Zech. 11-12
I don’t know how anyone can believe that the Bible is not God’s work. It is far too linked together and detailed in ways that shouldn’t be possible. This passage in Zechariah is a good example. I wish I understood more of God’s message here, but the link to Jesus’ betrayal is unmistakable. “And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver….I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter.” (Zech. 11:12b, 13b). We know that Judas Iscariot was paid 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus to the religious leaders. Later, he threw the 30 silver pieces into the temple and the religious leaders used the money to purchase the Potter’s Field.
Rev. 2
Jesus sent a message through John in this Revelation to each of “the seven churches”. I notice that in each of these first four messages, Jesus gave some mention of false teachers – those who lead God’s people astray with lies and deceptions.
- He praised the church in Ephesus because they “tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false” (Rev. 1:2b).
- To the church of Smyrna He noted “those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (Rev. 1:9b).
- He chided the church in Pergamum because, though they were faithful, they allowed those who taught and practiced that unrestrained indulgence that we read about in Jude to remain among them.
- He likewise chided the church in Thyatira for tolerating “that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols” (Rev. 1:20b).
What would Jesus say to the Church today? There are so many among us who are teaching that it is okay to indulge in your own fleshly desires and that sexual perversion is acceptable to God. In so many ways we have become a Church that worships self. And if we don’t worship it, we tolerate….no, accept those who do. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that such teaching and practice should not be a part of Christ’s Church!