Month: March 2007

Looking At The Beatitudes

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Matthew 5:1-12 continuing…

We will be looking at each of the Beatitudes individually through the next few posts.

LOOKING AT THE BE-ATTITUDES

Matthew 5:1-12

When we begin looking at the Sermon on the Mount we see how Jesus expects His dedicated followers to live. There are far too many professing Christians that are saying and believing, “We are not required to obey the law any longer”, thus we have a bunch of reprobate professors of Christianity. There could not be anything further from the truth.

Where the law only told us the way, but did not provide aid in the way; Jesus came fulfilling the law and because of His Spirit living within also enables us to live the law in our lives. The law which once was only written in cold hard stones, and could not reach stone cold hearts, is now written in hearts of flesh.

Anyone professing today that they live by the Sermon On The Mount had better read it before they make such a bold announcement. It is far more binding, and has much more it requires than does the Ten Commandments. We will look at some of those things when we get to those areas.

In this lesson of the ‘BE-ATTITUDES’, using a little play on words; we find the attitudes the individuals who are in the Kingdom of Christ Jesus the King, are to have.

There are nine “Blessed(s)” given. The meaning of the word “Blessed” is ‘happy’. That is a “Beatitude”. Each “Blessed” is a reference to more than happiness – it has most certainly to do with spiritual joy. Happiness (as often defined or thought of) is determined by circumstances; events which take place in one’s life which can either add great excitement and temporary happiness, or great distress and sorrow. If it is an event which brings temporary happiness and excitement, it is only fleeting. Spiritual joy is an attitude attainable only by faith in Jesus – having a close personal relationship with Him. The happiness of which these Bible Blessings speak of is an enduring happiness, an inner joy, which is everlasting, and cannot be taken away.

Matthews Gospel tells us that it was the disciples whom Jesus taught. After having multitudes following Him He probably felt a need to get away. If not only for His disciples sake. This is the first major teaching of Jesus in this Gospel. It covers chapters five through seven. It could be called PRINCIPLES FOR KINGDOM LIVING. This was the King’s way of setting up His kingdom, and preparing the hearts of His people for what was to come. It was a different kingdom, than what the religious rulers had heard and taught. For some reason they missed the part of the “Suffering Servant” (Isaiah 52-53), dying by the hand of God, and taking away our transgressions. We see by these that there is happiness, fulfillment, and joy in the kingdom of our Lord and Savior.

But Not That Tree

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Genesis 2:1-25 continuing…

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” Genesis 2:16-17.

The very first commandment is given by LORD God to the man and his wife. Adam was put by God into the garden for and with a purpose. Part of that purpose was to guard and till the garden. It needed guarded from the onslaughts of the devil. Adam’s family needed guarding also. It seems uncertain whether Adam was aware of a devil or not, but God was aware, and guarding seems implied by the words, “To keep”. In other words Adam was to be alert, and “On his toes”. The LORD God was warning Adam to pay attention – even in this time of innocency.

Adam was free to eat of every fruit, herb, and vegetable in the garden with the exception of one. The tree of knowledge of good and evil was the exception. The law God gave Adam was, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (v. 17). This is still part of the first covenant which began in chapter one verse 28. Death is something Adam would have known nothing about. All around him was life, beauty, health, and wealth. He seemed to have no worry or problems.

“Where there is no law there is no transgression” (Rom. 4:15). If we were to take away the laws of the land and the laws of God, then let everyone live like they wanted there would be no transgressors – no lawbreakers. Everyone would remain innocent; even in cases of killing another, or imagine what you will.

Adam was given one law to obey. He would not remain innocent, nor guiltless. Neither are you or I.

In the Gardens

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“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:8-9 and verses10 – 15.

For the sake of commentary we must mention that there are four gardens mentioned in Scriptures which have a great importance for us. The first garden is Eden which we will see shortly in Genesis; the second is Gethsemane found in John 18:1, and was the garden where Jesus prayed on His last evening; then, there was a garden at Calvary according to John 19:41-42 – that is the place where Jesus was laid after His crucifixion; and finally, there is the garden of the Heavenly Paradise found in the Revelation of Jesus Christ 22:1-2 – it is not there called a garden, but the Tree of Life is there and it is bearing fruit; it is surely a new Garden of Eden.

Of the first and the last gardens the only way into these is by God’s placing them/us therein. God created Adam and placed him in Eden. He makes us a New Creation, and places us, by His grace, into His heavenly paradise. The cross of Christ has made all things new in those who trust and believe Him.

There were two trees in the midst of the garden; the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The first was for eternal life, the second brought death.

This garden [Eden], as is also the Heavenly Paradise, is watered by a river which flows through and out of these gardens. The river which flows out of Eden is said to disperse into four rivers. Not much can be known of all these rivers, except one still has its original name [Euphrates], and Hiddekel is thought to be the Tigris River.

This river which flowed through the garden was a source of life. The river of water flowing through, from the throne of God, the Heavenly Paradise, is a source of eternal joy, and life.

We learn here, that God is the Giver of life and eternal life. “He that believeth on Me as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”, Jesus said, in John 7:38. Also see John 4:14. Jesus is the source of life, and those who drink from Him are the branches of water which go out to the rest of the world.

JUST AS THE LORD God PREPARED A PLACE FOR ADAM AND EVE HE HAS A PREPARED PLACE FOR ALL WHO TRUST HIM.

The LORD God

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

Genesis 2:1-25 continuing…

‘These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” Gen. 2:4-7.

As has already been noted; there is no contradiction between chapters one and two. Rather they complement one another. Chapter two gives us details, concerning the creation of man, that is not mentioned in chapter one. One such item is that “LORD God’… ‘Breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became of living soul”. This is not said of any of the rest of creation.

The Word has given us the progress of the creation of the heavens and the earth, and now tells us, in verses five and six how the garden was watered before man was made, and for a time thereafter. If we will notice, the earth was watered by a mist. It had not rained, and most likely did not rain until the time of the flood. The idea of “Rain” was probably a foreign thought to the people of Noah’s day.

Note, in verse four the use of the new name for God. “LORD [YHWH] God”. This is its first usage in Scripture. “God” or ‘Elohim’ which is a plural showing/teaching us the trinity of God has been used until this point, showing the work of the fullness of the Trinity [Father, Son and Holy Spirit]. Now, God reveals Himself as an involved Deity. Involved in the care of the universe, the earth, its creatures, and especially the creature He created in His own image, and after His own likeness. God did not create the world and leave us alone in it. This name, Jehovah [YHWH] God lets us know this. He becomes personal. This name is used at least 10 times in chapter two alone.

Jehovah [YHWH] God who is involved in the affairs of mankind is more involved in our lives than many want to give Him credit for. He is so involved that He sent His Son Jesus to redeem us, deliver us from our sin and transgression. You can trust the LORD God through His Son Jesus Christ.

The Light’s Preaching, Teaching and Power

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“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan” Matthew 4:23-25 (KJV).

THE LIGHT OF JESUS SHINES AS EVIDENCE OF HIS PREACHING, TEACHING, AND POWER. These are the credentials of the Divine King – the Son of God. In His teaching He taught as one having a superior authority (7:29). He taught by speaking words and living by them. In His preaching; He announced the kingdom of heaven. In His healing; this was certainly divine verification of the truth of who He was and is. It continued through His earthly life as verification and until the end of the apostolic era.

The greatest healing Jesus came to do was in the giving of Light to the darkness of human hearts. Someone has said, “The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart”. The heart of all mankind is darkness until the light of Jesus shines in and the darkness flees, and then there is healing from sins condemnation, sicknesses and disease. The only real reason for sickness and disease and problems in the world is sin. Jesus came to pay the debt of sin. That debt is paid, and one day the King of all Kings will reign, and there will be no more sin, no more sickness, no more disease, and no more problems. Jesus is the LIGHT.

These multitudes followed Him because of the mighty deeds which He did. They would later deny Him. Some of them would even be the ones in the crowd crying, “Crucify Him; crucify Him”. Are you following Him because of what He can do, or just because of who He is? It does make a difference.

The Light of the Heart

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Matthew 4:12-25 continuing…

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” Matthew 4:18-22 (KJV).

THE LIGHT OF JESUS SHINES IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM. Jesus, walking on the shores of Galilee sees Peter and Andrew – brothers fishing. These are “Net” fishermen. They have no idea what fish are going to come up in their net, yet they toss the net into the water each time. Sometimes they have a catch large or small, and sometimes they come up empty. The net is no respecter of persons; maybe I should say fish; and neither is the Lord of all things. The fish does not go into the net without divine guidance. It is not by mere happen stance.

Peter and Andrew are fishing, and Jesus came along, and though they evidently had never met Him before – at least as far as we know – and He says, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”, and they drop their nets, and followed Him. It was an immediate action. In the King James it says, “Straightway”, and that can mean, “directly”, “soon”, “at once”, or “immediately”. At any rate they realized something special about Jesus and they followed Him. John’s Gospel gives a bit different account, and it is complementary; there is no harm done to either story (John 1:35-42).

With Peter and Andrew following along Jesus continues along the shores of Galilee seeking the men who would follow Him. The Sea of Galilee from which they make their living. The Sea which could represent the doomed, despairing, drowning, dying, realm of men in the world. Jesus comes to two more brothers James Zebedee, and John his brother. These had been fishing with their father Zebedee, but now were mending the nets. Maybe after a few times of catching the fish they would have tears, making holes in the net, thus, becoming less effective with each casting of the net. In all forms of labor; whether fishing, farming, policing, merchandising , etc. there will always be need for repairs. It can be a time of reflection, vision building, and growth; as well as improvement of the net. In this episode of Jesus’s life He now has four disciples – Peter, Andrew, James and John. He extended the invitation, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”.

That invitation, to this very day is still given to all who will hear His message. Jesus says, “Come, follow Me”.

On the Seventh and The Eighth Day

/ Tim A. / 4 Comments

Genesis 2:1-25 continuing…

For some reason there are some who read chapter two of Genesis and see contradiction. I suppose that it because they want to find contradiction within God’s Word. However, there is none. When you come to Scripture with a hatred for God and anything He might say it will be a very biased look. There have been many cases of avowed athiest who have ventured into the journey of reading God’s Word to prove it is full of errors, contradictions, and that it is only the words of men to only find the truth of Jesus Christ and trusted Him as their Lord and Savior. One of those is Lee Strobell, and another is Josh McDowell. Both of these men are now devoted Christian men and great apologist for the Word of God.

What I find in this chapter of Genesis is a further explanation of the Creator’s creation. It is a greater clarification of the creation of man, and his place and ministry on the earth.

We also find here the first mention of the Seventh day, or Sabbath day as a day of rest; it is the day God rested from creating. According to the Deist God created all that is and then left it with us and does not intervene into the affairs of men. It seems to me that the rest of Scripture quickly puts this thought to silence. We will see, very quickly, in the text that God walked with Adam in the garden. That does not sound to me like He distanced Himself from His creation.

In veres 1 – 3 we find the FIRST SABBATH. This is actually a continuation of the creation events of chapter one. God had created everything that was necessary to sustain life on earth. In particular to sustain, benefit, beautify, and fulfill the lives of the creation which is made “In our [God’s] image,after our [God’s] likeness”.

After making all things for man’s physical well being He teaches us a wonderful lesson. A lesson of rest and also for us a lesson of worship. Was God exhausted from all the work He had done? Not hardly. Did He take a leave of absence and leave the world and His whole creation on its own? Again, not at all.

His rest shows a completion to all that He began; “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…” Philippians 1:6. It gives us promise and hope that as His New Creation in Christ He will complete what He began.

If we are genuinely resting in Him we will have times of personal, individual fellowship with Him. We will also seek every opportunity to learn more of Him His power and glory, His Son, His Spirit, His Word, and His work in our own and other’s lives. We do this through God’s institution of the local church.

We cease from our own laboring to please God and our own way, and rest in His arms of grace. We realize all our efforts, works and “…righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), and only His will suffice.

The Sabbath – a day of rest – is for our enjoying the benefits of a week long job and work well done, and especially for the worship of God Almighty, who made it all. That Sabbath rest is fulfilled in Christ Jesus, and He arose on the first day of the week, having finished the works of the Law. On the Eighth day, which is the First day of a brand new week we worship the One who rose again. The law was completed in Him.

And On the Sixth Day…

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

Genesis 1:14-31 concluded

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” Gen. 1:24-25.

On the beginning of the sixth day God created the final part of His creation before He created His crowning achievement.. He made all the provisions, necessities for human life, and comfort before He created the one made after Himself. When we see ourselves as we were originally made we will have a higher view of God, and eventually of ourselves, and others.

When the false teachers of evolution tell us that we are nothing more than a glorified animal, if even given that much credit, we find that there is no purpose for life, living, and that there is really no need for law. It would really come down to the teaching of THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. If we would take an honest look at our world and societies of the day we would find that people are becoming more and more unkind to one another. The evolutionits try and tell us that man is progressively getting better and better. If we are honest about it, though, we must conclude that there is little concern for human life. There is more concern for our life comforts, pleasures, conveniences, personal health and success, than there is for the unborn child. “The female of our species” can determine that this “thing” growing inside of her is nothing more than a mass which needs to be removed, comparing it to cancer. That is the result of being nothing more than another of the animal “species”, rather than having been created in the image and likeness of our Creator – God.

Often times, we as Christians, do not value the life of other created beings in the way that we should. I must say there have been times I was guilty of that. We should have a respect for all of life; even the life of the whale, dolphin, deer, elk, moose, cattle, horses, and all livestock, etc. However, that must be held within the perimeter of God’s Word. We have been told that, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” Gen. 9:3-4 – of course we must realize this permission was given after the flood of Noah’s time. We are also told in the Proverbs, “The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious” Proverbs 12:27. I may aggravate a lot of hunters when I say this, but I will write it anyway. If you are a “Trophy hunter” and you waste the meat, and hunt for only the purpose of having a trophy, then you are nothing but a killer; a taker of precious life. There is nothing wrong with hunting and bringing in the meat for food, but when it is only for a trophy you fit into the role of “The slothful man”.

God has given to the creature created in His image and likeness the ability to think, to rationally think things through, to be logical, to dream, to achieve, to create – from materials which exist, and to build. The ultimate thing which God has given us is freewill with which to worship and adore Him.

When God made these cattle, and creeping things, and beast of the earth after his kind…we are told that, “God saw that it was good” Can you imagine this animal kingdom at peace with one another? The lamb and the lion feeding together; the ox and the tiger laying under the shade in the heat of the day sun; the child playing over the serpents den. This is the way it was in the beginning. There was peace in the “Animal kingdom”. The lamb and the lion; the ox and the tiger were eating the produce of the ground; “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.” (vv. 29-30).

Of man God says, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (v. 28). Nowhere does this mean mistreatment of animals, and nowhere does this mean they have as much or more value than human life. Of man God also tells us, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (2:7).

In verses 29 – 31 we find what has been called the Edenic Covenant. A covenant is an agreement between two parties. Sometimes a covenant may have conditions on both parties, or it can have conditions for only one of the parties. In the case of the Edenic Covenant God placed conditions on Adam and Eve in order for them to stay in Eden. These conditions are, 1) To multiply and fill the earth; 2) To subdue the earth for human use and the glory of the Lord; 3) To rule/have dominion over the animal creation, for their keeping and well being; 4) To eat herbs and fruits brought forth by the trees and vegetation in the garden; 5) To till and care for – Keep (Guard) – the garden; 6) To abstain from eating the fruit from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”; and 7) With the understanding of the penalty of death for eating the fruit of the forbidden tree.

Though we were made in the image and likeness of God; this image and likeness was later marred by sin when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden. The bond between Adam and God was shattered by sin; by disobedience; and this image was restored by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It was not until the creation of the crown of His creation that God said, “It is very good”, and He said it of all that He created. Just think, if He could say that about the creation of the natural, what He will say when the New Creation is completed. The New Creation being every individual who has come to God through Jesus Christ’s shed blood, burial and resurrection. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” 2 Cor. 5:17. The evening and the morning were the sixth day.

On Day Five

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Genesis 1:14-31 continuing…

“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day” Genesis 1:20-23 (KJV).

 

We come now to the creation of the Fins [life within the waters], and creating of the Feathers [life of the fowl] (vv. 20-23). “Let the waters bring forth abundantly…”. Jesus said to the woman at the well, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” John 4:10. Jesus also said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” John 7:37-38. It was the fifth day that life was given in the waters of the earth. Remember who is doing the creating. The voice of God; the Living Word, and the Living Water.

In looking at these verses it almost would appear that the recent declarations by some evolutionists concerning fish and birds coming from the same form of life could have some merit. The only ‘merit’ I give them is that these were both created on the same day, and it does almost seem that you could make an argument for them coming from the water. I will not give them that, though. It does tell us that each was made “After his kind”. The fish was made for and after the fish. The bird [fowl] was made for and after the bird. It did not take hundreds, thousands, or millions of years to make these or any other part of creation. We are told this creating was all done in a period of six days. It is measured by the “rising and setting” of the sun, or one rotation of the earth. God tells the fish and creatures of the waters to fill the waters, and He tells the fowl to fill the earth. This was the fifth day.

Remember God’s order! 1. The heaven and the earth was created; 2. Light is created, ordered for the earth; 3. God puts a protecting sphere or canopy over the earth made of water; 4. Plants begin to grow, ‘After his kind’; 5. The light giving bodies are created becoming the permanent sources of light; 6. Aquatic and fowl life are created to reproduce “After his king’; 7. The land creatures are created – the cattle, horses, etc. – this also includes the creature created in ‘God’s image’. When there is such order how can anyone with a reasoning, thinking, mind of logic see anything but a Creator?

Light Where Jesus Dwells

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Matthew 4:12-25 continues…

Jesus had received the message of John Baptist’s imprisonment, and He leaves Nazareth for Galilee. He makes His home base Capernaum, and He does this because He has a great heart for fulfilling the Scriptures. The Scriptures He is fulfilling by coming to Capernaum is Isaiah 9:1-2.

There is a point here that I will try not to forget when I get to another chapter of Matthew concerning His dwelling at Capernaum, which was pointed out to me in a magazine article I read, and is connected with John 6:16-21, and the relation with chapter 14 verses 22 – 33 of Matthew.

Capernaum is now Jesus’s home where His ministry headquarters are. The word “Dwelt” in verse 13 is “To house permanently”. This is an indication of Jesus’s intent. It does seem to have a special and significant prophetic meaning.

“Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” Matthew 4:12-17 (KJV).

THE LIGHT OF JESUS CERTAINLY SHINES WHERE HE DWELLS. Jesus was the dawning of the great light that was to shine, fulfilling the Scriptures of Isaiah 9:1-2: “Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined”.

John the Baptist was a messenger of the Light (John 1:6-9). When the King came it was in God’s plan and time for the prophet to be silenced. With John Baptist in prison that messenger was virtually silenced. John was actually the last of the Old Testament prophets. The prophets basic message was repentance, because that was what was needed, and until John the Baptist, there had been silence from prophecy for about 400 years.

When John is silenced by imprisonment and eventually his death, Jesus continues the message of repentance. The seventeenth verse gives us His beginning message, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Though since that first message of Jesus; He has died, was buried, has risen from death and the grave, and has ascended to His Father’s right hand; the message of repentance is especially needed in the world today. It is a time of immorality run amuck. That being due to the people of God forsaking God and going after the gain of the material world. Jesus is still the Light. The Light that shines in darkness, and shining in darkness reveals the sins of our hearts, and calls us to repentance.

The Fourth Day

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Genesis 1:14-31 continuing…

By way of introducing this segment of the creation study; let me remind you of the second and third days. The second day has no mention of “God saw that it was good”. It was a day of separation when the waters were divided with a firmament between the water over the land and the water in the air over the firmament. The third day was similar to a resurrection, because the waters receded and land was revealed. There was a revelation of land. Just as on the third day Jesus came forth from the grace around four thousand years later. On this third day it is mentioned ‘God saw that it was good’ twice; making it extra important.

 

Covering Genesis 1:14-19 –

On the fourth day we see the lights which God made for the sustenance and warmth of the earth. As I wrote earlier this is a mystery to me. Light created on the first day, and here we are told that God made the sun, moon and stars. The sun, of course to “rule” the day, and the moon to “rule” by night, and these were given for signs and seasons, days and years. I do believe what God says here, but it is a mystery that will probably not be satisfactorily answered until we see Jesus. Then, it probably will not matter.

“…The conflict which some have imagined between the creation of light on day one (v. 3) and the creation of sun, moon and stars on the fourth day (vv. 14-19) is imaginary. The light created in v. 3 has a source other than the specific sources provided on the fourth day. For example, the moon is termed a ‘light giver’ in v. 16, but the light from the moon is totally derived from another source. The moon does not create its own light: yet is is termed a ‘light giver’ just as the sun. Obviously, more than one method of providing light is available to God. Therefore, God provided light and its cycle for day and night on the first day, while on the fourth day He provided the luminaries that would become the permanent sources of light for the earth.” Note of verse Gen. 1:14 from THE CRISWELL STUDY BIBLE 1979, pg. 4.

When Jesus arose from the dead on the third day that was not all that there was for Jesus to do. He still must be seated at His Father’s right hand. The scene changes from earth to Heaven. In looking at Arthur Pink again, he writes, “In the fourth day’s work our eyes are removed from the earth and all its affairs and are turned to the heavens!” pg. 26. It would do us good to read Colossians 3:1-2, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”.

As we lift our eyes heavenward we will see two great lights – the sun by day, and the moon by night. The sun in its ever burning brightness typifies the Son of God. The moon, as only a reflector of light, is dependent upon the sun for its light. The moon, then, would typify the believer. As the moon has no power/radiance of its own, so it is with the child of God. We are only reflectors of that light as we have His presence within. There are times when the earth comes between the sun and the moon, and this is what is called an lunar eclipse. This is what happens to the Christian who allows the things of the world to take a higher priority in their lives than the Lord Jesus. There are also times when the moon comes between the sun and the earth. This is called a solar eclipse. When the Christian begins to think they are pretty special, there is pride, and Jesus is not being seen, and His light is being blocked by our haughtiness, or by doing things which call greater attention to ourselves; and God is robbed of His glory. The lights above are awesome reminders of who God is, and our place within His creation.

The function of these great lights are “To give light upon the earth” (v. 15), and “To rule over the day and over the night” (v. 18). Thus, it is for Christ and all those who trust Him. This was the fourth day.

On the Third Day

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

Genesis 1:3-13 concluded…

“And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day” Genesis 1:9-13

The third day we find an unveiling, even a resurrection. The waters covered the earth, and on this day land emerges from under the waters.

A. W. Pink writes, “These verses bring before us God’s work on the third day, and in harmony with the meaning of this numeral we find that which clearly speaks of resurrection” From GLEANINGS IN GENESIS pg. 19. Certainly, just as in the ordinance of baptism the coming up out of the water symbolizes resurrection, we can see the symbol here. The land emerges from the waters, brings forth life – grass, herbs, trees – and all “After their kind” brought forth fruit.

Those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are trusting Him. A continued trust is the main fruit – evidence – of true faith. It is the resurrected life which is no longer submerged under the waters of the world and death, but has been brought to new life in the resurrection of Christ. Each herb, tree, and blade of grass “…Yielding seed after his kind”.

It is interesting to notice that on the Third Day it is said, “God saw that it was good” twice. Surely, this could take us to Romans 1:4 “Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord (v. 3) …And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”. Where the Holy Spirit omitted “God saw that it was good” on the second day, He doubly asserts the goodness of the third day. O, the blessing of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

After three days, Jesus arose and came out of the grave.

The Price of Success

/ Tim A. / 3 Comments

Matthew 4:1-11 conclusion

“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him” Matthew 4:8-11.

Success is the next temptation. The devil wanted to give Jesus immediate gratification. There are many people today [2007] who desire immediate success/gratification, and will sell their very lives and souls to obtain it. Many measure success by the clothes you wear, the house you live in, the car or pickup truck you drive, and how much money you have in the bank; what the stocks you own are worth, etc..

A question could come to some minds, asking, “Did the devil have the right to offer the kingdoms of the world to Jesus?” The answer to that is yes, if you are asking concerning man’s sin. Adam and Eve had dominion over the earth until sin entered the picture, then, the devil, as ‘the ruler of this world’ (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Perhaps the devil had Psalm 2:8 in mind, and was attempting to get Jesus to come around the way of obedience to the Father, and get what God had promised the Son; “Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen [Nations] for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession”.

“Jesus, you can rule the world now. You don’t have to be a servant to God. You don’t have to be obedient.” He goes on and basically states, “You can have it all NOW, if you will fall down and worship me”. I think Jesus knew in His mind and heart, that, first of all, the Father would not be glorified in that; secondly, He would not be glorified in yielding; thirdly, the devil would be undefeated; fourthly, mankind, whom He came to redeem would still be lost, condemned, and there would be no hope for them.

The thing Jesus did is what every Christian can, should and ought to do everytime the temptation comes to look to success as an end all to all our problems. “Be gone devil. It is written, “You shall worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve”.

The greatest success ever was the completion of the Father’s will as He died on the cross, suffering the judgment of sin at the hand of His Father, in the place of all sinners; and by His resurrection from the grave. The real success of Jesus Christ has not yet been delivered to the saints. It will be delivered in His time, not ours. His success will come, “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now thereefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him” Psalm 2:9-12 (KJV).

We know the work of Jesus Christ on the cross was successful, because He arose from the grave. We know He has been given His former glory, because He is seated at the Father’s right hand. We know that we will be with Him, because He has promised, and He does not lie.

When we are trusting the LORD, there are no shortcuts for survival, security, or success. These are truly obtained as we trust the One who died for us.

The Second Day

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Genesis 1:3-13 continuing…

“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day” Genesis 1:6-8 (KJV).

On day two the waters of the earth were to be divided. The water of the surface of the land, and the waters in the sky. This does leave us with the knowledge that there is water above us, even in our time. We know that because of clouds, rainfall, snowfall, icefall, etc. On this second day of creation this water above the earth seems to have been much more massive than that of today.

One thing that should be noticed is the orderly fashion in which God created. Of course, it is obvious to us that it should be done this way. However, far too many times we humans get the proverbial “Cart before the horse”. This is further evidence of the All-Wise, All-Powerful Creator.

This second day is a recorded day of division. It should also be noted that this is the only day where it is not recorded that “God saw that it was good”. It seems that there is something of a sadness on this day. Could it be possible that this division typifies the cross of Jesus? The separation of man from God? The separation of the God-Man from His father as He becomes the sins of the world, and becomes the brunt of His Father’s judgment? “We believe that the ‘firmament’ here typifies the cross and sets forth its twofold aspect. There our blessed Lord was divided or separated from God Himsell — ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’; and there also He was separated from man– ‘Cut off out of the land of the living'”. A. W. PINK Gleanings In Genesis pg. 24. One thing we must realize when we recognize “Types, shadows, etc.” is that a type does not deny the historicity or truth of the text. If we can see this here, then, truly glory is given to the Creator, and we magnify Him. This may be the reason why there is no acknowledgement of , “God saw that it was good”, His heart was grieved, because He saw the price that He would be paying to redeem fallen man.

It should be noted that at the last day of creation we are told, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (v. 31). At the completion of God’s New Creation he will be able to say, through His Son Jesus, “Well done Good and faithful servant. His creation is “Good”. The completion of creation – the New Creation (2 Cor. 5:17) – is “Very good”. Man, not the material things, are the priority of God’s glory.

The First Day

/ Tim A. / 5 Comments

Genesis 1:3-13 continuing…

On the first day of the beginning of the “Painting of the canvas” God creates light for this new creation (vv. 3-5). What this light is is somewhat of a mystery; at least to me. The reason I say that is because, the sun and moon will not be created until day four. My only explanation for this light could be that it is light of God Himself giving life to this creation. There is Day and there is Night. The light is called Day, and the darkness called Night, and darkness would be the place where there is no light.

At any rate we are told on this first day of creation, “And God saw the light, that it was good”. Could it be also that these things – sun, moon, stars were created, but not visible to the earth until the fourth day? That would only be conjecture; as is the first thought. There is much about the beginnings which we do not know; and is quite possible we may never know; at least until we see Jesus.

It is with joy that we can see that God saw the light, “That it was good”, and does not say that of the darkness. “God is light; and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). When you are trusting Jesus, you are trusting the Father and you are walking in the Light.

The Price of Security

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Matthew 4:1-11 continuing…

“Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” Matthew 4:5-7.

This the second temptation. How secure was the Lord Jesus in who He was/is? Did He have to prove it? Jesus had all the basic desires that all humanity has. He had one thing going for Him which we did not, and that is that He was/is Deity, yet He did not boast of it. He boasted of His Father. When an individual is secure they do not need to prove themselves before, mocking, hateful, envious, despising crowds, or individuals.

Jesus Christ had the desire for security. Again, I want you to remember these disires are God-given and no sin in them unless they become perverted, and outside God’s purview. People today have desire for financial security, health security, retirement security, home security, and family and marriage security. Many times these items can become a source of worry and fear, and that shows a lack of faith and trust in the Lord.

Security, or obtaining security can become a source of self dependence, and not so much depending upon the Lord and His provisions. People spend hours per day laboring extra long and hard to be sure their job is secure. Many labor, to the point of being afraid of their job – meaning they are afraid if they do not work the extra hours, do all the boss ask them to do above and beyond the call of duty, they could lose their position. Anyone who must do that is not secure. If you are fearful of these things; not having them, losing them, or maybe of never having them; you are not secure.

When a man or woman has obtained these or reached a point where they feel they are secure they have fallen into an open door to temptation. There has been many a Lottery winner who when they had won their million or millions, or maybe a little less, believed they were “Secure” now. They had it made. Then, something happened, they lost it, security was gone.

The devil tried to get Jesus to throw Himself over the edge. “If you are the Son of God, the angels will catch you, and no harm will happen to you” was his words. If you are secure in your own mind, and you feel you must prove it; you are the least secure person there is. The one who is secure needs not depend upon any proof, but upon the peace only God can give, then you will presume nothing. When the time comes all will be exposed.

Jesus would go to the cross, be lifted up before all to see, He would ask the Father to forgive their sins, He would finish what the Father sent Him to do, and three days later He would rise from the grave alive. He went all the way to death – the death of the cross – and He arose. He was secure in the Father’s will.

The Voice of God

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AND GOD SAID…Genesis 1:3-13

 

“In the beginning God…” clearly refutes all things which exalt themselves against God. “Pantheism” says all things are god and god is all things, but this is clearly refuted because if ‘all things are god’ then, how did they come to be? If God is all things, then, why create?

“Atheism” is repudiated by the Bible’s declaration of God.

“Materialism” is refuted because God’s material creation are distinguished as being separate by Scripture.

In these first few words God is seen as the All-Powerful (Omnipotent) One who is before all things and holds all things in His hand. It is declared that “…He is infinite and omnipotent, for no finite being possesses the power to ‘create’, and none but an Omnipotent Being could create ‘the heaven and the earth’.” A. W. PINK, From Gleanings In Genesis.

If we are to find the answers to the questions of life we must begin with God, as has been stated in the previous message. We must begin with Him, because it all began when He spoke things; seen and unseen; into existence.

There are those who follow the C. I. Scofield belief of a “Gap theory” between verses one and two. They believe this was the time of the dinosaurs, and gives allowance for the seeming contradiction of earth’s age, and other things, between science and Scripture. A look at Revelation 21:1, without question disputes the ‘gap theory’. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea”.

The earth ‘without form and void’ would be much like a painters canvas. The artist has a picture in his mind, but no one else can see it until the work is almost finished. This was a creation which was only beginning. The painter had not yet began His work.

There does seem to be Scriptural evidence which supports the existence of large dinosaurs on earth, even during the time of Job. In Job chapter 40 we see a creature called ‘Behemoth’ beginning in verse 15 – “Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron” Job 40:15-18. Some commentators say this is speaking of something like a hippopotamus. The description sounds to me to be much more than a hippo. In chapter 41 another creature call “Leviathan” is seen as a “fire breathing” creature, “By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth” Job 41:18-21. The Bible teachers of a few years ago declared that this was a crocodile. “Flame goeth out of his mouth…” a crocodile? Now, come on. Job must have lived sometime after the flood. This would have been when these creatures died off, because of the change of environment, after the flood.

At the initial creation the earth was covered with water. There was no light until the Spirit of God “Moved upon the face of the waters”. The Holy Spirit brooded, like a hen sits on her eggs bringing forth the desired result. PLEASE NOTE – God did nothing without the work of the Holy Spirit, or His Word which became flesh (John1:1, 14). This is so of individuals who find their lives void, and without purpose or meaning. God was not pleased with the darkness on the ‘deep’, and He is not pleased when our hearts are dark and void. God’s Spirit broods, and stirs our hearts to move us to God.

Without the moving of the Spirit there would be no light. NOTICE THE TRINITY AT WORK IN CREATION – 1. “God created…; 2. The Spirit moved…; and 3. God said…”; the Word went forth. When the Word went forth there was light.

Just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were at work in the first creation, they are also fully at work in the New Creation bringing purpose, meaning and light into every life who is drawn to God’s grace and salvation.

The Beginning…

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The book of beginnings…

I have been posting these at the Watchman’s Trumpet, but I got away from its theme doing so. I will start over here. Forgive me if you have already read these first few posts.

 

THE BEGINNING… GODGenesis 1:1-2

If anyone is to know who they are, their purpose in life, where they came from, and where they are going, we must go back to the ‘Beginning’. No one will fully understand these life questions until they come to grips with the reality of the ‘Beginning’ of all things.

The Bible never argues the existence of God. It presents His reality, His person, power, and glory. The very first verse declares Him – “In the beginning God…”. ‘In the beginning…’ does not declare the beginning of God, but His creation; the things which He has made. For those who would say all things are god, then how did all things come to be? For those who would say, “There is no God”, their belief is repudiated by the declaration “…God created…”. For those who would cling to materialism and worldly possessions we see them as being separate in the created order, and mankind being the highest of the created order. Who is she/he that would elevate things over our fellow man? God has not done so, but has rather given to us all these good things to sustain us and for us to enjoy.

The answer to the four questions: WHO AM I? WHERE DID I COME FROM? WHY AM I HERE? WHERE AM I GOING? could also be followed with the question, HOW DO I GET THERE? To answer these questions we must begin with God. The unholy, unscientific theory of evolution leaves us asking still more questions like, ‘What came first the chicken or the egg?’ That is a foolish question when you understand God created the chicken full grown and layed eggs and to tend them. If we begin with God the question is answered. In man’s limited thinking everything has to begin small and grow larger. With God’s creating He began with a full grown earth – grown vegetation, vegetables, fruits, animals, and full grown human beings – a full grown Adam and a full grown Eve taken from Adam’s rib. Since God created a full grown creation that explains the age problems that “Science” seems to have with the Biblical account. If you begin with God there is no problem with creation. If you begin with evolution all you have is questions without answers.

Too many people want to interpret the Bible by science, when in reality we shoul interpret science through God and His Word – the Bible. When “Science” contradicts Scripture, then, science is in error; not the Scriptures. True science starts with something to study. Evolution – a human theory – begins with absolutely nothing, but human thought. You could even call it “Demonic thought” because it was the devil himself who asked the first doubting question, “Yes, hath God said…?” Ever since that day there has been a demonic thought in the mind of every man to doubt what God says, and to dethrone Him (See Psalm 2). It did not; it has not; nor will any plot of demon or man, ever overthrow the throne of God.

God was not just, “In the beginning”; He is the beginning, and He is the ending. He is the First and the Last. He is the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8, 11, 17; 21:6; 22:13).

Without God we have no beginning, identity, purpose or destiny. We are nothing more than evolutionary puppets on a string of chance, ie., if the Evolutionists are right. Nothing more than animals controlled by our passions, and lusts. God forbid!!!!

We can see by the order of the events in creation that there was a Supreme Being in control. The earth, planets, sun, moon, and stars are first; then, the separation of water and land, and the earth and sky; then, vegetation on earth, life in the oceans and waters; then, the birds of the air; then, the cattle and beasts of the field; and last of all man. This could not be an act of chance. If any of this would have been out of order it would have failed – at least by looking at it logically. How do the people who watch the stars, planets, and such (Astronomers) know when there is going to be an “alignment of planets”, an eclipse of the moon or the sun; and tell us to split second accuracy it is going to happen? Because there is order in God’s created universe. Things like that do not “Just happen”.

There is a better chance of winning a 350 million dollar lottery jackpot, with only one ticket, than all these things just happening without a Master-builder/Designer. You could probably say that there is a better chance of winning a 350 million dollar lottery jackpot ten times in a row, with one ticket each time, than these things “Just happening” without a Master Builder/Designer.

God Himself is the cause and effect of all that is. When you begin with God you will find who you are, where you came from, why you are here, and where you are going.

 

The Price of Survival

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Matthew 4:1-11 continued…

“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 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” Matthew 4:2-4 (KJV)..

Temptation. There are a lot of questions to be asked, that will be asked, but I will not try and answer. When it comes to Jesus and temptation I have heard many a question concerning Him and temptation, especially if the Son of God is really God. After the baptism of Jesus we are told that He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Now this would be quite the temptation.

This is another point which proves the deity of Jesus. It does not seem that the devil is a credible witness, but the very thought of his tempting Jesus kind of begs the question, “Why would he bother otherwise, unless he knew Jesus to be the Divine Son of God?”

We are now looking at the first offer of a shortcut around the will of the Father. There is within all of us the desire for survival. We have all heard many stories of people caught in snow storms, stuck in the mountains, unable to move from their position, and they survive. People caught in all kinds of horrific incidents where anyone without the will to survive would not have survived. It is a God-given drive that has been placed within us. There is no sin in this desire.

Jesus had fasted, ie., done without food and sustenance for forty days and forty nights. He was hungry. I have never gone very long without food. Most of the people of the United States of America have never gone very long without food. Forty days and forty nights would be stretching the absence of food to the limit. Jesus was hungry. The devil approaches Jesus, with the temptation, ‘If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread’, and he knew who Jesus was. It just seems that he was thinking in Jesus’s weakened state He would be mentally, and spiritually weakened and even deny who He was, or at least doubt it.

What would have been wrong with Jesus turning the stones available to Him into bread? He had the power, the ability. He would have been giving in to His appetites rather than following the will of the Father. If there was no other reason than the temptation of the devil, that was reason enough for Him to refuse turning stones to bread.

Many times in order to survive in the business world, the spiritual world, physical well being world, people are tempted to risk their very character and fail – their moral excellence. Jesus did not. There are also many tempted and do put their integrity at stake – who you are when no one is watching. Again, Jesus did not. Jesus understood, as well we should, that survival is dependent upon more than the material [bread] alone. Jesus realized there was a Higher Authority, and He was responsible to Him alone, and the Father did not lead Him to this temptation to turn stones to bread. That Higher Authority is God the Father, of course, and He has given us His Word as an instrument to wield against the overwhelming temptations to compromise when we are tempted to live by the material.

Jesus answered the devil’s temptation with, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Deut. 8:3). Learn the Word and face these temptations victoriously. O, how badly we need to work at this. I know I do.

Temptations to Shortcut

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 Matthew 4:1-11 continuing…

Here is a wonderful message for handling the temptations which come our way, and it is by the example which Jesus Himself gave us in His own temptation when He faced off with the ‘old serpent’ himself. The liar, deceiver, the master of disaster, would face Jesus the King, and Creator/Savior of all mankind. There are three basic temptations which we all face. Those are found in 1 John 2:15-17, and begin, “Love not the world… if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him.”, and continues in verse 16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Verse 17, “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever”. Those three things, 1) Lust of the flesh; 2) Lust of the eyes, and 3) The pride of life, are the three basics the devil uses to lie, deceive and master the lives of those who fall into temptation. Jesus did not fall, He fulfilled the desires of His Father, and the requirements of the law.

It could be said in these temptations Jesus proved Himself. He proved that He was the sinless, blemishless, spotless, holy, righteous, Son of God. This can be said of no other in all honesty.

In looking at these temptations it will be my assumption that Jesus knew His destiny and purpose was to die on the cross, and I believe Scriptures bear this out; and I will also be assuming that the devil knew a little bit of the plan, but not the whole plan, and was trying to avert Jesus around the cross, thus keeping Him from fulfilling God’s plan. Whether the devil knew about the cross or not we can know that he was trying to deceive Jesus into a shortcut around God’s plan, and offering Jesus an “Easier way”.

Here is an outline of what we will be looking at:

I. THE FIRST TEMPTATION APPEALED TO THE LUST OF THE FLESH – A DESIRE TO SURVIVE (vv. 2-4).

II. THE SECOND TEMPTATION APPEALED TO THE LUST OF THE EYES – A DESIRE FOR SECURITY (vv. 5-7).

III. THE THIRD TEMPTATION APPEALED TO THE PRIDE OF LIFE – A DESIRE FOR SUCCESS (vv.8-11).

I will say; so it will be clear to all reading this: Survival, Security, and Success are all basic human desires and they are God-given, except when they become predominant in an individual’s life and distract them from God’s plan and direction for their life. It is imperative that we receive these by following God’s guidance and direction for our lives. The devil has a way of perverting what God has given as good. When we follow God’s path; “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths”. (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The Confirmation

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Matthew 3:13-17 conclusion…

v. 17 –

The final thing we see in these last five verses of chapter three is the confirmation of the Father. This was the planned, intentional, sacrifice for sin. Sin would finally be judged as it should be judged. Jesus was the only sacrifice pleasing to God His Father, and His holiness, righteousness, justice, and judgment. He is the offering without blemish or spot. No lamb, goat, or bullock could take away sin; they only showed the need for a Savior; “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Heb. 9:11-14. We also read in Hebrews 10:4-6, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure”.

Even before it is time for the final sacrifice for sin God decrees His approval upon His Son as though the sacrifice were already made. Let’s look at a previous writer in the Psalms: ” I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee.” Psalm 2:7. There is a voice from Heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”, and this would not be the last time His voice is heard. In Matthew 17 at the Mount of Transfiguration, we hear Him say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him” (17:5); and then, again, in John12:28, “Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again” in answer to Jesus’s prayer for the Father to glorify Him. All three times this voice is heard.

Jesus is the only sacrifice for sin in which God the Father is well pleased. In the baptism we see the three persons of the Godhead. Jesus the Son is in the water being baptized; the Holy Spirit is lighting on Jesus in the bodily form of a dove; and the Father is speaking from Heaven, declaring His Son.

Who will you believe? Will you believe the naysayers, who say that God is not a trinity, or will you listen to the precepts of the Word of God that clearly declare Him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself being the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9).

The only way the Father will be pleased with us, and declare us as Just and holy is through His Son Jesus Christ.

The Anointing of the King

/ Tim A. / 4 Comments

Matthew 3:13-17 continuing…

v. 16 –

There is an anointing of the King in this verse. As a man Jesus needed the empowering of the Holy Spirit for obedience; “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;” Hebrews 5:7-9. I realize that these reference verses say nothing about the Holy Spirit, but it does mention “In the days of His flesh”, and the ‘strong crying and tears’. He would have had the Holy Spirit in Him strengthening and emboldening Him for the fulfillment of His ministry and calling. The Spirit was with Him in His teaching. He was present when Jesus healed sickness, and when the dead were raised to life again. Even when He confronted the evil hypocrites and demons the Holy Spirit was moving in power. The Holy Spirit was especially there when it came to His calling and purpose in coming; His agony, and the death of the cross. Let us never forget that the purpose of Jesus Christ, the Son of God becoming man; was to die on that old rugged cross; and receive the curse and sting of death for us.

There was a visible empowering of the Holy Spirit, and was a sign to all who were present, that this One is the Anointed One. The heavens were opened (v. 16; Acts 7:56; Ezekiel 1:1). Ezekiel 1:1 shows us that the ‘heavens were opened’ before so it is not without precedent, O, but for someone greater than Ezekiel; the creator of Ezekiel. When God chooses to open the heavens it is a spectacular event. It was witnessed by several people. We are not told how many were there on the Jordan River that day, but we could estimate in the hundreds, probably. What a glorious event to witness. The Anointing of the King. The visible sign came in the form of a dove lighting on Jesus; “And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him…”. The “Bodily Shape” was so the witnesses could truly see what was taking place. Even Matthew, in verse sixteen witnesses, “…He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him…”. The dove, was to the Jew, a sacrifice of the poor. The dove signifies, that God has lowered Himself, to become a man as a man in need of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus trusted in the teaching and direction of the Spirit of God. Can we do any less.

Immersed Unto Righteousness

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

 Matthew 3:13-17 continuing…

v. 15 –

The Son of God is baptized by John the Baptizer. This baptism is meant as immersion. The putting under of the whole body in the water. It has absolutely nothing to do with sprinkling of water, or pouring of water over a person. The idea is to put under, ie. immerse. In this is the true picture of death, burial, and resurrection. In Jesus’s baptism, He was not only fulfilling the demands of the law, but He was showing His own death, burial and resurrection which was to come a few years later. John’s baptism was for the repentance of sin, but Jesus had no sin. He was/is the Son of God and, God the Son; and God cannot sin.

By Jesus’s baptism Jesus declared John as a prophet, endorsing his ministry, and teachings, that his standard of righteousness was valid. If Jesus accepted the teachings of John as valid, then, he was to be received. They later rejected the messenger and the King. That is, the religious establishment rejected him, and not many paid any mind that the head of the baptist was served on a kings platter (14:1-9). By His baptism Jesus affirmed it [the message of the baptism] as the will of God, His Father, to which all are to be subjected.

We must follow the example our King left us when he was among us of humble birth, and accept God’s message and messenger; and in the example of His baptism. We being baptized into His death, and raised in His life.

Trout Day in Cassville, MO

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

This post is varying away from my regular post for Fire and Hammer, but there was something I wanted to comment about.

As some of you know who come and read the articles here, I drive a School Bus for the Cassville, Missouri School District.  Well this is one of those holidays off.  Nothing gets in the way of this day off.  You could be twenty days behind in school due to heavy snow and any kind of bad weather, but this day is still guaranteed out.  It will never be used as a “Make up day”. 

Now, lest someone gets the wrong idea.  I have no problem with this.  I enjoy the day off, but it is amazing that a fish can gather so much attention.  On this day annually, thousands of people gather down at Roaring River State Park to catch thousands of Rainbow Trout.  I enjoy fishing once in awhile, but when I fish, I do not want to be rubbing elbows, shoulders, arms, and backsides with a bunch of other people. 

When they gather at Roaring River on the first day of March each year, and they stand on the banks waiting for the starting siren or gun, it is almost hillarious.  The rods and reels are swung backwards, brought forwards, the sound of the line spinning off the reel goes out into the water with the artificial bate (at least it is supposed to be), hits the water, then, the Rainbow’s are tempted with the jerking motions of the bait, and many bite, get reeled in and then, on to someone’s plate.  That sounds pretty good. 

That line sometimes, even many times goes out, in such a crowd and tangles with the fellow next to you, or with someone on the other side.  I find things like that aggravating.  There is one thing I know and that is, if you do it you must enjoy it.  My advice to those who are looking for something to do on March first, and your in the Cassville, Missouri area.  If you want to fish and be nearly alone go to Table Rock Lake, just a few miles from Roaring River State Park.  If you want to catch trout and be shoulder to shoulder, back to back with other people, then go to Roaring River State Park.

If you are into  hiking, the Park has several trails to walk, and they are  beautiful and sometimes difficult walks.