Matthew 5 & Romans 12.

We should need to say no more than these.

The simple and the powerful are met here together. These passages make it completely clear that God desires for His people to live with extraordinary sacrificial love, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity and selflessness toward others.

The best humanity can conceive is to do good to those who need and will receive it.

God’s best and His divine wisdom and call for us is — by His divine grace, power and sacrificial love to transform those who oppose us and reject us and hurt us — through no desire of anything whatsoever for ourselves in return — to love those who hate us, to bless those who curse us, to count insults as compliments, to greet those who do not greet us, to overcome evil with good.

Enough said.

In a way, the structures of the law system could be seen as the stakes of a close fence around a young sapling, designed to provide artificial strength, a temporary guide and framework to support the growth of that juvenile tree, a tender vine into its proper form and function. Such a structure is there to aim that susceptible infant arbol heavenward.

Once in Christ, that growing stem no longer shifts ground. No longer near the ground, it grows steadily upward, shooting skyward in full foliage. Its every branch breaking into leafy splendor, it no longer has any regard or need for that tiny, low wooden sabbath stake. It does not need, indeed needs not to have that restricting temporary structure, once so important to the proper formation of its early days.

In Christ, our branches reach up for those things which pertain to life and godliness, no longer needful of the base and artificial structures of childhood.

A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. Proverbs 18:19

Deep offenses are a serious issue which can destroy relationships, families and cause or exacerbate existing spiritual bondage.

Some of the related issues for further dealings in these matters include the issues of taking up an offense, root of bitterness and the need for total forgiveness.

From the perspective of the offended person, there is something deeply wrong with the other person. Something so deeply wrong that the offended person remains convinced that the WORDS of JESUS regarding release cannot apply to the situation. The offended person is convinced that the fault and blame lies fully and completely with the other person. At times, the offended person may even be of the mind that there must be a deep root of error or perhaps even spiritual deception or flaw.

Clearly, this sort of relational impasse can be a complete stalemate. The only ones who can be free are those who release. Release and you will be released. What does this mean? Some have used the fitting phrase “total forgiveness.”

The clear and desperate need for this is evident even when the offended party is convinced that there is something wrong with the other person. The truth of this is also declared in the teaching of JESUS. If you do not forgive/release your brother deeply from the heart, neither will my Father in heaven forgive/release you.

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:15

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. 1 Peter 1:22

Consider also that in at least some instances, the offended person is the one who is deceived as it is possible for the other person to be “…genuine, yet considered imposters.” (2C6:8)

It is a known literary historical fact that Shakespeare coined more words in the English language than any other individual.

Now we learn that someone else was coining important new words long before him. Paul coined numerous words, and it may be that many if not all these words he coined were using the Greek prefix syn- meaning with.

Some of these include such words as those translated to mean

Colaborer, fellow heir, partner

And possibly also the word conscience.

Language is fascinating, and so is meaning. True insight is even more fascinating, and observing how true insights can be conveyed to others within the limited constraints of language and meaning is intriguing.

Guard your HEART with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your HEART and with all your SOUL and with all your MIND.’” Matthew 22:37

But I say unto you, That whosoever LOOKS on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his HEART.
Matthew 5:28

What? Don’t you know that he who is joined to a harlot is one BODY? For He said, the two shall be one FLESH. But he who is joined unto the Lord is one SPIRIT. 1 Corinthians 6:16‭-‬17

For out of the HEART come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” Matthew 15:19‭-‬20

These passages show that the heart, soul, mind, will, emotions, conscience and body are all impacted by such sin. We can see evidence in this way of this idea of destructive ‘soul ties.’ We, however, are to pursue righteousness.

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure HEART and a good CONSCIENCE and a sincere FAITH. 1 Timothy 1:5

You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
Revelation 2:3‭-‬4

The Ephesians received the gospel in Acts 19 (AD 53) under great difficulty but showed their love for the Truth. Within about 10 years (AD 62), their spiritual maturity was known, and can be seen in the depths of spiritual understanding about which Paul wrote to them in his Epistle. When Jesus revealed to John this second letter we have to them (AD 95), He reminded them of their first love which they knew and we can see they had as a love for the Truth at all costs. Such a love as they had is one which leads to deep, strong and lasting spiritual growth and maturity.

A Muslim student shared an Islamic propaganda clip with a mixed truth claim about catholic removal of 14 books from scripture.

Here was our simple, streamlined, informative truth reply which read closely may also help clarify other popularly held mixed views from both within and without regarding what the scriptures are and what the scriptures themselves declare even about scripture.

The student’s simple text accompanying the video clip was: “Is this true?” Here is our reply:

No, the Christian scriptures are different than the Qur’an though in this way.

The Christian scriptures are a collection of historic writings inspired by God including both historical accounts and revelations in the form of various genres such as history, poetry, literature, prophecies, letters, legal codes etc etc.

Having understood the nature of the contents, then it is understood that these various writings can be collected in various collections similar to how at least some Muslims can have sections of the Qur’an in a smaller volume without having to have the entire Qur’an in one full volume.

It is common to have just the book of John by itself or the NT by itself or often the NT also including Psalms and Proverbs from the OT but in one combo form without having the full Bible. These various collections allow for different sizes and collections.

Hebrews 11:32 – 38

And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of:

Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets

• subdued kingdoms (Joshua)
• wrought righteousness (Noah)
• obtained promises (Abraham)
• stopped the mouths of lions (Daniel)
• quenched the violence of fire (S, M, A)
• escaped the edge of the sword (Moses)
• out of weakness were made strong (Samson)
• waxed valiant in fight (Benaiah)
• turned to flight the armies of the aliens (David)

Women received their dead raised to life again (Shunamite)

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection (2M7)

Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment (Jeremiah)

They were stoned (Zechariah), they were sawn asunder (Isaiah), were tempted (Adam), were slain with the sword (Uriah)

They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

(Of whom the world was not worthy)

They wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth

JESUS drove out evil spirits, and He commanded and authorized His followers to do the same. This is no game. This is nothing to be toyed with or taken casually. It is not make believe, and it is not pretend or fake, and it is not haphazard or random.

JESUS prayed, and prayed, and yes He fasted.

He also knew men’s thoughts and heart intents. How? Why? Because He was divine? No, certainly He is. But that is not *why* He knew men’s thoughts and heart intents. He had emptied Himself. He learned obedience through His reverent submission. He had the Holy Spirit without limit.

He prayed, and received instruction on which 12 men to select as His 12 apostles. He prayed and fasted and received instructions from His Heavenly Father exactly what to do and say each day.

There is so much to say and to write, so much that God has made available. None of these things are made up or to be treated lightly. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He has made available everything each one needs within His body, within the ekklesia, among His saints, His people.

But there are many who are foolish, and there are also many who quench the Spirit in many ways. These too are foolish but these are not just a few foolish in the same ways. Many are foolish in their ignorance, and many are foolish in their refusal to recognize the power of the Spirit and the WORD. And such were some of us.

There is so much to say and to write, so much that God has made available. Yet because of much ignorance and because of much unbelief, we must be more given to prayer, more alert, more aware, more obedient not to speak foolishness, not to participate or engage with foolishness, idleness, empty words and activities.

We must be given to prayer and intercession in order to know clearly and to be fully led by the Holy Spirit. We must be given to much prayer in order to see and understand clearly, and we must be prayerfully diligent. We must be prayerfully diligent not to speak, as well as what to do, when to speak, what to say and both when and how to say it. And again, who should hear and who should not hear, who should see and not see.

JESUS sent the crowds away and sent the mourners out, the unbelievers. May we not be counted among the unbelieving. May we recognize the unbelieving and know what and how our Heavenly Father is instructing us to say and do and what not to say and do and to whom and to whom not.

And so there remains daily the deep and sobering need for much prayer and intercession. There remains much need for clear and sound instruction in the WORD. And there remains with all these things the great need for walking, speaking and functioning in the genuine wisdom, authority, insight, discernment, instruction, obedience and power of the Holy Spirit in accordance with the clear directives of the WORD of God.

Do you know the Great Commission?

If not, let’s take a few minutes here to get an initial introduction to it.

If you do know it, let’s look closer at something you have never noticed before.

Then, for all of us reading here who will now have learned at least a little about the Great Commission, let us put the Great Commission in Action.

The Great Commission is the final instruction given to all who follow JESUS.

The Great Commission is to do everything JESUS taught, by preaching, teaching and living as He did and taught, making disciples and teaching them to do the same, including carrying forward the Great Commission in Action.

The Great Commission is generally referenced in Matthew 28:18-20. It is also recorded in Mark 16:15.

Now for a new look at the Great Commission, let us look at the Great Commission as recorded and delivered to us earlier in Mark as well as in John, Luke & Acts.

To begin looking a bit closer, let’s look at the following passages. As we do this let’s be diligent to begin putting into practice immediately these things we have been commanded, and to do so even more every day. Today is the only day we ever have. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the appointed time.

Mark 13:9-11 (Also 13:32-37 & 14:7-9)

Luke 24:45-49

John 20:21-23

Acts 1:6-8

For more GCA, read Mark 13:1 – 14:31