Month: January 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR JANUARY 31 ~ ~ Galatians 2:16 ~ ~ “nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

We’re reading in Dr. John MacArthur’s book, “Parables”…..

A LESSON ABOUT JUSTICE AND GRACE – in the parables

Continued from yesterday….comparing the thief on the cross with Judas Iscariot……The thief was repentant and went straight to heaven after a life of crime.  Judas led an exemplary life, and even was one of Jesus’s Apostles, but he betrayed Jesus  and went to hell. 

John MacArthur:

Those who think heaven is a reward for doing good might protest that this (above) was throwing justice out the window. The thief had done nothing whatsoever to merit heaven.  If it’s possible to forgive such a man so completely in the dying moments of a wretched lifetime filled with gross sin, wouldn’t it also be proper for Judas’s one act of treachery to be canceled – or mitigated – on  the basis of whatever good works he had done while following Christ for three years?  People do occasionally raise questions like that.  The internet is dotted with comments and articles suggesting Judas was dealt with unfairly or judged too harshly.

Judas himself seemed to be the type of person who kept score on such matters.  He protested, for example, when Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with a costly fragrance.  He knew the precise value of the ointment – equal to a year’s wages – and he complained, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”  (John 12:5).  He no doubt would have also thought the grace Jesus showed to the thief was too extravagant.

People who have devoted their lives to religion do sometimes seem to resent it when God reaches out and graciously redeems someone whom they deem unworthy of divine favor.

What we have to bear in mind is that all people are totally unworthy.  No one “deserves” God’s favor.  We are all guilty sinners who deserve nothing more than damnation.  No one who has sinned has any rightful claim on the kindness of God.

God, on the other hand, has every right to show mercy and compassion to whomever He chooses (Exodus 33:19).  Furthermore, when He shows mercy it is always in lavish abundance.  As he told Moses, He is abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7).

People who protest that God is unfair or unjust when He shows grace to the least deserving people simply do no understand the principle of grace.  Undiluted justice would mean immediate death for every sinner, because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  The truth is, we don’t really want what is “fair.” (that would mean hell for every one of us).  We all desperately need grace and mercy.

On the other hand, grace is not unjust, because Christ made full atonement for the sins of those who trust Him – and thereby turned justice in their favor.

 “if we confess our sins, he is faithful AND JUST to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Because Christ took the penalty of sin on Himself, God can justify believing sinners (even notorious sinners like the thief on the cross) without compromising His own righteousness.

  “He is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26).

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Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Galatians 3:10

For all who are of works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the Law, to do them.”

(in other words, if you think you can be “good enough” to get to heaven by your own works, then you MUST obey every little command perfectly all your life.   Remember, Jesus said that murder means hating someone, and adultery is looking at someone with lust.  Stealing is wanting what another has.    No one can stand by themselves without Christ.  No one can stand by themselves without Christ.  In Him alone is salvation.)

GOD’S WORD FOR JANUARY 29 ~ ~ Luke 10:29 ~ ~ “ But wanting to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Michael Youssef’s book, “How to Read the Bible”

Chapter 16

THE PARABLES: PICTURES OF THE KINGDOM

On April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech at Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee, which has become known as “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”  In that speech, he spoke at length about Jesus’s Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Dr. King recalled a visit to Israel with his wife.  They rented a car and drove down the Jericho road.  As they drove, king realized the road was dangerous and “really conducive to ambushing.”  In the time Of Jesus, King said, it was known as the Bloody Pass because of all the robberies and murders that occurred there.

The road begins in Jerusalem at an elevation of nearly 2,500 feet and twists, turns, and meanders down to Jericho, almost 850 feet below see level.  As King and his wife drove, he remarked, “I can see why Jesus used this as the setting for His parable.”

Jesus talked about a certain man, who fell among thieves.  You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side.  They didn’t stop to help him.  And finally a man of another race came by ….He got down with him, administered first aid, and helped the man in need.  Jesus ended up saying this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to…be concerned about his brother….

The first question that the priest asked, the first question that the Levite asked was, “if I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?”  But then the good Samaritan came by and he reversed the question:  “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”

(as an aside: I will add some excerpts from  John MacArthur in his book, “Parables”: “Jewish people considered the Samaritans ethnically and religiously unclean – and the Samaritans likewise resented and despised their Jewish cousins.  The Samaritans were descendants of Israelites who had intermarried with pagans after the Assyrians forced most of the population of Israel’s Northern Kingdom into exile in 722 BC……

“Some Israelite stragglers remained or returned to the land after most of their brethren were forced into exile, and these scattered Israelites mixed with  and married the pagan settlers.  They kept some traditions that were rooted in Old Testament doctrine, but they also blended enough pagan beliefs into the mix that Samaritan worship ultimately became something fundamentally different from either Judaism or paganism.  Later in his chapter, Dr. MacArthur brings this up: Remember, everything of value had been taken from the injured man.  So whatever the Samaritan used for bandages and medicine came out of his own bag or his own clothes.  The wine was antiseptic and the oil was a balm and anodyne.  This would both sanitize and seal wounds in a way that would help prevent infection.  The oil would also moisturize, sooth, and soften the tissue.  …..Where did the oil and wind come from?  Travelers on a long journey would carry oil for cooking and wine for drinking, because water along the way wasn’t safe.  The Samaritan was using his own travel provisions.  The expression used tells us that he was not stingy with the wine and oil.  He wasn’t using an eyedropper or dabbing at the injured places.  He washed the man’s wounds thoroughly.  Jesus is purposely stressing the lavishness of the Samaritan’s generosity. 

“Then Jesus says, ‘he set him on his own animal.’  So the Samaritan walks, with the injured an riding.  What Jesus aims to underscore here is that this is not minimal care:  The Samaritan was making an extra-ordinary sacrifice for someone he didn’t even know.

“‘He brought him to an inn, and took care of him’ (Luke 10:34).  He didn’t leave him alone there; He paid for a room, got him settled, stayed with him, caring for him all night then left the next day.  He paid two denarii to the innkeeper for food, and care, and said he will pay more on his way back if necessary.  Two denarii constituted two full days’ wages, and from what we know of the rates at that time, that was enough for two months’ room and board in a wayside inn like that……The Samaritan’s heart was so full of love that when someone came across his path with a desperate need he was able to meet, he did……..

“Let’s be honest with ourselves – if we encountered a scenario like this, most of us would  think the Samaritan’s generosity to be excessive…………….but ………..there is someone you have already done all those things for…………YOURSELF……….That is precisely how we look after our own needs, isn’t it?  Give me whatever I need.  Call the best doctor.  Get me to the best medical facility.  Arrange the best care I can get…………..pamper me.”

“Jesus said, ‘Love  your neighbor  AS YOURSELF.’  Luke 10:27”)

Back to Dr. Youssef:

The day after Dr. King delivered that speech, he was assassinated.  This ancient story by the Lord Jesus, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, has been widely used in countless situations and cultural contexts to make this point:  ALL of us – both individually and collectively – have a duty to love our neighbors.  It is a story that tells us how citizens of the Kingdom should behave toward their neighbors.

The parable tells us that we have a Kingdom duty to love and care for others despite religious or ethnic differences.  It tells us that instead of worrying about the cost, we should leap into action to serve and save others.  It tells us that Christian love places no limits on who our neighbor is.

The parables of Jesus have power to change lives and societies.  The Parable of the good Samaritan, for example, has been a moral touchstone and motivating factor in the abolition movement, the civil rights movement, the pro-life movement, the homelessness movement, and such humanitarian organizations as the Salvation Army and Samaritan’s Purse.  One of its Kingdom implications is that God calls us to show love and kindness not merely to those who are already in the Kingdom, but to outsiders, strangers, and even enemies.

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Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things you see; 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things that you hear, and did not hear them.”

Luke 10:23-24

Matthew 5:44

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 5:46

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?

GOD’S WORD FOR JANUARY 28 ~  ~ Romans 12:2 ~ ~ “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Speaking of the New Testament of the Bible, Dr. Michael Youssef is addressing the tensions of the Kingdom in his book, “How to Read the Bible”

THE TENSION OF THE KINGDOM

The Church’s tension is that it is IN the world but not OF the world.  The more seriously the Church takes its task, the more deeply estranged it becomes from this modern age.  The bolder the Church’s witness for Christ, the more it will be hated and persecuted.  Like the persecuted first-century church, we are called upon to live in this tension – and to even provoke it through our witness for Jesus.

We are also in a tension between the Kingdom of God as an accomplished, present reality and its future victory.  We know that Jesus has already won the victory on the cross – yet we still expectantly await a final victory that we cannot see.

The early Church understood itself to be the successor of Israel, the true remnant and people of the New Covenant.  The early Christians saw their mission as a servant mission of proclaiming the Kingdom and extending the Covenant to the world.  They saw themselves as the people of the Messiah living in the Last Days.

We are the same Church, and we have the same Gospel.  Our task is unchanged and our message has not lost its urgency.  And we must live in a state of tension between the victory Jesus won on the cross and the victory that is still deferred.

Around the world, the invisible Church of Jesus Christ is quietly engaged in ministry, evangelism, and worship in house churches and secret cell meetings, hiding from the searching eyes of Communist regimes, Islamic regimes, and even hostile neighbors.  Tension is inescapable.  It is a tension between two worlds:  the Kingdom of God victorious and the Church of Jesus Christ, hated and hunted and persecuted.

What will the Kingdom of God be tomorrow?  What is the future of the Church?

The true Church is the invisible Church, consisting of everyone whose name is written in the Book of Life (see Revelation 20:12 and 21:27).  It is greater than local church bodies and denominations, just as the true Israel of God’s purpose was greater than the Israelite nation.

The true Church resides in every individual church, yet surpasses all of them.  No one church may claim to be the “true Church” because that would be the sin of self-deification.  The true church cuts across the membership rolls of individual churches and reaches out to embrace repentant sinners.  The true Church transcends time and space.

In the true Church – the true Kingdom of God – we will one day sit down with Father Abraham, the great apostles, and all the saved believers from every nation and race.  The church is the community of people who have responded in faith to the summons of the Kingdom of God.

The church is the new Israel, the new people of God.  And it has been called to action!

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1 Corinthians 4:20

For the kingdom of God is not in words, but in power.

James 2:5

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

James 1:27

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

James 1:27

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Matthew 7:21

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

GOD’S WORD FOR JANUARY 27 ~ ~ Luke 12:29-30 ~ ~ “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.”

Michael Youssef’s book, “How to Read the Bible”

“THE KINGDOM OF GOD, TODAY AND TOMORROW”

What is the Kingdom of God like? 

The Kingdom of God has no measurable boundaries. It is not a region of so many square miles of real estate.  It is PEOPLE.  Specifically, it’s the people who are called by God and who have submitted to His sovereign rule.

God invites every member of the human race to make a radical decision for the Kingdom of Christ – or against it.  Those who heed the call have not merely “entered” the Kingdom; they ARE the Kingdom.

What are Kingdom citizens called to do?  The most important task of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel, which is the Good News of salvation.

The modern world is in thrall to demonic powers.  Everywhere we look, evil and injustice seem to triumph.  But there is good news!  The power of the cross has broken the power of Satan.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ has launched the age of the New Covenant and the ascendancy of the Kingdom of God.  Let men and women renounce their old allegiances to sin and self and begin a new life as citizens of the Kingdom.

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we have no other.

The preaching of the Gospel often seems to fall on deaf ears.  Yet it is good news that fulfills humanity’s deepest longings.  Even when people are not aware that they need the saving message of the Kingdom, they still grope in the darkness for it.

Human beings can no more escape the longing for the Kingdom than they can escape themselves.  It lies at the heart of human nature.  People peer into the window of the Kingdom of God but do not know how to enter, because Satan’s agents of deception lure them away from the promise of salvation.

People are idolaters by nature.  Though they long for God, they will settle for false idols.  Though they long for the extasy of heaven, they will settle for cheap earthly thrills.  Though they long for eternity with God, they will settle for the temporary gratification of wealth, power, or fame.  The false gods of the twenty-first century are as deceptive and deadly as the demon-god Baal in ancient Palestine.

Into this global morass of demonic deception, the Church of Jesus Christ proclaims the gospel of the Kingdom.  The Church places its hope squarely on the truth of the Bible because it knows no other truth.  It announces the Kingdom of God as the goal of history and the only hope for man’s redemption.

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Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew 19:24 (AMP)

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth and status] to enter the kingdom of God.

Mark 10:15

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.

(Meaning, truly submitting and trusting Christ with our sins and our lives, as a child to his parents)

GOD’S WORD FOR JANUARY 26 ~ ~ Matthew 18:3 ~ ~ “and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

John 3:3 ~  ~  “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

(These are synonymous because both require complete submission to Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice, and each requires us to make Him our undisputed Lord.  He does the work in us.  We submit to it.)

In Dr. Youssef’s book, “How To Read The Bible……..as if your life depends on it, because it does”

This will be the second part of the section, “THE INTOLERABLE CLAIMS OF JESUS”

Many Jews were quite skeptical of – offended by – anyone claiming to be God or godlike in any way.  They were not expecting the promised Messiah to be God Himself – someone extraordinary, yes, who was God’s anointed one, but still a mere human being.  When Jesus came claiming to be not only the Messiah but the Son of God, the Jews could only interpret His words as blasphemy.

And when he was crucified and laid in the grave, they felt vindicated.  If Jesus was truly the Messiah, they reasoned, He would not have allowed the crucifixion to take place.  The true Messiah could have come down from the cross (Matthew 27:41-43).

Muslims agree with the Jews on this point, except they maintain that God could not and did not allow this good prophet (whom they call “Isa ibn Maryam” or “Isa, son of Mary”) to suffer and die.  The Quran states that Isa didn’t die on the cross but was miraculously spared by God.  As Paul declared, the cross is “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles (1Corinthians 1:23).

Jesus the Messiah summons all people of all nations and ethnicities to become citizens of the Kingdom of God.  Because it is the Kingdom of the Suffering Servant, it is a realm of the meek and lowly.  Those who would lead in this Kingdom must be willing to “be the very last, and the servant of all”  (Mark 9:35).  Jesus set an example of serving for all believers to follow:

John 13:12-15:

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”

Those who would enter the Kingdom of God must endure suffering and persecution (Matthew 5:12;  Luke 6:20-23).  We cannot buy our way into the Kingdom.  In fact, wealth and possessions actually keep many people from entering (Mark 10:17-25).  The Kingdom belongs to those who shed all pride in their own righteousness, wisdom, accomplishments, and position.  In fact, the Kingdom belongs to those who become like little children. (Mark 10:14 and Matthew 18:3).

Entry into the Kingdom of God will probably not bring one public acclamation.  In fact, it demands utter self-denial.  Over and over, Jesus reminded His disciples – and us – that there is a tremendous cost to the Kingdom life.  If the Kingdom demands it, a person must be ready to leave father and mother, home and family, at a moment’s notice (Matthew 19:29;  Mark 10:29; Luke 18:29).  The world hates and persecutes the Kingdom and all who identify with it (Mark 13:13;  Luke 6:22).

To be a citizen of the Kingdom means to be hated, but never to retaliate.  When we are struck on one cheek, we turn the other to receive the next blow (Matthew 5:39).  Those who heed the Kingdom summons have nothing to look forward to in this life but the cross and servitude (Matthew 10:38;  Mark 8:34; Luke 14:27).

(But the difference of spending eternity alone in darkness and regret……….forever,…….. compared to living in heaven and the perfect, wonderful new earth with animals, and perfect nature, where no one will ever die, AND have Jesus besides………….why would anyone choose everlasting darkness and torture over joy, light and love?   Tell Jesus today that you choose Him and are sorry for your sins.    Ask Him to live in you and perfect you.)

Tomorrow, Dr. Youssef will describe the Kingdom of God, and the hesitation of people to accept it.

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Revelation 21:4

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

Matthew 5:18

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle (the tiniest letters of Hebrew)  will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

Matthew 6:20

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Matthew 6:32

For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these thing.

(For those who are seeking to “be good enough” to get to heaven, …first of all, no one is perfect, and that’s what it takes……….secondly, you cannot make up for sins with good works or church attendance, sacraments, rituals.  Here is how Jesus explains it very simply:

****Matthew 12:48-50

But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN is My brother and sister and mother.”

****John 6:28-29

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?

Jesus answered and said to them, “THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD,(will of the Father—See verse above)   THAT YOU BELIEVE IN HIM WHOM HE SENT.”

****(Belief in Jesus and giving your sins to Him for forgiveness because of His sacrifice, IS  the work of God.   Follow Him because He died for your sins, and He will give you a new heart!!!!   It’s as simple as that!)

GOD’S WORD FOR JANUARY 25 ~ ~ Matthew 3:2 ~ ~ “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jeremiah 17:9 ~ ~ “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;   Who can know it?”

Every person who has ever lived, or ever shall live, is far from the perfection needed to save ourselves.  Only receiving Christ as Lord and Savior will give us a new heart.

From “How to Read the Bible” by Michael Youssef.

( You may not have as much time as you think to make the right decision for eternity………..the world is going crazy, there is no truth except God’s Word,  and we’re seeing the Book of the Revelation come true before our eyes around the world.   You don’t want to be left here when it all goes down……..see the verses at the end of this writing, after you read it.)

THE “INTOLERABLE” CLAIMS OF JESUS

Jesus expressed a profound truth when He said, “My kingdom is not of this world”  (John 18:36).  His concept of the Kingdom was not at all the popular notion.

Most Jews of that time were nurtured on the apocalyptic hope described in the book of Daniel, the hope of God’s sudden intervention appearing from the sky:

Daniel 7:13-14

“I kept looking in the night visions,  and behold, with the clouds of heaven.  One like a son of man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.

And to Him was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom,  so that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages  might serve Him.   His dominion is an everlasting dominion

Which will not pass away;  and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”

The Jews were not wrong to expect their Messiah to arrive among the clouds at some unknown future time.  But that description in Daniel 7 applies to the Second Coming of the Messiah.  At His first coming, Jesus arrived without heavenly fanfare.  He Himself explained that His Second coming would be very different from His first when He told the high priest, “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62)

This was Jesus’s explicit claim to be the prophesied Messiah.  And the dramatic miracle of the resurrection, attested to by many witnesses, confirmed it (Romans 1:3-4).  He is the preexisting Son who emptied Himself and “made Himself nothing” to take human form  and identify with us (Philippians 2:6-8).  He is the very image of the substance of God, far above the angels, and He now sits at the right hand of the Divine Majesty) see Hebrews 1).  He is the Word, the cosmic “Logos” who has existed since before the beginning of time and space (John 1:1-3).

These were intolerable claims to the first-century Jews — just as they are intolerable to Muslims today —   The ancient world had seen many self-proclaimed “god-men,” “divine kings,” and “living messiahs”   who clamored for attention among the pagans.  The first-century Jews rightly abhorred such claims.

In fact, a century and a half before the birth of Christ, tens of thousands of Jews fought and died rather than bow down to Antiochus Epiphanes, a Hellenistic king of the Seleucid Empire who ruled over Jewish territory.  Like many Hellenistic rulers, he claimed divine status – the incarnation of the Greek god Zeus – and demanded to be worshiped.

We will continue with this section tomorrow.

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These are the promises for those who repent (are truly sorry) for their sins, and truly want and believe in forgiveness only because of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah.  This is why He came, died, and rose again.  We can never be good enough to get to heaven.  We will only be saved by making Jesus our personal Savior:  

Isaiah 43:25

I, even I, am He who blots out your sins for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Ps 103:2

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins from us.

Jeremiah 31:34

No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.

Acts 2:38

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Psalm 32:1

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Daniel 9:9

To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, because we have rebelled against Him;

GOD’S WORD FOR JANUARY 24 ~ ~ Mark 4:11 ~ ~ “The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you”

 In the book, “How to Read the Bible ..” by Dr. Michael Youssef:

ACT ONE, ACT TWO

Many first-century Jews rejected Christ, but those who followed Him became the nucleus of a new way of life called the Church.  While the Old Testament is concerned with the fortunes of the people of Israel, the New Testament broadens from that limited landscape to a new and universal horizon

We must be careful not to say (as some do)  that the New Testament is all we need, that we can safely dispense with the Old Testament.  And we must also avoid the heretical notion that the Old Testament reveals a God of wrath but the New Testament shows us a God of love.  He is consistently shown to be a God of both justice and grace throughout both Testaments.

At the same time, we must not minimize the supremacy of the New Testament revelation.  In Galatians 3:24-25, Paul contrasts the Old Testament Law with the New Testament revelation of faith in Jesus Christ:

“So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.  Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”

And the writer to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus’s priestly ministry is superior to sacrifices made by the priests in Old Testament times:

“But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6)

Jesus and his disciples were Jews who did not think they were founding a new religion.  They were fulfilling the promises and demands of the Old Testament.  Though the gospel was universal in its scope, available to Jew and Gentile alike, Jesus viewed his mission as being focused, first of all, to the “lost sheep of Israel” (see Matthew 10:6 and 15:24).  The New Testament is truly the fulfillment of Israel’s greatest hope.

In the Old Testament, the rule of God is always cast in the future tense.  “the days are coming,” warn the prophets Jeremiah, Hosea, and Amos.  “In that day,” warn many Old Testament prophets, notably Isaiah.

But in the New Testament, we encounter a dramatic change in the language.  The writers switch from future tense to present tense:

“The Kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28).

“Yours is the Kingdom of God”  (Luke 6:20).

“The Kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it” (Luke 16:16).

“The Kingdom of God is in your midst”  (Luke 17:21).

The Old and New Testaments stand together as two acts of a single drama.  Act One points to its conclusion in Act Two.  Without Act Two, the play is incomplete.  But without Act one, it is impossible to fully understand the meaning of Act Two.

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2Timothy 2:13

If we are faithless, he remains faithful.  He cannot deny Himself.

Ps 37:23

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way.

Ps 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield;  my heart trusts in him and I am helped;  Therefore, my heart triumphs and with my song I thank Him.

Ps 84:5

Blessed is the person whose strength is in You….

Ps 18:1

Your God has commanded your strength!

GOD’S WORD FOR JANUARY 24 ~ ~ Mark 4:11 ~ ~ “The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you”

 In the book, “How to Read the Bible ..” by Dr. Michael Youssef:

ACT ONE, ACT TWO

Many first-century Jews rejected Christ, but those who followed Him became the nucleus of a new way of life called the Church.  While the Old Testament is concerned with the fortunes of the people of Israel, the New Testament broadens from that limited landscape to a new and universal horizon

We must be careful not to say (as some do)  that the New Testament is all we need, that we can safely dispense with the Old Testament.  And we must also avoid the heretical notion that the Old Testament reveals a God of wrath but the New Testament shows us a God of love.  He is consistently shown to be a God of both justice and grace throughout both Testaments.

At the same time, we must not minimize the supremacy of the New Testament revelation.  In Galatians 3:24-25, Paul contrasts the Old Testament Law with the New Testament revelation of faith in Jesus Christ:

“So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.  Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”

And the writer to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus’s priestly ministry is superior to sacrifices made by the priests in Old Testament times:

“But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6)

Jesus and his disciples were Jews who did not think they were founding a new religion.  They were fulfilling the promises and demands of the Old Testament.  Though the gospel was universal in its scope, available to Jew and Gentile alike, Jesus viewed his mission as being focused, first of all, to the “lost sheep of Israel” (see Matthew 10:6 and 15:24).  The New Testament is truly the fulfillment of Israel’s greatest hope.

In the Old Testament, the rule of God is always cast in the future tense.  “the days are coming,” warn the prophets Jeremiah, Hosea, and Amos.  “In that day,” warn many Old Testament prophets, notably Isaiah.

But in the New Testament, we encounter a dramatic change in the language.  The writers switch from future tense to present tense:

“The Kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28).

“Yours is the Kingdom of God”  (Luke 6:20).

“The Kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it” (Luke 16:16).

“The Kingdom of God is in your midst”  (Luke 17:21).

The Old and New Testaments stand together as two acts of a single drama.  Act One points to its conclusion in Act Two.  Without Act Two, the play is incomplete.  But without Act one, it is impossible to fully understand the meaning of Act Two.

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2Timothy 2:13

If we are faithless, he remains faithful.  He cannot deny Himself.

Ps 37:23

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way.

Ps 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield;  my heart trusts in him and I am helped;  Therefore, my heart triumphs and with my song I thank Him.

Ps 84:5

Blessed is the person whose strength is in You….

Ps 18:1

Your God has commanded your strength!

GOD’S WORD FOR JANUARY 22 ~ ~ John 1:1-2 ~ ~ “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.   He was in the beginning with God.”

Continuing in the book, “How to Read the Bible (like your life depends on it……..because it does) by Dr. Michael Youssef.

Chapter entitled:

THE GOSPELS: FOUR STORYTELLERS, ONE STORY

Section:  The Kingdom of God Has Come Near

The four gospels –Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – are four accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.  Evangelical scholars believe they were written between AD 50 and AD90.  The gospel of Mark is considered the earliest.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the three “synoptic Gospels” (from the Greek word, “synoptikos” which means “seen together”).  They largely parallel each other in the way they tell the gospel story, though with interesting differences.

The Gospel of Matthew appears to be intended for Hellenized (Greek-speaking) Jewish Christians.  Mark’s gospel, with its explanations of certain Jewish customs, seems to be aimed at a Gentile Christian audience.  Luke’s gospel is addressed to “Theophilus,” which means, “Lover of God,” so it may be addressed to a person by that name or to all Christians who truly love God.  Matthew was written by the disciple and former tax collector Matthew, also called Levi.  Mark was written by John Mark, the Apostle Peter’s close friend, whom he called “my son Mark”  in 1 Peter 5:13.  Luke’s gospel was written by a Gentile named Luke, a missionary companion of the Apostle Paul and (according to Colossians 4:14) a doctor.  Luke also wrote a sequel, the book of Acts.  He was not an eyewitness of the life of Jesus, but he “carefully investigated everything from the beginning: in order to “write an orderly account”  (Luke 1:3).

The Gospel of John was written by the Apostle John (who identifies himself in the text several times as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”).   John’s beautifully poetic tone contrasts markedly with the almost journalistic style of the three synoptic gospels.  His purpose is not to summarize the life and ministry of Jesus, but to make the case for His identity as the Messiah.

Unlike the synoptic gospels, John does not mention Jesus’s ancestry, birth, baptism, temptation, or transfiguration.  He arranges some incidents in a different order than the synoptics, and makes it clear that the length of Jesus’s earthly ministry was three years.

The word “gospel” is an English translation of the Greek word  “euangelion” (“good news”).  In Old English, the term for “good news” was “godspel”  (“god” meaning “good”, and “spel” meaning “news”).  The word “godspel” eventually became “gospel.”

The differences between the gospels do not mean there is a disagreement between them.  Though the authors of the four gospels wrote from four points of view, they present one unified message;  The prophecies are fulfilled.  The long-awaited Messiah has come.

They tell us that Jesus the Messiah did mighty works, preached the Good News of the Kingdom, was crucified, and rose again.  This Jesus now lives and has been exalted to the highest heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God.  On a day known only to God the Father, He will return to judge the living and the dead, and bring history to a close.

Jesus introduced His ministry with these words:  “the time has come.  The kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news!”  (Mark 1:15).  In Him, the unity of all Scripture is plainly presented.  Through Him the two Testaments are inextricably linked.  All Biblical theology revolves around Him.

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John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind.  And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.

 Acts 17:28

for in Him we live and move and have our being….

John 1:29

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Acts 13:38        

Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

1 John 4:19

We love Him because He first loved us.

John 3:35

The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.

John 16:15

All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

Acts 4:12  (Amp)

 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.