Bible Study Series 2011: Jesus Teaches About Lust: Matthew 5:27-30

Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus taught

You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."  (Matthew 5:27-30, pg. 1540, Life Application Study Bible, NIV).

This is one of the Commandments of thou shall not commit adultery which comes from Exodus 20:14 in the Old Testament.  What Jesus is telling us that not only is the physical act of sleeping with someone other than your spouse the sin of adultery but that the intentions and the fantasies that might enter our minds are also sinful if they are acted out.  As Christians, we are told that we are sinful in nature with some of our daily acts.  Does it mean that if we even think about looking at another woman as a man or as a woman looking at another man other than our spouse in a lustful way that we are committing ourselves to a life eternal in hell?  This is not the easiest question to answer except that Jesus, the way to the Father in heaven tells us that we are headed to hell even if the intentions are there to be lusting after another woman or man. 

Does this apply to when we are watching television and see someone beautiful and say things or think things that we otherwise would not need to do?  What about when someone beautiful walks by and that first thought goes into your mind?  Unfortunately, that is lust and that is fantasizing and applies as well to what Jesus teaches about lust.  It is said that whether we perform the sin physically or even think about it in our minds, we are subject to the sin and we have to do what it takes to be very careful.

We, as humans, will slip up now and then.  Jesus did go to the Cross so that the burden of our sinful nature would be on His shoulders.  However, this does not mean we should be sinful.  We should heed what He taught and to practice trying to be more like Him.

Next:  Jesus teaches about divorce

Bible Study Series 2011: Jesus Teaches About Anger 5:21-26

Anger.  What is anger?  According to Dictionary.com the word means the following: "a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wratch; ire."  This is in the form of a noun.  In society today, especially in the United States, we find ourselves individually and in a group setting angry over every little thing that happens to us that brings displeasure and belligerence because we have either been wronged or because something that we strongly believe in turns out to be wrong.

So, what does Jesus have to teach us about anger?  According to the Gospel of Matthew 5:21-26 (Life Application Study Bible, NIV), this is what Jesus says:  "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.  Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' (which is an Aramaic term for contempt) is answerable to the Sanhedrin.  But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. 

Therefore, if you are offering your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled with your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.  Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.  I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid your last penny."

O.k. Jesus talks about anger.  Within in His discussion, He mentions murder.  He talks about being anger between brothers.  He says that anyone who is angry with his brother will be judged.  What has been debated for centuries is this:  who committed the first murder in the Holy Bible?  Well, this is pretty easy in some way if we look at the story of Cain and Abel.  But then, some might say it was Moses himself who committed the true first murder.  So, let us turn back in time to the Book of Genesis with the story of Cain and Abel, two brothers, the sons of Adam and Eve.  

Now, "Abel kept flocks and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.  But Abel brought fat portions from some of the first born of his flock.  The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering.  But on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor.  So Cain, was very angry, and his face was downcast.  Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry?  Why is your face downcast?  If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?  But if you do not what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."  (Life Application Study Bible, NIV, Genesis 4:5-7).  

What happens next is very famous.  Cain invites his brother Abel out into the fields attacks him and then kills him.  God is angry with Cain for his actions and the rest is history.  So, not only is man angry, but God Himself is angry, yet, we know that He is a very loving and forgiving God.

So, in this respect brother kills brother and the one who commits the act of murder is judged immediately by God Himself.  He casts out Cain.  He says this to Cain in Genesis 4:12, "When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.  You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."  Then later Cain responds with the following in Genesis 4:14, "...I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."

God responds in the positive, "Not so, if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over."  Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that non one who found him would kill him."  Genesis 4:15.  This is where God basically teaches forgiveness by not putting Cain to death for killing his brother Abel.  

Then we move forward a bit in time to Moses.  In Exodus, we learn of the birth of Moses.  We also learn that he is born to a Hebrew mother, making him, of course, a Hebrew himself.  Yet, he is disguised as an Egyptian.  When he later learns that he is a Hebrew himself, Moses goes out to see the hard labor that his people were subjected to by the Egyptians.  He then witnesses the beating of a Hebrew, one of his own, and after looking around this way and that, he turns on the Egyptian and kills him.  He then hides his body in the sand.  Exodus 2:11-12.  Does God place judgment at this particular time on Moses for his act of murder?

The answer to the last question is no.  We do not read of this.  However, what we do learn is that God takes Moses and uses him as his intermediary between Himself and the Pharaoh of Egypt.  This could have been his punishment because we learn that Moses does to have the talent of great speaking.  However, God works with him and we know the rest of the story.  Through Moses, God's Chosen People, the Hebrews receive the Ten Commandments.  One of the Ten Commandments is mentioned in Exodus 20:13 and it simply says, "You shall not murder."  Is this not interesting to know that Moses is the one who delivers the Ten Commandments and at the same time, committed an act of murder earlier in his life?

Anger.  This is something that we have to deal with on a daily basis.  Anger can lead to so much wrong.  It leads us to say the wrong things at times to our friends and our family.  We tend to forget sometimes what is said in the Holy Bible.  Anger may not necessarily lead to murder but it can lead to wrong doing of other types.  It can come from different sources, too.  It can come from jealousy and this might have been the case with Cain and Abel.  This was certainly not the case with Moses.  Moses was protecting and acting out in anger because he saw one of his own being unjustly punished.  Today, this might be considered justifiable homicide.  Remember, I said might and not giving legal advice.

The next time you find yourself angry remember that no matter the reason, you will be judged.  Maybe not right away, but it certainly will come.

Next, Jesus teaches about Lust.

 

Bible Study Series 2011: Jesus Teaches about the Law: Matthew 5:17-20

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law of the Prophets, I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Life Application Study Bible, NIV, Matthew 5:17-20, pg. 1538).

For many years of my life, I loved the study of law.  Because of this I wanted to be a lawyer.  However, the toughest part of this is that there are so many directions to go in and to be a specialist in, it was difficult for me to choose.  Did  I want to be a prosecutor or a defender?  Really, what was on my mind when it came to studying the law was the U.S. Constitution and what it stood for and what the true meaning that laid within the document.  However, as my life progressed, I found that it was more of a financial issue where I did not want to add to my already burdensome debt.  At the age of 39 when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, my life changed and the idea of studying law was no longer a love of mine.  Not at least first and foremost.

  

So, reading the New Testament and what Jesus had to say about the Law of the Prophets really hit me hard.  What He had to say in His teachings was beautiful.  He did not want at all to abolish the Law as He stated, He wanted to fulfill them.  There were two areas of the Law that God gave so that the people would love Him with all their hearts and all their minds.  These were called the ceremonial and moral laws. 


First, an example of Ceremonial Law.  This law related specifically to Israel's worship.  To understand the concept of Ceremonial Law we need to take a look at Leviticus 1:2 and 3:

The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting.  He said, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them:  "When any of you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.  If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect.  He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord."  (Life Application Study Bible, NIV, pgs.  156-157).

These laws were no longer considered necessary from the time of Jesus' death and resurrection as they pointed forward toward Him.  They actually still apply to Christians as the principles behind them which is to worship and to love a holy God are the true meaning of the ceremonial laws.  

Second, Moral Law (The Ten Commandments).  Moral Law is the direct command of God and requires strict obedience.  Moral Law reveals the nature and the will of God.  Jesus obeyed these laws completely.  It was said that He preached moral law and that these would not be disappear until earth and heaven disappeared.

The final set of laws is called Civil Law.  These are the laws that applied to daily living in Israel.  Jesus demonstrated these laws by example.  However, due to modern society and the differences in culture today, these guidelines cannot be specifically followed.  The principles are timeless nonetheless.

Again, there are many different examples of the Law.  Today, as it is said, times are different then they are from back during the days of both Moses and Jesus.  Today, we see debate after debate about whether or not the Church or the State should be separated from one another.  What has been happening is that we are seeing Government because of public opinion and public pressure the disappearance of religious symbols.  Yet, in some state buildings, the Ten Commandments can be seen hanging on the walls and even some depictions of biblical times can be seen etched into some of our government buildings as well.

So, we have to say to ourselves what is right?  Follow Jesus in His teachings regarding the Laws or do we look at them in a secular way and avoid them at all costs?  No, we as Christians learn from what Jesus had to say and we need to lead by example.  We have to take the Laws and apply them as He would.  What He said that should stick in our minds is this:  Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  His greatest love was for the Ten Commandments, which make up our moral laws of today, as should ours be.

Lighthouse Fellowship Church Friends and Family Celebration

On Sunday, January 30, 2011, my family, including my wife, Amy, mother-n-law, Peggy and good friend, Doctor Paul Glass, took a road trip to my brother-in-law's church where he teaches and runs the music program.  The name of the church is Lighthouse Fellowship Church and Academy in a town called Jonesboro, Georgia.  We arrived a little before 11 am and was welcomed by Senior Pastor Thomas Phillips and soon thereafter by 1st Lady Doris Beasely-Phillips.

We were escorted into a large room where the church service took place.  A young man was behind the podium, decorated with a blue Cross, which is what it is all about, The Cross of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  He was teaching bible study from the Book of Galatians in the New Testament.  It was a well done class and we had a lot of input to add as guests of this service and the church.  It was a great service and so much was included.

After the service, the worship part of the service began with a welcome by 1st Lady Doris Beasley-Phillips.  Then Tim Phillips, my brother and law and Amy (who both have a duet entitled, Golden Breeze) performed two songs from the many that they have performed over the years in Georgia, Tennessee and most of the Southeast.  They were even on a radio station in the southeast many years ago playing Gospel music.

The people were blessed with great Gospel music and a great message from the children as they performed drama in celebration of the upcoming Black History Month.  There was also a great, yet abbreviated sermon from Senior Pastor Thomas Phillips from the Book of Joshua.

Following the service there was a great luncheon with a great spread of southern food and desserts and great fellowship.  I even took many pictures of the children and the staff of the church.

This was a great day of fellowship at another great church which does an outstanding job of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they are very loving people. 

I want to personally thank Tim and the church for inviting us and there is a small video of the photos that I took throughout the service and after.

Enjoy and God Bless and may God bless you and keep you.


David M. Brown

Bible Study Series 2011: Jesus Teaches about Salt and Light: Matthew 5:13-16

The Salt and the Light

Jesus Teaches About Salt and Light.  It was now the time as He sat with His disciples as well as the people that joined them to begin teaching about what it was going to be like or what it was to be like a Christian.  Granted, the people were still of the Jewish faith as were the disciples as was Jesus Himself. Jesus began His sermons (the beautitudes) with the lesson of the Salt and Light. 

Here is what He said in Matthew 5:13-16:  13You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.  

14You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven. (The Life Application Study Bible, NIV, ppgs. 1538.)

First, let us look at the salt that Jesus was referring to.  He was referring to the seasoning that has no flavor.  Salt, even though we put it on food and add it to food to retain its flavor, it really has no true flavor.  As Christians we need to affect the world around us.  We need to have flavor to what we say and how we act for the "salt" to work.  If we are too much like those around us, then we are made worthless.  Christians should not be like everyone else, we have to stand out.  We have to stand out as the seasonings that we put on our food so that the flavor is kept.  We have to act accordingly to the Word which is the food.  We should not add to much flavor or seasoning to it.  It is what it is:  The Word of God.  Do not change it and do not interpret it as something that it is not.

Second, we are the light.  We are the light as the city on the hill.  We need to stand out and shine.  We have to glow like the light that stands on the seashores assisting the lost mariners as they get too close to the shoreline.  We have to be glowing in the Word and in God Himself.  He glows for us so as we should for Him.  In the footnotes of the Life Application Study Bible says, "we have to be a beacon of truth - don't shut your light off from the rest of the world."

I do not add salt to anything.  There is an old cliche that goes something like this:  "Take things with a grain of salt."  As Christians, we cannot do this when it comes to the Word.  We have to understand what it is that Jesus teaches us and go with it out into the world.  Let us not hide it and turn off the lights.  We have to let the light be seen for miles as the city on the hill that is lit does.  But let us not make it just a mile or two, let us take that light and spread it among the four corners of the earth!

Have a great weekend.  I will be posting the next study over the weekend, and it will be Matthew 5:17-20, "Jesus Teaches about the Law." 


God Bless and may God bless you and keep you safe!

David Brown