Posts Tagged ‘ pharisee ’

Tweets & Rants 8 March 2013: Matthew 23:25-39; Romans 6:1-14; Psalm 55; Numbers 18-20

believes that Jesus’ kept His word, Jerusalem was burned to the ground by the Roman in 70AD. Mat 23:36 @WeeManWest

believes the context for Matthew 24 is Matthew 23, Jesus was speaking specifically about that generation of Jerusalemites. @WeeManWest

Matthew 23:25 The Pharisees made an outward show of religion, but on the inside they were a mess. Jesus says they were full of greed and self-indulgence. True religion is free from greed and self-indulgence.

Do we have greed? Are we prone to indulge our own selfish desires at the expense of others? We may very well have a little Pharisee within us as well.

Matthew 23:28 The Pharisees inner problems also consisted of hypocrisy and lawlessness. They were outwardly the keepers and enforcers of the law and yet inwardly they were the hypocrite, breaking the very law they punished others for not keeping.

Churches are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. We ourselves are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. The rules always seem to point and apply to someone other than ourselves.

Matthew 23:32 They did indeed spend the next 40 years filling up the measure of their fathers guilt in their persecution of the church.

 Matthew 23:35 The sentence of blood vengeance was soon to come upon Jerusalem. As a matter of fact they would ask for it as Jesus stood before Pilate.

Matthew 23:36 The vengeance of God did come upon that generation as the entire city was burned down in 70AD by the Romans.

Matthew 23:38 Jesus speaks to this city that killed prophets and stones those sent. This same city is the one that Jesus had spoken about in several parables. Jesus now promises that it was going to be left desolate. His word came true in 70AD.

Romans 6:4 We have new life for we have been raised in Christ Jesus’ resurrection. We share in His resurrection just as we share in His death. Sin is inescapable otherwise.

Romans 6:7 We cannot understand Paul’s point unless we grasp the full weight of this statement. We absolutely cannot be set free from our sins unless we die. The law carries weight while we live. So how do we die and find this freedom? We die on the cross in Christ.

However, we were also raised from death in Christ. He is the first resurrection. He is the firstfruits. We share in the first resurrection in Him and as Paul describes in Ephesians, we reign in Him as well.

Romans 6:11 Paul says we must, by faith, consider ourselves to have been dead in Christ and raised from the dead in Christ if we are ever going to have power to be set free from our sin. We share in Christ’s resurrection which Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15 as the firstfruits and the first resurrection. Please don’t miss the powerful value of the experience you have shared in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:14 Sin only loses dominion when we die as Paul just wrote in verse 7. Sin will have no dominion over us who have escaped from the law through death and resurrection. We are no longer under the law by grace through faith.

Psalm 55:13 One of the most destructive trials we can endure is the trial of betrayal. Betrayal cuts us to our very heart.

Psalm 55:21 This is a fitting description of how the betrayer’s speech is so painful to endure. While they appear to be with you and on your side they are instead drawing a sword against you.

Psalm 55:22 Do we have this assurance today? We must trust that God will keep us as His own, that He will never allow us to be moved away from Him.

Numbers 18:19 All the holy contributions given to the Lord at the Tabernacle belong to the priests and levites for their food.

Numbers 18:20 The priests and Levites are not to own land among Israel for God Himself is their portion. They are His and He is theirs.

Numbers 18:26 The priests and Levites were to present to the Lord a tithe of the tithe, basically, a tenth of the holy gifts.

Numbers 19:9 Here we see that the ashes of a flawless red heifer were required for the water of purification.

Numbers 19:12 If someone became unclean because of a dead body they would have to be washed on the 3rd and the 7th day. We have a picture of the dual resurrection. The first resurrection is Christ and us in Christ by grace through faith, the second is on the last day at His return.

Numbers 20:12 Moses and Aaron are now disqualified and will not lead Israel into the promised land. They honored themselves by saying they would bring water out of the rock and then hitting it rather than speaking to the rock as God had commanded.

2013
03/08
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Radical Rants
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Tweets & Rants 15 February 2013: Matthew 16:1-12; Acts 22; Psalm 37:1-22; Exodus 35-37

needs to have pity on those who may be materially prosperous and yet underneath are spiritually bankrupt. Psa 37:1 @WeeManWest

Matthew 16:3 I believe it was very clear to the Pharisees and Sadducees at this point exactly whom Jesus was. They now seek a heavenly sign as though the works Jesus was doing and the words He was teaching were not enough.

We are so apt at interpreting things in this physical world, yet we neglect the spiritual world. We neglect the spiritual things going on in our midst that God wants to use to speak to us. We don’t want to do the hard work involved in building a relationship with God through daily investigation and time. We want the easy way. We want a sign from heaven.

They would receive only this sign of Jonah, just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish and came out, so also would Jesus be in the belly of the earth and come out.

Matthew 16:7 The disciples thought Jesus’ was questioning them about their lack of bread when instead He is pointing out the corrupt nature of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus’ focus with the disciples was on their spiritual discipline. He was pointing them away from the spiritually dead and dangerous teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

He had provided bread for thousands on two separate occasions. He was well capable of providing for their physical provision. He knew that the more important issue for them would be spiritual provision and that only comes with seeking.

Acts 22:22 What a terrible response by the Jews?! Paul was giving his testimony and yet because he had been sent among the Gentiles to preach the Gospel he was worthy of death!

Religion is again clouding the minds of the people of Jerusalem. The Law doesn’t perpetually forbid the Gentiles from the people of God. Yet these Jews wanted nothing more than to see Paul slain for trying to reach the Gentiles.

Psalm 37:1 Admittedly it is very challenging to not be envious of evildoers. When we are honest about it we must admit that generally wrongdoers tend to prosper materially in this world.

Yet, we know their end. Rather than our envy they should have our pity and compassion. Though they may be materially prosperous they are spiritually bankrupt.

Psalm 37:4 I believe that so many people miss the very plain and simple truth of this verse. We must consider that just before it contextually David precedes this statement with challenges for us to trust in the Lord, do good, dwell, and befriend faithfulness. He then begins this statement with delight in the Lord.

What we can’t miss is that God’s greatest desire for us is not material prosperity but instead spritual prosperity. God wants the desires of our hearts to be God centered. If in our hearts, we desire His will, He will give us His will.

This verse doesn’t mean that if you desire a new car or house that you will get a new car or house.

Psalm 37:7 Patience is definitely a virtue. God so desires to bring His best into our lives. Unfortunately we see someone plotting and prospering and then we begin to plot so that maybe we can prosper.

Sometimes the only answer is to be still before God and wait patiently for Him. Just as the Israelites were told to be still at the banks of the Red Sea and wait for God’s deliverance. They weren’t to build boats and rafts, they weren’t to begin swimming lessons…they were to wait!

We don’t like to wait. We believe that we’ve been given a particular skill set so that we can make our own way. So often we do so and miss God’s best for our lives.

Psalm 37:13 The wicked have this world for their own plots. Yet, no matter how cleverly devised their plans are the Lord will hold final judgment. He knows their end and so should we.

Exodus 35:3 I believe that if one is going to “keep” the Sabbath and condemn everyone else for not “keeping” the Sabbath then I would expect that one to not even start their automobile on the Sabbath…or their oven…or turn on a light switch for that matter!

Exodus 36:6 I can’t help but wonder on the principle herein. God motivated the people to give in accord with His will. Do we ever stop to ask about our unfunded ventures if maybe God hasn’t put that into the hearts of the people to be done? Maybe God is setting the principle in place, maybe not.

I think our federal, state, and local governments would be wise to heed such a matter. Only do the public works that the public is willing to fund. I think this would balance the budget and would eliminate debt.

2013
02/15
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Radical Rants
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