Previous Sabbath Thoughts
2021 2023 2024 2025Fear Not, Part 9 — August 6, 2022
God’s prophets often face persecution for warning God’s people. But God tells His prophets not be afraid. Jeremiah 1:7-8, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.” Ezekiel 3:9, “Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.” God warns Israel against cutting trees out of the forest and then nailing it to the floor and decorating it with silver and gold. He goes on to say, Jeremiah 10:5, “They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.” God promises to bless those who trust in Him. Jeremiah 17:7-8, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Notice how God states that He will punish Israel for the rebellion and disobedience. Yet, He tells them not to fear because He has not forgotten them. Jeremiah 46:28, 27, “Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,” says the Lord, “For I am with you; For I will make a complete end of all the nations To which I have driven you, But I will not make a complete end of you. I will rightly correct you, For I will not leave you wholly unpunished.” “But do not fear, O My servant Jacob, And do not be dismayed, O Israel! For behold, I will save you from afar, And your offspring from the land of their captivity; Jacob shall return, have rest and be at ease; No one shall make him afraid.” These Old Testament scriptures can apply spiritual to you and me as we experience our own tests and trials. God can have many reasons for allowing us to experience tests and trials. However, He does not want us to fear or be afraid regardless of the circumstances because He is always with us.
Jesus’ 47th Command — July 30, 2022
Honor Marriage. Mark 10:2-9, “The Pharisees came and asked Him, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ testing Him. And He answered and said to them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.’ And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.’” Notice that Jesus uses the word “permitted,” not “commanded” as in a command from God. Moses allowed this mainly to protect the women of Israel. Unfortunately, back then, women were often treated like property. Men could divorce their wives, but wives generally were not permitted to divorce their husbands. Additionally, a man could have “thrown out” his wife without a divorce certificate and she could have been destitute and an outcast. Moses permitted divorce to preserve some rights and dignity for the wife. Jesus is saying this is never what God originally intended. There are several proverbs about marriage. One such is Proverbs 31:10, “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.” Solomon commands husbands in Ecclesiastes 9:9(NLT), “Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.” God says He isn’t listening to Israel because He hates all the divorcing they do. Malachi 2:14-16, “Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. For the Lord God of Israel says ‘That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,’ Says the Lord of hosts. ‘Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.’” Paul also states authoritatively to esteem marriage. Hebrews 13:4(NLT), “Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.” For a more thorough review of all the Bible scriptures on divorce and remarriage, please read the article “Divorce and Remarriage – The Assumption” on the Church of God Santa Rosa website.
Promises of God, Salvation, Part 7 — July 23, 2022
We are reviewing the scriptures that mention our salvation. A wonderful summary is 1 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Our salvation is the end result of our belief in God our Father and Jesus our Savior. 1 Peter 1:9, “receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” In retrospect, with our historical knowledge of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can understand God’s Plan of Salvation much better than the patriarchs of the Old Testament. 1 Peter 1:10-11, “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” God’s patience with us gives us time to repent for salvation. 2 Peter 3:15, “and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,”. In the book of Revelation, we are told three times that our salvation belongs to God. Revelation 7:10, “and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” Revelation 12:10a, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, …’” Let us close with the praises from heaven regarding our salvation from our Great God. Revelation 19:1, “After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!’”
Jesus 46th Command — July 16, 2022
Beware of Covetousness. Luke 12:15, “And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’” Almost all modern translation use “every kind of greed” or a similar phrase instead of the word “covetousness.” Jesus taught that physical things, physical wealth is not what is important in life. It is not wrong or a sin to possess physical wealth as long as it is not a deterrent or distraction in seeking the Kingdom of God first. Luke 8:14, “Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” Paul states covetousness is a sin that can keep one from entering the Kingdom of God. Ephesians 5:3, 5, “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;… For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” Paul was also inspired to say greed is idolatry because it is worshiping the things of this world. Colossians 3:5, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Paul also warns that greediness can destroy a Christian. 1 Timothy6:9-10, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” God promises to take care of our physical needs, therefore we need not covet what we don’t have. Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Instead Jesus told us accumulate wealth in heaven above. Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus 45th Command — July 9, 2022
Forgive those who do you wrong. Matthew 18:21-22, “Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’” We have this well-known scripture where Peter wanted to limit the number of times he had to forgive someone for offending him. Jesus said 490 times, which obviously means there is no limit. This same sentiment is expressed in Luke 17:3-4, “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” Most all scriptures on this topic state we as individuals must forgive others in order to be forgiven ourselves by God our Father. Considering the above two scriptures, do we want God to limit the number of times He will forgive our sins? Of course not. After giving us the “Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus said, Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Mark states that Jesus said if we want our prayers heard, first forgive others. Mark 11:25(NLT), “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” Jesus stated several conditions that God responds to accordingly. Luke 6:37, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” The apostle Paul also emphasized this principle. Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Colossians 3:13, “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Jesus set the ultimate example. What He said was not just said to the Jews and Romans who crucified Him, it applies to all of us because our sins necessitated His death. Let us close with that scripture. Luke 23:34, “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’”
Fear Not, Part 8 — July 2, 2022
We will review some of the “fear not” scriptures in Isaiah this Sabbath. Isaiah was a prophet during the reigns of five kings in Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manasseh. Jewish tradition says Manasseh had Isaiah sawn in two, but there is no historical source that can confirm this. There are two categories in the book of Isaiah about “fear not.” The first is for Judah and its king not to be afraid of their enemy. To Ahaz, Isaiah 7:4, “and say to him: ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah.” Later, regarding the Assyrian army, Isaiah 8:11-12(NLT), “The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, ‘Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them.’” Years later to king Hezekiah, Isaiah 37:6, “And Isaiah said to them, ‘Thus you shall say to your master, Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.’” The majority of scriptures in Isaiah on “fear not,” about 10, are relative to the Millennium. Let us look at a few of them. A very comforting scripture in Isaiah 12:1-3, “O Lord, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For YAH, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 35:4, “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” Another Millennial scripture is Isaiah 40:9, “O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’” While God sends Judah and Israel into end-time captivity, He tells them He has not forsaken them. Isaiah 41:8-10, “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” God promises to enlarge Israel in the Millennium. Isaiah 54:3-4, “For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.” God also promises Israel they will never need to fear their enemies again. Isaiah 54:14, “In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.”
Jesus' 44th Command — June 25, 2022
Go to offender and seek reconciliation. Matthew 18:15-17, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” Notice that this is presented as “if your brother,” meaning someone close to you among your relatives, church members or close friend. This is not something one would necessarily do with a someone you barely know or a coworker. This principle has seldom been practiced and carried out correctly. And it is not easy to do this. Generally, we don’t like to confront others who are close to us. Or when we do, it is because we have let the situation fester to the point where we are angry. This is different, the opposite so-to-speak, of Jesus’ 7th command where He states if we have sinned against a brother, go to him in repentance seeking reconciliation (Matthew 5:21-22). The apostle Paul states that between brethren in the church, if there is a disagreement, it should be solved within the church, not in the world’s legal system. 1 Corinthians 6:1, “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? ” As already stated, doing this process correctly is difficult. It should be done with the right timing, tact, gentleness and genuine concern for the other individual. Galatians 6:1 (NLT), “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.” Paul also discusses this topic in his other letters. 1 Thessalonians 5:14, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” Also in Jude 1:23 (NLT), “Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.” We must also remember that we are commanded to forgive others who sin against us and repent. Let us close with Jesus’ admonition regarding this point. Luke 17:3-4, “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Fear Not, Part 7 — June 18, 2022
This Sabbath, we will continue our review of the scriptures on “fear not.” It is always amazing to me when we pick a particular topic like this one, find all the relative scriptures, and discover just how many there are. As we have discussed before, there is a reason why God inspired so many of these scriptures with the challenges we face in this physical life. Many of these scriptures state to trust in God when we are faced with fearful situations. Psalm 56:3-4, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” God led Israel out of Egypt and kept them safe. Psalm 78:53, “And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.” God doesn’t promise us a life as a “bed of roses,” but He does promise us we don’t have to afraid of the wicked. No matter what test and trials we may suffer, we should remember God supports His saints. Psalm 118:6, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” God promises that if we obey Him, He will grant us wisdom and we can then rest in peace. Proverbs 3:24-25, “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;” The opposite of fear is peace. God not only tells us we don’t have to be afraid, He promises us peace. This is a related topic with many scriptures, let us close with just one. Psalm 29:11, “The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”
Promises of God, Salvation Part 6 — June 11, 2022
This Sabbath we will continue our review of the scriptures that mention salvation. Paul discusses with Titus how we should live righteously while we wait for our Savior Jesus Christ to appear. Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Paul continues this discussion in the next chapter emphasizing the kindness and love of our Savior God. Titus 3:4-7, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Paul later on discusses that the purpose of angels is to serve those who will inherit salvation. Hebrews 1:14, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Jesus’ purpose is to bring many sons and daughters to salvation as our leader. Hebrews 2:10, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Jesus is also the source and author of our salvation. Hebrews 5:9, “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,”. Of course, we know Jesus died bearing our sins and that He will appear again at His Second Coming to deliver salvation to His saints in the first resurrection. Hebrews 9:28, “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” There are so many wonderful scriptures mentioning our salvation. What a wonderful God and Father and His Son Jesus our Savior who in their great love for us through their grace and mercy, offer us the gift of salvation with eternal life. Let us always give thanks to God our Father and Jesus singing songs of praise and worship.
Counting Pentecost — June 4, 2022
The Bible commands us to count 50 days in order to keep Pentecost correctly. Leviticus 23:15-16, “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.” How many Holy Day keepers actually do a literal personal counting of 50 days? Instead, they just keep the day their church tells them to. Let’s examine this closer. Days were counted quite differently in former times by the Jews and other peoples. They did not count a day “as a day” until its conclusion. Please remember that the two men walking on the first day of the week when Jesus appeared to them said it was “the third day” since Jesus’ death. Luke 24:21, “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.” They said it was “the third day” because the day was not yet over. We today would say it was the fourth day. Jesus was put in the garden tomb late Wednesday shortly before sunset. Thursday was “day one” as the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread. Friday was “day two” on which the women bought and prepared spices for burial. Saturday was “day three,” the weekly Sabbath. And we would call Sunday “day four.” But not the Jews, the day was incomplete, they didn’t count it as a full day until its conclusion at sunset. This is an extremely import concept in how we should count Pentecost. The Jews counted days the same way we count years, we don’t count a year as a year, a full year, until 365 days have expired. Notice that the year of Jubilee was a count of 49 years, THEN the year of Jubilee was kept. Leviticus 25: 8-10, “And you shall count seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven Sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family.” Note that for Jubilee, 49 years were to be counted and THEN Jubilee was kept. Please reread Leviticus 23:15-16. Let us read that in the New Living Translation, “From the day after the Sabbath—the day you bring the bundle of grain to be lifted up as a special offering—count off seven full weeks. Keep counting until the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days later. Then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.” 50 days were to be counted, THEN offer a new grain offering on Pentecost. 50 days must be complete before observing Pentecost. Observe that the Bible even tells us which is the last day of the 50 day count, the day following the weekly Sabbath. Just like in counting 49 years and then keeping Jubilee, we must count 50 days and then keep Pentecost. Try these two exercises. One, count 50 days by counting quarters of a day, or even half days. And two, do a countdown by partial days, backwards from 50. In both cases, you do not reach 50 or zero until Sunday evening at sunset. If you start observing Pentecost immediately following the weekly Sabbath you have only counted 49 days or still have one day left in a countdown. Some may think that this means we are keeping the 51st day. First, nowhere in the Bible does it say to “keep” the 50th day, the Bible only says to count 50 days before keeping Pentecost. Second, remember, a Biblical day is not counted as a full day until its completion. Let us count by quarter days to illustrate these critical points. The last Saturday in the count at sunset is 49 days. In the middle of the night it is 49 ¼ days. Sunday morning, 49 ½ days. Sunday noon, 49 ¾ days. Sunday at sunset, 50 days. Sunday midnight, 50 ¼. Monday morning, 50 ½ days. Monday noon, 50 ¾ days. Therefore, according to the way the Bible counts days, Monday is the 50th day, until sunset when at its conclusion it historically becomes the 51st day. Think on that in prayer before our God. There are several examples in the Bible where a set number of days were to be counted and then on the following day, after the count was complete, the desired action was to take place. For these scriptures and a more detailed explanation on how to correctly count 50 days to Pentecost, please go to the Church of God Santa Rosa website and read the articles on Pentecost. www.cogsr.org/articles
Jesus’ 43 Command — May 27, 2022
Do not despise those young in the faith. Matthew 18:10, “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” Mark 9:42, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” All Christians come to conversion at different times in their lives. We progress at different rates in our Bible knowledge, spiritual understanding and development of faith, hope and love. Jesus is saying to be patient and help those who are new to the Christian belief. The apostle Paul addresses this same situation. Romans 14:1, “Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.” However, Paul adds not to get into arguments over little details. He then goes on to say in verse 13 (NLT), “So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.” Paul continues the discussion in the next chapter, Romans 15:1 (NLT), “We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves.” The apostle Paul was always being considerate of other Christians, thinking about how his behavior would have an impact on them. 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, “to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.” There are many scriptures stating Christians should help one another. Let us close with one. 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”
Fear Not, Part 6 — May 21, 2022
In our Christian lives we have many tests and trials. We could become discouraged because of this. However, if we trust in God, He will eventually see us through these type of events in our lives. Faith is the opposite of fear. Even in the worst of tests and trials we should not fear, but have faith God sees us in our difficulties and will help us. Many are the Psalms that reflect this. David said he would not be afraid even though surrounded by ten thousand enemies when he was forced to flee from Absalom. Psalm 3:1-6, “Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, ‘There is no help for him in God.’ Selah But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around.” This principle is also stated in the famous 23rd Psalm, verse 4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” David continually put his trust in God. Psalm 27:1-3, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.” Psalm 46:1-2, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;” Because God will strengthen us, guide us and protect us, we don’t need to live in fear. Faith triumphs over fear.
Promises of God, Salvation Part 5 — May 14, 2022
In one sense, it could be said that the whole Bible is relative to God’s Plan of Salvation. Whether it be His laws, the gospel, prophecies and even history. We are to learn lessons beneficial to our salvation through all of these Bible categories. Of course, there are a multitude of scriptures that are specific statements of God’s Plan of Salvation. It is those scriptures we are reviewing in these Sabbath Thoughts. God wants to give us the gift of salvation to eternal life, not eternal death. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10, “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” Unfortunately, we know some will reject the Father’s offer of salvation. However, it is the Father’s desire that all humans would accept His offer. 1 Timothy 2:3-4, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” As we have discussed before, God has a time order, He is not trying to save all humanity at this time, He will at a future date after a physical resurrection of the unsaved dead. It is a great but difficult privilege to be called in this lifetime with the opportunity to be in the first resurrection, a resurrection to spiritual life. 2 Thessalonians 2:13, “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,”. The apostle Paul strove to preach this truth even though it resulted in great hardships for him personally. 2 Timothy 2:10-12a, “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. …” God does not speak directly to us about salvation, but through His inspired scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:15, “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” What a glorious God the Father and God the Son we have who are offering us such an unfathomable gift of eternal life in the God family.
Jesus 42nd Command — May 7, 2022
Be humble as a little child in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Matthew 18:2-5, “Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.’” Humility, next to love, is one of the most important qualities God desires His children to develop. Love is humble. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT), “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud”. The twelve disciple argued several times as to who would be the greatest. Jesus always taught them the same lesson. Luke 22:24-27, “Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.’” The importance of humility is also stressed in the Old Testament. Psalm 131:1-2 (TMSG), “God, I’m not trying to rule the roost, I don’t want to be king of the mountain. I haven’t meddled where I have no business or fantasized grandiose plans. I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content.” God emphasizes the type of person He prefers in Isaiah 57:15, “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’” Jesus used the example of a little child more than once. Mark 9:34-37, “But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.’ Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.’” Mark 10:14-15, “But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’” James must have had this in mind when he wrote James 4:10, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” There are many different ways we express pride, arrogance and vanity. This is a character flaw we all should examine ourselves and strive to rid our lives of it.
Genesis 1:1 First Word in Hebrew — April 30, 2022
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” These famous first ten words in the English Bible are from seven Hebrew words. The first Hebrew word is “bereshit” and is translated “in the beginning.” As we discussed in a previous Sabbath Thought, Hebrew started as a pictorial alphabet where each letter represents a physical item. The Word Bereshit (בראשׁית) in Hebrew letters, right to left, is: Beyt, Resh, Aleph, Shin, Yud, Tav (remember, Hebrew is read right to left.) The very first letter Beyt represents a house, inn or family in the ancient Hebrew picture language (not the modern script letters). In the Torah, the first letter is enlarged, showing the foundation of the world is focused on God’s house. The second letter Resh represents a man’s head signifying first, top, beginning, or person of authority. The third Hebrew letter in Bereshit is Aleph drawn as an ox head in ancient Hebrew pictorial letters representing strong, power, a leader. It is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and represents Elohim. Aleph is often referred to as the “God letter.” Letter number four is Shin, a picture of teeth representing sharp, press, eat, consume and destroy. The fifth letter Yud is a picture of an arm and/or hand and represents a hand, work, throw, or worship. The sixth letter is Tav and is crossed sticks in ancient pictorial Hebrew. It represents a mark, to sign, a covenant, a signal, or monument. Admittedly, we have to be creative in how we view these Hebrew letters, sometimes taking them one at a time, at others combining them. The first two letters spell “bar” meaning “son” in Hebrew and shows the focus is on the house or kingdom of the Son! The first four letters: Beit, Resh, Aleph, Shin, spell the Hebrew word for big tree or timber. The second, third and fourth letters, Resh, Aleph, Shin, equates to our English word head. The last three letters of bereshit, Shin, Yud, Tav make up the Hebrew word shayit. This Hebrew word can have many meanings: thorns, appointed, to lay down. Taking a selected meaning of each letter we have, “house head God destroyed hand mark.” Taking a little artistic poetic sentence structure, selecting words that would make sense in a sentence for each letter or combination of letters, we can come up with “The Son of God crowned with thorns upon His head on a tree.” Of course, we now use Biblical history of what happened to Jesus to guide the word selection, meanings and combinations to use. With this spiritual guidance in mind, sometimes combining letters, we can come up with, “The Son of God is destroyed by His own hand on the cross.” Another possibility is, “The Son of God is destroyed by His own hand making a new covenant.” If we believe in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” then we believe these interpretations are possible. The literal Greek for this scripture is “All scripture is God breathed.” God gave His chosen people the Hebrew language for a reason. This is the language God chose for the Old Testament. God did all this for our religious benefit and growth in spiritual knowledge. However, what is far more important is the overall spiritual message of the Old Testament regardless of which language in which we read it. How the Hebrew alphabet and words are used is interesting, but it is not necessary for our salvation. What is far more important is God’s Plan of Salvation as revealed to us in both the Old and New Testaments.
Repentance — April 23, 2022
In the last two Sabbath Thoughts we have discussed how Jesus suffered and died for our sins and how we are to strive to put sin out of our lives. But, we all know none of us is able to perfectly put sin out of our lives. That is why we need forgiveness of sins. However, in addition to Jesus’ death for the forgiveness of sins, God does require we repent of our sins. The Apostle Peter concluded his first Pentecost sermon on Jesus death by saying repent. Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” A most interesting thing about repentance is that this also is a gift from God through the power of His Holy Spirit. Romans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Acts 5:31, “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” Jesus suffered and died for human kind. It took a while for Christian Jews to understand this, but eventually they did. Acts 11:18, “When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.’” We all need a “wake up call” sometimes in our Christian lives so that we remember the need to repent. 2 Timothy 2:25, “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,”. It is our acceptance of Jesus as our Savior, mourning because our sins required His death, that God uses to lead us to repentance. 2 Corinthians 7:10, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” God our Father’s desire is that humans accept Jesus as our Savior and repent of our sins. 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” As we conclude the Days of Unleavened Bread, let us remember that repentance is on our critical path to salvation.
Days of Unleavened Bread — April 16, 2022
There are things only God can do and other things God expects us to do. Only God can forgive our sins. Romans 5:6, 8, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly…But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Only the shed blood of Jesus as God in the flesh can forgive sin. Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” This is pictured by the Passover which we observed last Thursday night. What God expects us to do, what God wants us to do, is make an effort to put sin out of our lives. This is pictured by the Days of Unleavened Bread which started this evening on the weekly Sabbath as a “double Sabbath” being the first day of Unleavened Bread, a Holy Day. During these seven days, leavened bread represents sin. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” We are to strive to put sin out of our lives. Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We are to become a “new person” living a better life apart from sin. Romans 6:6, “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Ephesians 4:22-24, “that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Our responsibility is to strive to put sin out of lives as represented by the Days of Unleavened Bread. None of us can do that perfectly. That is when we repent and ask God to do what only He can do, forgive us of our sins through the shed blood of Jesus our Savior. I hope we all will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, remembering what it teaches us. Jesus kept this feast setting us an example. The Apostle Paul was inspired to say “therefore let us keep the feast.”
Jesus Suffered for Our Sins — April 9, 2022
As we approach Passover next Thursday evening, we all know Jesus shed His blood and died for the forgiveness of our sins. In addition, many scriptures tell us Jesus not only had to die, but He had to suffer. Jesus could have died a “quick, easy death” in theory. But that would not have had the impact upon us the Father wanted. The Father knew He had to teach us the terribleness of our sins, the awful consequences of sins, the magnitude of our sins that then required the suffering and death of our Savior by crucifixion, one of the most painful ways to die. Jesus knew in advance that He had to not only die, but to suffer for our sins. Matthew 16:21, “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” Jesus not only knew He was to suffer, had to suffer, He knew how He would suffer. Mark 10:32, “Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” Knowing in advance how one is going to suffer will cause a great deal of mental and emotional stress by itself. As Jesus prayed to His Father, and our Father, He was in such great agony knowing what He was about to suffer that He sweat blood. Luke 22:44, “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” But Jesus knew He had to go forward with these terrible experiences. John 12:27, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.” After His resurrection, Jesus explained to His disciples that His suffering was necessary. Luke 24:46, “Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,”. The apostles, beginning with Peter, understood and preached that Jesus had to suffer. Acts 3:18, “But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.” Likewise, the apostle Paul preached the same message, Acts 17:2-3, “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.’ ” Jesus suffering is an example for us, that as we follow Him in this evil world there will be suffering for us. 1 Peter 2:19, 21, “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:” As we prepare for the Passover physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, let us remember how our sins required that Jesus suffer and die a horrible death. Let us always repent, love the Father and the Son and give thanks for the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.
Hebrew — April 2, 2022
Hebrew is a special and unusual language. Most of the Old Testament was written in what is called “Classical Hebrew” or “Biblical Hebrew.” The language that the Israelites spoke and wrote is never referred to in the Bible as Hebrew. Nehemiah simply refers to it as the “language of Judah” in criticizing the Jews, Nehemiah 13:24, “And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.” The Hebrew alphabet is composed of 22 letters, all consonants, no vowels. Hebrew is written and read right to left. This language has evolved through several stages to modern times. Hebrew is the only language that has been “resurrected from the dead.” For more than 1000 years it was only spoken in special religious sessions. It was written much, but seldom spoken until revived about 150 years ago (1881) as a common language of Jewish people. Ben Yehuda married his wife in route to Palestine in 1881. They vowed to speak nothing but Hebrew from the moment they arrived. They raised their child to be the first since ancient times to have Hebrew as his mother tongue. They had to “invent” new Hebrew words for modern items non-existent in Bible times like ice cream, bicycle, omelet, handkerchief and towel. He got creative using Hebrew root words to come up with modern words. The words for car and train are based on the Hebrew root word for chariot. Hebrew words are comprised of a root word of 2 to 4 letters to which prefixes and suffixes can be added. Thus, one Hebrew word with several prefixes and suffixes can equally relay what 5 words in English would. Therefore, when translating Hebrew into English, 100 Hebrew words could become 1000 in English. Modern Hebrew has a system of dots and dashes which surround the letters to provide the necessary vowels. These are standard in prayer books, children books, and other basic texts. However, neither the Bible nor most Hebrew literature have them. One just has to get used to it and know the language well enough to pronounce the Hebrew words correctly. The original, ancient Hebrew was a pictographic language. These pictographic letters evolved over time to modern script letters. For instance, the first letter of the pictographic alphabet was a simple stick drawing of an ox’s head and represented the qualities of strong, power, leader. It became known as the “God letter.” It is the equivalent of the letter "A" in Greek, Latin and English. All the Hebrew letters represent some physical object and also some descriptive meaning. Here is a link to a chart with the various versions of the Hebrew alphabet and their meaning: Hebrew Alphabet Next time, we will examine the very first Hebrew word of the Bible.
Fear Not, Part 5 — March 26, 2022
Why are there so many scriptures that say “fear not” or “don’t be afraid”? We live in a world where there is much evil. There is much that can hurt or harm us physically and spiritually. Today, we have wars and rumors of wars. In Old Testament times there were many battles and wars. Under Judah’s King Jehoshaphat, Ammon and Moab sent their armies to attack Judah and Jerusalem. God sent a prophet with a message. 2 Chronicles 20:15, “And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” In this case, Jehoshaphat had the army sing as they went into battle. God caused these armies to fight among themselves and destroy each other. Another fascinating story concerns the king of Syria raiding northern Israel cities and towns. Elisha was telling the king of Israel where to be prepared for the next battle. This, of course, greatly upset the king of Syria who sent a large contingent to capture Elisha. Elisha’s servant was distraught at this, but Elisha said, 2 Kings 6:16-17, “So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” I believe we have guardian angels who are assigned to protect us. We should give God thanks for His protection and always call upon Him for the help we need. King Hezekiah was concerned about the Assyrian army and sent his servants to Isaiah. 2 Kings 19:6, “And Isaiah said to them, ‘Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.’” When Israel or Judah was obedient and relied on God for help, He helped defeat their enemies. When they didn’t, they lost battles, were defeated in war and became captives of the invading armies. The same applies to us. Trust in and obey God and He will help us in our physical and spiritual battles.
Jesus’ 41st Command — March 19, 2022
Deny yourself and follow Jesus. Luke 9:23-25, “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?’” There are several scriptures with the theme of if we strive to save our physical life in this world, we will lose it, but if we sacrifice the desires of this physical life to follow Jesus, we will receive the gift of eternal life. John 12:25-26 (NLT), “Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.” Denying what we want out of this physical life to follow Jesus is considered as a sacrifice by our Father. Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” God inspired other analogies to impress this point upon us. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” In denying ourselves, we live for Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:15, “and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” We should be willing to give up everything in this physical life in order to follow Jesus. Philippians 3:7-8, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” As Jesus Christ sacrificed His physical life for our salvation, we also should make a sacrifice to live by faith in Jesus. Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” God our Father wants to give us eternal life in His Kingdom, His spiritual family. To receive that gift we have to be willing to give up our carnal desires of the flesh and live an obedient life following the example that Jesus set for us. It is a small price to pay for such a large reward.
Promises of God, Salvation Part 4 — March 12, 2022
Simeon , a devout, old man, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to give a prophecy about Jesus and salvation when His parents brought Him to the temple shortly after His birth. Luke 2:30-32, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” This also is a quote from Isaiah 49:6 emphasizing that Jesus would bring salvation to both Israelites and Gentiles. There is a time order in God the Father’s Plan of Salvation. God is not trying to save every individual during the first 6000 years of human existence. For true Christians, that time is in this lifetime. 2 Corinthians 6:2, “For He says: In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Several translation use the phrase “in a day of salvation”. Paul talks about a time order in 1 Corinthians 15:22-23, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” Salvation is through trusting in Jesus and His message. Ephesians 1:13-14, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Salvation is by the gift of grace, not our own efforts. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” While we are not saved by our works, when we receive God’s grace to salvation, God does expect us to live a life of obedience in order to please Him. Philippians 2:12-13 (NLT), “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Yes, salvation is a gift through faith by the grace of God. God, by the power of His Holy Spirit in us, gives us that faith and desire and ability to obey, to live a good spiritual life whereby God wants to give us the gift of eternal life in His Kingdom, the Kingdom of God.
Jesus’ 40th Command — March 5, 2022
Beware of hypocrisy. Matthew 16:6, 12, “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.’ … Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Jesus was critical of the scribes, Sadducees and Pharisees for several reasons. One of which was that they did not always practice what they preached. Many of them were greedy of money and the power of control over others. Matthew 23:13-14, 25, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.” Also, they were self-righteous, often meticulously obeying the letter of the law, but lacking in love, mercy and compassion for others. Matthew 23:23, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Often they were more concerned about what others thought about them than what God thought. Matthew 6:1-2, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” The main criticism in the New Testament of these religious groups is that they distorted the true teachings of the Bible. Titus 1:14, “not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.” The apostle Paul warned that in the end times this would be especially prevalent. 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” All of the warnings in the Bible to Israel and the New Testament churches, brethren and ministers are about departing from the faith once delivered. Titus 1:9, “holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” Jude 1:3-4, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” These are spiritually challenging times at the end of this age. The Truth of the Bible has been distorted and watered down. Let us all strive to understand what is the faith once delivered and keep the letter and spirit of the laws and teachings of Jesus.
Fear Not, Part 4 — February 25, 2022
God has told His people and His servants many times not to be afraid, whether it be in His presence or their fearful circumstances. Previously we’ve seen how God comforted Israel through Moses and then Joshua. Now let’s look at another example with Gideon. Judges 6:22-23, “Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, ‘Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.’” The Angel of the Lord is the Word, the Logos, the one who became Jesus. Next we have rebellious Israel’s relationship with God. They asked for a king against God’s will, but God is merciful. 1 Samuel 12:20, 22, “Then Samuel said to the people, ‘Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.’” We too make mistakes, but if we worship the Father and His Son, we do not need to be afraid that They will forsake us. Sometimes we have daunting circumstances, but if we please God, we don’t need to be afraid. For example, Saul was trying to kill David, but Jonathan told David he knew David would be the next king. 1 Samuel 23:16-17, “Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, ‘Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.’“ David as king of Israel told his son Solomon not to be fearful of the magnificent responsibility of building a temple for God. 1 Chronicles 28:19, “’All this,’ said David, ‘the Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.’ And David said to his son Solomon, ‘Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.’“ We too as Christians have a spiritual temple to build in our lives. God gives us the same message, do not fear the task, God will guide us in completing the work He has started in our lives.
Jesus' 39th Command — February 19, 2022
Honor your father and mother. While Jesus Himself did not make a declarative statement for this command, He does quote the Old Testament command. Matthew 15:3-4, “He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’” Jesus then chastises the Jewish leaders for their tradition that adult children didn’t have to help support their parents by saying their funds were dedicated for religious causes. Jesus then said, Matthew 15:6b, “… Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.” Here is another major consideration for Christians, do they follow the traditions and laws of men when they are contrary to the laws of God, or, do they obey the laws of God? Peter addressed this in Acts 5:29, “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’” One of the foundational commands, the fifth, is in Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” The apostle Paul calls attention to this command and emphasizes this is the only commandment of the ten that has a promised blessing. Ephesians 6:1-3, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’” In today’s modern world we are seeing the breakdown of the family due to many causes. We Christians should remember this command and grow and maintain strong family relationships, especially with our parents.
Promises of God, Salvation, Part 3 — February 12, 2022
Luke 3:6, “as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” Luke quotes Isaiah 40:3-5 to refer to the mission of John the Baptist in preparing the way for the Messiah Jesus Christ. The apostle John describes the eternal God-ship of Jesus before He became flesh and blood in the first chapter of his gospel. All for the goal John states in John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” Although the Jews did not understand, there are Old Testament prophecies that salvation would also come to the Gentiles through the Messiah. Luke quotes one of them from Isaiah 49:6 in Acts 13:47, “For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Peter spoke of salvation during the Jerusalem conference on circumcision. Acts 15:11, “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they [our forefathers].” Paul also states that salvation is for Gentiles. Romans 11:11, “I say then, have they [Israel] stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.” There are a few Old Testament scriptures and many New Testament scriptures that show us salvation is for all humans regardless of ancestry and the color of the skin. Peter states in Acts 10:34 that God does not show favoritism. And so does Paul, Romans 2:11, “For there is no respect of persons with God.” God does have a time order. God will show grace to different individuals at different times. Jesus Christ died for all human beings. Our Father’s desire is that all humans repent and accept Jesus as their Savior. 1 Tim 2:3-4, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men [humans] to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” In God’s Plan of Salvation every human will be given an opportunity for salvation, either in this lifetime or in a future opportunity.
Jesus’ 38th Command — February 5, 2022
Do not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:31-32, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” The meaning of these verses in a literal English translation from the Greek can be difficult to understand. Basically, the intent of the Greek is that if you sin against God in ignorance, you can be forgiven. But if one sins against God with understanding about God, whether one is converted or not, that is unforgiveable. This is usually referred to as the unpardonable sin. Another way to understand the unpardonable sin is to state that it is sin without repentance. God will forgive any and all sins when one repents. If someone refuses to repent, then God will not forgive and the end result of that is eternal death in the Lake of Fire. The Message paraphrase captures the intended meaning of these verses. “There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God’s Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives. If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you’re sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.” Paul committed grievous sins against God and Christians, yet he was forgiven. 1 Timothy 1:13, “although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” Paul states this in another way in Hebrews 10:26, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,”. God promises to forgive our sins if we truly repent from the heart. Let us close with one such scripture. 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Fear Not, Part 3 — January 29, 2022
It is very difficult to take over the responsibility a great person who was your predecessor and mentor. Such was the case with Joshua after Moses died. Think about how daunting a situation that would be for Joshua. God, therefore, encouraged Joshua and actually spoke to him. Joshua 1:1, 5-9, “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: … No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” God also told Joshua several times not to be afraid of the kings of Canaan. Let us look at a few. Joshua 8:1, “Now the Lord said to Joshua: 'Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.'” Concerning king Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem, God said, Joshua 10:8, “And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.’” Joshua imparted this same message to the captains of the Israeli army. Joshua 10:25, “Then Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.’” Latter, five city kings banded together to battle Israel. Same message from God. Joshua 11:6a, “But the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. …” While Joshua and Israel faced physical battles of warfare, we Christians have our own tests and trials and spiritual battles. Just like God encouraged Moses and Joshua to be strong and of good courage and not to be fearful or afraid, so the same message of encouragement applies to us.
Jesus’ 37th Command — January 22, 2022
Matthew 11:28-39, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The Message paraphrased Bible has an easier to understand clarification of these verses, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” There are many promises from God to take care of His servants, especially at the beginning of the Millennium. Let us look at one in Isaiah 55:1-3, “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—The sure mercies of David.” There is dual prophecy in Isaiah that can be applied to both Jesus’ first and second comings. Isaiah 61:1-3, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” At the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, John 7:37, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.’” We live in an carnal, evil world, but Jesus said His disciples could have peace in their lives. John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Some last words of encouragement for God’s people is found in Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” We live physical lives in a physical world where we all have tests and trials. Nevertheless, God promises us spiritual rest and peace even in this life. However, more importantly, eternal rest, harmony and love in the Kingdom of God to come.
Promises of God, Part 2, Salvation — January 15, 2022
This Sabbath let us continue our review of scriptures relative to the gift of salvation that the Father and Son want to give all of us. Regarding Zacchaeus the tax collector, Luke 19:9-10, “And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’” Jesus represented Himself as the Good Shepherd and the door to the sheepfold. John 10:9a, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, …” We can receive salvation, but only through the Name of Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Let us now look at several scriptures that the apostle Paul wrote on this subject. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” We are saved by grace. Romans 5:21, “so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 10:9, 10, 13, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” It is pretty simple in one sense. If we truly believe in our hearts that Jesus is our Savor, that He died for our sins and rose from the dead, and accordingly, live a good life, we will be saved and receive the gift of eternal life. That is a promise from God that cannot lie.
Fear Not, Part 2 — January 8, 2022
Last time on this topic, we reviewed the book of Genesis. This time let us review a few of the many scriptures where God told Israel not to fear when He brought them out of Egypt and led them in the wilderness. Exodus 14:13-15, “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.’” There are several good lessons for us today in these verses. We should not let fear rule our lives, but trust in God to help us. And then we should step forward in faith, trusting God to lead us and protect us. Exodus 20:20, “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.’” We don’t need to be afraid of God, but Moses is telling the Israelites and us, that we should have the type of fear that is a deep reverence and awe for God that will motivate us to avoid sin. God promised He would protect the Israelites if they obeyed Him and therefore they wouldn’t need to be afraid of any other nation. Leviticus 26:6, “ I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.” In addition to the many scriptures that tell us we don’t need to be afraid, there are many scriptures that tell us God will protect us. We’ll close with one. Psalm 32:7, “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah”
Jesus' 36th Command — January 1, 2022
Matthew 11:15, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” This command of Jesus can be restated simply as, “Listen to God’s voice.” Jesus repeated this command several times within different teachings. Jesus spoke in parables, making it difficult for people to understand the spiritual meaning of what He was preaching. Matthew 13:13, “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” Jesus had to explain the spiritual meaning to His disciples. Still, as He taught in public with parables, He often concluded with the same command. Matthew 13:9, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Matthew 13:43b, “… He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Mark also records Jesus as saying this several times. One such is Mark 4:23, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” “The Message” paraphrase has an interesting way of stating this, “Are you listening to this? Really listening?” For us to really listen and understand what Jesus preached, we must have the gift of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” We sometimes want big visible miracles to help us chose the correct path. But God usually doesn’t work that way. There is an interesting story of God teaching Elijah a lesson. 1 Kings 19:11-12, “Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” God was likely making a comparison to when He did speak to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai with fire, lighting and earthquakes. But God is making the point with Elijah that He uses different methods at different times, and regardless, we should listen to what God is trying to tell us. The apostle Paul warns of a time when even Christians will not listen to God. 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” We will conclude in Revelation. Seven times to each of the seven churches God says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Let us notice that God tells us to listen to all seven messages to each of the churches. Are we listening? Really listening?