“Offspring of snakes”

Jesus’ biggest battle here on earth was with the religulous “Pharisees”.

I just spent the last couple of days in my study in the Gospels, looking at the fierce battles that Jesus had with all the religulous Pharisees of his time.
What about today? What kind of battle is He in with them today? Does He just overlook them today? What would He call them today, in today’s language?

They were followers of Moses and his Law. They always brought up the Law trying to condemn Him. Lots of times, Jesus would say to them, “it is written in your law”. Then He would go on to supersede their law. This would greatly offend them. After all, who was this man who thought he was God and also how could he know more than us.

The Pharisees loved to quote Moses, but they missed one that was very important.
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren, Him you shall hear.”
“I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.”
“And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.” (Deut.18:15,18-19)
THEY MISSED THESE WORDS!
Are there those who are missing the very words of Christ today? Instead they want to hang on to the “Law and the Prophets”? They spend all their time studying the “OLD Testament” and never search out what Christ taught. Somehow they think that His commandments are less than the “Ten”?

Just how important are “The Commandments of Christ” anyways?
We shall see.

The process of “giving up”

True followers (disciples) of Christ will “take up their cross” and follow Him.

I have noticed and learned in my time here on earth walking with the Lord, that He has and will lead us in a personal “giving up” process. This process, like many processes that He leads us in, will be a life long process.

This giving up process is certainly not for everyone. Many will embark upon this road and will soon find themselves looking back at what they gave up. They will turn back and try and regain what they have lost, only to find out that they will never be able to reclaim all of what they gave up. Their struggle to regain will become one of the fiercest battles they will face. Why is that? Because they fighting against the Lord and his will for their lives.

A very familiar story in the Bible is the one about the “Rich young ruler”
(Mk.10:17-27). This is of course about one who had “great possessions”. However, the story is much deeper than that if one continues on reading to the end of that chapter. If we continue on we will see the true meaning of what Christ was trying to teach here.

In verse 28, after Christ told about the rich young ruler, Peter (one of his disciples) says, “But Lord, we have left all and followed you.” In other words, we are not like this rich guy, but we have given up all for you. Then Christ hits at the real example of “giving up” all to follow him and the gospel.

Verse 29 lists the examples of giving up.
Christ talks about those who have given up “houses”. WHAT! Give up my house?
Then He goes on and lists “family”, such as “brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers.” WAIT! Just a moment! He is certainly not talking literally here!
If that is not enough to swallow. How about a “wife” or “children”? No this can’t be!
He also says, “lands” (or fields as it was in those days). Today this would mean a “business” or if your a farmer, your farm.

And why would one be led to “give up” those that are stated above? Christ has the answer. He says, “for My sake and the gospels”. This would be the only reason that one would be required personally to “give up”.

We should not read this text and say, “Ah, there it is, He is requiring me to give up my “house”, my “sister” etc. No. Christ is listing these as examples of some of the “giving up” that might be required by you personally in this “giving up process”.

Remember, that He started this story with the rich young ruler. He ends it up with his disciples. These are the ones who were called to follow him. A personal calling to follow him will require giving up that which He shows us personally to give up. And it will indeed be a process. A life long process.

So one must ask himself, “do I want to be a follower of Christ?” Why can’t I have all I want in this life and still follow him?
Would this not contradict what Christ taught in the Gospels?

And now a word of encouragement to all those who maybe have found this post a little discouraging.

In verse 30, Christ says that if we do give up that which he is requiring for us to give up, we will receive “a hundred fold more”. When? “in this life!” WOW! That’s good investment! That’s good dividends!

However, I must be honest. Mark’s account of this story says that Christ says, “with persecutions”. Oh, so it’s not going to be easy is it? NOPE!
But, He will give us all that we need to endure the personal road that he has paved for us to walk in. All of what we need is found in Him! We can endure this “process”.

And now for the best news yet!
And in the end, the final reward will be “eternal life” In the end it will be worth it all! Eternal life to all those who have been obedient to the process of giving up all of that which has been required of them. All for following Christ in this life and spreading His Gospel.

Many who think they are going to be first, will be last. But Christ says the “last shall be first”. Those who have given up all shall be first. Sorry, but this flies in the face of today’s teachings about following Christ. It’s best to stay with what Christ taught about following himself. Not what Doctor so in so says. Or this book and that. Stay with what Christ taught and you will not be deceived.

Bless you!

A measure of death (part 3)

It might be an ever so slow death, but it is still death if sin is operating in ones life.

What is real death anyway? It is separation from God.

After the “curses” that God handed down through Adam as contained in Genesis 3:14-19, we find the final key that unlocks the door of understanding death through sin.

“therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken,”
So He(God) drove out the man;” (vs 24)
Drove out here means, to “expel”, “cast out”, “thrust out”, “drive out”.

Sorry, but this is not a case where God was somewhat OK with sin. He did not treat it with “kid gloves”. I cannot see God in this case saying to Adam and Eve, “now I told you that you would have to leave, so please get going” “I know that you don’t want to leave, but you have to.” “come on, pretty please”.

No, God had to “drive” them out!

All because they disobeyed “One” commandment of God. This set sin into motion for all of mankind.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-” (Rom.5:12)

Death meaning separation from God. It is what sin does. It separates by it’s very nature. Take a look around today and see how it is separating lives. Satan comes to “steal”, “kill”, “rob and destroy”. And we might add “separate”. They are all forms of “death”.

Where is the word “sin” first used in the Bible? You got it. In the very next chapter. We will see some of the very same “measures of death” there also.

This story of Cain and Abel has been overlooked as to the real meaning or the real value of the story. Most would say that it had to do with the offerings. One God accepted, the other He didn’t. Right, but there is something to learn regarding sin in this passage.

When Cain found out that God did not except his offering, he was very “angry”. There you have another form of death. Another measure of death, “anger”. A lot of the times when sin takes it’s effect, it produces anger. Sin in the heart, which is where it starts, produces anger.

Then God said to Cain, “why are you angry?”

And then God says something that is overlooked. Basically, he says, don’t worry about it, just do good and you will be OK.
Here comes the first time that “sin” is used in the Bible.
“And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door”. Basically, He is saying that sin will be lying at your door if you don’t do well. Also in the next sentence it says, sins desire is for you or towards you, but you should rule over it.”

Here God is mapping out some education about sin. If you are not going to do well or right, then guess what? Sin will be right there where you are, waiting to sink it’s teeth into you. It’s very nature is towards you, to rip you into pieces and thus bring death.

And God says, “but you should rule over it”

Continued in part 4.

A measure of death (part 2)

Even in the believers life, any unconfessed and unforsaken known sin will be a measure of death that is taken place in ones life.

If you are a student of the subject of sin you will be found in the book of Genesis on a regular basis. Why? Because this is where it all begins. Here we learn and study from a foundational point. We start with the foundation and then move on and learn from this point onward.

In the beginning when Adam and Eve sinned they did not immediately fall over dead after they committed the first sin. God made a statement that would run throughout the course of mankind, and that was, “for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”(Gen.2:17) It literally means, “dying you shall die”, and it’s the “dying” process that we are addressing.

Yes, this did mean physical death, because there was no physical death before sin entered the world, only life. However, we must look at what really was God referring to when he said, “you will surely die.” What took place in Adam and Eves life immediately after they had sinned?

Now, I won’t take up the rest of this post talking about the “conscience”, but you can visit a post that I wrote sometime back regarding this subject.
What I want us to see here is how “death” ran through their lives after they had sinned. It is important that we get this because it lays the foundation for sin. We can go no further in our study on sin until we clearly understand “sin and death”.

How did sin first manifest itself after they had eaten of the “forbidden fruit”? Their eyes were opened and they knew. They had knowledge of their sin. Why? Because remember what tree it was that God told them that they could not eat of? Ah yes, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The key word here is “knowledge”. Knowledge of their sin.

Once they knew, what did they immediately do? They “covered up themselves.” Sin brings “cover up”. When one sins, they immediately want to cover up or hide. Shame and guilt from sin brings about this. It is a measure of death. There is truly no life to be found in this.

What took place next? They “hid themselves from God.” When one sins, they want to hide. Can you imagine, these two who walked with God in the garden, in the perfect place with God. They walked and talked with the God of all creation. Now, because of sin they are found hiding from Him. Oh what sins does! It reeks of death at every turn!

Running throughout these two incidences is “separation from God”. Can you see it? If you get nothing else from this post, you must get the fact that sin separates us from God. It is in it’s very form “a measure of death”. Separation from God is death!

I will stop here because I try not to write long posts.
I part 3, we will come to more of an understanding of sin and death.
Thanks for reading. I hope you are gaining some knowledge about sin.

God gives the increase

Our weekly bible study at a local mall was increased by two people today. The beautiful thing was that it was truly God that brought them to us.
When I arrived a few minutes before the 4pm starting time, I noticed a lady sitting close by filling out a job application. Soon another brother arrived and we shared about what God was doing this past week. After about 10 minutes, the lady looks over at me and says, “hey, aren’t you the guy that I met a few weeks ago preaching?” I said where was that. She explained that we had met at the train stop by the park. I said, “really, would you like to join our study?” She said, “yes I would”. So for the next hour she stayed and participated in our study.
One of the brothers in our group noticed a young lady walking by us and he yelled out, “hey would you like to join us?” She inquired as to what we were doing. After we explained, she said sure. So there we were with two new people in our group that God sent along. Praise Him!
I would like to encourage others to pray about starting up a bible study in your local mall. Malls usually have some chairs, couches etc. that you can use. It’s a good place because there are lots of people around that God can bring your way.

Where there is people, there is God.