Observation

Observations; Matthew chapter 9

A thing or two that I noticed in this chapter is in verse 18.This is where a ruler came to Jesus and worshiped him and ask Jesus to come and lay his hand upon his daughter so that she might live.

Matt. 9:18 – “lay your hand upon her and she shall live.”

Jesus proceeded to the home and on the way a woman touched the hem of his garment.

Matt. 9:20 – “touched the hem of His garment.”

Matt. 9:21 – “For she said within herself, If I may but touch the hem of His garment, I shall be whole.”

Each of these were looking for a physical touch of the Lord. If you notice what Jesus said to the woman, “thy faith made thee whole.” With the maid, she could not express her faith or acknowledge the presence of Jesus. The father expressed his faith through worship and the confidence expressed by the statement “lay your hand upon her.” It was not the touch of Jesus. It was the faith exhibited by two people. One had faith that God could heal his daughter by laying his hand on her. The lady had the faith that touching the hem of His garment. It was not the touch that healed. It was the faith that each had. It is the same with salvation. Our faith makes us whole, healed of the disease of sin. Faith in the Lord cleanses us and makes us fit subjects of heaven.

NEARING THE END: BROKEN BANDS AND CASTAWAY CORDS

William Andrew Dillard

Observance of prophecy being fulfilled is most interesting, but it is a complicated process to understand and watch. It is seeing mankind in a continual slide away from God, and the principles of what is right to embrace those of selfishness and sensuality. But these have been long described as monuments of the end of the age.
In the words of Psalm 2:1, “Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?” What they produce is indeed vanity, and the sinful imaginations of a people in full scale rejection of their Creator. Satanic influence leads them as blind men down the road of false promise to an apex of depraved fulfillment that can never be. In the process, wholesale numbers in the human sea press onward, presenting a formidable challenge to authority.
Numbered among the human sea are those who desire to remain in authority. It is the kings and rulers who then take counsel together. Their counsel is against the LORD (Jesus) and His anointed (His bride, the church, the pillar and ground of the truth).
Their consensus is to break away from Judeo/Christian ethics, and the teachings of the Word, the same Word by which they have authority in the first place, (Rom. 13). As they cast away all attachments to the LORD and His anointed, the proverbial tail wags the dog, so that there remain no standards by which right and wrong are discriminated, and wrongdoing justly rewarded due punishment.
The latest step in the process of authority rejection gained impetus in the unjust death of one George Floyd of Minnesota. The sea of humanity who did not know or have empathy for the murdered man seized upon the act to advance the lawless process. They rioted and looted in major cities to clamor for the dismantling of police departments.
They will succeed in increments. It is a slow, but methodical process, and one more step toward a human quagmire is accomplished. God will laugh, having them in their derision. In the LORD’S wrath, He will vex them in His sore displeasure. Psalm 2:4-5.
We have been there before. Just note Judges 17 and 21, “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” It did not work out well then, and it will never do so in the future. Although Satan is the god of this present evil world system, God remains in control of its ultimate outcome. Solomon said in Proverbs 12:15, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes. . . “ Wise men learn from history.

Science and Jesus

Passwords

The password to heaven is JESUS.

THE ROCKS CRY OUT

As Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, the disciples of Jesus were saying, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord” peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.”

This did not make the Pharisees happy at all. They even demanded that Jesus rebuke the disciples.

Jesus answer to them was recorded in Luke 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Let me run back in history a little bit, all the way back to Amos 1:1 – The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

The Jordan River Valley is not just the place where the Jordan River flows. The valley exists because it is an active geological fault. It is the joint between two great continental plates. The west of the river is the African plate, and the east of the river is the Arabian plate. This fault gave the river a place to flow.

Like all geological faults, the Jordan Valley is a hotspot for earthquakes, and the Bible describes many of them. Perhaps the most devastating happened during the lifetime of Amos, which left a mark on the archaeology of the entire region. Ancient historian Josephus reports that Solomon’s Temple itself was damaged in the quake. Josephus also reported a mountain splitting in two with a giant rock tumbling into a ravine. Imagine the sound that this movement of the land would make. Massive rocks grinding and tumbling and cracking.

We find Jesus on the cross and find His disciples silent. Jesus statement comes to mind that the “stones would immediately cry out.” In the silence of His disciples Jesus voice carried across the crowd, “my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. And then again He called out again, “It is finished, and immediately, according to Matthew 27:51 the earth did quake. The stones themselves broke the silence of the disciples and opened graves, a testimony that Jesus was the Son of God. This testimony by the grinding upheaval of stones witnessed to the centurion and those with him. Matt. 27:54 records their reaction. “they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. The silence of disciples cannot mute the testimony of Jesus Christ the Son of God. The stones cry out.

Three days later as women headed to the tomb, there was another earthquake. This was not a somber quake that announced the death of the Savior. No, this earth quake that is recorded in Matthew 28:1,2 announces life. This is an announcement of victory over death, hell and the grave. This is the announcement that the price had been paid. This announced the pouring of the blood of Jesus Christ on the heavenly mercy seat. This is a quake of Joy, Redemption and justification. Let us not fail in crying out – HE LIVES.

IMAGES AND SUPERSCRIPTIONS OF THE ALMIGHTY

William Andrew Dillard

That mankind is made in the image and likeness of his Creator: body, mind, and spirit, has been a major preachment in ministry, both of myself, and of others who were studied, Bible preachers. It was therefore a special joy to me to hear Brother Don McCutcheon deliver a strong message on this point from Matthew 22:15-21. How many times have I read the twenty-second chapter of Matthew, and simply passed on with a visualization of what is right to offer to God from our material blessings. Of course, it is right to do that, but so much more is brought home here, and I feel certain the Pharisees and Herodians got the point.
There, on the coin, the tempters presented to Jesus in their attempt to entangle Him in his talk, was exactly what one might expect: a line-drawing likeness of Caesar with letters above identifying him as the emperor and authority of the Roman empire. The question posed was, “Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar, or not?” In addition to calling them what they were (nothing wrong with that), Jesus asked for a piece of the tribute they were talking about. When a coin was produced, Jesus simply asked whose image and superscription was upon it. When Caesar was so identified, the answer was brilliant and obvious: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s: and unto God the things that are God’s.”
But are not all things God’s? “All things were made by Him; and without him was not anything made that was made,” John 1:3 tells us. But this was a pitting of material things vs spiritual things, and the answer of Jesus turned it back on the hypocrites. The producer of the coin was Caesar, and the Roman Empire as attested by the image and superscription. So render such to him. Then what is to be rendered to God? The same thing! That is, render to God the bearer of His image and superscription which is yourself: the crowning act of creation as noted in Genesis 1:26-27: mankind! To be in the image of God necessitates a trinity: mind, body, and spirit. This is what Paul affirmed in I Thessalonians 5:23, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Every person is to give himself to God! Friends, when that is done, there will be no dilemma or argumentation of what else should be given to God.
Think about it! You are the image and superscription of God! Then, render unto God the things that are God’s!

“What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give Him a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part.—-
But what I can, I give Him,
Give my heart.”
Christina G. Rossetti, 1830-1894

Action Words From the Weeper to the Sleeper

William Andrew Dillard
From the pages of long, long ago there is preserved for us the words of our kind, loving God through His prophet Jeremiah. “Thus saith the Lord, ‘Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls, But they said, We will not walk therein.’” Jer. 6:16. This verse is literally packed with action words that command attention. Here is a closer look.
“Stand.” The ancient word is “Amad,” and is used some 500 times or more in the Old Testament. Over 350 of those times it is translated “Stand,” “Stood,” or “Stand up.” In the world of convictions, it means to hold tenaciously.
“See.” The Hebrew word is “Raah,” meaning to have vision, perceive, regard, consider, watch, and other synonyms.
“Ask” Here, the word is “Sha’al,” meaning to request, enquire, seek desire.
“Walk.” The Hebrew word is “Yalak,” and means to go, come, proceed, live life.
“Find” is “Matsa.” it means to attain to, secure, get, acquire.
Thus did Jeremiah, in tears, appeal to a stiff-necked people, “Stand up, [even hold tenaciously to convictions] in the ways [of God]; see [consider, regard, perceive, and have vision] and ask, [enquire, seek, desire, and request] for the old paths wherein is the good way, and walk, [proceed to live the manner of life] therein, and he shall find {attain to, secure, get, acquire] rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein.”
What a powerful appeal of promise to a wayward, but covenant people whose path had long since left the ways of God. Furthermore, the timing was so crucial. Judah was about to go into Babylonian captivity, and they were so cold and backslidden that they were not touched in heart and mind at the appeal of God, but rejected the kindness of their loving Creator while treating His weeping prophet despitefully. They refused to be blessed by turning from their sinful, prideful ways of life.
One cannot meditate on the problems of National Judah in the days of Jeremiah without drawing a parallel vision of modern churches. Although there are many who love the Lord and seek to worship Him correctly, while waiting patiently upon His return, there are so many who have given themselves over to materialism, socialism, and other sins of the modern era. It is heartbreaking. Still, prayers are offered that all who love the Lord will follow the mandates of Jeremiah 6:16,. The time is short, and ears are dull of hearing. It remains that each of us will be found as a weeper over the plight of others, or a sleeper, unaware of the impending judgment: that of Christ’s return for Christians, and the Great White Throne for others. It is so much better to be a weeper than a sleeper!

Have a Nap

Doubt

Matthew 14:31; Mark 4:40; Luke 24;25

Here is a time that many people, those faithful and those not faithful, remember and refer to Peter walking on the water. He has just finished seeing Jesus take 2 fish and 5 biscuits and feed a multitude. He has also seen the healing and miracles performed by Jesus. He now sees an apparition in the midst of the storm that was threatening the ship that he was in. Peter experiences fear. We are told that the disciples cried out with fear. They knew that no ordinary man could walk on water. Jesus replied, “Be of Good cheer; it is I, be not afraid.” We have fear and doubt. There is a difference between fear and doubt. Doubt is a lack of trust. Peter replied, “if it is you bid me come to you on the water, Jesus said, come.” In faith and without doubt, Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking on the water. When he realized what was happening, he started to doubt. Doubt defeats. Jesus said to Peter, “wherefore didst thou doubt? Notice the lack of trust in Jesus expressed on the circumstances.

Fear can bring doubt. Our relationship is built on faith. We are saved through faith. Notice that statement. We are saved by faith and become a “new man in Christ.” Then we are to step out in faith trusting the Lord to lead us. There are times that we are like Peter and exhibit exuberance and plunge in and follow. Then we realize we have never done this before and fear starts to set in. That is when we start to doubt. When Peter realized he had never walked on water before, he experienced fear and started to doubt Jesus. Jesus said in Mark, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?”

Jesus then says to them, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:” We have all we need to serve the Lord in Spirit and in Truth. Why do we hesitate? Do we experience fear in our lives as we try to serve the Lord? Does that bring us to doubt the Lord and His ability to keep us, guide us and protect us? Does fear bring doubt in witnessing to others? Luke 12:5 leaves us with the idea we should only fear God. 2Ti_1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 1Jn_4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

The Finest Day