Luke 19
Jesus meeting with Zaccheus the tax collector verse 1- 10
And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho
And – BEHOLD – there was a man named Zaccheus
which was the chief among the publicans – and he was rich
And he sought to see Jesus who HE was – and could not for the press
BECAUSE he was little of stature and he ran before
and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see HIM
FOR HE was to pass that way
And when Jesus came to the place – HE looked up – and saw him
and said unto him – Zaccheus make haste and come down
FOR today I must abide at your house
and he made haste – and came down – and received HIM joyfully
And when they saw it – they all murmured – saying
That HE was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner
And Zaccheus stood and said to the Lord
BEHOLD – Lord – the half of my goods I give to the poor
and if I have taken any thing form any man by false accusation
I will restore him fourfold
And Jesus said to him
This day is salvation come to this house
forsomuch as he also is the son of Abraham
FOR the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost
Parable of ten servants: Nobleman leaves verse 11- 14
And as they heard these things – HE added and spoke a parable
because HE was nigh to Jerusalem
and because they thought that the kingdom of God
should immediately appear
HE said therefore
A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive
for himself a kingdom and to return
And he called his ten servants – and delivered them ten pounds
and said to them – Occupy till I come
BUT his citizens hated him – and sent a message after him – saying
We will not have this man to reign over us
Parable of ten servants: king returns verse 15
And it came to pass – that when he was returned – having received the kingdom
then he commanded these servants to be called unto him
to whom he had given the money
that he might know how much every man
had gained by trading
Parable of ten servants: Accounting of servants verse 16- 21
Then came the first – saying
Lord – your pound has gained ten pounds
And he said unto him – Well – you good servant
BECAUSE you have been faithful in a very little
have you authority over ten cities
And the second came – saying
Lord – your pound has gained five pounds
And he said likewise to him
Be you also over five cities
And another came – saying
Lord – BEHOLD – here is your pound
which I have kept laid up in a napkins
FOR I feared you – BECAUSE you are an austere man
you take up that you lay not down
and reaping that you did not sow
Parable of ten servants:
Judgment for wicked servant verse 22- 27
And he said unto him
Out of thine own mouth will I judge you
you wicked servant
You knew that I was an austere man – taking up that I laid not down
and reaping that I did not sow
wherefore then gave not you my money into the bank
that at my coming I might have required
mine own with usury?
And he said unto them that stood by – Take from him the pound
and give it to him that hath ten pounds
(and they said unto him – Lord – he has ten pounds)
For I say unto you
That to every one which hath shall be given
and from him that has not
even that he has shall be taken away from him
But those mine enemies
which would not that I should reign over them – bring hither
and slay them before me
Jesus leaves for Jerusalem verse 28
And when HE had thus spoken – HE went before – ascending up to Jerusalem
Triumphant Entry of Jesus: Disciples bring colt verse 29- 35
And it came to pass – when HE was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany
at the mount called the mount of Olives – HE sent two of HIS disciples
saying
Go you into the village over against you
in which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied
whereon yet never man sat – loose him
and bring him hither
And if any man ask you – Why do youloose him?
thus shall you shall you say to him
Because the Lord has need of him
And they that were sent went their way
and found even as HE had said to them
And as they were loosing the colt – the owners thereof said to them
Why loose you the colt?
And they said
The Lord has need of him
Triumphant Entry of Jesus: Crowd follows verse 36- 40
And they brought him to Jesus
and they cast their garments upon the colt
and they set Jesus thereon
And as HE went – they spread their clothes in the way
and when HE was come nigh
even now at the descent of the mount of Olives
the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice
and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works
that they had seen saying
Blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord
peace in heaven – and glory in the highest
And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto HIM
Master – rebuke YOUR disciples
And HE answered and said unto them
I tell you that – IF these should hold their peace
the stones would immediately cry out
Jesus weeps over Jerusalem verse 41- 44
And when HE was come near – HE beheld the city – and wept over it – saying
If you had known – even you – at least in this your day
the things which belong to your peace
BUT now they are hid from your eyes
FOR the days shall come upon you
that your enemies shall cast a trench about you
and compass you round – and keep you in on every side
and shall lay you even with the ground
and your children within you
And they shall not leave in you one stone upon another
BECAUSE you knew not the time of your visitation
Jesus cleans the Temple verse 45- 46
And HE went into the temple – and began to cast out them that sold therein
and them that bought
saying to them – It is written
MY house is the house of prayer
BUT you have made it a den of thieves
Jesus teaches in the Temple verse 47- 48
And HE taught daily in the temple
BUT the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people
sought to destroy HIM – and could not find what they might do
FOR all the people were very attentive to hear HIM
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come, to this house, for so much as he also is a son of Abraham. (4991 “salvation” [soteria] means deliverance, preservation, health, safety, or the sum of benefits and blessings which the Christians)
DEVOTION: Again we meet a publican that wants to meet Jesus. Matthew was a publican who Jesus called to follow HIM. In the last chapter we see the difference between a publican and a Pharisee praying in the temple.
Now we have a short man who wants to meet Jesus. He climbs a tree to see HIM. Jesus looks up and tells Zaccheus that HE is coming to his house to eat. Those in the crowd didn’t like the idea of HIM eating with this publican.
Zaccheus made it plain to Jesus that the meant business. He offered to give up half of his wealth to give to the poor. Also, he offered to repay any that he had cheated as a tax collector.
This verse is Jesus response to his actions. HE was sent to seek and save those who were lost. Zaccheus was one of those individual.
Jesus didn’t have a problem crossing social barriers to meet people who needed to be given the blessing of a relationship with HIM. He ate with Pharisees. He ate with his disciple’s relatives. He ate with friends.
Here was a Jew who had allowed himself to become a tax collector but still wanted to be a follower of God through Christ. We need to learn from the life of Zaccheus. We need to seek the LORD will all our being. We need to show that we love him with all our finances. We need to love him enough to invite him to eat with us on a regular basis. We are not saved by our actions but by the actions of LORD Jesus Christ on the cross and our actions show that our commitment is real. What are our actions saying today?
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD what is holding you back from a full commitment to HIM? Does the LORD know that you mean business with HIM?
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DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. (622 “lost” [apollumi] means perish, to put out of the way entirely, abolish, to declare that one must be put to death, or to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell)
DEVOTION: Jesus is the “Son of Man.” HE liked to use this name to identify HIMSELF. HE wanted the HIS disciples to understand that HE was experiencing everything they were without sinning. HE wanted them to understand that HE was here on this earth in a public ministry to seek out and save those who were lost.
Jesus didn’t care about social status. HE worked with both groups. HE worked with the religious leaders who were willing to listen to HIS message. HE worked with those who were Jews but who were working for the Roman government as tax collectors. They were the worst of sinners in the eyes of the religious leaders and the rest of society.
We have the same responsibility. We are to seek and save those who are lost with the message of salvation that Christ brought down from the cross. We are to preach and teach the gospel to those who are in our world. They need to know that Christ died for their sins. HE was buried and rose from the grave. HE is now sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession for all those who have become followers of HIM.
Are we a seeking people or a settled people? It seems that we are a group that will let others go and seek those who need Jesus rather than getting ourselves involved in our world to reach a many as we can with the message of hope.
CHALLENGE: Pray about who you should be seeking. Then go and do it.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 22 And he says him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow. (840 “austere” [austeros] means harsh, rough, rigid, exacting, or severe)
DEVOTION: The servant had a right view of his master. He knew that he was a man who was harsh. He knew that the people around him didn’t want him to become king of the area because they knew how cruel he could be. His master gave him money to see if he was worth being his servant. If he didn’t produce he was going to get rid of him.
The evil servant could have put the money somewhere to get interest at least. He didn’t have to hide it in the ground or in a napkin. Investment is what the master expected. Even if he lost the money it would have been better than doing nothing out of fear.
This servant was judged rightly by this cruel master who became king of the area. His one coin was taken from him and given to another who had earned income from his coin.
Too often we have the wrong opinion of what God wants from HIS servants. We look at HIM as if HE is just like this cruel master. We think that God is a cruel God that is just looking for an excuse to send us to hell. This is all wrong.
God does deserve our reverent fear of HIM but not a general fear of HIM like those who are shaking in their boots type of fear. HE is not in heaven just waiting for us to sin and then punish us. HE is there to help us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit to be a better servant. HE blesses those who serve HIM faithfully. HE corrects those who need correcting to get them to be better servants of HIM.
We sometimes act on our false beliefs regarding the LORD. Or in this case this servant didn’t act he just hid the money hoping the master would not hold him accountable. God doesn’t want us to hide our gifts. HE wants us to use them for HIS glory in the local church.
We are supposed to be good servants of the LORD. We are going to give an account of our actions for the purpose of rewards. Our sins are forgiven. If we get out of line with God HE will chasten us to the point of death if we don’t repent of our disobedience.
CHALLENGE: Worship and serve God in fear that is reverent not a phobia. Understand that HE loves HIS children and only wants them to mature.
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: 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear HIM. (1582 “attentive” [ekkremamai] means to heed, conceived of as being suspended form something, hang on every word, to pay close attention to, to consider seriously, or bind)
DEVOTION: Jesus was not afraid to face those who opposed HIM. HE went into the Temple and cleaned out those who were robbing the people in the name of religion. They were cheating them out of their money. They had made the house of prayer into a den of thieves.
HE didn’t mix HIS words. HE said what HE meant. HE didn’t care what the religious leaders thought. The people loved HIM for his honesty. They listened to what HE had to say because HE spoke with authority. The people listened to every word HE had to say because they knew HE had a message from God for them.
The religious leaders only thoughts were on how they could kill HIM. What a difference between those who claimed to be close to God and those who knew they needed to be closer to God.
We need to be very attentive to the words of God that are found in the Word of God. We are not to go along to get along with everyone.
CHALLENGE: We are here to spread the Word of God without compromise. That is the message those who are seeking want to hear.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Give to the poor verse 8
Bank verse 23
Usury verse 23
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Taken by false accusation verse 8
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
House of Prayer verse 46
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Praising God verse 37
Stones with cry out verse 40
Temple verse 45
House of Prayer verse 46
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God verse 37
Mighty works verse 37
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesus verse 1, 3, 5, 9, 35
Lord verse 8, 31, 34, 38
Son of man verse 10
Seek and save lost verse 10
Parable verse 11- 27
King verse 38
Master verse 39
Taught in the Temple verse 47
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Kingdom of God verse 11
Peace in heaven verse 38
Glory in the highest verse 38
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Austere man verse 22
Owners verse 33
Enemies verse 43
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Murmured verse 7
Sinner verse 7
False accusation verse 8
Lost verse 10
Hate verse 14
Fear verse 21
Wicked verse 22
Den of thieves verse 46
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Receive Jesus joyfully verse 6
Goods to give to the poor verse 8
Restore verse 8
Salvation verse 9, 10
Occupy tell Christ returns verse 13
Good servant verse 17
Faithful verse 17
Austere verse 22
Rejoice verse 37
Praise verse 37
Peace verse 38
Rebuke verse 39
Prayer verse 46
Teach verse 47
Attentive to Jesus verse 48
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jericho verse 1
Zacchaeus verse 2, 5,8
Publicans verse 2
Son of Abraham verse 9
Jerusalem verse 11, 28
Bethphage verse 29
Bethany verse 29
Mount of Olives verse 29, 37
Pharisees verse 39
Temple: house of prayer verse 46
Chief priests verse 47
Scribes verse 47
Chief of the people verse 47
Church (New Testament people of God)
Disciples verse 29, 37, 39
Last Things (Future Events)
Kingdom of God verse 11
Peace in heaven verse 38
Days shall come verse 43
Time of your visitation verse 44
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QUOTES regarding passage
His repentance was evidenced in his promise to repay the people he had defrauded. This was significant. Restitution called for the original amount plus twenty percent (Lev. 6:5; Num.5:7) but Zaccheus was willing to go further. He wanted to repay four times as much – the penalty for stealing (Exod. 22:1). Zaccheus had become a kingdom citizen! (April 3, Living The New Testament by Paul Enns)
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9–10 Salvation did not “come to this house” because Zacchaeus finally did a good deed but because he was “a son of Abraham” (v. 9), which may mean because he was a believer and thus a spiritual descendant of Abraham (Ellis, Gospel of Luke, p. 220). On the other hand, it may mean that “a Jew, even though he has become one of the ‘lost sheep of the house of Israel’, is still a part of Israel; the good Shepherd must seek for such” (Marshall, Gospel of Luke, p. 698).
Verse 10 could well be considered the “key verse” of Luke. As noted in the introductory comments to this section, the context is rich with Lukan themes, an appropriate setting for a significant verse. The verse itself expresses the heart of Jesus’ ministry as presented by Luke, both his work of salvation and his quest for the lost. Luke has portrayed the “lost” throughout his gospel, from Jesus’ own statements (e.g., the programmatic statement in 4:18–19) to the disdainful comments of the self-righteous (e.g., the Pharisee in 18:11 and here in v. 7). Jesus has sought and found another of the “lost” in Jericho. He uses the occasion and the criticism of the people in v. 7 as an opportunity to restate his mission.
This whole incident is the epitome of the messianic mission described in Luke 4.
(Leifeld, W. L. (1984). Luke. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, pp. 1007–1008). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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19:7–10. As usual, many complained (began to mutter) because Jesus had gone to be the guest of a “sinner” (cf. 15:1). But Zacchaeus stood up and voluntarily announced that he would give half of what he owned to the poor and repay fourfold all he had wronged. He publicly wanted the people to know that his time with Jesus had changed his life. Interestingly he parted with much of his wealth, similar to what Jesus had asked the rich ruler to do (18:22).
Jesus’ words, Today salvation has come to this house, did not imply that the act of giving to the poor had saved Zacchaeus, but that his change in lifestyle evidenced his right relationship before God. Zacchaeus, a son of Abraham by birth, had a right to enter the kingdom because of his connection with Jesus. That was Jesus’ mission—to seek and to save those who are lost (cf. 15:5, 9, 24). (Martin, J. A. (1985). Luke. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 252). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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A poor man became rich (vv. 9–10). The people thought Zaccheus was a wealthy man, but actually he was only a bankrupt sinner who needed to receive God’s gift of eternal life, the most expensive gift in the world. This is the only instance in the four Gospels of Jesus inviting Himself to someone’s home, and it illustrates the words of Revelation 3:20.
Zaccheus was not saved because he promised to do good works. He was saved because he responded by faith to Christ’s gracious word to him. Having trusted the Saviour, he then gave evidence of his faith by promising to make restitution to those he had wronged. Saving faith is more than pious words and devout feelings. It creates a living union with Christ that results in a changed life (James 2:14–26).
Under the Mosaic Law, if a thief voluntarily confessed his crime, he had to restore what he took, add one fifth to it, and bring a trespass offering to the Lord (Lev. 6:1–7). If he stole something he could not restore, he had to repay fourfold (Ex. 22:1); and if he was caught with the goods, he had to repay double (Ex. 22:4). Zaccheus did not quibble over the terms of the Law; he offered to pay the highest price because his heart had truly been changed.
The child of God is born rich, for he shares “every spiritual blessing” in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3). We have the riches of God’s mercy and grace (Eph. 1:7; 2:4) as well as the riches of His glory (Phil. 4:19) and wisdom (Rom. 11:33). These are “unsearchable riches” that can never be fully understood or completely exhausted (Eph. 3:8). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 252). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Ver. 9. And Jesus said unto him, &c.] The Persic version reads, Jesus said to the multitude, and to his disciples; to which well enough agree the following words: this day is salvation come to this house; to the master of it, and it may be to others in it; the Arabic version reads, to the inhabitants of this house. The Persic version reads, great salvation; by which may be meant, the Gospel, as in Heb. 2:3 so called, because it brings the account of salvation by Christ, which is not discoverable by the light of nature, nor made known by the law of Moses; but the Gospel publishes and proclaims it; the ministers of it shew unto men the way of salvation, and direct them, and encourage to go to Christ for it; likewise the Gospel is the means of bringing near this salvation, and of applying it to them; and when it comes with the demonstration of the spirit, it is the power of God unto salvation: and this might be truly said to come to Zaccheus’s house; inasmuch as Christ the great preacher of it, and by whom it first began to be spoken, and was spoken by him, as it never was by any one besides, was now in his house, preaching it; the sum and substance of which lie in the words delivered by him in the following verse; and the Gospel came to him to purpose, and was effectual: sometimes it comes to a people, city, town, or family, and it is rejected, and becomes of no effect; but here it came to Zaccheus, and into him; and wrought effectually in him, as his words in the preceding verse declare: moreover, the blessing of salvation itself, which is wrought out by Christ, and published in the Gospel, was brought home to him; he was not only made sensible that he stood in need of salvation, but this was brought near unto him, and set before him, and applied to him; he had not only hopes of it, but faith of interest in it; it was made known unto him, that Christ was his salvation; and it was revealed and applied to the rest of the family, as well as to him: sometimes the Lord takes one of a city, and two of a family; and sometimes whole families, as Lydia’s and the jailor’s, and here Zaccheus’s, as seems probable; for by his house may be meant, his family: though this may be understood of Christ, the author of salvation; who came into his house in a literal sense, as well as in a spiritual sense; and was made known to Zaccheus, as his Saviour and Redeemer. The Alexandrian copy reads, in this house: it follows, forasmuch as he also is the son of Abraham. These words are to be considered, either as a reason, or evidence, of salvation being come to his house; and therefore can’t be understood of him as a son of Abraham, by natural descent: he was indeed a Jew, as appears by his name, and by his knowledge of the Jewish law, concerning restoration; and which may be confirmed by the silence of the Pharisees, who murmured at Christ’s going along with him; who, had he been a Gentile, would not have failed to have mentioned it; but then, though this might be a reason justifying Christ in going to his house, who did not exceed the bounds of his office, as the minister of the circumcision, and as sent, and that only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel: yet this could be no reason of spiritual salvation coming to him, which was not confined to Abraham’s natural seed, nor was it necessary to them, more than others, and much less general; and indeed, very few of them then in being, partook of it; for though salvation was of them, and Christ the Saviour came unto them, yet they rejected him, and died in their sins: nor is this a reason of salvation coming to his family; for though by virtue of the covenant of circumcision made with Abraham and his natural seed, there were many outward privileges bestowed upon them, yet spiritual salvation was not ensured by it to them; and with regard to that, natural descent from Abraham, and circumcision, were of no avail: but this is to be understood of him, as a son of Abraham in a spiritual sense, he being now a believer in Christ, and so one that walked in the steps of the faith of Abraham; and this was an evidence of his interest in salvation by Christ, the blessing with which he was blessed, with faithful Abraham: and also his being a son of Abraham, which is no other than to be a child of the promise, Rom. 9:8 or in other words, one of God’s elect, a chosen vessel of salvation, was a reason why Christ, the author of salvation, came to him, why the Gospel of salvation was made known to him, and why the blessing of salvation was applied to him. The Jews use this phrase, not only of one whose natural descent is from Abraham, but whose knowledge in divine things is considerable: so when R. Eliezer ben Arach taught the Mercava, (the mystery of Ezekiel’s visions,) “R. Jochanan ben Zaccai stood and kissed his head, and said, blessed art thou, O God of Israel, that has given בן לאברהﬦ, a son to Abraham, who has knowledge to understand, and to search out, and to explain the work of Mercava.” For Abraham is saide to be a father in this sort of knowledge, for which reason, this man was genealogized a son of Abraham. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 686–687). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
Jesus was not in the business of offering human advice which you could take or leave according to the way you felt about it. Instead, He always spoke with absolute and final authority. (p. 370)
I believe in Christian charity, but I do not believer in the weak tolerance that we hear preached so often now – the idea that Jesus must tolerate everybody and that the Christian must tolerate every kind of doctrine. (p. 371)
When we become so tolerant that we lead people into mental fog and spiritual darkness, we are not acting like Christians – we are acting like cowards! (p. 371)
We who are evangelicals and conservative in theology are often accused of being ‘bigoted.’ I can only reply that science and philosophy are more arrogant and bigoted than religion could ever possibly be. (p. 371-2, TozerSpeaks vol.1 by A. W. Tozer)
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Old Testament WORDS for Today by Warren W. Wiersbe
You would think that the combination of his guilty conscience plus the storm would have kept him awake, but he slept soundly. Often when we disobey God, we enjoy a period of quiet confidence that lulls us into a false peace. This is one of Satan’s tricks. (p. 186)
The name Jonah means dove, but Jonah brought to the ship anything but peace. One child of God out of the will of God can cause more trouble than a troop of unconverted people. (p. 187)
I have seen families go from storms to blessed quietness once the sin in the house was confessed and forsaken – and it happens in churches too. (p. 187)
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Treasures from the Greek New Testament by Kenneth S. Wuest
The Philippian saints were joint-participants with Paul in the work of the gospel in that they helped supply his needs as he preached. They had been helping him from the first day when Lydia the purple dye seller had opened her home for the preaching of the gospel until that present moment when they had sent a gift to the great apostle who was in prison. (p. 55)
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CHINA’S NEW SUPER CAMERA CAN IDENTIFY A FACE AMONG THOUSANDS (Friday Church News Notes, November 15, 2019, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from “China’s New 500MP ‘Super Camera,” petapixel.com, Sep. 27, 2019: “Scientists at the Fudan University and Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics in China have developed a 500MP cloud-connected ‘super camera’ that can reportedly pick out facial details of an individual person among thousands in a crowded stadium. The new tech is raising serious concerns about privacy and government monitoring. According to a report by ABC News, the camera was revealed at China’s International Industry Fair by Xiaoyang Zeng, one of the scientists who worked on the new system. The camera combines its 500MP resolution with a connection to the cloud and AI-powered, real-time facial recognition technology, making it possible to identify every individual in an ultra-wide image of a crowded stadium. As if that’s not enough, the camera can reportedly record video at the same resolution. The applications were put aptly enough by the China News Service, who writes that the ‘cloud-camera system [is] able to capture thousands of faces at a stadium in perfect detail and generate their facial data for the cloud while locating a particular target in an instant.’ According to the CNS report, the technology is being praised by ‘most Chinese experts’ for its potential ‘military, national defense, and public security applications,’ although ‘some’ have expressed concerns around privacy.”
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2 Timothy 1
Paul exhorts Timothy to rekindle his zeal for the Christian life and ministry
INSIGHT
A number of years have passed between the writing of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. During that time, Timothy has faced great trial and opposition and is in danger of discontinuing his ministry. Paul writes a terse letter of exhortation, urging strength and constancy. A list of phrases used in this book include:”stir up,” “do not be ashamed,” “hold fast,” “be strong,” “endure hardship,” “be diligent, “flee youthful lusts,” “pursue righteousness,” and “preach the word!” In the heat of battle, short and powerful commands are easy to comprehend.
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GOD DWELLS IN US
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12
God dwells in us. That is one of the grounds of my assurance, my certainty. “No man hath seen God at any time.” Very well, then, do we go on in doubt and almost in despair wondering whether there is a God? No! says John; “if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
Now, I confess very readily that I approach a theme like this with fear and with a sense of awe. Consider the great statement in John 14 of this intimate union between the believer and God the Father and God the Son, of Their abiding in us and dwelling in us. We are familiar with chapters 14, 15, 16, and 17 of John’s Gospel, and here we have the same thing again. “God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” And John goes on to say in 1 John 4:13, “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit,” and in verse 15, “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
At this point, like Moses, we take off our shoes! We are concerned with something that is glorious and magnificent, and so we have to be very careful as we handle it. The statement is that if we love one another, God—God who is love, God the Almighty, God the eternal—dwells in us. I think that the great thing at this point is to realize that we must not materialize that conception. We must not think of God in material terms; God is spirit. It is God, who is spirit, who dwells in us.
A Thought to Ponder: It is God, who is spirit, who dwells in us.
(From The Love of God, p. 85, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Son of God/Son of Man
“And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20)
It is significant that although Christ clearly taught that He was the unique Son of God, He most frequently referred to Himself as Son of man, earnestly desiring that people understand His true and representative humanity.
The first use of the phrase is in Psalm 8:4: “What is . . . the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Although David may have been thinking of all “sons of Adam” in general, the writer of Hebrews applied the passage specifically to Christ (Hebrews 2:6), “that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:9). In order to save lost men, God in Christ had to become man through supernatural incarnation. Then, as perfect, sinless man, He could represent us before God, finally tasting death for every man.
The vital importance of the incarnation is affirmed by John: “Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4:2-3). It is noteworthy that Satan and his evil spirits would recognize Christ as the Son of God (Matthew 4:3; 8:28-29) but never as the Son of man! This reluctance seems also to characterize all the occultic philosophies of the so-called “New Age” movement, as well as all ancient and modern pantheistic religions. They speak glibly of “the Christ” as a spirit that might come on many, but bitterly refuse to acknowledge that the man Jesus was actually the Son of man, God incarnate.
Finally, it is thrilling to realize that, although He only became the Son of man through His incarnation, He will always remain the Son of man! John saw Him in His glory—as we shall see Him in eternity—as “one like unto the Son of man” (Revelation 1:13; 14:14). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Glenn writes (NY): Refuse to take Satan’s bait by becoming angry, frustrated, or bitter over life’s blows. Instead, seek to display God’s fruit of the Spirit and know that you will be blessed. (AMEN!)
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DAILY HOPE
Today’s Scripture
Numbers 35-36
God provides for the people He instructs to be stewards of His possessions. I had a professor at Moody Bible Institute that told his students the last thing he would discuss with a church while being interviewed for employment was the financial package. He felt that if God was calling him to a place of ministry, God also knew his family’s necessities.
As we conclude the book of Numbers, we are presented with the ways that God instructed the nation of Israel to care for the Levites and those who oversaw the tabernacle and later the temple. The Levites were assigned 48 cities which were given by the tribes so they could raise their families and pasture the livestock they had accumulated.
The cities were to be a designated size with pastureland surrounding them to accommodate animals. Six of these cities were designated as places of refuge where individuals could go when accidental or innocent blood was shed. Premeditated murder was to receive capital punishment with no sanctuary provided.
The final instructions of the book of Numbers cover tribal inheritance, boundaries and maintaining purity before the Lord. Previously, Manasseh had been confronted by daughters of Zelophehad maintaining the land rights of their father when no sons were in the family (Numbers 27:1-11). Here, it was further clarified the women were to be obedient to the law in order to maintain the ownership of the land within their father’s tribe.
The nation of Israel, disciples, and the churches through the centuries have all experienced God’s oversight of His people. During uncertainty and turmoil, the words of Jesus are a clarion-like promise, “’… I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we may boldly say; ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:7-8). Draw comfort and strength from these promises God freely provides us to claim.
In Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller
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