Those Who Bring Good News Must Also Rebuke in Love “But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias , his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.” ( Luke 3:18–20 ) As I meditate on these verses, I wish to receive the lesson contained in them. (1) John the Baptist, who proclaimed “good news” to the people (Luke 3:18), rebuked “ Herod the tetrarch ” (v.19)—the same Herod Antipas mentioned in verse 1 (Hokmah)—because of “ his marriage to Herodias , his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done” (v.19). (a) The phrase “ his brother’s wife Herodias ” (v.19) refers to the fact that Herod took his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias (Matt. 14:4; Mark 6:17). Around A.D. 26, Herod divorced his first wife—the daughter of King Aretas of Arabia —and...
Have you received the Holy Spirit? [Acts 8:14-25] Here, we must consider the correct attitude towards the Holy Spirit. Pastor A. W. Tozer advises in his book "Speaks to Students" not to grieve the Holy Spirit with a single word. What causes one to grieve the Holy Spirit? It is when we resist the guidance of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, even though we may sense it. Pastor Tozer says, ‘Cease immediately from any act of resistance against God. Do not further resist what you believe to be right. If your conscience enlightens you from the Word of God, do not go against it. Follow the teachings of the Bible. If we continue to resist the will of the Holy Spirit as expressed in the Scripture He has authored, it grieves the Holy Spirit’ (Tozer). May the indwelling Holy Spirit guide us an...