God's Changing of the Age
------------------------------Bible Verses (RcV)---------------------
Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, Offspring of vipers... (9)
And do not presume to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our
father; for I tell you that God is able, out of these stones, to raise
up children to Abraham.
-------------------------------Word of Ministry----------------------
The Pharisees were the strictest religious sect of the Jews, formed
about 200 B.C. They were proud of their superior sanctity of life,
devotion to God, and knowledge of the Scriptures. Actually, they were
degraded into pretentious conduct and hypocrisy. The Sadducees were
another sect in Judaism. They did not believe in the resurrection, nor
in angels, nor in spirits. Both the Pharisees and the Sadducees were
denounced by John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus as a brood of vipers.
John's word in [Matthew 3:9] clearly indicates that the kingdom of the
heavens preached by him is not constituted of the children of Abraham
by birth, but of the children of Abraham by faith. Thus, it is a
heavenly kingdom, not the earthly kingdom of the Messiah.
John also told them not to presume to say that they had Abraham for
their father, for God was able of the stones to raise up children to
Abraham. John's word was a strong indication and actually a prophecy
of the fact that the age had changed. Because the age had changed, it
was no longer a matter of the natural birth, but of the second birth,
the spiritual birth. Although you might have been born a lifeless
stone, God is able to make you His living child. Hallelujah, this is
just what He has done to us! We need to recall our condition before we
were saved. As far as life was concerned, we were lifeless stones. But
as far as sin was concerned, we were filled with sin and active in
sin. Praise the Lord that on the day of our repentance we believed in
the Lord Jesus, and God made us His living children.
------------------------------------A Prayer-------------------------
Hallelujah, Father God, I am no longer a lifeless stone. By my second
birth You have begotten me to be Your living child. I pray that You
will lead _____ to repentance so they also can receive Your life and
become Your living children. Amen.
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Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (RcV), 1991,
and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life-study of Matthew, 1986, pp.
111-113. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.
(Please visit livingstream.com and emanna.com)
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