Example

More Than Washing Feet

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

So after He had washed their feet, and had taken His garments, and was set down again, He said unto them,
“Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call Me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”                                   John 13:12-15

This was the final full day of Jesus’s life. He was quite aware of His destiny, and the end result He knew to be victorious, and He and His Father would be glorified.

Jesus gets down on His knees, takes a bowl and a towel, and has washed the disciples feet. He is teaching them, and all who read of this event a great lesson. It is much more than washing feet; it is living a life for others; even loving them unto death of one’s self.

How willing am I to give my life to save the life of another person? Maybe for my wife, my children, grandchildren; but for a neighbor. Willing to serve a neighbor in need? Yes! Dying to save the life of a neighbor, especially one I do not know? One who possibly even dislikes me? I would be willing to help them change a flat tire on their car, maybe, if I saw their house about to catch fire get it put out before it starts burning. But to give my life? How about you?

Lord Jesus, You gave Your life for me, and even now I know You have washed my feet, and I see that clearly by Your death on the cross for my sins, Your burial, and finishing the work by rising from the dead. Help me to be willing, and when and if it is needed that I give my life for one in need.

Words for Christian Living – Our Examples

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’ Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”  1 Corinthians 10:6-12 (KJV)

The Christian has many examples in Scripture to follow.  When there are so many who want to follow the example of our society or culture; let the Christian be the one who says, “I will follow Christ, and live my life for Him, and His glory.  No matter what this culture does I will live for Christ; be pure, clean, and glorify His name.”

Some of you need to repent of the life you have been living; make that turn around today, and make that decision today.

Join with me in making that your declaration, and life today.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Observations From John – 032711

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

There are many who are not Christian – not followers of Jesus Christ – who claim to believe that Jesus was a good man, a good teacher, a good example; but refuse to trust Him as God and Savior of the world; and of their eternal souls.

Jesus said,

‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.  For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth: and He will shew Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.  For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will.  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  John 5:19-24 (KJV)

Jesus as a man walked among us with only one purpose in life and that was to do whatever He saw the Father doing.  The Father, GOD, is doing the work of salvation in this world.  The “god of this age”, the devil, is going about to steal, kill and destroy.  The work of GOD  in this world now is through the work and ministry of those who have the Spirit of Jesus Christ in them – the Holy Spirit; and our desire is to do what we see the Father doing.

You will note in Jesus’s words that Jesus says, “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him.”  The honor, faith, and glory that belongs to the Father [GOD], belongs to the Son of GOD.  To trust Jesus is to believe Him to be whom He claims to be; the Son of GOD.  This honors Him.  To claim to be be merely a good man, a good teacher, or a good example and deny and reject Him as Savior and GOD is to basically call Him a liar.

Can you call a liar, a good man, even a good teacher, or a good example?  Not where I come from.

Hear, today, the words of Jesus above, “I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

Jesus also says in verses 45 – 47,

“Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.  For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he wrote of Me.  But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?” John 5:45-47

Jesus is the way to salvation, heaven and GOD.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Shem to Abram

/ T. A. Blankenship / 2 Comments

From Shem to Abram

“These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah: And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber: And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug: And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.” Genesis 11:10-26 (KJV)

If you will notice that one of the things missing from this genealogy is, “And he died”, which is in the genealogy from Seth to Noah in Genesis five. It is probably because we realize that by now, death is inevitable. All men, are going to die. That includes women too.

In this genealogy we have the age of Shem. He was 100 years of age at the time of the flood, then two years following the flood he had a son whom he named Arphaxad, and he “lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years” putting him at the approximate age of six hundred and two years of age. This genealogy uses a more positive sounding term in announcing their death, “… lived after he begat…”. This is the lineage of people whom God would choose to bring the Messiah, Savior of all mankind, into the world.

Just a Note: We have the only Gentile genealogy in the Bible in chapter 10:2-20. There is only two genealogies given in the New Testament. The first is in the gospel of Matthew giving the genealogy of Jesus through the lineage of Joseph. The second is in the gospel of Luke giving Jesus’s genealogy through Mary the mother of Jesus. Even though Joseph was not the blood father of the child Jesus the genealogy is given to prove He is heir to the throne of David the king.

Of this genealogy can be noted also that the ages of the men continue to drop as they die. The life span has went down. No one is living nine hundred plus years. The power of sin has taken over the bodies of sinful men. That is why we are all perishing. From the moment we come from our mother’s womb we are dying. We are in fact born spiritually dead. And except for the miracle of grace from God we are doomed.

Eber (v. 14) is where the “Hebrew” people got the name “Hebrew”. It is also Eber who was the father of Peleg whose name means “Earthquake”. This earthquake could be speaking of the division which was brought about by God’s judgment to separate the people across the earth. It seems more likely though that there was a major earthquake the year of Peleg’s birth which was a source of actully dividing the newly languaged people as God directed. Both would be quite possible when it is directed by the providential hand of the Most High God.

Terah was an idol worshipper. Some may question this, but there is Scriptural evidence for it. For example, “And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.” Joshua 24:2 (KJV). Now, we should be more able to understand from where Abram came. Called out by God from a life of idolatry, to worship, love and serve the living and true God.

There are not many people of the Bible whom we cannot find an example of some sin in their lives. The people of Scripture are not super saints. They too, were called to worship God. Called from lives of sin. Called of God, by grace, through faith in the Promise of God. So too, are you and I.