Jesus Gave the Greatest Commandment?

This day the wind is blowing forty-five miles an hour and there are snow showers popping up occasioning. It is beautiful but cold as a northern New England day can be. The shards of snow are blowing up to the second floor where I am past the window in response to the wind. Down south I saw where the Gulf Coast was going to hit 80 degrees today. We will not even hit 20 degrees here.

Our country is living on a ragged edge with God and needs to repent. We need a day set aside for that purpose. Not enough people read my writings to even suggests that this would get back to the President who has the power to do this desperate action. So be it. I was rumbling through some of the moving boxes from five years ago that were stored in the basement and found some writings that I will share with you.

The writings seem like a good friend of mine now if you can relate to that. I wrote then: True faith in God is always based on His Word (John 15.7; Roman 10.17) Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about individually, but corporeally, America has lost the fire down in the belly for Jesus Christ. His Word will, like a mirror, reveal His will for us individually as well.

One of God’s Nuggets: The purpose of prayer is not to get mankind’s will done in heaven but to get God’s will done on the earth.

A strong prayer life, which you can do anywhere anytime, is God’s way of enlisting you in what He is doing around where you live! A nugget of gold: Don’t be surprised that people are deaf to the Word of God if they deny Him as the Creator. The same ones will also be a stumbling block to your time in the Word and Prayer life.

An Important Principle:

You only learn of God’s redemption through His Word. We are without excuse not to recognize Him as the Creator. Our God is first a jealous God. I realize I am bouncing around like a basketball, but I want to teach some important principles in this short essay. Next, an academic term – expositional constancy – which means the Holy Ghost uses the same Idioms constantly throughout the sixty-six books that make up the cannon we have.

For example the Idioms are:

• The Olive trees
• The Fig Tree
• The Vine
• The Bramble
• The Soils
• The Birds
• The Mustard Seed – Matthew 13
• The Rock (That followed them – 1 Corinthians 10.4)
• The Stone (Cut without hands – Daniel 2.4)
• The Stone (The builders rejected – Matthew 21.42)
• The Chief Cornerstone – (Matthew 21.42; Psalms 118.22; Isaiah 28.16; Jeremiah 51.26; Mark 12.10.; Luke 20.17; Acts 4.11-12; Ephesians 2.19-20; 1 Peter 2.6-8)

The Olive Tree, Fig Tree, and the Vine all are symbolic of Israel as well as the Bramble. The Olive Tree represents valuable oil and their Genealogy. The Fig Tree represents sweet fruit and Israel’s Political future which seems cursed. Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary, states, A strife of interest masquerading as a contest of principles; The Vine represents sweet wine or the Spiritual side which is still countering the evil in the world and saving people who are in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Now the Bramble where there is no fruit but fuel for the fire and Satan’s Empire.

If you read Isaiah 5.1-7 you see how God predicted the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by Titus and his Roman troops ended any semblance of self-rule by the Jews which they had previously enjoyed. How sad a passage written by the prophet Isaiah when you read that passage carefully. It will test whether you are smug or not?

Also read Matthew 21.43, “The Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” Jesus Christ is the Rock that has been preached in this country for over 240 years and are we any better than the Jews who did not see God in the desert for forty years? And before you answer that to quickly stop and think it over.

I mentioned the Olive Trees and this is part of a very busy Tuesday believe it or not.

1) Matthew 11.27-33 The Source of our Lord’s Authority

2) Matthew 12.1-12 The Parable of the Vineyard and Husbandmen

3) Matthew 12.13-17 A Question about Taxation

4) Matthew 12.18-27 The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ

5) Matthew 12.28-34 The Greatest Commandment

6) Matthew 12.33-40 The Messiah’s Relationship to David

7) Matthew 12.41-44 Widow’s Gift of Two Mites

One very busy day, sad, but true for the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to read this slowly and think about it. It is a sin to disobey this.

The familiar words of the sh’ma (“hear”) Deuteronomy 6.4-5 “Hear O Israel” This great confession of faith is quoted by the pious morning and evening, and is inserted in the little muzuzahs that adorn most Jewish doorposts. It is also the capstone engraving in the logo of Koinonia Institute of which I am a member. But seriously, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

My final thoughts. I do not want to come across like I am better than anyone else. I am not. I am just an average guy who loves the Lord and loves to write. But having said that, I’m getting older and am getting wiser to the ways of the world giving me some understanding and righteousness which Paul talked about

A very wise lady who has passed at the ripe age of 90 years young, Lettie Cowan, once said, “Pray asks, Praise accepts the answer.” Chew on that one for a while with a cup of coffee. There is a lot of wisdom in that saying. God’s blessings and I hope you enjoyed reading the short article on praise and worship.

Also, never forget Psalms 23 which has been a comfort to many who have gone before and those that are alive today. The Lord is our constant guide, protector, and constant companion. For those that love the Lord and are loved by Him.

This could be the Christian worldly anthem. David asked God as the Creator of the whole world to forgive Him, as we all must do. It is not His fault we have sinned. It is up for us to ask Him to forgive each of us. And He does.

Lord lay us down near an inlet or pond and let us rest and restore. His paths are always straight and right. Ours are not. Forgive us Lord and prepare us a table in the presence of our enemies too Father.

For another time perhaps. Dr. Gary