Discussing "The truth will make you free." Also, a little humor, Charles Spurgeon Morning and Evening, some neat links

On the Ark, Noah probably got milk from the cows.
What did he get from the ducks?
Quakers

John 8:31-32 (NASB 1995)

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Here is a well-known, and oft-misused passage from the Gospel of John. "The truth shall set you free" is a phrase heard from countless politicians and other charlatans. Has been for years, probably for centuries. But, as the saying goes, "You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means" 😉

In this passage, Jesus is speaking to a very select group of people: "those Jews who had believed Him". The context is an argument that Jesus was having with the Pharisees. (Nothing new there, right?) He had proclaimed himself "the light of the world" (v.12). He spoke rather cryptic things about his Father and himself (v.16f), about him going away (v.21), and several other things. 

In the course of the discussion, some of the Jews that were listening to him believed in him (v.30); most, however, did not. They not only did not believe, they were adamantly against him.  So Jesus' comment are directed to those that believed in him (v.30), and believed him (v.31). Do you see the difference? To be one that can legitimately claim to believe IN Jesus, one must also BELIEVE him. In other words, it is not possible to truthfully say that you "believe in Jesus" yet at the same time deny, in word and/or in action, what he actually said.

True discipleship involves remaining continually in his word. The result of remaining in his word is to "know the truth", and that very truth, once absorbed, sets one free.

Free? Free from what? Not physical slavery, but spiritual slavery. Slavery to sin and death (v.34). 

All who have not believed what Jesus has to say, have not believed in Jesus, remain in their natural state, born into slavery to sin, born of their father the devil (v.44).

Children of the devil are destined to remain with their father for all of eternity, an eternity in hell. 

Don't be that guy. Believe what Jesus says. Believe IN him. While you still have time. Today is the day of salvation. (2 Cor 6:2)

Today's links

Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening

"Do as thou hast said."
2 Samuel 7:25

• Morning: "Do as thou hast said." 2 Samuel 7:25
• Evening: "But I give myself unto prayer." Psalm 109:4

Time for Twitter & Co to take responsibility for news — and lies

by Karl D. Stephan - Jan 15, 2021. 

Discusses the now-infamous "Section 230". (Not very flattering to President Trump.)

Three Reasons to Study Scripture in 2021

by Alan Shlemon on Stand to Reason.

"Here’s a basic but good reminder: Christians need to study Scripture. We’ve begun a new year. Why not resolve to do it in 2021? There are at least three reasons why. These are not meant to be the top three reasons or the most important ones. They are just three reasons that came to mind."

The Briefing

by Albert Mohler

• PART I Will the Biden Administration—As Promised—Be the Most LGBTQ-Friendly Administration in American History?
• PART II An Historic London Church Affirms Commitment to Scripture While New Church of England Document Undermines Historic Christian Teaching
• PART III Truth May Be Lonely But It Nonetheless Remains True: The Church of England Attempts to Hold Irreconcilable Positions on Sexuality Simultaneously

A Mid-Winter Family Update

by blogger and author Tim Challies.

Tim and his wife Aileen lost their twenty year old son Nick back in November. He died quite suddenly and unexpectedly while at college. Nick gives us an update on how his family, including Nick's fiancé, are doing and what their up to.

The Great Unraveling

by blogger and journalist Bari Weiss.

Ms. Weiss, who although liberal, is NOT among the "woke" hordes; in fact, she is one of those that signed that famous Letter on Justice and Open Debate in Harper's magazine in July of last year, the letter that really set off a s**t storm on social media. She resigned her job at the NY Times last year precisely because of the increasingly hostile work environment towards "non-woke" types. Anyway, in this essay she shares her rather apocalyptic view of what is to come in the near future, the increasing repression and persecution of all that dare to defy "woke" insanity that has infected most of the "elites" in the US, and in the West in general. The corporate big-wigs, academy, arts & entertainment, publishing, what used to be called "journalism", and so on. If you don't read anything else today - besides your Bible of course! - read this. As I said, she is of the liberal persuasion and I do not agree with everything she stands for, but she is one of the few remaining voices of reason on the left side of the aisle. 

Great reads on Christian websites: Christian history; "The 50 Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous to Follow Jesus in 2021"; Bible engagement techniques

We Believe
The Story of the Apostles’ Creed

Article by Brian Hanson
Professor, Bethlehem College & Seminary “The Augsburg Confession. The Helvetic Confession. The Gallican Confession. The Belgic Confession. The Westminster Confession and Catechism. The Second London Baptist Confession. The Canons of Dort. What do these historic evangelical confessions have in common? Each of them has its roots in the Apostles’ Creed.”

The 50 Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous to Follow Jesus in 2021

by CT Editors "Latest report on Christian persecution finds 3 in 4 martyrs are in Nigeria, ranked among 10 worst persecutors for first time."
CT reports on the most dangerous countries for Christians. “This year the top 10 worst persecutors are relatively unchanged. After North Korea is Afghanistan, followed by Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, Nigeria, and India.”

Welcome to Scripture Engagement!

I cannot even begin to tell you how much this section on BibleGateway.com's website helped me.
I especially recommend:
Scripture Engagement: What Is It?
Praying Scripture
Journaling Scripture
Contemplating Scripture
Speaking Scripture
Memorizing Scripture
All of the different practices are great; the ones listed are the ones that most appealed to me.

Charles Spurgeon Morning and Evening - "Mighty to Save" Isaiah 63:1

Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening

"Mighty to Save"
Isaiah 63:1

By the words "to save" we understand the whole of the great work of salvation, from the first holy desire onward to complete sanctification. The words are multum in parro: indeed, here is all mercy in one word. Christ is not only "mighty to save" those who repent, but he is able to make men repent. He will carry those to heaven who believe; but he is, moreover, mighty to give men new hearts and to work faith in them. He is mighty to make the man who hates holiness love it, and to constrain the despiser of his name to bend the knee before him. Nay, this is not all the meaning, for the divine power is equally seen in the after-work. The life of a believer is a series of miracles wrought by "the Mighty God." The bush burns, but is not consumed. He is mighty to keep his people holy after he has made them so, and to preserve them in his fear and love until he consummates their spiritual existence in heaven. Christ's might doth not lie in making a believer and then leaving him to shift for himself; but he who begins the good work carries it on; he who imparts the first germ of life in the dead soul, prolongs the divine existence, and strengthens it until it bursts asunder every bond of sin, and the soul leaps from earth, perfected in glory. Believer, here is encouragement. Art thou praying for some beloved one? Oh, give not up thy prayers, for Christ is "mighty to save." You are powerless to reclaim the rebel, but your Lord is Almighty. Lay hold on that mighty arm, and rouse it to put forth its strength. Does your own case trouble you? Fear not, for his strength is sufficient for you. Whether to begin with others, or to carry on the work in you, Jesus is "mighty to save;" the best proof of which lies in the fact that he has saved you. What a thousand mercies that you have not found him mighty to destroy!

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Love y'all
Ron and the Debster

Charles Spurgeon Morning and Evening - "The iron did swim." 2 Kings 6:6

Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening

"The iron did swim."
2 Kings 6:6 (NASB)

The axe-head seemed hopelessly lost, and as it was borrowed, the honour of the prophetic band was likely to be imperilled, and so the name of their God to be compromised. Contrary to all expectation, the iron was made to mount from the depth of the stream and to swim; for things impossible with man are possible with God. I knew a man in Christ but a few years ago who was called to undertake a work far exceeding his strength. It appeared so difficult as to involve absurdity in the bare idea of attempting it. Yet he was called thereto, and his faith rose with the occasion; God honoured his faith, unlooked-for aid was sent, and the iron did swim. Another of the Lord's family was in grievous financial straits, he was able to meet all claims, and much more if he could have realized a certain portion of his estate, but he was overtaken with a sudden pressure; he sought for friends in vain, but faith led him to the unfailing Helper, and lo, the trouble was averted, his footsteps were enlarged, and the iron did swim. A third had a sorrowful case of depravity to deal with. He had taught, reproved, warned, invited, and interceded, but all in vain. Old Adam was too strong for young Melancthon, the stubborn spirit would not relent. Then came an agony of prayer, and before long a blessed answer was sent from heaven. The hard heart was broken, the iron did swim.

Beloved reader, what is thy desperate case? What heavy matter hast thou in hand this evening? Bring it hither. The God of the prophets lives, and lives to help his saints. He will not suffer thee to lack any good thing. Believe thou in the Lord of hosts! Approach him pleading the name of Jesus, and the iron shall swim; thou too shalt see the finger of God working marvels for his people. According to thy faith be it unto thee, and yet again the iron shall swim.

Please comment below. And keep it civil, folks! Disagreement and debate are fine, name-calling and so forth, not acceptable, and may be deleted.
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Love y'all!

Journaling in 2019; Gospel of Luke Chapter 20 in the Bible

Well, you all may have noticed -- or maybe not considering the low number of followers that I have -- that I haven't written anything in almost a year. I hope to change that.

I have often tried journaling, but diabetic neuropathy has given my hands such a chronic tremor that my handwriting has become unreadable, even to me much less anyone else. 

I'd really like to get this new year off to a fresh start, and maybe I can accomplish here most of what I'd want to do in a journal. 

We'll start off with the Bible passage that the Debster and I read together last night. We've been working our way through the Gospel of Luke, and last night we read the first part of Luke 20: 

One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, "Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority." 
He answered them, "I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?" 
And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From man,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet." 
So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 
And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." 

The Debster and I saw that the priests and scribes and elders were more concerned about how the masses would react to their answer than what the true answer should be. They also realized that no matter how they answered, they would be in trouble.

We continued on in chapter 20:

And he began to tell the people this parable: 
"A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 
Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.' But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.' And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 
What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others." 
When they heard this, they said, "Surely not!" 
But he looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 
'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'? 
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."  The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

So, after his conversation with the priests, Jesus then proceeds to tell a parable to the people that had been listening. 

In the Old Testament, a vineyard and its owner are often used as an illustration of Israel and the LORD. The people knew this quite well, so when Jesus began speaking to the people about a vineyard, they would have immediately recognized what he was talking about.

The vineyard obviously represents the nation of Israel, and the owner of the vineyard was the LORD. So who were the "tenants"? In an actual vineyard, they would be the people appointed by the owner to tend the vineyard for him. They would keep the soil fertilized and keep the vines pruned to produce maximum fruit, which they would then harvest and give to the owner. 

So, the "tenants" represented the priests, scribes, and elders whose God-given role was to lead the people spiritually. And the "servants" sent by the owner represented the prophets that had been sent periodically to the nation to speak to them on the LORD's behalf. Prophets that were often ignored, mistreated, beaten, and sometimes murdered.

The "beloved son" then obviously represents Jesus, the "beloved Son, with you I [God] am well pleased" [Luke ch. 3]

The Son being killed is an obvious reference to the death on a cross that Jesus was going to undergo in just a few days, the Son killed by the Roman tools of the priests and scribes.

The destruction of the tenants and the redistribution of the vineyard would then seem to be a prophecy of the coming destruction of the Temple by the Romans in A.D. 70. With no temple, the entire system of sacrifices and temple rituals would crumble, effectively ending the rule of the priests. 

The vineyard being given to "others" would seem to prophecy the coming church, founded and initially led by the apostles. This would soon encompass much of the Gentile people as much as the Jews, the two being melded into one unified group. [Ephesians 2 explains this quite well.]

An interesting passage, indeed. The Debster and I were quite blessed to have looked into it.

May God richly bless you all as well!