Make Sure To Double-Punch Your Ticket!

MAKE SURE TO DOUBLE-PUNCH YOUR TICKET!

Someone very dear to me once told me that nobody really knows for sure that they're going to heaven.  Really?  If we don't believe this, then are we unbelievers?  If we are like this, then we should be as the father of the child whom Jesus healed; "And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.'" (Mark 9:24)  Likewise, what about people of other religions; though they have good works that they do all their lives, will they earn heaven for their good works, without belief in Christ Jesus, and acceptance of Him as their Savior?  Let's start with the first half, as James did in his epistle. "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?  Can faith save him?" (James 2:14)

"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, 'Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled'; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:15 - 17)  Unlike the thief on the cross who displayed faith on the cross, but was unable to do a work, save rebuke the other transgressor, we, while free, DO have opportunities to do works!  "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." (Rom. 9:15)  We can donate clothes to many charity outlets, and things like bedding and toiletries to gospel missions.  We can visit prisons, although that's very difficult nowadays, and we can go to hospitals and make donations there as well.  Baby clothes to a poor family, for example.  My wife and I did many things for a sweet couple out on a limb not too long ago whose baby was in the hospital for a month.  We have many works that we have done, but we don't stop, and we don't list them all for anyone, because, of course, we don't want them to be straw and burned in the bemus (believer's) judgment.  Nevertheless, works is another part of a two-part ticket one need to punch in order to be sure of going to heaven!  If one has faith with no works, their workless faith is a worthless faith!

One might say, "And how do we know what type of works qualify as works worthy of going to heaven?"  Fair question, and Jesus answered that question with some works He qualified as worthy of kingdom entrance; "Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.'  Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee?  Or thirsty, and gave Thee drink?  Saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in?  Or naked, and clothed Thee?  Saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?'  And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'" (Matt. 25:34 - 40)  Surely Jesus has put here examples for good works that qualify for the half of the ticket we need to get to heaven.  But surely there are also more.  These are works of compassion, and He gave examples here, but let the days be many and in abundance where we may come upon opportunities of all kinds where we can demonstrate compassion to our fellow human beings!  Now I mean not in any way to misconstrue the idea that anyone can be saved by works, but rather, that works are demonstrations of faith and a way of gathering treasures in heaven.  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:8 - 9)

Now many say, "I can't believe our God would send to hell a man or woman of many good works who belongs to another religion, just because his religion didn't have Christ as their Savior"  So what then?  Do they doubt the bible where it is written, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.  He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16 - 18)  Everyone is quickly taught John 3:16, but few are ready to take it to John 3:18 to finish the concept!  Is it any wonder why Jesus so excellently said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matt. 7:13 - 14)?  As it is so written, so believe.  This is why the gate to heaven is narrow; because the instructions to find it are here, but so few want to follow ALL of them!

"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." (James 2:18 - 23)  So by this point with all I've written, we may draw that faith in Christ Jesus and good works is both parts of the ticket into heaven.  Punch both parts, and you have your ticket!  But don't stop experiencing either part of the ticket, particularly faith, because that would be apostasy, and that's in the bible, too!  "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2 Thess. 2:1 - 4)  So don't lose the faith part of your ticket, as is explained here.  The bible already has told you there will be an apostasy, a falling away from faith in Christ, a turn in rebellion, and we don't want to be one of them!  "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24)  Here it is plainly; works justify our faith in Christ and the two parts of the ticket are punched hereby!

So what about a pagan, or Gentile, unbeliever, who changes their mind?  What if a prostitute finds faith in Jesus the Son of God and does works worthy of salvation?  It's been done before, and by a harlot, no less!  "Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:25 - 26)

If we find a fellow Christian who has not yet realized this biblical precept, let us explain it to them while the opportunity exists, and for the seeker, who has not committed to Christ, let us explain this, that they might accept Christ's invitation to His light yoke and gain their opportunity for salvation in Him!

IN GOD WE TRUST

IN GOD WE TRUST

Do you know what it seems to me is one of the greatest draws of men and women to God?  Times of trouble.  It seems this is the most significant reason we turn to Him and start to trust Him, is when we are in such deep manure, that it seems to a soul the only way to be extricated from the mire we find ourselves engulfed in.  "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer." (Psa. 4:1)  As David called and trusted He would answer, so should we do in times of distress.  Only let us not only call on Him when we are in trouble, let us pray to Him at all times!  "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thess. 5:17)

In this age, we have a habit of labeling people; you know, we have a name for the type of behavior you can typically expect out of certain ones.  For example, some are frowned upon and given the label, "users".  Just like you don't appreciate people who use you, do you expect God to appreciate those who use Him?  "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD." (Psa. 4:5)  When you pay your respects to God during both good times and bad times, at that time can you trust He will be willing to move to your needs.  Believers normally do this, so it is quite natural they trust Him to help when they call.

When you trust in the Lord, doing good, obeying His commandments and statutes, as you dwell where you are, you can literally feed on His faithfulness in your daily walk.  "Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." (Psa. 37:3)

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)" (Heb. 10:23)  We who believe in God and the bible trust all His promises will be kept.  Those of us who have obeyed His commandments and statutes and believed in Christ Jesus that He died for all our sins look forward to that day when we stand with Him in the heavenly places.  We trust that by His grace we are saved.  But let us not believe that His grace gives us license to sin, as some seem to allude to, claiming they are no longer under the burden of the law, as if it is now okay to transgress; it is a life of love and service!  "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." (Gal. 5:6, 13)

Let me not mislead.  We no longer sacrifice animals, because we trust in Christ for His grace.  "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Rom. 10:4)  So we trust in Christ for sufficient grace to enter His kingdom, but we still obey His commandments and statutes; "What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid.  How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6:1 - 2)  Indeed, we strive to be like Christ, who is forever sinless, knowing that we can't be, but we strive for that mark.  What sins we commit after accepting Him as Savior we trust Him to wash away in the power of His precious blood.  This is the concept of grace.  Not that there was not grace in the Old Testament, for Noah and others found it, too. "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (Gen. 6:8)  I was compelled to correct a gal recently who stated we "were in the age of grace, and no longer under the weight of the law", and I had to give her chapter and verse that Jesus didn't come to destroy the law, nor was grace from God absent in the Old Testament, as she was alluding to.  There was nothing wrong with the law, the problem was with the people!

Trust that He will give us rest.  Believe that all His promises are true, and not one word will fail.  So many people I have witnessed to have said they don't believe in the bible.  These same people have claimed to be Irish Catholics and protestants of varying denominations, and of course, there are the atheists and heathens who think they are being smarter than I working for money instead of God, like an Asian woman I witnessed to in a donut shop.  Folly runs rampant in every country, doesn't it?  "Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised: there hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant." (1 Kings 8:56)  No believer disagrees with me here that this was wise of Solomon to say when he said it then, and so does it apply today.

Trust that the Lord will answer the call of believers, but be careful what you ask for, you might just get it!  "Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jer. 33:3)  I used to ask for Him to greatly increase my faith, and to give me great faith, and He allowed it to come to pass that I was answered in a way far beyond my expectations, and it continued for a year and a half, and while I'm sure it was what I needed in His eyes, I certainly didn't want it in that manner!  I learned a time after it had started that in order to demonstrate great faith, your faith has to be greatly tested!

Those who trust in Him can believe He will deliver them.  Though the devil attack you for a year and a half, God will deliver you who believe on Him!  "Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him." (Psa. 91:14 - 15)  No matter what manure I must wade through for however long, I will trust Him to change me and make me white as snow in the end.  We who believe can trust our deliverance from death.  Trust God through all trials; "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Isa. 43:2)  I'll give you an example; remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?  "And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, 'Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?'  They answered and said unto the king, 'True, O king.'  He answered and said, 'Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.'" (Dan. 3:23 - 25)  What an amazing passage of Scripture this is, because it tells of men who trusted God, and God was even physically with them while they were in the fiery furnace, in no pain nor of any harm from the fire.  For their trust was truly great!

There are, unfortunately, a people who cannot trust God; no, they will wallow in trouble all the days they do not soften their hearts and give them to God.  These are the wicked, and their lot is such as this; "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.  'There is no peace', saith my God, 'to the wicked.'" (Isa. 57:20 - 21)  I know someone suffering this now, and his language is so foul, no sentence comes out of him that has no cursing; his language is so limited.  He goes unemployed, for he understands not that his language keeps him from earning a wage.  "A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." (Prov. 18:20 - 21)  He looks forward to donating blood to buy his beer and chew tobacco, and I feel compelled to pray that the Spirit of God open his eyes, that he might trust Christ to change his life for the better and his salvation.

Is there trouble between you and a brother or sister?  Forgive, and trust God for peace on that issue; "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil." (Eph. 4:26 - 27)  If you let unforgiveness hold onto your heart, expect your heart to be troubled for it until you do forgive.

"Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us.  Selah." (Psa. 62:8)  When you are in great distress, call out to Him.  His reward for your trust is that He will bring you through whatever the tribulation.

At some time in your life, is there ever a time you can recall that you didn't sleep well at night, because of some great fear for your safety, or maybe that something was going to happen because of some matter earlier in the day?  Did you ever realize later that was a lack of trust in the Lord to keep you safe?  "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." (Psa. 4:8)  Easier said than done, true, because we don't physically see our Lord protecting us, but we must prove we have faith in the invisible God!  "I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me." (Psa. 3:5)

Zophar counseled Job to repent that he might receive invulnerability once more of God from all his calamities.  In knowing the story, Zophar's ill thoughts of Job are unfounded, yet, his advice is correct; trust God for protection from destruction.  "And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.  Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee." (Job 11:18 - 19)  The believer can trust in the hedge God puts between us and the evil of the devil and his demons.

No matter how great the enemy, trust God to blot them out of your way and cause them to be but a bad memory for you.  For if they are not your brother or sister, how could they be a believer in our great God?  "Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; how he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.  Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it." (Deut. 25:17 - 19)  As God smote the most savage enemy of Moses and the Israelites, so trust Him to do the same for you, because you believe on Him!  "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." (Psa. 18:2)

Is there one reading this who is barren, and has no children to count on in their old age?  Trusting in God, we have children in Christ, because those younger than us are our sons and daughters in Christ, just as Paul called Timothy his son, though he was not so, biologically speaking!  "And again, I will put my trust in Him.  And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me." (Heb. 2:13)  Though my wife and I are barren, yet, we have daughters and sons in Christ for our old age!

Now what of the law?  So many fear the law, as though it were a schoolmaster, and Paul indeed thought it a schoolmaster; to teach us to trust in Christ to justify us by faith in Him!  "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Gal. 3:24)  And what more shall I say of the law?  As I said in the fifth paragraph of this study, Jesus came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it!  "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:17 - 19)  So trust in God.  Yea, trust in Christ Jesus to fulfill the law; "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.  He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but He that believeth not is condemned already, because He hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16 - 18)

Let us trust explicitly in the Lord, for "They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.  As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever." (Psa. 125:1 - 2)

A HISTORY OF JESUS

A HISTORY OF JESUS

I found it rather interesting one day that someone struggling to pastor a church in a predominately Hindu country asked me this question, but perhaps as he goes doorknocking this is a common question among the Hindus.  It also made me ponder that maybe even other Christians would not be able to easily answer this question, as many of us would immediately blurt out that He always was, always is, and always will be, but as the thought processes of people from other countries are on a different wavelength than those in my country, I thought perhaps it would be easier for Hindus and people of other religions to come to Christ if it were explained more fully from Scripture, so while we know Christ always was, therefore had no beginning, let's go to the beginning of the bible and explain it as I did to our brother in Christ.

The first line of Scripture I gave as evidence Jesus existed before the first man was this one: "And God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'" (Gen. 1:26)  Note that God said "Us" and "Our".  This is strong evidence that the Trinity existed at the very beginning, consistent with our doctrine that God always was. I wanted to further exemplify that Jesus didn't just hang out in heaven while man was working his way through time, so I used this passage in Genesis that would be even stronger evidence that Jesus was busy on earth, and that man knew it was Him from the Father and the Holy Spirit; "The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." (Gen. 48:16)  Jesus is often referred to as God's Angel in the Old Testament, and the way you can know that Jesus is being referred to here specifically is that it is written the Angel REDEEMED him from all evil, and Jesus is known in the New Testament as our Redeemer, so here we have it He is known at work in the Old Testament.  Time to visit Him in the New Testament!

Another good explanation of His history prior and up to His birth can be found in the gospel of John at its beginning; "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.  In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.  He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.  But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-14)

His earthly history was heralded by an angel just before He came to earth; "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." (Luke 2:10 - 12)  And then He was born, indeed!  "And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." (Luke 2:16)  He lived somewhat of an invisible childhood between the ages of 12 and 30, until He started His ministry..."And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage.  And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto Him, 'They have no wine.'  Jesus saith unto her, 'Woman, what have I to do with thee?  Mine hour is not yet come.'  His mother saith unto the servants, 'Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.'  And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.  Jesus saith unto them, 'Fill the waterpots with water.'  And they filled them up to the brim.  And He saith unto them, 'Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.'  And they bare it. the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, 'Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.'  This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him." (John 2:1 - 11)

After 3 years of ministry, His mission to fulfill from the Father was at hand, so He was crucified and died for our sins as the perfect sacrifice, that all who will believe in Christ Jesus will be saved and have eternal life in heaven.  "They crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, 'They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast lots.'" (Matt. 27:35)  But Jesus did not STAY DEAD!  He rose again on the third day, according to the prophecies of the scriptures!  "And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.  And the angel answered and said unto the women, 'Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matt. 28:2 - 6)

Now after His resurrection from the dead, He appeared several times to His disciples.  Then, in the witness of over 500 disciples, He went into heaven, with the promise He will return!  "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, 'Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.'" (Acts 1:9 - 11)

Now since Jesus left to go to heaven, we are given all this time to demonstrate that we havae faith in Him, and believe in Him, that we might go to heaven because we believe.  And when the end of time has come for the earth, Jesus will sit on a great white throne, and He will judge the living and the dead, the good and the evil.  "And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:11 - 15)  Jesus it is who will give us the right to the tree of life, because we believed in Him, and did His commandments!  "And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Rev. 22:12 - 14)  And so I told my brother in Christ that he had not only herein the history of Jesus, which is without beginning in reality, but also the future of Jesus, which also is without end!

Biblical Discrimination

BIBLICAL DISCRIMINATION

Think not that there was not discrimination during the time that Jesus walked the earth, because I tell you, there was.  Those whom the Jews discriminated against, those whom they would not have any dealings with, these people did Jesus lift up on a number of occasions in His speech, and even in a visitation with them.  These people were...the Samaritans!  Let's see how the bible brings them through history into an era of discrimination, and how Jesus used them as a tool in His ministry to fight discrimination of them.

The first use of the word Samaria comes in 1 Kings 13:32; "For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass."  This entire area that would later become the capital of the 10 northern tribes is the same place where an old prophet tricked a man of God by a lie into disobeying God, for which he was slain by a lion.  This is also the place bought by Omri who reigned in Israel, the most wicked king of his time, and the place became the center of idol worship in that day.  "And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.  But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him." (1 Kings 16:24 - 25)  Already one can see why Samaria was a bad place to be from; it was of such bad reputation for idolatry!  This place that Omri built, he was also buried there.

Now you think Omri was a wicked king doing his idolatry thing to provoke the Lord to anger; huh!  He was a piker next to Ahab!  "And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.  And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.  And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.  And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.  And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him." (1 Kings 16:29 - 33)  We're really getting a good picture of why Samaritans were considered the scum of the earth, here; they apparently enjoyed invoking the wrath of God whoring after false gods!  This was also, by the way, the land where Jezebel lived, renowned as a prophet-killer, she was!  "For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)" (1 Kings 18:4)

The third king in lineage, Ahaziah was another no good king of Israel. "Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.  And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done." (1 Kings 22:51 - 53)  So this place is getting quite a name for evil kings and the home of false god worship!

This is becoming a long line of evil kings; the fourth generation now reigns, and still nothing good is able to be spoken of Samaria, except that Elisha had been there.  "Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.  And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.  Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom." (2 Kings 3:1 - 3)

Now here is one small trivial point in Samaria's history where something good happened, but not for anyone from Samaria, but rather to the captain of the Syrian host, Naaman; he bathed in the Jordan there seven times, and was cured of his leprosy!  "So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.  And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, 'Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.'" (2 Kings 5:9 - 10)

This is the place where a second great famine had taken hold of the people, so bad, that an unclean animal, an ass's head, sold for 80 pieces of silver!  "And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.  And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver." (2 Kings 6:24 - 25)  In this famine, even the women ate their children!  "And the king said unto her, 'What aileth thee?'  And she answered, 'This woman said unto me, "Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow."  So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, "Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son."" (2 Kings 6:28 - 29)  So this Samaria has become a place of great evil and horrible happenstances...and shall we find more?

Samaria is the place wherein the people slew all 70 of king Ahab's sons (2 Kings 10) at the bidding of Jehu, who afterward slew everyone else who belonged to Ahab.  It is the place where Jehoahaz also caused Israel to sin the sins of Jeroboam, that the Lord delivered them into the hands of the king of Syria (2 Kings 13).  And Jehoash did the same after Jehoahaz his father, as did also Jeroboam (2 Kings 14), As did Zachariah, the last of Jehu's descendants (2 Kings 15); and Shallum killed him, and reigned, and Menahem killed him, and reigned, and even he followed the sins of Jeroboam!  Pekahiah followed him after Jeroboam's sins, and Pekah slew him, but did the same sins; Hoshea reigned after him (2 Kings 17), and also sinned the sins of Jeroboam, and the king of Assyria beseiged and took them away, and allowed Israel to be a melting pot of religions.  So I think this is sufficient to lend great credibility at this point that so much of Samaria's history reeked of wickedness, that to be from there and admit it immediately gave you a bad reputation, and thus people discriminated against anyone from Samaria, or that claimed to be Samaritan.

It was common to discriminate or say prejudicial things of towns and cities with bad reputations.  Take Jesus, for instance.  When Nathanael first heard of where Jesus was from when he heard of Jesus from Philip for the first time, he said this; "Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, 'We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'  And Nathanael said unto him, 'Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?'  Philip saith unto him, 'Come and see.'" (John 1:45 - 46)  So you see how Nathanael spoke negative of Jesus, since where He came from had a negative reputation?  From a worldly aspect, it is considered that leopards cannot change their spots, and so nothing good can come out of an ill-reputed city or country.  But from Philip's speaking, we understand that he already believed on Jesus, but Nathanael needed to learn of Jesus' Messiahship first hand, unbelieving, at first.

Jesus used people's prejudice and discrimination to teach them a couple times within His ministry using Samaria.  "But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, 'And who is my neighbour?'  And Jesus answering said, 'A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, 'Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.'  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?'  And he said, 'He that shewed mercy on him.'  Then said Jesus unto him, 'Go, and do thou likewise.'" (Luke 10:29 - 37)

Let us examine the Scripture above, here.  Jesus uses two examples of what are supposed to be respectable Jews and shows them to be uncommpassionate toward a man who desparately needs compassion.  These do not treat that certain man as would be expected, being a priest, one, and a Levite, the other.  But then comes a Samaritan, one who is despised by reputation of where he is from, and it is HE who does the right thing and is compassionate toward that certain man who was robbed and nearly killed.  And see how the lawyer referred to the Samaritan in the end?  Even after Jesus exalted the man in the parable from that despised place, Samaria, the lawyer couldn't bring himself to say, "the Samaritan", he forced himself to say, rather, "He that shewed mercy upon him.".

This is not the only instance of the Gospels where Jesus finds the Samaritans more worthy than the rest of the Jews.  Consider the story of the 10 lepers; "And it came to pass, as He went to Jerusalem, that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.'  And when He saw them, He said unto them, 'Go shew yourselves unto the priests.'  And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.  And Jesus answering said, 'Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.'  And He said unto him, 'Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.'" (Luke 17:11 - 19)  Here was not a parable, but a real life story proving that just because someone comes from a place of ill repute, doesn't make everyone from there of ill repute, as well.

The Pharisees accused Jesus of being a Samaritan, even though He never said He was from there, and on top of that, they accused Him of having a devil, and this was an unforgivable sin!  "Then answered the Jews, and said unto Him, 'Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?'" (John 8:48)  They wanted to paint Him a great heretic, and what better place to accuse Him of being from, than from a city long reknowned for heresy and false religions of all sorts.

There is one more prejudice/discrimination to address in the bible; personal discrimination.  The worldly view, as I used once previously here, is that leopards cannot change their spots; but this is not true with Jesus.  Consider Saul, later Paul. "And Saul was consenting unto his death.  And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.  And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.  As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.  Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word." (Acts 8:1 - 4)  Here was a guy who was a Christian terrorist!  This Pharisee made sure no Christian breathed easy in his presence!  Yet, this leopard, as we know, DID change his spots!  "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?'  And he said, 'Who art thou, Lord?'  And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.'  And he trembling and astonished said, 'Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?'  And the Lord said unto him, 'Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.'  And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.  And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus." (Acts 9:3 - 8)  So here is Saul, who is converted by Christ Himself, and he has to go through a process of becoming unblinded, and thereafter, he himself is preaching the very things that he exerted much venom against!  As we know from the New Testament, Paul was initially feared by Peter and Jesus' other disciples, but was accepted once they learned of his conversion.  "And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.  But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.  And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.  And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.  Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus." (Acts 9:26 - 30)  Now this is understandably a hard discrimination to overcome; if someone is known for wanting to kill you, you don't make friends with them just on their say so that they have changed; that could be fatal!  Yet, here again is another example how God can cause a leopard to indeed change his spots!  With God, all is possible.

So what does Scripture have for us to learn from all this?  "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. 3:16 - 17)  Is instruction in righteousness to be found in this?  Jesus seemed to be teaching that good people can come out of places of ill repute, and, according to Nathanael's reference to Nazareth, Jesus Himself came out of a place with a bad reputation.  And how unique was Saul, later Paul, that for the Christians of his day, he should come out of his own fearful reputation to become one of the most Scripture-writing apostles for the reading pleasure of Christians everywhere today.  Would it seem that Christ was trying to give us that we should not judge anyone because they came from "the wrong side of the tracks", a place of bad repute?  And here He was, a Nazarene, yet Nathanael discovered that his Messiah came from that place where he once held that nothing good could come from.  And Paul; is he not an example for us that even the most wicked of people can be changed by God into a bondservant of Christ?  It seems we can learn from this not to judge someone for where they came from, or who they once were, but rather observe the content of their character, and know them by who they are NOW.  If they be evil for a season, pray for them, and observe if they "change their spots"!