CONFLAGRATION

“He burned the house of the LORD and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire” (Jer. 52:13 NKJV).

The judgment which came on Jerusalem by the Babylonians was very great. Everything was burned up. This happened because of Israel’s sin of turning away from God and turning to idols. The lesson here is clear - no matter if you are pious (outwardly), have position, privilege, or possessions, God’s judgment will fall on you if you reject Christ as your Savior.

Pious – “Burned the house of the Lord.” The Temple had become a place where idols were worshiped. The people were religious but they still experienced judgment. People can be religious but lost. Many folks are religious today, but religion will not save anyone. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can save from the fiery judgment of God.

Position – “Burned . . . the king’s house.” When a ruler dies, he is often given great praise and adoration by the officials at his funeral. But a person do not get to heaven because of high position. A person get to heaven by receiving Christ as Savior.

Privilege – “Burned . . . the houses of Jerusalem.” It was a great spiritual privilege to live in Jerusalem. Some folks think because they live in America they will go to heaven. But spiritual privilege does not save. What saves is receiving Jesus Christ as Savior.

Possessions – “Burned . . . all the houses of the great.” Whether it was the important houses of Jerusalem or the houses of the rich, the houses represented wealth. Yet all of these houses were burned in judgment. It does not matter what’s in your bank account when it comes to the salvation of your soul. What matters is what you have done with the Lord Jesus Christ. Riches do not save (1 Peter 1:18-19; Psalm 49:6-7).

(Adapted from Butler's Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Better to confess Christ 1000 times now and be despised by men, than be disowned by Christ before God on the Day of Judgment!”

J C Ryle (1816 – 1900)

English Evangelical Anglican Bishop

Word Study

Draw away

In Acts 20:30 we read, “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (NKJV).

Draw away is the Greek word apospaō (ἀποσπάω =ap-os-pah'-o). It is made up of two words: “apo” which means from, and “spaō” which means to drag forth. Thus the word means to draw out, withdraw, and draw away. In classical Greek apospaō means to draw out, tear away, or simply withdraw. In the Septuagintapospaō refers to withdrawing men from a task, withdrawing a person from contractual duties, and of removing oneself from a place or a situation (Josh. 8:6; Jer. 12:14). And in the New Testament, apospaō also has the idea of withdrawing a person. Further, with the exception of Matt. 26:51 where the word is used for withdrawing or unsheathing a sword, all the other New Testament references are used exclusively by Luke (Gospel of Luke and Acts). Moreover, Luke seems to imply that the withdrawing or parting involved pain or force.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah’s dominion would be everlasting (Dan. 7:13-14)

New Testament Fulfillment – Luke 1:31-33

Did You Know…

In the Bible it states that the Lord Jesus came to be a high priest (Heb. 2:17).

Bible Quiz

According to Proverbs 25, feeding a hungry enemy and giving a thirsty enemy a drink will be like doing what?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Who was permitted to walk through a field or vineyard and gather what the farmer left behind after harvest time? Strangers, the fatherless and widows (Deut. 24:19-22).

Names of the Lord Jesus Found in the Bible

“Word”

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth!” (John 1:1, 14).

1. Meaning – The Lord Jesus is God’s Word.

2. Insights – The Lord Jesus Christ is the speech uttered by God the Father, impelled by the breath of God’s Spirit. The Lord Jesus is not merely information, but the effective, powerful Word that calls creation out of nothing and life out of death.

3. Related Titles – Word of Life (1 John 1:1).

Did You Know – Christian History

Ebenezer Erskine was born June 22, 1680, in Berwickshire, Scotland. He was a Scottish pastor and theologian whose actions led to the establishment of the Secession Church (dissenters from the Church of Scotland).

Although his father was a preacher, things were different for Erskine who harbored serious doubts about religion. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh, Erskine was ordained as minister of Portmoak. Yet he could only do so mechanically and without passion, fixing his eyes on a stone on the wall in front of him.

After a conversation with his wife after her near death experience with her second child, God became alive to Erskine for the first time in his life. After that, Erskine’s preaching focused strongly on Christ. Tirelessly, he visited the sick, taught from home to home, ate with his people, found out what they suffered and instructed their youth in the catechism. So many people came to hear him preach that his services often had to be moved outside where there was sufficient space for everyone.

Later, Erskine was offered a position at Stirling. This brought him greater prominence. The Scottish Church and Assembly tried to stifle his words and reduce his influence. They examined him in a humiliating manner and tried to force him to sign a revision of the Scottish confession. Under the old system, no local congregation had to accept a minister against their will. Under the new, a minister could be imposed upon them. At least that is how Ebenezer interpreted the changes.

When Erskine preached against the new arrangement, he was ordered to be quiet. He would not. He and some others were suspended and finally ejected from their churches. Later, the church acknowledged it had broken its own rules by those procedures. Meanwhile, Ebenezer helped found the Secessionist Church (The Associate Presbytery).

The Associate Presbytery remained united until 1747, when a division took place over how the church should respond to a new oath required. Erskine continued to preach to a large and influential congregation in Stirling until his death. He was a very popular preacher and a man of considerable force of character. He was noted for acting on principle with honesty and courage. In 1820 there was reunion of the Secession Church, followed by a union with the relief synod as the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1847.

Erskine’s last sermon was on the verse, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). He died in Stirling on 2 June 1754. The majority of Erskine’s published works are sermons. His Life and Diary was published in 1840, and his Works were published in 1785.

A Little Humor

The Bible says the mouth is a very powerful thing. God created the universe in six days; Adam and Eve ruined it in two bites.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“There is a way to stay out of hell, but no way to get out of hell”