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THE PLOT OF THE PHARISEES TO KILL JESUS #32

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 lion and lamb“Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; 16 And charged them that they should not make him known: 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. 19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. 21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Matthew 12:14-21.

One can clearly see that this chapter is a pivotal point in the Lord’s ministry. The Kingdom of Heaven was offer to the religious leaders by Jesus and His disciples, with sufficient proof from Old Testament prophecies and an abundance of miracles, as irrefutable proof that He was the Messiah.  Yet they reject the Scriptures, and the miracles. They attribute His miracles to the Devil, and ignored their Scriptures. Thus, begins their council and plot how to put Him to death.

When Jesus was aware of their plot, He withdrew Himself for His time was not yet. Multitudes followed Him, and He healed ALL of them. This is further proof that modern day healers are charlatans. If they were real, they would be going to rest homes and hospitals. It is inconceivable that any sane person would be duped and follow these wolves.

One might ask why the religious leaders rejected the Light. The answer is, they would lose their hold on the nation, their power over the people, and their income. They were envious of His fame. He charged the people that they should not make Him known. Dake says, “He wanted to shun popularity and human acclaim and the evil effects of mob clamor to make Him King. When this did happen He got away from it all (Jn. 6:15-21).” Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible.

Matthew quotes a lengthy passage from Isaiah chapter 42. This is typical of Matthew’s gospel. He quotes Old Testament Scripture more than 60 times, and alludes to it more than we can count. That is more that any other Gospel. The reason is his gospel is specifically to the Jews.   

The quote in Isaiah is a reference to His seclusion at that time. We should consider the entire quote. God called Jesus my servant, chosen, beloved, and one in whom God was well pleased. God’s Spirit was upon Him, and Jesus will bring judgment, and His law to the Gentile nations.

Jesus would not attempt to take the Kingdom by mob rule or rebellion. He did not crush His enemies at that time. However, Scripture is clear that Judgment on all nations and individuals is coming. All will be in its time. Not only will the nation of Israel be born again. In the Kingdom of Heaven, the Gentiles also come to His light.

 

LET’S STUDY MATTHEW #30

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lion and lambCHRIST, THE PHARISEES AND THE SABBATH #30

“At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

 9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: 10 and, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11  And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.” Matthew 12:1-13.

Jesus had chosen His Disciples, taught them the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven, empowered, and sent them forth only to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This begins with the Sermon of the Mount. At this point, in our Lord’s ministry, He begins His encounter with the apostate, wicked rulers of Israel. This chapter illustrates part of that conflict.

Verses 1-8.

At that season, Jesus and his disciples walked through the corn field, and the disciples plucked ears of ripe corn and ate them. When the Pharisees saw it, they found fault, and accused Jesus and the disciples of breaking the Law of Moses.

Jesus rebukes them, first, by pointing to Israel’s greatest King, King David. He asks if they had ever read what David did, and was blameless. When David fled from Saul, he came to the tabernacle and requested bread for himself, and his men. The Priest said the only bread was the shewbread, which is dedicated to the LORD. But, he gave it to David and his men. “So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.” 1 Samuel 21:6. A greater than David stood before them, and they knew it not.

Next, He calls their attention to that which was written in the Law for the Priest to perform on the Sabbath days. “And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: 10  This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.” Numbers 28:9-10. The Priest was blameless in his service on the Sabbath service at the Tabernacle. Again, He reminds them that one who was greater than the Tabernacle was in their presence. The Jews had added so much tradition to the Law, it became impossible for them to understand their own Scriptures.

Next, He points to their ignorance of God, and the Law. “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6. Israel’s ignorance of their own Law, is best illustrated by the Apostle Paul, when he said, “But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.” 2 Corinthians 3:14-15. They were blind then, and they are still blind unto this very day. Man was never made for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man.

Verse 9. Jesus goes from the wheat field to the synagogue. Once again, He exposes their wickedness and hypocrisy. In the congregation was a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees, attempting to trap Him, ask if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day.  

He used a hypothetical question to reveal their deceit and wickedness by asking them if they would help a sheep that had fallen into a ditch. He answers for them. They would.

Did they actually have more mercy on a sheep than a sick man? He tells them, it is lawful to do a good work on the Sabbath. Then he healed the man.

Sadly, we live in a world of hypocrites. This society has more compassion on a dog, a cat, a whale, or any animal, than they do their fellow mankind. For proof, see how many babies are murdered daily under the cloak of abortion. And, like the Pharisees, they are self-righteous about all of it. As Israel was judged, so will be this nation.

 

 

LET’S STUDY MATTHEW # 29

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Gospel of Matthew – HOME

Matthew 11:25-30

lion and lamb“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:25-30.

Verses 25-26. Pride is the one sin that blocks man from salvation, and illumination. I remember asking a very wise man, “How do you get wisdom?” He said, “I guess you just plead ignorance.” Until you realize that you know nothing, you aren’t ready to learn. The babes are the disciples. Since God is the revealer of truth, He reveals it to whom He will. Sadly, we have a generation of young men who have Bible knowledge, but are greatly lacking in knowledge of themselves. God will teach the humble heart.

Verse 27. God the Father had delivered everything in heaven, in the earth, and under the earth into the authority and the will of the Son. It is impossible to know God except through Jesus Christ. He said that those who had seen him, had seen the father. No one can come unto the Father except through the Son. The Catholic Mary does not fit into the equation. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” 1 Timothy 2:5. When we read the Holy Scriptures, we should pray that God will open our mind and teach us. If we know the Son, we know the Father. Those who say they believe in God, but reject the Son, know neither.

Verse 28-30. These verses bring to a close the aspect of our Lord’s ministry that we have been dealing with. To close it, He gives one last general invitation to all who labor under the burden of sin. He invites all, and promises that He will give them rest. They would rest from the burdens laid on them by the religious leaders. They would find rest in the assurance of His promises. And, they would find rest in His love and forgiveness. Dr. David Reese says, “The Lord begins a new phase where He withdraws from the nation and begins to teach His disciples things not revealed yet. He prepares them for His crucifixion and departure. The offer of the Kingdom of Heaven is drawing to a close because it has been rejected. Following His teachings concerning the mysteries of the Kingdom, the rejection of His person intensifies.”

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WHY GOD DID NOT CREATE THE UNIVERSE- BY STEPHEN HAWKING

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The Universe
Steve Hawking

Where did the Universe come from?

By Ken Blue

One thing we need to understand, is that regardless of one’s IQ, it does not mean that the information or the conclusions are valid. As a personal friend of mine, with 150 IQ said, “The bigger the belfry, the more room for the bats.” Regardless the size of the “hard drive” the information on it can be true or false. Nowhere is this more evident than in an article by Stephen Hawking titled, Why God Did Not Create The Universe. The article is on page W3 of the Wall Street Journal, September 4-5, 2010.

The first paragraph begins by drawing our attention to the mythology and superstitions of the past. It says, “Ignorance of nature’s ways led people in ancient times to postulate many myths in an effort to make sense of their world. But eventually people turned to philosophy, that is, to the use of reason…to decipher their universe.”

Now, I have read the article several times searching for “proof” why God did not create the universe, and found the “proof” was lacking. If anything, it provides greater proof of intelligent design. Einstein is quoted, and then we are told what he meant. “The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.” What Einstein meant was that the laws of the universe are so finely tuned, it is incomprehensible, yet predictable.

Hawking says, “The discovery recently of the extreme fine-tunings of so many laws of nature could lead some back to the idea that this grand design is the work of some grand Designer. Yet the latest advances in cosmology explain why the universe seems tailor-made for humans, without the need for a benevolent creator. ” He continues, “Many improbable occurrences conspired to create earth’s human-friendly design…”  Yes, it is improbable in evolution, but not with an all wise Creator!

However, he later contradicts the above statement. “The laws of nature form a system that is extremely fine-tuned. What can we make of these coincidences? Luck in the precise form and nature of fundamental physical law is a different kind of luck from the luck we find in environmental factors. (?) It raises the natural question of why it is that way. Many people would like us to use these coincidences as evidence of the work of God.”

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Hawking and Einstein admit that it is a “miracle” that the earth is more fine-tuned than the most expensive Rolex watch.[/pullquote]

The following does not sound like a scientist, but a philosopher. “Our universe seems to be one of many, each with different laws. That multi-universe idea is not a notion invented to account for the miracle of fine tuning. It is a consequence predicted by many theories in modern cosmology.” Hawking concludes by saying, “Each universe has many possible histories and many possible states. Only a very few would allow creatures like ours to exist. Although we are puny and insignificant on the scale of the cosmos, this makes us in a sense lords of creation.”

If my memory serves me, that last sentence was stated over six thousand years ago by the “god of this world?” “ But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:3-5.

If the reader is on the same page with me, he will see that everything in true science does, and always will point to the Divine Creator, who made the earth perfect FOR man. All of Hawking’s findings prove that a Creator made the universes. He rejects the very evidence he espouses.

Hawking and Einstein admit that it is a “miracle” that the earth is more fine-tuned than the most expensive Rolex watch. Yet, in their mind the watch had no purpose or creator, nor can we find why it is so precise. “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:” 1 Timothy 6:20. ” Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8.

A final note…if you took all the parts in the Rolex watch, and put them in a washing machine, how may trillions of years would they need to agitate to become a “fine-tuned” Rolex watch? Now, that is exactly what the evolutionist wants you to believe.

Note: All italics mine.

 

 

LET’S STUDY MATTHEW # 28

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Gospel of Matthew – HOME
lion and lamb

THE DOUBTS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, AND JESUS DEFENSE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.” Matthew 11:1-24

Note:

Matthew’s gospel is written to present Jesus as Israel’s Messiah and King. “ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee..”. Zechariah 9:9. (See Matt. 21:4). He begins with the genealogy, and worship of the King. Next, His forerunner, His baptism, and His temptation. The principles of the Kingdom, and the King proclaimed to Matthew 16:20.

Verse 1.

After sending forth His disciples, Jesus also went into the cities preaching and teaching. There is a difference between preaching and teaching. All preaching must contain teaching. However, teaching differs from preaching. Every Pastor must be apt to teach. Preaching usually calls for some response or decision, whereas, teaching is the imparting of information, example, and instruction. Jesus taught the Twelve, but He preached to the multitudes.

Verses 2-6.

John was cast into prison because he preached against sin. “ For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.” Mark 6:17.

In chapter 4:12, we have the first mention of John’s imprisonment. John was having doubts if Jesus was the Messiah. That is strange when one considers all the proof he had before being put in prison. John knew nothing about the coming death of Jesus, nor did he ever preach it. It is noteworthy that Jesus did not give a yes or no answer. Rather, He quoted Old Testament Scripture to confirm that He was the Messiah. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” Isaiah 35:5-6. If one reads the context of Isaiah, he will see that the Kingdom of Heaven, and the King is the subject. The gospel preached is the gospel of the Kingdom. Those who will be blessed, will not stumble at the person of the Christ.

 Verses 7-15.

In these verses Jesus defends the ministry of John, and shows from Old Testament Scripture that John was the forerunner of the King. The Lord rebukes those who questioned, or rejected John’s ministry.

There was a vast difference between John’s ministry and manner of life, and that of Jesus. John spent much time in the wilderness, was dressed in camel skins, and ate locus and wild honey. (Matthew 3:4; Mark1:6). John not only came in the spirit of Elijah, his life style may have also resembled him.

John was the forerunner of the King. His ministry was not to offer the Kingdom, but to prepare a people for the King. His was the baptism of repentance, the requirement for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven offered by Jesus. John did no miracles, was not in the Kingdom of Heaven, nor the church which is the body of Christ, and he knew nothing of the upcoming death of Christ. The part of the Law and the prophecies about the forerunner and the King were fulfilled with the advent of John. However, the Old Testament Law did not end at the coming of John.

The greatness of John is seen in the nature of his ministry. He was the one who prepared a people for the Kingdom. However, the least who would be in the Kingdom of Heaven was greater, in possession, than John.

The reference to “the violent” taking the Kingdom by force, means that men were responding to John’s preaching in such a manner, as a crowd “pressing” entrance. Or it could refer to the Pharisees. (Luke 16:14-16).

Verses 16-19.

The Lord indicts the nation of Israel by comparing it to rebellious little children who would not accept their part in the games they played. John was not a socialite, so the religious leaders accused him of having a devil. Jesus, ate and drank with sinners, and they accused Him of being a glutton and a drunk. Both accusations were untrue. Although the ministries, and actions of Jesus and John were poles apart, both were sent by God, and did the work of God. There is a lesson here for us.

 Verses 20-24

These verses show that the miracles of Jesus and the disciples did not bring Israel to repentance. The major reason for Israel’s persecution in the past, present and future is because they reject God’s Word, and crucified their King.  “Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.” Matthew 27:25. This was their answer about His crucifixion. As wicked as Sodom was, it will receive less judgment in hell than those who rejected their King and Savior.

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