"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy" (James 3: 17)
In 2010, Frank Bourassa was exposed as the most prolific currency counterfeiter in US history. He was not caught until he had printed more than $250 million in $20 notes. Bourassa had gone to great lengths to produce his fake money, but it was inevitable that he would be caught eventually. A British media house reported police officers as saying, “The notes were so good they were barely detectable to the naked eye”.
However good a counterfeit product looks or feels, it is still a counterfeit; it can never be the real thing. The same can be said of the “wisdom [that] descendent not from above”. Apostle James counselled believers to pray for wisdom. He assured them of God’s promise of divine wisdom in answer to the prayer of faith. But there appears to have been some confusion in the mind of certain people in the church as to the nature of heavenly wisdom. He, therefore, had in contrast to earthly, sensual and devilish wisdom. After all, wisdom is justified by the fruits it produces. Motive is the dividing line between heavenly and earthly wisdom. Earthly wisdom has the vile motives of advantage and domination (i.e. oppression). It tolerates no rivalry or competition; all oppositions must be crushed. The credo of this devilish wisdom is the end justifies the means. So, anything goes.
Conversely, heavenly wisdom is driven by pure motives because it flows from God and is focused on his glory. Divine wisdom is a product of faith; therefore, it does not employ secret and underhand plans or the use of threats and violence to achieve its goals. It is having all the attributes of God infused into it. You can possess this wisdom if you seek it diligently in prayer.
Thought for the day: True wisdom is rooted in the love of God. 1 Timothy 1-6 for further readings.
Jeremiah in Jeremiah 45 vs 5 -> God did not want Jeremiah to seek great things why? because it would distract him? No, because the Lord wanted to bring disaster on ALL PEOPLE, and told him whenever he goes, he will escape with his life.
An upstage of Necho, King of Egypt defeated at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon {in the 4th year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah} – Egypt, thereafter, marched out with shields, spear, amour but were terrified and retreating because there was terror on every side. The swift can’t escape as they stumble and fall, who is like this that rises like the Nile, he says he will rise and cover the earth and destroy cities and people. Men of cush & put carry shields, men of Lydia draw bows but the day belongs to the lord, the Lord God Almighty, a day of vengeance on his foes (God is so like David in here he declares war on the king of Egypt). God uses his sword to devour until it is SATISFIED and quenches its thirst with blood. Jeremiah 46: 10 for the Lord Almighty, will offer this blood as sacrifices in the north by the river Euphrates, when I say God is austere and he doesn’t even deny it. (See Luke 19:21-27).
He says even the balm in Gilead will not heal Daughter of Egypt, Nations will hear of her shame her cries will fill the earth. The coming of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon to attack Egypt (verse 13). This happened because in verse 25, The lord God of Israel saw Pharoah worship gods, Amons they relied on his gods, so he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, but the remnant of Jacob in Egypt, they would spared/ saved but would be disciplined.
Summary:
So here we see Egypt was defeated, how and why it was defeated and when it was defeated? During Josiah 4th reign, why? Because he worshipped Amon god of Thebes, Pharoah’s gods and relied on pharaoh. Here Egypt comprised of Lydia, Cush and Put (verse 9) who decided to go back to their own lands, to avoid the sword of the oppressor i.e. Babylon (verse 16) but it was the lord’s doing. Making the king of Egypt look like only a loud noise (verse 17), the lord God Almighty of Israel even said though Egypt is a beautiful heifer held bring a gadfly against her from the north.
God even saw past the beauty of Egypt as he did with lucifer, to destroy her city, repent but Egypt would not, even when the lord said this in verse 23, her forest would be chopped down; to put her to shame. Anytime a nation suffers it must look within and above to see why it is defeated, what are its practices, its gods is it Amon (an object of Gold, i.e. money) or God.
Luke 21: Desolation is near (2)
Luke 21 vs 20: When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Until the time of Punishment is fulfilled (Luke 21 vs 22), signs in the sun, moon and stars. Nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive on what is occurring (verse 34). BE CAREFUL THAT YOUR LOVE BE NOT WEIGHED DOWN WITH CAROUSING, DRUNKNESS AND ANXIETIES LIFE that will suddenly come close as a trap.
It will come on those who live in the face of the WHOLE EARTH (verse 35). Be always on the watch, pray that we will be able to escape all that is about to happen, and we will be able to STAND BEFORE the son of man (verse 36).
Children of God in these days will be betrayed by parents, brought to synagogues but not a hair on their head will perish, STAND FIRM and win in life (verse 13-15). As we see the fig tree (Israel) and all the trees sprout leaves you know summer is NEAR, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR (verse 31).
Luke 6: 44
“For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.”
Fruits are what we see (lifestyle).
Revelation 18:4 KJV: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Every time I read, Micah’s story I have different perspective of what it means. Micah was a priest whom his mother groomed him with money, and he took the 1000 shekels of silver from her. so, she uttered a curse. When we do not do things, we are to do or act the way we are to our earthly parents ‘may curse us’ leading to the enactment of the curse under the law. only in Christ is the law powerless because it is fulfilled in love.
But this time, she blessed MICAH instead! Saying the LORD bless you, my son! so, he returned the silver to her and her solemnly consecrate the silver to the Lord for her son to make an image overlaid with silver (an idol).
Put in Micah’s house to make an idol. So, Micah’s had a shrine and an ephod (Samuel) and some household gods and installed one of his sons as priest. In those days Israel had no king, and everyone did as they saw fit.
Then a young Levite from the house of bread (Bethlehem) in Judah, left his town in search for a place to stay. On his way, he came across Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim. Micah inquired where he was from and told him to live with him and be his father and priest that he’d pay him 10 shekels a year with clothes and food. So, the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him.
Micah installed a Levite and so the young man became the priest and lived in his house. Micah said now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since the Levite has become my priest. There is some sense in this story as I said every time I read this that we put away and idol we install Jesus as a priest over any particular area of our lives. Another perspective, we reverence God through his laws but love him by his commands, so Micah’s carved idols are like stone and carved arks to represent his presence using offerings of our sins (Abraham) until a new priest (Jesus) from Bethlehem came in to be as our high priest.
Also, Micah’s mother would curse him for taking her shekels then bless him is perturbing (one – because parents are to lay up wealth for their children, so depending on what Micah used the 1100 Shekels for, it was taking according to the bible not stealing; see the prodigal who asked for his inheritance, but as there was no king, she encouraged him to build an idol until Micah actually got a real priest).
Micah is termed as the one who is like God not is God, so he fixed an actual priest over his household and knew this time, God will be good to him. This story and Esther always have different perspectives .
Summary: there was no king and Micah was having silver from his mom to worship/she built him and idol to worship so he would idolize money, and he installed his son as a priest until he saw a true Levite.
The Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “where is he”. Among the crowds, some said he was a good man, others said he was a deceiver. (these projections were merely how they saw themselves, they were projecting on Jesus, because there was no proof of this).
Jesus at the festival teaching: After Jesus’ brother displayed his disbelief to Jesus; saying he wanted to be popular and to be known one could not do so in private. Jesus replied that the world did not HATE him, because he didn’t tell the TRUTH and the world HATES those who tell the truth.
There after halfway to the festival at the temple courts; Jesus began to teach, the Jews that were there, amazed at his learning knowing he was not taught. Jesus summarizes his teaching in these 3 steps:
It is when we choose to do the will of God (not ours), we find out about Jesus’s teachings as true. (e.g. being hated)
When a person speaks on their own words/thoughts and not from the word of God, it is to seek to gain personal glory.
When we seek the glory of the one who sent you (us), that is a man of truth and there is nothing false about that man. {our eyes, everything is to be fixed to Christ, even the glory we receive is to be given to the father through Jesus, none of ourselves}.
Jesus further chided them that they could not keep the law of Moses given to them as Jews (God’s chosen people, nation), Yet they were trying to kill him. The crowd in an uproar said Jesus was demon possessed, refuting they were not trying to kill him.
It is always hard for man, to notice his personal sin, as they cursed Jesus, they were already guilty of judgement as the scriptures say. God searches our hearts and innermost taught to reveal our minds to Jesus, who gives us the spirit of truth to tell us, we are having thoughts to another that is not good. This is why we examine ourselves.
Jesus further explains that they were trying to kill him because he healed on Sabbath day. He did good(healing) on Sabbath day. Jesus flips the question back to the religious leaders that they did circumcision on sabbath day, why shouldn’t healing be done on Sabbath day. Jesus advised that they should stop judging by the appearance of things, or mere appearance that we ought to judge righteous judgement.
Because they were trying to kill Jesus, and some people confessed this but could not kill him, some taught he was messiah.
John 7: 28 -> shows how Jesus cried out for us to believe that he was from God; very heart breaking. He said he was not here by his own authority. {may we hear the cry of our savior as he hears our cry}.
At Jesus cry some believed him, other believed the Messiah to come would perform more signs than Jesus had. {It is the things with signs, Paul says the Jews (the believing Christians) seek for a sign see, 1 Corinthians 1:22-30, when we ought to just believe, in fact Jesus was against signs saying there would be no signs for the Jews than Jonah in the belly of the fish, Matthew 12:39, there’d be no signs than the reiteration of the prophets(John the Baptist, calling for repentance.}
Actively, to believe in Jesus will cause us to love him, we will become loyalist to the cross, fools in the eyes of other and despised by others for this. Which is what the pharisees abhorred and convinced the people not to do.
Jesus said if we thirst, we should come and drink, as we believe on him rivers of living water will flow. Others started questioning Jesus’ ancestry, so there were divided because of Jesus, some wanted to seize him, but none laid hands on him.
{The unbelief from the Jewish leaders were palpable, they wanted to seize Jesus but because of Jesus’ teachings that broke through to the hearts of men, the mobs, guards could not seize him and believed in him – the Pharisees started invoking that there was a curse on them. Using fear to control them, another the accusation man gives another without proof is what they are condemn by; thus, they use it on others}.
Nicodemus, one of the Jewish leaders broke the barrier by going to see Jesus. Saying our law does not condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing: But they said that a prophet does not come out of Galilee {I wonder if they say this about of my nation}. But then God’s ways are not our ways, neither is his thoughts ours
Thoughts for day: It is not the sin of others that keep us from God but ours that keep us from him
Luke 16 vs 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
In thermodynamics, an irreversible process is one in which the system and its surroundings cannot return to its original state. The fuel consumed on a long journey cannot condense back into the fuel tank. We say something is irreversible when it cannot be undone.
Our text focuses on Lazarus, a beggar and the rich man who found themselves on the opposite side of eternity where their fate was irreversible. The rich man was cast into hell, a place of torment while Lazarus was carried into paradise. In hell, the rich man pleaded with Father Abraham to allow Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to quench his thirst. The patriarch declined because of the great gulf between them. Next, he pleaded that someone should be sent from heaven to warn his brothers to repent, lest they also end up in hell. Father Abraham replied that there were enough preachers on earth to do the job if only his brothers would listen.
The rich man did not go to hell because he was rich, but he did not repent genuinely and cared not for the needy while on earth. Poor Lazarus apparently lived a holy life that qualified him for heaven.
Our study shows that God is not a respecter of persons. Repentance is the gateway to salvation and there is no repentance in the grave. The refusal of Father Abraham to send an angel or preacher from heaven to warn the brothers of the rich man on earth indicates the superiority of the word of God to angelic or personal revelation.
We should not postpone our own salvation. And once saved, we should preach to members of our families that are not saved while they are still alive.
Thought for the day: If repentance is allowed in hell, no soul will remain there.
Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure act in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Luke 10: 3
Even the family of Jesus was at war over who he was! his brother suggested who wanted to be, because they did not know who he is. Alot of times as Christian we associate with the suffering of Jesus through this.
Jesus says this, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”
Because there is controversy about Jesus motives, it is normal for there to be controversy about ours. There was a controversy about who he was as well and there will be such with us as well. In fact, that is the surest sign to identify the followers of Christ, because as they treated Christ they’d treat them. The devil doesn’t go after dead people but those with life.
John 7: 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
In verse 20, People are seen calling Jesus’ demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” because what people do not understand they hate, and the bible said if you hate your brother in your heart, you can murder them. A man without understanding will HATE! it is a natural phenomenon! If that man is not humbled hate is inevitable and thus leading to murder through their tongues/ words, then through their actions.
Matthew 5:21-22 New King James Version Murder Begins in the Heart 21 “You have heard that it was said to those [a]of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother [b]without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. (See 1 John 3: 15)
So, we see that Jesus came to call sinners to REPENTANCE and the LOST SHEEP of Israel to repentance. Sinners are those that don’t know Christ (Unbelievers) and the lost sheep are Israel (are believers who have lost their way), Remember:
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
When repentance is preached like in Tyre and Sidon (Luke 10: 13). And people don’t repent whoever rejects them rejects him who sent me. (verse 16). We need to pray against distractions by all preparations to be made, when all we need to listen at the feet of Jesus because only a few things are needed.
Songs:
Jesus is our oxygen: In him we live, breathe and have our being (that’s where our emotions are): Acts 17: 28
Yesterday, I gave someone a something and well it became something else! Even Jesus ate with Judas and David said thou preparest a table before in the presence of my enemies.
6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. 9 You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again. Deuteronomy 13: 6-1
I just am starting to think that God is using my life as an experiment to turn someone back to him. However, I am just in the thick for a decision to made and let me get on with my life.
1 [a]If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 13: 12
The attempt to create an alternative object of worship drives human beings into idol worship. Most people, even so – called Christians, do not know when and where to draw the line in their relationship with friends and relatives who have signed up to this repugnant way of life.
Because they seek to be nice (which I was) and remain in the good books of everyone, they allow their friends and neighbors to draw them into idol worship. They lack the knowledge and courage to avoid relationships and friendships that will lead them to the dine with devils.
While Christians are not expected to be detached completely from the communities where they live and are to freely interact and associate with others. Apostles Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit here sets a limit to the extent of such relationships. In this passage, Christians are thus admonished to apply wisdom in order to avoid cultural influences and traditional practices that have the undertone of idol worship. They should be knowledgeable enough and courageous to shun idolatrous festivities and sacrifices. Taking part in these feasts amount to having fellowship with devils.
1 Corinthians 10: 20 'But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils'.
Although we must support religious tolerance for peaceful co-existence, that does not warrant the believer to support idolatrous and satanic worship. We are not to sanction and approve their practices nor give any form of support, whether monetary or technical to them.
When we refuse to participate in their worship, it also helps the light of Christ in us to shine more brightly and lead them to find the true path to the worship of the living God mediated through Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life!
Getting involved with idolatrous practices contaminates our fellowship with God.
5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from[c] faith for his name’s sake. Faith comes from believing and obeying God.
Again, the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”. Gods anger is seen repeatedly here again. So, he used his shepherd David to bring down judgement on Israel and so in verse 15 “The Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
When people do not fear the lord again, He tries correction, discipline and then judgement. Romans 1: 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
People think it’s a joke and well warnings are seldom heeded. The first cause of this is:
They knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.
Consequences
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
Watch and pray, Jesus said lest the days come upon you unaware.
Let me fall under the hand of God, for his mercy is great.
Jeremiah 25:29 New International Version 29 See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword on all who live on the earth, declares the Lord Almighty.’
On December 25th, 1908, a newspaper published a parody against God, daring Him to make Himself known by sending an earthquake. Three days later, the city and its surrounding district were devastated by a terrible quake that killed 84,000 people! Payday is coming someday for all. It is the duty of the Christian to prepare for God’s judgement.
The passage under consideration unveils the decision of God against Babylon. Babylon would be anyone could do about it. Jeremiah was to warn of this impending judgement. He was also assigned by God to inform people that the cup of his wrath was soon to be poured on Israel (the church) and other nations like Egypt, Edom and the Philistines (the power nations at the time).
Judgement is coming. God has appointed a day in which he will judge the world for her sins. The present world system will not escape the judgement of God.
Though they dig down to the depths below, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens above, from there I will bring them down. Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. Amos 9: 2-3
All human deeds are on record of man will be judged. Every thought (good or bad) will be brought to light. Boys and girls, and all adults of every race and in every continent will face the consequences of their professions.
This treatment we give to the word of God will determine our eternal destiny. Therefore, believers should not relax in their evangelistic outreaches because the judgement of God remains unchanging for all unrepentant souls from generation to generation. Persecutors of gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ will not escape the wrath of God except they repent. The train of God’s is important for all and sundry to be prepared.
With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus. Luke 1: 3
In an article on “Evangelizing the Upper Class’, Ellen White asked the pertinent question, ‘We talk and write much about the neglected poor, should some attention not also be given to the neglected rich?’ Social stratification may create social barriers, but the preaching of the gospel is to every creature social barrier, but the preaching of the gospel is to every creature – nobles and commoners. The upper class in every society is usually composed of men and women of power and influence.
they are often neglected in the area of evangelism for personal and social reasons.
Our text educates us on the need to reach out to the people in the upper echelons in the society. Luke wrote this epistle primarily to Theophilus. seen also in Acts 1. Theophilus, a noble man, an influential personality in that society. The first thing to note is the commonality of the preacher and his audience. The letter was written by Luke, the beloved physician (Colossians 4: 14) to ‘most excellent Theophilus’, whose title suggests that he was a member of the upper class or a noble.
Luke, judging from his profession, was not a poor man or a nonentity. The first lesson is that the members of the upper class should intensify the efforts to reach out to their peers.
The second lesson is the choice of appropriate method of teaching/evangelism. Luke wrote an epistle to Theophilus. The strategy is still appropriate to reach the nobles or members of the upper class who most likely live in gated estates and government reserved areas. Many of them also travel frequently. The privilege of letter writing in this digital age is limitless as distance is no longer a barrier.
Our text also outlines the qualities of a good soul-winner. He or She must be soundly converted, well-informed, persuaded and have competence to present the gospel convincingly.
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