Believers are ordinary. We serve an extraordinary God.
He might use us in extraordinary ways, but we’re all flawed, sinful, ordinary people. He used ordinary grandmother Lois to raise up young Timothy. He took impulsive sons of thunder James and John and made them evangelizing Apostles. He used fishermen, (Peter, Andrew) sellers of purple (Lydia), teenagers (Timothy, Jeremiah, Mary, David), murderers (Paul). He used ordinary people going about whatever they were doing at the time and transformed them into vessels of activity for His glory.
“God reigns through the stumbling, hobbling service of his people and the rage and malice of his foes to establish his eternal purpose for this world.”
~Derek Thomas, “What is Providence?”
Yet there are some who believe that we must be extraordinary in order to make an impact for the kingdom. The movement of a few years ago when the books Radical, Crazy Love, Wild at Heart came out made many people think that they were ineffective unless they made a big and splashy move for the faith. This is not true. Mary and Martha were simply hospitable. Dorcas sewed. Susannah donated. Acts 4:13 says Peter and John were uneducated and untrained.
Ordinary life: painting. EPrata photo
If you, dear reader or listener, feel marginalized, helpless to DO for God, ho-hum ordinary, then rejoice. Our persevering faith in ordinary lives is just as valuable to God as a martyr uttering eternally known last words. Just as important as the luminary you read about in the Bible. Just as impactful as the hero on the mission field.
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42).
Ordinary life: sweeping
What the Spirit inspired Luke to write was not just the extraordinary means of glory we see occasionally in Acts, such as miracles or healings, but the ordinary means of bringing God glory by a consistently faithful church, as seen in the verse above. They devoted themselves to teaching and gathering and prayer. The extraordinary events died away as the miracles ceased, but the faithful never stopped gathering, learning, and praying.
Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, (Acts 2:46).
Ordinary life: selling. EPrata photo
Note that. ‘Day by day’. The ordinary Christian life is one of persevering in spiritual disciplines day by day, accruing spiritual interest in the bank of heaven. I’m sure your parents taught you that putting 5 dollars a week into savings eventually yields dividends. They did not teach you that putting gluts of huge amounts into your bank account in spurts yields dividends. The way to save is to be consistent over time. It’s the same with the spiritual life. Add to your spiritual treasury day by day.
I’m looking forward to meeting these heroes in heaven but I’m just as eager, if not more, to meet the unknowns who brought God glory with their words or their lives.
Here are a few resources to help quell any anxiety anyone might have that their life doesn’t count, just because they are not running barefoot to Bali getting martyred with arrows from cannibals or leading big conferences in arenas filled with thousands of adoring fans.
Here is Michael Horton, who wrote a book called Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World. His book blurb reads as follows:
Radical. Crazy. Transformative and restless. Every word we read these days seems to suggest there’s a “next-best-thing,” if only we would change our comfortable, compromising lives. In fact, the greatest fear most Christians have is boredom—the sense that they are missing out on the radical life Jesus promised. One thing is certain. No one wants to be “ordinary.”Far from a call to low expectations and passivity, Horton invites readers to recover their sense of joy in the ordinary.
Ordinary life: cooking. EPrata photo
If you don’t want to read the entire book, here is Michael Horton with an article on the subject of Ordinary at Ligonier: The Ordinary Christian Life
John MacArthur with a sermon called “The Ordinary Church“. Excerpt: “It was Finney who decided that religion, to be valid, had to have some kind of high impact, high energy emotional element. It was about methods, feelings, experiences, sentimentalism, and it all trumped sound doctrine and theology. Gradual growth, by the normal ordinary means of grace, prayer, the study of the Word, fellowship was exchanged for a radical experience, the anxious bench, and there was introduced into the evangelical world a restlessness of those looking for something extreme.“
Other material that pushes back against the big, splashy, ‘change the world’ mantra are:
Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson. D. A. Carson’s father was a pioneering church-planter and pastor in Quebec. But still, an ordinary pastor…
Essay An Unremarkable Faith – “Meet Larry, a thirty-six year old Science teacher. Larry married Cathy 12 years ago. They love each other and enjoy raising their two sons. Larry’s life wouldn’t hold out much interest to the average citizen. His Facebook account doesn’t draw many friends and nobody ever leaves a comment on his blog. In fact, most people would summarize Larry’s life with one word—boring. But not Larry.“
Ordinary Christian Work, essay by Tim Challies. “The questions every Christian faces at one time or another are these: Are Christian plumbers, cooks, doctors, and businessmen lesser Christians because they are not in “full-time” ministry? And what of Christian mothers and homemakers? Can they honor God even through very ordinary lives? Can we honor God through ordinary lives without tacitly promoting a dangerous kind of spiritual complacency?“
Dear Christian sister, if you’re at home with the kids and don’t have as much time to engage in the world with other adults or to get out and about apart from errands, what you are doing is ordinary but extraordinary. It’s ordinary to repeatedly do laundry, dishes, dust, vacuum…mundane, even. But the raising of another human being, flesh-wrapped soul, a gift from God, is extraordinary. The dividends of all those loads of laundry, all those piles of dishes, all those prepared meals is the potential that you are laying the groundwork for another soul to be added to heaven. Extraordinary!
Music is powerful. In my younger and pre-salvation days, I used to use music on purpose to specifically lift my spirits, and I avoided melancholy music when I was feeling down, it affected my mood so much.
It’s not your imagination, music really does affect our mood:
Do you find yourself tapping your foot while shopping? Or having all the feels while watching movies? No matter your race, ethnicity, age or gender, music is a common phenomenon that impacts everyone. Music can be a powerful tool with its ability to evoke strong emotional responses. For example, music may lead to the release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter. Music is present in everyday life for most people. Here, we answer questions about how music can affect your brain and body. Does Music Alter Moods and Relieve Stress? The short answer is, yes! Says Tallahassee Memorial Health Care
It’s not just the melodies that affect us, but what we are hearing for lyrics. What are we absorbing? If we think we can sing a secular song about certain sins, like adultery (Careless Whisper by Wham!, Tempted by Squeeze, Mrs. Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel…) without it affecting us, then we are fooling ourselves.
The same goes for Christian music. We must be careful what we absorb. Even sweet or innocuous songs can be off just enough to warp our thinking. Let me give you four examples from popular praise songs that I enjoyed a lot in my early post-salvation days.
EPrata photo
The Far Side Banks of Jordan
I like Johnny Cash. His song “The Far Side Banks of Jordan” is about a spouse who worries he’ll die first. He muses on what that would be like to go to ‘the other side’. Here is the first stanza-
I believe my steps are growin’ wearier each day Still I’ve got another journey on my mind Lures of this old world have ceased to make me wanna stay And my one regret is leavin’ you behind
Yup I can relate to the weary part! I know many married couples have concerns about leaving their spouse if they die first, and make efforts to properly provide for them. So far so good.
Here are next few lines –
When it comes your time to travel likewise, don’t feel lost For I will be the first one that you’ll see And I’ll be waiting on the far side banks of Jordan I’ll be sitting drawing pictures in the sand And when I see you coming, I will rise up with the shout And come running through the shallow waters, reaching for your hand
I used to think how sweet it was that one spouse would be faithful to the other and wait for him or her. I pictured the scene in my head as I sang along. But nope…this is wrong. The first one we will see is Jesus. Also, there is no marriage in heaven, our relationship will change. And thirdly, we will be busy worshiping Jesus, not sitting idly around, doodling! The scene as sweet as it seems, is a true Mrs Lot situation. Sitting on the edge of heaven looking back, as opposed to being squarely in the center of heaven looking at Jesus, is wrong. We won’t long for sinful world rather than perfect righteousness in glory.
EPrata photo
In the Garden
I know I know, a lot of people have already mentioned this one as problematic. Really problematic. Its sweetness should not cover the fact that there are some lyrics that just do not jibe with the Bible.
And He walks with me And He talks with me And He tells me I am His own And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known He speaks and the sound of His voice Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
First of all, the joy that Jesus shared Intra-Trinity with God and the Spirit since before the world began till now, is the greatest joy anyone has ever known. And secondly, the joy that ALL departed saints are experiencing right now, is the greatest joy they’ve ever known, because they are with Jesus in person in glory. Certainly it is ridiculous to say none other has ever known the joy of knowing Him.
As for the next part, to say it again, God is NOT TALKING to us. Claiming that God talks with us individually in print, in speech, or in song, is all too common these days. The commonality of it makes it seem like it is happening to everyone, except of course, the ones who do not hear God talk to them. Which He isn’t. But it sets up a disquiet in the heart, that maybe we’re doing something wrong, or in some sort of displeasing sin, and that is why God isn’t talking to me or you.
When He was on the Cross
I understand the lyricist’s desire to present the unfathomable gap between our depravity and his glory; our inability and His great love. But these lyrics are just too probably untrue.
He Whose Glory Makes The Heavens Shine. So Unworthy Of Such Mercy, Yet When He Was On The Cross, I Was On His Mind.
We know a bit about who or what was on His mind when he was on the cross. We know he had a conversation with the thief on the cross next to Him. He told the thief that this very day he will be with Him in paradise. He was thinking about paradise and about the thief. Likely, Jesus prayed for the thief. (John 17:24). We also know that GOD was on His mind. He called out ‘My God My God why have You forsaken me?’ (Matthew 27:46). Possibly the disciples were on His mind, and his mother, he gave his mother’s care to John. (John 19:25-27). But Joe Blow and Suzie Smith? Probably not.
Somebody Touched Me
While I was praying (somebody touched me) Must’ve been the hand of the Lord
It may not have been.
That’s what everyone thinks, you know. That when they ‘hear’ a voice, “it must’ve been the hand of the Lord”. That when they settle down to write and are ‘guided’ by a voice, “it must’ve been the hand of the Lord.” Too many people think that when they experience something they assign as supernatural, it is from the Lord.
Not always so.
An entire dimension exists of the evil supernatural. Think on this: we know that a third of the angels fell with satan (this is how I interpret Revelation 12:4). In any case, we know a myriad of unholy angels fell, and became the demons. Hebrews 13:2 says that when we entertain a stranger we may have entertained an angel and not known it. There are a lot. If we go with the one-third in terms of numbers, we have a 1-in-3 chance of entertaining a demon as opposed to an angel.
Daniel 10:13 speaks of a holy angel being sent to Daniel, but was delayed 21 days in the heavenlies, so much so that Archangel Michael had to be dispatched to let the angel through. Ephesians 6 describes our battles not being against flesh and blood, but against “rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
There is an entire dimension of evil out there. Why do we never suppose that the ‘hand that touched me’ might be a claw from a wizened, prune hearted evil demon?
Christians cannot be possessed, but we battle against them in the spiritual realms. The ‘hand’ of the LORD is in heaven, but the activity of demons is ongoing. Don’t assume if something ‘supernatural’ happens it’s the LORD. It more than likely isn’t.
We know to avoid Bethel music, Hillsong music and other heretical nests like that. But we don’t need to be mindless about seemingly innocuous songs, either. We always must be wise and discerning about what we absorb. Satan is subtle. But Jesus is GREAT!
Enjoy this Psalm 29. As the MacArthur Commentary explains, it has the earmarks of earliest Hebrew poetry. Its general form is a hymn, proclaiming 3 representative realities of God as supreme and therefore praise belongs to Him alone:
1. Lord’s supremacy over heavenly beings
2. Lord’s supremacy over the “forces of nature” (references pagan gods)
3. Lord’s supremacy over humanity
It builds and in my opinion is a majestic and breathtaking poem/hymn. Happy Lord’s Day!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ascribe to the LORD Glory
A Psalm of David.
1Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,a
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.
3The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD, over many waters.
4The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
8The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
11May the LORD give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless his people with peace!
A reader contacted me and asked the following question: “Understanding Paul’s instruction for men’s and women’s roles in the church in 1 Timothy, what are your thoughts on women deacons serving the communion elements to the body?”
Hmmm. Good question. In today’s culture, a thorny one too. Let’s first define terms.
Deacons were instituted to take logistical and practical load off the elders/bishops/overseers (AKA pastors) so the elders could concentrate on preaching, teaching, and praying. Deacons are servants who manage the details of running the church and helping the members. They help in practical ways so the elders can do their job of prayer, study, and sermon preparation.
The word deacon means simply a servant. (diakonos). Everyone serves in the church. We’re all servants (deacons) in some way, diakonos-ing, lol. But by Acts 6 the role of general servant of the church was formalized into an office.
Why? The church had grown so much and some things were falling through the cracks. Elders were spending a lot of time serving people and neglecting the study and preparation of the word. Some of the people needing to be served were overlooked. So there needed to be a formalized division of labor. The office of deacon was born.
This is a formal role, where believers are chosen from the congregation to particularly serve, as opposed to the general service unto the Lord are members alle called to do.
The chapter describes “the choosing of the 7” to serve the daily food to the widows. This lifted the burden of the practical serving from the elders so they could serve by studying, preparing, and preaching of the sermons (and prayer). (Acts 6:2). In Acts they said to choose some men to serve at table who were were “from among you” (from that congregation) “seven men” (men) “of good reputation full of the Spirit and of wisdom whom we may put in charge of this task.”
That was the history and explanation of how deacons came about. Now, to the question of female deacons.
I believe the Bible says no to women deacons who occupy the office of deacon. I know the Greek word for deacon is used in reference to women, and in those cases it simply means service or server. Like Phoebe of Romans 16:1. In that verse, the word diakonos is used, and it means, “a waiter, servant; then of any one who performs any service, an administrator.”
First, in Acts, the elders called the brothers and sisters together and were told to select 7 men. In every translation of Acts 6:3, the verse says that though sisters were involved in the selection, the people being selected as deacons were men.
Second, the qualifications for deacons are found in 1 Timothy 3:8–13 and are remarkably similar to the qualifications for overseer/elder (aka pastor). The Bible says deacons ‘are to be men’…’husbands of one woman’… etc.
I know there are arguments around verse 11, and I won’t get into the details and jots and tittles of it, but the overarching thrust of the New Testament is that women are active and valued members of the church but not leaders of the congregation.
Thus, since the Bible does not indicate that deacons in the office can be women, and the consistent biblical stance is that women do not lead men, I think that women serving the communion elements would be a poor decision for any local church.
As for any woman not a deacon simply serving the communion elements, this would also be a poor choice. If the person distributing the elements says a prayer over the congregation first, or explains the verses related to communion, then that would be a woman teaching in the congregation and violating 1 Timothy 2:12 and she would not be silent as 1 Corinthians 14:34 says she must be.
If the woman serving the elements is not explaining or praying over the congregation it’s still tricky. Nothing seems to forbid it in scripture, unless I overlooked a key verse. However, in my opinion, the ‘look’, or the ‘optics’ of a woman offering something to a man who is on his knees and he submissively taking it looks like a role reversal.
Beth Moore in Dec 2021 at her new Anglican church. She had begun visiting in June of 2021, she said
When I broke the news that Beth Moore had become Anglican and was serving the Eucharist at her new church, and posted the photos, it made a huge scandal and discussion across denominations. For example, Church Leaders posted this article, and they were not exaggerating about the meltdown:
Because Moore is so famous and followed by millions, breaking that story brought visuals to the concept of females serving in various, non-biblical ways, such as preaching, and teaching the Sunday Service from the pulpit. Seeing it is startling.
Satan is subtle. He is patient and he incrementally chips away at standards, boundaries, and benchmarks.
A woman serving the communion elements sets up the congregation for further incremental acceptance of the authority of the females leading the congregation in other ways, since they have already become used to women circulating before them and ‘leading.’ The ‘optics’ are bad but once people are used to seeing women circulating in leading roles, they accept further pushing of boundaries.
Ask, does this church want to visually communicate that they are led by men as the Bible commands, or visually communicate that they have crumbled to cultural pressure to have women leading with men over the church? When women are serving the communion elements, does this church want to visually declare there are passive men here?
The Bible says women are to receive teaching quietly. If it is improper for a woman to speak in church as 1 Corinthians 14:35 says, then one must ask why a woman would want to serve communion. Why does she have that desire? If she wants to serve then she should want to do so in ways that aren’t pushing a boundary. She’d want to err on the side of caution, and serve in more biblically sure ways.
In other words, why does she want to be in front of the congregation, when the Bible says she should not be, but rather sitting quietly in the service, receiving instruction and asking her husband at home?
Yet in every mainline denomination, there are not only women serving communion, but actually leading as ordained “pastors”. I did not have to hunt long or hard to find these examples. They are abounding.
No, women should not serve the communion elements. No, there should not be female deacons serving in the office of deacon. No, women should not preach. No, women should not teach men. Yet so many woman complain they are not allowed to do this or that, rather than exult in what we ARE called to do! And there is much we can do to serve the Lord. As Spurgeon said of women in ministry,
Some people can do nothing that they are allowed to do, but waste their energies in lamenting that they are not called on to do other people’s work. Blessed are they who do what they should do. It is better to be a good housewife, or nurse, or domestic servant, than to be a powerless preacher or a graceless talker. ~Charles Spurgeon, sermon, First Healing and then Service
Sister, are you wasting your energy lamenting that you cannot do other people’s work? Or are you joyful in serving within the spheres we are called upon to serve? The choice is yours.
I work with 5 to 8 year old children for my job at a public elementary school. I love children and I contend that I have the best job in the world.
Sometimes it’s a little disheartening, though. I just want the best for every kid, and some kids never get the best.
The Lord is THE most sensitive about children. He spoke much about them and this is recorded in the Bible. We know one of the most famous verses about children:
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:3-5)
“Whenever a woman is in labor she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.” (John 16:21).
Therefore you can guess what the Lord thinks of abortion. (Molech)
“Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the beauty of sons is their fathers.” (Proverbs 17:6)
“And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” And taking a child, He set him before them. And taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”’
Not just what He said but the scene. Picture it in your mind. Jesus had been teaching The Twelve all day and then they came to the house at Capernaum where they stayed. He continued teaching. And to illustrate His point, “He took a child”. So I ask, what child? Where did the child come from? Luke 9:47 says the child “was by His side.” Usually didn’t the children remain outside the adults’ purview, especially when important matters were being discussed? Yet Jesus hadn’t dismissed the child when He continued teaching the Twelve inside the house.
The idea in the verse was that children are weak, powerless and innocent. You come to the Kingdom like that, with no achievements, no portfolio of awards, nothing to commend one’s self. Like a child.
Susannah Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley, raised seventeen children and had these words to say about raising children:
“The parent who studies to subdue [self–will] in his child works together with God in the renewing and saving a soul. The parent who indulges it does the devil’s work, makes religion impracticable, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child, soul and body forever” (cited in The Journal of John Wesley [Chicago: Moody, n.d.], p. 106).
In other words, children are important to Jesus.
O, come, Lord Jesus, remove us, and the children from the world. Its sinful effects are so towering and so devastating, and wear down the most on those least powerful or able to comprehend.
My library room. I usually sit in the chair on the right and turn on the lamp just over my shoulder.
My Library room, the other side
Joe Carter at The Gospel Coalition (a site I do not generally recommend) wrote an essay on how to build a theological library on a budget. I thought there were some helpful ideas, and so I link it here.
Mr. Carter mentioned some ways to build a library that didn’t work for me. One of the ways he recommended building a library was to focus on access, not ownership. I like owning a book to borrowing one. I stick Post-it arrows, dog ear the pages (gasp!) and sometimes make notes in the margins. Can’t do that with borrowed books. He also mentioned e-books. I am old. My eyes get tired easily. I never adjusted to reading on a screen. I just can’t. Also, he mentioned thinking beyond books, like Theological Journals. Journals are fine, but I like books.
So while I think his tips might work for many people, I wanted to share how I built a theological library of 1000 books on a budget. And by budget, I mean budget!!
1. Be patient.
It took me a long time, 15 years to get to this point. One book at a time. You can build any library fast. Building the library you want takes time. It is also fun, the thrill of the hunt.
2. Be strong. Don’t buy books just because, or when you’re at a low point budget wise. Withstand temptation, and make sure you can afford the book you want.
2a. Mind the format.
That said, also be strong and withstand buying books in a format you dislike, just to buy it. If you prefer ebooks, then withstand temptation to buy hard copy. If you prefer hardcover, withstand temptation to buy paperback. If you hate used books that have been written in or highlighted, same- don’t get it. The idea is to own a library you enjoy.
3. Set aside time to browse
Accumulating books takes time and buying the right book also takes time. Look at the bookshelves at the store carefully. It’s easy to miss a title because you’re hurrying. Set aside time to browse well.
One thrift store I haunt has a wall of books. I take a chair and sit down in front of each section so I can see the bottom shelves and so I won’t get impatient as my arthritic knee kicks up. I’m not in anyone’s way and if I am I just move aside for a while and let others browse.
4. Make an Amazon wish list
People like to help. There was someone on Twitter whose house burned and with it, his entire theological library. People asked him to post a list of books so we could help replace them. It felt good to contribute. If you have some desires for certain books, make a wishlist, Amazon has them and other online booksellers do too. People might enjoy knowing exactly what to get you for Christmas or your birthday. And be sure to contribute once in a while to others’ wish lists!
5. Be focused.
Know what ‘holes’ exist in your library and focus on filling those. What is your focus? Do you have a specific focus in the library you’re trying to build? Commentaries? Christian Life? Missionary bios? If you do, concentrate on titles related to your focus, first. Bring a list if it helps you remain focused. I do. I tend to be like a squirrel in a thrift/bookstore!
6. Repeat your successes
Have a few favorite places on hand where you have had success before. I have a few places I go to first where I am more likely to find inexpensive books in my favored genres. Make it a point to swing by frequently. I go once a month. If you are in an area near where there are a lot of churches or religious people, even better. As pastors dispense with libraries, or seminaries off-load books, as people donate because they’re moving (I live near a college town) scour those places first.
I have real good luck at a re-use store associated with a domestic violence shelter. I learned that 100% of my $ goes toward the store, (where people fleeing an abusive situation can shop with free vouchers to start life again in a new home) so I feel good about spending my money there. Thrift stores in wealthy residential areas work well too and yield fine books.
7. Library book sales
Can’t be beat! Find out when your local library(ies) have their Friends of the Library book sales. Rock bottom prices. I look not just at the table but at the boxes underneath the table. Sometimes I go twice, once near the beginning and once near the end, because they refresh the inventory.
7a. Look for other sales.
I rarely spend more than $5 on a book. But when John MacArthur finished his New Testament Commentaries, Grace To You put it on a celebratory sale. The $500 commentary set was offered for half price. A friend generously gave me half of that as a surprise gift, so I ended up paying $125 for the entire set. Moral of the story is, when you see a good deal, a once in a lifetime thing, don’t be so frugal that you pass it up. Sometimes you gotta spend to save.
8. Be wary & discerning
Just because a book is stocked in the ‘religious’ section or ‘Christian’ section, doesn’t mean it is written by a solid Christian. A lot of false teachers produce books. If you’re unfamiliar with an author, first, look at who recommended the book on the book blurbs on the back. If solid men you’re familiar with recommended the book, it’s a safer bet. If false teachers recommended the book, pass on it. You can also use your phone to google it to see reviews. Thinking that it’s only a dollar so what the hey, I’ll get it and worry about the author later, invites false teachers into your home. Don’t do it. (2 John 1:10). Your soul is worth more than a dollar.
9. Inventory your books
This is a good idea for many reasons. If a flood or fire comes, you can replicate your loss. For homeowner’s or renter’s insurance purposes. (I HIGHLY recommend renter’s insurance if you rent an abode and don’t have this insurance). And for our purposes today, so you don’t buy 2 of the same book. I’ve done that a couple of time and it annoys me because I don’t have extra to spend, and my accidental duplications were on new books!
10. Ligonier’s $5 Friday
Really, books are $5. Other material too like DVDs and audiobooks, sermon/teaching series etc. Watch the shipping though, If you buy a lot of books it spreads the shipping out so it’s still a deal, but buying one or two books, with their shipping fee hovering at $6 or $7, it makes the books regular price. Ligonier.org, every Friday.
11. Chapel Library/Open Library
Open Library is part of the Internet Archive. Go to https://web.archive.org/ and click on BOOKS at the top. They also have videos and audio, all free. I said I hate reading on screen, but there was a book that was out of print, I absolutely could not get it in hard copy. I was wild to read it, and I found it on Open Library at the Web Archive. Phew, that scratched an itch for sure! Blurb-
“The Internet Archive and participating libraries have selected digitized books from their collections that are available to be borrowed by one patron at a time from anywhere in the world for free. These books are available in BookReader format and usually in PDF and ePub formats. You can choose which format you prefer. BookReader editions may be read online immediately in your web browser. No special software is required. Other Internet Archive loans are managed through Adobe Digital Editions and will require software installation on your device.Any book that you can borrow from Open Library is also available in audio form.” Now THAT is a super deal!!
Chapel Library is part of the Mt. Zion Church’s ministry in FLorida. You can read much material for free on screen, or order it in pamphlet form sent thru the mail FREE. There are also periodicals and audio.
“We are often asked about how we select the titles that Chapel Library publishes. After prayer and careful reading, we have made regular additions over the years of tracts, booklets, and paperbacks to our catalogue that now number more than 850 titles. Chapel’s aim is to make available Christ-centered, grace-exalting literature without charge, publishing great teachers and preachers of the past, such as, Spurgeon, Calvin, Luther, Ryle, Bonar, Pink, Bunyan, the Puritans, and many more.”
I’ve been asked to show the titles in my library. OK, here you go! I think if you right-click on particular photos you can see them larger in new tab.
OT Commentaries
NT Commentaries
grouped by subject: heaven, grace, prayer etc
heavy reference books on the bottom
Puritans shelf: About Puritans or By Puritans
More Puritans
Left: All Sproul. Right: All Chapel Library pamphlets.
Heavy books on bottom
JMac bookshelf, commentary, complete set
JMac Commentary set
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JMac books, and some heresy-for research only books
In Genesis 3, Eve chose a path that defied her God and ignored her husband’s teaching. Adam’s passivity as a leader was part of that event. As a result, God cursed the ground the man worked, (Genesis 3:17-18). Remember, man’s original charge was to work the Garden, Genesis 2:17). He told the woman her pains in childbirth will be greatly multiplied. Additionally, God said that the woman’s desire will be for her husband and he will rule over her.
Thus, the harmonious, companionable relationship established in Genesis 2, was corrupted by the woman’s quest for self-fulfillment instead of obedience, by man’s failure to lead, (“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife”), mankind fell into sin and separation from God.
In the latter part of chapter 3 of Genesis, God pronounces the results of the wife’s rebellion and the husband’s passivity. Of the woman, God said that she will desire her husband. Desire is the same word as in Genesis 4 where God told Cain sin is crouching at the door ‘desiring’ to have you. It means an inward inclination. A wife’s inward inclination will be to usurp her husband. She will always strive to take control. If a secular wife, this causes either heartache and strife, made worse for both if the husband remains passive. In Christian marriages, God was merciful to tell us ahead of time, so we can work at slaying this tendency to want to usurp the husband.
“For Eve listened to a creature instead of the Creator, followed her impressions against her instructions, and made self-fulfillment her goal. This prospect of material, aesthetic, and mental enrichment (6a) seemed to add up to life itself; the world still offers it. But man’s lifeline is spiritual, namely God’s word and the response of faith (Dt 8:3, Hab 2:4); to break it is death.” Source: Derek Kidner, “Genesis- An introduction and commentary”).
It should be noted that the woman when confronted by God, did not humble herself. Nor did she repent. She instead cast blame and attempted to justify her disobedient actions. We see this all too frequently in rebellious “Christian-professing” wives today! Pink says,
“She did not humble herself before the Lord, gave no sign of repentance, made no broken-hearted confession. Instead, she vainly attempted to vindicate herself by casting the blame on the serpent. It was a weak excuse, for God had capacitated her with understanding to perceive his lies, and with rectitude of nature, to reject them with horror.” (AW Pink, Gleanings from the Scriptures).
“If men don’t stand up and lead the women will fill that vacuum.” Josh Buice
As for the husbands, “We also need to be mindful of the fact that not every man is this this just roaring bold personality. Sometimes a more passive man marries a more bold woman. In that case he’s going to have to work extra. He has to be taking his leadership responsibilities in his home seriously“. (Buice, ibid).
When I was married I was not a Christian. I did want my husband to lead, but he was very passive (and lazy). In practical matters like managing the home, like cleaning, organizing, and repairmen appointments, I just took up the slack, figuring it was my job anyway. But in marriage matters and in big decision matters, his vacuum left me in a quandary. There was strife, resentment, and eventually bitterness. I’m glad I have Christ now. Though I’m not married any more, I know to submit to my elders and the Bible provides the template on how and why. I was a lot like post-Fall Eve, instantly blaming and being defensive, justifying myself. It’s what sinners do!
If you, dear sisters, have a personality that is more bold, the reverse is true of the passive man, we need to work extra to adhere to biblical precepts so that the home will run smoothly. Marriage is hard, really hard. Two sinners living together in mutual harmony seems almost impossible but it is possible. Why? because there are two sinners and One Sinless, as this article from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood describes:
We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit—the power that brought about resurrection life, softened hearts of stone, and gave eyes of faith when we were blinded by sin. Yet sometimes in marriage, in the dismal moments of anger, hostility, or painful hurt, we forget that we’re not doing this alone. Sometimes in our sin and failures, we forget that the power and help of the Holy Spirit is ever present, ever helping, ever convicting, guiding, prompting and empowering us to do what is right.
Praise the Lord for His wonderful mind, that sympathizes with us, gave us all the helps, and will bring us to blissful heaven in His time! Meanwhile, ladies, don’t be tempted to fill that vacuum…or to go beyond our role in marriage. It’s easy to do, but Jesus will forgive if we repent. The wedding over, marriage begins the long work of sanctification.
Did you ever wonder how the Old Testament Prophets prophesied? Did you ever wonder about the false prophets and their unholy business? Well stay tuned, it’s a prophet-a-palooza today!
The Old Testament contains 39 books. Of these, they are generally divided as Pentateuch (the 1st five), Historical Books, Poetic & Wisdom Literature, and the Prophets. Of the 39 books, 41% are written by Prophets or contain major prophecies. 1 and 2 Samuel are part of the Historical section of the OT but Samuel was Israel’s first prophet and the books describe his emergence and activities as a prophet. (I did not include Lamentations as one of the prophetical books, but some do). Thus, the Old Testament is heavy with Prophets.
The Major Prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. They are called ‘major’ due to their length and broadness of scope, not because of the content. The Minor Prophetical books are considered to be Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. They are dubbed ‘minor’ not due to their content but because these books are shorter and have a narrower focus.
Prophets foretold the future as given by God, but that is not ALL they did. Prophets were designated as a representative of God before the people. Sometimes, when they received God’s message they proclaimed it to the king of Israel. Another task they performed was to remind the people of their covenant with God as delivered by Moses. I know we’re all familiar with this one- Prophets told the people that there would be a coming judgment if they rebelled, but they also told of a coming blessing if they were obedient. They called the people to repent and return to God. They taught the people the Law. They were watchmen. So, not everything the Prophets did involved fore-telling. Sometimes they engaged in ‘forth-telling’ too.
A few common refrains in the prophetic books are “Thus sayeth the LORD,” which was the Prophets’ way of affirming that the prophecy was from God and not their own made-up speech; and “The word of the LORD came to me”. A seminary friend believes that when we read ‘the word of the LORD came to me’, as we see in Jeremiah 1:4, that it was Jesus coming to speak to the prophet in a pre-incarnate appearance. This made sense to me. After all, Jesus IS the Word (John 1:1). Whichever way it happened, the Prophetical words when they were delivered, were accepted as having come from God. Whether they liked the message or not!
Anyway, the true prophets operated in myriad ways. Sometimes they spoke a word that was given to them as I just mentioned. Sometimes they became a symbol, or acted out a symbol. Hosea’s marriage to Gomer was a symbol of Israel’s adulterous relationship with false gods. Ezekiel in particular was called to perform ‘sign-acts’ or symbolical actions. He was tasked with laying on his side for a year in front of a model of a siege mound. Jeremiah was tasked with smashing clay pots in front of the audience who came to seek the word. (Jeremiah 19:10-13). Isaiah was told to preach barefoot and (nearly) naked. (Isaiah 20:1-2).
Satan is relentlessly active. So there were many false prophets, too. They had other methods of gaining information from the gods. Of course, there are no other gods. And the One True God wasn’t speaking to them, so they needed to devise other ways of appearing to have inside wisdom. The Bible speaks against many of these. I went and found all the verses condemning their practices and I was surprised to see there were so many! Many verses and many practices!
The Bible speaks against: soothsayers, magicians, necromancers, witches, mediums, fortune-tellers, sorcerers, sorceresses, omen-interpreters, charmers, one who inquires of the dead, diviners, dreamers… phew! That’s a lot of demonic activity! (Verses here)
In Exodus 7:10-12 we see that some of these magicians did actually possess dark powers. Satan is a powerful angel, capable of masquerading as an angel of light. He caused winds to destroy Job’s house. He caused lighting to fall. (Job 1:16, 18-19). Therefore, to a point, the magicians had powers to replicate Moses and Aaron’s miracles from God. But in the end, Aaron’s rod swallowed up the magicians’ rods and the limited extent of their power was reached.
In Deuteronomy 13:2 we see that occasionally a prophet or dreamer will predict some sign or wonder that does come to pass, in those cases, one must detect, the verse says, if they are leading you away from God.
The warning for us is that when we dabble, (more on that below), there actually does exist a darkness with powers that you will be inviting into your home, heart, or mind.
Soothsayers: A phrase used in some English translations to describe one who practices divination, fortune-telling, or astrology. An example is Balaam.
Magician: One who attempts to manipulate one’s environment through incantations, spiritual assistance (or manipulation), curses, or blessings. Magicians of Nebuchadnezzar- were a group of men who served Nebuchadnezzar as magicians. Nebuchadnezzar favored Daniel and his friends over them.
Necromancer: “one who interrogates the dead,” as the word literally means, with the view of discovering the secrets of futurity (comp. 1 Sam. 28:7).
Diviner: Ritual action employed by someone to determine the will, knowledge, or plans of deities.
Fortune-teller: See Diviner, it is a synonym. “foretelling future events, or discovering things secret by the aid of superior beings, or other than human means.” Source- Easton’s Bible Dictionary.
Witch: Or sorceress, a female whose work was in divination and magic. Also, someone who dealt with drugs or herbs for occult purposes. Also, conjurer, someone who interprets omens. See 1 Samuel 28 about the witch of Endor. Trivia: If you’re familiar with the television show from the 1960s called Bewitched, Samantha the witch’s witch mother was named…Endor-a.
Sorcerer, sorceresses: from the Latin sortiarius, one who casts lots, or one who tells the lot of others. In Dan. 2:2 it is the rendering of the Hebrew mekhashphim, i.e., mutterers, men who professed to have power with evil spirits. The practice of sorcery exposed to severest punishment (Mal. 3:5; Rev. 21:8; 22:15). Easton’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
Mediums: One possessed by (Lev. 20:6) or consulting (Deut. 18:11) a ghost or spirit of the dead, especially for information about the future. Acting as a medium was punishable by stoning (Lev. 20:27); consulting a medium, by exclusion from the congregation of Israel (Lev. 20:6). The transformation of Saul from one who expelled mediums (1 Sam. 28:3) to one who consulted a medium at En-dor (28:8–19) graphically illustrates his fall. Source: Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
Omen-interpreter: An omen is a phenomenon that is perceived to indicate something else, but especially something about future events. It’s also known as a sign. Omens are considered divine signs solicited and/or interpreted for the purpose of guiding human action. Observance of omens is well-attested as a practice in the ancient Near East—along with the corresponding practice of divination, which was used to discern the meaning of omens. Source-The Lexham Bible Dictionary. The Bible forbids the Israelites from interpreting omens.
See a cardinal and say it’s an omen from a departed relative? DON’T- it’s augury and it’s a forbidden dark practice. A bird is just a bird. EPrata photo
Charmer: one who practises serpent-charming (Ps. 58:5; Jer. 8:17; Eccl. 10:11). It was an early and universal opinion that the most venomous reptiles could be made harmless by certain charms or by sweet sounds. Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Dreamers: The visual and aural sensations that a sleeping person experiences. Dreams in the Bible are often a vehicle for divine oracles. A dreamer is a person who experiences unreal events that occur in the mind of a person during sleep. In ancient times dreams were often associated with messages from deities. Deuteronomy 13:3 says not to listen to dreamers.
The demonic activity in its various permutations is astonishing. Did you realize there had been so much?
W. L. Liefeld named and listed many of the demonic acts:
(1) chresmology, the “prognostication by seers and through oracles;” (2) oneiromancy, the “practice of predicting future through the interpretation of dreams;” (3) astrology, by the observation and interpretation of the planets and stars described in the horoscope; (4) necromancy, the “consultation with the dead;” (5) haruspicy, the “study of the entrails of animals;” (6) augury, the “analysis of the movement of animals, and especially the birds;” (7) omens and portents, the interpretation of different events in the natural world; and (8) mechanical means, which include the interpretation of hydromancy (divination b)y means of water, including the color, ebb and flow, or ripples produced by pebbles dropped in a pool, pyromancy (divination by means of fire or flames), and cleromancy (casting of lots).
Annnd… still more-
There were multiple techniques used to solicit omens, including lecanomancy (observing the pattern of oil poured onto water) and libanomancy (observing smoke generated by a censer), but haruspicy (looking at the entrails of an animal) was the most prevalent (Farber, “Witchcraft, Magic and Divination,” 1904; Starr, The Lexham Bible Dictionary.
INTERESTING history of the Ouija Board here! Ouija also sparked the craze for ‘automatic writing’ that so many professing Christians engage in today.
From excavated texts we learn that the ancient world was filled with individuals who predicted future events or future courses of action by dreams, use of a divining rod, shaking marked arrows (in a quiver), consulting teraphim (figurine idols- remember, Rachel stole her father’s teraphim, Genesis 31:19), or examining animal livers (hepatoscopy).
The British Museum is filled with ancient Near Eastern texts about astrologers who observed signs in the heavens (eclipses, configurations of planets, sun and moon, stars with coronas and tails, stars forming the sign of the zodiac), or saw omens—both good and bad—in the heavens and on the earth (storms, earthquakes, the flight of birds, screaming hens, odd births, when a house begins to look old, etc.). Such persons are not prophets.
I post these at length to illustrate the past and current exceedingly active doings of satan and the demons he inspires to do evil in the world.
Are these practiced today? Absolutely! Do you read your horoscope in the newspaper? That’s astrology. Try to find water by dowsing? That’s divination. Do we say ‘knock wood’ or shudder if a black cat crosses our path? Do we say that the cardinal is a happy departed family member? Or the hoot of an owl means someone is going to die soon? You’re practicing augury. Magic 8 Ball, Ouija Board…none of these are acceptable because they are all forbidden by the Bible.
Have these become “Acceptable Divinations” in your life (with apologies to Jerry Bridges for paraphrasing his “Acceptable Sins” motif)?
The Magic 8 Ball, you asked ‘it’ a question, shook the ball and waited to see what answer would float up.
Many people publicly practice these today, even people who profess to be Christian. There are witches abounding who use Tarot cards to tell your fortune. ‘The Bible‘ and ‘Touched by an Angel‘ Actress Roma Downey engaged in necromancy on live TV by calling up her dead mother using a medium. Bethel Redding church & college, which professes to be Christian, teaches dream interpretation in their School of Prophets. So, they are dreamers according to the Bible, thus are in God’s bad books. Praying to the saints or to Mary is inquiring of the dead, AKA necromancy. Professing Christian Beth Moore tells of her dreams and visions, indulges in chresmology- she prognosticates future events, does automatic writing, and acts as a prophet and seer. Her condemnation is looming. Many other women of her ilk claim to hear words directly from God, thus claiming to be prophets.
Speaking of the Bethel School of Prophets, everything new was old once before. There seemed to be a cult of (false) prophets at Mari, at the Syrian – Iraq border. Balaam is associated with the activity here, according to texts unearthed in 1933 and 1967. These prophecies were normally delivered only to the King, not to the people, and were generally mild-to-favorable. There is no evidence that this cult of prophets and their alleged prophetic activity gave messages related to the moral life of the nation or even the king.
If the Mari-area prophets chastised, they were gentle and minor. This is a big contrast with the difficult messages the Biblical prophets were instructed to give, sometimes at peril of their life!
“Although Numbers 22:7 uses the noun “omen” and the word that has been translated “fees for divination”, Balaam is far from the standard role of a prophet in biblical literature. Joshua 13:22 views Balaam as one “who practiced divination.” The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.
The only reliable prophetical information we have at present is in the BIBLE. Avoid all forms of sorcery, even those that have become so mundane in modern life it feels like they are acceptable. They’re not.
When we think of Balaam, we think of his donkey… EPrata photo
Balaam was a real person, a prophet, mentioned in the Old Testament several times. (Numbers 22; 23; 24; Deuteronomy 23:4.) He was the rider of the famous donkey that the LORD caused to rebuke him. Did you know that Balaam has more scriptural real estate than even Mary? In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, there is a lot about Balaam. He is mentioned three times in the New Testament, and all three times are negative. (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11; Revelation 2:14). We read of the way of Balaam, the error of Balaam, and the doctrine of Balaam. None of it’s positive.
Let’s take a look at this Balaam.
A hearty debate about Balaam centers around whether Balaam was a sinner or saint. Whether he was a true prophet misguided temporarily, or a false prophet who was good at faking it. His character seems murky. We know that David’s heart was right, John was a loving apostle, Paul was a vigorous worker for God. But Balaam… Who was he? As J. Vernon McGee posed, “Is Balaam a genuine prophet of God? Or is he a religious racketeer?“
I cannot settle that debate, but I believe that the New Testament’s final verdict in the three above verses is enough to indicate which way the gavel bangs: and it is to the false.
Balak was King of Moab. He had become concerned that there were so many Israelites. Feeling insecure and outnumbered, Balak hired Balaam for a fee to curse the Israelites. Balaam said to Balak what all the true prophets affirmed, that they spoke what the LORD told them to say. They were divine messengers who spoke the LORD’S words only. But unlike true prophets of Israel, Balaam was more interested in the reward than the words.
So he played pious and covered his tracks to Balak, saying ‘O king, I can only speak what Yahweh says to say…’ and sought out the Lord’s permission to go and do the thing the king wanted Balaam to do, which was curse God’s blessed people. Balaam knew the People were blessed, not cursed. Of course, God said no.
Barnes’ Notes says,
“Balaam was disposed to go with them, and was restrained from going at once only by a direct and solemn prohibition from the Lord, Numbers 22:11. Notwithstanding this solemn prohibition, and notwithstanding he said to the ambassadors from Balak that he would do only as God directed, though Balak should give him his house full of silver and gold, Numbers 22:18, yet he did not regard the matter as settled, but proposed to them that they should wait another night, with the hope that the Lord would give a more favourable direction in reference to their request, thus showing that his heart was in the service which they required, and that his inclination was to avail himself of their offer, Numbers 22:19.” End Barnes’ Notes.
Do you do that…ask again hoping to get a different answer?
As in the Garden, when the serpent approached Eve and tempted her, she should have immediately considered the matter closed and said ‘begone, serpent’. Adam too. Apparently to Balaam, despite his outward promise to do only as the LORD said, no didn’t mean no. By this we see that Balaam was only paying lip service to his public mantra ‘I will do as the LORD says’. Balaam didn’t close the matter, but hoping to get a better answer from the LORD, sought Him out again.
He bustled with busy-ness, advising the King to sacrifice 14 animals over 7 altars. (Numbers 23:1). Very busy religious activity. But was Balaam’s heart far from God? Likely so. But Balaam was forced to pronounce a blessing, which enraged the King.
So they repeated the entire process, again. Altars, sacrifices, a pious Balaam saying ‘let me seek the Lord and see what He might say’. Again.
Balaam’s seeking wasn’t genuine. Were Balaam’s eyes fixed on the fee? Seems so.
Think of Elisha, firmly refusing Naaman’s gift. Barnes’ Notes on Elisha the Prophet’s refusal,
“I will receive none – The prophets were in the habit of receiving presents from those who consulted them 1 Samuel 9:7-8; 1 Kings 14:3, but Elisha refused. It was important that Naaman should not suppose that the prophets of the true God acted from motives of self-interest, much less imagine that “the gift of God might be purchased with money” Acts 8:20.”
I won’t recount the entire story, you can read the verses or read about Balaam elsewhere. The main point is Balaam’s character.
Balaam said to the King again, Nah, even if you give me a house full of silver and gold, I will only do what the LORD says’. Hmmm, it sounds pious (as did the serpent in the garden), but it was not. It was a negotiating tactic. Balaam had upped the ante.
In 1933 and again in the 1960s, archaeological finds discovered ancient texts mentioning Balaam. “Balaam was a well-known local seer, whose fame spread beyond his own community. Balaam’s words were considered worthy of being preserved by his followers, just as those of the biblical prophets were considered worthy of preservations by their disciples. The Deir ‘Alla inscription allows us to flesh out the picture of Balaam obtained from the Balaam story in Numbers and scattered other biblical texts. He is no longer simply a seer used as a tool in YHWH’s sole power, but an independent actor functioning in a polytheistic world“. Source: Journal Article “Balaam the Seer: From the Bible to the Deir Alla Inscription”, Prof. Carl S. Ehrlich.
So the extra-biblical texts give a good indication of how famous Balaam was…as an independent agent functioning (for profit?) and not serving for the LORD.
In Balaam’s case, he knew that matrimonial alliances with the Midianites were forbidden, no kinship bonds were allowed with them. Yet still being tempted by the King’s promise of great honor and fees, Balaam persisted in playing both sides against his desire to come out on top. He didn’t know he could see nothing.
“[T]his famed seer’s sight is surpassed even by his donkey until Yahweh opens his eyes. This story reinforces Yahweh’s power over any other aspect of the divine realm, whether other gods or non-Israelite seers and diviners.” Ballard, L. (2016). Balaam, Son of Beor. In The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.
The only thing Balaam could ‘see’ was the house full of silver and gold. We need to be mindful of the lessons of Balaam.
1. We should not attempt to manipulate God into affirming our fleshly desires.
2. We should not engage in public religious activity as a cover for attempting to gain our fleshly desires.
3. When God gives us an answer (not audibly these days but through scripture or circumstances), we must accept it without constant call-backs. Don’t ‘pray about it’ again.
4. And then leave the answer where it is. Don’t look back. Remember Lot’s wife.
28After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been finished, in order to finish the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” 29A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
31Then the Jews, because it was the day of Preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35And he who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36For these things came to pass in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, “NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN.” 37And again another Scripture says, “THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED.”
Jesus Is Buried
38Now after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39And Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about one hundred litras. 40So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42Therefore because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
the-end-time.org 