The Teacher

The invitation was received not on parchment but by word of mouth. There was no need to RSVP, no need to worry over fancy dress or pristine trousers, polished shoes, nor styled hair. Come as you are, come one, come all the words rang out and curiousity offered its soft embrace gently drawing many.

The podium was a large gray rock with a soft patch of moss on the northern side and a worn crevice used as a step to attain a likely perch on the opposite side. No one sat, nor stood upon the boulder as of yet while people began to gather in a large circle around its central impressive, if yet vacant, figure.


"We are here to listen to the miracle worker, do you think he'll perform?"

"Of course, I'm counting on it."

"He best, else why would I be here?"

"What miracles will he do?"

"He heals."

"And others?"

"He feeds."

"Is there more?"

"He raised the dead."

"Ahhhh, are we sure he's real?"

"I'll believe it all when I see it."

"Shhhhh... here He comes!"


The man walked forward as the crowd parted and his expression was one of care. He had a soft smile for a child nestled against a mother's side and a gentle nod towards a very old man squinting to see him clearly. For those whose gaze touched His own they saw a tenderness, a kindness completely unassuming as it was offered so naturally, so freely.


Easy ascent up the natural stone step upon the boulder and the man carefully settled himself down with a happy sigh.


He didn't take long but began to speak and instantly his voice carried across the gathered throng, his words powerful.


And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.


And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.


No miracles needed the words were enough as they cut to the heart of the listeners. No miracles as each word like a drop of water on a parched tongue pierced the great soul thirst of those hearing him speak. These words were truth as never before spoken. The multitude were ready to follow this man...


...are you?

Confessed before Angels

Luk 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
Luk 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.


Confessed before the angels of God.
Denied before the angels of God.


Confessed Jesus before men.
Deny Jesus before men.


Where do you stand in that picture? We have to ask ourselves the question don't we? Do we acknowledge Jesus before others? Do we deny Jesus before others? We want to be acknoweldge before the angels of God by Jesus don't we? I know I do. Do I feel worthy? Do I believe I've confess my Savior enough before others? Is there such a thing as enough? Have I denied Jesus before others? If I have may God please by the grace of our Lord, forgive me.

Thy Will

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.


Not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven.


We don't want to think about that do we. Watching television and going to movies we are convinced that everyone goes on to a BETTER place. Or that people go on to a better or WORSE place upon death. To the bright light, which is good or to terror and darkness, which is bad. The Bible doesn't promote these beliefs and yet people will say they do.


Upon death we sleep but... the very next thing we'll know will be that we rise up and are changed to immortality or we rise up only to eventually die eternally without ever waking again. So yes, in a way there will be eternal light or eternal nothingness waiting for everyone of us after death's sleep whether it's a person who died 6000 years ago or the day before Christ returns the waking from death's sleep is when we all meet our eternal fate.


Jesus plainly stated, NOT EVERYONE will enter the kingdom of heaven... those who do enter are those who do the WILL of His Father in heaven. We must do the will of God, we must live our lives with God's will being done in us. The Lord's Prayer, a common passage from the Bible even talks of God's will.


Luk 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Luk 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
Luk 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.


Thy will be done.


Yes, Lord THY will be done now and always by the mercy and grace of our Savior may Your will be done in us.


Amen.

Consent Not

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.


Pro 1:10-19


Consent not.


Have you ever gone against your better judgment in situations where others are tempting you to do things that are inappropriate? Have you ever gone along with others at their urging to do something wrong? Seriously. Have you been guilty of this on a lesser level than robbery? In small things do we consent to sinners when we're enticed by them? When we know right from wrong, when our hearts convict us of right from wrong and yet we still do things unbecoming of a Christian, what does that say? Our faith is weak? We are weak? We are treading on dangerous ground when we follow a path that isn't of God and we know it. But to live in this world today it seems like it is the ONLY path to follow unless we run to the hills to become hermits without any outside influences to tempt us in the ways of the world.


Paul talked about how it was better to remain unmarried because the heart could be fully God's that way and not torn between God and an ungodly spouse. The Bible says how it's better to lose everything and gain eternity. The Word also says the way is narrow. We are told that mothers, brother, sisters, fathers, daughters and sons will all be capable of pulling us from the right way. Yet we don't want to think of things like that, we just don't. We want to believe we can have it all and yet with it all comes a lot of compromising and we try to believe the compromises will be accepted, that God will understand.


In our weekly Bible study we talked about how narrow the path is and how few that are going to find it and it's no wonder at all is it. In a delusional mind, in a mind clouded by half-truths and false hopes people believe they're good and they're going to heaven no matter what but the Bible paints a different story. The words came from our Savior's lips--


Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.


FEW. This is from our Savior Himself! FEW. So why do so many have the attitude that it's easy and everyone will eventually find eternal life?


Proverbs 1:10-19 talks about temptation to evil... about consenting to sinners enticing. By the grace of God may we NOT consent and by His grace may we not be the ones doing the tempting. May we seek the Lord and the narrow way the strait gate, may we find life in Him and Him alone in love. By His mercy.


Amen.

'...but fools despise wisdom and instruction'

Pro 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
Pro 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
Pro 1:3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
Pro 1:4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
Pro 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
Pro 1:6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

*******

Fools despise wisdom and instruction.


wisdom-


H2451
chokma?h
khok-maw'
From H2449; wisdom (in a good sense): - skillful, wisdom, wisely, wit.


instruction-


H4148
mu?sa?r
moo-sawr'
From H3256; properly chastisement; figuratively reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint: - bond, chastening ([-eth]), chastisement, check, correction, discipline, doctrine, instruction, rebuke.


Not many people truly consider themselves foolish. Oh, some might like to "act" the fool, but in "acting" they are only pretending to be the fool, playing the part of a fool to get laughs and whatnot. But a person never likes to consider themselves a real fool, a person who is by definition someone who is deficient in judgment, acting unwisely. Yet how many people despise wisdom and instruction? How many people abhor being chastized or corrected? People don't like being corrected because they feel they are being called stupid, they are being made to look the fool because they NEED correction. Needing correction means you were doing something wrong and who likes to be thought of as doing wrong, of being unwise.


Sure we have criminals who spend their lives in wrong doing yet to them they justify their deeds in one way or another. That criminal would even despise instruction and chastizing by being told they are committing their atrocities in a less effiecent manner. Forget the fact the act itself is wrong, they wouldn't want to be criticized on how they go about doing their wrong.


I know I don't like being made to look like a fool and I feel foolish and laughed at, ridiculed, when I'm caught even innocently doing something unintentionally stupid. It's no wonder we are told this--


'...but fools despise wisdom and instruction'


It's easy to despise wisdom and instruction when it makes you appear like a fool, and yet you are a fool in despising wisdom and instruction.


Yes, on the surface that seems like a very good proverb there and we readily agree to it but at the same time it's sooooooo incredibly easy to to just that- despise wisdom and instruction because being full of pride we never like being wrong and worse yet, we never like being laughed at and made to feel a fool, to feel stupid, by others when we are wrong.


The other day I mentioned that it's hard not to consider myself stupid when I'm constantly reminded of my failings and ridiculed for them- even if the one doing the ridiculing isn't doing so with malicious intent but rather for self-amusement. Perhaps I need to contemplate more this saying - 'but fools despise wisdom and instruction', and when the instruction comes as it always does as it points out my failings, I should just by the grace of God be thankful for the instruction and pray that I learn from my mistakes not despising the wisdom and instruction.


In an ideal world people wouldn't be amused at the foolishness of others, they wouldn't laugh at each others mistakes making the person feel deficient, but we CAN'T change anyone else, we can't even really change ourselves, we need to seek Christ and pray He changes us to be the people He would have us be in Him. Wishing others were different means wishing we ourselves were different because we are all guilty of also being the one instigation another's despising of wisdom and instruction.


By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, In His love now and forever.


Amen.

Scriptures

Jesus spoke of searching the scriptures-


Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.


He was talking about the old testament at the time, the only scriptures that existed. Some will argue that He was also including the new testament scriptures, prophesizing of a future time when the scriptures would include the words written after His life on earth. They could be right but Jesus meant ALL the scriptures. I think people like to neglect the old testament as something Jesus did away with but it's not true. Jesus is found in the old testament.


Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.


Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound


But not only in these verses-- Jesus told us this--


Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.


If we know Jesus we know the Father. There is no disputing the old testament reveals the Father, and in truth it reveals Jesus. Jesus reflects His Father, the ways of Jesus don't supercede the ways of the Father it only reveals them more fully. We need to study ALL scripture not pick and choose one testament over another. Jesus tells us this...


Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.


And we better listen to Him and search! We need to grow ever closer to Jesus, ever closer to the Lord, ever closer to the Father for only in growing closer to them do we learn of them and they know us as well.


By the grace and mercy of Jesus may we search, may we seek Him who is the Way the Truth, and the Life. In His righteousness now and always!


Amen.

Love His Appearing

2Timothy 4:8 (KJV) Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.


We aren't given a crown of righteousness while here on earth but the crown is laid up for us and it's a crown the Lord, our righteous judge, will give to us.


1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.


Think about it... there are a countless number of people who put themselves through rigourous training to get a corruptible crown. Countless train all around the world to compete in competitions and in the end there is only one winner in each race. One person out of many that have put themselves through almost torturous training just to gain something that isn't eternal. How much more should we who want to win the ultimate race train to obtain the prize, the crown of Jesus' righteousness. No, I'm not condoning a work for salvation attitude at all, but a spiritual training- seeking Christ the author and finisher of our faith.


Lam 5:16 The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!


We have no crowns here and now, not one.


We can obtain a crown, we can be winners, victors in life all through Christ!


Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.


Promised to them that love him. Given unto ALL them also that love his appearing. Our love for the Lord has to be a real viable thing. Our love has to be something tangible to Him. Do we want the Lord to appear? The facts of the matter are that He will return and we who wish to be with Him will LOVE his appearing- not fear it, not loathe for it to happen, no dreading that day. The question was asked recently about how I'd feel about Christ's coming, am I ready for it and truthfully the answer to that is - I am ready but only by Christ's righteousness not because I've obtain some special place in my life that leaves me believing I'm sinless, God forbit that I ever believe I'm at that place. My Savior is my hope I'm not my own hope. Am I ready for Christ to return to take us home with Him- yes, as long as being ready means knowing it's by His amazing grace and righteousness, through His mercy and love that I can live with Him.


Come Lord Jesus, come Son of God, Son of Man, come Savior, come Messiah, come soon Your appearing is the only thing in life worth living for, nothing earthly, nothing corruptible gives us the hope of eternal life in love with You.


Amen.