Psalms

Jesus Feeding the Gentiles

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It is not often thought of or mentioned, but Jesus did minister to Gentiles while He was living on earth, and ministering to His people.  After His leaving the area of Galilee He went into the area of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15:21).  This is where He met the Canaanite woman,  healed her daughter, and healed many of their sick (15:21-31).

Jesus has said, “I have come to seek and to save that which is lost”; and that means not only those of Israel, but of the Gentiles as well.  We come now to that part of Matthew 15 where Jesus feeds a multitude of Gentiles.

Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.” Matthew 15:32-39 (KJV)

Jesus it seems is  still in the Gentile area of Tyre and Sidon.  The reason I mention this is that there are many who would discredit this event entirely, because just a short time ago, (chapter 14) Jesus fed a multitude of 5,000; not counting women and children; and there were twelve baskets full left over.  This is in a different location, a different multitude, and with a different purpose other than seeing to their need.

The feeding of the 5,000 seems to have ended His Galillean ministry.  With that feeding it would not seem any reach of the imagination to say that there would have been a minimum of 15,000 people fed with 5 loaves of bread and two small fish. 

In the case of the 4,000 there were seven loaves of bread and a “few fishes”.  This feeding seems to also end His ministry to the Gentiles, at this time.  It might also be noted that Matthew and Mark are the only two of the gospel writers who tell of this feeding.  All the Evangelist tell of the feeding of the 5,000.  Matthew may tell of it because He will be the King of kings, sovereign ruler of all nations, when He comes again.  Mark may mention the Gentile feeding because He is a servant to all people.

The faith of the disciples seems to be very weak.  They had witnessed the feeding of the 5,000, and yet wonder how Jesus will feed so many.  Is it any wonder that Jesus charged them so many times, “O ye of little faith”. 

In a time of struggling individuals and  families in the USA, and around the world; with people losing their homes, and many losing their life savings; know this that Jesus can meet your needs.  He is not a god in a box that will give you every whim and desire, but He will be with you through every trial and trouble.  He will give you courage and strength and you will glorify His name.  David, the Psalmist wrote, “I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging for bread” (Psalm 37:25).  Jesus, God of creation can and will meet your needs, not wants, but needs.  He desires that you trust Him, rely on Him and nothing or no one else.

“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).  It is God’s desires the Psalmist is talking about, not our selfish desires.  The things that God desires will become your desires when you delight yourself in the Lord.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd of all who come to Him.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Just A Thought 12/15/08

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

Here we are in the Christmas season of 2008, and my how things have changed from the past years.  It just seems that every religion or no religion wants to get their “hands in the pot”.

In the State of Washington, the State Capital has a Christmas exhibit, and would you know it even the Atheists want to put in their “two cents” or whatever it is worth.  The little plaque they want next to Christmas says something of reason, and evidently they have none, because they are standing on the popularity of Christmas to get out their unreasonable message.

Why can they not display their unreasonable message on the only holiday which they can be noticed.  Yes!  They have their holiday and it is on April 1 of each year.  Read Psalm 14:1.

That is my thought for the day.

-Tim A. Blankenship

As The LORD Lives…

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The previous verse one we see that the call goes out to “Run…through the streets of Jerusalem…”, to seek for anyone who “executes judgment, who seeks the truth”, and if there is anyone then “I will pardon her”, God says. This takes us to the second verse:

“Though they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’ surely they swear falsely” Jeremiah 5:2 (NKJV).

The phrase “As the LORD lives” is one which the prophets often used to proclaim divine oracles, or by people swearing oaths. This was a city and a land which made great promises to God, and refused to believe that God would judge a nation, a city as Jerusalem, or its temple which was the “abiding place of God” for the people. The priests and people of Judah seemed not to view the LORD in any greater capacity than they did the gods the surrounding nations worshipped.

Due to this unbelief; this pluralistic thought; God holds them in contempt of the Laws of His name. The arrogance of the hearts of men and women of that day against the LORD was very similar to many of today.

To think that we could go to church or worship in any place and appease God for all our sin is at the height of arrogance, when we know that God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins on the cross. To think that being baptized could appease the wrath of God against sin comes from the pride of a rebellious heart. To believe that to break the bread or drink the Lord’s cup would appease the judgment of God for sin is against the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. These things are for the genuine believer, and can never put away our sins; can never atone for sin.

The LORD lives; there is no doubt about that. Since we believe that, genuinely, then we must genuinely believe Him and follow Him and believe and practice the principles, testimonies, ordinances, laws, judgments, words, statutes, commandments of His Word. Just attaching His name on the end of prayer does not mean that it is prayed in His name; and just because you may attach His name to a sermon, or speech, does not mean that sermon or speech is of God or from His Word.

These people of Jeremiah’s day would speak in the name of the LORD, then lived their lives after the fashion of the surrounding nations. They were still worshipping God on the Sabbath, per se, and the rest of the week they worshipped the gods of the nations, either by practice or by neglecting the LORD.

We don’t do that: do we? It happens far, far too many times. Be sure when you use the LORD’s name it is in reverence, and in worship of Him whose name is reverend and holy –

“He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.” Psalms 111:9 (KJV)

-Tim A. Blankenship

PROMISES AND PROPHECIES 5 & 6

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V. PROPHECIES CONCERNING REBUILDING THE TABERNACLE.

A. Amos 9:11 – “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. 13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. 14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.”

B. Acts 15:13 – “And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”

VI. PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE BEAUTY AND WEALTH OF THE LAND.

A. Land will blossom as a rose. Isaiah 35:1 – “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”

B. As the Garden of Eden. Ezekiel 36:34 – “And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. 35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.”

C. Fruit. READ Isaiah 27 —– NOTE $80,000,000 exported in oranges alone in 1970. Israel returns to the Lord.

1. Ezekiel 36:8 – “But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. 9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: 10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: 11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 12 Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.”

D. Wealth of the Dead Sea. Isaiah 60:5 – “Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.”

1. NOTE: The estimated wealth of the Dead Sea at the time of writing (estimated time was in early 1980’s) was $1,270,000,000,000 in chemicals only. Possesses four times the entire wealth of the United States.

E. Forestry: Isaiah 41:19 – “I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: 20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.”

1. Ezekiel 36:8 – “But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. 9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: 10 And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: 11 And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

2. There are now over 150,000 acres of natural forests, plus shrines such as the forests of 6,000,000 trees for the Jews killed by Hitler.

F. Haifa Harbor: The finest port of the East Mediterranean. Deuteronomy 33:19 – “They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.”

1. “Such abundance of the seas…” NOTE: a desalinization plant at Eilat daily supplies 220,000 gallons of water at a cost of less than a dollar per 1000 gallons. This is the “Abundance of the sea…” as surely as the wealth of imports at Haifa Harbor. NOTE the latter part of Deut. 33:19, “Treasures hidden in the sand”. This could refer to oil. Approximately 40 wells were producing at the end of 1967; supplying about 200,000 tons per year, and being piped to the Aebulon city of Haifa.

G. Fresh Water. Isaiah 41:18 – “I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.”

H. Richness of Land – NOTE: “Sweet grapes for juice.” Amos 9:13 – “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. 14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.”

Edited for tags and categories by t.a. 03/12/10