Old Testament Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 13:23 – 24 (KJV)
Jer 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
Jer 13:24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:7 – 12 (KJV)
Mat 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Mat 7:9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Mat 7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
Mat 7:11 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?
Mat 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
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Transforming Power Statements:
1) The obstacles of the realities of our fallen nature are deep and many, and therefore, must never be underestimated, as we see the impact of the fallen nature being revealed by the knowledge of the Word which is the biggest difference between being lost or saved.
2) The term The Law & the Prophets is a euphemism for the Old Testament Scriptures which God gave through Moses and the Prophets to set a righteous standard in the world for all people by which each one can measure and evaluate their own spiritual condition much like a mirror does for our outward appearance.
3) As simple as it may seem, keeping the Golden Rule is the very most difficult thing we have to do because we are not good judges of our own selves, however we strive to be judges of others with a different set of standards than we use on them that the ones we use on our selves, therefore, it is well needed that we be encouraged to periodically evaluate ourselves, our motives, actions, and overall status, before we attempt to do it for others.