Matthew 17:24-27 (v. 24) “And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?”

Those whose job it was to collect the tax (having a beef with the Lord) took their complaint to Peter.

Was there something about the Lord’s person that made them afraid to confront him to his face?

Was Peter the kind of guy who seemed easy to talk to, or maybe the type not to resist in a direct confrontation?

The real issue here is not that Peter neglected to pay the tribute, but that his “master” did not do so.

The implication is right in front of us that the Lord thus far did not in fact pay the tribute. Continue reading Money in a Fish’s Mouth →

1st Timothy 6:1-10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

The Way It Is

Ecclesiastes 10:19 “A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.”

7:12 “For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but . . . wisdom giveth life to them that have it.” Continue reading Money and Business →

Hebrews 13:9 “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”

IN THE BEGINNING

Genesis 1:29-30 “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.” Continue reading Meats →

Luke 6:40 “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”

Matthew 26:3-4 “Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes . . . that they . . . might . . . kill him.”

John 8:47 “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”

A Little History:

Psalm 44:22 “. . . for thy sake . . . we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.”

79:2 “The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.”

Hebrews 11:35-38 “. . . others were tortured, not accepting deliverance. . . .” Continue reading Martyrdom →

John 7:16-18 “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God. . . .”

OBSERVATIONS ON MARRIAGE IN CHRIST

Genesis 5:1-2 “This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.”

Genesis 24:61-67 Rebekah / Isaac “. . . and she became his wife” Continue reading Marriage →

Psalm 73:22 “So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.”

Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.”

Psalm 33:13-15 “The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. . . . he considereth all their works.”

IN THE BEGINNING

Genesis 1:26-28 “And God said, Let us make man in our image. . . And God blessed them. . . .”

Psalm 100:3 “Know ye . . . it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves. . . .” Continue reading Man →

Genesis 2:15 — 3:19 “. . . in the beginning. . . .”

1st Corinthians 11:3,8,9,11,12 the chain of command

2nd Thessalonians 3:6-15 “. . . if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

1st Timothy 5:1-16 elders / providing for a person’s own house / widows / younger women should marry

1st Peter 3:1-7 husband and wives Continue reading Male & Female →

Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”

Jeremiah 3:14-15 “. . . And I will give you pastors . . . which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

Proverbs 19:14 “House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.”

John 16:12-14 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. . . .” Continue reading Make-Up (Body Paint) →

(“walking the middle of the road,” or “straddling the fence”)

Matthew 12:30 “He that is not with me is against me. . . .”

Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm . . . I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and . . . soul, and with all thy might.”

10:12 “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. . . .” Continue reading Lukewarm →

(This is what the world does.)

Psalm 10:3 “For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.”

34:21 “. . . and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.”

37:32 “The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.”

Luke 16:13-15 “. . . for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” Continue reading Loving What God Hates →

Genesis 27:1-4 (First time “love” used) Isaac’s “love” focuses on his belly.

25:27-32 (Like father, like son.)

John 6:26 “Ye seek me . . . because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” [This is an evil.]

Philippians 3:18-19 “. . . they are the enemies…of Christ…whose God is their belly. . . .”

Romans 16:17-18 “. . . they . . . serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly. . . .”

Genesis 29:20 (Second time “love” used) Jacob’s love is for a woman: Rachel not Leah. (eyesight) Continue reading Love →

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you. . . .”

1st John 3:22-24 [Believing on the Lord is connected with loving one another and keeping his commandments.]

5:2-3 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we . . . keep his commandments.”

[This truth might not be immediately obvious, but think of your reaction when one of the church members claims that when he committed adultery, it didn’t have anything to do with his lack of love for the brethren.] Continue reading Love of the Brethren →

[You could also call this study, “falling away” or “apostasy” because they are very closely related.]

Genesis 19:1-17 “. . . he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee. . . .”

v. 26 “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

[In case you didn’t know it, this is an important spiritual example given for our sakes.] Continue reading Looking Back →

Genesis 2:8-9 “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow . . . the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

[This is the first time the word “knowledge” is used.]

(See: Deuteronomy 1:39 “your little ones . . . which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil”

1) Prior to 3:6, Adam and Eve have no knowledge of “good and evil:” they are innocent (and naive). [They are children.]

2) They do not NEED “knowledge of evil” because they are protected from it by the Lord.

a) Lions, bears, alligators, sharks, tigers, etc. all eat herbs. (See 1:30)

b) Satan can not touch them without permission from the Lord (see Job) and Satan wouldn’t get permission. Continue reading Knowledge →