Myth, 101

 ~ Intelligent People Don’t Read The Bible ~

Myth  ~  This is a snobbish position held by some who are not open-minded.  Like many urban legends this does have an element of truth which the Bible recognizes.

Scripture  ~  “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.  But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.  But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption — that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

Comment  ~  One of the Queens of England held this Scripture as her favorite.  She remarked that she was so thankful for the “m” in the passage.  The fact that it read “not Many noble” as opposed to “not any noble.” 

Truth  ~  Many of the most intelligent people have and do read, study, and believe the Bible.    

Examples  ~  “The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will [may] make you an atheist, but at that bottom of the glass, God is waiting for you.” –Werner Heisenberg (father of Quantum Physics)

“If you study science deep enough and long enough, it will force you to believe in God.” –Lord William Kelvin

“The more we get to know about our universe, the more the hypothesis about a Creator gains in credibility as the best explanation of why we are here.” –Dr. John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics, Oxford University.

“This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.” –Isaac Newton (The Principia: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosop)

“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain Who set the planets in motion.  God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done.” –Isaac Newton

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Quiet, 2of4

 ~ A Time To Not Be Quiet: Jesus Our Example ~  

Principle  ~  “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven  …  A time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b). 

A Time To Preach (the truth of God)  ~  “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God’” (John 3:10-21).

A Time To Speak Up (call upon God)  ~  “Jesus went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will’” (Mark 14:35-36).

A Time To Witness (what you know firsthand)  ~  Jesus said, “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.  I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:46-51). 

“Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, ‘You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me’” (John 7:28-29). 

A Time To Defend (the truth)  ~  “So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’  And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst” (John 8:7-9).

Jesus said, “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” (Matthew 23:13-14, continue reading the rest of this chapter). 

“Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but you have made it a “den of thieves”’” (Matthew 21:12-13, also see Mark 11:15-17 and Luke 19:45-46). 

Summary  ~  Sometimes it is wrong to be silent.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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The Trinity in Matthew 23

 ~ The Trinity Role’s In Our Lives ~

Introduction  ~  While the English word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible the concept and truth of the Trinity is found throughout Scripture – beginning in the first chapter in the historical account of creation.  In this post we find the Trinity in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 23.

The Passage  ~ “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.  They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.  But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.  They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.  But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.  Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.  But the greatest among you shall be your servant.  Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted’” (Matthew 23:1-12 nasu)

The Holy Spirit  ~  Jesus said, “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi [Bible Teacher] by men.  But do not be called Rabbi [Bible Teacher]; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers” (Matthew 23:6-8 nasu)

While on earth Christ was our Teacher.  After He ascended back to heaven the Holy Spirit is our Teacher.  Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:25-26).  Jesus also said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:12-14).  “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1 John 2:27). 

God the Father  ~  Jesus said, “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven” (Matthew 23: nasu)

The Son of God  ~  Jesus said, “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader [Master], that is, Christ.  But the greatest among you shall be your servant.  Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted’” (Matthew 23:10-12 nasu)

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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