March 29th 2015
A
Follower Of Jesus Gives Him A Blank Check With Their Life As Collateral!
Zephaniah 2:9-10 (NIV)
Therefore, as surely as I live," declares the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, "surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah—a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland for ever. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land." This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the LORD Almighty.
Usually there are hundreds of birds that feed at the bird feeders in our backyard. However, recently there are only two birds that feed there. The two birds that feed there now are mocking birds. We have been watching these two birds, and how they run away all of the other birds that approach these bird feeders. Do you have a mocking person in your life that runs you away with their mocking of your belief? Solomon wrote about mockers in the book of Proverbs. Do we still have mockers today?
Have you ever heard or read what some atheists say about Christians? They call us idiots for believing that there really is a god or gods, and we let this pretense influence our lives, because we believe that we have immortality, as does our god or gods. This is certainly a form of mocking, and sometimes even the children of believers are run away from their faith, because these threats or this mocking drives them away from the everlasting food God offers those who follow His Son. As Solomon writes it, "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.” (Proverbs 9:7)
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. (Proverbs 9:8) Here Solomon relates mocking with sinfulness. As you can see when you try to relate to a mocker, and tell them the Good News, they will not listen, and they will turn away from you, because they do not want to hear the truth. This Biblical truth does not ring true to them; therefore, they think you are trying to trick them with a lie, not a truth! Do you have difficulty in telling people the Good News? Do knowledgeable people really possess wisdom, or are they just wise from a worldly perspective? A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke. (Proverbs 13:1)
Paul was trying to explain this truth in his letter to the church of the Thessalonians, and us But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. (2 Thessalonians 2:13 - 2 Thessalonians 3:2)
It seems the Good News is less acceptable now in the USA than it was in the past. Having lived a long time now, it seems to me it is more difficult to openly discuss our faith with the general public. Of course, Christians have to some extent brought this upon us by the fact that we have pulled out of society, and hidden behind the doors of Christianity by having our own radio stations and movies, and books and videos sold at Christian stores. Jesus does not want this as He has commanded us to tell the Good News not to ourselves, but to those who have not heard it.
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20) Have you told anyone recently that the Good News is that Jesus has overcome this world, and His authority is unlimited, and we as His followers share in His authority and truth!
As we see our country slipping away into the abyss of sinfulness, there will be more laws broken or changed, as we sit by and do nothing. It is now legal to abort unwanted babies, and soon it will be legal to marry someone of the same sex, and more and more protection for criminals will be offered to them, which makes those who are innocent be less protected. Soon it will be legal to purchase marijuana, while we now wallow in people who are strung out on heroin. Heroin use has grown to epidemic proportions. It makes one wonder where our society is heading. It seems it was saner in Solomon’s day, as he wrote about just getting drunk on beer or wine. Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1)
Does alcohol use lead to more serious needs that only drugs can provide? Certainly there is plenty of proof that using marijuana has led to many people now being strung out on heroin. However, we hear all of the mockers telling us that we should legalize these very harmful drugs that have ruined countless lives. In Cincinnati, Ohio there is a case where a mother has sold her 11 year old daughter into giving sex to a drug dealer to supply her with heroin. She was said to be a good and attentive mother before she got strung out on this horrible drug!
Sorry to end this commentary on such a somber note, but then, maybe it will help those of us who believe and possess the truth, known as the Good News, to try and tell someone this story. Knowing this truth could change someone from being a drug dependent person into someone who knows the truth, and this truth will set you and them free! Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32) Now that is better than any drug!
Have you really committed your entire life to being a follower of Jesus Christ? Last Sunday in a sermon I heard, there was a comment made something to the affect, “A follower of Jesus gives Him a blank check with their life as collateral?” Have you written such a check?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Zephaniah 2:9-10 (NIV)
Therefore, as surely as I live," declares the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, "surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah—a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland for ever. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land." This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the LORD Almighty.
Usually there are hundreds of birds that feed at the bird feeders in our backyard. However, recently there are only two birds that feed there. The two birds that feed there now are mocking birds. We have been watching these two birds, and how they run away all of the other birds that approach these bird feeders. Do you have a mocking person in your life that runs you away with their mocking of your belief? Solomon wrote about mockers in the book of Proverbs. Do we still have mockers today?
Have you ever heard or read what some atheists say about Christians? They call us idiots for believing that there really is a god or gods, and we let this pretense influence our lives, because we believe that we have immortality, as does our god or gods. This is certainly a form of mocking, and sometimes even the children of believers are run away from their faith, because these threats or this mocking drives them away from the everlasting food God offers those who follow His Son. As Solomon writes it, "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.” (Proverbs 9:7)
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. (Proverbs 9:8) Here Solomon relates mocking with sinfulness. As you can see when you try to relate to a mocker, and tell them the Good News, they will not listen, and they will turn away from you, because they do not want to hear the truth. This Biblical truth does not ring true to them; therefore, they think you are trying to trick them with a lie, not a truth! Do you have difficulty in telling people the Good News? Do knowledgeable people really possess wisdom, or are they just wise from a worldly perspective? A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke. (Proverbs 13:1)
Paul was trying to explain this truth in his letter to the church of the Thessalonians, and us But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. (2 Thessalonians 2:13 - 2 Thessalonians 3:2)
It seems the Good News is less acceptable now in the USA than it was in the past. Having lived a long time now, it seems to me it is more difficult to openly discuss our faith with the general public. Of course, Christians have to some extent brought this upon us by the fact that we have pulled out of society, and hidden behind the doors of Christianity by having our own radio stations and movies, and books and videos sold at Christian stores. Jesus does not want this as He has commanded us to tell the Good News not to ourselves, but to those who have not heard it.
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20) Have you told anyone recently that the Good News is that Jesus has overcome this world, and His authority is unlimited, and we as His followers share in His authority and truth!
As we see our country slipping away into the abyss of sinfulness, there will be more laws broken or changed, as we sit by and do nothing. It is now legal to abort unwanted babies, and soon it will be legal to marry someone of the same sex, and more and more protection for criminals will be offered to them, which makes those who are innocent be less protected. Soon it will be legal to purchase marijuana, while we now wallow in people who are strung out on heroin. Heroin use has grown to epidemic proportions. It makes one wonder where our society is heading. It seems it was saner in Solomon’s day, as he wrote about just getting drunk on beer or wine. Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1)
Does alcohol use lead to more serious needs that only drugs can provide? Certainly there is plenty of proof that using marijuana has led to many people now being strung out on heroin. However, we hear all of the mockers telling us that we should legalize these very harmful drugs that have ruined countless lives. In Cincinnati, Ohio there is a case where a mother has sold her 11 year old daughter into giving sex to a drug dealer to supply her with heroin. She was said to be a good and attentive mother before she got strung out on this horrible drug!
Sorry to end this commentary on such a somber note, but then, maybe it will help those of us who believe and possess the truth, known as the Good News, to try and tell someone this story. Knowing this truth could change someone from being a drug dependent person into someone who knows the truth, and this truth will set you and them free! Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32) Now that is better than any drug!
Have you really committed your entire life to being a follower of Jesus Christ? Last Sunday in a sermon I heard, there was a comment made something to the affect, “A follower of Jesus gives Him a blank check with their life as collateral?” Have you written such a check?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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