Tag: Luke

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House of Prayer vs Den of Thieves

Matthew 21:1-17
Focus verse 13
(same story in Luke 19:45-48 and Mark 11:17)

Initial

The Temple of God is meant to be a “House of Prayer”

  • A place to come to God
  • A place of teaching, and therefore a place to learn
  • A place of healing (body, mind, soul)
  • A place to give praise to God
  • Humilty
  • Meekness
  • Compassion
  • a desire to learn
  • with reverence, respect (understanding our frailty)
  • light
  • quiet
  • private

Being described as a “Den of Thieves” removes the glory we are meant to give to God, and the temple becomes a place of convenience, an extension of our natural life, removing the opportunity of spiritual growth and the ability to focus on God.

Thinking of a “Den of Thieves”

  • To rob, steal, collude
  • be a reprobate
  • steal from each other
  • steal from God (time, praise, effort)
  • Darkness
  • Rowdy
  • Secretive
  • with Attitude (own thoughts/thinking)

When we look in the scriptures to see an example of approaching the Lord
Luke 18:9-14 – Pharisee vs Publican

Ecclesiastes 7:4
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

An example of HoP vs DoT

Scriptures that Jesus used

House of Prayer

Isaiah 56:7

Chapter 55 and 56 further expand on the point that Jesus Christ is trying to illustrate.

  • 55:1 Those that trust …
  • 55:3 Incline your ear …
  • 55:6 Seek the Lord …
  • 55:7 Forsake unrighteousness …
  • 55:8-9 God is above, His thoughts are higher
  • 56:1 Righteousness to be revelaed
  • 56:2 Blessing in doing
  • 56:7 House of Prayer, for all people

Den of thieves

Jeremiah 7:11

The whole chapter is a reminder of the blessing of God, and a warning for those that walk in there own ways

  • v11 the Lord sees what happens and asks the question of us
  • v13 called and answered not
  • v15 cast out
  • v16 will not hear

Whats next?

So how do we pray? When Jesus gave his sermon on the mount, he gave direction of the way we should approach prayer.

Matthew 6:5-13 (Example of prayer)
Matthew 6:19-24 (Don’t follow the thieves example)

Perfected Praise

Matthew 21:15-16

Once again Jesus Christ refers to another scripture to give an answer and direction.

Psalms 8:1-9

King David is showing admiration of God, recognising the small unworthy stature that mankind has. So when Jesus refers to this scripture, he not only declares that the simplicity of a child’s praise, but he also reminds those that life themselves up of the minute stature they really have.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Supporting Scriptures

Matthew 10:34
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Luke 12:40
Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

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Colossians 3

Theme:

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts …
Let the word of God dwell in you richly…
Colossians 3:15,16

A brief rundown of Colossians 3:

  • God has made all things
  • He redeemed us through the Blood of His Son
  • We are now free from our old life, thoughts, and judgement of others
  • Noe we should seek things from above, get rid of the old and put on the new and let God work in our life.

LET

  • Not prevent or forbid
  • Allow
  • Allow to pass in a particular direction

PEACE

  • Freedom from disturbance
  • Tranquility
  • A state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended
  • A state of being free

RULE

  • One of a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct
  • Principle/code that works within a particular area

HEART

  • Regarded as the centre of a persons thoughts and emotions, especially love or compassion
  • The central or innermost part of something

WORD

  • A single distinct meaningful element or speech or writing
  • A command, password or signal
  • One’s account of the truth

DWELL

  • Live in or at a specified place
  • (Dwell on/upon) think, speak, write at length, linger

RICHLY

  • Elaborate, generous, or plentiful way
  • Fully

PEACE

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

James 3:18
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Psalms 122:7
Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

Romans 15:33
Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Jude 1:2
Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

Matthew 10:34
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Ephesians 6:15
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace …

Exodus 14:14
The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Job 13:5
O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

Psalms 29:11
The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

Psalms 34:14
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Psalms 37:11
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalms 37:37
Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

Psalms 119:165
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

Luke 2:14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Romans 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 3:11
Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

Proverbs 16:7
When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Psalms 4:8
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Romans 15:13
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

WORD

Luke 8:11
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Matthew 13:23
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Luke 4:4
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1 Thessalonians 4:18
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

John 1:14
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.

Psalms 33:6
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

Psalms 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Proverbs 30:5
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Luke 11:28
But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

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The Last 10 Days

Find some recent events that highlight attributes in the world and more specifically thats points to the near return of Jesus Christ.

Mark 13:28-29
28. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
29. So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

Luke 21:9-11
9. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
10. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11. And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
1. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Peter 3:2-4
2. That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4. And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

2 Peter 3:9-10
9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Luke 17:26-30 (also Matthew 24:36-39)
26. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Luke 21:25-30
25. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26. Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
29. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30. When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

Matthew 24:6-13
6. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Mark 7:20-23
20. And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22. Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Acts 28:26-27
26. Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
27. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Ecclesiastes 8:11-13
11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
13. But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

Proverbs 12:20
20. Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.

Ezekiel 11:21
21. But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

Ephesians 5:16
16. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
1. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

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Continuing Faith in God

Hebrews 11:1

1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith >> seeking the Lord for a victory

Philippians 1:3-6

3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Reminding ourselves that what God starts, He WILL finish

Romans 8:18

18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Romans 8:23-25

23. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Romans 8:26-28

26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:31-21

31. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Reminding ourselves of what is to come, of hope, and with help, God doesn’t hold back

Matthew 7:7-11

7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10. Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

If we know how to look after our children, how much more will God look after His children.

Luke 17:11-19

11. And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13. And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14. 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.
15. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18. There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Act of Faith despite no visible signs of healing

Thanking God (before and after), also not being caught up in thinking we “deserve” this. It was the Samaritan that came back to thank Jesus.

Ephesians 5:20

20.  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Give thanks ALWAYS

Colossians 1:20-23

20. And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Colossians 1:12

12.  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Continue in Faith, being grounded (established) and settled (content), and giving thanks!

James 1:2-8

2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

LET patience …
If we lack, ASK … in faith NOT wavering

Ephesians 3:14-21

14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18. May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

HE THAT HAS EARS TO HEAR

 

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God knows … but we still need to ask

Premise:

God knows every single thing about us:
But, we still need to ask for what we want!

The Talk:

1 Corinthians 10:13
13.  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

God knows every single thing about us:

  • good
  • bad
  • hair on our heads
  • cells in our body
  • the missing genes that we can blame our parents for
  • our hearts desires
  • our needs
  • our wants
  • our strengths
  • our weaknesses
  • what we’re capable of
  • what we’re not capable of
  • how we go about things
  • etc etc etc

And not only does He know this about us, but He knows it about every single person on the planet, that was and that has been …. He knows it all.

So come to a time of need, come to a place when things are not going well and we can find ourselves in the habit of thinking “well God know’s this already … so please God just answer my prayer!!” …. WHAT PRAYER ??? All we did was state a fact …. God does know – correct!
God can answer my prayer – correct!
But have we actually spent time asking??
Have we got on our knees and pressed in for a victory?
Have we spent time calling to God’s attention His promises that we gave us?
Have we spent time building up ourselves on our most holy faith?

We still need to ask for what we want!

Noah and the Ark
God made a way of escape, but he had to build a boat for 100 years to get there.

Genesis 6:6-8
6. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Abraham and Isaac
The sacrifice of Isaac – God made a way of escape with the goat

Genesis 22:8
8.  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Genesis 22:10-13
10. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

Vipers and brazen snake
God didn’t take the snakes away, but made a way they could be redeemed.

Numbers 21:5-8
5. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
6. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

10 Lepers
Only one came back to thank Jesus

Luke 17:12-19
12. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13. And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14. 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.
15. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18. There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Heaven and Hell
God hasn’t taken Hell away, but he has made a way to escape hell

  • Israelites through the Red Sea
  • Esther
  • Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo in the furnace.
  • Daniel and lion’s den
  • Peter in prison

How do we escape?
Don’t be overcome.
Have a strong foundation.

2 Peter 1:4-8

4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7. And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 12:25-29

25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26. Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29. For our God is a consuming fire.

Luke 21:36

36.  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Hebrews 2:3

3.  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;