This man has something important to say to those who claim to be Christians around the world! If you claim the name then walk the walk as described in the Holy Bible: New Testament. Jesus Christ came to earth and died for my sins and for your sins if you obey all of His commandments. As noted in this post, a person who does not live the life exemplified by Jesus Christ while on this earth, does not deserve to call himself or herself a Christian. There are those round about us who fit this mold of claiming to be something they are not. Christians, are we teaching them the error of their ways or are we remaining silent? If we remain silent here on earth, Jesus will remain silent when asked to defend our behaviors when we face God in Judgment–and we will, everyone will!
Tag: Christianity
Put Another Star in Their Crown
~~ the quindecim ~~
by tkbrown
As I traveled, learned, and grew through each passage of my life, I moved a little closer to You and gave over to You the strife. I learned early to study in depth as each Scripture written for You covered my troubles--a soothing broth and proved each word to be true. Each teacher embraced such love for the gift of life eternal; with the same my heart did move from the impact of each kernel. For the lessons each presented planting each person in your stead, another star in the crown upon their head. There must be many another soul who could say the same to you of the lessons creating a whole your cleansing blood did ensue. Each deserves recognition for the effort long put forth in your service with such passion, embracing each soul with warmth. The ministers in the pulpit to each recipient in each pew ensuring all understood it implanting each heartfelt cue. So, put another star in their crown and a bit more shine in their gown. Yes, put another star in each crown.
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Photo Above: by Davide Cantelli @Unsplash.com.
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Zacharias to have son . . .
Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)
John the Baptist to be born
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Lesson Scripture — Luke 1:5-25
5 — “There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”
6 — “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”
7 — “But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.”
8 — “So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,”
9 — “according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.”
10 — “And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.”
11 — “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.”
12 — “And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.”
13 — “But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.'”
14 — “‘And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.'”
15 — “‘For he will be great in the sight of t he Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.'”
16 — “‘And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”
17 — “‘He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.'”
18 — “And Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.'”
19 — “And the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.'”
20 — “‘But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.'”
21 — “And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.”
22 — “But when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.”
23 — “So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.”
24 — “Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and she hid herself five months, saying”
25 — “‘Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.'”
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Notes on Scripture — by tkbrown
Above, I have presented the scripture in Luke Chapter 1 regarding the birth of ‘John the Baptist.’ (The apostle, John, was not John the Baptist. They are two different men.) Zacharias was informed by the angel, Gabriel, that his wife — Elizabeth — would bear a son, and they were to call his name “John”.
Zacharias did not understand how, at his and Elizabeth’s advanced ages, she could give birth to a son. He asked Gabriel how he would know this was true. Gabriel informed him he would not be able to speak (he would be mute) the entire time — nine months — until John would be born. This was the consequence dealt Zacharias for not believing Gabriel, the angel of God.
Then we see that Elizabeth, who is in awe of being with child. She hides herself away for five months before she tells anyone.
I stopped the scripture here, and next week I will begin with verse 26 — which is the beginning of Mary being told — six months after Zacharias was told of John’s impending birth — she would give birth to Jesus. John was six months older than Jesus and would pave the way for Jesus’ ministry here on earth.
We will review the high points of Jesus’ life here on earth, and I will present scripture from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It will take a few weeks to cover all of this. Then we will look a bit more closely at Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.
Please come back each week to study the scripture with us and learn of Jesus’ life here on earth.
Have a Blessed Week
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Lesson 1: Zacharias to Have Son . . .
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Study to Show Thyself . . . .
Scripture with Notes: by tkbrown
2 Timothy 2:15
(KJV) — “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
(NKJV) — “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
I grew up hearing, reading and studying the original King James Version (KJV) of 2 Timothy 2:15. The first section of the verse was stressed and impressed upon us. Thus, we should never take another person’s word for our own salvation. Anything presented to us in sermon or Bible study should be studied in private to ensure that no false message had been presented. The salvation of our own soul depended upon it!
As I have grown older, I have come to realize, with impunity, the importance of this lesson. Switch one word — or even one comma — to another position, and the whole section can hold some meaning totally averse to that presented in the KJV. This is how conflicting doctrines have developed. I quickly came to understand my preference for intensely personal, private study to ‘search the true meaning of the scripture in question.’
If we truly search the scriptures and study them, discerning the message God is delivering and to whom, we will never have need to be ashamed for our lack of understanding and knowledge. The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . . . . “
In recent decades, I have paid much more attention to the latter part of the verse, ” . . . rightly dividing the word of truth.” Certain events occurred at specific times. In order to truly understand the overall message God presents in His Word, I must understand the dividing lines. I must not confuse the message given in the New Covenant (New Testament) as applying to the practices instructed in the Old Covenant (Old Testament).
~~ In another lesson, I will go more in-depth with regard to ‘rightly dividing the Word of Truth.’ For now, I present to you, Matthew 27:50, 51:
— 50 — “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up the spirit.”
— 51 — “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split . . . . “
These two scriptures tell us precisely when the Old Covenant ended, and the New Covenant began. When Jesus, ‘yielded up the Spirit,’ — at that exact instant — ‘the veil of the temple was rent into two pieces, thus exposing the Ark of the Covenant for all to see.’ As I said above, this will be addressed more in-depth at a later date but think on this!
In closing, I present the instance when Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matthew 4:1-4:
— 1 — “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
— 2 — “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”
— 3 — “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.'”
— 4 — “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’“
Notes: Thus, Jesus tells us that we must study the Word of God in order to ‘have life.’ So, search the scriptures and find, for yourself, the message sent from God to man (or woman, or child). Even parents and other loved ones can lead us astray scripturally without even realizing it. Study the Scriptures. Search the time a message is given and to whom it applied/applies. The Old Testament is still important. I helps us to understand the will of God and why it was necessary to simplify things by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die as compensation for our sins — not His sins — our sins.
Faith . . .
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” — Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
by tkbrown 