Sound Teaching

We just celebrated our 250th birthday as a nation on July 4th. If you are like many, it was probably a enjoyable day of family, patriotism and fireworks. It is also an opportunity for reflection for the child of God. Consider what crossed my mind on that day.

I am amazed at the size of the celebrations. They went all out in Washington D.C. with a speech from the President, the honoring of centenarian veterans of World War II, and what was billed as the biggest fireworks display ever in the history of the world! (President Trump likes big things).

Debbie and I went with six of our grandkids (and their parents) to a bridge near downtown Fort Worth to watch our city’s fireworks display. There were hundreds of people on that bridge watching with us. I wondered what it would be like if I had the opportunity to talk to so many non-Christians at one time about our Lord. Continue reading “Observations About the Fourth” →

In Jesus’ sermon on the mount we read His teaching on the subject of swearing (5:33-37). By this we do not mean profanity, which is condemned elsewhere in scripture (Colossians 3:8).

What is under consideration is the taking of an oath to establish the verity of your words. This was actually a practice that had authority under the Old Covenant. “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Numbers 30:2).

In Jesus’ time swearing was a common practice among both Jews and Gentiles. Vows were not made solely in God’s name, but by physical things, as alluded to by Jesus in (5:34-36): heaven, earth, Jerusalem, even by your own head. Continue reading “Swear Not At All” →

In verses 1-5 the Hebrew writer described the earthly tabernacle and its furnishings. In verses 6-10, he describes the actions of the priests as they ministered in that holy place under the law of Moses.

The sanctuary, the holy place, was a location of daily worship. The lamp was trimmed, incense was burned, and the shewbread was renewed each Sabbath day.

The holiest of all, behind the veil where the ark of the covenant resided could only be entered by the High Priest. He entered this sacred place once a year to offer blood sacrifices for himself and the people on the Day of Atonement.

This prohibition against entering was symbolic regarding our access to God. It is only under the New Covenant that the Holiest of All can be entered by God’s people. This is the victory of Jesus Christ. Through Him we can come “boldly to the throne of grace” (4:16).

The sacrifices and ministrations of the old covenant, which can not bring perfection, are no longer valid. The time of reformation has come!

In 1 Corinthians 14:36-37, the apostle Paul had an interesting question he asked the Christians there, “Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”

The Corinthians were altering their worship. The church had begun in Jerusalem, and spread outward. A model of worship had been established. And now they were changing it. And Paul was letting them know it was wrong for them to do so. His pen had a real bite!

In effect, by changing the worship, with the confusion it was causing, and the arrogance they were showing, they were sinning. They were doing something of their own invention. So, Paul asked, Do you really think that you are the originators of God’s word? Or did God only send His messages to you? The answer of course, is no!

So, Paul wanted them to realize their ignorance! They were practicing their own desires rather than acknowledging, as Paul wrote, that his epistles contained, “the commandments of the Lord.” May we all study God’s word, and submit to God’s commandments in scripture. Jesus is our Lord. We have no business changing His will!

The text of 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 is examined to show what a convicted child of God should be and is!

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We know that truth (no matter the discipline) is objective. Truth is defined by Webster: “the body of real things, events, and facts; the real facts about something; the state of being the case.”

It can be simple or complex mathematics, scientific discovery, or spiritual truth. In all cases it is real and certain. Let’s give an example. Some people claim the earth is a flat, stationary disk with the North Pole at its center and Antarctica functioning as an ice wall around the edges. The recent scientific achievement of Artemis II (the trip to the moon) was accomplished by knowing the true nature of the earth. Further, photographs clearly show the spherical nature of the earth. It is a fact. (Actually a fact that has been known for hundreds of years, despite the claims of the Flat Earth Society).

When we get into the realm of religion, people deny that objective truth still remains. People began to claim that “your truth is different from my truth.” This type of Postmodern thinking is unacceptable to most, except when it comes to God. But it must be noted that thinking the earth is flat does not make it so. Thinking 2+2=5 does not make it so. And thinking that there is no objective truth about God and His will for man does not make it so! Continue reading “The Objective Truth of God” →

In Mark 10 (as well as Matthew 19 and Luke 18) we read of a rich ruler who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. It is evident that Jesus knew what was in the man’s heart. He knew that the man’s riches were a problem for him. After a short conversation he answered the man’s question with these words: “One thing you lack: God your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me” (21). This brought sorrow to the man despite his devotion and sincerity, as he was unwilling to put the Lord (and eternal life) ahead of his great possessions. Continue reading “The Problem with Money” →

This chapter begins a comparison between the two covenants. The first five verses deal with the earthly sanctuary and the priestly service rendered under the old. Then the Hebrew writer begins to compare that with what is in existence today under the new and better covenant.
Concerning verses 1-5, the tabernacle is discussed. It was the dwelling place of God under the old covenant until Solomon’s temple was built.

In addition to the outer court, the tabernacle had a tent with two compartments. The sanctuary which was entered daily by the priests in their ministry. The inner sanctum called the Holiest of All that contained the ark of the covenant. This was where God dwelt, between the cherubim, on the mercy seat (the lid of the ark). Into it only the high priest entered, and then only once a year.

The Hebrew writer describes both the tabernacle and its furnishings. It was not his intent to delve deeply into these things. “Of these things we cannot now speak in detail” (5). His purpose was to present them, and then contrast them with the spiritual aspects of Jesus’ rule as high priest, that they might see the differences, and note the superiority of the new.

In Deuteronomy 17:9-10, the Lord told the children of Israel, “And you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge there in those days, and inquire of them; they shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment. You shall do according to the sentence which they pronounce upon you in that place which the Lord chooses. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they order you.”

The problem in Israel was the man “who acts presumptuously and will not heed the priest who stands to minister there before the Lord you God, or the judge, that man shall die” (12). The Hebrew word here translated presumptuously, (z??ôn) is tied to the concept of pride or arrogance. An insolent man.

Here is the problem of our time (as with any other) – men who pridefully determine to do their own will. To do as they please, rejecting and/or ignoring God’s will for them. God says that man would die. He told the Jews, “So you shall put away the evil from Israel. And all the people shall hear and fear, and no longer act presumptuously” (12-13).

We are told in the new covenant, “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6). Each us must humble ourselves to the will of the Almighty!

There is a difference between the traditions of men, and Divine traditions. It is a difference that we must be able to discern to please Him. (Mark 7:1-13)

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Anyone who has read the apostle Paul’s letters know him to be a man of great passion. He loved his brethren deeply, and dearly wished them to be strong and fruitful children of God. This is seen in his admonitions and in his entreaties. One of the phrases we see time and time again in his epistles is “I beseech you…”, or some variant. “I am pleading with you”, “I appeal to you”, “I urge you.”

The word beseech is used by Paul in the sense of begging or entreating. There is a difference in emphasis with asking as opposed to begging. Begging indicates a desperation for that proper response. Paul understood how important all of this was and is, and was figuratively (and maybe even literally) willing to get down on his knees and beg for his brethren to do what was right!

Consider: Continue reading “I Beseech You” →

King Jehoash (Joash) began to rule in Judah at age seven, after his grandmother Athaliah had killed all the other sons of his father Ahaziah, and took the throne at Ahaziah’s death. As an infant he had escaped the fate of the other royal heirs, because he was hidden by his aunt when the murders took place. Athaliah ruled Judah for six years before she was killed by a coup led by the priest Jehoiada.

Obviously a seven year old could not reign without help. The priest was his advisor for much of his reign of forty years. But not all of it. In the majority of his reign he was a good king. He is noted especially for the repair and restoration of the temple (originally built by Solomon) which had been neglected. The two histories of Jehoash in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles had this to say:

“Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him” (2 Kings 12:2).

“Joash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest” (2 Chronicles 24:2). Continue reading “Receiving Instruction” →