2017 TRUMP AGENDA -- 1917 The American's Creed -- 100 YEARS AGO

The American's Creed

I believe in the United States of America,

as a government of the people,

by the people,

for the people;

whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed;

a democracy in a republic;

a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States;

a perfect union, one and inseparable;

established upon those principles of freedom,

equality,

justice,

and

humanity

for which American patriots sacrificed

their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country

to love it,

to support its Constitution,

to obey its laws,

to respect its flag,

and

to defend it against all enemies.

1917 by William Tyler Page

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Disclosure: Much of what is in my posts are things I have compiled through the years and I do not know if they have copyrights. What I do know about origin or website I give credit and have tried to always post a link to the origin. I do not market anything in any way on this blog -- I merely hope it will encourage and inspire others.
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How to Spot a False Teacher - Responsibility of Elders

Ministry / Nathan Finn

How to Spot a False Teacher

January 27, 2016

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-to-spot-a-false-teacher

False teachers come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the most deranged cult leader to the most winsome television preacher. Too many professing Christians are duped into embracing heretical ideas or endorsing spiritually dangerous movements. Some of these movements even pass themselves off as evangelical.
If you’re a pastor, chances are at least a few of your church members have flirted with false teaching at some point in their spiritual journeys.
Of course, false teachers aren’t a recent phenomenon; they’ve been trying to undermine the gospel and corrupt God’s people since the earliest days of the church. Titus 1 shows us that Paul’s protégé, Titus, had to deal with the threat of false teachers among the Cretan Christians in the middle of the first century.

Serious Spiritual Threat

More than likely, the false teachers in Crete were unbelieving Jews foisting some sort of legalism on the church. In the latter part of Titus 1:10, Paul identifies them as part of “the circumcision party,” while verse 14 says they were “devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.” Paul counters in verse 15 by arguing that purity is directly tied to belief rather than ritual. Further, he suggests unbelief results in defilement. Whatever the exact form of this legalistic heresy, Paul was concerned its teachers were contradicting the gospel and endangering God’s people.
Many dangerous doctrines contradict the gospel in our own day. Some argue the gospel is about trusting God to bring about worldly prosperity. Others suggest it’s possible to accept Jesus as your Savior while ignoring his claim to lordship over your life. Increasingly, some advocate homosexual marriage, ignoring both the Scriptures and 2,000 years of Christian moral and theological reflection. Some believe Christianity boils down to serving others or fighting for social justice—good things to be sure. But they say little about sin or atonement. Dangerous doctrines come in different shapes and sizes, but they have what Danny Akin calls “heretical math”—adding to, subtracting from, multiplying, or dividing the gospel— as their common denominator.

Bad Theology Often Equals Bad Morality

In Titus 1:6–9, Paul reminds Titus about the type of godly character that should exemplify the life of an elder, including a list of vices to be avoided. Then, in verses 10–16, he provides a laundry list of the false teachers’ sins, demonstrating how much they differ morally from godly pastors.
In verse 10, Paul writes, “There are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.” They weren’t working according to God-ordained authority structures. There’s a reason so many false teachers today begin new movements or work as independent ministers through television or the internet.
In verse 11, Paul says the false teachers spread their views for “shameful gain.” We don’t know who supported these false teachers or how they supported them. All we know is financial gain motivated them. Many false teachers today accumulate great wealth by selling their bad doctrine to deceived people. (Think private jet.)
In verses 12–13, Paul quotes from a Cretan philosopher named Epimenedes to further drive home the bad character of the false teachers: “One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true.” A couple of things about this passage make some Christians squirm at first reading.
First, is Paul claiming this pagan philosopher is a true prophet? No, he’s simply saying that what Epimenedes had to say proves true in this particular case. We do the same thing when we say someone “turned out to be a prophet.” Paul is a missionary, and in this letter he’s doing the same thing he did in Acts 17 at the Areopagus: contextualizing his message by meeting people where they are on their own cultural terms.
Second, is Paul a racist because he agrees with the philosopher’s sweeping criticism of the Cretan people? Again, the answer is no—but this is a fair question. Epimenedes’s proverb was so common in the ancient world that the Greek word kretizein was used as a synonym for liar or cheater. While Epiminedes was criticizing Cretan people in general, Paul is saying the old adage about Cretans is true of these false teachers since they are liars and cheaters who can’t be trusted. They’re living up to the stereotype. They’re quintessential Cretans.
Paul gives the false teachers a devastating diagnosis in verses 15 and 16:

To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

These false teachers who so care for ritual purity are the opposite of pure. They’re warped in their mentality and their morality. They claim to know God, but their actions deny him. They’re detestable and disobedient and unfit for any good work. They’re unbelievers posing as Christian teachers. They’re wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Paul writes in verse 11 that the false teachers were “upsetting whole families” with their teaching. This could mean exactly what it says, which is certainly bad enough. But the word the ESV translates as “families” could also be translated “household,” which in this context would likely mean “house churches.” Regardless of whether Paul is referring to families or house churches, the main point is the same: the wolves were preying on sheep.
There’s absolutely nothing cute or innocent about heresy. Eternity hangs in the balance.

Responsibility of Elders

Two important verses sandwich Titus 1:10–16. In verse 9, Paul says an elder “must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine.” He later writes, “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine” (2:1). Both verses suggest elders must understand biblical doctrine and be able to effectively communicate that doctrine to God’s people. Timothy calls it being “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2).
When we look at the various qualifications for elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, we notice that for the most part these traits should characterize mature Christians in general. The single ability not all Christians possess, but that must characterize an elder, is the ability to teach God’s Word faithfully. Elders, and any who aspire to the ministry of the Word, need to spend a considerable amount of time studying the Bible and learning sound doctrine so they can teach it to the people God entrusts to them. This is one reason why Christian colleges and seminaries are so important, why sound conferences can be so helpful, and why every pastor should be a lifelong theological learner.
Paul indicates it’s not enough simply to commend sound doctrine; elders must also confront false teachers and counter bad theology. He says elders must “rebuke those who contradict” sound doctrine (Titus 1:9), and four verses later tells Titus to “rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13). In other words, elders must be ready to “call a spade a spade” when it comes to false teaching.

Triaging Theology

Admittedly, we must be careful how we do this. After all, not every bad doctrine is equally dangerous. As I understand the Scriptures, doctrines such as infant baptism, female pastors, the continuation of prophecy, and true believers falling from grace are all aberrant doctrines, but I think sincere and even mature Christians affirm each of them. Though I believe each of these views is wrong, none of them is a damnably incorrect heresy such as rejecting the Trinity, arguing Jesus was just a man, denying substitutionary atonement, or denouncing the bodily resurrection.
Many readers will be familiar with Al Mohler’s helpful analogy of “theological triage” in which he speaks of first-order, second-order, and third-order doctrines. First-order doctrines are the core claims of Christianity that define true faith from counterfeit faith; think the Trinity, the incarnation, substitutionary atonement, and bodily resurrection. Second-order doctrines lead to different denominational traditions; think baptism, polity, miraculous gifts, and gender roles. Third-order doctrines are those theological opinions that honest Christians can disagree about and yet still be a part of the same church or group of churches; think the millennium, the extent of the atonement, and the age of the earth. Theological triage doesn’t solve every dispute. We might disagree over whether the age of the earth or gender roles is second-order or third-order. Nevertheless, it’s a useful tool for helping to determine the difference between wonky doctrine and damnable heresy.

Highest Stakes

Not every Christian leader who is wrong is a wolf, which is why elders must navigate incorrect doctrine with a charitable attitude toward godly people we believe are wrong in some of their beliefs and practices.
But when an elder sees a wolf, he must be prepared to “out” that wolf to the sheep for their own spiritual safety. False teaching is a matter of eternal life versus spiritual death.

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Disclosure: Much of what is in my posts are things I have compiled through the years and I do not know if they have copyrights. What I do know about origin or website I give credit and have tried to always post a link to the origin. I do not market anything in any way on this blog -- I merely hope it will encourage and inspire others.
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SEVEN TRAITS OF FALSE TEACHERS

Bible & Theology / Colin Smith

7 Traits of False Teachers

March 18, 2013

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-traits-of-false-teachers

“There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.” (2 Peter 2:1)

There are no “ifs, ands, or buts” in Peter's words. It's a clear and definite statement. There were false prophets among the people (of Israel in the Old Testament). That's a matter of history. False prophets were a constant problem in the Old Testament, and those who falsely claimed to be prophets of God were to be stoned. The people rarely had the will to deal with them, so they multiplied, causing disaster to the spiritual life of God's people.

In the same way Peter says, “There will be false teachers among you.” Notice the words “among you.” Peter is writing to the church and says, “There will be false prophets among you.” So he is not talking about New Age people on television. He is talking about people in the local church, members of a local congregation.
There is no such thing as a pure church this side of heaven. You will never find it. The wheat and the tares grow together. Warren Wiersbe writes:

Satan is the counterfeiter. . . . He has a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9), preached by false ministers (2 Corinthians 11:13-12), producing false Christians (2 Corinthians 11:26). . . . Satan plants his counterfeits wherever God plants true believers (Matthew 13:38).

Authentic or Counterfeit?

How would you recognize counterfeit Christianity?
In 2 Peter 1 we read about genuine believers. And in 2 Peter 2 we read about counterfeit believers. If you put these chapters side by side you will see the difference between authentic and counterfeit believers.
1. Different Source—Where does the message come from?
Peter says, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:16). And then he says the false teachers exploit you “with stories they have made up” (2:3). So the true teacher sources what he says from the Bible. The false teacher relies on his own creativity. He makes up his own message.
2. Different Message—What is the substance of the message?
For the true teacher, Jesus Christ is central. “We have everything we need for life and godliness in Him” (1:3). For the false teacher, Jesus is at the margins: “They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them” (2:1).
Notice the word secretly. It's rare for someone in church to openly deny Jesus. Movement away from the centrality of Christ is subtle. The false teacher will speak about how other people can help change your life, but if you listen carefully to what he is saying, you will see that Jesus Christ is not essential to his message.
3. Different Position—In what position will the message leave you?
The true Christian “escapes the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (1:4). Listen to how Peter describes the counterfeit Christian: “They promise . . . freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity, for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2:19). The true believer is escaping corruption, while the counterfeit believer is mastered by it.
4. Different Character—What kind of people does the message produce?
The true believer pursues goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brother kindness, and love (1:5). The counterfeit Christian is marked by arrogance and slander (2:10). They are “experts in greed” and “their eyes are full of adultery” (2:14). They also “despise authority” (2:10). This is a general characteristic of a counterfeit believer.
5. Different Appeal—Why should you listen to the message?
The true teacher appeals to Scripture. “We have the word of the prophets made more certain and you will do well to pay attention to it” (1:19). God has spoken, and the true teacher appeals to his Word. The false teacher makes a rather different appeal: “By appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error” (2:18). So the true teacher asks, “What has God said in his Word?” The false teacher asks, “What do people want to hear? What will appeal to their flesh?”
6. Different Fruit—What result does the message have in people's lives?
The true believer is effective and productive in his or her knowledge of Jesus Christ (1:8). The counterfeit is “like a spring without water” (2:17). This is an extraordinary picture! They promise much but produce little.
7. Different End—Where does the message ultimately lead you?
Here we find the most disturbing contrast of all. The true believer will receive “a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:11). The false believer will experience “swift destruction” (2:1). “Their condemnation has long been hanging over them and their destruction has not been sleeping” (2:3).
Jesus tells us that there will be many who have been involved in ministry in his name, to whom he will say, “Depart from me; I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21). Who are these people? Surely Peter is describing them in this passage.

Don't Be Naïve

We must not be ignorant: “There will be false teachers among you” (2:1). So how do we apply this warning?
First, Peter's plain statement reminds us that the church needs to be protected. Among the many wonderful people who come to through the doors of the church each year, some would do more harm than good.
They may seem the nicest of people, but they do not believe in the authority of the Bible or the exclusivity of salvation in Christ. We welcome such people, because they need Christ as much as we do, but we must not allow them to have influence in the church.
Second, skeptics will always be able to point to hypocrisy and inconsistency in the church. They've always done it, and they always will. One of the strangest reasons for not following Christ goes like this: “I've seen people in the church who are hypocrites.” So you will not follow Christ because some people who claim to do so are hypocrites?
The existence of the counterfeit is never a good reason for rejecting the genuine. Peter essentially tells us, “Of course there are counterfeit Christians. Of course there are teachers who do the church more harm than good. What else would you expect in this fallen world? Grow up! Don't be naïve! Don't miss what's real simply because you have seen the counterfeit.”
Point to 2 Peter 2:1 the next time you meet someone hiding behind this excuse.
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A PRAYER FOR THE PRESIDENT AND OUR NATION

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

Romans 13:1

"It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding." Daniel 2:21

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

This is good, and pleases God our Savior”

1 Timothy 2:1-3

PRAYER FOR THE PRESIDENT AND OUR NATION

Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, I give thanks for the United States and its government. I hold up in prayer before You the men and women who are in positions of authority. I pray and intercede for President Donald Trump, the representatives, the senators, the judges of our land, the policemen and the policewomen, as well as the governors and mayors, and for all those who are in authority over us in any way. I pray that the Spirit of the Lord rests upon them.

I believe that skillful and godly wisdom has entered into the heart of President Donald Trump and knowledge is pleasant to him. Discretion watches over him; understanding keeps him and delivers him from the way of evil and from evil men.

Father, I ask that You compass President Donald Trump about with men and women who make their hearts and ears attentive to godly counsel and do that which is right in Your sight. I believe You cause them to be men and women of integrity who are obedient concerning us that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. I pray that the upright shall dwell in our government — that men and women blameless and complete in Your sight, Father, shall remain in these positions of authority, but the wicked shall be cut off from our government and the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.

Your Word declares that “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Ps. 33:12). I receive Your blessing. Father; You are our Refuge and Stronghold in times of trouble (high cost, destitution, and desperation). So I declare with my mouth that Your people dwell safely in this land, and we prosper abundantly. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus!

It is written in Your Word that the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord and that You turn it whichever way You desire. I believe the heart of President Donald Trump is in Your hand and that his decisions are divinely directed of the Lord.

I give thanks unto You that the good news of the Gospel is published in our land. The Word of the Lord prevails and grows mightily in the hearts and lives of the people. I give thanks for this land and the leaders You have given to us, in Jesus’ name.

Jesus is Lord over the United States! Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHbv4M8d3As

Reba McEntire - Pray For Peace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2BuwXeZTWk

Prayer For America - God Bless The USA

WALK THE TALK EVERYDAY -- Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-11)

WALK THE TALK
EVERYDAY (not just on Sunday)
LOVE GOD
LOVE SELF
LOVE OTHERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccDvcgehWS0

I Want To Walk and Talk With Jesus English Song

Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-11)
http://www.jesuswalk.com/lessons/6_1-11.htm
the author, Ralph F. Wilson.
"Copyright Ralph F. Wilson <pastor

joyfulheart.com>.
Copyright permission to make up to 1,000 copies of an article for free distribution is granted to Christian churches at no charge.

Luke 6:1-11
[1] One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. [2] Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
[3] Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? [4] He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." [5] Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
[6] On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. [7] The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. [8] But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there.
[9] Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"
[10] He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored. [11] But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Exposition

We hesitate to be critical of another's faith. After all, we want them to respect our own. But unless we understand the religion of the Pharisees, we'll never grasp why their teaching and Jesus' teaching were so diametrically opposed.
The Pharisees were zealous for the Law. Right now in during my devotional time I am reading Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, an acrostic Psalm devoted to praise of the Law. For example, I read this prayer:

"Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain." (Psalm 119:33-36)

A Hedge Around the Law

The Pharisees would have said a hearty "Amen" to these words since they reflect the Pharisees' devotion to the Mosaic Law. Unfortunately, this devotion to the Law led to such extremes that instead of obeying the Law itself, they ended up obeying a multitude-- literally thousands -- of tiny rules that were one step removed from the Law. Let me explain.
Imagine two concentric circles. The inner circle represents the Mosaic Law itself as it appears in the Bible. The outer circle represents a series of rules interpreting the Law. The Pharisees felt that the Law was so holy, that they needed to place a "hedge" or "fence" around it so that no one would inadvertently break the Law. This "hedge" was the "traditions of the elders," a body of oral law later written down by the Rabbis in the Second Century and later to form the Talmud. The idea was if you keep the oral law, you can't help but keep the actual Mosaic Law.

Law-Centered Religion

What resulted was a Law-centered religion. Love for God was expressed in love for the his Law. But being consumed with keeping the Law for its own sake makes one vulnerable to being centered on one's own performance, rather than on the more important principles that underlie the Law -- love for one's neighbor, real justice, and mercy. Jesus accused the Pharisees of tithing even on garden herbs, but neglecting the love of God (Luke 11:42).
Orthodox and conservative Jews to this day keep a "Kosher kitchen." This means, in part, that they have two completely separate sets of cookware, one for meat products and the other for dairy products. The idea is that if you have two sets of cookware, then it is impossible to break the verse in the Mosaic Law that says, "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk" (Exodus 23:19b; 34:26b; Deuteronomy 14:21b), which was probably a prohibition of participating in a pagan Canaanite fertility ritual.[1] The actual law gave way to a complex set of dietary laws that have little point.

Plucking and Eating Barley Grain (6:1-2)

In the area of Sabbath observance, the Pharisees had an especially large accumulation of rules. Observant Jews observe the Sabbath from sundown Friday evening to sundown Saturday evening, and seek to honor God in the day by doing no work, but observing a Sabbath rest. That is a good thing. But the Pharisees and scribes began to define what was and was not work, and some of their rules were just plain silly.
Jesus and his disciples are walking through a wheat or barley field just before harvest, probably on a field path, helping themselves to handfuls of the grains pulled off of grain heads. They would rub the grain between their palms to dislodge the husks, and then eat the grain. Now you might object to this if it were your grainfield, but what they were doing was considered entirely appropriate: "If you enter your neighbor's grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to his standing grain" (Deuteronomy 23:25).
The Pharisees, however, were concerned because they were doing this on the Sabbath, and it broke their myriad of rules against working on the Sabbath. Here's an apt quotation from the Talmud:

"In case a woman rolls wheat to remove the husks, it is considered as sifting; if she rubs the heads of wheat, it is considered threshing; if she cleans off the side-adherences, it is sifting out fruit; if she bruises the ears, it is grinding; if she throws them up in her hand, it is winnowing."[2]

Of course, there were always loopholes in the Sabbath laws for the creative. Alfred Edersheim observes, "If a man wished to move a sheaf on his field, which of course implied labor, he had only to lay upon it a spoon that was in his common use, when, in order to remove the spoon, he might also remove the sheaf on which it lay."[3]
The Pharisees must have been watching Jesus and his disciples for just such an infraction of their Sabbath rules. And when they spotted the disciples eating grain in the fields, they asked: "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" (6:2)

David Eating Consecrated Bread from the Tabernacle (6:3-4)

Jesus' answer is different than I would have expected. I thought he would point out the foolishness of their Sabbath labor interpretations that were laughable if the Pharisees hadn't been so serious about them. But that would have put him on their level, debating with each other exactly how the law should be interpreted. Instead, he takes an entirely different tack.

"Jesus answered them, 'Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.' " (6:3-4)

Jesus refers to the incident in 1 Samuel 21:1-9, where David flees for his life when he learns that King Saul is seeking to kill him. He goes to Nob, a village in Benjamin where the tabernacle is located. The priest is surprised that he is traveling alone, and David makes up a story about the secrecy of the mission and about meeting his men later. He asks for five loaves of bread for his journey, and the priest answers that he has nothing to give him except some of the special consecrated bread (KJV "shewbread") that has just been replaced by fresh bread, and had sitting for a week before the Presence of the Lord in the tabernacle. According to Leviticus 24:5-9, it is reserved for the priests who must eat it in a holy place.
Nevertheless, the priest gives David some of the consecrated bread for him and for his men. He does so because David is the King's emissary and son-in-law, and he is on a holy mission and is hungry.
What point is Jesus making by referring to this incident? Apparently, that human need should override bare legalism,[4] for Mark adds Jesus' comment, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). The Pharisees must have been fuming. To them the opposite was true, that man must conform himself to the law no matter what the inconvenience or need.

Lord of the Sabbath (6:5)

But Jesus doesn't leave it there. Instead he asserts his own authority: "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath" (6:5). If David could eat the consecrated bread, how much more should the antitype of David do so? Though Jesus does not clearly state the messianic implications of his self-designation Son of Man, they are implied here. (See my essay on "The Son of Man" http://jesuswalk.com/lessons/son-of-man.htm). If the Pharisees had been angry at Jesus' allusion to need taking precedence over the law when David ate of the consecrated bread, they must have been furious at Jesus' assertion of his own authority over the Sabbath. "Just who does he think he is?!"

The Man with the Shriveled Hand (6:6-8)

Luke includes a final incident to illustrate Jesus' conflict with the Pharisees. On another Sabbath Jesus enters a synagogue -- we're not told in which town this occurs -- and begins to teach. In that particular synagogue is a man whose right hand is shriveled, probably some form of muscular atrophy or paralysis. Whether or not he was planted by the Pharisees in order to trick Jesus into breaking the Sabbath laws, we don't know, but Luke notes that "The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath" (6:7).
Laws about healing on the Sabbath seem somewhat contradictory and confused. In general, the rabbis held that only a danger to life warranted a breach of the Sabbath law. Thus someone suffering from angina might be treated,[5] but not someone with a toothache.[6]
Jesus is aware of the Pharisees' motives, and tells the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." The stage is set for a confrontation.

Saving Life and Doing Good on the Sabbath (6:9-11)

With the poor handicapped man standing before them, Jesus asks, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?" (6:9). Jesus looks around at them all, waiting for an answer. Surely, their own Sabbath tradition affirmed that the Sabbath was for doing good. How could they argue at that? But by their looks, Jesus can tell that they are unhappy at being so neatly tricked. The Pharisees have no concern, no pity for the man standing in the synagogue. All they can think about is their precious interpretation of the Law. Mark's Gospel adds, "He looked around at them in anger ... deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts" (Mark 3:5).
I've seen this same kind of stubbornness from those who are convinced that miracles don't occur in our day. Rather than rejoice that people are miraculously healed by the power of the risen Lord, they try to find fault with the healer or the healings. How blind! How callous!
Jesus looks around at the Pharisees in their petty stubbornness and self-righteousness. Then he turns to the man and says, "Stretch out your hand." As the man does so it is completely restored to normal. In my mind's eye I can see him hold his healed right hand up next to his normal left hand and break into a great smile. The people in the synagogue gasp. But the Pharisees are angry.
This section concludes with the Pharisees beginning to plot how they might stop Jesus, a plot that grows until it culminates in Jesus' death.

Lessons for Disciples

You are one of Jesus' disciples observing all this. What does Jesus intend you to learn from it?
First, to observe the Sabbath. No where does Jesus give any justification for breaking the Sabbath. No doubt he and his disciples observed it as a day of rest and worship.
Second, that the Law is not to make life harder for man, but to help man. While the Pharisees have no qualms about the Law preventing mercy towards the suffering, Jesus will have none of it. Jesus is clearly not a religious legalist, but a Man in love with people, always cognizant of their needs and eager to alleviate their suffering. He doesn't see observance of the Law as the point, but to the love and mercy that the Law points to.
The Christian world is full of legalists and legalisms, of canon laws and constitutions. We fuss about hem heights and make-up, sleeveless dresses and open-toed shoes. Discipline is often administered harshly, both in parochial schools and Christian churches. We make judgments of men and women and young people on the basis of hair length, body piercings, and tattoos. Two generations ago in America we fought about whether black men and women could attend our churches and sit in our favorite pews. We dispute about words and ecclesiastical power and scheme at ways to defeat our religious opponents who don't see things quite as we do. We argue about which church's members can be saved, since they surely don't agree with our pet doctrines. Trustees and deacons pride themselves on their fiscal responsibility and tight purse strings when those with a heart for ministry desperately try to meet the needs in their communities. A rules-based religion is no more than a modern-day Phariseeism.
When I read this passage I get the distinct feeling that Jesus is disgusted with our complex systems of moral justification that end up defeating his mission in our lives and in our churches. His is a much simpler religion. It starts with love for the Father and works itself out by love for man. It flows from a heart yielded to God, not a mind schooled in regulations. That's the religion Jesus modeled for his chosen disciples -- and for you and me today.
If we choose to follow Jesus in this love quest we'll be criticized by our religious peers. Jesus was; can we expect anything less? But his is the way of Life, where people with shriveled hands and lives are encouraged by the Master to stretch them forth, and in the process of this stretching faith, are wonderfully restored. That, my friends, is today's lesson for disciples.

Prayer

Lord, I've been in churches since I was a baby, more than half a century, and that's dangerous. Please help me not to become institutionalized by the accumulated man-made traditions of my church. Rather help me to keep my eyes on you to see your purposes. Keep my feet ready and free to follow you in your sometimes strange pathways. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Key Verse

"The Son of Man is Lord of the

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Disclosure: Much of what is in my posts are things I have compiled through the years and I do not know if they have copyrights. What I do know about origin or website I give credit and have tried to always post a link to the origin. I do not market anything in any way on this blog -- I merely hope it will encourage and inspire others.
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DEATH THEN JUDGMENT -- THE GOSPEL A SAFE HARBOR

Now I would remind you, brothers, of THE GOSPEL I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and BY WHICH YOU ARE SAVED, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:
THAT CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCRIPTURES,
THAT HE WAS BURIED,
THAT HE WAS RAISED ON THE THIRD DAY
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCRIPTURES.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4

http://www.christianmessenger.org/appointments.htm

"THE APPOINTMENT OF DEATH (HEBREWS 9:27a)

God has appointed man death and he must experience it.

Speaking about death, Job said in, (Job 7:1) “Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth”.

We each have an appointment with death.

It says in, (Hebrews 9:27a) “It is appointed unto men once to die”.

We all know the truth of this statement do we not?

Most of us have family and friends that have kept their appointment with death.

We will keep ours also, at God’s appointed time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BPoMIQHwpo

Alison Krauss - I'll fly away

Why is it so that man must die? It was never part of God’s original creation. When sin came in death came in. God said to Adam, (Genesis 2:17) “In the day that thou eatest thereof (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) thou shalt surely die”. Adam and Eve disobeyed and sinned against God and death came in. It says in (Romans 6:23)” The wages of sin is death”.

It says also in, (Romans 5:12) “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”. Death is the direct result of sin. The brevity of life, which is emphasized over and over again in scripture, is also the result of sin.

There are no “Methuselah’s” in these days that live to be 969 years.

There are no “Abraham’s” in these days who live to be 175 years.

(Psalm 90:10) gives us the divine allotment of the life of man in the normal course of events.

It says, “The days of our years are three score and ten (70) and if by reason of strength they be fourscore (80) years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off and we fly away”.

Mankind, however, can not count on having seventy years.

There are many whose lifetimes are much shorter because of disease, accidents, etc.

It is a sobering experience to walk through a cemetery, any cemetery, and observe the ages of those who have died.

Many were relatively young when they kept their appointment with death.

It says in, (James 4:14) “Ye know not what shall be on the morrow, for what is your life? It is even a vapor (a puff of smoke) that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away”.

Life is not only brief it is uncertain.

It says in, (Ecclesiastes 9:12) “Man knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them”.

Dear reader, are YOU prepared for eternity? Are YOU prepared to meet God? Have YOU taken refuge from the coming storm of God’s wrath and judgment?

Death will end your opportunity to be saved. If you die in your sins there will be sudden and eternal confinement in hell and the lake of fire. Man has another appointment following death.

God has appointed man a time for judgment and man must appear for it.

It says in, (Hebrews 9:27) “It is appointed unto man once to die, BUT AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT”. Those who die in their sins, unsaved, will be resurrected for judgment.

It says in, (John 5:28, 29) “The hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice (the Lord Jesus Christ), and shall come forth … they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (judgment)”.

God gives strong encouragement in His Word to all who have fled to Christ for refuge from coming judgment.

It says in, (Romans 8:1)”There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”.

To be “in Christ” means that one has believed on Him and received Him as their personal Savior. (John 3:18) “He that believeth on Him is not condemned (judged): but he that believeth not is condemned (judged) already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”.

(John 3:36)”He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him”.

Have you believed on Him? Are you “born again”? Are you “in Christ”? It says in, (2 Corinthians 5:17) “”If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things have passed away; behold all things are new.”

Have you had this conversion experience?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3usXFCh56iA

Wings Of A Snow White Dove ~ Ferlin Husky

MANUFACTURER'S HANDBOOK