May 17th 2020
A “Pure And Faultless” Religion Is One That Looks After People Who Are In Distress!
Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV)
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
The following is a comment from a reader of the VOW made a long time ago: “The reference to swearing on the Bible always makes me laugh, because that very Bible at Matthew 5:33, I think, says Do Not Swear at All. On any object or on heaven. Yet Christians invented swearing on the Bible where right inside it says Don't DO THAT!” The content of the selected verses does say to not swear on things that are seen, as all things are temporary not eternal. All the things we see and can touch do include the Bible, and it is available in several translations, which mankind has published. However, to me swearing on the Bible is NOT a swear on the earthly book, but instead it is swearing to the absolute truth given us by God, as revealed to mankind to write. Therefore, swearing on a Bible is holding the person swearing to what God has revealed to mankind through the Holy Spirit.
Of course, if the person putting their hand on the Bible, and then, swearing is NO guarantee that what they are saying is the truth, unless they believe that the Bible is in fact the Word of God! Such a person would feel the same if they put their hand on any book that would be presented to them. When someone is swearing on the Bible and that person is a follower of Jesus Christ, as the selected verses states, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ I believe when a believer swears on the Bible their oath is being made to Jesus that what they are testifying is to Jesus not just to mankind! If a person swears on the Bible, then gives false testimony they may be in danger of committing a sin that God hates! There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19).
In this country it has become acceptable to lie or cheat if you do not get caught. Believe me here, this is not the way I was raised, and this idea of freedom through dishonestly is ruining our countries standing with God. Jesus taught His disciples about the value of believing in and telling the truth. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32, NKJV). Do you know the truth, or strive to know the truth, and follow it in your life? True freedom only comes to those who live by the truth. Do you share this belief with me? Knowing Jesus in this world today, will likely NOT bring you peace with everyone, even sometimes with those who have come to love. Jesus told us this would be true in this cursed world! "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. (Luke 12:49-51). Jesus had already been baptized with water, but He still faced earthly death on a cross, which He termed “I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!”
Since sin entered this world mankind has tried to stay distant from God and live their life the way mankind dictates instead of trying to understand what plans God has for us. Because of this there has never been a time when most of the people on this earth, are seeking salvation though God. Some are simply confused by religions offered by mankind, and they have been convinced that this path they are following will take them to god when they die. The sad thing is they will end up with the god they have chosen when they die in this mortal world. Paul wrote about this for us. Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality." It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah." (Romans 9:27-29). Notice above my terminology of god, this was not a typing error, they have chosen a false god to follow not the only true God, which can be found only in the Bible.
Is the COVID-19 virus a punishment from God, or is it a blessing? If we believe God is in control of this earth, then we must accept that Jesus is allowing this virus to run rampant through this cursed world! God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because they were living their lives in sin with no idea that what they were doing offended God. These people did not follow the God of the Bible, and therefore, they had no guidance for how they should live. They had invented gods that allowed them to perform sexual acts that the Biblical God did not approve. I do not believe this pandemic is a punishment from God! I do believe God has allowed mankind to create conditions that have resulted in development of COVID-19. Maybe, this virus is being allowed to exist by God, as a means of bringing mankind to a knowledge of Jesus Christ and seeing a need for salvation from our sins. We are witnessing a lot of good Samaritans, so to speak, who are helping others to survive this pandemic.
James wrote about what he termed as religion that God accepts. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:26-27). A “pure and faultless” religion is one that looks after people who are in distress! We see everyday stories about “first responders” who are dropping whatever they were doing, and now they are taking their time to help others. Before this pandemic, such stories would be second- or third-class news items following reports of murders, rapes, or terrorist’s attacks!
Is it possible that Jesus is allowing this suffering and death, so that mankind will turn from our regard for life to be tied to possession of wealth in this world, without seeing the struggles of other members of mankind? Remember, death is a part of life in this cursed world. If you have laid up wealth in heaven, when you die you go to better place, you go to perfect place, created for you by Jesus Christ! So, make sure you are now storing up wealth in heaven, as we all know you cannot take earthly wealth with when you die in this mortal cursed world! Who can you help, today?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV)
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
The following is a comment from a reader of the VOW made a long time ago: “The reference to swearing on the Bible always makes me laugh, because that very Bible at Matthew 5:33, I think, says Do Not Swear at All. On any object or on heaven. Yet Christians invented swearing on the Bible where right inside it says Don't DO THAT!” The content of the selected verses does say to not swear on things that are seen, as all things are temporary not eternal. All the things we see and can touch do include the Bible, and it is available in several translations, which mankind has published. However, to me swearing on the Bible is NOT a swear on the earthly book, but instead it is swearing to the absolute truth given us by God, as revealed to mankind to write. Therefore, swearing on a Bible is holding the person swearing to what God has revealed to mankind through the Holy Spirit.
Of course, if the person putting their hand on the Bible, and then, swearing is NO guarantee that what they are saying is the truth, unless they believe that the Bible is in fact the Word of God! Such a person would feel the same if they put their hand on any book that would be presented to them. When someone is swearing on the Bible and that person is a follower of Jesus Christ, as the selected verses states, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ I believe when a believer swears on the Bible their oath is being made to Jesus that what they are testifying is to Jesus not just to mankind! If a person swears on the Bible, then gives false testimony they may be in danger of committing a sin that God hates! There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19).
In this country it has become acceptable to lie or cheat if you do not get caught. Believe me here, this is not the way I was raised, and this idea of freedom through dishonestly is ruining our countries standing with God. Jesus taught His disciples about the value of believing in and telling the truth. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32, NKJV). Do you know the truth, or strive to know the truth, and follow it in your life? True freedom only comes to those who live by the truth. Do you share this belief with me? Knowing Jesus in this world today, will likely NOT bring you peace with everyone, even sometimes with those who have come to love. Jesus told us this would be true in this cursed world! "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. (Luke 12:49-51). Jesus had already been baptized with water, but He still faced earthly death on a cross, which He termed “I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!”
Since sin entered this world mankind has tried to stay distant from God and live their life the way mankind dictates instead of trying to understand what plans God has for us. Because of this there has never been a time when most of the people on this earth, are seeking salvation though God. Some are simply confused by religions offered by mankind, and they have been convinced that this path they are following will take them to god when they die. The sad thing is they will end up with the god they have chosen when they die in this mortal world. Paul wrote about this for us. Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality." It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah." (Romans 9:27-29). Notice above my terminology of god, this was not a typing error, they have chosen a false god to follow not the only true God, which can be found only in the Bible.
Is the COVID-19 virus a punishment from God, or is it a blessing? If we believe God is in control of this earth, then we must accept that Jesus is allowing this virus to run rampant through this cursed world! God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because they were living their lives in sin with no idea that what they were doing offended God. These people did not follow the God of the Bible, and therefore, they had no guidance for how they should live. They had invented gods that allowed them to perform sexual acts that the Biblical God did not approve. I do not believe this pandemic is a punishment from God! I do believe God has allowed mankind to create conditions that have resulted in development of COVID-19. Maybe, this virus is being allowed to exist by God, as a means of bringing mankind to a knowledge of Jesus Christ and seeing a need for salvation from our sins. We are witnessing a lot of good Samaritans, so to speak, who are helping others to survive this pandemic.
James wrote about what he termed as religion that God accepts. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:26-27). A “pure and faultless” religion is one that looks after people who are in distress! We see everyday stories about “first responders” who are dropping whatever they were doing, and now they are taking their time to help others. Before this pandemic, such stories would be second- or third-class news items following reports of murders, rapes, or terrorist’s attacks!
Is it possible that Jesus is allowing this suffering and death, so that mankind will turn from our regard for life to be tied to possession of wealth in this world, without seeing the struggles of other members of mankind? Remember, death is a part of life in this cursed world. If you have laid up wealth in heaven, when you die you go to better place, you go to perfect place, created for you by Jesus Christ! So, make sure you are now storing up wealth in heaven, as we all know you cannot take earthly wealth with when you die in this mortal cursed world! Who can you help, today?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak