Archive

Tag Archives: New Testament

Held to a Higher Standard

February 15, 2013
Perspective
Leave a comment

Sermon Mount Jesus Mormon

For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

You have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whosoever shall say to his brother Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say Thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire.

Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you, Leave your gift there, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Yesterday we discussed the fact that Jesus was the only person who had never broken any of the commandments. He was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In this verse, we learn who he was not referring to when he was speaking of the “least of the kingdom” He says that if your righteousness does not exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you would not enter the kingdom of heaven.If you expect to be even the least in the kingdom of Heaven, you are held to a higher standard than the Scribes or the Pharisees.

He went on to say that he holds his followers to a higher standard when it came to sin. Not murdering was no longer the moral goal. Now the goal was to not be angry without cause.“Raca” is an Aramaic transliteration for “reka,” a term expressing contempt, scorn, or disdain. The Greek word “rhaka” means worthless, vain or empty one, signifying a lack of intellect (i.e. Imbecile or blockhead). It is only found in Matt. 5:22. The word was derived from a root word meaning “to spit”, and the Jews used it as a word of contempt.

Now that we have a definition of this word “raca”, I picture someone who is so angry at someone that they literally spit on the ground at the mention of that person’s name. It gives the impression concerning the idea behind shunning someone. If you say that someone else is “stupid” or an “idiot” you’re held accountable to it. You are held to a higher standard.

When we take the time to talk with God, when we take the time to bring our tithes and offerings to further the God’s kingdom, even though it is a good thing, and an important thing to do, your bigger responsibility is to go and ask your brother for being angry with him. Why? You are held to a higher standard.

Then Came Jesus

January 15, 2013
Persons of interest, Uncategorized
Leave a comment

https://i0.wp.com/www.jesuspictures.co/jesusbaptism77.jpg

John the Baptist preached and baptized people unto repentance. As Christians, we are called to repent and then be baptized for the remission of our sins. John showed us how to repent. The word translated “repent” when used in Matthew 3 meant to be totally repulsed by your sinful nature that you want nothing to do with it.

In Matthew 3:13-17  there are some very important things to note as Jesus comes onto the scene. Jesus coming to John the Baptist to be baptized. John said that he did not want to baptize him, because John said that he (John) needed to be baptized by him (Jesus). Jesus said that it was necessary for him to be baptized by John because it was “necessary to fulfill all righteousness”.

Why did Jesus do this? He wasn’t coming for the remission of sins because he knew no sin.He submitted to baptism for two reasons. First, as mentioned here, he did it to fulfill ALL righteousness. In John 1:31, he did it to be manifest to Israel.

When Jesus came up out of the water from being baptized, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and landed on Jesus. Then John heard a voice from heaven saying “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Like John, Jesus was on a special mission. Both were sent by God and both had to fulfill what they were sent to do. Both did what God told them to do. Both suffered because of what God called them to do.

In verses 11-12 John had said that he baptized with water, but that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Whose fan was in his hand, and he would thoroughly purge his floor and gather his wheat unto the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

This is an analogy of judgement that Jesus would divide the sinful from the believers in the end. John saw Jesus not as he was then, but as he would be in the future. In this passage both John the speaker, and Matthew the writer, are letting us know that Jesus is the Messiah that the Jews were looking for.

Here is one of several places in the Bible where the trinity of God is present all at the same time. Jesus the Son, The Holy Spirit and God the father are all here. Jesus being baptized, The Holy Spirit lighting on him like a dove, and God the father speaking that he was pleased with his son’s obedience. One of the most important facts that we can meditate on during our study of the Gospels is the concept of “doing the will of The Father”. If , like Jesus, we could focus our every waking hour to this concept, we could, like Jesus, revolutionize the world around us.

Prophecies Fulfilled at Jesus’ Birth

January 8, 2013
Perspective, Uncategorized
4 Comments

Religious Inspiration Figurine Mary Joseph And Baby Jesus Flight To Egypt Statue

Have you ever considered how impossible the events around Jesus’ birth are? Yesterday we looked at his lineage and how it was orchestrated so that he could prove that he was man, he was a kind, and he was the Son of God. The probability of this happening by human design over thousands of years or it happening by chance can be viewed as virtually impossible. The likelihood of these events occurring at all can only seem possible when viewed in the light of supernatural, divine intervention, yet, here it is in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

The amazing confrontation that Elijah had with the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18:22-40) seem like child’s play compared to the prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ’s birth and reviewed in Matthew.  First, the prophet Isaiah said that the Christ (the name means-anointed in Greek, in Hebrew Messiah has the same meaning)  would be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14).

The prophet Micah said that the ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He would have existed from times of old and his reign would last forever. (Micah 5:2) Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:6). He had always been (John 1:1-2). His kingdom will last forever (Revelation 22:1-6).

Hosea 11:1 said that God would ‘call his son out of Egypt.” This could have been an allegory  based on the idea that Egypt is a type of sin. However, as we see in Matthew 2:13-15. Joseph and his family fled to Egypt in order to avoid Herod’s wrath. When they returned, God’s son would come out of Egypt and literally fulfill this prophecy.

While Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were in Egypt, King Herod inadvertently fulfilled (Matthew 2:18) Jeremiah’s  prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15-16 that there would be weeping in Rama over the murder of the city’s children. Rama was a city 5 miles north of Jerusalem which indicated that Herod’s slaughter extended from Bethlehem, included Jerusalem, and extended at least as far as Rama.

After a dream where an angel told Joseph to return to Israel from Egypt, Joseph returned to his hometown of Nazareth. By returning to Nazareth, not only did he fulfill the prophecy concerning Egypt (Hosea 11:1), but he also fulfilled verbal prophecy (not written, so there is no scriptural reference) which was known the to people of that era which stated that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene.

When we look at these prophecies, it would be easy to dismiss these prophecies as fables written long ago. In our human intelligence, we cannot perceive the possibility that these events really happened. It is true. For man to have made this to happen or for all this to simply be a coincidence,this is impossible. It would be very easy to intellectually believe all this was simply a lie, made up to appease unintelligent human beings.

There is another possibility, however, that must not be overlooked. Perhaps these prophecies are true, and these events did happen as stated here in Matthew. Perhaps there really is a God who orchestrated all these prophecies into being fulfilled. Perhaps there is a God that really exists in whom nothing is impossible. (Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, and Luke 18:27)

For God So Loved the World

December 21, 2012
Rebirth
Leave a comment

When I think of God’s Greatest gift to us, the first Bible passage I ever had to learned comes to mind John 3:16-17.

For God so Loved the World that he GAVE his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

Dixie-Stampede-Nativity

The first thing we need to get from these verses is that we cannot save ourselves. Despite common belief that there are many ways to God,as it says in Acts 4:12, there is no other way to salvation but through the name (authority) of Jesus Christ.

God knew that we could not save ourselves so he gave us his son because he loved us. He didn’t send his son to condemn us because we were condemned already. (John 3:18, Romans 3:23, 6:23). God sent his son because he was our only hope. God sent his son because he knew we couldn’t save ourselves. Without the redemption offered by our Lord Jesus Christ, it is as though we were in a fast moving car that has no brakes. If we can enjoy the ride while we’re moving, but in the end, the destination is disaster.

We can believe otherwise, but in the end, if we don’t accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, in the result  is still disaster.

You might say, well, this all sound great,you’re preaching at the choir, I’m already a Christian, but I have family and friends who have not accepted this. How do I convince them of this truth?

The key is in doing what Jesus did when he was here on the earth. He loved as his father did. He freely submitted to the will of his father. We need to do the same.

We’re not going to bring our homosexual friends to Christ by telling them that they are going to hell for their lifestyle. We are not going to convince doctors in abortion clinics to stop committing abortions by displaying graphic photos in front of their businesses. We are not even saving babies doing this either. We are not going to lead our children to the truth by condemning them of their clothes, tattoos or piercings. Pointing out sin does not draw anyone to Christ. Pointing out sin will only drive them away.

So what do you do? The first thing we all must do is to ask God to teach us to love others as he first loved us. During this next year, rather than reading the entire Bible, focus instead on reading the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John over and over again for the entire year. As you read, meditate on how Jesus reacted with everyone. Write down in a journal your impressions of those interactions. Then in light of what you have read, begin to pray for your family and friends. Ask God to show you how to show his love for them through you. Then when you are around your family and friends, take a deep breath and again ask God to show you what to do. Love is the key to drawing others to Christ!

Thank you for reading this blog! Be sure to comments and tell me what you think!  Now that you’ve enjoyed this blog, check out my website and discover my other blogs and read a free chapter in my latest novel: Soldiers Don’t Cry, The Locket Saga Continues.

 

Called into Fellowship with Jesus Christ

August 3, 2012
Rebirth
Leave a comment

So far we have basically covered just two verses in I Corinthians. We have learned about Paul who wrote the book. We learned about the church, and we learned about Corinth. Today we are going to discuss the Bible’s central person–Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 1:4-9

4) I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you  by Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ gave us God’s Grace when he died on the cross.

5) That in every thing you are enriched by him, in all utterance and in all knowledge;

Paul told the Corinthians that he wanted them to be enriched by Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus Christ is the source. The term “all utterance” in the Greek is logos–the spoken word of God.. (Another Greek term for utterance apophtheggomal is used in Acts 2:4 on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God came down with tongues of fire, and the worshipers in the upper room spoke in other tongues. This term here therefore is not referring to that kind of utterance.) What this word “utterance” refers to is the idea that God will speak to you in very real terms and as the next phrase states, he will give you all the knowledge you need to make decisions that he approves.Our knowledge comes from Jesus Christ. I remember the first time I  the Bible through.  I didn’t really understand what I was reading, but on each subsequent time I have read it, the Lord speaks his secrets to me. I encourage people to read the Bible all the way through as often as possible. Like me, you may not get much out of your first reading of the Bible, but you will gain insights into how the word relates to you with each subsequent reading. A lot of people get bogged down in Bible reading because they begin in Genesis and read from there. I suggest that you begin in the Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the first four books of the New Testament in which they write about Jesus’ life here on earth from four different perspectives. There are parts of it you won’t understand and that is okay. (I don’t understand all of it either.) Don’t just read it through once and call it quits, instead, read it numerous times. Each time you will discover something new and relevant to your current situation. Focus on how Jesus thinks. This will help you know whether you are hearing him in your every day activities.

6) Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you

As you read through the Gospels you will discover an amazing thing happening. The things you read about concerning Jesus will have direct bearing on what is going on in your own life. Questions you had yesterday, he answers today out of his written word. The word testimony is maturion (Strong’s 3140) which means evidence, in other words, you will witness the truth in your own situation. His testimony will be backed up by events in your own life.

7) So that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

This verse tells us that Paul wanted the Corinthian church to have the testimony of Christ so that they wouldn’t miss out on the gifts that Christ’s testimony had to offer. He also says that part of those gifts will come at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The same is true for us. Jesus is returning and he has presents for us! It will be better than Christmas! (The celebration of the gift of himself his first time on earth.)

8) Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word “confirm” here is the Greek word bebaloo  (Strong’s 950) which means stands firm. Jesus will stand firm that we are held blameless because we have accepted his provision for salvation.  As it says in  Romans 8:30-32 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? And in Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Isn’t this cool, Jesus is willing to blot out anything that is held against us. Jesus is on our side!

9) God is faithful, by whom you were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Just like the Corinthians, you are called into fellowship (friendship) with Jesus Christ, the son of God. You are called, he wants you to have fellowship with him. He wants to be your friend. He isn’t looking for ways to trap you into hell (no fine print!)  Are you ready to accept his call?

Called Saints

August 2, 2012
Sanctification
Leave a comment

So far in our study of First Corinthians we have examined Paul–the author, we have looked at the church, and the city where the church was located. Today I would like to look at the rest of Paul’s introduction and discover what we can about how to look at others in the church with whom we may not agree.

In today’s study, we are going to examine I Corinthians 1:2 a little more closely, because there is an important jewel to be discovered here:

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be Saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

I want to point out that the words  in my Bible “to be” are italicized. Whenever I see words in my Bible italicized, I know that those words were not in the original language (in this case Greek), but were added by the translator to help clarify the words meaning. However, in this case the words “to be” change the meaning of the passage. The phrase originally read:

” to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called Saints“.

In other words, those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus are already called Saints. In order more completely understand what this verse means, we need to learn what a couple of words actually mean.

What does Sanctified mean?

The word sanctified here is haglozo (Strong’s 37) means to mentally purify, or to go through the process of making your mind holy. It is a process that you do in your mind. It is different than the spiritual change that occurs at salvation. Your spirit becomes a new creature at salvation (II Corinthians 5:17), but your mind is under a constant renewal process. (Romans 12:2).

Who are the Saints?

This Biblical term is not referring to the canonization of people by the Roman Catholic church. The word “saints” here (and all of the New Testament) in the Greek is hagios (Strong’s 40) which means consecrated thing, one who is held blameless. If you are a born again believer, you are called saint because if you remember from earlier lessons, your righteousness doesn’t come from your own merits. The righteousness that covers you comes from what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross. You are held blameless for your sins because of what he did for you.

Both of these Greek words haglozo and hagios come from the same Greek root hagos. As I pointed out, Haglozo refers to the fact that every day there is a renewal in our minds that should go on every day. Hagios is different in that we are made blameless through making Jesus Lord of our lives.

Paul still called them Saints because they called upon the name (authority) of Jesus Christ.

Let’s go on to Verse 3:

3) Grace be upon you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ,

Paul gave the church at Corinth a blessing in his greeting. He offered them grace and peace. Paul gave this blessing in all of his letters except for his letters to Timothy and Titus. He did not agree with everything they were doing, but he always blessed them anyway.

Perhaps we too need to learn to bless those in the church who we don’t always see eye to eye with or even those we believe are in error. We need to learn to pray grace and peace over them every time we think about them. When we pray grace and peace over other people, we are rewarded with the same thing. If we want more grace and more peace, we need to begin praying the same for others, especially those with whom we do not agree.

If this has blessed you or if you have any questions or comments about this post, please comment below. If you have any questions about any matter regarding salvation or growing in Christ, please contact me at cygnetbrown@gmail.com. I would love to help.

%d bloggers like this: