Note from Linda:
Something is wrong with my Christian forum. Everything seems to be working normally (i.e., the articles are there, and the links work), but for some reason, the forum's format has changed slightly, and I am currently unable to post anything new.I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. Hopefully, the problem is only temporay and will be fixed soon.
"Verse of the Day"
Bible Verses
Bible Verses
"Verse of the Day"
Bible Verses
Bible Verses
Previous Month
September 1-10, 2022
See "Sep '22B" in Archives for Verses 11-20.</span></a>
See "Sep '22C" in Archives for Verses 21-30.
Unfortunately, I ran out of space in this month's file.
SEPTEMBER 7-10
The Rich Man and Lazarus: A Story About Hell
Jesus told this story to his disciples. It's about a wicked rich man and a godly poor man.
Luke 16:19: "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen [or 'was dressed in purple and fine linen clothes'], and fared sumptuously [ate large meals, ate well, had plenty to eat] every day:"
Luke 16:20-21: "And there was a certain beggar [poor man] named Lazarus, which was laid [lying] at his [the rich man's] gate [front door], full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores."
Luke 16:22: "And it came to pass, that [Lazarus] the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom [another name for heaven, the place where saved people go after they die--see note below*]: the rich man also died, and was buried;"
Luke 16:23,24: "And in hell [which is located in the center of the earth,] he [the rich man] lift [lifted] up his eyes [or 'looked up'], being in torments [excruciating pain], and seeth [saw] Abraham afar off [far away], and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham [the rich man addressed him this way because he was one of Abraham's descendants], have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, [so] that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Luke 16:25,26: "But Abraham [the founder of the Jewish nation] said [to the rich man], Son, remember that thou [you] in thy [your] lifetime [or 'while you were alive'] receivedst [received] thy good things [e.g., property, splendor, honor], and likewise Lazarus [received] evil things [e.g., poverty, contempt, disease]: but now he [Lazarus] is comforted, and thou art [you are] tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf [chasm, very large opening, big hole] fixed [in place]: so that they which would pass from hence [from here, referring to Abraham's bosom] to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come [here] from thence [there, or where you are]."
Luke 16:27-28: "Then he [the rich man] said, I pray thee [I ask you] therefore, father [Abraham], that thou wouldest [you would] send him [Lazarus] to my [earthly] father's house: For I have five brethren [brothers]; [please send Lazarus to my father's house] [so] that he may testify unto them [about hell, or tell them about it], lest they also come [or 'so they won't come'] into this place of torment [extreme pain and misery]."
Luke 16:29: "Abraham saith unto him [the rich man], They [your brothers] have [the writings] of Moses and the prophets [of the Old Testament] [to tell them about hell]; let them hear them."
Luke 16:30: "And he [the rich man] said, Nay [no], father Abraham: but if one [person] went unto them from the dead, they will repent."
Luke 16:31: "And he [Abraham] said unto him [the rich man], If they hear not [do not hear or listen to] Moses and the prophets, [as recorded in the Bible,] neither will they be persuaded [to believe in heaven and hell], though one rose [arose, came back to life] from the dead."
-- "What is Abraham's bosom?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/Abrahams-bosom.html)
-- "What is the difference between Sheol, Hades, Hell, the lake of fire, Paradise, and Abraham's bosom?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/sheol-hades-hell.html)
-- "What should we learn from the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/rich-man-and-Lazarus.html)
"From this impressive and instructive parable [story] [about the Rich Man and Lazarus,] we may learn:
"I. That the souls of people do not die with their bodies.
"II. That the soul is 'conscious' after death; that it does not 'sleep,' as some have supposed, until the morning of the resurrection.
"III. That the righteous [referring to born-again Christians, who (according to the Bible) are 'righteous' in God's sight] are taken to a place of happiness [i.e., heaven] immediately at death, and the wicked [are] consigned [assigned] at once to misery [in hell].
"IV. That wealth [being rich] does not secure [protect] from death.
"V. 'How vain [useless] are riches to secure
"Their haughty [proud, arrogant] owners from the grave!'
"The rich, the beautiful, the happy, as well as the poor, go down to the grave. All their pomp [show of magnificence, splendor] and apparel [clothing], all their honors, their palaces, and their gold cannot save them. Death can as easily find his way into the splendid mansions of the rich as into the cottages of the poor; and the rich shall turn to the same corruption, and soon, like the poor, be undistinguished from common dust and be unknown.
"We should not envy the condition of the rich …
"We should strive for a better inheritance than can be possessed in this life …
"I. The sufferings of the wicked in hell will be indescribably great. Think what is represented by 'torment;' by burning flame; by insupportable [unbearable] thirst; by that state where a single 'drop' of water would afford relief. Remember that 'all this' is but a representation of the pains of the damned, and that this will have no intermission day or night, but will continue from year to year, and age to age, without any end, and you have a faint view of the sufferings of those who are in hell.
"II. There is a place of sufferings beyond the grave a hell. If there is not, then this parable has no meaning. It is impossible to make 'anything' of it unless it be designed to teach that.
"III. There will never be any escape from those gloomy regions. There is a gulf fixed - 'fixed,' not movable. Nor can any of the damned beat a pathway across this gulf to the world of holiness.
"IV. We see the amazing folly [foolishness] of those who suppose there may be an 'end' to the sufferings of the wicked, and who, on that supposition, seem willing to go down to hell to suffer a long time, rather than go at once to heaven. If man were to suffer but a thousand years, or even 'one' year, why should he be so foolish as to choose that suffering rather than go at once to heaven, and be happy at once when he dies?
"V. God gives us sufficient warning to prepare for death. He has sent his Word [as recorded in the Bible], his servants, his Son [Jesus Christ]; he warns us by his [Holy] Spirit and his providence [protective care]; by the entreaties [pleas] of our friends and by the death of sinners; he offers us heaven, and he threatens hell. If all this will not move sinners, what would do it? There is nothing that would.
"VI. God will give us nothing farther to warn us. No dead man will come to life to tell us of what he has seen. If he did we would not believe him. Religion appeals to man not by ghosts and frightful apparitions [images]. It appeals to their reason, their conscience, their hopes, their fears. It sets life and death soberly [seriously and reasonably] before people, and if they 'will not' choose the former, they must die. If you will not hear the Son of God [Jesus Christ] and the warnings of the Scriptures [the Bible], there is nothing which you will or can hear. You will never be persuaded, and will never escape the place of torment [i.e., hell]."
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/luke-16.html, "Verse 31")
SEPTEMBER 5-6
Jesus Didn't Procrastinate; He Worked While He Could
Just before miraculously healing a blind man on the sabbath day, Jesus (who is the Son of God, or God the Son) told his disciples:
John 9:4: "I [Jesus] must work the works [or 'do the good deeds,' including preaching the gospel, teaching God's word, performing miracles, etc.] of him that sent me [to earth; i.e., God the Father], while it is day [while I am alive]: the night [time of death, or period after we die--in this case, referring to Jesus' upcoming crucifixion (when he was to complete his most important assignment from God: giving his life to pay for the sins of mankind), which would occur about six months later] cometh [is coming], when no man [person] can work."
One way to show our love for, and obedience to, God is by telling people how to be saved (born again) whenever we have the opportunity to do so. That's what is meant by the terms soul winning, evangelism, and witnessing. In the "Printable Gospel Tracts" section of my website, there are links to some gospel tracts that I wrote. If you want to read and/or print and distribute those tracts, here's a direct link to that page: https://www.mansioninheaven.com/PrintableGospelTracts.html.
-- "Why did God send Jesus [to earth]?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/why-God-sent-Jesus.html)
-- "Why are we told to work while it is day (John 9:4)?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/work-while-it-is-day.html)
SEPTEMBER 4
Desirable Christian Characteristics
This was the apostle Paul's advice to born-again Christians:
Colossians 3:12,13: "Put on therefore [like clothes] [the following characteristics], as [are becoming to] the elect [the chosen (accepted), favored (set apart), saved (born-again) people who make up the church] of God, [who are] holy and beloved [by God:]
"bowels of mercies [mercy, compassion],
"kindness,
"humbleness of mind [humility],
"meekness [gentleness, mildness],
"longsuffering [patience];
"Forbearing one another [controlling your temper when you are annoyed or provoked by someone else], and forgiving one another, if any man [or woman or child] have a quarrel [complaint] against any [other person]:
"even as [the Lord Jesus] Christ forgave you [for your sins against God], so also do ye [or 'you should do the same'] [to others, which means that, since we were forgiven for our sins against God, we should forgive others when they sin against us]."
SEPTEMBER 3
One Way to Receive Blessings From God
Proverbs 3:9: "Honour [honor] the LORD with thy substance [or 'with your money and/or possessions'; in other words, honor God by giving to his work and service], and [also honor him] with the firstfruits [the first, or best, part] of all thine [your] increase [i.e., whatever else you get in the future]:"
Proverbs 3:10: "So [then] shall thy [your] barns be filled with plenty [of food (corn, grain, etc.)], and thy presses [winepresses, referring to the vats (large tubs) in a vineyard in which grapes were crushed] shall burst out [overflow] with new [freshly pressed] wine."
If you want to read the pastor's commentary, here's the link: https://www.salembible.org/proverbs-index/proverbs-3-index/proverbs-3_9-10/.
"… Those that do good with what they have shall have more to do more good with …"
(Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/proverbs/3.html, "Consecration to God," "v. 9, 10")
"Now there is a basic law, and I'm not talking about the Ten Commandments or the law given by Moses, just a basic law of God as we speak of laws. We speak of laws of nature, or the law of magnetism, the law of gravity, the law of electricity, the various laws of nature. They're just there. We've studied them. We've been able to formulize them and understand them that they work. We don't always know why they work, but we know they work. We know that they are just basic laws of nature that they work. There's a cause and effect.
"Now, in the same token there are basic spiritual laws that God has established that have a cause and effect kind of a thing just like any other law that is operating in our natural world around us. And there is a law of God concerning giving. And though we cannot understand exactly how it works, yet it does work. Now, I don't have to understand how electricity works to benefit from electricity. Even so, I don't have to understand how the laws of God work as far as giving to benefit from them.
"Now here the law of God is stated, 'Honor the Lord with your substance, and with the firstfruits of your increase.' I believe that the firstfruits belong to God. The first thing that comes out of my salary or my wages were it ever, is earmarked [designated] for the Lord. If I've sold a piece of property, the increase, the firstfruits of it I give to God of the increase. Honoring God with your substance. Now this law is stated throughout the Bible many places and is illustrated in many places.
"In Malachi, we read, 'Will a man rob God? You say, "Well, wherein have we robbed God?" And God said, "In your tithes and in your offerings. Now prove Me and see if I will not pour out unto you a blessing which you cannot contain"' ( Malachi 3:8 , Malachi 3:10 ). God challenges you to test this law. Jesus said, 'Give, and it shall be given unto you; measured out, pressed down, running over, shall men give unto your bosom [or 'to you']' ( Luke 6:38 ). Paul the apostle said that if we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly; but if we sow bountifully [liberally, abundantly], we're going to reap bountifully ( 2 Corinthians 9:6 ). 'In whatever measure you mete [dispense, give out], it's going to be measured to you again' ( Matthew 7:2 ), the law of God.
"I cannot tell you how it works. All I can do is affirm [confirm] for you that it does work. God honors that law of giving. And so here is Solomon exhorting [encouraging] his son, "Honor the Lord with your substance and with the firstfruit of all of your increase." What will the result be? 'Your barns will be filled with plenty. Your presses shall burst out with new wine.'"
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/proverbs/3-9.html, "Smith's Bible Commentary")
SEPTEMBER 2
Advice for Christians from the apostle Paul:
1 Timothy 6:6-7: "But godliness [having a love for God and a willingness to obey his word, as recorded in the Bible] with contentment [peace of mind, happiness, and satisfaction with what we have] is great gain [something valuable and to be desired]. For [or 'that's because'] [as Job said in Job 1:21,] we brought nothing [no possessions] into this world [with us, when we were born], and it is certain [that] we can carry nothing out [of this world, with us, when we die]."
SEPTEMBER 1
In a letter to Timothy, a minister of the gospel, the apostle Paul warned:
2 Timothy 3:13: "But [in the 'last days,' before Jesus Christ returns to earth,] evil men [and women and children] [referring to people who consistently do bad things] and seducers [those who lead others astray (off the right path) regarding religion and everyday life] shall wax [become] worse and worse, deceiving [misleading] [other people], and being deceived [fooled, or led away into error and sin] [themselves]."
"A gentleman was walking with a friend one day through his beautiful grounds, when they came to a fine large tree which was decayed to the very core [center]. 'That tree,' said the proprietor [owner], 'was destroyed by a single worm. A short time since [or 'before that,'] it was as vigorous [strong and healthy] as any of its companions, when one day a woodworm [the wood-eating larva of a beetle] was discovered forcing its way under the outer bark. A naturalist who was at that time my guest remarked on seeing it [the worm] that if left alone it would ultimately [finally] kill the tree. It seemed so improbable [unlikely], that the worm was suffered [allowed] to remain. Gradually it bored [dug] its way into the fibre [inside parts] of the tree, slowly but surely doing its work. The following summer the tree shed [dropped] its leaves much earlier than usual, and in the second season it [the tree] was a dead, worthless thing. The worm which seemed so very insignificant [unimportant and harmless] had found its way to the heart of the once noble tree and destroyed its life.' How forcibly do we see this same thing illustrated in the common walks of every-day life. A young man is persuaded by his companions [friends] to take his first glass of wine [or beer or other alcoholic beverage]. It seems like a little thing, but it is the beginning of a course of degradation [deterioration] and eternal shame. The clerk in the [British] bank appropriates [takes for his own use] a few shillings of the funds [a small amount of money, probably equal to less than one U.S. dollar] entrusted to his care. One step leads to another, until at last he is arrested and cast [thrown] into prison as a defaulter [or embezzler]. A boy begins to practise [practice] little deceits [deceptions] at school or at home which, unless discovered and checked [stopped], will make him a base and unprincipled man [i.e., someone who is corrupt, unethical, immoral]. Such is the destructive power of little sins when the continued indulgence in them is practised [or when those same sins are committed over and over again]."
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/2-timothy/3-13.html, "The Biblical Illustrator," "Verse 13")
"In other words, it's not going to get better for awhile. It's going to get worse before it gets better. It will be getting better a little further down the road, but evil days are going to wax worse and worse, until the Lord [Jesus Christ] takes His church [consisting of born-again Christians] out [of this world in the rapture--see note below*] and then God judges the world for its unrighteousness and ungodliness. And then Jesus will come and establish God's righteous kingdom [on the earth], but by then, those [people] that will remain [here] will be saying, Oh, God help us. 'Blessed is he who will come in the name of the Lord' ( Psalms 118:26 ). I mean, people will have had it with the unrighteousness of the world.
"Look at the rapid deterioration of our society. You can you see what's happened even in the last twenty-five years. Look at the magazines that were once really under the counter kind of stuff and sold illegally. Now they're right out where little kids can go in and pick them up and leaf [turn the pages and look] through them. Look at our attitudes towards morality. Look at the lack, lackness. Look at, of course, all of these other things that have come along as the result of it. The deterioration, rapid deterioration so that a mother has to worry when she sends her little child to school because she doesn't know what some kinky character [a person exhibiting unusual sexual behavior] might do, exposing themselves [their genitals (sexual organs)] to that beautiful little child or even worse. God help us. If the Lord doesn't come [back] soon, we're going to destroy ourselves as we just sink in the filth. We're going to drown in our own corruption. 'Evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.' I think we've gone just about as far as we can …"
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/2-timothy/3-13.html, "Smith's Bible Commentary")
See "Sep '22C" in Archives for Verses 21-30.
Unfortunately, I ran out of space in this month's file.
SEPTEMBER 7-10
The Rich Man and Lazarus: A Story About Hell
Jesus told this story to his disciples. It's about a wicked rich man and a godly poor man.
Luke 16:19: "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen [or 'was dressed in purple and fine linen clothes'], and fared sumptuously [ate large meals, ate well, had plenty to eat] every day:"
Luke 16:20-21: "And there was a certain beggar [poor man] named Lazarus, which was laid [lying] at his [the rich man's] gate [front door], full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores."
Luke 16:22: "And it came to pass, that [Lazarus] the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom [another name for heaven, the place where saved people go after they die--see note below*]: the rich man also died, and was buried;"
Luke 16:23,24: "And in hell [which is located in the center of the earth,] he [the rich man] lift [lifted] up his eyes [or 'looked up'], being in torments [excruciating pain], and seeth [saw] Abraham afar off [far away], and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham [the rich man addressed him this way because he was one of Abraham's descendants], have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, [so] that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Luke 16:25,26: "But Abraham [the founder of the Jewish nation] said [to the rich man], Son, remember that thou [you] in thy [your] lifetime [or 'while you were alive'] receivedst [received] thy good things [e.g., property, splendor, honor], and likewise Lazarus [received] evil things [e.g., poverty, contempt, disease]: but now he [Lazarus] is comforted, and thou art [you are] tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf [chasm, very large opening, big hole] fixed [in place]: so that they which would pass from hence [from here, referring to Abraham's bosom] to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come [here] from thence [there, or where you are]."
Luke 16:27-28: "Then he [the rich man] said, I pray thee [I ask you] therefore, father [Abraham], that thou wouldest [you would] send him [Lazarus] to my [earthly] father's house: For I have five brethren [brothers]; [please send Lazarus to my father's house] [so] that he may testify unto them [about hell, or tell them about it], lest they also come [or 'so they won't come'] into this place of torment [extreme pain and misery]."
Luke 16:29: "Abraham saith unto him [the rich man], They [your brothers] have [the writings] of Moses and the prophets [of the Old Testament] [to tell them about hell]; let them hear them."
Luke 16:30: "And he [the rich man] said, Nay [no], father Abraham: but if one [person] went unto them from the dead, they will repent."
Luke 16:31: "And he [Abraham] said unto him [the rich man], If they hear not [do not hear or listen to] Moses and the prophets, [as recorded in the Bible,] neither will they be persuaded [to believe in heaven and hell], though one rose [arose, came back to life] from the dead."
_______________
*Here are some articles from GotQuestions.org related to the above verses:-- "What is Abraham's bosom?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/Abrahams-bosom.html)
-- "What is the difference between Sheol, Hades, Hell, the lake of fire, Paradise, and Abraham's bosom?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/sheol-hades-hell.html)
-- "What should we learn from the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/rich-man-and-Lazarus.html)
* * * * *
In his commentary on Luke 16:31, Albert Barnes wrote:"From this impressive and instructive parable [story] [about the Rich Man and Lazarus,] we may learn:
"I. That the souls of people do not die with their bodies.
"II. That the soul is 'conscious' after death; that it does not 'sleep,' as some have supposed, until the morning of the resurrection.
"III. That the righteous [referring to born-again Christians, who (according to the Bible) are 'righteous' in God's sight] are taken to a place of happiness [i.e., heaven] immediately at death, and the wicked [are] consigned [assigned] at once to misery [in hell].
"IV. That wealth [being rich] does not secure [protect] from death.
"V. 'How vain [useless] are riches to secure
"Their haughty [proud, arrogant] owners from the grave!'
"The rich, the beautiful, the happy, as well as the poor, go down to the grave. All their pomp [show of magnificence, splendor] and apparel [clothing], all their honors, their palaces, and their gold cannot save them. Death can as easily find his way into the splendid mansions of the rich as into the cottages of the poor; and the rich shall turn to the same corruption, and soon, like the poor, be undistinguished from common dust and be unknown.
"We should not envy the condition of the rich …
"We should strive for a better inheritance than can be possessed in this life …
"I. The sufferings of the wicked in hell will be indescribably great. Think what is represented by 'torment;' by burning flame; by insupportable [unbearable] thirst; by that state where a single 'drop' of water would afford relief. Remember that 'all this' is but a representation of the pains of the damned, and that this will have no intermission day or night, but will continue from year to year, and age to age, without any end, and you have a faint view of the sufferings of those who are in hell.
"II. There is a place of sufferings beyond the grave a hell. If there is not, then this parable has no meaning. It is impossible to make 'anything' of it unless it be designed to teach that.
"III. There will never be any escape from those gloomy regions. There is a gulf fixed - 'fixed,' not movable. Nor can any of the damned beat a pathway across this gulf to the world of holiness.
"IV. We see the amazing folly [foolishness] of those who suppose there may be an 'end' to the sufferings of the wicked, and who, on that supposition, seem willing to go down to hell to suffer a long time, rather than go at once to heaven. If man were to suffer but a thousand years, or even 'one' year, why should he be so foolish as to choose that suffering rather than go at once to heaven, and be happy at once when he dies?
"V. God gives us sufficient warning to prepare for death. He has sent his Word [as recorded in the Bible], his servants, his Son [Jesus Christ]; he warns us by his [Holy] Spirit and his providence [protective care]; by the entreaties [pleas] of our friends and by the death of sinners; he offers us heaven, and he threatens hell. If all this will not move sinners, what would do it? There is nothing that would.
"VI. God will give us nothing farther to warn us. No dead man will come to life to tell us of what he has seen. If he did we would not believe him. Religion appeals to man not by ghosts and frightful apparitions [images]. It appeals to their reason, their conscience, their hopes, their fears. It sets life and death soberly [seriously and reasonably] before people, and if they 'will not' choose the former, they must die. If you will not hear the Son of God [Jesus Christ] and the warnings of the Scriptures [the Bible], there is nothing which you will or can hear. You will never be persuaded, and will never escape the place of torment [i.e., hell]."
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/luke-16.html, "Verse 31")
SEPTEMBER 5-6
Jesus Didn't Procrastinate; He Worked While He Could
Just before miraculously healing a blind man on the sabbath day, Jesus (who is the Son of God, or God the Son) told his disciples:
John 9:4: "I [Jesus] must work the works [or 'do the good deeds,' including preaching the gospel, teaching God's word, performing miracles, etc.] of him that sent me [to earth; i.e., God the Father], while it is day [while I am alive]: the night [time of death, or period after we die--in this case, referring to Jesus' upcoming crucifixion (when he was to complete his most important assignment from God: giving his life to pay for the sins of mankind), which would occur about six months later] cometh [is coming], when no man [person] can work."
_______________
Jesus always obeyed God's will, and Christians should try to do the same.One way to show our love for, and obedience to, God is by telling people how to be saved (born again) whenever we have the opportunity to do so. That's what is meant by the terms soul winning, evangelism, and witnessing. In the "Printable Gospel Tracts" section of my website, there are links to some gospel tracts that I wrote. If you want to read and/or print and distribute those tracts, here's a direct link to that page: https://www.mansioninheaven.com/PrintableGospelTracts.html.
* * * * *
GotQuestions.org has two articles that relate to the above verse. If you're interested in reading them, here are the links::-- "Why did God send Jesus [to earth]?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/why-God-sent-Jesus.html)
-- "Why are we told to work while it is day (John 9:4)?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/work-while-it-is-day.html)
SEPTEMBER 4
Desirable Christian Characteristics
This was the apostle Paul's advice to born-again Christians:
Colossians 3:12,13: "Put on therefore [like clothes] [the following characteristics], as [are becoming to] the elect [the chosen (accepted), favored (set apart), saved (born-again) people who make up the church] of God, [who are] holy and beloved [by God:]
"bowels of mercies [mercy, compassion],
"kindness,
"humbleness of mind [humility],
"meekness [gentleness, mildness],
"longsuffering [patience];
"Forbearing one another [controlling your temper when you are annoyed or provoked by someone else], and forgiving one another, if any man [or woman or child] have a quarrel [complaint] against any [other person]:
"even as [the Lord Jesus] Christ forgave you [for your sins against God], so also do ye [or 'you should do the same'] [to others, which means that, since we were forgiven for our sins against God, we should forgive others when they sin against us]."
_______________
Jesus is a wonderful example of how Christians should behave. Following his lead, we should strive (try) to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, patient, and forgiving and always have self-control.SEPTEMBER 3
One Way to Receive Blessings From God
Proverbs 3:9: "Honour [honor] the LORD with thy substance [or 'with your money and/or possessions'; in other words, honor God by giving to his work and service], and [also honor him] with the firstfruits [the first, or best, part] of all thine [your] increase [i.e., whatever else you get in the future]:"
Proverbs 3:10: "So [then] shall thy [your] barns be filled with plenty [of food (corn, grain, etc.)], and thy presses [winepresses, referring to the vats (large tubs) in a vineyard in which grapes were crushed] shall burst out [overflow] with new [freshly pressed] wine."
_______________
The Bible says that when we use our money, time, and talents to worship the Lord, feed poor people, and help spread the gospel, God will bless us and take care of our daily needs.* * * * *
Pastor Delany of Salem Bible Church has a commentary on the above verses. In paragraph 3 of the last section of the commentary, he says: "The passage in Prov. 3:10 does NOT give us the MOTIVE to give (so that we will get). Rather, it gives us a PROMISE in giving… that when we give sacrificially, God will provide for our needs!" Then he gives his reasons for saying that.If you want to read the pastor's commentary, here's the link: https://www.salembible.org/proverbs-index/proverbs-3-index/proverbs-3_9-10/.
* * * * *
Regarding Proverbs 3:9-10, Matthew Henry said:"… Those that do good with what they have shall have more to do more good with …"
(Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/proverbs/3.html, "Consecration to God," "v. 9, 10")
* * * * *
Regarding today's verses, Pastor Chuck Smith said:"Now there is a basic law, and I'm not talking about the Ten Commandments or the law given by Moses, just a basic law of God as we speak of laws. We speak of laws of nature, or the law of magnetism, the law of gravity, the law of electricity, the various laws of nature. They're just there. We've studied them. We've been able to formulize them and understand them that they work. We don't always know why they work, but we know they work. We know that they are just basic laws of nature that they work. There's a cause and effect.
"Now, in the same token there are basic spiritual laws that God has established that have a cause and effect kind of a thing just like any other law that is operating in our natural world around us. And there is a law of God concerning giving. And though we cannot understand exactly how it works, yet it does work. Now, I don't have to understand how electricity works to benefit from electricity. Even so, I don't have to understand how the laws of God work as far as giving to benefit from them.
"Now here the law of God is stated, 'Honor the Lord with your substance, and with the firstfruits of your increase.' I believe that the firstfruits belong to God. The first thing that comes out of my salary or my wages were it ever, is earmarked [designated] for the Lord. If I've sold a piece of property, the increase, the firstfruits of it I give to God of the increase. Honoring God with your substance. Now this law is stated throughout the Bible many places and is illustrated in many places.
"In Malachi, we read, 'Will a man rob God? You say, "Well, wherein have we robbed God?" And God said, "In your tithes and in your offerings. Now prove Me and see if I will not pour out unto you a blessing which you cannot contain"' ( Malachi 3:8 , Malachi 3:10 ). God challenges you to test this law. Jesus said, 'Give, and it shall be given unto you; measured out, pressed down, running over, shall men give unto your bosom [or 'to you']' ( Luke 6:38 ). Paul the apostle said that if we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly; but if we sow bountifully [liberally, abundantly], we're going to reap bountifully ( 2 Corinthians 9:6 ). 'In whatever measure you mete [dispense, give out], it's going to be measured to you again' ( Matthew 7:2 ), the law of God.
"I cannot tell you how it works. All I can do is affirm [confirm] for you that it does work. God honors that law of giving. And so here is Solomon exhorting [encouraging] his son, "Honor the Lord with your substance and with the firstfruit of all of your increase." What will the result be? 'Your barns will be filled with plenty. Your presses shall burst out with new wine.'"
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/proverbs/3-9.html, "Smith's Bible Commentary")
SEPTEMBER 2
Advice for Christians from the apostle Paul:
1 Timothy 6:6-7: "But godliness [having a love for God and a willingness to obey his word, as recorded in the Bible] with contentment [peace of mind, happiness, and satisfaction with what we have] is great gain [something valuable and to be desired]. For [or 'that's because'] [as Job said in Job 1:21,] we brought nothing [no possessions] into this world [with us, when we were born], and it is certain [that] we can carry nothing out [of this world, with us, when we die]."
SEPTEMBER 1
In a letter to Timothy, a minister of the gospel, the apostle Paul warned:
2 Timothy 3:13: "But [in the 'last days,' before Jesus Christ returns to earth,] evil men [and women and children] [referring to people who consistently do bad things] and seducers [those who lead others astray (off the right path) regarding religion and everyday life] shall wax [become] worse and worse, deceiving [misleading] [other people], and being deceived [fooled, or led away into error and sin] [themselves]."
_______________
As an example of the "Progressiveness of sin," one Bible commentator wrote:"A gentleman was walking with a friend one day through his beautiful grounds, when they came to a fine large tree which was decayed to the very core [center]. 'That tree,' said the proprietor [owner], 'was destroyed by a single worm. A short time since [or 'before that,'] it was as vigorous [strong and healthy] as any of its companions, when one day a woodworm [the wood-eating larva of a beetle] was discovered forcing its way under the outer bark. A naturalist who was at that time my guest remarked on seeing it [the worm] that if left alone it would ultimately [finally] kill the tree. It seemed so improbable [unlikely], that the worm was suffered [allowed] to remain. Gradually it bored [dug] its way into the fibre [inside parts] of the tree, slowly but surely doing its work. The following summer the tree shed [dropped] its leaves much earlier than usual, and in the second season it [the tree] was a dead, worthless thing. The worm which seemed so very insignificant [unimportant and harmless] had found its way to the heart of the once noble tree and destroyed its life.' How forcibly do we see this same thing illustrated in the common walks of every-day life. A young man is persuaded by his companions [friends] to take his first glass of wine [or beer or other alcoholic beverage]. It seems like a little thing, but it is the beginning of a course of degradation [deterioration] and eternal shame. The clerk in the [British] bank appropriates [takes for his own use] a few shillings of the funds [a small amount of money, probably equal to less than one U.S. dollar] entrusted to his care. One step leads to another, until at last he is arrested and cast [thrown] into prison as a defaulter [or embezzler]. A boy begins to practise [practice] little deceits [deceptions] at school or at home which, unless discovered and checked [stopped], will make him a base and unprincipled man [i.e., someone who is corrupt, unethical, immoral]. Such is the destructive power of little sins when the continued indulgence in them is practised [or when those same sins are committed over and over again]."
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/2-timothy/3-13.html, "The Biblical Illustrator," "Verse 13")
* * * * *
Commenting on 2 Timothy 3:13, Pastor Chuck Smith said:"In other words, it's not going to get better for awhile. It's going to get worse before it gets better. It will be getting better a little further down the road, but evil days are going to wax worse and worse, until the Lord [Jesus Christ] takes His church [consisting of born-again Christians] out [of this world in the rapture--see note below*] and then God judges the world for its unrighteousness and ungodliness. And then Jesus will come and establish God's righteous kingdom [on the earth], but by then, those [people] that will remain [here] will be saying, Oh, God help us. 'Blessed is he who will come in the name of the Lord' ( Psalms 118:26 ). I mean, people will have had it with the unrighteousness of the world.
"Look at the rapid deterioration of our society. You can you see what's happened even in the last twenty-five years. Look at the magazines that were once really under the counter kind of stuff and sold illegally. Now they're right out where little kids can go in and pick them up and leaf [turn the pages and look] through them. Look at our attitudes towards morality. Look at the lack, lackness. Look at, of course, all of these other things that have come along as the result of it. The deterioration, rapid deterioration so that a mother has to worry when she sends her little child to school because she doesn't know what some kinky character [a person exhibiting unusual sexual behavior] might do, exposing themselves [their genitals (sexual organs)] to that beautiful little child or even worse. God help us. If the Lord doesn't come [back] soon, we're going to destroy ourselves as we just sink in the filth. We're going to drown in our own corruption. 'Evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.' I think we've gone just about as far as we can …"
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/2-timothy/3-13.html, "Smith's Bible Commentary")
* * * * *
*The rapture is described in the following article: "What is the rapture of the church?" If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/rapture-of-the-church.html.
See "Sep '22B" in Archives for September 11-20.
See "Sep '22C" in Archives for September 21-30.
Unfortunately, I ran out of space in this month's file.
SEPTEMBER 7-10
The Rich Man and Lazarus: A Story About Hell
Jesus told this story to his disciples. It's about a wicked rich man and a godly poor man.
Luke 16:19: "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen [or 'was dressed in purple and fine linen clothes'], and fared sumptuously [ate large meals, ate well, had plenty to eat] every day:"
Luke 16:20-21: "And there was a certain beggar [poor man] named Lazarus, which was laid [lying] at his [the rich man's] gate [front door], full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores."
Luke 16:22: "And it came to pass, that [Lazarus] the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom [another name for heaven, the place where saved people go after they die--see note below*]: the rich man also died, and was buried;"
Luke 16:23,24: "And in hell [which is located in the center of the earth,] he [the rich man] lift [lifted] up his eyes [or 'looked up'], being in torments [excruciating pain], and seeth [saw] Abraham afar off [far away], and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham [the rich man addressed him this way because he was one of Abraham's descendants], have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, [so] that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Luke 16:25,26: "But Abraham [the founder of the Jewish nation] said [to the rich man], Son, remember that thou [you] in thy [your] lifetime [or 'while you were alive'] receivedst [received] thy good things [e.g., property, splendor, honor], and likewise Lazarus [received] evil things [e.g., poverty, contempt, disease]: but now he [Lazarus] is comforted, and thou art [you are] tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf [chasm, very large opening, big hole] fixed [in place]: so that they which would pass from hence [from here, referring to Abraham's bosom] to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come [here] from thence [there, or where you are]."
Luke 16:27-28: "Then he [the rich man] said, I pray thee [I ask you] therefore, father [Abraham], that thou wouldest [you would] send him [Lazarus] to my [earthly] father's house: For I have five brethren [brothers]; [please send Lazarus to my father's house] [so] that he may testify unto them [about hell, or tell them about it], lest they also come [or 'so they won't come'] into this place of torment [extreme pain and misery]."
Luke 16:29: "Abraham saith unto him [the rich man], They [your brothers] have [the writings] of Moses and the prophets [of the Old Testament] [to tell them about hell]; let them hear them."
Luke 16:30: "And he [the rich man] said, Nay [no], father Abraham: but if one [person] went unto them from the dead, they will repent."
Luke 16:31: "And he [Abraham] said unto him [the rich man], If they hear not [do not hear or listen to] Moses and the prophets, [as recorded in the Bible,] neither will they be persuaded [to believe in heaven and hell], though one rose [arose, came back to life] from the dead."
-- "What is Abraham's bosom?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/Abrahams-bosom.html)
-- "What is the difference between Sheol, Hades, Hell, the lake of fire, Paradise, and Abraham's bosom?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/sheol-hades-hell.html)
-- "What should we learn from the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/rich-man-and-Lazarus.html)
"From this impressive and instructive parable [story] [about the Rich Man and Lazarus,] we may learn:
"I. That the souls of people do not die with their bodies.
"II. That the soul is 'conscious' after death; that it does not 'sleep,' as some have supposed, until the morning of the resurrection.
"III. That the righteous [referring to born-again Christians, who (according to the Bible) are 'righteous' in God's sight] are taken to a place of happiness [i.e., heaven] immediately at death, and the wicked [are] consigned [assigned] at once to misery [in hell].
"IV. That wealth [being rich] does not secure [protect] from death.
"V. 'How vain [useless] are riches to secure
"Their haughty [proud, arrogant] owners from the grave!'
"The rich, the beautiful, the happy, as well as the poor, go down to the grave. All their pomp [show of magnificence, splendor] and apparel [clothing], all their honors, their palaces, and their gold cannot save them. Death can as easily find his way into the splendid mansions of the rich as into the cottages of the poor; and the rich shall turn to the same corruption, and soon, like the poor, be undistinguished from common dust and be unknown.
"We should not envy the condition of the rich …
"We should strive for a better inheritance than can be possessed in this life …
"I. The sufferings of the wicked in hell will be indescribably great. Think what is represented by 'torment;' by burning flame; by insupportable [unbearable] thirst; by that state where a single 'drop' of water would afford relief. Remember that 'all this' is but a representation of the pains of the damned, and that this will have no intermission day or night, but will continue from year to year, and age to age, without any end, and you have a faint view of the sufferings of those who are in hell.
"II. There is a place of sufferings beyond the grave a hell. If there is not, then this parable has no meaning. It is impossible to make 'anything' of it unless it be designed to teach that.
"III. There will never be any escape from those gloomy regions. There is a gulf fixed - 'fixed,' not movable. Nor can any of the damned beat a pathway across this gulf to the world of holiness.
"IV. We see the amazing folly [foolishness] of those who suppose there may be an 'end' to the sufferings of the wicked, and who, on that supposition, seem willing to go down to hell to suffer a long time, rather than go at once to heaven. If man were to suffer but a thousand years, or even 'one' year, why should he be so foolish as to choose that suffering rather than go at once to heaven, and be happy at once when he dies?
"V. God gives us sufficient warning to prepare for death. He has sent his Word [as recorded in the Bible], his servants, his Son [Jesus Christ]; he warns us by his [Holy] Spirit and his providence [protective care]; by the entreaties [pleas] of our friends and by the death of sinners; he offers us heaven, and he threatens hell. If all this will not move sinners, what would do it? There is nothing that would.
"VI. God will give us nothing farther to warn us. No dead man will come to life to tell us of what he has seen. If he did we would not believe him. Religion appeals to man not by ghosts and frightful apparitions [images]. It appeals to their reason, their conscience, their hopes, their fears. It sets life and death soberly [seriously and reasonably] before people, and if they 'will not' choose the former, they must die. If you will not hear the Son of God [Jesus Christ] and the warnings of the Scriptures [the Bible], there is nothing which you will or can hear. You will never be persuaded, and will never escape the place of torment [i.e., hell]."
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/luke-16.html, "Verse 31")
SEPTEMBER 5-6
Jesus Didn't Procrastinate; He Worked While He Could
Just before miraculously healing a blind man on the sabbath day, Jesus (who is the Son of God, or God the Son) told his disciples:
John 9:4: "I [Jesus] must work the works [or 'do the good deeds,' including preaching the gospel, teaching God's word, performing miracles, etc.] of him that sent me [to earth; i.e., God the Father], while it is day [while I am alive]: the night [time of death, or period after we die--in this case, referring to Jesus' upcoming crucifixion (when he was to complete his most important assignment from God: giving his life to pay for the sins of mankind), which would occur about six months later] cometh [is coming], when no man [person] can work."
One way to show our love for, and obedience to, God is by telling people how to be saved (born again) whenever we have the opportunity to do so. That's what is meant by the terms soul winning, evangelism, and witnessing. In the "Printable Gospel Tracts" section of my website, there are links to some gospel tracts that I wrote. If you want to read and/or print and distribute those tracts, here's a direct link to that page: https://www.mansioninheaven.com/PrintableGospelTracts.html.
-- "Why did God send Jesus [to earth]?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/why-God-sent-Jesus.html)
-- "Why are we told to work while it is day (John 9:4)?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/work-while-it-is-day.html)
SEPTEMBER 4
Desirable Christian Characteristics
This was the apostle Paul's advice to born-again Christians:
Colossians 3:12,13: "Put on therefore [like clothes] [the following characteristics], as [are becoming to] the elect [the chosen (accepted), favored (set apart), saved (born-again) people who make up the church] of God, [who are] holy and beloved [by God:]
"bowels of mercies [mercy, compassion],
"kindness,
"humbleness of mind [humility],
"meekness [gentleness, mildness],
"longsuffering [patience];
"Forbearing one another [controlling your temper when you are annoyed or provoked by someone else], and forgiving one another, if any man [or woman or child] have a quarrel [complaint] against any [other person]:
"even as [the Lord Jesus] Christ forgave you [for your sins against God], so also do ye [or 'you should do the same'] [to others, which means that, since we were forgiven for our sins against God, we should forgive others when they sin against us]."
SEPTEMBER 3
One Way to Receive Blessings From God
Proverbs 3:9: "Honour [honor] the LORD with thy substance [or 'with your money and/or possessions'; in other words, honor God by giving to his work and service], and [also honor him] with the firstfruits [the first, or best, part] of all thine [your] increase [i.e., whatever else you get in the future]:"
Proverbs 3:10: "So [then] shall thy [your] barns be filled with plenty [of food (corn, grain, etc.)], and thy presses [winepresses, referring to the vats (large tubs) in a vineyard in which grapes were crushed] shall burst out [overflow] with new [freshly pressed] wine."
If you want to read the pastor's commentary, here's the link: https://www.salembible.org/proverbs-index/proverbs-3-index/proverbs-3_9-10/.
"… Those that do good with what they have shall have more to do more good with …"
(Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/proverbs/3.html, "Consecration to God," "v. 9, 10")
"Now there is a basic law, and I'm not talking about the Ten Commandments or the law given by Moses, just a basic law of God as we speak of laws. We speak of laws of nature, or the law of magnetism, the law of gravity, the law of electricity, the various laws of nature. They're just there. We've studied them. We've been able to formulize them and understand them that they work. We don't always know why they work, but we know they work. We know that they are just basic laws of nature that they work. There's a cause and effect.
"Now, in the same token there are basic spiritual laws that God has established that have a cause and effect kind of a thing just like any other law that is operating in our natural world around us. And there is a law of God concerning giving. And though we cannot understand exactly how it works, yet it does work. Now, I don't have to understand how electricity works to benefit from electricity. Even so, I don't have to understand how the laws of God work as far as giving to benefit from them.
"Now here the law of God is stated, 'Honor the Lord with your substance, and with the firstfruits of your increase.' I believe that the firstfruits belong to God. The first thing that comes out of my salary or my wages were it ever, is earmarked [designated] for the Lord. If I've sold a piece of property, the increase, the firstfruits of it I give to God of the increase. Honoring God with your substance. Now this law is stated throughout the Bible many places and is illustrated in many places.
"In Malachi, we read, 'Will a man rob God? You say, "Well, wherein have we robbed God?" And God said, "In your tithes and in your offerings. Now prove Me and see if I will not pour out unto you a blessing which you cannot contain"' ( Malachi 3:8 , Malachi 3:10 ). God challenges you to test this law. Jesus said, 'Give, and it shall be given unto you; measured out, pressed down, running over, shall men give unto your bosom [or 'to you']' ( Luke 6:38 ). Paul the apostle said that if we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly; but if we sow bountifully [liberally, abundantly], we're going to reap bountifully ( 2 Corinthians 9:6 ). 'In whatever measure you mete [dispense, give out], it's going to be measured to you again' ( Matthew 7:2 ), the law of God.
"I cannot tell you how it works. All I can do is affirm [confirm] for you that it does work. God honors that law of giving. And so here is Solomon exhorting [encouraging] his son, "Honor the Lord with your substance and with the firstfruit of all of your increase." What will the result be? 'Your barns will be filled with plenty. Your presses shall burst out with new wine.'"
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/proverbs/3-9.html, "Smith's Bible Commentary")
SEPTEMBER 2
Advice for Christians from the apostle Paul:
1 Timothy 6:6-7: "But godliness [having a love for God and a willingness to obey his word, as recorded in the Bible] with contentment [peace of mind, happiness, and satisfaction with what we have] is great gain [something valuable and to be desired]. For [or 'that's because'] [as Job said in Job 1:21,] we brought nothing [no possessions] into this world [with us, when we were born], and it is certain [that] we can carry nothing out [of this world, with us, when we die]."
SEPTEMBER 1
In a letter to Timothy, a minister of the gospel, the apostle Paul warned:
2 Timothy 3:13: "But [in the 'last days,' before Jesus Christ returns to earth,] evil men [and women and children] [referring to people who consistently do bad things] and seducers [those who lead others astray (off the right path) regarding religion and everyday life] shall wax [become] worse and worse, deceiving [misleading] [other people], and being deceived [fooled, or led away into error and sin] [themselves]."
"A gentleman was walking with a friend one day through his beautiful grounds, when they came to a fine large tree which was decayed to the very core [center]. 'That tree,' said the proprietor [owner], 'was destroyed by a single worm. A short time since [or 'before that,'] it was as vigorous [strong and healthy] as any of its companions, when one day a woodworm [the wood-eating larva of a beetle] was discovered forcing its way under the outer bark. A naturalist who was at that time my guest remarked on seeing it [the worm] that if left alone it would ultimately [finally] kill the tree. It seemed so improbable [unlikely], that the worm was suffered [allowed] to remain. Gradually it bored [dug] its way into the fibre [inside parts] of the tree, slowly but surely doing its work. The following summer the tree shed [dropped] its leaves much earlier than usual, and in the second season it [the tree] was a dead, worthless thing. The worm which seemed so very insignificant [unimportant and harmless] had found its way to the heart of the once noble tree and destroyed its life.' How forcibly do we see this same thing illustrated in the common walks of every-day life. A young man is persuaded by his companions [friends] to take his first glass of wine [or beer or other alcoholic beverage]. It seems like a little thing, but it is the beginning of a course of degradation [deterioration] and eternal shame. The clerk in the [British] bank appropriates [takes for his own use] a few shillings of the funds [a small amount of money, probably equal to less than one U.S. dollar] entrusted to his care. One step leads to another, until at last he is arrested and cast [thrown] into prison as a defaulter [or embezzler]. A boy begins to practise [practice] little deceits [deceptions] at school or at home which, unless discovered and checked [stopped], will make him a base and unprincipled man [i.e., someone who is corrupt, unethical, immoral]. Such is the destructive power of little sins when the continued indulgence in them is practised [or when those same sins are committed over and over again]."
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/2-timothy/3-13.html, "The Biblical Illustrator," "Verse 13")
"In other words, it's not going to get better for awhile. It's going to get worse before it gets better. It will be getting better a little further down the road, but evil days are going to wax worse and worse, until the Lord [Jesus Christ] takes His church [consisting of born-again Christians] out [of this world in the rapture--see note below*] and then God judges the world for its unrighteousness and ungodliness. And then Jesus will come and establish God's righteous kingdom [on the earth], but by then, those [people] that will remain [here] will be saying, Oh, God help us. 'Blessed is he who will come in the name of the Lord' ( Psalms 118:26 ). I mean, people will have had it with the unrighteousness of the world.
"Look at the rapid deterioration of our society. You can you see what's happened even in the last twenty-five years. Look at the magazines that were once really under the counter kind of stuff and sold illegally. Now they're right out where little kids can go in and pick them up and leaf [turn the pages and look] through them. Look at our attitudes towards morality. Look at the lack, lackness. Look at, of course, all of these other things that have come along as the result of it. The deterioration, rapid deterioration so that a mother has to worry when she sends her little child to school because she doesn't know what some kinky character [a person exhibiting unusual sexual behavior] might do, exposing themselves [their genitals (sexual organs)] to that beautiful little child or even worse. God help us. If the Lord doesn't come [back] soon, we're going to destroy ourselves as we just sink in the filth. We're going to drown in our own corruption. 'Evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.' I think we've gone just about as far as we can …"
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/2-timothy/3-13.html, "Smith's Bible Commentary")
See "Sep '22C" in Archives for September 21-30.
Unfortunately, I ran out of space in this month's file.
SEPTEMBER 7-10
The Rich Man and Lazarus: A Story About Hell
Jesus told this story to his disciples. It's about a wicked rich man and a godly poor man.
Luke 16:19: "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen [or 'was dressed in purple and fine linen clothes'], and fared sumptuously [ate large meals, ate well, had plenty to eat] every day:"
Luke 16:20-21: "And there was a certain beggar [poor man] named Lazarus, which was laid [lying] at his [the rich man's] gate [front door], full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores."
Luke 16:22: "And it came to pass, that [Lazarus] the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom [another name for heaven, the place where saved people go after they die--see note below*]: the rich man also died, and was buried;"
Luke 16:23,24: "And in hell [which is located in the center of the earth,] he [the rich man] lift [lifted] up his eyes [or 'looked up'], being in torments [excruciating pain], and seeth [saw] Abraham afar off [far away], and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham [the rich man addressed him this way because he was one of Abraham's descendants], have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, [so] that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Luke 16:25,26: "But Abraham [the founder of the Jewish nation] said [to the rich man], Son, remember that thou [you] in thy [your] lifetime [or 'while you were alive'] receivedst [received] thy good things [e.g., property, splendor, honor], and likewise Lazarus [received] evil things [e.g., poverty, contempt, disease]: but now he [Lazarus] is comforted, and thou art [you are] tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf [chasm, very large opening, big hole] fixed [in place]: so that they which would pass from hence [from here, referring to Abraham's bosom] to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come [here] from thence [there, or where you are]."
Luke 16:27-28: "Then he [the rich man] said, I pray thee [I ask you] therefore, father [Abraham], that thou wouldest [you would] send him [Lazarus] to my [earthly] father's house: For I have five brethren [brothers]; [please send Lazarus to my father's house] [so] that he may testify unto them [about hell, or tell them about it], lest they also come [or 'so they won't come'] into this place of torment [extreme pain and misery]."
Luke 16:29: "Abraham saith unto him [the rich man], They [your brothers] have [the writings] of Moses and the prophets [of the Old Testament] [to tell them about hell]; let them hear them."
Luke 16:30: "And he [the rich man] said, Nay [no], father Abraham: but if one [person] went unto them from the dead, they will repent."
Luke 16:31: "And he [Abraham] said unto him [the rich man], If they hear not [do not hear or listen to] Moses and the prophets, [as recorded in the Bible,] neither will they be persuaded [to believe in heaven and hell], though one rose [arose, came back to life] from the dead."
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*Here are some articles from GotQuestions.org related to the above verses:-- "What is Abraham's bosom?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/Abrahams-bosom.html)
-- "What is the difference between Sheol, Hades, Hell, the lake of fire, Paradise, and Abraham's bosom?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/sheol-hades-hell.html)
-- "What should we learn from the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/rich-man-and-Lazarus.html)
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In his commentary on Luke 16:31, Albert Barnes wrote:"From this impressive and instructive parable [story] [about the Rich Man and Lazarus,] we may learn:
"I. That the souls of people do not die with their bodies.
"II. That the soul is 'conscious' after death; that it does not 'sleep,' as some have supposed, until the morning of the resurrection.
"III. That the righteous [referring to born-again Christians, who (according to the Bible) are 'righteous' in God's sight] are taken to a place of happiness [i.e., heaven] immediately at death, and the wicked [are] consigned [assigned] at once to misery [in hell].
"IV. That wealth [being rich] does not secure [protect] from death.
"V. 'How vain [useless] are riches to secure
"Their haughty [proud, arrogant] owners from the grave!'
"The rich, the beautiful, the happy, as well as the poor, go down to the grave. All their pomp [show of magnificence, splendor] and apparel [clothing], all their honors, their palaces, and their gold cannot save them. Death can as easily find his way into the splendid mansions of the rich as into the cottages of the poor; and the rich shall turn to the same corruption, and soon, like the poor, be undistinguished from common dust and be unknown.
"We should not envy the condition of the rich …
"We should strive for a better inheritance than can be possessed in this life …
"I. The sufferings of the wicked in hell will be indescribably great. Think what is represented by 'torment;' by burning flame; by insupportable [unbearable] thirst; by that state where a single 'drop' of water would afford relief. Remember that 'all this' is but a representation of the pains of the damned, and that this will have no intermission day or night, but will continue from year to year, and age to age, without any end, and you have a faint view of the sufferings of those who are in hell.
"II. There is a place of sufferings beyond the grave a hell. If there is not, then this parable has no meaning. It is impossible to make 'anything' of it unless it be designed to teach that.
"III. There will never be any escape from those gloomy regions. There is a gulf fixed - 'fixed,' not movable. Nor can any of the damned beat a pathway across this gulf to the world of holiness.
"IV. We see the amazing folly [foolishness] of those who suppose there may be an 'end' to the sufferings of the wicked, and who, on that supposition, seem willing to go down to hell to suffer a long time, rather than go at once to heaven. If man were to suffer but a thousand years, or even 'one' year, why should he be so foolish as to choose that suffering rather than go at once to heaven, and be happy at once when he dies?
"V. God gives us sufficient warning to prepare for death. He has sent his Word [as recorded in the Bible], his servants, his Son [Jesus Christ]; he warns us by his [Holy] Spirit and his providence [protective care]; by the entreaties [pleas] of our friends and by the death of sinners; he offers us heaven, and he threatens hell. If all this will not move sinners, what would do it? There is nothing that would.
"VI. God will give us nothing farther to warn us. No dead man will come to life to tell us of what he has seen. If he did we would not believe him. Religion appeals to man not by ghosts and frightful apparitions [images]. It appeals to their reason, their conscience, their hopes, their fears. It sets life and death soberly [seriously and reasonably] before people, and if they 'will not' choose the former, they must die. If you will not hear the Son of God [Jesus Christ] and the warnings of the Scriptures [the Bible], there is nothing which you will or can hear. You will never be persuaded, and will never escape the place of torment [i.e., hell]."
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/luke-16.html, "Verse 31")
SEPTEMBER 5-6
Jesus Didn't Procrastinate; He Worked While He Could
Just before miraculously healing a blind man on the sabbath day, Jesus (who is the Son of God, or God the Son) told his disciples:
John 9:4: "I [Jesus] must work the works [or 'do the good deeds,' including preaching the gospel, teaching God's word, performing miracles, etc.] of him that sent me [to earth; i.e., God the Father], while it is day [while I am alive]: the night [time of death, or period after we die--in this case, referring to Jesus' upcoming crucifixion (when he was to complete his most important assignment from God: giving his life to pay for the sins of mankind), which would occur about six months later] cometh [is coming], when no man [person] can work."
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Jesus always obeyed God's will, and Christians should try to do the same.One way to show our love for, and obedience to, God is by telling people how to be saved (born again) whenever we have the opportunity to do so. That's what is meant by the terms soul winning, evangelism, and witnessing. In the "Printable Gospel Tracts" section of my website, there are links to some gospel tracts that I wrote. If you want to read and/or print and distribute those tracts, here's a direct link to that page: https://www.mansioninheaven.com/PrintableGospelTracts.html.
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GotQuestions.org has two articles that relate to the above verse. If you're interested in reading them, here are the links::-- "Why did God send Jesus [to earth]?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/why-God-sent-Jesus.html)
-- "Why are we told to work while it is day (John 9:4)?"
(https://www.gotquestions.org/work-while-it-is-day.html)
SEPTEMBER 4
Desirable Christian Characteristics
This was the apostle Paul's advice to born-again Christians:
Colossians 3:12,13: "Put on therefore [like clothes] [the following characteristics], as [are becoming to] the elect [the chosen (accepted), favored (set apart), saved (born-again) people who make up the church] of God, [who are] holy and beloved [by God:]
"bowels of mercies [mercy, compassion],
"kindness,
"humbleness of mind [humility],
"meekness [gentleness, mildness],
"longsuffering [patience];
"Forbearing one another [controlling your temper when you are annoyed or provoked by someone else], and forgiving one another, if any man [or woman or child] have a quarrel [complaint] against any [other person]:
"even as [the Lord Jesus] Christ forgave you [for your sins against God], so also do ye [or 'you should do the same'] [to others, which means that, since we were forgiven for our sins against God, we should forgive others when they sin against us]."
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Jesus is a wonderful example of how Christians should behave. Following his lead, we should strive (try) to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, patient, and forgiving and always have self-control.SEPTEMBER 3
One Way to Receive Blessings From God
Proverbs 3:9: "Honour [honor] the LORD with thy substance [or 'with your money and/or possessions'; in other words, honor God by giving to his work and service], and [also honor him] with the firstfruits [the first, or best, part] of all thine [your] increase [i.e., whatever else you get in the future]:"
Proverbs 3:10: "So [then] shall thy [your] barns be filled with plenty [of food (corn, grain, etc.)], and thy presses [winepresses, referring to the vats (large tubs) in a vineyard in which grapes were crushed] shall burst out [overflow] with new [freshly pressed] wine."
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The Bible says that when we use our money, time, and talents to worship the Lord, feed poor people, and help spread the gospel, God will bless us and take care of our daily needs.* * * * *
Pastor Delany of Salem Bible Church has a commentary on the above verses. In paragraph 3 of the last section of the commentary, he says: "The passage in Prov. 3:10 does NOT give us the MOTIVE to give (so that we will get). Rather, it gives us a PROMISE in giving… that when we give sacrificially, God will provide for our needs!" Then he gives his reasons for saying that.If you want to read the pastor's commentary, here's the link: https://www.salembible.org/proverbs-index/proverbs-3-index/proverbs-3_9-10/.
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Regarding Proverbs 3:9-10, Matthew Henry said:"… Those that do good with what they have shall have more to do more good with …"
(Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/proverbs/3.html, "Consecration to God," "v. 9, 10")
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Regarding today's verses, Pastor Chuck Smith said:"Now there is a basic law, and I'm not talking about the Ten Commandments or the law given by Moses, just a basic law of God as we speak of laws. We speak of laws of nature, or the law of magnetism, the law of gravity, the law of electricity, the various laws of nature. They're just there. We've studied them. We've been able to formulize them and understand them that they work. We don't always know why they work, but we know they work. We know that they are just basic laws of nature that they work. There's a cause and effect.
"Now, in the same token there are basic spiritual laws that God has established that have a cause and effect kind of a thing just like any other law that is operating in our natural world around us. And there is a law of God concerning giving. And though we cannot understand exactly how it works, yet it does work. Now, I don't have to understand how electricity works to benefit from electricity. Even so, I don't have to understand how the laws of God work as far as giving to benefit from them.
"Now here the law of God is stated, 'Honor the Lord with your substance, and with the firstfruits of your increase.' I believe that the firstfruits belong to God. The first thing that comes out of my salary or my wages were it ever, is earmarked [designated] for the Lord. If I've sold a piece of property, the increase, the firstfruits of it I give to God of the increase. Honoring God with your substance. Now this law is stated throughout the Bible many places and is illustrated in many places.
"In Malachi, we read, 'Will a man rob God? You say, "Well, wherein have we robbed God?" And God said, "In your tithes and in your offerings. Now prove Me and see if I will not pour out unto you a blessing which you cannot contain"' ( Malachi 3:8 , Malachi 3:10 ). God challenges you to test this law. Jesus said, 'Give, and it shall be given unto you; measured out, pressed down, running over, shall men give unto your bosom [or 'to you']' ( Luke 6:38 ). Paul the apostle said that if we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly; but if we sow bountifully [liberally, abundantly], we're going to reap bountifully ( 2 Corinthians 9:6 ). 'In whatever measure you mete [dispense, give out], it's going to be measured to you again' ( Matthew 7:2 ), the law of God.
"I cannot tell you how it works. All I can do is affirm [confirm] for you that it does work. God honors that law of giving. And so here is Solomon exhorting [encouraging] his son, "Honor the Lord with your substance and with the firstfruit of all of your increase." What will the result be? 'Your barns will be filled with plenty. Your presses shall burst out with new wine.'"
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/proverbs/3-9.html, "Smith's Bible Commentary")
SEPTEMBER 2
Advice for Christians from the apostle Paul:
1 Timothy 6:6-7: "But godliness [having a love for God and a willingness to obey his word, as recorded in the Bible] with contentment [peace of mind, happiness, and satisfaction with what we have] is great gain [something valuable and to be desired]. For [or 'that's because'] [as Job said in Job 1:21,] we brought nothing [no possessions] into this world [with us, when we were born], and it is certain [that] we can carry nothing out [of this world, with us, when we die]."
SEPTEMBER 1
In a letter to Timothy, a minister of the gospel, the apostle Paul warned:
2 Timothy 3:13: "But [in the 'last days,' before Jesus Christ returns to earth,] evil men [and women and children] [referring to people who consistently do bad things] and seducers [those who lead others astray (off the right path) regarding religion and everyday life] shall wax [become] worse and worse, deceiving [misleading] [other people], and being deceived [fooled, or led away into error and sin] [themselves]."
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As an example of the "Progressiveness of sin," one Bible commentator wrote:"A gentleman was walking with a friend one day through his beautiful grounds, when they came to a fine large tree which was decayed to the very core [center]. 'That tree,' said the proprietor [owner], 'was destroyed by a single worm. A short time since [or 'before that,'] it was as vigorous [strong and healthy] as any of its companions, when one day a woodworm [the wood-eating larva of a beetle] was discovered forcing its way under the outer bark. A naturalist who was at that time my guest remarked on seeing it [the worm] that if left alone it would ultimately [finally] kill the tree. It seemed so improbable [unlikely], that the worm was suffered [allowed] to remain. Gradually it bored [dug] its way into the fibre [inside parts] of the tree, slowly but surely doing its work. The following summer the tree shed [dropped] its leaves much earlier than usual, and in the second season it [the tree] was a dead, worthless thing. The worm which seemed so very insignificant [unimportant and harmless] had found its way to the heart of the once noble tree and destroyed its life.' How forcibly do we see this same thing illustrated in the common walks of every-day life. A young man is persuaded by his companions [friends] to take his first glass of wine [or beer or other alcoholic beverage]. It seems like a little thing, but it is the beginning of a course of degradation [deterioration] and eternal shame. The clerk in the [British] bank appropriates [takes for his own use] a few shillings of the funds [a small amount of money, probably equal to less than one U.S. dollar] entrusted to his care. One step leads to another, until at last he is arrested and cast [thrown] into prison as a defaulter [or embezzler]. A boy begins to practise [practice] little deceits [deceptions] at school or at home which, unless discovered and checked [stopped], will make him a base and unprincipled man [i.e., someone who is corrupt, unethical, immoral]. Such is the destructive power of little sins when the continued indulgence in them is practised [or when those same sins are committed over and over again]."
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/2-timothy/3-13.html, "The Biblical Illustrator," "Verse 13")
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Commenting on 2 Timothy 3:13, Pastor Chuck Smith said:"In other words, it's not going to get better for awhile. It's going to get worse before it gets better. It will be getting better a little further down the road, but evil days are going to wax worse and worse, until the Lord [Jesus Christ] takes His church [consisting of born-again Christians] out [of this world in the rapture--see note below*] and then God judges the world for its unrighteousness and ungodliness. And then Jesus will come and establish God's righteous kingdom [on the earth], but by then, those [people] that will remain [here] will be saying, Oh, God help us. 'Blessed is he who will come in the name of the Lord' ( Psalms 118:26 ). I mean, people will have had it with the unrighteousness of the world.
"Look at the rapid deterioration of our society. You can you see what's happened even in the last twenty-five years. Look at the magazines that were once really under the counter kind of stuff and sold illegally. Now they're right out where little kids can go in and pick them up and leaf [turn the pages and look] through them. Look at our attitudes towards morality. Look at the lack, lackness. Look at, of course, all of these other things that have come along as the result of it. The deterioration, rapid deterioration so that a mother has to worry when she sends her little child to school because she doesn't know what some kinky character [a person exhibiting unusual sexual behavior] might do, exposing themselves [their genitals (sexual organs)] to that beautiful little child or even worse. God help us. If the Lord doesn't come [back] soon, we're going to destroy ourselves as we just sink in the filth. We're going to drown in our own corruption. 'Evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.' I think we've gone just about as far as we can …"
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/2-timothy/3-13.html, "Smith's Bible Commentary")
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*The rapture is described in the following article: "What is the rapture of the church?" If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/rapture-of-the-church.html.
