Matthew 27:23

²³ And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

The standard for the ages is set in this trial.  This is the farce that is enacted.  There are several facts that are evident in the accounts of Jesus’ accusation, trial, and conviction.

A.     Truth need not be established for a trial, cf 27:18.

B.     Guilt or innocence need not be established.  Evident innocence can be ignored, cf 27:23.

C.     The fact of innocence can be ignored or overruled by public opinion, cf 27:28.

D.    The punishment levelled on the case of false conviction will always be disproportionate to the real issue, cf 27:22.

E.     The farce will, by and large, be found where the convicted is a minority, cf 27:20.

F.      The conviction will always have the consent and encouragement of the majority leadership, cf 27:1-2.

What this leads us to see is that there are instances where guilt and innocence are not the issue.  The issue is how it affects the public perception of leadership or the issues they favor.  In the trial of Jesus, the judge, Pilate, said “it was for envy that had Him there.”

What is the issue?  Is it collusion, obstruction, a promise of capital payment, or is envy?  It is not justice.  We have already passed that.

9/12/2019 

John 8:32

³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Truth is the glue that binds society together.  The more truth there is the more unified and particular society can expect.  A society under a controlling government may demonstrate cohesion for a while but at some period it will fracture.  This is true at both larger and smaller scales.

National governments as large examples, and local churches as much smaller ones, demonstrate this same principle.  The truth alone binds us--not emotions or even communicated principle will suffice; truth only.

That is why it is so futile for the homosexual community to announce and support transparency.  I say this for two reasons.  First they have spent so many centuries deceiving, hiding, and lying that deception has become inherent to their agenda.  There is no long-term social phenomenon so deceptive as the “gay” movement.  As there was the “silent majority”, the “gay” movement has ever been the “silent minority”, silent as deceptive.

The second reason is that they are sin.  And by definition sin is the lie.  The easiest way to illustrate this is to ask the question “why is most crime done at night?”  Because it is wrong and to escape detection.

Sodomy is sin and unnatural.  Always has been and always will be.  God’s destruction of Sodom was His destruction of Sodomites.  It does us well to remember, “God is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalm 7:11.

A broken clock never keeps time but is accurate twice a day for a second.  The sinner may in passing, for his advantage, tell the truth but it is not in his practical sinful nature to be truthful

or transparent.

I was a Death Row chaplain on Texas Death Row when the question was asked, “who here has committed murder?”  The reply was unanimous, “not me”.

Do not believe the homosexual.  His love is lust.  His activity is self-serving.  And his intent is to destroy. You may ask, “How do you know this?”  Scripture and my involvement in the “gay” community has left me with this conclusion.

9/10/2019 

Romans 3:4

⁴ May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,

“That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged.”

This is a statement of two verities.  God is truth.  Man has no involvement in making this so.  Since Adam’s sin, and with one exception, man has come from the womb speaking lies.

What then is the intent of this statement?  The writer Paul is discussing the rejection of National Israel and God’s faithfulness to His Covenant promise to Abraham.  In the covenant Abraham’s seed is through the promise.  That is the children of Isaac were to be Abraham’s heirs.

Isaac was not considered Abraham’s natural heir.  He was a child of the promise, a son out of the faith of Abraham.  This being established, it was not physical circumcision which guaranteed God’s blessing but faith. Since we have said this then it follows:

A.     God has continued faithful.

B.     Those who were rejected were rejected because they were not Abraham’s seed according to faith. 

God is faithful to His promise.  Therefore God’s love is true.  Establish your hearts upon that.

But be assured that both Jew and Gentile will deny God’s faithfulness and claim man’s right to God’s favor.  That is the lie.  And let every man be a liar who claims this, cf Ephesians 2:8-9.

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

9/9/2019 

These are my first thoughts that I have written for a while.  My thoughts are not so necessary that they should be missed. You have done well in the past without my contributions, and no doubt will do well into the future.

The Psalmist in Psalm 37:25 writes “I have been young and now am old and yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken.”  Very early in my Christian walk this became a favorite promise from God’s Word and has ever been so.  I experienced the “young” sometimes under great trial, usually of my own making; and now am “old” and I want to add my Amen to the Psalmist’s statement.

Troubles are common to mankind.  The twofold advantage of the believer is we are assured they will never be greater than we can bear and we will never be left to bear them alone.  And we also know they will not be forever.

Though our table is set here in the presence of the enemy, our dwelling place is in “the house of the Lord,” with the assurance of forever.

8/29/19 

Psalm 73:23-24

Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.

“Nevertheless”—no matter what the writer has said before.  No matter how damning his confessions are.  No matter where he has wandered in his unbelief.  “Nevertheless” his assurance in God’s unfailing mercy gives him this confession of confidence.

1.       Vs 23  “I am continually with you”.  Romans 8:39.  My failings are never more profound than God’s covenant love.

2.      Vs 23b  “You  hold my hand”.  The hymnist has captured this, “When I am weak, thou are mighty.  O Thou Great Jehovah.”

3.      Vs 24  “You guide me with your counsel.”  I Cor. 1:30, “He is made unto me wisdom”. The saint of God is never left to walk in darkness.  The hand that is held by our great Jehovah is one of leadership.  Rom. 8:14.

4.      Vs 24b  “Afterwards you will receive me to Glory.”  The believer has a true and certain destination.  It is glory.  II Thess. 1:9-10.

“Nevertheless” all this is true and there is a question that is appropriate.  The Psalmist in appreciation for the consequences of the “nevertheless” asks, “Whom have I in heaven?  None but you”.  The one who fills heaven and earth, the Sovereign giver of grace and glory is ours now and forever.  “And there is nothing on earth that I desire.”  And a faulty faith does not annul this.

8/28/19 

Luke 16:31

³¹ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

These are the last words in the tragic story of the Rich Man and Lazarus the Beggar.  There is a rule about the understanding of parables that is useful to us here.  Incidentals in the story are to be understood as what they are.  They make the story understandable and interesting and are to be no more than that.  We do not need to make them important in themselves. For the beggar to be at the rich man’s door means no more than that he had a presence that was recognized and he and his need were ignored.

This verse, 16:31, gives a major issue in the story.  The Law and the Prophets testify to the need for a radical change in the life of everyone.  The rich man did not have this renovation.  He recognized the need too late.  He had died.  His time of trial had passed.  He had failed and was experiencing the consequences.

Even under these circumstances he wanted a special dispensation.  He wanted a witness from beyond the grave.  He gets a two-fold answer.  First there is not going to be any such witness.  Secondly there is an adequate witness at hand, The Scriptures.

8/27/19 

Genesis 3:8-9

⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 

In the Scriptures this is the first appearance of Adam and Eve after their sin and in communication with God.  Let’s look at the facts before us.

1.       Vs 8  They hid themselves.  Why would they do this?  What does this tell us about the act and nature of man in communication with God?

a.       3:7, 3:11  They are naked.  So they hid from God.  God’s question is “Who told you that you are naked?”  Genesis 2:25, this had not been an issue.  But now Adam is exposed.  His nature, which had become through his fall opposed to God, is there in full view and he hides.

b.      Please note from the very beginning this is a heart issue and externals will not cure the problem.  It is a “fig leaf” issue.

2.       Vs 9  God called to the man.  This is the divine order.  As it was with the first pair, so it is ever after.  They hide, He calls.  Not only does He call, but His call finds the sinful pair in their hiding place and it accomplishes its intent. Romans 8:30 gives us clarity on this “call”.  The Gospel is the call of God to the hiding, guilty, excuse-making child of Adam.

Adam’s reply, “I am naked”.; and God covered them with skins.  We hear the distant loud cry of John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God who covers sin.”

Isaiah has long before given this clear direction, “Look unto Him all the ends of the earth and be saved.”  Look, Receive, Believe, and be saved.