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“And the multitudes marveled, saying, 'It was never seen like this in Israel!' But the Pharisees said, 'He [Jesus] casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.'” (Matthew 9.33-34).

Matthew's obvious intent in some of his writings was to draw otherwise isolated facts into a summary form from which essential decisions about those facts could be made. The quoted text is an excellent example of that process. The tiny word but helps the reader of the scripture to properly frame life and eternity altering issues at hand. Concerning the deeds and purposes of Jesus, the multitudes…  ( Click for more )

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4.16-18).

Intense persecution was the background for Paul’s statement (just quoted). He knew that death could literally…  ( Click for more )

“Then He spoke a parable to them: 'No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, “The old is better.”'” (Luke 5.36-39).

Luke alone refers to the sayings quoted (above)…  ( Click for more )

Yesterday’s message ended with these words: The Love of the Truth does not cause one to abandon common sense; it embraces it! Today we extend this thought as we continue to examine the scriptures that deal with questions posed to Jesus regarding fasting.

Biblical fasting demands a biblical motive. It is not something that someone can decide to do just because it is a certain day of the week, or month, or year. The called fasts of the Old Testament had specific motives in view and they were connected with national issues confronting Israel. On the other hand, personal fasts…  ( Click for more )

Biblical interpretation requires the use of common sense; there’s just no way around it. There are other tools and attributes that are helpful, but without common sense, the Bible will never be understood. Someone presses this point and asks, “What is common sense?” Likely as not that person either does not possess it or is trying to be argumentative. Common sense is the same stuff it takes to understand every day speech and communication. Let’s take a look at how it works in biblical interpretation as we continue our thoughts on the subject The Love of the…  ( Click for more )

“Then they [certain of the scribes and Pharisees] said to Him, ‘Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?’”(Luke drink?’”(Luke 5.33).

One who possessed a love for truth, or the love of the truth simply could not have posed such an argument as the one just quoted. After all, who said that the disciples of John referred to here were correct in what they were doing regarding fasting? Is it not reasonable to believe that some of John’s disciples failed to do as they…  ( Click for more )

"Love for the truth" is not the same as “…the love of the truth” (see 2 Thessalonians 2.10). Love for truth can be experienced in virtually any field. The love of the truth is only experienced in the religious arena. The love of the truth is the love that is produced by embracing the truth; it is the fruit of the truth in the life of a faithful follower of God. We continue our study of this vital subject.

“Then they [certain of the scribes and Pharisees] said to Him, ‘Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise…  ( Click for more )

“If,” someone has said, “is the biggest word in the English language!” If consists of only two letters, but the implications that usually accompany this little word are often gigantic. Jesus told the Pharisees, “If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12.7-8).

In this case, if was the difference between grievous error and truth. The truth was there; it was available; it was understandable. Yet, like…  ( Click for more )

Jesus speaks: “Yet I say to you [Pharisees] that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12.7-8).

There must have been something mighty special about the principle which Jesus quoted from Hosea 6.6 – the word from God which said, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” It must have been special because had the Pharisees grasped its concepts and applied…  ( Click for more )

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, ‘Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!’ But He said to them, ‘Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not [ordinarily] lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the…  ( Click for more )

Hundreds of years before the first word of the New Testament was penned, Hosea spoke for God and said, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6.6). Jesus cited this very passage on at least two occasions during His earthly ministry (see Matthew 9.13,12.7). A deficit regarding this principle lay at the root of Israel’s problems during Hosea’s ministry, and it was also a key problem with the Jews during Jesus’ time here on the earth. Beyond this, the basics of this principle are also lacking in…  ( Click for more )

Paul warned of some who would be lost “…because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2.10). Our focus has been on the fact that this virtue – the love of the truth – is necessary to salvation. In as much as this is a prerequisite to spending eternity with God, it is essential that we understand what “the love of the truth” is and what we have to do in order to avoid the deception that comes from the lack of it.

To sharpen our focus on this important text, we noted that the thing…  ( Click for more )

Two storehouses/treasuries (one earthly and one heavenly). Two roads (the broad way and the narrow way). Two groups (the many and the few). Two men (the foolish and the wise). Two foundations (sand and rock). Two destinies (eternal destruction and eternal blessings).

Jesus “taught as one having authority,” but He also taught in the simplest of terms much of the time. If the concepts in the opening paragraph seem familiar to you, they should; they are taken from the Sermon on the Mount. Continue with me to see how His simplistic teaching continued throughout His ministry…  ( Click for more )

“They brought to Him [Jesus] a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.’ And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, ‘This Man blasphemes!’ But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Arise and walk”?’” (Matthew 9.2-5).

We focus our attention on Jesus’ question to the scribes and Pharisees. Indeed,…  ( Click for more )

When Jesus spoke to the paralytic and said, “Your sins are forgiven you,” how could the scribes and Pharisees have known the truth about Jesus? How were they to know that He was not just another crackpot who was coming to erode the power of the religious establishment and cause discontent among the Hebrews? We have expanded this question to include, “How can man – any man – know the truth and know that he knows it?

If the scribes and Pharisees had talked to almost anyone in the countryside they could have determined that there was something far above…  ( Click for more )

The Love of the Truth is essential to salvation; those who lack it are sure to be deceived and are set for destruction (2 Thessalonians 2.9-12). Following that line of reasoning, we conclude that one cannot receive the love of the truth without knowing the truth. This leads us to explore the question, “How can man – any man – know the truth and know that he knows it?” The answer to this question must not originate with man; it must come from God!

We noted with great interest how Jesus spoke to the paralytic man who was brought to Him. When He “saw…  ( Click for more )

Before one can truly possess the Love of the Truth, the truth must be known. The truth of which we speak is the truth that can only originate with God. Apart from God's revelation, man may envision many things that are of earthly benefit, but he cannot imagine one single thing that will lead Him to a remedy for sin or reconciliation with God! Furthermore, even if man could stumble upon one of the gospel's saving truths, he could not know it was the truth without God's revelation of the fact. So, how can man – any man – know the truth and know that he knows it? This question…  ( Click for more )

Before one can truly possess the Love of the Truth, the truth must be known. The truth of which we speak is the truth that can only originate with God. Apart from God's revelation, man may envision many things that are of earthly benefit, but he cannot imagine one single thing that will lead Him to a remedy for sin or reconciliation with God! Furthermore, even if man could stumble upon one of the gospel's saving truths, he could not know it was the truth without God's revelation of the fact. So, how can man – any man – know the truth and know that he knows it? This question…  ( Click for more )

According to the Bible, what town was identified as Jesus’ “own city?” Furthermore, what is the background for this place having that noteriety? Did you say Nazareth? If you did you might be with the majority, but you would also be wrong! Jesus was brought up in Nazareth (Luke 4.16), but He later “adopted” another city as Him home. The reason may surprise, even shock you, but it has a direct bearing on the question of how someone who possess the love for the truth might be treated.

Yesterday we posed this very question: How was Jesus treated, the…  ( Click for more )

According to the Bible, what town was identified as Jesus’ “own city?” Furthermore, what is the background for this place having that noteriety? Did you say Nazareth? If you did you might be with the majority, but you would also be wrong! Jesus was brought up in Nazareth (Luke 4.16), but He later “adopted” another city as Him home. The reason may surprise, even shock you, but it has a direct bearing on the question of how someone who possess the love for the truth might be treated.

Yesterday we posed this very question: How was Jesus treated, the…  ( Click for more )

If one believes the Bible to possess any credibility at all, Jesus must be seen as a person with an unequaled devotion to truth. Likewise, He must be seen as the author of the love that is produced when one wholeheartedly embraces the truth. In fact, He totally epitomizes the love of the truth!

How would someone (such as the Christ) who epitomizes the love of the truth be treated by other human beings? To ask this question another way, how would you expect to be treated if you were able to epitomize the love of the truth? Would you be treated honorably by the world, or would you…  ( Click for more )

The expression, The Love of the Truth can be seen in at least two different ways. Grammatically, it could mean the love for the truth, or it could just as easily mean the love which the truth produces. It is this writer’s opinion that the latter meaning is the one that Paul intended when he wrote about some people being deceived because they failed to receive “…the love of the truth.” (see 2 Thessalonians 2.10). If that was, in fact, Paul’s intention, this corresponds both with Jesus’ words and His deeds.

First, it corresponds with Jesus’…  ( Click for more )

Disciples do not establish the conditions of discipleship! This is a fundamental in ANY discipline. The mere fact that a person is a disciple or wants to become a disciple implies that the person is willing to accept the terms of discipleship established by the master/leader of the discipline! How more fundamentally can this be explained?

Jesus saw something amiss in the man who expressed his intentions of becoming His disciple (see yesterday's devotional). The scribe's statements were completely unambiguous, yet something missed the mark. Merely to say, “Teacher, I will…  ( Click for more )

From Paul's writings to the saints in Thessalonica, we have focused on the need to have what he called “the love of the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2.10). Without that love of the truth, men are void of the first prerequisite for salvation. Without that love of the truth, men are ripe for delusion and deceit; they are set for damnation!

In examining this universal need for the love of the truth, we have noted that Jesus, the greatest lover of truth ever to set foot on this planet, exemplified what it means to possess the love of the truth. We began looking at how…  ( Click for more )