Just B.E.L.I.E.V.E. in the power of God to save that which you cannot.

The connection of these verses with the last words of Jn 20:29 is beautiful: that is, And indeed, as the Lord pronounced them blessed who not having seen Him have yet believed, so for that one end have the whole contents of this Gospel been recorded, that all who read it may believe on Him, and believing, have life in that blessed name.

John 20:26-30

26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

In awestruck wonder, Thomas not only believed that Christ was risen from the dead, but he also saw that the Resurrection proved His deity. Those who have not seen includes all who have believed in Christ since His ascension to the Father. NKJ Bible.

People—like John’s audience, and believers today—who have not seen the resurrected Jesus with their own eyes but believe in  Him will be saved. Faithlife Bible.

Psalm 22:16 For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.They pierced My hands and My feet;

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitantof Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

Zechariah 13:6 And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’

Mark 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Luke 1:45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

John 3:14-21

Our faith in Jesus Christ, Redeemer of man, saves us. For God so loved the world that Jesus came in human form to show us the way home.

The Mind, Heart and Body of God evidenced in the Word of God made flesh.

John 3:14-21

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

This verse presents a concise summary of the gospel message, tying the events of Jesus’ death to God’s love for the world He created. The statement is remarkable in its depiction of divine care for the entire world—not just His chosen people, Israel. As one sent by God, Jesus fully represented Him on earth. Rejection of Jesus results in condemnation. 

The new testament ultimately roots all salvation in faith in Christ. There is no other way to achieve right standing with God. Faithlife Bible.

Every time the words lifted up occur in the Gospel of John there is a reference to Jesus’ death. When Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, those who looked at it lived. So it is with the Son of Man.

This is the first time eternal life is mentioned in John’s Gospel. When a person trusts Christ, he or she is born again and receives eternal and spiritual life, God’s kind of life.

God’s love is not restricted to any one nation or to any spiritual elite. World here may also include all of creation. At His first coming, Jesus came so that the world through Him might be saved. When Jesus comes again, He will come in judgment upon those who refused His offer of salvation.To believe is to receive life and avoid judgment. A person who does not believe not only misses life, but is condemned already. People offer many excuses for not accepting Christ. Some cite the presence of hypocrites in the church. Others claim inability to believe some of the truths about Christ or the gospel. These are merely attempts to conceal a heart in rebellion against God. The ultimate reason people do not come to Christ is that they do not want to. The one who does the truth is obviously already a believer because his or her deeds are done in God. Therefore, “coming to the light” is more than exercising faith. A person who comes to the light not only believes, but also openly identifies with the light so that his or her works can be seen as things done in union with God. NKJ Bible.

born again (Gk. gennaō anōthen) (3:3, 7) Strong’s #1080; 509: The Greek word anōthen translated here as again could also be rendered “from above.” The birth that Jesus spoke of was either a new birth or a heavenly birth—or both. It seems that Jesus was speaking of a heavenly birth because He later used the analogy of the wind, coming from some unknown, heavenly source, to depict the spiritual birth. But Nicodemus clearly understood Jesus to be speaking of a second birth—being born again. Jesus explains this new or heavenly birth in 3:6–8, contrasting being born of the flesh with being born of the Spirit.

Numbers 21:9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

Job 24:13 “There are those who rebel against the light; they do not know its ways nor abide in its paths.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born,Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Matthew 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

John 6:47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

Daniel 12:7-13

And an end to the powers that rule this world will come…and there will be peace. Not the peace that man thinks he controls but true peace found only in the Holy Trinity through Jesus Christ.

Now our vision is distorted as if looking through a glass prism. In the end we will understand the spiritual significance of things otherwise misunderstood.

In this place and time it is enough for us to rest in the His peace . He loves us so!

Daniel 12:7-13

7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.

8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?”

9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. 11 “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.

13 “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.

Daniel would receive no further revelation on the matter, thus leaving his question unanswered. He—and those for whom the vision was recorded—had all of the information needed to persevere in righteousness through persecution. The book concludes with Daniel’s own resurrection in view. When all that was predicted takes place, Daniel will arise to his everlasting life. Since the end of days is in view throughout the persecution, it is a fitting theme with which to close the book. Faithlife Bible.

A time, times, and half a time, which adds up to three and one-half years, may refer to the period immediately preceding the Second Coming of Christ. Others have suggested that this expression does not refer to a specific number of years but instead a period of time that the Lord would shorten because of His mercy. Daniel did not understand his own revelation.

Many will be purified, made white, and refined. Suffering will refine the righteous, but the wicked will continue in their evil.

Various interpretations have been suggested for this number of days. One significant interpretation is that these days refer to the middle of a seven-year period of tribulation prior to the coming of Christ. At that time, the Antichrist will abolish the abominable and idolatrous sacrifices that he had established. Daniel would die and be resurrected.

Revelation 10:6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer,

Psalm 104

Amen and amen to the love of God made manifest in a small babe wrapped in swaddling clothes…all God, all man, the Word of God made flesh! 

May all of creation rejoice in His gift to this world that He so loves. 

Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world.

Psalm 104, a wisdom psalm, is also a creation psalm. It is an exuberant poetic recasting of Genesis 1, a joyful celebration of the world as the creation of God. The poetry of the psalmists and the prophets often reflects upon God’s work in creation. The structure of the poem is: (1) praise for God’s great creation (2) the creation of the heavens (3) the creation of the earth (4) the waters of blessing (5) the fullness of the earth (6) the patterns of life (7) praise for God’s great creation (8) an acknowledgment that all life is dependent upon the Lord (9) a prayer for God’s glory (10) a personal response to God. NKJ Bible.

PSALM 104

Praise to the Sovereign Lord For His Creation and Providence

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, You are very great:

You are clothed with honor and majesty,

2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,

Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,

Who makes the clouds His chariot,

Who walks on the wings of the wind,

4 Who makes His angels spirits,

His ministers a flame of fire.

5 You who laid the foundations of the earth,

So that it should not be moved forever,

6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;

The waters stood above the mountains.

7 At Your rebuke they fled;

At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.

8 They went up over the mountains;

They went down into the valleys,

To the place which You founded for them.

9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,

That they may not return to cover the earth.

10 He sends the springs into the valleys;

They flow among the hills.

11 They give drink to every beast of the field;

The wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home;

They sing among the branches.

13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers;

The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.

14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,

And vegetation for the service of man,

That he may bring forth food from the earth,

15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man,

Oil to make his face shine,

And bread which strengthens man’s heart.

16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap,

The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,

17 Where the birds make their nests;

The stork has her home in the fir trees.

18 The high hills are for the wild goats;

The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.

19 He appointed the moon for seasons;

The sun knows its going down.

20 You make darkness, and it is night,

In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.

21 The young lions roar after their prey,

And seek their food from God.

22 When the sun rises, they gather together

And lie down in their dens.

23 Man goes out to his work

And to his labor until the evening.

24 O Lord, how manifold are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all.

The earth is full of Your possessions—

25 This great and wide sea,

In which are innumerable teeming things,

Living things both small and great.

26 There the ships sail about;

There is that Leviathan 

Which You have made to play there.

27 These all wait for You,

That You may give them their food in due season.

28 What You give them they gather in;

You open Your hand, they are filled with good.

29 You hide Your face, they are troubled;

You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;

And You renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

May the Lord rejoice in His works.

32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles;

He touches the hills, and they smoke.

33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34 May my meditation be sweet to Him;

I will be glad in the Lord.

35 May sinners be consumed from the earth,

And the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!

Luke 14:25-33

Forsaking all others and clinging to the life that is only  found in Jesus!

Luke 14:25-33

25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Continuing His journey to Jerusalem Jesus teaches on the cost of being His follower. 

Jesus is using hyperbole—a figure of speech that relies on exaggeration to make a point. He is not encouraging His followers to turn against their family members; rather, He is explaining that even devotion to family does not supersede the call to discipleship. Jesus and God’s kingdom must come first in the life of a believer. With death awaiting Him in Jerusalem, Jesus wants His disciples to understand that they may be subject to the same fate. Jesus encourages His followers—as well as those in the crowd of pilgrims who had not yet become His disciples—to consider the great sacrifices involved in their decision. This section is unique to Luke’s travel narrative. Jesus sees an abundance of possessions as a hindrance to faith. He instructs His followers to rid themselves of anything that prevents a total commitment to God’s kingdom. For many this meant selling everything they had for the betterment of the impoverished and for the sake of spreading the news about Jesus. This is seen in a tangible way in the lives of Jesus’ earliest followers. Faithlife Bible.

The master’s second invitation extended beyond the city limits, encouraging even more people to come to the feast. This may picture the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s salvation. The instruction to compel them to come in does not mean to force people in, but to urge them. As outsiders, the people might not feel comfortable coming. The essence of discipleship is giving Christ first place. To “hate” one’s family and even one’s life is rhetorical. It refers to desiring something less than something else. This instruction was especially appropriate in Jesus’ day, since a decision for Jesus could mean rejection by family and persecution even to the point of death. Those who feared family disapproval or persecution would not come to Jesus. Jesus’ call here is to follow Him in the way of rejection and suffering. A disciple will be rejected by those in the world who do not honor Christ. Therefore, a disciple must be ready to face and accept such rejection. Following Christ is not something to be taken up on a trial basis. It calls for ultimate commitment.

The picture here is of a king assessing his ability to do battle with another more powerful king. The king sends a delegation only after appreciating the weight and consequences of his decision. Jesus urged the people to think about what it would mean to follow Him, and not to take it lightly. NKJ Bible.

Matthew 10:37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Ezekiel 1:10-12

For us to fulfill our walk of faith we need the mind of Christ, the strength of a lion, the stubbornness of an ox and the 2020 vision of the eagle. 

Holy Spirit has been speaking to me lately of reverence for God.  He is all love but He is also God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. We need more respect for His holiness in our Churches. 

Hosanna in the highest… blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We are forgiven in the blood of Christ because the Father sees the Son when He sees us. We are not friends, we are His children, and subject to His authority.

In the end times if we are not very careful to follow the guiding of Holy Spirit we too can be deceived along with the unbelievers.

Ezekiel 1:10-12

10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.

The Hebrew word used here, ruach, seems to refer to an external spirit or force directing the movements of the living creatures. The word often refers to the Spirit of God and may refer to the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Faithlife Bible.

Composite fantastic figures in these classic combinations have been found in Mesopotamian and Egyptian iconography. The idealized strengths of each figure were thus presumed to reside in the living creature so described. One pair of wings was stretched upwards, as if in reverence; the other pair was used to cover the body as if in submission. NKJ Bible.

Isaiah 6:2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

Isaiah 6:3 And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

The whole earth is full of His glory!”

Matthew 24:36-44

Be prepared in season and out for the coming of the Lord. It will come without us knowing the day and hour. 

Who knows maybe we were made for just a time as this. We could be living in the times of tribulation.

Life as we know it…could change in a heartbeat.

Matthew 24:36-44

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Mark indicates that even Jesus Himself did not know the day and hour of His return. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He voluntarily limited His use of His divine attributes. Therefore He became hungry, thirsty, and tired. Luke records that Jesus grew in knowledge and wisdom. In this instance, Jesus surrendered the use of His divine omniscience. As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Jesus was referring to the indifference of the people of that time to the coming disaster. There is nothing sinful about eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. However, the people of the end times will be doing these things without any thought of God or the coming judgment. As Noah was vigilant in preparing for the Flood, so should people living in the tribulation be alert. They should prepare for the return of Christ. NKJ Bible.

Jesus teaches His disciples to be ready because no one knows exactly when the Parousia will occur. They should live in expectation, always prepared for His return.

Jesus might be alluding to the Septuagint translation of Zecariah, which reads “It will be for one day—and that day is known to the Lord.” If the Father knows something, it is difficult to understand how Jesus does not also know it since He is equal with God. However, when Jesus took on human form, He accepted limitations of His divine attributes. It may be that Jesus does have this knowledge now since He is presently in His exalted state. This might describe the gathering of God’s people to Himself if that is the case there is no indication here of what happens to the remaining people. The point of this parable is that believers need to be vigilant for Jesus’ return, because it will be sudden and unexpected. Faithlife Bible.

Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Luke 12:39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

Zephaniah 1:1-3

What a month! My Facebook account was taken over by RUSSIA. Crazy. I cannot access my account but truthfully I have not missed it. Spiritually I have been warned that this Trump National worship is not of God. We need to be very careful in our dealings with him. Is he a form of the anti-christ and the beast that allows him to operate the extreme factions of the Republican Party?  

December 3rd was Timmy’s 73rd Birthday a day to celebrate with his only wish...a chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting. Wish granted! 

Then a week later the unexpected news of my mother’s baby sister in the hospital. Aunt Sandy was 4 years older than I am. Within a few days she passed. I am still trying to internalize it. With COVID rampant and Tim and my mothers’ health concerns I did not get to attend the funeral. My brother and I were allowed into the locked down Primrose Memory Care to tell my Mother.  At times such as these memory loss can be a blessing. 

Within a week of Sandy’s passings Timmy started experiencing major abdominal  pains. Little did we know that this would end in a week long stay at FMC with a ruptured appendix. If we had waited one more day.....He is now home but recuperating slowly. Thank you God that you had been warning me of all that 2020 would encompass and that I had the wisdom of Holy Spirit guiding me to follow. If Timmy had COVID on top of the operation I shudder to think what the outcome would have been. I am so very thankful that I have such a praying Christian family that covered us!

In the end times even the elect are subject to fail.

Zephaniah 1:1–6 (NKJV):

The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. 2 “I will utterly consume everything from the face of the land,”Says the Lord; 3“I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens,the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land,”Says the Lord. 4“I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, the names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests—5 those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, but who also swear by Milcom;  6 Those who have turned back from following the Lord,

Zephaniah’s genealogy is the longest of the writing prophets. The writer includes this lengthy genealogy to show that Zephaniah was the great-great-grandson of King Hezekiah. Zephaniah’s royal lineage makes him a distant relative of King Josiah, during whose reign he prophesied. The prophet’s position in the royal family provided him with an ideal opportunity to witness the apostasy of Judah’s leaders firsthand. Signaling complete destruction of all who do not worship Yahweh. Faithlife Bible.

The messages of the OT prophets did not arise from the prophets’ own will, but from God Himself. Zephaniah means “Hidden in the Lord,” a name that relates to the principal message the prophet presented. The names of the prophets were often significantly associated with the message that God gave them to present to the people. Hezekiah most likely refers to the notable king of Judah. Thus Zephaniah the prophet was related to King Josiah. The message of Zephaniah begins with a pronouncement of universal judgment. These words not only introduce the particular judgment that would be pronounced upon Judah, but they also speak of the final judgment that will usher in the kingdom of God on earth (Revelation 19). Stumbling blocks here refers to idolatry, or substitutes for God in the life and affections of a person. Because there is nothing in the universe that really may be compared to the Creator, God abhors all forms of idolatry. Says the Lord: this phrase added gravity to the prophetic oracle and assured the hearer of the source of the message. NKJ Bible.

Hosea 4:3 | Therefore the land will mourn; and everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away.

Acts 21:17-25

 Peter called the Jewish converts to Christianity to adhere to stricter rules than the Gentile converts.Continuing Catholics have stricter regulations today than Protestants.

Biblical? Where does that place those of us who were born and raised Catholic but later convert to Protestant? I am sure that it raises many questions in our Christian walk. 

Jesus was born into the world to fulfill Gods’ rule of a blood sacrifice for sin…who are we to take so lightly our place in His Body? Rules were instituted by God? Should we not accept His gift in fear and trembling?

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.”

James was the brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem. 

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. 

A Nazirite vow was connected with becoming pure or holy before Yahweh for a set period of time. James may be suggesting that Paul join in the Nazirite vow himself—which he may have already voluntarily done at one point or that Paul undergo a different kind of purification rite. By doing this, Paul will show that he is still sensitive to Jewish culture, which James believes will overturn their fellow Jews’ concerns about Paul. This action demonstrates that Paul is not encouraging Jews to abandon their traditions, cultural identity, or religious identity. 

James affirms the decision of the Jerusalem Council. 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

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.

 

The fig tree is cursed and the Temple cleansed.

Jesus’ final week of work in Jerusalem: King of king and Lord of lords.

Monday…On the way to Jerusalem from Bethany the fig tree is cursed and the Temple cleansed. 

Matthew 21:10-19

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise’?”

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

This procession symbolizes Jesus’ messiahship. 

In Jesus’ day, dignitaries would go on procession through a city in an act of triumph or celebration. Processions generally were reserved for religious festivals or kings returning from battle. Kings occasionally went on procession through cities after conquering them. City officials would welcome the dignitary outside the gates, and the group would parade victoriously to the city’s temple. The people would offer a sacrifice to honor the dignitary and acclaim his gods, and a feast would be held.

In keeping with custom, Jesus’ procession ends at the temple. He disrupts the merchants in righteous anger, replacing their commercial activity with healings. The crowds hail Him as the messianic Son of David, which angers the religious leaders. Merchants were selling animals for sacrifices, and money changers converted the foreign currency of pilgrims into the temple’s official currency. The poor offered these in place of lambs. Jesus’ reaction may have been prompted, in part, by injustice done to the poor. Jesus’ rebuke suggests that He is condemning corruption of the temple. This judgment might be aimed at commercial activity within the temple courts, or it might signal that oppressive (or unjust) practices were involved. 

The religious leaders are disturbed not only because the people hail Jesus as the Son of David, but also because He does not disavow this messianic title. Jesus appears to confirm that the crowd’s messianic praises are appropriate.

When Jesus reenters Jerusalem the next morning, He pronounces a curse on a barren fig tree as a symbolic act of judgment against the city and its leaders. In rejecting the Messiah, Jerusalem is failing to fulfill its purpose—just like the fig tree. The fig tree is a common old testament metaphor for Israel, and fruitless fig trees represented judgment. Faithlife Bible.

The city was moved is literally “the city was shaken.” Two cleansings of the temple are recorded in the Gospels—one in John at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and one in the synoptic Gospels at the end of His ministry. Financial corruption ran rampant in the outer courts of the temple. Some of the gains that were realized from this profiteering probably went to the family of the high priest. The money changers exchanged coins with pagan symbols on them for acceptable coins to be used in the temple. They charged a premium for this “service.” Those who sold doves sold them at top prices. My house shall be called a house of prayer is quoted from Isaiah. The temple had become a garrison for bandits. Jeremiah says that the Jewish people, after committing all sorts of sins, would plead deliverance from the consequences of those sins based simply on the fact that they came to the temple. Thus in Jeremiah’s day, it became a den for robbers—just as it was in Jesus’ day.

The idea here is that Jesus abandoned the chief priests and scribes, the temple, and the city of Jerusalem. Instead of welcoming their Messiah, the religious authorities had rejected and opposed Him. Jesus desired to eat of the fruit of the fig tree one more time before He died, but could not. Fig trees do not bear their fruit in the spring, during Passover, but in the fall of the year. However, fig trees do have a small, edible fruit that appears in the spring before the sprouting of the leaves. This tree was full of leaves, but had no fruit. It looked full of promise, but was empty—just like the city of Jerusalem and its beautiful temple. This miracle—the only recorded miracle of Jesus that involved judgment—illustrates God’s judgment on the Israelites, who professed adherence to God but produced no fruit or spiritual reality. NKJ Bible.

Mark 11:12018

12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

Luke 19:45-48

45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

Ezekiel 8:1-5

Our God is jealous for His people!

He will not have strange gods before Him.

Ezekiel 8:1-5

8 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber. 3 He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy. 4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain.

5 Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.

Ezekiel’s inaugural vision also occurred on the fifth day of a month. The sixth year refers to the years of King Jehoiachin’s exile, the typical reference for Ezekiel’s dating  scheme. This event occurs in mid-September 592 bc, a year and two months after the vision in chapters. 1–3. The leaders of the exiled community are with Ezekiel in his home when he is overcome by the vision from God. The exact nature of the leaders’ business with the prophet is unstated.

The Hebrew word used here, tavnith, indicates a pattern for construction. Ezekiel uses the word synonymously with words for likeness and appearance. Ezekiel describes a supernatural, dream-like experience in which God shows him what is happening in Judah. The detailed nature of Ezekiel’s description has led to speculation that he traveled to Jerusalem during his exile. However, he would have had intimate knowledge of the temple layout from his priestly education. Further, his vision does not necessarily reflect the physical reality of events in Jerusalem. The vision is concerned with depicting the sin of Israel in a tangible way that justifies Yahweh’s punishment.

Ezekiel’s tour of the abominations in the temple begins outside the inner court. The reference is clearly to an idol  at the entrance to the inner court of the temple, but the identification is left ambiguous. Idol worship provoked Yahweh’s jealousy. Based on other uses of the term, Ezekiel might be referring to an image erected by King Manasseh. Second Chronicles says that Manasseh constructed a carved image of a semel. The parallel in 2 Kgs 21:7 indicates it was an image of the Canaanite goddess, Asherah). Faithlife Bible.

This second exact date given in Ezekiel is 592 b.c., when Ezekiel was acting out the siege of Jerusalem. The first word translated fire may also be read in Hebrew as the word meaning “man.” In the second instance fire is the expected meaning. The north gate of the inner court, called the “altar gate” was near the sacrificial altar.  There Ezekiel saw the image … which provokes to jealousy. All idolatry was forbidden, and any idol represented a violation of the loyalty that belonged to Israel’s God. The people thought that just because the temple stood among them, whatever wrong they might do could not bring ultimate disaster. They thought the temple guaranteed their security. They did not realize that their evil had actually caused God to leave His temple, which would then no longer be their protection. NKJ Bible.

Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

Deuteronomy 32:16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger.

Deuteronomy 32:21 They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; they have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.

Ezekiel 3:22 Then the hand of the LORD was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.”