Repent or perish – Lk. 13:1-5

Jesus was asked about some “Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices” (Lk. 13:1) and then responded to this question in Lk. 13:2. He answered a question with a question. He wanted people to consider whether or not “these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they have suffered these things?” Jesus then answered this both questions in verse 3 by saying “no.”
Where the Galilaeans “special sinners?” Where they “especially wicked people” who deserved fierce judgment from God? Jesus’ answer was “of course not.” Rather than suffering special punishment from God, these men were essentially “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” They had the unfortunate experience of meeting up with evil men and subsequently lost their lives.

Jesus then used this information to tell His listeners that they should “repent” (change their lives for the better and live according to how God wants) or they too would “perish.”

Jesus then illustrated His point a second time with the “tower in Siloam.” We are not given much information about this tower, but we do know that it fell and “18 people” died in the accident. Jesus again asked if those involved in this accident were “sinners above” others living in the city of “Jerusalem.” His answer was again no.

We have many modern parallels to the things described in Lk. 13, one of which happened on September 11th, 2001. The United States was attacked; planes crashed into both the Pentagon and the World Trade Center towers. Thousands of people died, but their deaths were in no way related to personal sin or criminal wrongdoing. People were in the wrong place at the wrong time and they perished. We often hear of other instances involving tornados were all kinds of people die (the young and the old, the good and the evil). Physical death or various problems are by no means proof God is punishing people.

We cannot know when the end of time will come (Mt. 24:36), but we can be ready for Jesus’ final return. Part of being ready is “repenting” (Lk. 13:3).

Find out more about repentance and New Testament Christianity. Visit a local “church of Christ” in your community and worship with a group of people who follow the Bible and nothing but the Bible.

Get a FREE on-line Romans commentary at http://www.abiblecommentary.com. You may also order this commentary in book form for just $14.95 (it is a great addition to your library, or an ideal gift for friends, a special Bible class teacher or a cherished minister. The next commentary for release will be First Corinthians and we expect that will be out soon!

Every knee will bow to Jesus

We learn from our study of the book of Esther that for one to come before the Persian king without first being called was putting his life in jeopardy. One only hope was in a show of mercy by the king. If he held out his scepter, the life would be spared (Esther 4:11). We also have observed the reverence paid to kings of old. When one would come before the king, the subject would kneel and bow one's head in a show of veneration. Some, being brought defiantly before the king, would be forced to the ground. From these examinations, we note a few biblical truths worth consideration.

Jesus is, “King of kings, and Lord of lords;” (1 Timothy 6:15), and calls all men to come unto Him (Matthew 11:28-30). We have not a vicious, capricious king, but one who is loving, merciful and kind. However, there are conditions laid forth in God's word for how we come to Him. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1).

Only those who come to him in obedience receive the blessings of the King. Consider prayer: “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth” (John 9:31). When we come together to worship we must do so “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). You see we must come to Him in obedience and in a show of humility and reverence.

If we answer the call and come to him now on bended knee we receive the blessings of the Father both here and in eternity. But what of those who refuse to answer the call. Well, just like in the days of old, you will be brought before the King and forced to your knees. Consider these verses:

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11).

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

Now let us ask ourselves, when Jesus returns and calls us to judgment, which group would we rather be in? The group who has already in reverence and obedience come to the King and bowed before Him, or would we want to be among those who will be forced to their knees? The answer seems simple, doesn't it? Be obedient, and be faithful!

Get a FREE on-line Romans commentary at http://www.abiblecommentary.com. You may also order this great Bible commentary in book form for just $14.95 (it is a perfect addition to your library, or an ideal gift for friends, a special Bible class teacher or a cherished evangelist. The next commentary for release will be First Corinthians and we expect itwill be out soon!

Sermon illustration for mother's day

Things my Mother taught me:

My mother taught me RELIGION - "You'd better pray that comes out of the carpet", as well as IRONY - "Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about."

My mother taught me about OSMOSIS - "Shut your mouth and eat that corn", as well as about STAMINA - "You'll sit there until all that corn is gone."

My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION - "Stop acting like your father!” as well as about GENETICS - "You're just like your father."

My mother taught me about LOGIC - "Because I said so, that's why", as well as MORE LOGIC - "If you fall out of that tree and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION - "Just wait until we get home” or "you just wait until your father gets home", as well as about Receiving - "You are going to get it when we get home (or when your father gets home)."

My mother taught me CONTORTIONISM - "Look at that dirt on the back of your neck!” as well as all about the WEATHER - "Your room looks like a tornado went through it!"

My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE - "If you and your sister are going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning the house."

My mother taught me HUMOR - "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me", as well as all about my ROOTS - "Shut that door! Do you think you were born in a barn?"

And last but not least, my mother taught me JUSTICE - "One day, you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out to be just like you!"

Get a FREE on-line Romans commentary at http://www.abiblecommentary.com. You may also order this commentary in book form for just $14.95 (it is a great addition to your library, or an ideal gift for friends, a special Bible class teacher or a cherished minister. The next commentary for release will be First Corinthians and we expect that will be out soon!

A sermon for mother's day

Mary, the mother of Jesus (a sermon by Toby Miller)

OPEN: One this day (Mother's Day), I thought I would utilize the opportunity to talk about the Mother of Jesus, and why God chose this particular young lady to be the Mother of our Lord. Our text will be Lk 1:26-38.

A. I find it interesting that God went to a little town call Nazareth (a town that did not have a very good reputation (Jn 1:46), and went to a humble household and confronted a young lady, who was probably barely a teenager, and choose her to be the mother of Jesus.
1. Two times in our text, the angel Gabriel told Mary that she was highly favored by God. I wonder WHY ... what was there about Mary that caused God to choose her to be the mother of His only Son?
2. We are not told specifically, but as I studied and reflected on this, I came to a couple of conclusions.

B. Even at her young age, Mary must have already demonstrated great, faithful commitment toward God.
1. We might think that being the mother of Jesus would be a relative easy task ... but that isn't so.
2. She had to have been someone whom God knew would be "up to the challenge" of being the mother of the single most important individual that would ever be born.

When Gabriel confronted Mary, she was "greatly troubled" (vs 29).

A. She was no doubt a little on edge having an Angel of the Lord verbally speak to her ... plus, the message the Angel gave her was also very troubling.
1. After all, she was engaged at the time to Joseph ... and engagements in that day were much more serious than they are today. (For example, an engaged woman could not be dismissed without a bill of divorcement. ... If she was suspected of unfaithfulness, she could be divorced or even put to death ... If her fiancé died, she was considered a "widow." ... And, if a child was born during the engagement, it was considered illegitimate.

B. Therefore, as the Angel delivered this unique message, Mary faced many troubling possibilities:
1. She faced rejection by Joseph ... the task of raising a child alone in a culture hostile to women ...She would jeopardize her reputation ... and she even risked death should she be accused of unfaithfulness against Joseph.
2. NO WONDER SHE WAS TROUBLED.
3. Add to this, she would have undoubtedly felt a little insecure, unworthy, and insufficient with the great task of being the mother of God's only Son, the Savior of the world!

C. Others have balked at God's calls in the past. Consider what Moses said when God approached him in the burning bush and told him to go to Egypt and set the Hebrews free.
1. Moses pleaded: "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?" "They won't believe me or listen to me" "O Lord, please send someone else to do it!" (Ex 3:11ff)
2. Moses obviously faced a tough challenge, but not anymore challenging than being told you'll have a child as a virgin, and that child will be conceived through the Holy Spirit, and will be the Son of God ... the Redeemer of Mankind.
3. Marry could of said, "Lord I'm just a young girl, I'm not ready to be a mother ... I'm not wealthy, I'm not educated ... "I'm not worthy of this." Maybe it would be better if you chose someone else."
4. That's not what she said. She said, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be as you have said."
5. That's the attitude God searches for in people (cf. Lk 18:8b) ... and that's one of the reasons God chose this particular young lady.

## Mary also had the right perspective --- She knew who God was ... and she knew who she was: His servant.

A. ... she knew that nothing was impossible for her God ... if God said it, she knew that it would be so ... even if she didn't understand the "hows" she would do it anyway because she was God's servant.
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B. Mary also had the proper perspective about her role as a mother ... she saw it as an honor ... a blessing.
1. Christian mothers today need that same understanding ... they too are servants of God ... they too have the responsibility to raise children for God.
2. They need to view their work as mothers as an honor and a blessing.

C. Note 1:37, It says WITH God, nothing is impossible. You should underscore that word WITH in your Bibles.
1. If we are at the side of God, nothing is impossible that God would have us to do. Do you believe that?
2. And even though at times children are frustrating and make us want to pull our hair out (or better yet, pull their hair out), still, they really are a gift from God (Ps 127:3).

D. Mary found favor with God because she knew who God was, and who she was in relation to God: a servant ... something we must all realize. And, she believed nothing was impossible with God ... and, she saw motherhood as a blessing.

## Another reason Mary found favor with God is because she had a solid foundation. To be grounded on a solid foundation is to be grounded in the Word of God. Jesus talked about that in Lk 6:46-49.

A. In Lk 1:46-56, Luke records for us Mary's song. In those 11 verses, there are at least 30 phrases or words that echo truths from the OT ... so it's quite evident that Mary was already grounded in God's word at a young age.

B. Mary's foundation in the Word of God is an example for Godly mothers today: (Rd Ps 78:1-7)
1. We see an example of this very thing in 2Tim 1:5, Paul writes to Timothy, "I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also."
2. Lois gave a solid foundation to her daughter Lois, who in turn, gave it to her son Timothy.

C. We should ask ourselves, "Just how solid is our foundation?" Do we have God's word hidden in our hearts and minds so that it supports and guides us in our life?
1. Do we know His Word well enough to pass it on to our children? Do we set a scriptural example of one who loves to worship and praise God?
2. If we are NOT building a home like that, then WHO is building our house?
3. Let's understand that, "Unless the Lord builds the house, it's builders labor in vain" (Ps 127:1).

D. 2,000 years ago God choose a young girl to give birth to the Savior of the World. God chose Mary because she lived on a solid foundation, and she had a proper perspective of life. Because of these, she "found favor with God."
1. Mothers today who have a solid foundation of faith (which comes by hearing the word), and have a proper perspective of life ... that is, know who they are, what they are doing here, and where they are going, and an understanding of who they are in relationship to God --- such women today will also find favor with God.

## Another characteristic that caused God to look with favor upon Mary was knowing that she would provide unrelenting protection that would be necessary in her role as the mother of His Son.

A. From the very moment Jesus was born his life was in danger.
1. She protected Him form Herod ... She protected His identity ... and the many other things she knew about the child. As Luke 2:19 says, "Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."
2. God had a plan to reveal His Son to the world, and He knew Mary would not complicate those plans.

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B. Mothers today need to provide protection for their children. This is an instinct that God builds into mothers. In fact, when a mother does not protect her children, it's considered "against nature."
1. When they are young, they need protection from germs, stairways, electrical outlets, poisons, stoves, etc.
2. When they get older, they need protection from things that are even more deadly: Low self esteem, drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, sexual immorality, suicide, and especially the worldly value system that's constantly being marketed by TV, Movies, Videos, IPods, EPods, XPods (whatever)...

C. Mary's love and devotion for Jesus began before He was born and lasted even beyond the Cross.
1. The last picture we have of Mary is in Ax 1:14. Jesus had ascended back into Heaven, yet she is with His disciples ... He is still the center of her attention.

## You might be thinking that, "Jesus must have been so easy to love." And you are right. It was easy to love Jesus, but loving Jesus wasn't an easy road for Mary to travel. In fact, it was difficult from the start.

A. Mary's soul was pierced many times because of her love for Jesus (Lk 2:34) ...
1. At his birth, the king tried to have Him killed...
2. In Mark 3, the respected leaders in Jerusalem said that Jesus was a fanatic, a lunatic, and demon possessed (what mother wouldn't be hurt if people said those kinds of things about their child)
3. In John 7, Jesus' own brothers and sisters didn't want anything to do with Him, and didn't believe Him. Can you imagine what the conversation was like at Mary's dinner table?
4. How do you suppose Mary felt every time she read Isaiah 53, and other prophecies about her Son's death...
5. Not to mention how she felt as she watched her Son being mocked, beaten, stripped, and nailed to the cross.

B. When others mistreated Jesus, Mary was there. When others turned Him away, she stayed by His side. Even at the Cross, she was there.
1. At the Pan Am games, champion diver Greg Louganis was asked how he coped with the stress of international diving competitions. He said that when he climbs to the diving board, he takes a deep breath, and thinks, "even If I blow this dive, my mother will still love me."
2. George Elliot once said, "We often do the impossible, not because we think we can, but because someone we love and respect thinks we can ... and that someone is our mother."

C. Mothers today need to have the same kind of love toward their children as Mary had toward hers.
1. Loving children may not always be easy --- and you may have your soul pierced at times, by things that happen to them, by things they do ... when they are hurt, sick, betrayed, or even die...
2. Still, your love must be unconditional and unwavering. You don't have to condone all they do to love them unconditionally.

D. Mothers, it is a worthy goal to have God look upon you with favor as He looked upon Mary ... and He will if you have your life built on the proper foundation of His Word. TRUST and OBEY.

Get a FREE on-line Romans commentary at http://www.abiblecommentary.com. You may also order this commentary in book form for just $14.95 (it is a great addition to your library, or an ideal gift for friends, a special Bible class teacher or a cherished minister. The next commentary for release will be First Corinthians and we expect that will be out soon!

Baptized into Moses – what does this mean?

“and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea”

Have you ever wondered what Paul meant when he spoke of the Jewish people being “baptized into Moses” and the experience of the “cloud and the sea” in 1 Cor. 10:2? Many do wonder about this passage and it is very important text. The KJV renders this passage as: “And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”

Notice firs the word “baptized” (baptizo) is the Greek term. This word describes an immersion, a dipping, plunging, submerging, etc. The Jews had been “baptized” (immersed) into Moses. That is, they did not have a slight association with Moses – the Hebrew people became disciples of Moses. M and the Jewish people were close to one another; there was a very strong sense of intimacy and togetherness. They were joined together. See Ex. 14 for illustrations of this point.

Today people are no longer baptized into Moses; the New Testament says people are “baptized into Christ.” Since “baptism” means “immersion,” the Bible tells us that proper baptism is by immersion. Just as there is only “one God” (Eph. 4:4-5), so these same verses say there is only “one baptism.” This one baptism is not to “join the church.” It is a baptism for the “forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38). It is a baptism that allows Jesus to add us to the church He built (Mt. 16:18; Acts 2:38-47). People are baptized “in order to become a Christian,” not “because they have become a Christian.” As the “baptism unto Moses” separated the Hebrew people from Egypt, so the baptism into to Jesus Christ separates people from their sins and gives them new life (Rom. 6:1-4).

Have you been baptized (immersed into Christ) for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 22:16)?

Get a FREE on-line Romans commentary at http://www.abiblecommentary.com. You may also order this commentary in book form for just $14.95 (it is a great addition to your library, or an ideal gift for friends, a special Bible class teacher or a cherished minister. The next commentary for release will be First Corinthians and we expect that will be out soon!

Mary the mother of Jesus

One might think that being the mother of Jesus was an easy task. But when considering the heart of a mother, then such a task becomes emotionally over whelming.

What would it be like to talk one-on-one with an angel and be told you were going to become with child by the Holy Spirit of God? When Jesus was born, the shepherds came and told her of the miraculous visit by the Angelic chorus, and she "...kept these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:15-19).

A few days later, a prophet approached her and said, "this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel...and a sword shall pierce through thine own soul..." (Luke 2:33-35). Undoubtedly, she would have pondered these words over in her mind with some anxiety as to how all this would come about. When she and Joseph found Jesus, at the age of twelve, in the temple astonishing scholars with His understanding, we are told, "...but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart." (Luke 2:40-51).

She watched him eat, sleep, interact with other children, and haul timber down from the mountains to the carpentry shop. She watch him grow, and go into the ministry. Whether people were shouting, "Hail Him," or "Nail Him," she was always by His side, typical of a Mother.

Finally, she found herself on a hill called Calvary. Jesus had spoken many times about the dangers in following Him (Matthew 10:34-36), but Mary never hesitated, after all, she was His Mother! Whether being praised or persecuted, His mother never left His side. Few will stand by you as closely as "Mother." -- Toby Miller

Get a FREE on-line Romans commentary at http://www.abiblecommentary.com. You may also order this commentary in book form for just $14.95 (it is a great addition to your library, or an ideal gift for friends, a special Bible class teacher or a cherished minister. The next commentary for release will be First Corinthians and we expect that will be out soon!

Mary the mother of Jesus

One might think that being the mother of Jesus was an easy task. But when considering the heart of a mother, then such a task becomes emotionally over whelming.

What would it be like to talk one-on-one with an angel and be told you were going to become with child by the Holy Spirit of God? When Jesus was born, the shepherds came and told her of the miraculous visit by the Angelic chorus, and she "...kept these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:15-19).

A few days later, a prophet approached her and said, "this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel...and a sword shall pierce through thine own soul..." (Luke 2:33-35). Undoubtedly, she would have pondered these words over in her mind with some anxiety as to how all this would come about. When she and Joseph found Jesus, at the age of twelve, in the temple astonishing scholars with His understanding, we are told, "...but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart." (Luke 2:40-51).

She watched him eat, sleep, interact with other children, and haul timber down from the mountains to the carpentry shop. She watch him grow, and go into the ministry. Whether people were shouting, "Hail Him," or "Nail Him," she was always by His side, typical of a Mother.

Finally, she found herself on a hill called Calvary. Jesus had spoken many times about the dangers in following Him (Matthew 10:34-36), but Mary never hesitated, after all, she was His Mother! Whether being praised or persecuted, His mother never left His side. Few will stand by you as closely as "Mother." -- Toby Miller

Get a FREE on-line Romans commentary at http://www.abiblecommentary.com. You may also order this commentary in book form for just $14.95 (it is a great addition to your library, or an ideal gift for friends, a special Bible class teacher or a cherished minister. The next commentary for release will be First Corinthians and we expect that will be out soon!