“Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

 “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” – Matthew 4:7

If you truly believe that God is with you, then you don’t need to take a leap of faith to prove that God is with you. You already know that you are standing on a firm foundation.

Dr. J. Clontz

Biblical text from “The Comprehensive New Testament.”

Man shall not live by bread alone

 

"It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" - Matthew 4:4

 

If you only have bread then you are alone.

If you have the Word then you are with God.

 

Dr. J. Clontz

 

Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

 

Biblical text from “The Comprehensive New Testament.”

"Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."

"Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." - Matthew 3:15

 

Jesus made this statement just before his baptism. If you think about it, these words are appropriate at every baptism. Part of the reason that we get baptized is to fulfill all righteousness.

 

Hoping that you continue to fulfill righteousness all your life,

 

Dr. J. Clontz

 

1Peter 3:19 in which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly did not obey, when the patience of God waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

 

Biblical text from “The Comprehensive New Testament.”

 

The street of the city was pure gold, like a transparent crystal.

Jesus said that in his Father’s house there are many rooms and he is preparing it for us. So, what does the place that Jesus is preparing for us look like? The description is in Revelation 21:10-21 and it’s literally out of this world!

Hope to see you there,

Dr. J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Revelation 21:10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels. And names were written on the gates, which are [the names] of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 On the east there were three gates. And on the north three gates. And on the south three gates. And on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names, of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The one who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, and its gates and its walls. 16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is [even] as great as its width. And he measured the city with the rod, twelve thousand stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits by a man’s measure, which is also an angel’s. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as clear as a crystal. 19 The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like a transparent crystal.

Mary Magdalene Never Lost Faith.

Mary Magdalene never lost faith. She still referred to Jesus as her Lord even though she thought he was dead. That's why Jesus picked her to be the first person to deliver the news that he had risen from the grave. Jesus sent his only believer to tell those who had lost faith that he was alive! Jesus had cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene. She knew what he had done for her and even death did not change her faith in him because she knew he had saved her. At this point the apostles and the disciples weren't saved. But Mary had been saved from Satan's hold and she was one step in front of everyone else. Mary Magdalene is foreshadowed by Eve. When Eve met Adam in the garden Adam had a hole in his rib cage. When Mary Magdalene met the risen Christ at the garden tomb he had a hole in his ribcage. When Eve met Adam he was the gardener in Eden but what she didn't know at first was that he was the lord of the whole earth. When Mary Magdalene met the risen Christ she thought he was the gardener but what she didn't know was that he was actually the Lord.

Based on the book, Finding Jesus in the Old Testament - Proving that God Exists.

Did you know that when Jesus died he Fulfilled a Prophecy by John the Baptist?

 John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

 

The preparation of the Passover Lamb foreshadows the death of Jesus:

 

The Lamb of God would be a male without blemish (sin).^PL1 He would be killed by the whole assembly of the congregation at Passover.^PL2 The congregation would eat his flesh with unleavened bread at Passover.^PL3 His blood would be smeared on wooden posts at Passover.^PL4 None of his bones would be broken when he was sacrificed.^PL5 His sacrifice would take place in Jerusalem in the evening as the sun set.^PL6 His blood would be a token to protect people from destruction.^PL7 The day of his death would be a day of remembrance forever.^PL8

 

Discussion:

 

In 1Corinthians 5:7, Paul establishes that Jesus is the Passover Lamb.

 

PL1. Exodus 12:5 / Hebrews 9:14

PL2. Exodus 12:6 / Matthew 27:25

PL3. Exodus 12:8 / Matthew 26:26

PL4. Exodus 12:7 / Matthew 27:26

PL5. Exodus 12:46 / Matthew 27:57-58, Mark 15:42-45, Luke 23:53-54, John 19:31

The “official” time of death was established by Pontius Pilate as “evening before sunset” based on the time of his discussion with the centurion.

PL6. Deuteronomy 16:6 / John 19:31-34

PL7. Exodus 12:13 / Matthew 26:27-28

PL8. Exodus 12:14 / Luke 22:19-20

 

From the book “Typology – The New Testament According to the Old Testament Prophets

 

Did you know that over one thousand years before Jesus was Crucified – Moses wrote that the true vine would be hanged on a wooden pole between two robbers?

Did you know that over one thousand years before Jesus was Crucified – Moses wrote that the true vine would be hanged on a wooden pole between two robbers?

The prophetic foreshadowing by Moses states:

Jesus would be hanged on a wooden pole between two robbers.TV5

Jesus would be cut and then bodily carried away by two men.TV6

Afterwards, Jesus would travel throughout Israel in the company of twelve men for forty days. He would miraculously be alive after being cut down.

The twelve would show the congregation the wondrous “fruit” forty days after Jesus was cut down.TV7 After forty days, the twelve chosen men would bring the Word of God to all the congregation and show them the wondrous “fruits” from the promised land.TV8 After the Word of God was brought to the congregation, the congregation would begin to stone them.TV9 When the congregation stoned them the glory of the Lord would appear.TV10

All of those who participated in the stoning would die within forty years and the land of Canaan would be conquered by an invading army.TV11

TV5. Numbers 13:23 / John 15:1, Matthew 27:38

TV6. Numbers 13:23 / John 15:1, 19:34, 19:38-40

TV7. Numbers 13:23 / John 15:1, Acts 1:3 Note: the grape vine was still alive otherwise it would not have had fruit on it after forty days.

TV8. Numbers 13:26 /Acts 2:43 Note: the fruits of the Holy Spirit are ostensibly from heaven which is the promised land.

TV9. Numbers 14:10 /Acts 7:57-8:1

TV10. Numbers 14:10 /Acts 7:57-8:1

TV11. Numbers 14:32-35 / Josephus[The Wars of the Jews Books III-VII]

Discussion:

In John 15:1, Jesus indicates that the true vine is symbolic of Himself. There is a strong parallel in phrasing between Philo’s observations concerning the grapevine in Numbers 13:23 and Jesus’ statement about himself in Matthew 11:30. It is the only time that either Jesus or Philo refer to a burden being easy.

Matthew 11:30 “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Philo[On Dreams, that they are God-sent Book 2, XXV (2.171)] “A burden very easy to be borne.”

According to Jewish legend, the branch of grapes described in Numbers chapter 13 was planted in the Egyptian Sinai and provided wine for the Israelites for forty years. It was then uprooted and returned with the nation of Israel to the land of Canaan where it was replanted which is alluded to in Psalm 80. Thus, the grapevine left Israel, went to Egypt, and then returned to Israel which parallels Jesus’ journey as an infant.

In the allegory, the twelve spies foreshadow the twelve apostles, the wooden pole represents the wooden cross, the wondrous fruits represent the miraculous fruits of the Holy Spirit.

From the book, “Typology – The New Testament According to the Old Testament Prophets”

Did you know that the Crucifixion of Jesus Proves that God Exists?

While Jesus was dying on the cross - He called out the first line of Psalm 22 which was written five hundred years earlier. Jesus quoted Psalm 22 to signify that the prophecy in the Psalm was being fulfilled. In recorded history, the only parallel for the prophecy in Psalm 22 is the crucifixion of Jesus. Only God could know the specifics of the death of a single person that would change the world five hundred years before it happened. Jesus fulfilled Psalm 22 by dying on the cross so that you would know that God exists!

 

[Text below was excerpted from the book, “Finding Jesus in the Old Testament – Proving that God Exists”]

 

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

 

Psalm 22:8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

Matthew 27:43 “He trusts in God? Let him deliver now, if he desires him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God!’“

 

Psalm 22:16 They pierced my hands and my feet.

Matthew 27:35 They had crucified him.

 

Psalm 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

Matthew 27:35 … they divided his garments among them by casting lots.

 

Psalm 22:27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before you.

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

 

How did the Apostles Find the Messiah?

 The answer is easy - they looked for him!

 

John 1:36 But Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?”

 

John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

 

One of the underlying Gospel themes is those who were looking for the Messiah found Jesus and those who didn’t recognize Jesus weren’t looking for the Messiah. The same is true today. Those who are looking for the Messiah will find Jesus and those who don’t recognize Jesus aren’t looking for the Messiah.

 

You won’t find the Messiah if you aren’t seeking him. Hopefully you are one of the people that Jesus will invite with - “Come and you will see.” John 1:39

 

Dr. J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

When the Devil Comes will you be Ready?

 

After Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit had descended upon Him, he was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After a person is baptized, the devil will tempt them. They will be tempted through hunger, wealth, and vainglory.

 

Hunger is part of being human. The devil is a fallen angel and doesn’t need to eat. He will use your need for food against you. Not only do you need to eat but so does your family. What will you do if there is a famine and you and your family suffer from extreme hunger? According to the book of Exodus, after seven years of famine everyone in Egypt had sold themselves and their families into slavery to Pharaoh in order to get food to eat.

 

Not many people know that Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) started as a newspaper reporter. He was an excellent journalist for a newspaper in Nevada. He was asked to expose police discrimination against people of Chinese origin in California. Mark Twain exposed people who had the backing of people with wealth and power. Mark Twain was fired from his job in Nevada and blacklisted throughout the western states for exposing evil. Mark Twain had a little over a dollar in his pockets when he became stranded in California. He put a dime in one of his shoes to buy a last meal once the rest of his money had run out. Mark Twain begged for money to buy food for six weeks. He managed to get on board a ship headed for Hawaii and eventually made a fortune telling people throughout America about Hawaii. Mark Twain never used his last dime. He had planned to kill himself if he had to use his last dime to buy food.

 

Many people have heard of the movie, Schindler’s List. The movie is the real-life story of a businessman who was tempted to make a fortune off the misery of those forced into slavery during the holocaust. He eventually used his fortune to save the lives of the victims of the holocaust. However, there were thousands of other businessmen who decided to profit from the holocaust. Would you be willing to use all of your resources to save people from an holocaust or would you merely go along with the crowd and profit from injustice against others?

 

The devil also tempts people with vainglory. I knew a man who was very wealthy. He told me that he was a “self-made” man. According to the Bible, we are knitted together in the womb by God – so we aren’t “self-made.” I asked the “self-made” man if he knew how to make his house that we were standing in. He admitted that he didn’t. I asked if he knew how to make the cars that he owned. He admitted that he didn’t. I pointed out to him that he was merely the recipient of thousands of years of work by the entire human race to develop the technology that was used to make his house, his cars, and all of his other possessions. People who believe they are “self-made” neither acknowledge the work of God or the contributions of their fellow humans that have benefitted their lives. They essentially believe they are on a par with God. This type of belief often leads to actions of immorality since people who hold this type of belief have equated themselves with God and are a law unto themselves.

 

When the devil comes remember that even if you are hungry God can sustain you, worship God and not money, God made you and all your fellow men so don’t fall under the delusion that you are “self-made.”

 

Dr. J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament