BDCMINISTRIES

The Lord's Teaching Was Different

Matthew 7:29 NKJV — for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

What We Say Should Carry Weight

Years ago, I had an old junker for a car.  I knew that it needed an alignment and I took it to a tire shop that had treated me right when I dealt with them on other occasions.  The mechanic got under the car, pushed some things and pulled some others, and then slid out from under the car and said, "We can save her!"  And he did!

Some people seem to know what they are doing and what they say carries weight.  The Lord was like that.  Other people just do not come across as people that are dependable.  Either they don't know what they are doing or they lie when the truth would do better.  The Lord was one of those people whom people recognized as an authority when he taught.  And of course, He should have been an authority–after all, He was God manifest in the flesh.  He was the creator according to Revelation 4:11 NKJV which says,  “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”  The Lord was dealing with first hand experience and it showed.  He was the authority and He spoke with authority.  

People Who Never Speak With Authority

We have people who have studied the Bible and have advanced degrees in religious studies who never speak with authority.  Their messages are research papers telling us what "experts" think the passage means and in many cases those experts do not let the plain sense make sense (in my opinion).   In some cases, they speak with clarity and may even speak loudly.  But the intelligent listener will know that they are not speaking with authority because what they are saying contradicts the plain teaching of Scripture.   

I listened to the funeral of President Jimmy Carter and noticed that the Episcopal priest prayed that the Lord would grant him eternal life.  It is my understanding looking at the plain sense of John 3:16, that the priest didn't know what that verse said.  He didn't know what John 5:24 said. I can tell you (based on the authority of Scripture) that eternal life is granted to those who "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" while living.  If the matter has not been settled between the individual and God while they are still living, no amount of praying will change their eternal destiny after they die.  

When I am talking to someone about income tax matters, I like to talk to those who actually make out tax returns.  If I am going to talk to people about vacation getaways, I want to talk to someone who has been there.  If I am going to talk to someone who is recommending certain medical doctors, I want to talk to someone who has seen the doctor and who has gotten good results.  I don't want to talk to people who use words like, "it seems to me," or "in my opinion."  I want to talk to people who know what they are saying.

When I listen to people preaching at funerals or at their church services, I listen to see if the person has had a personal encounter with the Lord and if they are basing their message on the Bible.  Often when people preach, we can tell that they have been "with the Lord" and they are telling us what they have learned from the Lord Himself through the illumination of the Holy Spirit.  

People Who Make Sense

There was a man to whom I loved to listen when I heard him at open platform conferences.  He always made sense.  He always made things simple.  One day he told us that he read the Bible through twice a year,  and that he had done this for 32 years.  All of a sudden I understood why I liked His preaching.  He obviously knew the Lord in a real way and he knew the context of the passages he was explaining.  He spoke from the heart based on his personal knowledge of the Lord and His Word.  That is the kind of preacher to whom I like to listen.  

The Lord was not a commentator on the Scriptures, He was their source.  Peter and John in Acts 4:13 spoke with authority and they did not have advanced religious degrees. " Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus (NKJV)."  

The Lord spoke with authority (and the people recognized that He spoke with authority) because He was the source of that authority.  Peter and John spoke with authority because they had been with Jesus.  That is the kind of preaching that we need in our day.  That is the kind of preaching to which I aspire.

We Need to Pay Attention to what the Lord Said

The Lord said with authority in Matthew 7:21-23,  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! (NKJV)’"

The Lord tells us with authority what the will of the Father is in John 6:40, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day (NKJV).”

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the week of January 12, 2025

My Two Cents Worth Videos, you can subscribe to this channel.