Blessings on Littleness Feb 21

My Friend, this page is as others a modern translation of Pastor Spurgeon’s writing, and is followed with a long set of notes about the historical Jesus.  Please make time to read it as it will edify you and answer many questions clearly. 

 

 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. (Psalm 115:13)

This is a word of cheer to those who are of humble station and mean estate. Our God has a very gracious consideration for those of small property, small talent, small influence, small weight. God careth for the small things in creation and even regards sparrows in their lighting upon the ground. Nothing is small to God, for He makes use of  insignificant agents for the accomplishment of his purposes. Let the least among men seek of God a blessing upon his littleness, and he shall find his contracted sphere to be a happy one. Among those who fear the Lord there are little and great.  Some are babes, and others are giants. But, these are all blessed. Little faith is blessed faith. Trembling hope is blessed hope.  Every grace of the Holy Spirt, even though it be only in the bud, bears a blessing within it. More over the Lord Jesus bought the small and the great with the same precious blood, and He has engaged to preserve the lambs as well as the full-grown sheep. No mother overlooks her child because it it little; no! The smaller it is, the more tenderly does she nurse it. If there be any preference with the Lord, He does not arrange them as “great and small” but as “small and great.”

Editor: Remember please, many are called, few are chosen. Many will listen to a preacher from anywhere, in a church speaking in a book, heard on radio, television, other forms of broadcast. That’s fine. My personal view is, many preachers tell the happy story. Say to the prayer, “I want to be saved. Paster please pray with me. I need to be saved.”

I think the oil in the lamps refers to you doing your best to pray often, almost constantly, to purify your thoughts and thus your actions, to read the commandments and the biblical stories, articles, and Bible commentaries, which for a limited time are freely available on the internet. BibleGateway.com has enough education to make you an expert.

Jesus grew up in a monastic community in the foot hills of Mount Carmel. This particular community was dedicated to doing their work, and keeping God’s Law as exactly as they possibly could. There wee sages and prophets amongst them. They were waiting for the Messiah to be born amongst them too. The prophecy said he would be born to a woman and man both of whom were of the family tree of King David and that is exactly what happened.

Many feel called to follow God’s Righteous Way (as it was called during the years before Jesus was born and thereafter. They referred to their “religion” as “The Way.”)

Jesus told us some people, like plant seeds, fall on dry soil and hot stones. They don’t germinate. Some get a little rain and sprout, but then whither and die. A small fraction take root and thrive. That small fraction should include YOU. That small fraction of people hear the gospel, do their best to follow God’s commandments, do good for society, quit their obsessions with sex, money, rock music, wild parties, drinking, drugging. They ask The Holy Spirit to help them “repent.” (To repent means to turn around. They have been running away from God. Now turn around and run toward God. Jesus will forgive your sins. Yes, you will perhaps be ashamed and embarrassed and must swallow your self-pride. Some of your friends may protest and make comments. But we must SINCERELY turn away from what Satan has led us into, and reach for a higher calling. God wants you to finally be raised by HIM and mature to Be Like Him. That is what he said! I didn’t make that up. This Bible verse is 1 John 3:2, which says, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”

This is from the (NKJV), It is a promise of transformation into Christ’s likeness. To be like HIM and to fit into the Family of God in the Heavenly Kingdom.

We get the first inkling of this here.    Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground'”. This verse introduces humanity as being uniquely created to reflect God’s nature (Imago Dei).  Dear Friend, how can we expect to reflect God’s nature, his natural wisdom and inclinations, if we are not like him? We must turn away from our obsessions with sins, and turn toward his glory, receive his majesty in our minds, and become like him in our behavior.

At various places in the Bible, an Angel meets a woman or man and sometimes these Angels display such power, majesty, and awe-inspiring wisdom, the woman or man drops to their knees, completely overwhelmed by it. Sadly, fallen angels can also display frightful power.

My point is; for those who certainly know they want to be on the same track with God, they will one day be like him. I do not expect that to happen in a moment. I expect it to take a long time, and a lot of training. I know what the Bible verse says and it implies an immediate change. I’ll have to experience that to believe the translation is correct. During that time I expect some of us will be here on Earth, our feet walking in the soil and dust, helping to build the foundation for a new, better society. I hope you will be there too. That also is a longer story but I shall not explain it now.

To finish the thought, raising your hands and asking for Jesus to rescue you is not enough. You can’t do that and go back to living the sinful lifestyle. The way to God’s throne is a long up-hill, narrow rocky road. The way to Hell or the second death which is also called outer darkness, is the easy way. It is the way that complies with the devil’s commandments and does as the antichrist tells us to do.

I have met too many people who fell into terrible sin. They thought they were self-righteous and in every way they were right, and they tried to claim that the Bible was nonsense, God was a myth, and  conservative young sober people were wrong.

Well….look at me. I started doing exercise and keeping good food choices from age 8, and now I’m age 75. I still do gymnastics exercises. I’m still so physically fit that I amaze doctors and nurses. I still work for my living writing and providing a combination of Classic Massage and Chiropractic spinal adjustments to people around me where I live now near Cebu City in The Philippines. 

Most of the people I saw everyday in high school are dead and gone. I’m still busy. I have no crime record. I have done my best to be a decent, helpful gentleman all of my life. When I was before age 18 I was a bit hyperactive, but that cleared when I learned that the problem was caused by mal-nurition.

I have made my share of mistakes and repented of them. (I don’t talk very much. I mostly say what I want to on paper.)

I think the path I have followed is the one right way to tread, and God has complemented men and women who have trodden his righteous way.

I have yet to see anyone prove that the evolutionary thesis is even a thesis. There still is nothing to prove to me that there is any truth to it. It’s not even so much as a HYPOthesis. (a hypothesis is a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation. In philosophy it is a proposition made as a basis for reasoning without any assumption of its truth.) It has also been defined as an educated guess. Darwin described birds and what he saw were birds that adapted over time to have wider beaks during dry season and slimmer beaks during wet season. He saw birds with different colored feathers and various other characteristics. They were still birds. They didn’t mate with sheep and become wool bearing 4-legged grass eaters with wings that hatched from eggs! The Cambrian period shows us a fossil record of many new marine shellfish species. No one can find any proof to explain how they came about by evolution. The last speech Darwin gave told students they had to find fossil records to prove the idea of evolution. If anyone could they would have a college professorship position for life. No one has found anything!

There is no fossil record to prove any of Darwin’s thesis. Now in modern times people want us to believe there is proof of this modern evolutionary thesis. They cannot prove it. I call it a Fantasy.

Let me remind you, Jesus grew up with his mother and stepfather in a monastic community in the foothills of Mt. Carmel. The people south of them nearer to Jerusalem referred to them as the Nazarenes. Finally LONG AFTER Jesus had been born, “Nazareth” appeared on a map, and in historical writings. There was no place called Nazareth before Jesus was born.

History is a bit fuzzy here. Joseph was generally speaking, a house builder. The “carpenter” of those days worked with wood and stone. He could build the plinth foundation, build the walls, the fireplace and chimney, the roof, doors; some sort of stone and earthen cabinets, or wood cabinets for cooking. He worked in a city near where they lived. We are informed by Google’s Artificial Intelligence: Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, a town in the Lower Galilee region of northern Israel. Nazareth is located about 23 miles (37 km) inland from the Mediterranean Sea at Haifa, which is the city at the foot of Mount Carmel.

While not directly in the foothills of Mount Carmel, Nazareth is relatively close, with Mount Carmel visible from the Nazareth ridge. Joseph and Mary’s home was situated among the lower hills of Galilee, just before they descend into the plain of Esdraelon, which stretches towards the Carmel mountain range.

The people they lived amongst, were a monastic community which eventually came to be called Nazareth. Some historians say there was a small city near their home community with a crossroads of traders, more money moving, and people who could afford to hire Joseph to help them build their homes.

God knew King Herod wanted to kill Jesus because he wanted one of his own sons to continue as king over Jerusalem and most of Judea. Herod was physically and mentally very sick and eventually parasites caused him a slow, agonizing death.

God sent Joseph and Mary on a mission to Egypt to get away from Herod and his soldiers who were assigned to kill all the young boys they could find in the hope that in the process they would eliminate this prophesied future King of the Jews.

There had been many young men who claimed to be capable of overcoming the Roman army and some claimed to be the Lion of Judah and rising messiah. They apparently had no idea about Roman battle training. It was extremely uncommon for any fighting force to win against a well manned Roman battalion.

Some historians said Jesus was not born in Bethlehem.

Ai says: Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, a small town south of Jerusalem, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke in the Bible. His parents, Mary and Joseph, traveled there for a Roman census, and because inns were full, he was born in a stable and placed in a manger.

The story I’ve heard from a famous preacher and teacher is that some wealthier Egyptians wanted a particular date palm tree to grow on their property at the border of Egypt. The palm trees were delicate and needed special care to survive and grow. Word got around that there were gardeners in Jerusalem who know how to cultivate these palm trees and some were hired to work in this community. I return to Ai to help me get a better definition of the name and location:

The community was Deir el-Balah, located in the Gaza Strip (historically bordering Egypt), whose name means “House of Dates” and has a long history of date palm cultivation, with Jewish gardeners historically involved in this agricultural tradition, especially around ancient times and the Jericho area known as the “city of palm trees”.

• Deir el-Balah (Gaza): The name itself signifies its date-growing heritage, and it’s a significant agricultural center, known for dates, with Jewish involvement in the region’s date farming traditions, particularly in nearby ancient Jericho.
• Judean Date Palm: This variety was symbolic of the region, with ancient cultivation near Jericho and the Mount of Olives, where Jewish communities thrived and dates were significant.

• Dates: Civilization’s Sweetest Indulgence – JSTOR Daily

Jul 9, 2024 — Deir el-Balah Its very name meaning “House of Dates”, the central governorate of Deir el-Balah is one of Gaza’s largest date cultivation communities.

• 1. Origin of date palm

“And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water and three score and ten palms, and they encamped there by the waters”.

Rabbi/pastor Jonathan Cahn said THAT was the place where Mary and Joseph found a small home where, like so many then, the house was built on a basement; a sort of large hole in the ground under the house, or next to a cave. The sheep were kept inside during winter. So his story was this couple was essentially poor, homeless, and trusting God to rescue them. Truly they were the Little living on trembling hope! The story goes that the heat from the animals rises through the floor into the house above to help the people above survive cold winters. That area can have snow and cold winds in winter.

Other historians remind us that shepherds brought the sheep down off the high green hills as autumn came because they wanted the sheep to be sheltered where they could be protected and warm. So… I dare to say it is possible the story is a bit confused. The Shepherds may have seen an angel and were told to find Jesus. It may be that they traveled 2 or 3 months to find him.

Other historians want us to accept that Jesus was born around June or July when the sheep were grazing on the warm, sunny slopes. We are forced to take our choice about the timing. Astronomers can help.

Astronomers say they can pin down a date when the Star of Bethlehem appeared. It was really, they say, a conjunction of planets and from here on Earth it looked like a big, bright star.

Ai informs us this much:  Astronomers suggest the “Star of Bethlehem” likely appeared as a significant planetary alignment, with prominent theories pointing to a triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars in 7-6 BCE, or a very close gathering of Jupiter and Venus in 2 BCE, with some suggesting a comet in 5 BCE, all occurring in the period around Jesus’ birth, fitting the timeframe before King Herod’s death (4 BCE).

• Ai further states: Venus & Jupiter: A very close meeting (occultation) of Venus and Jupiter occurred on June 17, 2 BCE, in the constellation Pisces, a potential candidate for the Magi, according to the Biblical Archaeology Society.

These events are considered plausible explanations because they happened within a few years of Jesus’ traditional birth, fitting historical records and astronomical possibilities.

It appears Jesus was born around 2 or 3 BC. I’m trying to be even handed and avoid giving out false information. My guess is that 2 BCE was when he was born. To find the exact season is as close as we’ll get for now.

AI tells us this:

If Jesus was born in 2 BCE, based on biblical accounts of shepherds with flocks in fields (indicating warmer months) and calculations aligning with his ministry starting around age 30, it would likely have been the

late summer or early fall, not winter, suggesting a time before the cold, rainy season in Judea, possibly around September/October.

Why Fall/Summer is Suggested:

• Shepherds in Fields: Luke’s Gospel mentions shepherds watching their flocks at night, which was common from late March through mid-November in Judea, but not during cold, wet winter months.
• Chronological Calculation: Working backward from Jesus’s ministry starting around 29 CE (when he was “about 30”), a birth year of 2 BCE (or 1 BCE) fits, placing it in the fall.

As for Christmas and Easter; well that is debatable and has been for centuries. AI says:

Why December 25th is Later:

• The December 25th date for Christmas was adopted much later (4th century) by the early Church, likely to coincide with Roman pagan festivals like the “birthday of the unconquered sun” (Sol Invictus).

The important point that I wanted to make as stated above, was that Jesus was born with nothing, in a homeless condition, wrapped in whatever blanket they had and settled to rest on straw or hay, in a manger or animal troth.

Joseph probably did stay around that community “city of palm trees”. Deir el-Balah (Gaza): AI also states he traveled through more of Egypt, and he may have. I don’t find more information about where he went and when, or with whom.

We have the impression, they had nothing, Jesus was a homeless prince born into poverty, worked very hard building homes and furniture, and did not marry. He rode the foal of a donkey in that fateful day, into Jerusalem. This was symbolic again; displaying his humble position and his poverty. He came the first time as the suffering servant. The Jewish understanding was that a messiah would come as a leader who would chase the Roman army out of Judea. Many would not accept him as a suffering servant.  His return will be as the wise King of all Kings, and Ruler over all the world.

The Sanhedrin rabbis of that day were making a fortune on contributions and sales of sacrificial animals and they were not the least bit pleased when a huge crowd came out to welcome Jesus riding into Jerusalem, a bearded, perhaps tired looking fellow, who soon thereafter was accused of various crimes before Pontius Pilot the Roman procurator.

Pontius Pilate also in his private writing to the Roman Emperor Tiberius, admitted he knew he was facing a man or God-Man of such wisdom and  hidden power and authority, that the meeting severely frightened him.

Pilate had been brave in battles but facing Jesus, he was reminded of his wife’s warning, and was terrified, and well he should have been. Some few months later the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who ruled from 14 AD to 37 AD, had Pilate killed.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, authorized the crucifixion under Tiberius’s reign, which most scholars place around 30-33 AD. This order from Pilate left the blame for the even on Pilots shoulders. To say, “the Jews killed Christ” is a ridiculous lie. Thousands of Jewish people came out to meet Jesus when he rode into Jerusalem. They wanted him to remain with them. A few Sanhedrin wanted him dead. They paid a few people to foment a small riot under Pilate’s balcony and finally Pilat gave them what they wanted.

Before crucifixion, Jesus was accused of blasphemy (claiming divinity/Messiahship), violating the Sabbath by healing, threatening the Temple, and sedition (claiming to be “King of the Jews”). Jewish leaders brought him to the Romans for these religious offenses, but the Romans executed him for the political charge of claiming to be a king, a challenge to Roman authority.

Accusations by Jewish Leaders (Sanhedrin):

• • Blasphemy: Claiming to be the Son of God and the Messiah, which they considered insulting God.

• • Sabbath Violation: Healing people on the Sabbath, which they considered work.

• • Threatening the Temple: Threatening to destroy and rebuild the Temple.

• • Sorcery/ Practicing with Demons: Accused of casting out demons by the power of Satan.

Roman Charge:

• • Sedition/Treason: The Jewish leaders presented Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, on the charge of claiming to be the “King of the Jews”. This was seen as a political threat to the Roman Emperor.

Ultimately, the Jewish authorities found him guilty of blasphemy, but the Romans executed him for sedition.

• • What Roman law was Jesus Christ found guilty of? : r/AskHistorians

Oct 14, 2019 — According to the gospels, Jesus was found guilty of blasphemy by the local Jewish authorities.

I hope you appreciate the history. I couldn’t leave this hanging. I wanted to do all I could to share with you the correct history.

Jesus was an example of and to those who think they are “little,” who have almost nothing and struggle through our difficult final years.

Stride confidently into the future. Set your eyes on a reasonable goal of work that is helpful to society and will help you earn a decent living.

Giving up is dishonorable. Giving your all as if it is done as service to God, is honorable. Change your behavior to be more like the description of the right ways to behave. The way to live is to give yourself, your life, into service to God. Yes, of course you should continue to work and support yourself, and your family. Be honest, decent, sober, morally upright, and over time and through prayer you will purify your thoughts and be the person you were intended to be!

I hear Pastor Paul Begley asking, Äre you serious, and are you saved. I want to emphasize, In My Humble Opinion; no one gets saved simply by asking for it. You cannot be saved by your works but you can work to become more righteous and work to follow God’s righteous Way. That is what you are communicating when you pray, are baptized, and claim to be a Christian or a Judeo-Christian, or a messianic Jew.

I think it necessary that I cover a bit more Bible explanation here:  Judas Iscariot could have demanded a high price to betray Jesus. In truth he was paid the lowest possible fee in that tradition for a potter’s field of clay into which the intended he would be buried. The Bible account says only enough to leave us wondering if he wanted to betray Jesus for money, or if he was a victim of a threat. Jesus told him, to do quickly what he must do. How did they both know what he was going to do? It may be a miraculous revelation from The Heavenly Father, or it may have been that Jesus and Judas had a private agreement. No one knows for sure. But this was a curfew time. No Jewish general citizens were supposed to be walking the streets. Judas was amongst the other disciples. Who imagines he wanted to leave the Passover dinner with God amongst men, so that he could do such a terrible errand?

Ai tells us: Jesus said to Judas Iscariot at the Last Supper, after giving him a piece of bread, “What you are going to do, do quickly” (John 13:27). This was a cryptic command signaling Jesus’ awareness of Judas’s impending betrayal, which occurred shortly after, as Judas left in the night to tell the authorities where to find Jesus in the Garden  over to the authorities.

This moment followed Jesus identifying Judas as the betrayer by giving him the dipped bread, and after Satan entered Judas.

Here is part of the NIV translation

John: chapter 13:

13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

¹⁸ “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned^[a] against me.’^[b]

¹⁹ “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. ²⁰ Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

²¹ After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

²² His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. ²³ One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. ²⁴ Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

²⁵ Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” ²⁸ But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹ Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. ³⁰ As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

It was night. He was not allowed to be out at night. A Roman guard might have arrested him. I doubt he wanted to go! All of this happened because the scriptural prophecies foretold it.

Jesus was arrested in the garden in John Chapter 18, specifically verses 1 through 12, where Jesus goes with His disciples to a garden across the Kidron Valley, and Judas leads soldiers and temple police to arrest Him, binding Him before taking Him to Annas. This passage describes the scene where Jesus willingly goes with the authorities, demonstrating His foreknowledge of events.

To say “The Jews killed Christ” is absurd. This was ORDERED in scripture. It HAD TO happen. If it did not happen then all the timing and all the prophecy and all of God’s planning would have been brought to nothing and we still would be a society little better than animals, with no hope of salvation! GOD ARRANGED IT because it was part of HIS vast eternal plan to legally cut off Satan from his attempts to take over God’s universe.

Some theoretical physicists say the universe we know of has an ending and beyond that border there is “nothing.” That might be a good description for “outer darkness.” My interpretation of scripture is that those fallen angels with Satan will go to eternal torment. Those humans who were deceived and refused God will go to “outer darkness” where we might say they are dis-created. And it would be as if they had never existed.

I can only hope I am right. You do not have to accept this hypothesis. It is only mine. The Southern Baptist schools would vehemently disagree. I think they conveniently forget to mention some material that might leave us in debate about their doctrinal interpretation.

What happened to complete this story:

Jesus Arrested:  also from NIV translation.

 

18 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.

² Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. ³ So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. ⁴ Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

⁵ “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) ⁶ When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

⁷ Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” ⁹ This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”^[a]

¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

¹¹ Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

¹² Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him ¹³ and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. ¹⁴ Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.

The rest of this scripture chapter is not part of my point in writing. I feel it is a blasphemy for me to cut it, so I’ll show it in full.

Peter’s First Denial

¹⁵ Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, ¹⁶ but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

¹⁷ “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter.

He replied, “I am not.”

¹⁸ It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

¹⁹ Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.

²⁰ “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. ²¹ Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”

²² When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.

²³ “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” ²⁴ Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

²⁵ Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”

He denied it, saying, “I am not.”

²⁶ One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” ²⁷ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Jesus Before Pilate

²⁸ Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

³⁰ “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

³¹ Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. ³² This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

³³ Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

³⁴ “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

³⁶ Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

³⁸ “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. ³⁹ But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!”

This chapter is so filled with hidden meaning, I could lecture on it before a church for at least an hour.

For now I’ll only drop a hint. Jesus was referred to as Torah, which means the living word of God. Read John 1:1

AI Overview

John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” introduces Jesus Christ as the eternal, divine “Logos” (Word), present with God before creation, the agent of creation, and God Himself, a foundational text for Trinitarian theology explaining the Word became flesh (John 1:14). This verse connects to Genesis 1:1, establishing the Word’s pre-existence, distinct relationship with God (the Father), and divine nature, linking to Jewish concepts of God’s active revelation and Greek philosophy of divine reason.

I sincerely hope this has been helpful for you.

CONTINUE FROM HERE 1-9-26

Steve go to the site here

https://nycareashopper.com/comforting-bible-promises-contents/ work on this through to March 19 or 20 on this page linked below. Get it all perfect and then continue to finish March.

https://nycareashopper.com/spurgeon-continued-1-7-26/

February 22 Past Deliverance Begets Faith

David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:37)

This is not a promise if we consider only the worlds, but it is truly so as to its sense, for David spoke a word which the Lord endorsed by making it true. He argued from past deliverances that he should receive help in a new danger. In Jesus all the promises are “yes” and Amen/we agree to the glory of God by us, and so the Lord’s former dealings with His believing people will repeated.

Come, then, let us recall the Lord’s former lovingkindness. We could not have hoped to be delivered aforetime by our own strength, yet the Lord delivered us. Will he not again save us? We are sure He will. As David ran to meet his foe, so will we. The Lord has been with us, He is with us, and He has said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you,” Why do we tremble? Was the past a dream? Think of the dead bear and lion. Who is this Philistine? True, he is not quite the same, and is neither bear nor lion; but then God is the same, and his honor is as much concerned in the one case as in the other. He did not save us from the beasts of the forest to let a giant kill us. Let us be of good courage.

Feb 23

Unbroken Fellowship Is Essential

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John :7)

Of necessity we must be in Christ to live unto Him, and we must abide in Him to be able to claim

The largesse of this promise from Him. To abide in Jesus is never to quite Him for another love or another object, but to remain in living, loving, conscious, willing union with Him. The branch is not only ever near the stem but ever receiving life and fruitfulness from it. All true believers abide in Christ in a sense, but there is a higher meaning, and this we must know before we can gain unlimited power at the throne. “Äsk what ye will” is for the likes of Enoch, and such women and men who walk with God, and for men like John who die lie propped up against on the Lord’s chest, for those whose union with Christ leads to constant communion.

The heart must remain in love, the mind must be rooted in faith, the hope must be cemented to the Word, the whole man must be joined unto The Lord or else it would be dangerous to trust us with power in prayer. The carte blanche can only be given to one whose very life is, “Not I, but Christ liveth in me.”

O you who break your fellowship, what power you lose! If you would be mighty in your pleadings, the Lord Himself must abide in you, and you in Him!

Hear So As To Be Heard Feb 24

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7)

Note well that we must hear Jesus speak if we expect Him to hear us speak. If we have no ear for Christ, He will have no ear for us. In proportion as we hear, we shall be heard.

Morover, what is heard must remain, must live in us, and must abide in our character as a force, and a power. We must receive the truths which Jesus taught, the precepts which He issued, and the movements of His Spirit within us; or we shall have no power at the Mercy Seat.

Suppose our Lor’s word to be received and to abide in us, what a boundless field of privilege is opened up to us! We are to have our will in prayer, because we have already surrendered our will to the Lord’s command. Thus are Elijahs trained to handle the keys of heaven and lock or loose the clouds. One such man is worth a thousand Christians. Do we humbly desire to be intercessors for the church and the world and be able to have what we will of the Lord? Then we must bow our ear to the voice of the Well-beloved. Treasure His words, and carefully obey them. He has need to “hearken diligently” who would pray effectually.

Set Apart  Feb 25

Ye shall be named the priests of the Lord. (Isaiah 61:6)

This literal promise to Israel belongs spiritually to the seed after the Spirit, namely, to all believers; The Children of God. If we live up to our privileges, we shall live unto God so clearly and distinctly that men shall see that we are set apart for holy service and shall name us the priests of the Lord. We may work or trade as others do, and yet we may be solely and wholly the ministering Servants of God. Our one occupation shall be to present the perpetual sacrifice of prayer, and praise, and testimony, and self-consecration to the living God by Jesus Christ.

This being our one aim we may leave distracting concerns to those who have no higher calling. “Let the dead bury their dead.” It is written, “Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers,”

They may manage politics, puzzle out financial problems, discuss science, and settle the last new quibbles of criticism; but we will give ourselves unto such service as becomes those who, like the Lord Jesus, are ordained to a perpetual priesthood. Accepting this honorable promise as involving a sacred duty, let us put on the vestments of holiness and minister before the Lord all day long.

All above is on the web pages and working. Continue from here

Truth Established Feb 26

The lip of truth shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. (Proverbs 12:19)

Truth wears well. Time tests it, but it right well endures the trial. I have spoken the truth ad have for the present to suffer for it, I must be content to wait. If also I believe the truth of God and endeavor to decare it, I may meet with much opposition, but I need not fear, for ultimately prevail.

What a poor thing is the temporary triumph of falsehood! “A lying lip is but for a moment!” It is a mere gourd which comes up in a night and perishes in a night; and the greater its development the more manifest its decay. On the other hand, how worth of an immortal being is the avowal and defense of that truth which can never change; the everlasting gospel which is established in immutable truth of an unchanging God. An old proverb saith, “He that speaks truth shames the devil.” Assuredly he that speaks the truth of God will put to shame all the devils in hell and confound all the seed of the serpent which now hiss out their falsehoods.

O my heart, take cae that thou be in all things on the side of truth. Both in small things and great; but specially, on the side of Him by whom grace and truth have come among men!

Unstaggering Trustfulness Feb 27

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. (Psalm 112:7)

Suspense is dreadful. When we have no news from home, we are apt to grow anxious, and we cannot be persuaded that “no news is good news.”

Faith is the cure for this condition of sadness; the Lord by His Spirit settles the mind in holy serenity, and all fear is gone as to the future as well as the present.

The fixedness of heart spoken of by the psalmist is to be diligently sought after. It is not believing this or that promise of the Lord, but the general condition of unstaggering trustfulness in our God, the confidence which we have in Him that He will neither do us ill Himself nor leave anyone who may harm us unpunished.

This constant confidence meets the unknown as well as the known of life. Let the morrow be what it may. Our God is the God of tomorrow. Whatever events may have happened which to us are unknown, our Jehovah is God of the unknown as well as of the known. We are determined to trust the Lord, come what may.

If the very worst should happen, our God is still the only true and living God, the greatest and best.

Therefore we should not fear though the postman’s knock should startle us or a telegram wakes us at midnight. The Lord liveth, and what can His children fear?

Editor’s Comment: The Universal law is said to, and appears to be; what one does to others will also be done to him and perhaps seven times worse. If you steal from another something will be denied or stolen from you. If you harm another without honorable cause, someone else will also harm you.

The wonder of this apparent law is that it also opens a door for the criminal to cry out to God, beg for forgiveness, receive the Holy Spirit after giving the reins of his life to The Christ Jesus, and then over time repent and be assisted to change to be a better man, and some indeed have moved from doing evil to becoming teachers and preachers, or assistants to great preachers.

If one rapes, robs, pillages, drugs, injures or murders others, God knows, and in some way brings justice. Most of the readers of this piece are not criminals, but some may preach or teach or share this piece online through social media or elsewhere, speaking before a church body, or sharing for others to read in a home Bible study, or in a larger sanctuary. You have my every permission to read any of this aloud to a worshiping group. May God Bless you for doing so.

I am grateful that you are reading this with me.

Stephen Newdell, Editor

Feb 28

Real Estate In Heaven

Knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. (Hebrews 10:34) This is well. Our substance here is very unsubstantial; there is no substance in it.

But God has given us a promise of real estate in the glorious land, and that promise comes to our hearts with such full assurance of its certainty that we know in ourselves that we have an enduring substance there. Yes, “we have” it even now. They say, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” but we have our bird in the bush and in the hand too. Heaven is even now our own. We have the title deed of it, we have the earnest of it, we have the first fruits of it. We have heaven in price, in promise, and in principle, this we know not only by the hearing of the ear but ïn ourselves.”

Should not the thought of the better substance on the other side of the Jordan reconcile us to present losses? Our spending money we may lose, but our treasure is safe. We have lost the shadows but the substance remains, for our Savior lives, and the place which He has prepared for us abides. There is a better land, a better substance, a better promise, and all this comes to us by a better covenant; wherefore, let us be in better spirits, and say unto the Lord, Ëvery day will I bless thee; and praise thy name forever and ever.”

“Wherefore” is an archaic word meaning “why” (for what reason or purpose) or “therefore” (for that reason/consequently), often found in classic literature like Shakespeare (e.g., “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” means “Why are you Romeo?”) or in the phrase “the whys and wherefores” (the reasons and causes). It’s rarely used in modern everyday speech but retains its meanings in formal or literary contexts.

February 29

What Follows Us

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the

Days of my life. (Psalm 23:6)

 

A devout poet sings,

Lord, when thou puttest in my time a day,

as thou does now,

Unknown in other years, grant, I entreat

Such grace illumines it, that whatever its phase it

add a holiness and lengthen praise.

This day comes but once in four years….Until now goodness and mercy, like two guards, have followed us from day to day, bringing up the rear even as grace leads the van; and as this out-of-the-way day is one of the days of our lives, these two guardian angels will be with us today also; Goodness to supply our needs, and Mercy to blot out our sins.

May these two attend our every step this day and every day until days shall be no more. Therefore, let us serve the Lord on this peculiar day with special consecration of heart and sing His praises with more zest and sweetness than ever.

Could we not today make an unusual offering to the cause of God or to the poor? By inventiveness of love let us make this twenty-ninth of February, a day to be remembered forever.

In the phrase “even as grace leads the van,” the word van (short for vanguard) refers to the forefront or the leading position of a group.

The full meaning of the phrase is that “grace” is in the leading position or is guiding the way for something else. This usage is a formal or older sense of the word, which can refer to:

• The front part of an army or fleet.
• Those who are in the leading position of a movement or a course of progress.

In this context, the phrase is likely a metaphor, suggesting that the quality of “grace” is the guiding principle or the leading element in whatever situation is being described.

• VAN definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

“Therefore” is an adverb meaning “for that reason,” “as a result,” or “consequently,” used to introduce a logical conclusion or outcome that follows from a previous statement or fact, linking ideas in arguments, math, or everyday speech. It functions as a conjunctive adverb, connecting sentences or clauses to show cause and effect, like “She was sick; therefore, she stayed home”.

This ends the February portion

We have this much for  March

Joy for the Cast-Out  March 1

Hear the Word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his guard; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Le the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed (Isaiah 66:5)

Possibly this text may not apply to one in a thousand of the readers of this little book of promises, but the Lord cheers that one in such words as these. Let us pray for all such as are cast out wrongfully from the society they love. May the Lord appear to their joy!

The text applies to truly gracious men who tremble at the word of the Lord. These were hated of their brethren and at length cast out because of their fidelity and their holiness.

This must have been very bitter to them, and all the more so because their casting out was done in the name of religion, and professedly with the view of glorifying God. How much is done for the devil in the name of God!

The use of the name of Jehovah to add venom to the bite of the old serpent in an instance of his subtlety.// The appearing of he Lord for them is the hope of His persecuted people. He appears as the advocate and defender of His elect; and when He does so,it means a clear deliverance for the God-fearing and shame for their oppressors. O Lord, fulfill this word to those whom men are deriding! This one is complete and can go up.

Editor: our Bible tells stories of several women who were widows or had no children or never married and they were sad and miserable. Some were greatly heroic, helping men spies for the Jewish army, or preventing the mass murder of Jewish people and many other event. Ladies leading a women’s class of Bible study may appreciate using this info for references. Tell a story each week, make other points, bring in more Bible verses, and talk it over.

Women Who Saved Baby Moses

Several women worked together to save baby Moses, who was a Hebrew boy at a time when the Pharaoh ordered all newborn Hebrew boys to be killed in Egypt (Exodus 1:15–16).

• Shiphrah and Puah (Exodus 1:15–21): These two Hebrew midwives defied the Pharaoh’s order to kill all newborn Hebrew boys because they “feared God more than they feared Pharaoh”. They let the boys live and lied to Pharaoh, saying the Hebrew women were “vigorous” and gave birth before the midwives arrived.
• Jochebed (Exodus 2:1–4): Moses’ mother hid him for three months. When she could no longer hide him, she placed him in a papyrus basket (a “miniature ark”) and put it among the reeds in the Nile River to save him from Pharaoh’s decree to throw all male Hebrew babies into the river.
• Miriam (Exodus 2:4–10): Moses’ older sister watched over the basket from a distance. When Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby, Miriam courageously approached her and arranged for Moses’ own mother, Jochebed, to be the baby’s nurse, ensuring he was raised with his own people during his infancy.
• Pharaoh’s Daughter (Exodus 2:5–10): She showed compassion upon finding the crying baby and chose to adopt him, defying her own father’s royal edict. She named him Moses, which means “drawn out” of the water.

Women Who Saved the Jewish People 

• Esther (Book of Esther): A young Jewish woman who became Queen of Persia. When the court official Haman plotted to annihilate all the Jews in the empire, Esther risked her life by revealing her Jewish identity to King Ahasuerus and pleading for her people’s lives. Her courageous actions saved the Jewish nation from genocide, an event commemorated by the Jewish festival of Purim.
• Deborah (Judges chapters 4–5): A prophetess and judge who led the Israelites in a battle against their Canaanite oppressors. She bravely went with the Israelite commander Barak into battle, where God gave them a decisive victory.
• Jael (Judges 4:17–21): While the battle was ongoing, the Canaanite army commander Sisera fled and sought refuge in Jael’s tent. Jael took decisive action and killed him while he was sleeping, which fulfilled Deborah’s prophecy that the enemy would be given into the hand of a woman and secured the Israelite victory.
• Rahab (Joshua chapter 2): A Canaanite woman living in Jericho who hid two Israelite spies sent by Joshua. She helped them escape, declaring her faith in the God of Israel. In return, she and her entire family were spared when the Israelites destroyed Jericho and became part of the people of Israel.
• Jehosheba (2 Kings 11:1–3; 2 Chronicles 22:10–12): When the wicked Queen Athaliah tried to murder all the royal heirs of Judah to seize power, Jehosheba, the sister of King Ahaziah, rescued her infant nephew Joash and hid him in the temple for six years. This act preserved the line of David, through which the Messiah would eventually come.

Let us remember in modern times men who were civil criminals have accepted Christ, been totally reformed and to this day preach, teach or assist church pastors in their work. Those cast out from employment or because of some other unfair circumstance are not necessarily worthless and should just go away and die quietly. Some fought valiantly for our US or British armed forces, came home with serious mental illness and are sleeping under bridges and in abandoned buildings or in holes in the ground for lack of any other shelter. They live like wild men who learned in the arm or marines how to survive in woods and jungles. Pray for them. A little kindness can go a long way to help a man heal and go back to work doing something menial like dishing washing or working dough to be made into bread or pizza, or while he quietly repairs cars or boats, or work in the agricultural sector. Given time and prayer they can heal themselves and heal even faster and better with God’s help than with any other treatment from psychiatrists. Over time they can move from bread making to work that requires more study and skill and one day you’ll find they’re doing more complex jobs and earning a decent living. God will reward you for your prayers and any efforts to help.