READ CAREFULLY
Today’s Reading: Luke 23
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).
This Roman road made of paving stones is below the modern city level of Jerusalem. It is the road Jesus would have walked on while carrying His cross to Calvary.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.
Key Verse: Luke 23:27-28
And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children…”
In the movie, Passion of the Christ, they got it wrong. They showed only two or three women weeping. Notice the word “also.” The great multitude had just arrived in the city after spending the night in neighbouring communities. Thousands had come from the Galilee for the Passover in Jerusalem. The “great multitude” wept also. More proof is found in verses 48 & 49. “The whole crowd…beat their breasts.” It was not the average Jew who crucified Jesus, it was the crowd who were on the payroll of the High Priest. The High Priest and his early morning employees were the ones who cried, “Crucify Him…His blood be upon us and upon our children.” The twisting of Scripture to condemn all the Jewish people has been a tool of Satan to promote anti-semitism, which eventually resulted in the Holocaust of the Nazis. This illustrates the supreme importance of a careful study of God’s Word, Word by Word!!!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, You said that the Spirit of Truth would guide us into all truth. I’m asking, Holy Spirit, that You will do that for me today. By Your illumination of Your Word, I’ll do my best to pay attention to little words like “also.” I weep to think of the tragedies perpetrated on the Jewish people because Satan messed with the minds of those who either ignorantly or deliberately misinterpreted these Scriptures. Please give us a new start in our relationships with Your ancient people. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
How well I remember making statements like, “The fickle crowd shouted their praises of Jesus on Palm Sunday and just five days later were shouting, ‘Crucify Him.'” I was 100% wrong. They were not the same people. The small area known as Pilate’s Judgment Hall would hold only about 300 people. It was 6 a.m. when the first shift of those on the High Priest’s payroll arrived for work. The great multitude would not have arrived in the city until about 9 a.m. I’ve prayed fervently that I will be more careful in my studies and my efforts to teach. There is another example of the twisting of Scripture in today’s reading. It’s in verse 43. Back in the 1840’s, a Brooklyn, NY, pastor moved the comma from before the word “today” to after it. He began to preach that the thief was not in Paradise with Jesus the day of his death, but only in the future resurrection. This was the beginning of the Watchtower Society, otherwise known as Jehovah’s Witnesses. The pastor’s name was Charles Russell. He continued to twist other Scriptures to go against the historical understanding of the Word of God. There are no commas in the original language, but a comparison of the rest of the Scriptures would show that in English the comma belongs where it is in our Bibles. I pledge to pay careful attention to detail in this blog and always.
Yours for a more thorough understanding of the Word of God,
David
P.S. Once again, here is a segment from 100 Huntley Street. Moira Brown interviews Dr. Andy Bannister. This again is for the purpose of emphasizing the reliability of the Bible and how it answers life’s toughest questions (click here).
Thank you David for your careful interpretation
of the Scriptures. I appreciate your insight
and understanding. May you and Norma Jean
enjoy a restful, peaceful day today. God bless
you both abundantly as you both have been
a blessing to so many.
Thank you David
God bless you and your families
Lianne Hogg
To are a precious man of God.I am truly honoured to be going through the Word of God with someone who emphasizes the 100% accuracy of the word of God. I look forward each day going through the word with you. I am writing to follow-up with your invitation to write on your ‘business’ of Sept. 24. I am a senior as well. May God give us both a clear agenda for our days and in our process in pouring into the younger generation may He give us the strength and Grace to fulfill it to excellence. I sensed in your writings the very next day – a strengthening and uplifting in your spirit. Your students are here for you – but as usual – God was there for you to uphold you. CONTINUE TO BE HONEST AND TRANSPARENT WITH US. It gives us a place to pray from. May we as seniors take care of our bodies His temple with healthy food choices, rest and balance and disearnment with our time and energy. AND through all this Respectfully Sir, continue to have your precious, beloved wife part of your process in communication while she understands, blesses and releases you. You continue to be an example to the NATION of being a servant man of God while being a devoted husband and family man! In continued prayers for you and Huntley Street…………..
Beautifully said Lynne. Thank you and I say AMEN!
Thank you Pastor David for your encouragement to make sure we are accurate about The Word of God. Thank you also for the historical facts you give us each day.
I am always sad when I read of The Lord’s crucifixion but uplifted that I am a child of The Most High God. Thank you Jesus.
I feel truly blessed to able to read this blog and the comments each morning.
It sounds very exciting, the building that David and Norma Jean are doing.
Thanks to all of you, and have a very blessed day everyone!
Professional protesters, makes sense, the more things change the more they stay the same. Thanks Pastor I never even caught that, I had to go back through Luke and found all the times the Pharisees wanted to “lay their hands” on Jesus but were afraid the crowds would turn on them. I would never have picked up on the lack of popular support they actually had to crucify Jesus.
Thanks Pastor, I’m going to be thinking about this the rest of the day.
PS: Thanks for the links to 100 Huntley Street, I’m looking forward to that documentary when it airs.
I didn’t get to answer your question yesterday. I just want you to know that on the contrary, I am amazed and inspired by you commitment and love for God. You are my role model and even though I find it really hard to wake up at 5am most mornings, I still thank God, knowing that He will give me the fervent spirit of continuous prayers and commitment soon. I barely comment this days. I have gone back to school for my social work diploma (4days a week) and still have to keep my full time job (4 days a week) so I can pay my tuition and other fees. I am greatful for God’s strength and favour upon my life, without Him, none of this is possible. Praise be to The Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Amen!
Can’t believe how jealous and vindictive a group gets when someone comes along and shows how corrupt they are. God knows human nature and put Jesus in a tight bind but rewarded him greatly for His suffering.
Thank you Rev. DM for being such a great and accurate teacher.
Love the Dr. Bannister interviews each day on tv.
God bless.
It always bothers me when there is a discussion about who killed Jesus– unless I miss the Gospel message didn’t we all kill him? If humanity hadn’t fallen into sin and brought death to the world there wouldn’t have been any need for Jesus to take our place on the cross. He gave HIS LIFE, no one took it from Him. It is far important to focus on WHY he died and when we do then we see every human being that ever lived is responsible for His death.
Every time I sin I am in the crowd yelling crucify him, because I want God dead, I want my way. Every time I sin I am holding the hammer and pounding the stakes into His Hands because I know my sins hurt God. Every time I sin I am the one mocking him as powerless and weak unable to do anything but hang there helpless because for a moment I feel I am more powerful than He. But then at some point, I look up, I see His face, blooding dripping down dying and realize that should have been me. I fall to the ground in shame, and hear Forgive them Father for they do not know what they do– and realize I am forgiven– not because I deserved it, but because of what He gave so I could be.
Whenever I am asked who killed Jesus I always say I did. It gets me funny looks but leads into a discussion of why Jesus died– Why the Father sent Him and the Holy Spirit came to the world. Why? Simply put because in every form of the Trinity God is expressing our value to Him and His deep love for us.
Amen Donna we’ll said. Catherine
Thank you Pastor David for pointing out how easily the truth can be twisted and how important it is to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. To be careful what we hear and say. Thank you.
Amen Donna well put , That is exactly how I feel …If it wouldn’t be for my
sins ,He wouldn’t have had to die…..R….
Amen! Intellect can run away with many.
thank you for pointing the removal of the comma, I’m learning more to look at the little words, also, we don’t have to go far to see the evil in people, it happens all the time in every community and every neighbourhood…..I find it very hard to remember hat the devil tries every trick in the book and we need to be armed with the Word of God daily and every moment….jealousy, envy, can spike at the drop of a hat….Lord God guide our speech daily, and show us the pitfalls in daily conversation, help our speech to be correct, and sometimes even quiet, put good words in our mouths Lord to share with others…God Bless..
p.s. Just heard something regarding the Law Society that voted to accept Law Students from Trinity Western, but now have changed their minds again….I wonder, is it a good thing when you need to see a lawyer to ask “Are you a Christian” I’ve wondered about this in other areas….would like ot hear some opinions…..God bless
You say that used to teach: ‘…just five days later were shouting ‘Crucify Him” and that you were wrong. May be you were not so wrong. This is a story of a big injustice, a big betrayal. It happens so often that, when a disaster strikes, many of those whom one used to help just disappear, while some others try to benefit from the tragedy. Please remember honest and devoted Job. This has been happening to others as well. Why not at that night? The crowd might have been small but it could have included some of those whom Lord Jesus had healed.
After all there was Judas who betrayed and sold Him, there was Peter, who pretended that he did not know Him. May be you were not 100% at that time.
Saints, I have been unable to post but have been reading the blog. Thank you Jesus for Your sacrifice. We owe it all to You for Your Glory! Saints, please hold me up in your prayers as I am on my way to the hospital. Pray for my protection and healing. I hope some of you see this post as it is late. God’s continued blessings. Your sister-in-Christ.
May the good Lord bless and keep you.
Thank you Beverlee Kay…yes thank you Jesus for what You did for me, for us, we need to remember our love and God’s love is very different, we pick and choose who we wil love….GOD LOVES THE DOWN AND DIRTY!
That is amazing grace! God be with you Beverlee Kay….let us know how things are going……