Bible Stuff

Hi everyone,

 

1). The Voice Bible Translation. It is a nice Sunday, with the Vikings winning on the road at Jacksonville, which gives me a grateful heart this Thanksgiving season. And so with my grateful heart, one of things I am most grateful for is God's Word. And with Bible week coming up, I am thinking of the Bible, God's Word, and some new things taking place recently. First, a new Bible translation is being released called The Voice and the early take on this translation is that it is nothing more than a translation for the Emergent Church, and so should be avoided. And so, I decided to take a look to see if the Voice translation is really all that dangerous. I did this by seeing how it compares to a great literal translation like the ESV. Here is a side-by-side comparison for two passages of the Voice and the ESV:

 

 

 

The Voice:

JOHN 3:16-17 For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life. Here's the point. God didn't send His Son into the world to judge it; instead, He is here to rescue a world headed toward certain destruction.

 

Hebrews 11:1-2 Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you've never seen. It was by faith that our forebears were approved.

 

 

ESV:

JOHN 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

 

Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.

 

 

And so, my quick take of the Voice is that it seems like a nice translation to help with providing more insight into passages that may seems stale after years of reading. But even from this simple look at just two passages, I am concerned about using the Voice as one's only Bible translation. For example, in John 3:16, instead of saying that those who do not believe in Jesus will perish (as most modern translations use), the Voice says non-believers will "not face everlasting destruction." Is this a major mis-translation? No, but it sure seems to open the door for reading into this verse that non-believers will only die as their punishment. I don't know, but I am careful when it comes to the Bible, and I would need to see more before I am willing to recommend or dismiss the Voice.

 

2) Bible Study Magazine; If you are looking to add some depth to your study of the Bible, check out a new magazine put out by the makers of the great Logos Bible software, called Bible Study Magazine Their selling point is right on: "There is simply no other magazine on the market that focuses entirely on the Bible and Bible study."

I like having something in my hands to read, and so I enthusiastically recommend this new magazine. Even in this age where there is so much to read on the Internet, it's nice to take some time and read interesting articles, like an interview with Josh McDowell, a Bible Study for Hebrews, and an interesting look at the Power described in the Gospel of Luke. There is some basic Greek that is contained in the magazine, but nothing that would discourage someone without a background in studying the New Testament Greek. And so, if you're looking for something new to spice up your time in God's Word, check it out. If you'd like more information, check out this review: http://expositorythoughts.wordpress.com/;

 

3). Every Language with its own Bible Translation by 2025; Story Here. 7,000 workers set sights on Gospel around the globe. A $50 million donation is being used to kick off an effort to reach an estimated 200 million people around the world with a Bible written in their own language by the year 2025.

The Last Languages Campaign is being launched by Wycliffe Bible Translators, whose leaders believe "not only do people comprehend the Bible best when it is written in the language they speak in their home, but that critical community development – literacy, the establishment of water purification systems, AIDS education , human rights, and community empowerment – often starts in the strangest place: with Bible translation."

The organization this year is recognizing Bible Week, which runs over Thanksgiving week, with a variety of events to celebrate a new campaign that will use high-tech translation techniques to accelerate the pace of language development and translation.

What previously was projected for 125 years of work now is being organized into a 17-year effort scheduled to conclude in 2025.

Entertainment Reviews

Peggy and I have had two fun nights of seeing local entertainment the past two nights – first on Thursday night we saw a local production of 'A Little Princess', which included our daughters Asia and Maggie as part of the cast. And then last night we saw comedian Tim Hawkins at the Bethel Great Hall. Here is my review of both events:

 

The production of 'A Little Princess' was wonderful. In this fast paced play, the lead characters were well cast, and they did a wonderful job in remembering their lines. The cast are from two local Junior High Schools (one of which is the ones our daughters attend, Nicollet). And Asia as one of the 'nice' school girls and Maggie as the lawyer both did exceptional performances. They hit their cues, remembered their lines, and overall had strong stage presences. Great job girls! The play has its last two performances today/ Saturday.

 

And Tim Hawkins last night was great. He was part of KKMS' Clean Comedy Night, and all 1,500 seats were filled in the Bethel Great Hall. I had only seen Tim Hawkins on 'Godtube' with hilarious videos like 'Cletus take the Reel' (here). If you have heard the popular song 'Jesus Take the Wheel', you'll love Hawkins' rendition. And last night he was very funny, making fun of people from Iowa, people who home school, wives, and even Prince, who recently had hip surgery. Here's a couple of what I thought were his best lines:

 

Don't judge my wife and me. We have decided not to spank our children. (pause) Now we just use tazers. They don't leave a mark.

 

He told the story of being hired to sing a song during a friend's marriage ceremony, as the Bride was coming down the aisle. Here were a few of the songs he thought about singing as the Bride came down:

You're Having My Baby;

You Can't Always Get What You Want;

Etc. (I'll bet you can think of some funny songs to put in here also).

 

So Peggy and I have had a lot of fun and laughter in the last two days. Here's my prayer that God fills your lives with more light and laughter also. In Jesus' name, Amen.

What Does Evil Look Like?

What Does Evil Look Like?

I've been recently thinking about what evil really is. My goal with this post is to try and help us see evil in a slightly different way, especially as it appears the Church of Christ may now be experiencing a new type of attack against it. I have seen people in Church meetings asked this same question a number of different times - who is the most evil person in Earth's history? And invariably these groups respond with the same responses: Hitler and Stalin are always mentioned. And so, it seems it is typical in our society to believe that the worst evil is someone who is 1) responsible for the worst crime (murder), and 2) this being done in great volume, such as the horror of the Holocaust, the millions who died in Russia under Stalin, or even the hundreds of thousands of Muslims killed under Saddam Hussein. So many people rightfully think that whoever is in charge at the time of mass murders is properly the most evil person to have lived.

    

But is this the way that God's Word thinks about human evil? Perhaps a quick review of the End-times person described as the Anti-Christ, the one who will be evil personified, will help shed some light on what is true evil. So let's take a closer look at Anti-Christ. As God is best revealed and known through the human life lived by Jesus Christ, Satan will best be revealed through the human life lived by the Anti-Christ. But what will the Anti-Christ do? What sort of the evil actions will be done by this most nefarious person? Paul describes this Anti-Christ as the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction (2 Thess. 2:3, :8). He is the "deceiver" (2 John 1:7); He will be a false prophet, a false Christ, who deceives many (Matthew 24:5, :23-24). Therefore this Anti-Christ will deceive many people, will be a person of destruction, and completely lawless (see, the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20 for a description of 'The Law').

 

But there is another important characteristic of the Anti-Christ – namely, that he will exalt himself above God (Dan. 7:7-11, 11:36-45, 2 Thess. 2:4), and attack the followers of God (Daniel 7:25, Rev. 16:12-16). This person will not only speak blasphemies against God, but will even dare to declare himself equal to God (Daniel 11:36-37, 2 Thess. 2:4). And so, this is what truly makes the Anti-Christ evil: Their hatred of God, and of all things of God, including God's people.

 

So who is the most evil person to have lived? Perhaps it is Nero, who lived from 37 AD to 68 AD and was Roman Emperor. Here is how one writer describes the deeds of Nero (please excuse the graphic nature of this description):

 

…In many ways, Nero is evil personified. According to the accounts of his various biographers, Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio, Nero murdered his brother and rival to the throne at the prompting of his mother, with whom he may have had sexual intercourse. He later arranged for his mother's "accidental" death. He killed his pregnant wife (and child) in a fit of rage by kicking her in the stomach. He then found a young man who looked much like his wife, had him castrated, and then married him in a public ceremony.

    In fact, Nero mocked all societal convention. He raped a vestal virgin (a capital crime) and arranged for a young Christian woman to be tied nude to the horns of an enraged bull, mocking her Christian modesty and chastity. He encouraged orgies in which commoners participated with members of imperial rank (something unthinkable in Roman society); he even married a male servant (taking the female role himself), and in a public spectacle, he acted as though he was giving birth. Throughout all of this despicable behavior, Nero sought to reverse the natural order of things, mocking not only Roman societal convention but the Creator himself.

    Nero lived for personal pleasures and self-indulgences…(Nero fiddling while Rome burned, and then blamed Christians for the fire, and then attacked and murdered Christians for the fire he himself was responsible for). Nero was personally responsible for turning Christians into human torches, for feeding them to wild animals in the Coliseum, and for the deaths of apostles Peter and Paul, all of which was followed by the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70, which occurred shortly after Nero's death.

 

(The Man of Sin, Pastor Kim Riddlebarger (2006), pp. 93-94.) So this is what 'lawlessness' looks like – Deception, murder, every conceivable sexual abuse, and overturning the natural order of all things. With these real world events taking place around 1^st Century Christians, the picture of the Beast described by John in Revelation 13 is more clearly understood from the life and actions of the Roman Emperor Nero.

 

But let me emphasize one point of this "Anti-Christ' Nero. He was an enemy of God and of God's people. Nero set himself up as someone to be worshipped. He murdered Christians through the deception and false charge of the burning of Rome. He was responsible for the murder of Jesus' leading Apostles, Paul and Peter, as well as many other Christians and Jews. And Nero set in motion the ultimate sacking and destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, with this leveling so complete, that the Temple still has not having been rebuilt even through this day. So what does evil look like? Complete evil is not 'just' the murdering of people, anyone can do that. But real evil is the attack against God, His order - the natural order of creation, and the persecution and murder of God's people.

 

Do you see any similarity to events taking place in the world today, with the life of Nero? Let me add one story that you may not have heard of reported here.; Worshippers at a Bible-teaching church in Lansing, Mich., were stunned Sunday when members of a pro-homosexual, pro-anarchy organization named 'Bash Back' interrupted their service to fling propaganda and condoms around the sanctuary, drape a profane banner from the balcony and feature two lesbians making out at the pulpit.,,,, the protesters also screamed at parishioners and pulled the church facility's fire alarm.

 

Is this just one example of a small attack against a Christian Church, or is there something more going on? The Apostle John describes something evil in the air in his day that he calls the "Spirit of Antichrist" (1 John 4:3). So let us stand up and contend for the faith by opposing all things evil and lawless and by this we will oppose all things of Anti-Christ, the Lawless One. And let us also keep our walk by the Holy Spirit avoiding all sin as the Apostle John wrote to encourage us: "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. ⁵ You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. ⁶ No one who abides in him keeps on sinning..." (1 John 3:4-6a). May God bless you this week.

 

Jesus’ Commands - Sin

Hello y'all. Here is my fourth and final section on the Commands of Jesus. Again these Commands were found in JH Smith, 'New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge', entry for 1 John 2:3.

 

John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments

 

IV. Sin - Commandments enjoining / Guard Against:

1. Commandments forbidding:
   

Adultery, Mt 5:27. 19:18. Mk 10:5-9 (And Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' ⁷ 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. ⁹ What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."), 5:19. Lk 18:20.

Anxiety, Mt 6:25-34. 10:19-23. Lk 12:11, 22-32 (And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁶ If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. ³⁰ For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.). Jn 14:27 (Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.).

Casting pearls before swine, Mt +*7:6 (Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.) [J MacArthur Study Bible - This principle is why Jesus Himself did not do (TEW note – many) miracles for unbelievers (Mt 13:58). This is to be done in respect for what is holy, not merely out of contempt for the dogs and swine…]

Covetousness, Lk 12:15 (And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.)

Desecration of church edifices by worldly business, Mt 21:12, 13 (And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. ¹³ He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."). Lk 19:46.

Despising little ones, Mt 18:10.

Divorce, Mt 5:32. 19:9. Mk 10:11, 12. Lk 16:18.

Doubt, Lk 12:29 (And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.). add – Lk 21:34 (But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.)

Drunkenness, Lk 12:45-46 (But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful). 21:34 (But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap).

Exercise of lordship over brethren, Mt 20:25-28 (But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ²⁶
It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, ²⁸ even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."). 2 Co +*1:24 (Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.).

False witness, Mt 19:18. Lk 18:20.

Falsehood, Mk 10:19. Lk 18:20.

Fear, Mk 5:36 (But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."). Lk 8:50 (healing of Jairus' daughter: But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.).

Fellowship with the wicked, Mt +*15:14 (Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.")

Fraud, Mk +*10:19 (You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.)

Going house to house, Lk 10:7 (instructions to 72: And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.).

Going into the way of the Gentiles or entering any city of the Samaritans, Mt 10:5.

Heed to false teachers, Mt +*15:14 (Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."). Mk +*4:24 (And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.).

Inconsistency, Mt 7:3-5 (Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.). 23:3 (The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, ³ so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do.). Lk 6:46 (Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?). Jn 7:23 (If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well?).

Indecision, Lk 9:62 (Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.")

Idle words, Mt 12:36. (I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, ³⁷ for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.")

Ingratitude, Mt 18:28-32 (But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.' ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.). Lk 17:17 (Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? ¹⁸ Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?").

Injustice, Mt +*23:23 (Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness).

Instability, Mt 6:24 (No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.).

Jesting, Mt 12:36 (I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,).

Murder, Mt 5:21 ("You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire.). 19:18 .

Murmuring, Jn 6:43 (Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves.).

Ostentation in giving, fasting, or prayer. Mt 6:1, 5, 6 (Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven…And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.), 17, 18 (But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.)

Profane swearing, Mt 5:34-36 (But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.)

Resistance, Mt 5:39 (But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.).

Retaliation, Mt 5:38-42 (You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' ³⁹ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.)

Saluting men on the way, Lk 10:4 (Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.)

Theft, Mt 19:18. Lk 18:20.

Troubling others doing good work for Christ, Mt 26:10 (But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.). Mk 14:6.

Uncharitable judgments, Mt 7:1-5 (Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.). Lk 6:37, 42 (Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven…How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.)

Uncharitableness, Mt 18:10 (See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.)

Unrighteous anger, Mt 5:22.

Vain repetitions in prayer, Mt 6:7, 8.

Worldliness, Mt 6:19 (Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal).

 

1. Commandments which are implied: Enjoining an exact conscience, Mt 6:22-24 (The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ²³ but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ²⁴ "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.)
   

   Against self-righteousness, Mt 7:3 (Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?).
   

   
    

   1. Commandments warning against: Anger, Mt 5:22.
      

   Covetousness, Lk 12:15 (And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.)
   

   False teachers, Mt 7:15. ("Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves)
   

   Lawsuits, Mt 5:25, 26 (Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. ²⁶ Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.).
   

   Looking back, Lk 9:62 (Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.")
   

   Lust, Mt 5:28 (But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.)
   

   Oaths, Mt 5:34, 37 (But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, …³⁷ Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.)
   

   Offending, Lk 17:1, 2 (And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! ² It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin).
   

   Offending little ones, Mt 18:6 (but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.). Mk 9:42.
   

   Revenge and vengeance, Mt 5:39 (But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.).
   

   Sadness, Mt 6:16 (And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.); Lk 24:17 (And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad.)
   

   Self-deception, Lk 11:35 (Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.)
   

   Sinful indulgence, Lk 21:34 (But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.)
   

   Stealing, Mt 19:18. Mk 10:19. Lk 18:20.
   

   Strife, Mt 12:25 (Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.)
   

   Unfaithfulness, Lk 12:46 (the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.); 16:11, 12 (If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?).
   

   Vindictiveness, Lk 9:55, 56 (And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" ⁵⁵ But he turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶ And they went on to another village.)
   

   Worry, Mt 6:34 (Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.)
   

   
    

   1. Miscellaneous Commands against Sin:
      

   Ambition, selfish. Mt 20:22 (Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?) Mk 10:38
   

   Mt 23:8 (But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.)
   

   Lk 22:24-27. ( A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ²⁵ And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶ But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.)
   

   Hypocrisy, Mt 6:1-5, 16. Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven…And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrite… Lk 20:46, 47 Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, ⁴⁷ who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.
   

   Watchfulness against covetousness, Lk 12:15. And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
   

   Covetousness - Sell what you have, Mk 10:21 (And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."). Lk 12:33, 34.
   

   World, avoid entanglement - Dead to bury the dead, Mt 8:22. Lk 9:60.
   

   Dust, shake off feet, Mt 10:14. Mk 6:11. Lk 9:5.
   

   
    

   I an grateful to have completed this eye-opening task. Before I started, I completely relied on the Holy Spirit for my personal growth, without any self direction or awareness of how I wanted to grow. And so this exercise has helped me to see the vast number of ways believers can show their love and gratitude to Jesus for what He has done on the Cross for us. One verse that has stuck with me is the verse in Matthew 5:39, the turn the other cheek verse. It seems to me that there is more than one way to apply this verse in my life. And with this, I hope you will consider the Commands of Jesus and gratefully grow in your obedience to our Lord and Savior. For God's Glory, /s/Tom