2 Timothy 1:13-14

Trust Holy Spirit to get you through the good, the bad and the downright ugly that this fallen life brings to mankind!

2 Timothy 1:13-14

13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Paul considered his life and teaching worthy of imitation. The Greek word used here, phylassō, means “to protect from loss or damage.” Timothy must protect the church from false teachers and their instruction. Paul reminds Timothy that the Holy Spirit will help him fulfill his ministry duties. Paul urges Timothy to pass on his teaching to others. Faithlife Bible.

Hold fast is a command to Timothy to persist in the sound words of healthy teaching. Many who say they speak for Christ proclaim false doctrine. Like Timothy, we need to pursue sound teaching and avoid all teaching that does not conform to the Scriptures, no matter how good certain teachers might sound or how large their following might be.

That good thing may be rephrased as “the good deposit.” Here the phrase refers to Paul’s teachings to Timothy. Keep means “to guard” or “to protect.” Who dwells in us describes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers. NKJ Bible.

Romans 6:17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,

Titus 1:9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 

Matthew 25:41-46

We as Christians are more responsible for our actions. We know better.

Others will know us by our fruit!

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Matthew 25:41–46

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

At the very least, these “brethren” are believers in Jesus Christ. NKJ Bible.

Job 22:7 You have not given the weary water to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

Psalm 6:8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.

John 5:29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Romans 2:7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;

Ezekiel 20:39-40

Only through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are we saved.

It is nothing to do with our worthiness…NOTHING!  But everything to do with our faith.

Holy Spirit gave me a sensory vision of the sweet aroma many years ago. He allowed me to smell it 3 times (in the visions that He has given me 3 is significant…could it symbolize the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?) It smelled of the Catholic Church incense I remember as a child when the priest sent it over the people at Mass. He called to my mind the prayers of the faithful.

I found this on the internet site “Adoremus”:

The use of incense in religious worship predates Christianity by thousands of years. Incense is noted in the Talmud, and the Bible mentions incense 170 times. The use of incense in Jewish temple worship continued well after the establishment of Christianity and certainly influenced the Catholic Church’s use of incense in liturgical celebrations.

In the Old Testament God commanded His people to burn incense (Exodus 30:7, 40:27). Incense is a sacramental used to venerate, bless, and sanctify. Its smoke conveys a sense of mystery and awe. It is a reminder of the sweet-smelling presence of our Lord. Its use adds a feeling of solemnity to the Mass. The visual imagery of the smoke and the smell reinforce the transcendence of the Mass linking Heaven with Earth, allowing us to enter into the presence of God. The smoke symbolizes the burning zeal of faith that should consume all Christians, while the fragrance symbolizes Christian virtue.

Ezekiel 20:39-44

39 “As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: “Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols. 40 For on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel,” says the Lord God, “there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your sacrifices, together with all your holy things. 41 I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles. 42 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers. 43 And there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed. 44 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of Israel,” says the Lord God.’ ”

An ironic and sarcastic statement. It implies that Israel was offering Yahweh rituals and religious practices that had been created for Canaanite idols. Worshiping the right God in the wrong way was just as bad as pure idolatry. The ot is clear that worship of Canaanite gods was closely mixed with worship of Yahweh. This mixture of religions was strongly condemned. The obedience and devotion of restored Israel is as pleasing to Yahweh as sacrifice. Yahweh is concerned with His reputation and wants the nations to see and acknowledge His sovereignty and holiness.

The recognition formula emphasizes that Yahweh’s motivation is a desire to make His power known to all. Yahweh didn’t punish them according to what they deserved for their sin. He punished but then saved for the sake of His reputation. Faithlife Bible.

The command Go, serve every one of you his idols is an ironic command; the rest of the verse indicates that God was giving the stubborn people over to what they had decided. God grants each one a destiny consistent with his or her decisions. Then God looks to an unspecified future time when Israel will glorify His name, meaning “His reputation” among the nations. The future repentant, renewed, and regathered Israel will be characterized by: (1) a return to the land of Israel and an acceptable, sacrificial system of worship (2) a revived, personal knowledge of its sovereign and faithful Lord; (3) a renunciation of former sins; and (4) a recognition that God’s grace governs the nation’s history of sin and salvation. My holy mountain is reference to the glorious central location for worship in Israel—Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. NKJ Bible. 

Leviticus 26:39 And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; also in their fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away.

Judges 10:14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”

Psalm 81:12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels.

Mark 2:15-17

Help me Father to love like you do!!

Mark 2:15-17

15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them,  “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

If Levi is representative of the group eating with Jesus, the tax collectors who dined with Jesus would have been low-level functionaries who worked on behalf of more powerful government agents. They were probably classified with sinners in this verse because their work exploited people. In the Gospels, this term is generally used for people who are considered sinful by Jewish leaders. While certainly many of these people were involved in habits, lifestyles or occupations that led to unrighteous behavior, the label seems to be applied primarily to distinguish between those who were considered pious and those who were not. Jesus’ ministry was often focused on outsiders, including this group of people.

In the ancient world, dining together was a primary expression of identity and belonging. For tax collectors and sinners to seek out table fellowship with Jesus implies they were interested in the kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed.

Some scribes (teachers of the law) in Jesus’ day may have identified themselves with the agenda of the Pharisaic movement. One of the three Jewish schools of thought in Palestine at the time of Jesus according to the Jewish historian Josephus. While the extent of their influence is unclear, the Pharisees apparently had some influence in political, religious and social spheres in Jewish Palestine. The Pharisees were known for their skill at interpreting the Law of Moses, and they held strict views on what was appropriate behavior for a righteous person. In Mark, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for holding to traditions rather than obeying God’s commands. They condemn Jesus’ choice to eat with those they viewed as unrighteous and unworthy, but Jesus is not interested in their rules about who is worthy of His attention.

With this statement, Jesus is neither affirming nor denying that the Pharisees are righteous. He is simply pointing out that the call to repentance and offering of forgiveness are for those who need it—sinners. Faithlife Bible.

In this instance Jesus was speaking tongue-in-cheek when He used the word righteous. None are righteous, though some, such as the Pharisees, fancied themselves as such. Instead, Christ came to call sinners to repentance. Jesus did not condone the activities of sinners, but required repentance—a change of mind that recognizes the need of a Savior and recognizes Jesus Christ as the only Savior. NKJ  Bible.

Matthew 9:10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

Matthew 9:12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Matthew 18:11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

Luke 5:31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick 

Isaiah 58:6-9

No matter what transpires I trust in You. You will use the evil that prevails for our good and the good of the Body of Christ. 

We will learn our lessons the easy way or the hard way…but when we call on the name of the Lord He will make sure that we learn them!

Isaiah 58:6–9

6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens,

To let the oppressed go free,

And that you break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;

When you see the naked, that you cover him,

And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning,

Your healing shall spring forth speedily,

And your righteousness shall go before you;

The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

Fasting and following religious rituals will not manipulate God into showing favor. He is more concerned with the motivation of the heart than the outward act. Oppressing the poor and weak of society, and burdening them with slavery, is the opposite of what they should be doing. God’s desire for social justice is a familiar theme in the prophets, especially the book of Amos. Genuine repentance is evidenced by their behavior—how they treat the poor and hungry. Genuine repentance will lead to genuine blessing. Fasting without genuine repentance was useless. Faithlife Bible.

Yoke is a metaphor for social oppression.

The poor who are cast out refers to those whose lands and houses were expropriated in payment of debts. The light dawned with the advent of Christ. Righteousness refers to salvation. NKJ Bible.

Exodus 14:19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.

Nehemiah 5:10 I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury!

Job 31:19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,Or any poor man without covering;

Luke 12:1-3

This defines the culture we are living in.

Holy Spirit guide us!

Jesus seemed to have the most to say about the religious right who had the power for good or evil.

Luke 12:1.2.3.

12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

The Greek word used here refers to fermented dough that was mixed in with new dough and used as a rising agent. The small amount used in baking would permeate the entire batch of new dough. Leaven serves as an apt metaphor to describe the widespread effects of the Pharisees’ hypocritical teachings and actions. Jesus seems to be referring to the Pharisees’ hidden sins, which will be exposed at the final judgment. Faithlife Bible.

Leaven here represents the presence of corruption. Unleavened bread is what the Jews ate at Passover. The corruption in view here is hypocrisy. Practicing hypocrisy is senseless because eventually all deeds—both good and evil—will be exposed.

All secrets will be revealed by God. NKJ Bible.

Matthew 10:26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

Matthew 16:12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 23:28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

Luke 9:18-23

It all comes down to this…

I B.E.L.I.E.V.E.

Thank you for making a way for a sinner like me…I love you Daddy!

Luke 9:18-23

18 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

19 So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”

20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

21 And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

In light of the earlier discussion about Jesus’ identity, Jesus asks His disciples what they have heard people saying. Then He asks for their opinion, and Peter responds correctly: Jesus is Yahweh’s Messiah.

The ot prophet Malachi had foretold that the return of Elijah would precede the day of judgment. Although Jesus’ ministry may be compared to Elijah’s, who was prophesied by Malachi as preceding the day of judgment, John the Baptist was the primary fulfillment of that prophecy. Jesus implies that His mission, like Elijah’s, includes the Gentiles (non-Jews). Jesus travels to Nain to raise the widow’s son, which resembles Elijah’s raising of the widow’s son in Zarephath. 

As in Matthew and Mark, Peter’s confession is followed immediately by Jesus’ first prediction of His death and resurrection. Following His resurrection, Jesus’ disciples would be commissioned to make known explicitly what His signs and wonders revealed—Jesus’ identity as God’s Son and anointed one. 

This is Jesus’ first discussion in Luke about the cost of discipleship. It refers to setting aside one’s interests for the sake of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ disciples must be willing to follow Him every day, no matter what the cost. Faithlife Bible.

The emphasis here is on the messianic role of Jesus. He is the Promised One who was ushering in a new era. However, Jesus would soon reveal to the disciples that His messiahship would have elements of suffering that the disciples did not expect. Jesus knew that the messianic role that the people and the disciples expected was much different from His actual role as the Messiah. The element of suffering that the Messiah would endure was not a part of popular expectation. Thus Jesus’ messiahship could not be openly proclaimed before the true nature of the Messiah was revealed.

This is the first of several predictions in Luke of Jesus’ suffering and vindication. The disciples struggled to understand what Jesus was saying. They could not comprehend how Jesus’ predictions fit into God’s plan. Only after Jesus’ resurrection and His explanation of the Scriptures to them did they begin to understand. Although Jesus offered salvation as a free gift, He also warned that following Him would entail suffering and hardship. NKJ Bible..

Matthew 8:4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Matthew 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Matthew 14:2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Succession in the Book of Matthew

 Whatever happened to the humble servant advice Jesus gave to those who claim Christian values and wish to serve?

Have we learned nothing from the New Covenant?

Matthew

Succession to a throne is often a time of conflict and uncertainty. David’s son Absalom tried to usurp the throne. Solomon’s choice of successor lost more than half the kingdom to a traitor. Menahem assassinated his predecessor in Israel. 

This is no less true when the heir is the King of kings. If ever there was a high-stakes succession, this was it. A Man claims to be Israel’s own Messiah; of course all Israel sits up and takes notice. Of course He must prove His credentials: Who wants an impostor? The Book of Matthew presents Jesus’ credentials. It presents Jesus as the King, but King of a totally different kingdom—the kingdom of heaven.

Royalty is a dangerous business.

2 Corinthians 3:4-6

More of You and less of me!

Micah 6:8 Be forgiving, be kind and know that life is nothing to do with us but everything to do with the Holy Trinity.

As for me and my  family…we trust God alone.

2 Corinthians 3:4–6

4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Paul points to God as the source of his qualifications; his confidence does not come from his own abilities, but from the power of God. The law does not justify people; it only identifies sin and condemns. Instead, people are justified by faith. Faithlife Bible.

Paul was convinced that Christ would make his ministry effective. Paul placed his confidence not in himself or his own abilities but in the Lord. This is the answer to the question…Who is sufficient? 

The letter is a reference to the old covenant—that is, the Ten Commandments written on stone. The letter kills because all break the law, and the penalty is death.

Paul lists the first of three contrasts between the OT ministry and the NT ministry. First, the OT ministry engraved on stones (a reference to the Ten Commandments) was glorious, but the ministry of the Spirit is more glorious, because the glory of the ministry of the Law given through Moses was passing away. Besides, though the Law itself is holy, the ministry of the Law is the ministry of death, whereas the ministry of the Spirit is the ministry of life. 

The Holy Spirit produces eternal life. NKJ Bible.

Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—

Matthew 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Luke 22:20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 10:9-11

The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy everything that is of eternal value in your life. The good Shepherd comes to give your life value and meaning. 

Jesus died in your place.

He gives you life, abundant, full of truth and wisdom…God’s love given in Jesus Christ covers a multitude of sin.!

John 10: 9–11

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

In His final public address, Jesus continues teaching and uses another “I am” saying with a metaphor to explain His identity as Messiah. Jesus uses the imagery of the good shepherd, which should be understood in the light of ot passages that criticize Israel’s shepherds (a metaphor for their kings) who have failed in their duty. The remedy for the failure of the shepherds in many ot passages is that God Himself takes on the role of the shepherd of Israel. At the same time, God promises to raise up another shepherd for Israel who will lead His people properly. Jesus depicts Himself in that messianic role of the ideal shepherd. He is both the shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep and the gateway to eternal life.

Jesus fulfills the messianic role of the shepherd. This role in Ezekiel is depicted as fulfilled by God; Jesus makes the claim that He (as God in flesh) is the one fulfilling it. Evoking imagery of the young shepherd, David, risking his life to keep his sheep safe. In addition to fulfilling God’s role with His people as shepherd, Jesus fulfills David’s role as their king. Faithlife Bible

Jesus, the shepherd, gives spiritual life and access to spiritual food. 

The thieves take life; the shepherd gives it. 

Abundant life includes salvation, nourishment, healing, and much more. Life here refers to eternal life, God’s life. It speaks not only of endlessness, but of quality of life. With Christ, life on earth can reach much higher quality, and then in heaven it will be complete and perfect.

Jesus is the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep, as opposed to the wicked thief who takes their lives. Jesus laid down His physical life in order to give us eternal life. NKJ Bible.

Genesis 49:24 But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),

Isaiah 40:11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom  and gently lead those who are with young.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Ephesians 2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Mark 15:37-41

God values all human life. 

It was too small a matter for  Jesus to die only for the Jews. He died for ALL of mankind.

In God there is no partiality. Jew, Greek or Gentile, male or female His gift of salvation is offered to all people! All nationalities and ethnicities are welcomed into His Kingdom through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Unique individually but we are united in Christ into one Body, His.

Mark 15:37–41

37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, 41 who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

This could refer to the outer curtain, which shielded the entrance to the sanctuary. Heavenly imagery was embroidered on the outer curtain, forming an appropriate parallel to the heavens tearing open at Jesus’ baptism. Alternatively, it could indicate the inner veil, which hid the divine presence in the most holy place (holy of holies); this might parallel the Holy Spirit descending at Jesus’ baptism.

Jesus’ identity is fully revealed upon His death. At three key events in Mark’s Gospel—Jesus’ baptism, transfiguration, and crucifixion—a voice confirms that Jesus is God’s Son. Here, it is no longer God the Father proclaiming Jesus’ identity, but instead a non-Jewish person—confirming Jesus’ ministry and mission to Gentiles. Faithlife Bible.

The significance of the supernatural tearing of the veil of the temple is that access to God is now open to all. No longer through priests and the blood of bulls and goats do we approach God, but through the torn veil, which also symbolizes Jesus’ broken and torn body. Top to bottom reminds us that God Himself removed the barrier.

Only Mark uses the Latin term centurion, a Roman captain in charge of one hundred men. The centurion’s statement that Jesus was the Son of God can be construed as a confession of belief in Jesus’ deity. But the Son could also be translated a son.

These women were true disciples of Christ. They had ministered to Jesus’ needs and would be the first witnesses of His resurrection. Mark does not name Jesus’ mother here but includes other prominent women. Three Marys were present along with many other women, and Salome, whom only Mark mentions by name. Salome was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of the disciples James and John). She may have been the unnamed sister of Jesus’ mother. If so, James and John were Jesus’ first cousins. NKJ Bible.

Exodus 26:31 “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim.

Exodus 26:32  You shall hang it upon the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be gold, upon four sockets of silver.

Exodus 26:33  And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.

Luke 16:14-15

 The love of money, no matter what the cost to human life, is evil.

Luke 16:14-15

14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

A person who cannot handle money certainly cannot handle spiritual matters that are of much more value. NKJ Bible.

mammon (Gk. mammōnas) (16:9, 11; Matt. 6:24) Strong’s #3126: The Greek word is a transliteration of a common Aramaic word mamona, which means “wealth,” “money,” or “property.” It is impossible to serve this god called “mammon” and the true God at the same time. In chapter 16, this word is used for “riches,” considered an idol, master, or god of the human heart that is in conflict with the true God.

Psalm 7:9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.

Proverbs 16:5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.

Acts 21:17-25

 Following the advise of others… can sometimes cause unexpected problems.

But He works all things out for our good and uses them for the good of His Body.

In the end analysis, Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish christians…we are all members of the same Body, Christ’s.

Acts 21:17-25

17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; 21 but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. 24 Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. 25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

Some Jewish people in Jerusalem believed incorrectly that Paul was discouraging Jews from keeping the law. This was not true, since Paul himself continued to observe Jewish customs. Faithlife Bible

James and the elders were the leaders of house churches meeting in Jerusalem. It is interesting that none of the apostles are mentioned here. Seven years had passed since the Jerusalem council meeting. At that time, the apostles and the leaders of the church had gathered to settle the question of whether Gentiles had to become Jews before becoming Christians. That question was settled in the negative; the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit both taught that the gospel was for all people. Apparently the apostles left Jerusalem after that conference to carry out Jesus’ commission to be witnesses to the “end of the earth”. 

The evidence of how God changed the lives of Gentiles was presented to the Christians in Jerusalem. The strongest evidence was the Gentile believers themselves who had accompanied Paul to Jerusalem. At this time, Paul may have also given the money he had been collecting from the Gentile Christians. The love the Gentiles expressed to their suffering Jewish brethren was a mark of their genuine conversion.

Reports were circulating that Paul had been urging Jews to abandon Mosaic traditions. However, Paul never derided his Jewish heritage nor demanded that Jewish Christians renounce the Law of Moses. He only made it clear to everyone that the law could not function as a means of salvation. There is evidence that Paul was continuing to keep the Law when he stood before Felix. The fact that he was coming to Jerusalem to worship was evidence of this. What Paul did resist was any attempt to force Gentiles to become Jews. Salvation was through faith alone. Relying on adherence to the Jewish law was repudiation of the gospel message that salvation proceeds from faith in Christ and that alone.

Paul paid the expenses of the four men who had taken a vow, because the men were impoverished by the famine in Judea and did not have enough money to complete their vow by offering a sacrifice in the temple. But there might have been another reason as well. The Jewish historian Josephus tells us that when Herod Agrippa I began his reign over Judea in a.d. 41, he paid for a considerable number of Nazirite vows to show his respect for the Mosaic Law. For the sake of showing his Jewish brethren that he had not forsaken the laws of Moses, Paul did what they asked. Reputation was an issue for the apostle, as it is for all believers. The Christian leaders were not asking Gentiles to live like Jews; neither did they want to compel Jews to live like Gentiles. The spiritual unity of the body of believers is realized in its diversity, not in its conformity. From our diverse backgrounds and cultures we honor the same Lord. NKJ Bible.

Numbers 6:13 ‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

Numbers 6:18 Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering.

Acts 1:17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”

Acts 15:4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.

Ezekiel 7:19

Has money always beenAmerica’s god?

Ezekiel 7:19

19 ‘They will throw their silver into the streets,

And their gold will be like refuse;

Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them

In the day of the wrath of the Lord;

They will not satisfy their souls,

Nor fill their stomachs,

Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.

When disaster comes, the desire to survive overcomes that of keeping valuable possessions, especially heavy precious metals. In Isaiah’s description of the Day of Yahweh, the people throw away their idols of silver and gold. The wealthy and the poor are now equal; riches cannot deliver anyone from God’s wrath. Faithlife Bible.

Those left alive would hide in the hills and be characterized by four things: (1) mourning—moaning like doves in shame, displaying their humiliation over sin by wearing sackcloth and shaving their heads (2) weakness; (3) horror; and (4) disgust and disillusionment over wealth. NKJ Bible.

Proverbs 11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

Jeremiah 15:13 Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder without price, because of all your sins, throughout your territories.

Zephaniah 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.

 

Acts 12:20-24

Long after our lives here on earth are over…the Word of God made flesh will remain and His Kingdom will be multiplied!

God will not be mocked!!

Acts 12:20–24

20 Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.

21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. 22 And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

It may be that Herod (Agrippa I) was in some sort of economic struggle with the cities and had applied sanctions against them, affecting their food supply. According to the ancient Jewish historian Josephus, who offers a parallel account of this story (Josephus, Antiquities 19.344), Herod’s robes on this occasion were made of silver and sparkled in the sunlight. The reference suggests Herod may have been in the hippodrome of Caesarea.

 

Perhaps to regain Herod’s favor, the people flatter him. God, who will not share His glory with any other, acts without delay to judge Herod for accepting divine honor and praise for himself. The nature of this disease is uncertain, but its effect is to judge Herod (Agrippa I) for his pride and to prove that he was certainly no god. In contrast to the speech of Herod that brought on his destruction, the word of the true God—that is, the proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and new life in the Spirit—continues to grow and spread. Faithlife Bible.

It is unclear why Herod was so angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. Both cities were seaports, like Caesarea, the provincial capital of Judea. The dispute may have been an issue of seaport business, since competition was great. The important point was that the cities did not want the angry king to set an economic embargo against them. Through the royal official Blastus, the people of Tyre and Sidon received an appointment to present their case to the king.

The Jewish historian Josephus also provides an account of this display, informing us that in an attempted appeasement of the king the people confessed that he was “more than a mortal.” Herod, instead of rebuking the address of deity, enjoyed the adulation—until he discovered the consequence of such blasphemy. NKJ Bible,

1 Samuel 25:38 Then it happened, after about ten days, that the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.