell the difference between a mob intent on gang raping Lot and his angel visitors in Genesis 19 and a loving legal marriage between two men or two women, then you are struggling with a dishonest heart.
Discover why readers LOVE our eBook Gay Christian 101
From Leviticus, Return to the Gay Christian 101 Home Page
The Hebrew word towebhah, which we translate as abomination never refers to homosexuality in the Bible.
I am saying that the Holiness Code was aimed at Israel,
What was a sodomite in the Bible?
Gay Christian 101: Spiritual Self-Defense For Gay Christians
Family Values in the Bible are so different from Traditional family values as taught by Focus On The Family
Did you know that Christians are not required to keep the Old Testament Law?
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© 2006-2020 by Rick Brentlinger
Thursday, May 28, 2020
bp141
AS I sat in the den, I trieds to think of a Bible Paper... bp141. I dozed off. when I awoke, Mom said all I do is eat & sleep. A taboo. Not only did I say I have the topic I was looking for, I looked up my notes. I said I read a book the day before yesterday & a book yesterday. I have been reading all day & night every night. after college lied about my scheduloe, I was wounded; badly hurt. so I read 16/6 24 months. Doc said that put a 4 year degree in my head. In Matthew 4:4: But he answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. and Luke 4:4: And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. I suddenly knew I had the topic I was looking for! Concerning Christ's temptation, observe, that directly after he was declared to be the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world, he was tempted; great privileges, and special tokens of Divine favour, will not secure any from being tempted. My horribkle sleeping schedule makes me sleep all day. The 1st Largo Abundant Life Bible study I went to, this was the study. I said every time I read this passage, I feel like they're challenging Him to prove Him. {I've read the Bible 22 times.} But if the Holy Spirit witness to our being adopted as children of God, that will answer all the suggestions of the evil spirit. Christ was directed to the combat. If we presume upon our own strength, and tempt the devil to tempt us, we provoke God to leave us to ourselves. Answer flesh, "It is written...." Eve had dialogue with the serpent. Others are tempted, when drawn aside of their own lust, and enticed, James 1:14; but our Lord Jesus had no corrupt nature, therefore he was tempted only by the devil. Satan is working through us like Mom's pointing out how I've been reading on the 3rd shift. In the temptation of Christ it appears that our enemy is subtle, spiteful, and very daring; but he can be resisted. It is a comfort to us that Christ suffered, being tempted; for thus it appears that our temptations, if not yielded to, are not sins, they are afflictions only. Satan aimed in all his temptations, to bring Christ to sin against God. 1. He tempted him to despair of his Father's goodness, and to distrust his Father's care concerning him. When Granny lied about my 16th birthday, flesh lied. It said I'd be happy if I got even. I waited till I was a Senior in 23 months to unbuckle & pray for death, go through a window, decade rehab, countless surgeries, nerve damage, speech impairment, limp, etc., etc. I haven't driven in 27 years! UGH! It is one of the wiles of Satan to take advantage of our outward condition; and those who are brought into straits have need to double their guard. Christ answered all the temptations of Satan with "It is written;" to set us an example, he appealed to what was written in the Scriptures. This method we must take, when at any time we are tempted to sin. I watched the new 7 nights a week. Every commercial, I read a Bible page. Then I started reading night & morn on the pot. Then I started reading all day everyday. In time, I stopped at 22x to write Bible Papers everyday. I mail some amassed files for publication. Please pray they're all published. Let us learn not to take any wrong courses for our supply, when our wants are ever so pressing: in some way or other the Lord will provide. 2. Satan tempted Christ to presume upon his Father's power and protection, in a point of safety. Nor are any extremes more dangerous than despair and presumption, especially in the affairs of our souls. Satan has no objection to holy places as the scene of his assaults. Let us not, in any place, be off our watch. The holy city is the place, where he does, with the greatest advantage, tempt men to pride and presumption. All high places are slippery places; advancements in the world makes a man a mark for Satan to shoot his fiery darts at. Is Satan so well versed in Scripture as to be able to quote it readily? He is so. It is possible for a man to have his head full of Scripture notions, and his mouth full of Scripture expressions, while his heart is full of bitter enmity to God and to all goodness. Satan misquoted the words. If we go out of our way, out of the way of our duty, we forfeit the promise, and put ourselves out of God's protection. This passage, Deuteronomy 8:3, made against the tempter, therefore he left out part. This promise is firm and stands good. But shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? No. 3. Satan tempted Christ to idolatry with the offer of the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. The glory of the world is the most charming temptation to the unthinking and unwary; by that men are most easily imposed upon. My revenge on my lying granny was my fall. Christ was tempted to worship Satan. He rejected the proposal with abhorrence. "Get thee hence, Satan!" Some temptations are openly wicked; and they are not merely to be opposed, but rejected at once. It is good to be quick and firm in resisting temptation. If we resist the devil he will flee from us. But the soul that deliberates is almost overcome. We find but few who can decidedly reject such baits as Satan offers; yet what is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? I had that poster in my guest house. My friend laughed at it. In time, he lost his business. Christ was succoured after the temptation, for his encouragement to go on in his undertaking, and for our encouragement to trust in him; for as he knew, by experience, what it was to suffer, being tempted, so he knew what it was to be succoured, being tempted; therefore we may expect, not only that he will feel for his tempted people, but that he will come to them with seasonable relief.
prosperity
Be determined. This is about prosperity. I'm using book learning from my favorite cousin's 100s spiritual growth books+self-help books. I am also basing it on YouTube people like Steve Harvey, a successful man. Prosperous people make a firm decision and being resolved not to change it. They're immovable people. I was out coma then soon Roger was loaning me his success books. You must stay determined. Keep a fresh intent on on what you want. Have lots of passion. Artists are passionate people most often. Be completely bent on getting what you want. Be set on a favorable conclusion. That means be dead set on getting what you want. It has to be insistent on. In other words, you have to be fixed on it. Everything must be resolved on getting it done. That takes being firm about it. It's something you have to be committed to. Therefore you need to be hell-bent on it. Prosperous people are single-minded about a happy ending. Then you'rde obsessive about the conclusion, obsessed with it. People with prosperity thinking are fanatical about the pleasing conclusion. They're hence fixated on happiness. That takes a wholesome lifestyle. People processing or displaying resolve get what they want the more determined they are. You have to be resolute about fighting off hateful emotions. I am vengeful about the slaying of the black man. But I must be full of determination to remain purposeful. Prosperous people are purposive. You're likely to be more resolved the more weathered you are. Indecisive people lack the fruits decided people get. Be adamant about getting the right thing. 225 rejectors showed me women are wrong for me. As you look at what you're after, you must be single-minded about the target. That means you have to be firm. I read 100s books on the lifestyle I'm leading you to. Be unswerving... unswervable. That means you have to be unwavering. People with this success are undaunted. Read this more than 1nc. Be fixed on it. That means you have to be set on success. Purposeful people are decisive. My lying college showed me this. The lie was 24 years ago. After their lie, I read 16/6 24 months. That means you have to be steadfast. Get this personality. When you're disappointed, be bent (on or upon), overcoming the letdown. Successful people are bound & determined. That means you have to be unstoppable. This attitude I read about showed me I have to be decisive. I see I must be resolute. People who are firm are dogged. They're also fixed. It takes a constant effort. Be bold. Have the flaring intent to get it done. Be persistently determined. Your heart must be resolutely, firmly dogged. Even though conditions are lousy, be fixed. Have a constant intent on a satisfying result. Be bent on it. Prosperous people are set on their focus. Don't give up. Be dead set on the satisfactory, insistent on an appealing result. As you charge forward, you are fixed on the result. Don't give up. Prosperous people are resolved on a pleasing landing. But after you get what you want, you'll be liekly cursed with greed. YouTube said Steve Harvey wants too much money. Be firm about getting what you want no matter what people say. Don't give up. Be committed to it. If you're hell-bent on it, you'll succeed. Prosperous people are single-minded about a satisfactory result. Be obsessive about, obsessed with a happy ending. If you're fanatical about it enough, you'll prosper. Prosperous people are fixated on processing or displaying resolve. You'll do well, get on well if you're resolute to go well, fare well, & thrive. You'll flourish with this determination. You'll do all right for yourself & get ahead, progress abundantly if you're purposefully resolved. You'll fly high & strike gold/oil if you're purposive enough. That means you'll make the big time if you're 100% decidedly adamant. Roger's books taught me I'll make good speed if I'm firmly, unswervingly unswervable. I'm telling you prosperous people are single-minded. In conclusion, you have to be unwaveringly undaunted; fixed & set. Make prosperity your intent. Be insistently steadfast. Thus be staunch. Whom do you have? Be stalwartly earnest... manfully deliberate. If you're unfalteringly unhesitating, you'll be unflinchingly persevering. Prosperous people are persistently pertinacious, indefatigably tenacious, & bulldog strong-minded. If you stay strong-willed & unshakeable, you'll be unshakenly steely. That takes being dedicated. When my college lied about inability to get permission to let me drop an impossible, impossible, impossible class, I moved home to focus on my ministry. It's more important to me. I don't care about a college degree. Be stubbornly committed to your goal. It takes being dogged. Prosperous people are obstinate, obdurate, & inflexible. You need to be relentless. Then you'll be intransigent. At that time you'll be implacable. at that point you'll be unyielding. In those days you'll be unbending. At that point, you'll be immovable. In time, at that moment, you'll be unrelenting. You'll be prosperous. On that occasion, you'll be spirited. Be brave. Have a bold heart. It requires courage. More than plucky. Be stout as a bulldozer. Be stouthearted, mettlesome, & indomitable. Prosperous people have a strenuous spirit. If you're vigorously gritty enough, your stiffly rock-ribbed presence will be gutsy & spunky enough to claim what you're after. When Granny lied my promised truck was a dream, I was immature, not perseverant or indurate enough. Don't be irresolute or weak-willed, or chicken-hearted. You need the power or quality of deciding. It takes putting an end to controversy. Decide what is crucial or most important. Be decisive. Be characterized by or displaying no or little hesitation. That means you're resolutely determined. It takes a decisive manner. Be indisputably definite. Decisive to defeat sloth. Prosperous people are unsurpassable. Be commanding. Prosperous people make up their mind. It's a dignified propriety of behavior. You have to be conclusive. I was overwhelmed in college & on my break my ministry started then never ended. I'm laying up eternal jewels. Prosperous people are final & firm in their decisions. It takes definitiveness. Prosperous people are influentially resolute. It takes being forceful. That's crucial. Prosperous people are critical. Success or die. That is a significant comparison for their positive manner. Be 100% determined for success. It's momentous & conclusive. Be absolutely assured of this. Be bent. Be certain. It takes a crisp heart. Prosperous people are decided. That's final. Be firm to solve or conclude (a question, controversy, or struggle) by giving victory to your side. The judge decided the case in favor of the plaintiff. It's to determine or settle (something in dispute or doubt. To bring (a person) to a decision. Be persuaded or convinced to do right. The new evidence decided him to settle something in dispute or doubt. The judge decided in favor of the plaintiff. To make a judgment or determine a preference; come to a conclusion. The act of or need for making up one's mind.
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