tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29438473014100435892024-03-13T07:52:16.282-07:00Without FaithWhen Believers Can't BelieveJohn D. Bainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17661031023211164094noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943847301410043589.post-60172307584364222992018-12-13T08:11:00.000-08:002019-12-05T14:14:11.246-08:0001 A Book on Blog: Without Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D6UyxsAo94E/WY3H7tD1uOI/AAAAAAAAG1U/8-zUfV2Cbl00fcXYvmd7v_RU4MW93TH1wCLcBGAs/s1600/Without%2BFaith%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1133" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D6UyxsAo94E/WY3H7tD1uOI/AAAAAAAAG1U/8-zUfV2Cbl00fcXYvmd7v_RU4MW93TH1wCLcBGAs/s400/Without%2BFaith%2BCover.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For some time now, I have considered publishing a complete book online (many authors are doing it), and blog-posting the material is an easy way to do it . . . and it is popularly done in that fashion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are many pros and cons for undertaking such a method . . . but I was not convinced either way by any of the arguments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So . . . I am going to launch this site to publish from the beginning to the end of a book . . . and learn from the experience</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is the cover!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope that you enjoy the whole book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">JDB</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">(<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075RTNFP5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i9" target="_blank"><i>Without Faith</i> on Amazon</a>) </span></div>
<br />John D. Bainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17661031023211164094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943847301410043589.post-52405342255409381202018-12-12T19:39:00.000-08:002019-12-05T14:15:08.813-08:0002 Title Page<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
Without Faith</span></h2>
<div class="CenteredPlain" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When Believers Can’t Believe</span></div>
<div class="CenteredPlain" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="CenteredPlain" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">By Dr. John D. Bain</span></div>
<div class="CenteredPlain" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="CenteredPlain" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Kindle Edition</span></div>
<div class="CenteredPlain" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="CenteredPlain" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6</span></div>
<div class="CenteredPlain" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Copyright © 2017 by Other Little Ships</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">All scripture quoted in this work is the product of the author’s
personal translation and/or paraphrase from the best available biblical texts.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">All illustrations were found in the Public Domain</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075RTNFP5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i9" target="_blank"><i>Without Faith</i> on Amazon</a>) </span></span></div>
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John D. Bainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17661031023211164094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943847301410043589.post-87756713605810221552018-12-11T19:47:00.000-08:002019-12-05T14:15:24.052-08:0003 Introduction<span style="font-size: large;">We are believers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Christians.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That is who we are . . . that is what we do. We believe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">But sometimes we don’t.
Sometimes we can’t. In spite of what Christ has done for us </span><span style="font-size: large;">and what He means
to us . . . we sometimes fail . . . to believe. We doubt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That is when we need Him most.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Does He abandon us when we fail?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">No!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Will He still save us and help us when we cannot believe?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“If WE do not believe, HE still remains faithful . . . because He
cannot deny Himself!” 2 Timothy 2:13</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is always best to believe in and place our trust in our
Heavenly Father.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But sometimes we cannot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Bible records many instances describing the saint’s failure
to believe . . . and God’s prevailing power in spite of that lapse. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Let me show
you a few of them.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075RTNFP5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i9" target="_blank"><i>Without Faith</i> on Amazon</a>) </span></span><br />
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John D. Bainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17661031023211164094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943847301410043589.post-30583545475338469062018-12-10T20:03:00.000-08:002019-12-05T14:15:46.017-08:0004 How can I know?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HZKySbZCCQ0/XBBSBnHC1UI/AAAAAAAAHVY/bLL3MBmcjhIzHEKOdrEiUzNgN2pbSFGSwCLcBGAs/s1600/Zach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="537" height="338" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HZKySbZCCQ0/XBBSBnHC1UI/AAAAAAAAHVY/bLL3MBmcjhIzHEKOdrEiUzNgN2pbSFGSwCLcBGAs/s400/Zach.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Luke 1:18</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Gospel story begins.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The story of Jesus . . . the story of the salvation and hope
that He would bring.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The opening of the New Testament, the New Covenant, the New
Agreement between God and Man. A new Era. A new Day. A new and wonderful
beginning where the plan of God would be revealed and reconciliation between
God and Man made possible by a Savior.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And in the very first Act of the drama . . . the Angel of the
Lord is met with doubt!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the very first chapter of the Gospel of Luke the story
begins by introducing Bible readers to a man named Zachariah.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">He is a Hebrew Priest, and he will become the Father of John
the Baptist, and John is foreordained to serve as the Forerunner of the
Messiah, the Promised Deliverer of the Nation of Israel and of the whole
world.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Luke tells us that Zachariah has no idea what is about to
happen. His name has come up in the rotation to serve in the Temple in
Jerusalem, to perform his duties as a priest.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hebrew priests were all descendants of Aaron, the brother of the
great hero of the faith, Moses. Moses and Aaron were members of the tribe,
Levi. Abraham was the Father of the Hebrew nation – Abraham had a son named
Isaac – Isaac was the Father of Jacob, who fathered twelve sons. The tribal
system was based upon Jacob’s sons – there were twelve tribes, each one named
after a son of Jacob (whom God later renamed, Israel). So, the Nation of Israel
was composed of the Twelve Tribes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Everyone in the line of descendancy from Jacob’s son Levi, were
called Levites. Not all Levites were priests, but every priest was
required to be a Levite.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Zachariah was born into the Tribe of Levi . . . he was a
descendant of Aaron . . . but in his youth he chose to pursue the priesthood –
he might have claimed that God separated him and called him into the priesthood.
He would have to study, and train, and prepare, and he would have to be
approved and anointed by the Elders and religious leaders of Israel before he
could assume the office of priest.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Zachariah’s father, or Grandfather, and/or Great Grandfather
might have served in the priesthood. He might have been the first of his family
to do so. We do not know.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The priesthood was not a vocation, a job, or a means of
livelihood. Zachariah worked to support and provide for his family by working
at some secular endeavor. The</span><span style="font-size: large;"> priesthood was his calling to spiritual service.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">A priest in Israel might study, train, and prepare for his
entire life in the priesthood, and only be selected or called upon to
actually perform the duties of the priesthood, once in that lifetime.
There were many priests throughout all of the nation of Israel, and they
served by lot, and list, and rotation. This was not what Zachariah did every
day of his adult life. The story that Luke tells about him in his Gospel
happens during a once in a lifetime occasion in the life of this humble servant
of God.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">If anything at all could make this part of the Gospel story seem
more important, and more God-ordained than the timing of Zachariah’s
service, I cannot think of what it might be.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Zachariah is the man of God in the right place at the right
time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">During his service in the Temple (how excited, awed, and
overjoyed Zachariah must have already been), the Angel of the Lord (named
Gabriel) appeared to him. (Luke 1:13-17).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">13) The Angel Gabriel said to Zachariah: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your
prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to
call him John. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">14) He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will
rejoice because of his birth, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">15) Because he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He
is never to take wine or other fermented drink,and he will be filled with the
Holy Spirit even before he is born. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">16) He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the
Lord their God. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">17) And he will go ahead of the Lord, in the spirit
and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their
children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous— to prepare
the people, to prepare them for the Lord.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have always wondered at the passages like this in the Bible
(there are several). The Angel of the Lord suddenly appears out of nothing (not
just your run of the mill angel, but the Angel of all Angels, Gabriel) and
says, ”Fear not!” What I wonder is, how is that working for you? The not
being afraid part, I mean.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">I imagine that Zach was still terrified . . . comforting words
aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a great deal to take in without warning.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">So, Zachariah’s response is not contemplated, measured, weighed
and thought out. What comes out of his mouth is a genuine and unvarnished reply, straight from his shocked heart and mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">His response is a question, “How can I know that what you have
said is true?” (For Zachariah, knowing and believing were the same).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">He does overcome his fear enough to express honest doubt and
uncertainty.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>You</i> might tell an
angel anything that you think he wants to hear. You might muster up the
strength to boldly accept what you have heard without question or reserve. But
Zachariah didn’t do that. He shot straight with the Angel of the Lord and said,
“I don’t believe you -- prove it!”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Gospel story might have fallen onto the rocks at its very
first step. If doubt, hesitation, uncertainty, or unbelief had caused God to
ditch His plan we would never have heard or benefited from the story of Jesus.
The story would have never begun.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Here is the lesson: God knows how difficult it is for us to
believe. He knows how weak we are and how prone we are to question what He is
doing (or about to do) and He is always prepared to help us step forward in
spite of the pitfalls.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">EVERYTHING that the Angel promised came to pass . . . AND he
gently tweaked Zachariah for failing to believe from the beginning. The
Father-to-be would not be able to speak a word until the day that his son was
born!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The first words he spoke after the angelic appearance was, “His
name will be JOHN.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r8AKF8StBvI/XBBSWphBkUI/AAAAAAAAHVk/7H2-A8ZOA20z3ENueeCbw8jBIbjyKuVvwCLcBGAs/s1600/Name.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r8AKF8StBvI/XBBSWphBkUI/AAAAAAAAHVk/7H2-A8ZOA20z3ENueeCbw8jBIbjyKuVvwCLcBGAs/s400/Name.JPG" width="367" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Every single moment that Zachariah was mute was a loving
confirmation that God is faithful!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Think for a moment . . .</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Angel, how am I going to KNOW that what you have just told me
is TRUE?!”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Well, your wife Elizabeth is going to surprise you by telling
you that she is pregnant. And every day for the following nine months you will
be able to look at your beautiful wife of so many years, and see the glow
and joy and wonder of what God has promised as she carries the coming Prophet.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">And then . . . you’re going to have a baby! A little, round,
pink, cuddly baby boy (he was to be a little rough and craggy as an adult, but
he was a normal baby boy). That baby is the ultimate proof that God does what
He says that He will do. Every time you hold that baby, feed him, bounce him on
your knee, or play with him you will know that you are touching a promise of
God that has been carried out before your eyes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Zachariah . . . if you had only been thinking clearly . . . you
would have realized that you would know from the natural proofs of the
circumstances appearing before you . . . you would see the evidence of God
bringing His will to pass.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Personally, I think being stricken mute by the angel is a
humorous touch. Zach may not have thought it was funny, but maybe he did.
Maybe that silent old man smiled knowingly at everyone who looked at him.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Look at that poor old man,” someone probably said. “If I
couldn’t talk I don’t know if I would be as happy as he appears to be.”</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe he enjoyed the little joke -- he was going to be a
Father. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Many people who suddenly lost their voice would feel that it was a
tragedy -- the judgment of God. But to this joyful priest, his forced
silence was a sign. A sign that God’s plan was going forward, and he and his
wife and new son were going to be a part of it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Was God pleased with Zachariah’s unbelief? No, but it
didn’t even slow the Creator down.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The story continued . . .</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="Block">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EszvL2tz_h8/XBBSrBltZDI/AAAAAAAAHVs/CoAJ_6yer_ozkFnJNAm7ibvgWKQ5q_TMACLcBGAs/s1600/Principle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="493" height="210" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EszvL2tz_h8/XBBSrBltZDI/AAAAAAAAHVs/CoAJ_6yer_ozkFnJNAm7ibvgWKQ5q_TMACLcBGAs/s400/Principle.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">(<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075RTNFP5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i9" target="_blank"><i>Without Faith</i> on Amazon</a>) </span></div>
</div>
John D. Bainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17661031023211164094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943847301410043589.post-17233465293488848352018-12-09T07:40:00.000-08:002019-12-05T14:16:30.436-08:0005 How can this be?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Luke 1:34<br /><br />At this chapter and verse (while the Zachariah and Elizabeth story continued) step number two in the beginning of the Gospel story takes place. The Angel Gabriel appears to a young woman named Mary at her home in Nazareth. He has come to announce to her the part that she will play in God’s plan. <br /><br />Luke 1: <br /><br />26) And in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to Nazareth, a city of Galilee, <br /><br />27) to a virgin espoused to a man named Joseph, he was descended from the house of King David; her name was Mary. <br /><br />28) The angel appeared to her, and announced, ‘Hello, Highly Favored One! The Lord is with you, and among all other women – you are blessed.’ <br /><br />29) When she saw him and heard what he said it troubled her. It made her wonder if she were losing her mind. <br /><br />30) Gabriel said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary: you have found favor with God. <br /><br />31) Listen –you are going to conceive and bear a son – you will call him JESUS. <br /><br />32) He shall be great, and be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God will present Him with the throne of his forefather, King David: <br /><br />33) And He will reign as Royalty over the House of Jacob forever -His rule and His Kingdom will never end.’ <br /><br />Mary’s response was not one of complete faith and acceptance – but of total unbelief. Luke 1:34. <br /><br />“How can this be true (supernatural, angelic appearances aside)? I have never been with a man!” <br /><br />So . . . step number two in the beginning of the Gospel story . . . and again Gabriel is met by someone who (at least at the outset) was without faith. <br /><br />A rocky beginning – Gabriel is 0 for 2. <br /><br />Mother Mary. <br /><br />What a wonderful person, and I believe she was the very first Christian. The first person among the human race to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. <br /><br />Yet her first step on the Gospel Road was without faith. <br /><br />No problem. <br /><br />Luke (a physician, remember) was very deliberate in his description of Mary as a virgin. <br /><br />Liberal theologians and outright pagans have proposed that possible meanings of the word <i>parthenos</i> (Luke’s word for virgin) are young woman or maiden. <br /><br />Yes, these are other possible meanings, or possible translations of that word. <br /><br />But coupled with Mary’s statement: “I have never intimately known a man!” little doubt is left about what the scriptures are conveying. Mary was a virgin. She had never had sexual relations with a man. <br /><br />Mary was young, but her mother had taught her the facts of life. A woman required the contribution of a man in order to create a pregnancy. What Gabriel was saying must be incorrect, because a part of the equation was definitely missing. <br /><br />What Gabriel was suggesting was something about which Mary had never heard. <br /><br />So it was very sensible and logical (a girl . . . who would have thought?) for her to respond without faith. <br /><br />Did this cause a hitch in God’s plan? <br /><br />Not in the slightest. <br /><br />And . . . Gabriel did not choose to chasten young Mary with muteness, or leprosy, or a plague . . . <br /><br />As a matter of fact he set up a date for her to meet with her pregnant Aunt – Elizabeth. <br /><br />Elizabeth. “You know, Mary . . . your older, childless Aunt? Yes, that one. <br /><br />She is going to have a baby, too. <br /><br />Does that help, Mary?” <br /><br />Read the rest of Luke 1. <br /><br />Mary goes to visit Elizabeth and when they meet (though her Aunt had no knowledge that her young Niece was expecting) the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy. <br /><br />“Mary, when you entered the room my unborn son leapt for joy at your presence. You are blessedly carrying the Savior of the World!” <br /><br />Mary’s faith was growing . . . her first step was without faith . . . but she would soon be filled with all of the faith that was required for the first Christmas. </span><br />
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John D. Bainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17661031023211164094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943847301410043589.post-17774801744346934362018-12-08T19:11:00.000-08:002019-12-05T14:16:53.388-08:0006 A Just Man -- Without Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Matthew 1:19 <br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Bible does not tell us much about Joseph – the man whom God had chosen to be the earthly Father of His Eternal Son.<br /><br />When Mary told him (that conversation is not recorded in scripture), he did not believe that what she said was true. He did not believe that the angel Gabriel had appeared to his Betrothed, and he did not believe that her condition was due to a divine visitation of the Spirit of God.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Mary may have told him about the angel appearing to Zachariah – and that Zachariah and Elizabeth were expecting a baby (“Who’s the father of that one?” Joseph may have asked with incredulity.) If she did . . . he didn’t believe that story, either.<br /><br />Joseph and Mary were not yet married . . . they were somewhere within the year-long betrothal period. The two were more than likely the subjects of an arranged marriage (arranged my their parents or by Joseph himself). Proposals had been made in an official manner by the arrangers and an agreement had been settled upon in the presence of their Synagogue Rabbi in Nazareth.<br /><br />A year was designated for the purpose of proving moral purity . . . and to prepare for the wedding ceremony and the life together that the ceremony would launch.<br /><br />In Joseph’s day a betrothal was much more than an engagement . . . yet less than a marriage.<br /><br />It was a legal, moral, and spiritual binding. The couple would be under the scrutiny of each other, their families, their Synagogue, their Rabbi, and their entire community for one year. Joseph and Mary would live exemplary lives during the year preceding their marital union, to prove that they were obedient to the laws of God in the matters of physical and spiritual purity (sexual abstinence).<br /><br />The word troth (pronounced like the verb clothe – he was clothed all in blue) still makes its appearance in modern wedding ceremonies. “I plight thee my troth!” It is an old English pronunciation of the word truth. <br /><br />I pledge to you my truth. <br /><br />Mary was Joseph’s betrothed . . . his true and loyal one.<br /><br />Joseph was Mary’s betrothed.<br /><br />However, from all natural appearances . . . Mary had broken her vow of betrothal . . . she had been untrue . . . unfaithful . . . without faith.<br /><br />But Joseph was not without faith in God . . . he was only without faith . . . in Mary.<br /><br />He must have been devastated.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />He might have been angry.<br /><br />He most certainly was disappointed and hurt.<br /><br />But Joseph cannot be faulted in this story at all.<br /><br />His faith in God is never questioned . . . as a matter of fact, the whole story is a testimony to his great devotion to his God. When GOD told him to believe (through his Messenger) . . . he did . . . without question or hesitation.<br /><br />Does God expect you to believe in ME?<br /><br />As a part of your commitment to Him . . . are you expected to be committed and dedicated to ME?<br /><br />No.<br /><br />You and I are so often unworthy of the faith of others.<br /><br />I am not expected to believe you . . . or believe IN you . . . unless God tells me to.<br /><br />I can plight my troth to you willingly . . . if God instructs me to . . . if God leads me to.<br /><br />I can marry someone . . . and dedicate my faith and faithfulness to them . . . if it is what God wants. <br /><br />But my faith is ultimately in HIM . . . not in YOU.<br /><br />All ideal marriages are made in Heaven. That means that marriage is an institution created by God . . . and only He can rightly pair people off for matrimony. <br /><br />Me . . . marrying Terri Beth Evans . . . was God’s plan . . . before the idea ever occurred to me or Terri. We were made for each other. God drew us together . . . led us to believe in each other . . . and to pledge our truth and faith to each other.<br /><br />A part of the great sin that precipitated the Old Testament Flood was that “the Sons of God looked at the daughters of men and saw that they were beautiful; and they chose the ones that they wanted to be their wives.” (Genesis 6:2). Men who were believers in the One True God (Sons) chose mates who were merely the daughters of men (not the Daughters of God) on the basis of their physical beauty. Men were choosing wives that they wanted . . . but not the wives that God wanted for them.<br /><br />Joseph had promised his faith and faithfulness to Mary because he believed that was what God wanted him to do. He believed in God’s choice for his mate.<br /><br />Mary made the same promise to Joseph . . . for the same reason.<br /><br />Joseph may have never questioned God in this serious calamity, but he probably doubted that he had correctly discerned God’s will for his life. Somehow he had believed in the wrong person. Most certainly it appeared that the person of his trust had wronged him and broken trust by committing immorality.<br /><br />In Joseph’s eyes, Mary was not guilty of Adultery, since they were not married . . . but she was guilty of Fornication. Both were great moral sins involving the breaking of God’s Law concerning sexual purity within and outside of the bonds of marriage.<br /><br />Matthew calls Joseph a just man. (Matthew 1:19). (Just: good, fair, honest, upstanding.)<br /><br />When he refused to believe Mary’s story . . . he was still a just man.<br /><br />He may have been angry . . . but he was not vindictive. He had no desire to punish or embarrass Mary. Matthew says that he had decided to put her away privately. He was going to nullify their betrothal and cancel the marriage.<br /><br />Dissolving a betrothal did not require a writing of divorcement. Betrothal was very serious and it was a formal, legal agreement . . . but it was not on the same level as a formal marriage.<br /><br />The Old Testament Law in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 described two actions that dissolved a formal relationship between a husband and wife – 1) the issuance of a writing of divorcement, and 2) a physical expulsion of the mate (putting away or sending away or casting from the house).<br /><br />Men were often guilty of putting their wives away with no legal recourse to begin a new life. God’s law demanded that a legal paper be issued, completely dissolving the marriage as if it had never existed. With this document in her hand, the Law said that she could legally and morally remarry.<br /><br />All that was required to dissolve a betrothal in Joseph’s time was a personal decision on his part to reject Mary as his intended. Matthew records that the just man made a personal decision not pursue any public punishment or recrimination upon Mary, but instead to simply and privately discontinue the relationship. He was within his right, perhaps, to castigate or embarrass Mary, but he was not that kind of man.<br /><br />In Matthew 1:20-24 the gospel writer reports that the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and verified the condition and testimony of Mary.<br /><br />20) But as he continued to think about what Mary had told him, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The Angel said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to proceed with your marriage to Mary. Because the baby that she is carrying was conceived by God’s Holy Spirit.<br /><br />21) And she is going to give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus (Savior):because he is going to save His people from their sins.<br /><br />22) Now all this was done to fulfill the prophecy:<br /><br />23) “Look! A virgin is going to conceive, and she will give birth to a son, and he will be Emmanuel, which means God with us.”<br /><br />24) When Joseph awoke, he did exactly as the Angel of the Lord had told him: he took Mary as his wife.<br /><br />Zacharias, Elizabeth, Mary, and now Joseph were brought into the miraculous loop in the birth of Jesus through the persistence, patience, and faithfulness of God, the Divine Planner.<br /><br />No spoken word of Joseph is recorded in any of the Gospel accounts (Mary did all of the talking!). Evidently he was a man of action instead of many words. There is nothing in scripture that indicates that he ever doubted or questioned God or His orders as given through the heavenly Messenger or from within his own heart.<br /><br />Joseph is depicted as a man who was never without faith in God.<br /><br />When God asked him to have faith in young Mary . . . he was convinced to do so.<br /><br />Once again the nativity story was in danger of being derailed . . . but the will of God and the plan of God proceeded.</span><br />
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John D. Bainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17661031023211164094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943847301410043589.post-6903789673321205792018-12-08T15:58:00.000-08:002019-12-05T14:17:15.664-08:0007 Believers<span style="font-size: large;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">An angelic host appeared to a group of shepherds on the evening
of Jesus’ birth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The angels declared Good News: A Savior had been born. It
appears that they immediately believed this good news . . . and headed to the
manger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When Jesus was eight days old, Mary and Joseph took Him to the
Temple in Jerusalem to formally present Him and dedicate Him to God. It was
their custom as commanded by God in the Jewish Law.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">While there . . . the young family was approached by two special
people . . . a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna. These two people were
full of faith.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They had been waiting for and believing in the plan of God their
entire lives. They did not know all of
the specifics or all of the players . . . so they spent every day in the Temple
. . . waiting for the promised Savior to arrive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When the eight day old Jesus was brought into the Temple that
old man and that old woman knew it immediately. They praised God and worshiped
the baby.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What great Faith!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The faith of the shepherds and the faith of Simeon and Anna
filled the hearts of Mary and Joseph . . . they would need all that they could
get. God was providing all that they would need.</span><br />
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<![endif]-->John D. Bainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17661031023211164094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943847301410043589.post-50757238088771243652018-12-07T19:35:00.001-08:002020-12-18T07:08:10.752-08:0008 Believers, Too<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Matthew 2:</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Wise Men who would travel from the East believed that a
great King would soon be born.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">They would arrive in Judea . . . following a miraculous sign in
the sky . . . looking for a newborn baby who would change human history . . .
and change the world.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">When did they start their journey?</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Did they, as Elizabeth, know before Jesus was conceived?</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Did their distance from Bethlehem require that they travel for
months . . . to be able to arrive at the proper time?</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">How did they learn about the coming birth of the Messiah?</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">I don’t think they figured it out . . . or saw it on their
astrological star charts . . . or wised it out from their powerful intellects
and minds.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">I don’t think they knew about the birth of Jesus because they
were students of the Hebrew scriptures.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">It is true that they reveal that they had knowledge of the
prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. The Hebrew Prophets preached
about God’s Promises to send a specially anointed King/Priest. They even said
that He would be born of a virgin in the city of Bethlehem. He would be born
from the lineage of King David.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">But apart from these specifications . . . an exact date and time
is not revealed (in my opinion). Some Bible interpreters believe that a passage
in the book of the Prophet Daniel (chapter 9) indicates an exact time . . . but
I am without faith about that interpretation.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">How did they know?</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">It is simple to me.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">It is my personal opinion that the mystical men from the East
found out the same way that Zachariah did . . . the way that Mary did. The way
Joseph did and the way that the Shepherds did. </span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Angel Gabriel probably paid them a visit.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">I do not have great confidence in the wisdom of men . . . and I
do not think that God does either.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Old Testament scriptures strictly forbid consulting the
stars and the planets in an effort to discern God’s will or the future. The
practice is clearly condemned and has no favor with God. It is NOT one of the
tools or methods that He employs, encourages, or permits. God is the Director
of the heavens . . . and I do not believe He would have permitted even a CLUE
about what He was planning for Judea to be painted among the celestial bodies.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">But what about the STAR that led the Wise Men to Bethlehem?</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The bright body that appeared to the Wise Men (as recorded in
the Gospel of Matthew) and led them to Jesus’ birthplace is clearly described
as an illumination that was within the bounds of Earth’s atmosphere . . . not
in outer space.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The bright phenomena “went before them.” (Matthew 2:9)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">True celestial bodies cannot be described as moving in any
direction that would prescribe a journey (movement from a place on Earth to a
destination).</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">A single celestial body cannot be used to pinpoint a singular
position on the globe. Using <i>two</i>
stars or planets, or a planet and a star . . . a navigator can triangulate a
position on the earth (the two celestial bodies plus the point on the earth),
but this is not what the story of the journey of the Wise Men describes.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then there is this information recorded by Matthew. The Wise Men
lost sight of the miraculous light. They couldn’t see it. It disappeared from
view.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">A heavenly body in outer space is either there . . . or it is
not. It is either in view at a particular time (cloudy skies aside), or it is
not. It doesn’t come and go.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">When the Wise Men lost sight of the light they stopped in to
visit with King Herod, the ruling Monarch of the Land of Judah to see if he
could help them apart from the star. Apparently these men were not particularly
wise. “Hello King of the Jews . . . we’re here looking for a baby who was born
King of the Jews . . . your replacement. Can you help us?”</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">“No, I can’t,” said the madman, “but good luck and let me know
what you find out!”</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">King Herod couldn’t see the star.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Elders of Israel that Herod consulted could not see the
star.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">But suddenly, the Wise Men could see it again (though,
apparently Herod nor the Elders <i>never</i>
did) and it “went before them” and led them specifically to the house where
Joseph, Mary, and the child Jesus were living in Bethlehem, perhaps a year or
more after the baby’s birth.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Matthew reports that the star “stood over the house” where Jesus
was . . . bodies in the heavens do not do this.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">This was not a conjunction of starts and planets . . . it was
not a super nova . . . it was not any comet, asteroid or other heavenly body.
It was a special, miraculous, leading sign from God that cannot be explained as
a natural physical phenomenon.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Isn’t it strange?</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Wise Men had great faith . . . enough to compel them on a
long, arduous, and dangerous journey.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">King Herod believed. He was so strongly convinced that his faith
led him to order the slaughter all of the babies in Judea up to two years of
age.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Elders of Israel believed that the Wise Men . . . and their
insane King . . . were correct.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The primary actors in this drama . . . Zachariah and Mary . . .
had difficulty believing . . . but the Wise Men, Herod, and the Elders believed
without hesitation or debate.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Such, I have learned, is the nature of Faith . . . and the
nature of the will and working of God.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Some fail to believe . . . they might be convinced and grow in
their faith . . . others believe so effortlessly. The faith of Herod and the
Hebrew Elders was not blessed by God . . . but the persistent faith of the Wise
Men brought them to Jesus.</span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">The plan and work of God marched on.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8t_1DBXPduM/XBHTVzQ-EdI/AAAAAAAAHWU/MfyHjMY2QnQViiYFh9iffuPUrn9MpyAegCLcBGAs/s1600/Bless.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="491" height="232" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8t_1DBXPduM/XBHTVzQ-EdI/AAAAAAAAHWU/MfyHjMY2QnQViiYFh9iffuPUrn9MpyAegCLcBGAs/w441-h232/Bless.JPG" width="441" /></a><i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075RTNFP5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i9" target="_blank"><i>Without Faith</i> on Amazon</a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<br />John D. Bainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17661031023211164094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2943847301410043589.post-19199766962564146352018-12-06T13:13:00.000-08:002019-12-05T14:19:34.774-08:0009 Why were you looking for me?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3bWvcCEXnSA/XelyGGv6vJI/AAAAAAAAI5s/dDpBga4R6fI_tMj2eCqE-vPqnQExbv19wCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Jesus%2Band%2Bthe%2BElders.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="518" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3bWvcCEXnSA/XelyGGv6vJI/AAAAAAAAI5s/dDpBga4R6fI_tMj2eCqE-vPqnQExbv19wCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/Jesus%2Band%2Bthe%2BElders.PNG" width="305" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Luke 2:41-50</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">41) Every year, Jesus and his family traveled from Nazareth to
Jerusalem to observe the Jewish Passover.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
42) When He was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, like they
always did.<span class="apple-converted-space"><br />
</span><br />
43) After the festival was over Joseph and Mary began the trip home. They didn’t know that Jesus had stayed behind
in Jerusalem.<span class="apple-converted-space"><br />
</span><br />
44) Thinking He was in their home-bound caravan, they traveled on for a day. In
the evening they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends.<span class="apple-converted-space"><br />
</span><br />
45) When they didn’t find Him, they went back, looking.<span class="apple-converted-space"><br />
</span><br />
46) After three days of frantic searching they found Him in the temple courts,
sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.<span class="apple-converted-space"><br />
</span><br />
47) Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding – His questions
and answers.<span class="text"><br />
</span><br />
48) When Joseph and Mary saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to
him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been
searching for You.”</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="woj">49) “Why were you searching for Me?”</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="text">He responded.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>“Didn’t you know I would be about My
Father’s business?”</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
50) But they didn’t understand what He meant.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
The Bible reveals nothing about the time in the life of the Messianic Family between
the visit of the Wise Men (when Jesus was probably a little over a year old)
and this story that occurs when He was twelve.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">There are written works called <i>Pseudepigrapha</i> (false writings) that describe miracles and wondrous
works to Jesus all during his childhood and youth. In the opinion of respected
scholars these works are not reliable and are fictitious.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Healing</i> the leg of a
table that Joseph had mismeasured, accidentally killing and then raising doves
back to life, striking mocking playmates blind!</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">These records are not included in the Canon of Scripture . . .
because it was suspected that they were not true.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">In John’s Gospel Chapter Two, verse eleven, the Apostle
describes Jesus’ turning the water into wine at the marriage of Cana in Galilee
as “His first miracle.”</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">That clear, straight-forward statement of fact was used by
scholars in the second century AD as reason to exclude any writing about
childhood miracles or demonstrations of power.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">For twelve years Jesus had been an ordinary human child . . . no
miracles, no spooky or creepy demeanor. He was so normal and ordinary . . .
that His earthly parents may have allowed the events of the First Christmas to
dim in their minds and memories.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">This event at twelve years of age may have been instigated by
God to refresh their memories and deepen their understanding about Who Jesus
was . . . and why He had been sent. A wake up call and stirring for Joseph and
Mary that would get them on track with the long term plan . . . God’s Plan for
the Ages.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Jesus was not normal . . . He only gave the appearance of normal
and ordinary . . . He was in disguise. He was the disguised Son of God (Philippians
2:6-8) . . . he was Very God (A. W. Tozer) . . . He was <i>Emmanuel</i> (God with us). And He did not come to Earth to live out a
mundane human life. He came to do His Heavenly Father’s bidding . . . His <i>bidness</i> . . . His business.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">Joseph and Mary needed to be reminded that God was Jesus’ Father
. . . and their continued relationship with Him would have to be based upon
that understanding.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">If we do not understand Who Jesus is . . . it will hinder our
faith in Him.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">If we do not know why Jesus came and what He is doing . . . it
will hinder our faith in Him.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">If we presume that He is following us wherever we go . . . we will
lose sight (faith) of Him.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="Block">
<span style="font-size: large;">We must grow in our knowledge and understanding . . . and
determine to follow HIM wherever HE goes.</span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUzGipvDrMw/XelywUbt62I/AAAAAAAAI50/RQYqFdVZj1Y_FpDiB9crDyIzRgJhlbBGgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Business.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="617" height="207" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUzGipvDrMw/XelywUbt62I/AAAAAAAAI50/RQYqFdVZj1Y_FpDiB9crDyIzRgJhlbBGgCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/Business.PNG" width="400" /><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">(<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075RTNFP5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i9" target="_blank"><i>Without Faith</i> on Amazon</a>) </span></div>
<div class="Block">
<br /></div>
John D. Bainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17661031023211164094noreply@blogger.com0