Tag: Israel

A prophet is without honor, in his own country, and among his own kin, and even in his own house!

Mark 6:4 4: But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

Many years ago I went to Visit a friend who lived in a far away county, he been there for about 20 years. He married a woman from there and had 4 children and had one on the way, wow I said for an old guy you are doing well. He invited me to stay and eat so I said no problem as I wanted to visit more anyway. So when it came time to eat we were called in to sit at the table but I felt a little uncountable. He looked at me and said is there a problem; I look at him and said is your wife and children coming to eat with us. He said no they will eat after we are finished, I did not say anymore just continue to eat with him. When we were finished the children came and took up the plates and cleaned up the table. They then followed him into the living room and made sure he was sitting in his recliner and brought him a large glass of limeade; they then took off his shoes and made sure he did not need anything else. They stood there until he told them he was ok, and then they left to go to the kitchen to eat. I was dumbfounded and just had to ask him what is the meaning of all this. He said it is all about respect, they respect the bread winner in the home this is something that the US has lost. The children in the US do not respect anyone let alone there parent. He then said to me they were raised with respect know that I provide for them everyday and so they do all these little things for me out of love and respect for providing for them. Boy he was right about one thing children in the US don’t treat there Father like that.

I find it very difficult to say anything to people I grew up with about God, and much worse sometimes my own family. Why is this, you see them headed for destruction but they don’t want to hear what you have to say in fact they will hear and listen to anyone else but me. If you had a son and he was going to touch a hot stove the first thing you would do is to step in and warn him not to touch the stove right, it’s the same thing. Now don’t get me wrong I too need guidance and I too make mistakes, but I generally try and see if in fact I need to do something about it, if I need to change. For me I go to the Bible and study asking God to please show me what I need to do.

I found that even when Jesus was here on Earth He too had the same problem when around people of His own household and Town where He grew-up.

One day Jesus was visiting His home town in Nazareth where He grow-up as a carpenter. He must of spent almost 25 years or more of His life in that town working at His father trade. But when He became 30 He left the carpenter shop and began His ministry on earth; going all over Judea telling the people about His Father God and healing them. He opened the eyes of the blind, gave hearing to the deaf and made the crippled walk again. But when He came home to the town He grow up in He found very few if any who believed Him.

A prophet is not without honor when in his own family or with in his own country. One reason for this is that it is almost natural for persons to hold a lesser account than they ought for those with whom they have been brought up with and have lived on familiar terms.

Prophets are commonly least regarded, and even envied, in their own country. However unworthy may be the feeling, the inhabitants of a town, City, or a community, do not like to see one of themselves put above them, more especially a young man over a senior, or a poor and humble man over a rich and well educated man.

But it should be remembered that God abhors the envious, and will withhold the wonders of his grace from those who grudge his gifts to others.

The men of Nazareth, when they saw Christ eating, and drinking, and sleeping, and working at his trade, like others, despised him when he claimed respect and reverence as a Prophet, and especially because his relations according to the flesh were of humble condition; and Joseph more particularly, whom they supposed to be his real father, for they could not imagine or believe that he was born of a virgin, and had God alone for his Father.

Even in our world today you will almost always find someone jealousy because someone who they held as a person who will never succeed move ahead of them to become a man of great significances.

*** Look at the story of boy named Joseph Genesis 37:
3: Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
4: And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
5: And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6: And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8: And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
9: And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10: And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11: And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

As the scripture said his brothers heated him for a number of reasons.

First because there Father loved him more then all the rest and Second because he had dreams of them bowing down and becoming greater than all of them. Can you see somewhat of a problem here, no one wants to be last we all want to be first. Like it or not we all tend to because jealous of someone who is just a normal everyday person moving up from a back street gutter boy to an CEO of a company like GE. We all tend to say where did that little dumb snot noise kid get all that knowledge & wisdom from.

It was no less the same with Joseph, but what we don’t see is the man inside; we view only the out side of people never seeing what they are really made of. God looks on the inside of all man even before we are born God knows us. Jeremiah:1:5: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

So be careful the next time you say something to that little running nose kid with the wet stinky diaper; he may just be Gods next prophet.

Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden.”
Luke 6:22, 23: “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.”

Jesus knew what His follower would have to go through; being rejected by there family & friends and sometimes being rejected by the entire community. None the less they were called by God to fulfill His mission giving to them.

John 15:16-19: “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Jesus tells us not to worry or be dismayed by the world but to follow Him. The prophet are no different then all of us, except they have Faith that if God said it they believe it.

1 Peter 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

God’s People: This is an insert taking out of a book called Desire of Ages on the life of Jesus

As we read the word of God, how plain it appears that His people are to be peculiar and distinct from the unbelieving world around them.
Our position is interesting and fearful; living in the last days, how important that we imitate the example of Christ, and walk even as He walked. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” The opinions and wisdom of men must not guide or govern us because they always lead away from the cross.

The servants of Christ have neither their home nor their treasure here. I wish that all of them could understand that it is only because the Lord reigns that we are even permitted to dwell in peace and safety among our enemies. It is not our privilege to claim special favors of the world. We must consent to be poor and despised among men, until the warfare is finished and the victory won. The members of Christ are called to come out and be separate from the friendship and spirit of the world; their strength and power consists in being chosen and accepted of God.

The Son of God is the heir of all things, and the dominion and glory of the kingdoms of this world were promised to Him. Yet when He appeared in this world, it was without riches or splendor. The world understood not His union with the Father; the excellency and glory of His divine character were hid from them. He was therefore “despised and rejected of men,” and “we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” Even as Christ was in the world, so are His followers.

They are the sons of God, and joint heirs with Christ; and the kingdom and dominion belong to them. The world understands not their character and holy calling; they perceive not their adoption into the family of God. Their union and fellowship with the Father and Son is not manifest, and while the world beholds their humiliation and reproach, it does not appear what they are, or what they shall be. They are strangers. The world knows them not, and appreciates not the motives which actuate them.

The world is ripening for its destruction. God can bear with sinners but a little longer. They must drink the dregs of the cup of His wrath unmixed with mercy. Those who will be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ to the immortal inheritance, will be peculiar.
Yes, so peculiar that God will place a mark upon them as His, wholly His. Think ye that God will receive, honor, and acknowledge a people so mixed up with the world that they differ from them only in name?

It is soon to be known who is on the Lord’s side, who will not be ashamed of Jesus. Those who have not moral courage to conscientiously take their position in the face of unbelievers, leave the fashions of the world, and imitate the self-denying life of Christ, are ashamed of Him, and do not love His example.

During His childhood and youth, Jesus had worshiped among His brethren in the synagogue at Nazareth. Since the opening of His ministry He had been absent from them, but they had not been ignorant of what had befallen Him. As He again appeared among them, their interest and expectation were excited to the highest pitch. Here were the familiar forms and faces of those whom He had known from infancy. Here were His mother, His brothers and sisters, and all eyes were turned upon Him as He entered the synagogue upon the Sabbath day, and took His place among the worshipers.

In the regular service for the day, the elder read from the prophets, and exhorted the people still to hope for the Coming One, who would bring in a glorious reign, and banish all oppression. He sought to encourage his hearers by rehearsing the evidence that the Messiah’s coming was near. He described the glory of His advent, keeping prominent the thought that He would appear at the head of armies to deliver Israel.

When a rabbi was present at the synagogue, he was expected to deliver the sermon, and any Israelite might give the reading from the prophets. Upon this Sabbath Jesus was requested to take part in the service. He “stood up to read. And there was delivered unto Him a roll of the prophet Isaiah.” Luke 4:16, 17,. The scripture which He read was one that was understood as referring to the Messiah:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

And He closed the roll, and gave it back to the attendant: . . . and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him. . . . And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of His mouth.” Luke 4:20-22,

Jesus stood before the people as a living expositor of the prophecies concerning Himself. Explaining the words He had read, He spoke of the Messiah as a reliever of the oppressed, a liberator of captives, a healer of the afflicted, restoring sight to the blind, and revealing to the world the light of truth. His impressive manner and the wonderful import of His words thrilled the hearers with a power they had never felt before. The tide of divine influence broke every barrier down; like Moses, they beheld the Invisible. As their hearts were moved upon by the Holy Spirit, they responded with fervent amen’s and praises to the Lord.

But when Jesus announced, “Today is this scripture fulfilled in your ears,” Luke: 4:21  they were suddenly recalled to think of themselves, and of the claims of Him who had been addressing them. They, Israelites, children of Abraham, had been represented as in bondage. They had been addressed as prisoners to be delivered from the power of evil; as in darkness, and needing the light of truth. Their pride was offended, and their fears were roused. The words of Jesus indicated that His work for them was to be altogether different from what they desired. Their deeds might be investigated too closely.

Notwithstanding their exactness in outward ceremonies, they shrank from inspection by those clear, searching eyes Who is this Jesus? they questioned. He who had claimed for Himself the glory of the Messiah was the son of a carpenter, and had worked at His trade with His father Joseph. They had seen Him toiling up and down the hills; they were acquainted with His brothers and sisters, and knew His life and labors. They had seen Him develop from childhood to youth and from youth to manhood. Although His life had been spotless, they would not believe that He was the Promised One.

What a contrast between His teaching in regard to the new kingdom and that which they had heard from their elder! Jesus had said nothing of delivering them from the Romans. They had heard of His miracles, and had hoped that His power would be exercised for their advantage, but they had seen no indication of such purpose.
As they opened the door to doubt, their hearts became so much the harder for having been momentarily softened. Satan was determined that blind eyes should not that day be opened, nor souls bound in slavery be set at liberty. With intense energy he worked to fasten them in unbelief. They made no account of the sign already given, when they had been stirred by the conviction that it was their Redeemer who addressed them.

But Jesus now gave them an evidence of His divinity by revealing their secret thoughts. Luke 4:23-27, And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

By this relation of events in the lives of the prophets, Jesus met the questionings of His hearers. The servants whom God had chosen for a special work were not allowed to labor for a hardhearted and unbelieving people. But those who had hearts to feel and faith to believe were especially favored with evidences of His power through the prophets. In the days of Elijah, Israel had departed from God. They clung to their sins, and rejected the warnings of the Spirit through the Lord’s messengers. Thus they cut themselves off from the channel by which God’s blessing could come to them. The Lord passed by the homes of Israel, and found a refuge for His servant in a heathen land, with a woman who did not belong to the chosen people. But this woman was favored because she had followed the light she had received, and her heart was open to the greater light that God sent her through His prophet.

Our standing before God depends, not upon the amount of light we have received, but upon the use we make of what we have. Thus even the heathen who choose the right as far as they can distinguish it are in a more favorable condition than are those who have had great light, and profess to serve God, but who disregard the light, and by their daily life contradict their profession

The words of Jesus to His hearers in the synagogue struck at the root of their self-righteousness, pressing home upon them the bitter truth that they had departed from God and forfeited their claim to be His people. Every word cut like a knife as their real condition was set before them. They now scorned the faith with which Jesus had at first inspired them. They would not admit that He who had sprung from poverty and lowliness was other than a common man
Their unbelief bred malice. Satan controlled them, and in wrath they cried out against the Savior. They had turned from Him whose mission it was to heal and restore; now they manifested the attributes of the destroyer

When Jesus referred to the blessings given to the Gentiles, the fierce national pride of His hearers was aroused, and His words were drowned in a tumult of voices. These people had prided themselves on keeping the law; but now that their prejudices were offended, they were ready to commit murder. The assembly broke up, and laying hands upon Jesus, they thrust Him from the synagogue, and out of the city. All seemed eager for His destruction. They hurried Him to the brow of a precipice, intending to cast Him down headlong. Shouts and maledictions filled the air. Some were casting stones at Him, when suddenly He disappeared from among them. The heavenly messengers who had been by His side in the synagogue were with Him in the midst of that maddened throng. They shut Him in from His enemies, and conducted Him to a place of safety.

So angels protected Lot, and led him out safely from the midst of Sodom. So they protected Elisha in the little mountain city. When the encircling hills were filled with the horses and chariots of the king of Syria, and the great host of his armed men, Elisha beheld the nearer hill slopes covered with the armies of God,–horses and chariots of fire round about the servant of the Lord.

So, in all ages, angels have been near to Christ’s faithful followers. The vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against all who would overcome; but Christ would have us look to the things which are not seen, to the armies of heaven encamped about all who love God, to deliver them. From what dangers, seen and unseen, we have been preserved through the interposition of the angels, we shall never know, until in the light of eternity we see the providences of God. Then we shall know that the whole family of heaven was interested in the family here below, and that messengers from the throne of God attended our steps from day to day.

Oh, how Christ longed to open to Israel the precious treasures of the truth! But such was their spiritual blindness that it was impossible to reveal to them the truths relating to His kingdom. They clung to their creed and their useless ceremonies when the truth of Heaven awaited their acceptance.

They spent their money for chaff and husks, when the bread of life was within their reach. Why did they not go to the word of God, and search diligently to know whether they were in error? The Old Testament Scriptures stated plainly every detail of Christ’s ministry, and again and again He quoted from the prophets, and declared, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” If they had honestly searched the Scriptures, bringing their theories to the test of God’s word, Jesus need not have wept over their impenitence.

He need not have declared, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” Luke 13:35. They might have been acquainted with the evidence of His Messiahship, and the calamity that laid their proud city in ruins might have been averted. But the minds of the Jews had become narrowed by their unreasoning bigotry. The lessons of Christ revealed their deficiencies of character, and demanded repentance. If they accepted His teachings, their practices must be changed, and their cherished hopes relinquished. In order to be honored by Heaven, they must sacrifice the honor of men. If they obeyed the words of this new rabbi, they must go contrary to the opinions of the great thinkers and teachers of the time.

Truth was unpopular in Christ’s day. It is unpopular in our day. It has been unpopular ever since Satan first gave man a disrelish for it by presenting fables that lead to self-exaltation. Do we not today meet theories and doctrines that have no foundation in the word of God? Men cling as tenaciously to them as did the Jews to their traditions.

The Jewish leaders were filled with spiritual pride. Their desire for the glorification of self manifested itself even in the service of the sanctuary. They loved the highest seats in the synagogue. They loved greetings in the market places, and were gratified with the sound of their titles on the lips of men. As real piety declined, they became more jealous for their traditions and ceremonies.

Because their understanding was darkened by selfish prejudice, they could not harmonize the power of Christ’s convicting words with the humility of His life. They did not appreciate the fact that real greatness can dispense with outward show. This Man’s poverty seemed wholly inconsistent with His claim to be the Messiah. They questioned, If He was what He claimed to be, why was He so unpretending? If He was satisfied to be without the force of arms, what would become of their sins, and the reproach they felt even from the presence of His purity.

Be careful of what you think because sometime God might send to you some of your own family to direct you to the real truth about Him and His love for you. Always test it by the Bible Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

We need to study Gods word daily and let His word through the Holy Spirit bring us into the truth light. Taking the Old and New Testament together, they must agree with what we believe, if they don’t agree with what you believe then you are not following Gods true.

The Bible is never wrong look at 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Preach the word but make sure it is the true word of God; you will find many people who will reject what you say mostly among your own family. But never argue over what the Bible says. Just bring with you the truth of Gods word if they will not hear you then you have done your part.

God Bless you all my friend in Christ
Elder Tim McNab

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