Matthew 5:17-19
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them
but
to fulfill them.
18 For truly I tell you, 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.
19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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.
There are many ways of looking at the Scriptures. We are so fortunate to have the Gospels with the effort Emperor Vespasian put in burning the copies he could find. The early Christian Church created the word "traitor" for the people who gave up copies of Scripture or other Christian followers under torture. Then the Church had to administer grace to the cries of heresy over forgiveness issues.
What pushes against the Word of God - The Law?
Sir Edward John Poynter:The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon
What pushes against the Word - The World
Song of Songs 3
Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
escorted by sixty warriors,
the noblest of Israel,
8 all of them wearing the sword,
all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
prepared for the terrors of the night.
9 King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
and look, you daughters of Zion.
Look on King Solomon wearing a crown,
the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
the day his heart rejoiced.
Matthew met the world as a thug. And the Love of Jesus had Matthew write a Gospel to bring in his friends - the Jews to meet the Messiah.
Mark met the Disciples, who found him to be an unreliable lightweight. Barnabas, John Mark's cousin, believed John Mark (Colossians 4:10), or Mark, would deepen in his faith to become reliable. Mark's Gospel is to reach out to those pushed out. These are the miracle of Jesus that first generation considered to be the most important. Peter had Mark with him to the end. Persevering for Jesus Christ the Lord.
Luke (Colossians 4:14, Phil 1:24) is the wonderful physician called to be a worker of Jesus Christ with Paul. Luke brought an accurate, thorough, historical documentation to his Savior's life. Luke lived to be very old and he upheld Paul to his death.
John, the beloved disciple, was constantly astonished at the glory of God and wrote of his experiences in awe at the Love and power of God. John had given his word to Jesus not to tell of the transfiguration, and never did write of the experience, yet even his first chapter of his Gospel declares the glory of God.
Not John, Luke, Mark or Matthew would be a fan of cheap grace - living the way we want to and depending on the mercy of God at convenient intervals. The men who knew Jesus and those who encountered the Holy Spirit in the early Church really believed the reaction to God's grace is deliberate and changed behavior.
We witness in the Scriptures that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, but all did extend themselves to please God.
God takes sand. Mere Sand. And Heats sand; to become glass. To become Art. Beauty. Light. The Plan of God is to be held Upwards - to God's Path for our Lives.
Psalm 11
For the director of music. Of David.
1 In the Lord I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.
7 For the Lord is righteous,
he loves justice;
the upright will see his face.
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous
Psalm 33:18
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
Psalm 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry
If you were to build a Kingdom. Establish a place. Would you want the people you trust - the ones you love or would you open the gates to anyone just to have warm bodies? If we understand God wants to save us and we Believe the Words Jesus gave us about righteousness - being purchased with a price - we understand the Children of God He calls us to be.
Psalm 115
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord,
both the small and the great.
14 May the Lord give you increase,
you and your children!
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
16 The heavens are the Lord's heavens,
but the earth he has given to the children of man.
17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any who go down into silence.
But we will bless the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
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