Sermon Oct 24
“When hard times come, be a student, not a victim.”
–A victim says, “Why did this happen to me?”
–A student says, “What can I learn from this?”
–A victim complains he is being treated unfairly.
–A student thanks God he is not being treated as he deserves.
–A victim tries to get even with those who have hurt him.
–A student seeks to serve others in the midst of his difficulty.
–A victim believes the game of life is stacked against him.
–A student believes God is at work even in the worst situations.
Many of us can think of a hundred other comparisons, but the point is clear. We rarely control what happens to us, but we can always choose how we will respond.
Sometimes we will make the wrong choice and pay a heavy price for our mistake. Often, we won’t learn the right lesson until we can look back and see how God was at work in our trials.
We can’t control what happens to us, but
we can always control how we respond.
Something like that happened to a woman named Naomi. You can find her story in the Old Testament book of Ruth. It is a love story that starts with misery and ends with joy. Ruth is an account of anxiety, fear, love, and commitment that inflames the imagination and soothes the soul. It begins with despair and ends with delight.
Along the way we discover “the God who works behind the scenes,” which means the real star of the book is the Lord who works in, though, and sometimes in spite of our decisions.
Go to the book of Ruth, Chapter 1, verse1:
During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there. 3 Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband (Ruth 1:1-5).
In this story we can learn three distinct lessons that will help us navigate hard times
#1: Hard Times can hit at any time
The book of Ruth opens with a note that anchors this story to a particular time and place: “During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land” (v. 1). This means the story took place after Joshua’s death and before Saul became king. When we read the book of Judges, we may be tempted to think it was a godless time, but that would not be correct. We should think of it as a time when every man did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25). As long as the judges ruled, the people served the Lord. But when a judge died, the Jews turned to idolatry. It was a recurring cycle of obedience, disobedience, judgment, suffering, desperation, and returning to the Lord. {sound familiar}
God can ring your phone any time of the day or night to give you the bad news.
In Deuteronomy 28:24 Moses warned the people that if they refused to obey the Lord, God would curse the land: “The Lord will turn the rain of your land into falling dust; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed.” That means the famine in the Promised Land didn’t just happen. It was not a natural disaster. God intended the famine to send a message to His people.
When people ask me, “Do you think God can speak to us today?” I tell them, “You don’t have to worry about that. God has your number on speed dial. He can ring your phone any time of the day or night. And when he calls, you won’t be able to put him on call waiting.” God knows how to get through to any of us at any time.
#2: Hard Times causes us to make Hard Choices
If you are Elimelech, what do you do when a famine impacts your family? The land around Bethlehem was some of the most fertile ground in the Promised Land. A man who worked hard could harvest enough yearly to care for his family. So what do you do when a famine hits? Elimelech took his family and moved to Moab because it was a land of good soil and adequate rainfall. If the famine had not hit that region, perhaps he would stay for a few months or a year or two.
Elimelech was an “Ephrathite. Ephrathah was the old name for Bethlehem. It might imply that he came from a distinguished background, from a family with a long history in the region. It would be like saying, “Here is a man from Beverly Hills in Los Angeles.” That wouldn’t guarantee he had money, but it does suggest something about his background.
“Elimelech lost his life while seeking a livelihood, and found a grave where he had sought a home.”
It appears from the Scriptures that things worked out for a while. Evidently they settled in the “fields of Moab” and found lots to eat. The famine of Bethlehem was now a distant memory. But soon Elimelech dies. We aren’t told why or how, only that he died in Moab, leaving Naomi without a husband and the two boys without a father. Eventually the boys married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. Then suddenly the sons died and were buried in Moab. Just as suddenly ten years had passed. (Has time leaped over your plans today. God has a plan, are you walking in it?)
I read recently about a woman who, knowing she was about to die, wrote her own obituary, which summed up her 69 years this way: “I was born, I blinked, and it was over.” We could all say the same thing for the days are long, but the years are short.
Verse 1 notes that Elimelech intended to emigrate to Moab for “a while,” meaning he never intended to leave forever. This was a temporary move made into foreign territory, chosen under great duress. This was a man’s choice but God was very clear - the Israelites were to have nothing to do with Moabites:
(In Deuteronomy 23:3, 6).No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the Lord’s assembly; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, may ever enter the Lord’s assembly . . . Never pursue their welfare or prosperity as long as you live.
Elimelech probably didn’t mean to leave the Lord by moving to Moab, but it was a reckless and unwise move at best. An ancient foe of Israel, Moab originated from Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughters (Genesis 19:30-38). Elimelech was leaving the land of blessing to live among pagans on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. He and his family would be exposed to the Moabite religion with its degrading idol worship and its gross sexual perversion. I think Elimelech misunderstood the risks but considered this move a temporary expedient for the sake of his family. His perspective was one sided. His choices were one sided for self not shared with God. Have you been there recently?
Freedom to disobey God always comes with consequences. God gives us that freedom.
Here is the problem in three sentences:
The problem in Israel was not the lack of bread. The problem was the lack of obedience to Jehovah God and His commandments.
This was not the first famine in the land flowing with milk and honey, and it would not be the last. This also was a personal famine on the Word of God
Regardless your good intentions or motives won’t cancel the impact of your bad decisions.
Think about rules for a moment. Did you promise to obey the rules when you got your driver’s license? Yes you did, for the moment. What matters is not whether you like the rules or agree with them; the only question is, will you obey them? You are free to have your own opinion such as when you speed, but you are free to disobey but there are consequences.
Motives matter, but in real life obedience is better than sacrifice.
God who is rich in grace, and has demonstrated great depths of mercy will forgive, but we should never presume upon Him as this is sin.
So you can’t run from your problems because your problems will follow you wherever you go. A change of scenery doesn’t produce a changed heart. Whatever you were before is what you will be and take with you wherever you go next. We all feel the urge to change things when we encounter problems. We want a new spouse or new children or a new job or a new career. We may dream of moving to a new house or into a new neighborhood. If our church doesn’t go the way we like, we want a new pastor. We think if only we could make a fresh start, things would be better. And sometimes that’s true.
But change can be an excuse not to face the problems of life head on. Running away from our trouble rarely makes things better.
Elimelech thought he would go to Moab, stay there for a while, then return home. But there are three graves in Moab. That’s where he’s buried along with his two sons. His wrong decision meant his family never made it back home. Again in the words of Samuel Cox, “Elimelech lost his life while seeking a livelihood, and found a grave where he had sought a home.”
# 3: Hard Times prepare us for God’s works of grace
Oswald Chambers wrote about the “dance of circumstance,” meaning the hand of God working through seemingly random events. Who raised up the judges? God did and does today. Who sent the famine? God did and does today. Who gave safe passage to Moab? God did and does today. Who decreed the three men of the family should die there? God did and does today. As far as we know, God never spoke directly to Elimelech, yet His Unseen Hand moves behind every event.
Whatever else you may say about your life, don’t ever forget that God oversees the tiniest details. Nothing escapes His notice, and even the most unlikely events are part of His plan for you. Everything happening today to you and those around you is by design.
When their family left Bethlehem, there were four of them, three men and one woman: Elimelech, Naomi, Mahlon and Chilion. But now Naomi has buried her three men in the mountains of Moab. When she discusses her situation with Orpah and Ruth, Naomi declares that God has turned his hand against her (Ruth 1:13). Naomi has become bitter.
Message here for us all is that God knows what he is doing even when we don’t have a clue.
So how then is Naomi prepared for a great work of grace? As our text ends, Naomi is still in Moab, far from her home both in distance geographically and separation spiritually. She is coping with the loss of her husband and her sons. She is where she shouldn’t be (in a pagan land), separated from God and from God’s people, facing the consequences of her husband’s unwise and sinful decision. She is an older widow, in the company of two younger widows. This is not a place for her and her daughters-in-laws to be in any sense.
Write this story line in big letters - HOPELESSNESS. Naomi is stuck in Moab, a widow with no hope of ever having another child, with two younger widows by her side, and these two younger women are not Jews but Moabitesses. As far as Naomi reckons, not only does she have no future, but neither do they if they stay with her.
Part of our challenge in reading the book of Ruth is that we end of the story ends. We face the same issue when we read about Joseph in the book of Genesis. How much did Joseph know about the end of the story when his brothers cast him into the pit in Genesis 37? The answer is nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Ask the same question when he is carted off by the Midianites and then sold as a slave to Potiphar. How much did he know about his future when Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of rape? Or when Potiphar had him thrown into jail? Or when the cupbearer promised to remember him but forgot about him while he stayed in the prison? The answer is the same.
We like to repeat, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20), as if it explains all of Joseph’s endurance during hard times. But Joseph had no advance knowledge that he (a Hebrew slave!) would eventually be #2 main man and ruler in Egypt.
When I’m asked, “Does God have a blueprint for my life?” I like to reply, “Yes, but there’s only one copy, and it’s locked up in heaven, and there is no way to get a copy.” We aren’t given advance notice of what tomorrow will bring. That’s true for all of us–rich and poor, young and old, new Christian or mature believer. We all must live life, one day at a time.
NAOMI is a bruised believer, brokenhearted at what she has lost.
Naomi still believes in God, even in a foreign land, cut off from her own people. If she is bitter at the Lord, she has not turned from him. She is a bruised believer, brokenhearted at what was lost. If you and I callously say, “She got what was coming to her,” we only reveal how little we understand God’s heart. He is rich in grace, and his pockets are deep and full of mercy.
God has not given up on Naomi, no matter what she may think about Him. God is molding here character in. the fire for He has big plans that are about to unfold.
Little does she know that one day she will hold a baby in her lap who will be the grandfather of King David. Still less could she imagine that her daughter-in-law Ruth (a Moabite maiden!) will be named in the Lineage of Jesus the Messiah.
Her sadness will be turned to joy, and she will discover that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. But all that is yet to come.
Let’s leave this story right here, and content ourselves with the idea we serve a God who can take the worst and turn it into the best because that’s God and that is who He is. He brings Life from death, light from darkness, healing from brokenness.
God is Jehovah Rapha
Grant God the time to work.
He knows what he is doing even when we haven’t a clue.
Source of initial materials is Keep Believing Ministries.
“When hard times come, be a student, not a victim.”
–A victim says, “Why did this happen to me?”
–A student says, “What can I learn from this?”
–A victim complains he is being treated unfairly.
–A student thanks God he is not being treated as he deserves.
–A victim tries to get even with those who have hurt him.
–A student seeks to serve others in the midst of his difficulty.
–A victim believes the game of life is stacked against him.
–A student believes God is at work even in the worst situations.
Many of us can think of a hundred other comparisons, but the point is clear. We rarely control what happens to us, but we can always choose how we will respond.
Sometimes we will make the wrong choice and pay a heavy price for our mistake. Often, we won’t learn the right lesson until we can look back and see how God was at work in our trials.
We can’t control what happens to us, but
we can always control how we respond.
Something like that happened to a woman named Naomi. You can find her story in the Old Testament book of Ruth. It is a love story that starts with misery and ends with joy. Ruth is an account of anxiety, fear, love, and commitment that inflames the imagination and soothes the soul. It begins with despair and ends with delight.
Along the way we discover “the God who works behind the scenes,” which means the real star of the book is the Lord who works in, though, and sometimes in spite of our decisions.
Go to the book of Ruth, Chapter 1, verse1:
During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there. 3 Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband (Ruth 1:1-5).
In this story we can learn three distinct lessons that will help us navigate hard times
#1: Hard Times can hit at any time
The book of Ruth opens with a note that anchors this story to a particular time and place: “During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land” (v. 1). This means the story took place after Joshua’s death and before Saul became king. When we read the book of Judges, we may be tempted to think it was a godless time, but that would not be correct. We should think of it as a time when every man did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25). As long as the judges ruled, the people served the Lord. But when a judge died, the Jews turned to idolatry. It was a recurring cycle of obedience, disobedience, judgment, suffering, desperation, and returning to the Lord. {sound familiar}
God can ring your phone any time of the day or night to give you the bad news.
In Deuteronomy 28:24 Moses warned the people that if they refused to obey the Lord, God would curse the land: “The Lord will turn the rain of your land into falling dust; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed.” That means the famine in the Promised Land didn’t just happen. It was not a natural disaster. God intended the famine to send a message to His people.
When people ask me, “Do you think God can speak to us today?” I tell them, “You don’t have to worry about that. God has your number on speed dial. He can ring your phone any time of the day or night. And when he calls, you won’t be able to put him on call waiting.” God knows how to get through to any of us at any time.
#2: Hard Times causes us to make Hard Choices
If you are Elimelech, what do you do when a famine impacts your family? The land around Bethlehem was some of the most fertile ground in the Promised Land. A man who worked hard could harvest enough yearly to care for his family. So what do you do when a famine hits? Elimelech took his family and moved to Moab because it was a land of good soil and adequate rainfall. If the famine had not hit that region, perhaps he would stay for a few months or a year or two.
Elimelech was an “Ephrathite. Ephrathah was the old name for Bethlehem. It might imply that he came from a distinguished background, from a family with a long history in the region. It would be like saying, “Here is a man from Beverly Hills in Los Angeles.” That wouldn’t guarantee he had money, but it does suggest something about his background.
“Elimelech lost his life while seeking a livelihood, and found a grave where he had sought a home.”
It appears from the Scriptures that things worked out for a while. Evidently they settled in the “fields of Moab” and found lots to eat. The famine of Bethlehem was now a distant memory. But soon Elimelech dies. We aren’t told why or how, only that he died in Moab, leaving Naomi without a husband and the two boys without a father. Eventually the boys married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. Then suddenly the sons died and were buried in Moab. Just as suddenly ten years had passed. (Has time leaped over your plans today. God has a plan, are you walking in it?)
I read recently about a woman who, knowing she was about to die, wrote her own obituary, which summed up her 69 years this way: “I was born, I blinked, and it was over.” We could all say the same thing for the days are long, but the years are short.
Verse 1 notes that Elimelech intended to emigrate to Moab for “a while,” meaning he never intended to leave forever. This was a temporary move made into foreign territory, chosen under great duress. This was a man’s choice but God was very clear - the Israelites were to have nothing to do with Moabites:
(In Deuteronomy 23:3, 6).No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the Lord’s assembly; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, may ever enter the Lord’s assembly . . . Never pursue their welfare or prosperity as long as you live.
Elimelech probably didn’t mean to leave the Lord by moving to Moab, but it was a reckless and unwise move at best. An ancient foe of Israel, Moab originated from Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughters (Genesis 19:30-38). Elimelech was leaving the land of blessing to live among pagans on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. He and his family would be exposed to the Moabite religion with its degrading idol worship and its gross sexual perversion. I think Elimelech misunderstood the risks but considered this move a temporary expedient for the sake of his family. His perspective was one sided. His choices were one sided for self not shared with God. Have you been there recently?
Freedom to disobey God always comes with consequences. God gives us that freedom.
Here is the problem in three sentences:
The problem in Israel was not the lack of bread. The problem was the lack of obedience to Jehovah God and His commandments.
This was not the first famine in the land flowing with milk and honey, and it would not be the last. This also was a personal famine on the Word of God
Regardless your good intentions or motives won’t cancel the impact of your bad decisions.
Think about rules for a moment. Did you promise to obey the rules when you got your driver’s license? Yes you did, for the moment. What matters is not whether you like the rules or agree with them; the only question is, will you obey them? You are free to have your own opinion such as when you speed, but you are free to disobey but there are consequences.
Motives matter, but in real life obedience is better than sacrifice.
God who is rich in grace, and has demonstrated great depths of mercy will forgive, but we should never presume upon Him as this is sin.
So you can’t run from your problems because your problems will follow you wherever you go. A change of scenery doesn’t produce a changed heart. Whatever you were before is what you will be and take with you wherever you go next. We all feel the urge to change things when we encounter problems. We want a new spouse or new children or a new job or a new career. We may dream of moving to a new house or into a new neighborhood. If our church doesn’t go the way we like, we want a new pastor. We think if only we could make a fresh start, things would be better. And sometimes that’s true.
But change can be an excuse not to face the problems of life head on. Running away from our trouble rarely makes things better.
Elimelech thought he would go to Moab, stay there for a while, then return home. But there are three graves in Moab. That’s where he’s buried along with his two sons. His wrong decision meant his family never made it back home. Again in the words of Samuel Cox, “Elimelech lost his life while seeking a livelihood, and found a grave where he had sought a home.”
# 3: Hard Times prepare us for God’s works of grace
Oswald Chambers wrote about the “dance of circumstance,” meaning the hand of God working through seemingly random events. Who raised up the judges? God did and does today. Who sent the famine? God did and does today. Who gave safe passage to Moab? God did and does today. Who decreed the three men of the family should die there? God did and does today. As far as we know, God never spoke directly to Elimelech, yet His Unseen Hand moves behind every event.
Whatever else you may say about your life, don’t ever forget that God oversees the tiniest details. Nothing escapes His notice, and even the most unlikely events are part of His plan for you. Everything happening today to you and those around you is by design.
When their family left Bethlehem, there were four of them, three men and one woman: Elimelech, Naomi, Mahlon and Chilion. But now Naomi has buried her three men in the mountains of Moab. When she discusses her situation with Orpah and Ruth, Naomi declares that God has turned his hand against her (Ruth 1:13). Naomi has become bitter.
Message here for us all is that God knows what he is doing even when we don’t have a clue.
So how then is Naomi prepared for a great work of grace? As our text ends, Naomi is still in Moab, far from her home both in distance geographically and separation spiritually. She is coping with the loss of her husband and her sons. She is where she shouldn’t be (in a pagan land), separated from God and from God’s people, facing the consequences of her husband’s unwise and sinful decision. She is an older widow, in the company of two younger widows. This is not a place for her and her daughters-in-laws to be in any sense.
Write this story line in big letters - HOPELESSNESS. Naomi is stuck in Moab, a widow with no hope of ever having another child, with two younger widows by her side, and these two younger women are not Jews but Moabitesses. As far as Naomi reckons, not only does she have no future, but neither do they if they stay with her.
Part of our challenge in reading the book of Ruth is that we end of the story ends. We face the same issue when we read about Joseph in the book of Genesis. How much did Joseph know about the end of the story when his brothers cast him into the pit in Genesis 37? The answer is nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Ask the same question when he is carted off by the Midianites and then sold as a slave to Potiphar. How much did he know about his future when Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of rape? Or when Potiphar had him thrown into jail? Or when the cupbearer promised to remember him but forgot about him while he stayed in the prison? The answer is the same.
We like to repeat, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20), as if it explains all of Joseph’s endurance during hard times. But Joseph had no advance knowledge that he (a Hebrew slave!) would eventually be #2 main man and ruler in Egypt.
When I’m asked, “Does God have a blueprint for my life?” I like to reply, “Yes, but there’s only one copy, and it’s locked up in heaven, and there is no way to get a copy.” We aren’t given advance notice of what tomorrow will bring. That’s true for all of us–rich and poor, young and old, new Christian or mature believer. We all must live life, one day at a time.
NAOMI is a bruised believer, brokenhearted at what she has lost.
Naomi still believes in God, even in a foreign land, cut off from her own people. If she is bitter at the Lord, she has not turned from him. She is a bruised believer, brokenhearted at what was lost. If you and I callously say, “She got what was coming to her,” we only reveal how little we understand God’s heart. He is rich in grace, and his pockets are deep and full of mercy.
God has not given up on Naomi, no matter what she may think about Him. God is molding here character in. the fire for He has big plans that are about to unfold.
Little does she know that one day she will hold a baby in her lap who will be the grandfather of King David. Still less could she imagine that her daughter-in-law Ruth (a Moabite maiden!) will be named in the Lineage of Jesus the Messiah.
Her sadness will be turned to joy, and she will discover that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. But all that is yet to come.
Let’s leave this story right here, and content ourselves with the idea we serve a God who can take the worst and turn it into the best because that’s God and that is who He is. He brings Life from death, light from darkness, healing from brokenness.
God is Jehovah Rapha
Grant God the time to work.
He knows what he is doing even when we haven’t a clue.
Source of initial materials is Keep Believing Ministries.
Oct 17
I needed a message of hope today after yesterday. We prayed all week long in the midst of the revival for healing for Debbie Lilly. Well God did answer our prayer, not as we had hoped, but as His will was done with ultimate healing to be at home with the Lord. So as I cried in my heart and spirit for comfort, I believe God had a message for me which just maybe is a message for you today. I don’t know where you are coming from today but in this world and in this time, we need hope from the God of all hope. Not from me for I am unable to do what God does and that is He heals and comforts the human heart where no other salve of balm can reach except the balm of Gilead, that heals the sin sick soul. We need a fresh word from our Lord this day. Now this will not be a long message for we have the Lord’s Supper today. He promises to meet with us there to remember the end of all things is in His capable hands, thank God and not mans.
So for some words of comfort lets go to the book of Romans, Chapter 8. We will read the first 6 verses and then move to the end of the chapter, verses 35 to verse 39. Let’s pray and then read.
Father open our hearts to you truth. Your word is truth and press it upon our hearts and spirits so that we may worship you in Spirit and in Truth. Amen
Now to Romans 8 verse 1 -There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be [b]carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Vs. 1 no condemnation now for those who have been saved in Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and tomorrow. In chapter 7, Paul discusses the stresses of the human condition and the worries of the human heart. If you are truly in Christ you are saved. If not then you have no hope.
Vs. 2 speaks for itself - law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. What the law could not do Jesus Himself did for me, freeing me from death. I had no way to pay the debt of sin so He paid it all, for me and He gives me grace, salvation and ultimately glorification
Vs. 3 the law was unable to save me, because I was unable to keep the law perfectly. If I transgress any of the law I am guilty of it all. It is only because a sinless sacrifice saves me that I am reconciled with God by His Son.
Vs. 4 Jesus did this He fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. His resurrection provides the power of transformation to new life.
Vs. 5 the transformation, actually rebirth has recreated what God wanted for us at the beginning the ability to walk and function as spiritual beings. This was lost in the Garden.
Vs. 6 in this verse we see life versus death. To be carnally minded is ultimately death. to be spiritually minded is life and peace. This is the gift of God for us life and peace, not just for a day but for eternity. This is brought about because of God’s great love for us and for no other reason.
Now we will see the great promises of God in the following verses as we see the grace of God, that while we are in the midst of sin, we have a God who pursues and digs us out of the miry clay and sets us free from the law of sin and death.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? We are God’s children regardless of our condition. In any condition once we are His we cannot be separated from the love of Christ
36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
As servants we need to be willing to do or be whatever God chooses. This is a hard thing. I am His servant. There can be no other way. But there is a wonder and joy to being God’s servant. The current and future benefits are His amazing love now, a transformed life and to be in His presence forever.
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Here is the master blaster for you there in Christ’s land - No created thing inclusive of the US Government, China, pestilence, famine, old age, disease, death or any created shall ever be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus your Lord. Talk about the security of the believer for now and forever more
Notice the word separate at the beginning and the end. But it states who shall separate and who shall be able to separate us from what – the love of God. I needed a love letter from God today. A personally addressed, no delays in delivery or interruptions because I just wasn’t sensing it and He came to me with these words. God is amazing.
To complete the idea map this to verse 1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
There is new life in Christ but we must choose to walk in the Spirit and work to do the same through passionate obedience
I needed a message of hope today after yesterday. We prayed all week long in the midst of the revival for healing for Debbie Lilly. Well God did answer our prayer, not as we had hoped, but as His will was done with ultimate healing to be at home with the Lord. So as I cried in my heart and spirit for comfort, I believe God had a message for me which just maybe is a message for you today. I don’t know where you are coming from today but in this world and in this time, we need hope from the God of all hope. Not from me for I am unable to do what God does and that is He heals and comforts the human heart where no other salve of balm can reach except the balm of Gilead, that heals the sin sick soul. We need a fresh word from our Lord this day. Now this will not be a long message for we have the Lord’s Supper today. He promises to meet with us there to remember the end of all things is in His capable hands, thank God and not mans.
So for some words of comfort lets go to the book of Romans, Chapter 8. We will read the first 6 verses and then move to the end of the chapter, verses 35 to verse 39. Let’s pray and then read.
Father open our hearts to you truth. Your word is truth and press it upon our hearts and spirits so that we may worship you in Spirit and in Truth. Amen
Now to Romans 8 verse 1 -There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be [b]carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Vs. 1 no condemnation now for those who have been saved in Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and tomorrow. In chapter 7, Paul discusses the stresses of the human condition and the worries of the human heart. If you are truly in Christ you are saved. If not then you have no hope.
Vs. 2 speaks for itself - law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. What the law could not do Jesus Himself did for me, freeing me from death. I had no way to pay the debt of sin so He paid it all, for me and He gives me grace, salvation and ultimately glorification
Vs. 3 the law was unable to save me, because I was unable to keep the law perfectly. If I transgress any of the law I am guilty of it all. It is only because a sinless sacrifice saves me that I am reconciled with God by His Son.
Vs. 4 Jesus did this He fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. His resurrection provides the power of transformation to new life.
Vs. 5 the transformation, actually rebirth has recreated what God wanted for us at the beginning the ability to walk and function as spiritual beings. This was lost in the Garden.
Vs. 6 in this verse we see life versus death. To be carnally minded is ultimately death. to be spiritually minded is life and peace. This is the gift of God for us life and peace, not just for a day but for eternity. This is brought about because of God’s great love for us and for no other reason.
Now we will see the great promises of God in the following verses as we see the grace of God, that while we are in the midst of sin, we have a God who pursues and digs us out of the miry clay and sets us free from the law of sin and death.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? We are God’s children regardless of our condition. In any condition once we are His we cannot be separated from the love of Christ
36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
As servants we need to be willing to do or be whatever God chooses. This is a hard thing. I am His servant. There can be no other way. But there is a wonder and joy to being God’s servant. The current and future benefits are His amazing love now, a transformed life and to be in His presence forever.
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Here is the master blaster for you there in Christ’s land - No created thing inclusive of the US Government, China, pestilence, famine, old age, disease, death or any created shall ever be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus your Lord. Talk about the security of the believer for now and forever more
Notice the word separate at the beginning and the end. But it states who shall separate and who shall be able to separate us from what – the love of God. I needed a love letter from God today. A personally addressed, no delays in delivery or interruptions because I just wasn’t sensing it and He came to me with these words. God is amazing.
To complete the idea map this to verse 1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
There is new life in Christ but we must choose to walk in the Spirit and work to do the same through passionate obedience
Oct 10
I needed a message of hope today after yesterday. We prayed all week long in the midst of the revival for healing for Debbie Lilly. Well God did answer our prayer, not as we had hoped, but as His will was done with ultimate healing to be at home with the Lord. So as I cried in my heart and spirit for comfort, I believe God had a message for me which just maybe is a message for you today. I don’t know where you are coming from today but in this world and in this time, we need hope from the God of all hope. Not from me for I am unable to do what God does and that is He heals and comforts the human heart where no other salve of balm can reach except the balm of Gilead, that heals the sin sick soul. We need a fresh word from our Lord this day. Now this will not be a long message for we have the Lord’s Supper today. He promises to meet with us there to remember the end of all things is in His capable hands, thank God and not mans.
So for some words of comfort lets go to the book of Romans, Chapter 8. We will read the first 6 verses and then move to the end of the chapter, verses 35 to verse 39. Let’s pray and then read.
Father open our hearts to you truth. Your word is truth and press it upon our hearts and spirits so that we may worship you in Spirit and in Truth. Amen
Now to Romans 8 verse 1 -There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be [b]carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Vs. 1 no condemnation now for those who have been saved in Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and tomorrow. In chapter 7, Paul discusses the stresses of the human condition and the worries of the human heart. If you are truly in Christ you are saved. If not then you have no hope.
Vs. 2 speaks for itself - law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. What the law could not do Jesus Himself did for me, freeing me from death. I had no way to pay the debt of sin so He paid it all, for me and He gives me grace, salvation and ultimately glorification
Vs. 3 the law was unable to save me, because I was unable to keep the law perfectly. If I transgress any of the law I am guilty of it all. It is only because a sinless sacrifice saves me that I am reconciled with God by His Son.
Vs. 4 Jesus did this He fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. His resurrection provides the power of transformation to new life.
Vs. 5 the transformation, actually rebirth has recreated what God wanted for us at the beginning the ability to walk and function as spiritual beings. This was lost in the Garden.
Vs. 6 in this verse we see life versus death. To be carnally minded is ultimately death. to be spiritually minded is life and peace. This is the gift of God for us life and peace, not just for a day but for eternity. This is brought about because of God’s great love for us and for no other reason.
Now we will see the great promises of God in the following verses as we see the grace of God, that while we are in the midst of sin, we have a God who pursues and digs us out of the miry clay and sets us free from the law of sin and death.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? We are God’s children regardless of our condition. In any condition once we are His we cannot be separated from the love of Christ
36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
As servants we need to be willing to do or be whatever God chooses. This is a hard thing. I am His servant. There can be no other way. But there is a wonder and joy to being God’s servant. The current and future benefits are His amazing love now, a transformed life and to be in His presence forever.
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Here is the master blaster for you there in Christ’s land - No created thing inclusive of the US Government, China, pestilence, famine, old age, disease, death or any created shall ever be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus your Lord. Talk about the security of the believer for now and forever more
Notice the word separate at the beginning and the end. But it states who shall separate and who shall be able to separate us from what – the love of God. I needed a love letter from God today. A personally addressed, no delays in delivery or interruptions because I just wasn’t sensing it and He came to me with these words. God is amazing.
To complete the idea map this to verse 1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
There is new life in Christ but we must choose to walk in the Spirit and work to do the same through passionate obedience.
I needed a message of hope today after yesterday. We prayed all week long in the midst of the revival for healing for Debbie Lilly. Well God did answer our prayer, not as we had hoped, but as His will was done with ultimate healing to be at home with the Lord. So as I cried in my heart and spirit for comfort, I believe God had a message for me which just maybe is a message for you today. I don’t know where you are coming from today but in this world and in this time, we need hope from the God of all hope. Not from me for I am unable to do what God does and that is He heals and comforts the human heart where no other salve of balm can reach except the balm of Gilead, that heals the sin sick soul. We need a fresh word from our Lord this day. Now this will not be a long message for we have the Lord’s Supper today. He promises to meet with us there to remember the end of all things is in His capable hands, thank God and not mans.
So for some words of comfort lets go to the book of Romans, Chapter 8. We will read the first 6 verses and then move to the end of the chapter, verses 35 to verse 39. Let’s pray and then read.
Father open our hearts to you truth. Your word is truth and press it upon our hearts and spirits so that we may worship you in Spirit and in Truth. Amen
Now to Romans 8 verse 1 -There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be [b]carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Vs. 1 no condemnation now for those who have been saved in Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and tomorrow. In chapter 7, Paul discusses the stresses of the human condition and the worries of the human heart. If you are truly in Christ you are saved. If not then you have no hope.
Vs. 2 speaks for itself - law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. What the law could not do Jesus Himself did for me, freeing me from death. I had no way to pay the debt of sin so He paid it all, for me and He gives me grace, salvation and ultimately glorification
Vs. 3 the law was unable to save me, because I was unable to keep the law perfectly. If I transgress any of the law I am guilty of it all. It is only because a sinless sacrifice saves me that I am reconciled with God by His Son.
Vs. 4 Jesus did this He fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. His resurrection provides the power of transformation to new life.
Vs. 5 the transformation, actually rebirth has recreated what God wanted for us at the beginning the ability to walk and function as spiritual beings. This was lost in the Garden.
Vs. 6 in this verse we see life versus death. To be carnally minded is ultimately death. to be spiritually minded is life and peace. This is the gift of God for us life and peace, not just for a day but for eternity. This is brought about because of God’s great love for us and for no other reason.
Now we will see the great promises of God in the following verses as we see the grace of God, that while we are in the midst of sin, we have a God who pursues and digs us out of the miry clay and sets us free from the law of sin and death.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? We are God’s children regardless of our condition. In any condition once we are His we cannot be separated from the love of Christ
36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
As servants we need to be willing to do or be whatever God chooses. This is a hard thing. I am His servant. There can be no other way. But there is a wonder and joy to being God’s servant. The current and future benefits are His amazing love now, a transformed life and to be in His presence forever.
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Here is the master blaster for you there in Christ’s land - No created thing inclusive of the US Government, China, pestilence, famine, old age, disease, death or any created shall ever be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus your Lord. Talk about the security of the believer for now and forever more
Notice the word separate at the beginning and the end. But it states who shall separate and who shall be able to separate us from what – the love of God. I needed a love letter from God today. A personally addressed, no delays in delivery or interruptions because I just wasn’t sensing it and He came to me with these words. God is amazing.
To complete the idea map this to verse 1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
There is new life in Christ but we must choose to walk in the Spirit and work to do the same through passionate obedience.
Sept 19
Is it possible for believers to lose their way in this world today? Whatever you want- sex, drugs, money, power, control over others, ability to lie and deceive freely without having a conscience. There is so much evil loose in the world today the people I grew up with and my mother and day, if I could adequately describe the world we live in today could not comprehend the rupture and spewing of evil and the way people are behaving today. I find it is easy to be discourage when you see evil thriving and multiplying the way it does today.
There is no such this as being a person of your word. A person of integrity who makes a promise and does what he or she promised.
Christians in the military are not being allowed to opt out of Covid shot, they including the marines are putting them is stockades. Look for all opportunities to opt out of these shots or the booster soon to disappear.
Lies appear at the very highest places in our country and the media endorses and covers all the lying
Legislation is being passed which will soon ruin voting and voting integrity, if not judges are overturning all the righteous laws. Our economy is being busted by bad policies. We are angering all our foreign partners so if we get in trouble no one will bother rescuing us. Our Constitution is being shredded by those in power who hate democracy and want to control you. And it is coming faster and faster
So what’s a body to do?
First don’t quit seek to find God and know that He has not quit working. Orient yourself to the word of God and look for those in the Word of God who have experience similar times. There is nothing new under the sun and our God reigns and rules> The heart of the King, including Biden is in the hand of the Lord. Hide God’s word daily in your head and heart- Apart from Jesus you can do how much?- Nothing is the right answer
So I am going to exert Pastors privilege and pre-empt Pastor Ron’s text for Chapter 9 of Daniel. For Daniel was a man just like us who chose to honor God and walk with Him. And because Daniel set his heart to honor God, God honored and used him mightily.
Please turn with me to Daniel Chapter 9 and verse 1: 9 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (Jer. 25:11-12)
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. (personal preparations to petition God)
4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we (notice this pronoun, as a priest Daniel, is standing before God petitioning for the people. Just as believers in the NT have the same privilege and opportunity)have sinned and committed iniquity, we have (sin #1) done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets,(sin#2) who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, (compare and contrast God vs man) as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the (sin #3) unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
8 “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. (interceding for God’s mercy and forgiveness) 10 We have (sin#4) not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law (this is a national sin, and where we are today in America), and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12 And He has confirmed His words, (Deut.28) which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 “As it is written in the Law of Moses (Deut 28:15ff), all this disaster (curses) has come upon us; yet we (as a nation) have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. (calling for national repentance)14 Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.
Truth in a nutshell is this - Departing from God and His word leads to unbelief (no faith) and then ultimately to disobedience and serving sin – (Deut 30:17) - But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them. Relate unbelief to disobedience and no longer trusting and serving God will ultimately lead to death.
We are not quite done with the story of Daniel from scripture. Remember our theme is - Daniel is beloved by the Lord God Almighty. Some may say how can you say God loved Daniel so much when He marooned Him in an enemy camp, destroyed his home, killed his family members, threw him in a lion’s den, was hated by all of those in Shushan because He worshiped God as a Jew. Kept him there till he was very old and gave Daniel all these difficult tasks? What is the rest of the story {Moral of the story is God’s love is not dependent upon the difficulty of our circumstances. God made Daniel a witness and a testimony to Kings of His supreme power, His wonder working authority, His mercy and His goodness. Daniel was an instrument used by God to lead rulers to His holiness and righteousness; and as a guide and wise leader to His people the Jews.
Now the rest of the story, which will bring us to the key verse- Begin now at verse 18.
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. (pleading for the mercy of the Lord) 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, [c]being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.(3pm) 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the [d]command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:
We will stop here. Let’s look at the Angel’s greeting. What a greeting. First point - I started when you began praying, God sent me, His messenger. He didn’t wait. He knew what was on your heart before one word was upon your tongue according to Isaiah 65:24 It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
Daniel is called greatly beloved in the Old Testament. Mary is called highly favored one and Jesus is called My beloved Son. You are also loved by God. Remember one of our often-repeated verses is John 3:16 -For God so loved the world.
God sent His Son for you and He paid the penalty for your sin. He gave Himself for you and died for you.
Do not lose your orientation despite the press of current events. God loves you and Jesus said, I will never leave you nor forsake you! (Heb. 13:5)
What else can we learn from Daniel?
Maybe you are nowhere like Daniel but you wannabe. Take 1 step toward the master and He will come to you and aid you. He gave Himself for you and lives in you to aid you.
You must trust and you must obey to grow as a believer, will you?
Is it possible for believers to lose their way in this world today? Whatever you want- sex, drugs, money, power, control over others, ability to lie and deceive freely without having a conscience. There is so much evil loose in the world today the people I grew up with and my mother and day, if I could adequately describe the world we live in today could not comprehend the rupture and spewing of evil and the way people are behaving today. I find it is easy to be discourage when you see evil thriving and multiplying the way it does today.
There is no such this as being a person of your word. A person of integrity who makes a promise and does what he or she promised.
Christians in the military are not being allowed to opt out of Covid shot, they including the marines are putting them is stockades. Look for all opportunities to opt out of these shots or the booster soon to disappear.
Lies appear at the very highest places in our country and the media endorses and covers all the lying
Legislation is being passed which will soon ruin voting and voting integrity, if not judges are overturning all the righteous laws. Our economy is being busted by bad policies. We are angering all our foreign partners so if we get in trouble no one will bother rescuing us. Our Constitution is being shredded by those in power who hate democracy and want to control you. And it is coming faster and faster
So what’s a body to do?
First don’t quit seek to find God and know that He has not quit working. Orient yourself to the word of God and look for those in the Word of God who have experience similar times. There is nothing new under the sun and our God reigns and rules> The heart of the King, including Biden is in the hand of the Lord. Hide God’s word daily in your head and heart- Apart from Jesus you can do how much?- Nothing is the right answer
So I am going to exert Pastors privilege and pre-empt Pastor Ron’s text for Chapter 9 of Daniel. For Daniel was a man just like us who chose to honor God and walk with Him. And because Daniel set his heart to honor God, God honored and used him mightily.
Please turn with me to Daniel Chapter 9 and verse 1: 9 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (Jer. 25:11-12)
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. (personal preparations to petition God)
4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we (notice this pronoun, as a priest Daniel, is standing before God petitioning for the people. Just as believers in the NT have the same privilege and opportunity)have sinned and committed iniquity, we have (sin #1) done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets,(sin#2) who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, (compare and contrast God vs man) as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the (sin #3) unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
8 “O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. (interceding for God’s mercy and forgiveness) 10 We have (sin#4) not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law (this is a national sin, and where we are today in America), and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. 12 And He has confirmed His words, (Deut.28) which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
13 “As it is written in the Law of Moses (Deut 28:15ff), all this disaster (curses) has come upon us; yet we (as a nation) have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. (calling for national repentance)14 Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.
Truth in a nutshell is this - Departing from God and His word leads to unbelief (no faith) and then ultimately to disobedience and serving sin – (Deut 30:17) - But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them. Relate unbelief to disobedience and no longer trusting and serving God will ultimately lead to death.
We are not quite done with the story of Daniel from scripture. Remember our theme is - Daniel is beloved by the Lord God Almighty. Some may say how can you say God loved Daniel so much when He marooned Him in an enemy camp, destroyed his home, killed his family members, threw him in a lion’s den, was hated by all of those in Shushan because He worshiped God as a Jew. Kept him there till he was very old and gave Daniel all these difficult tasks? What is the rest of the story {Moral of the story is God’s love is not dependent upon the difficulty of our circumstances. God made Daniel a witness and a testimony to Kings of His supreme power, His wonder working authority, His mercy and His goodness. Daniel was an instrument used by God to lead rulers to His holiness and righteousness; and as a guide and wise leader to His people the Jews.
Now the rest of the story, which will bring us to the key verse- Begin now at verse 18.
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. (pleading for the mercy of the Lord) 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, [c]being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.(3pm) 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the [d]command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:
We will stop here. Let’s look at the Angel’s greeting. What a greeting. First point - I started when you began praying, God sent me, His messenger. He didn’t wait. He knew what was on your heart before one word was upon your tongue according to Isaiah 65:24 It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
Daniel is called greatly beloved in the Old Testament. Mary is called highly favored one and Jesus is called My beloved Son. You are also loved by God. Remember one of our often-repeated verses is John 3:16 -For God so loved the world.
God sent His Son for you and He paid the penalty for your sin. He gave Himself for you and died for you.
Do not lose your orientation despite the press of current events. God loves you and Jesus said, I will never leave you nor forsake you! (Heb. 13:5)
What else can we learn from Daniel?
- He was a man of Integrity
- He was disciplined as a believer
- He studied the Word of God
- He believed and trusted in the promises of God
- He believed in constant prayer
- He was obedient
Maybe you are nowhere like Daniel but you wannabe. Take 1 step toward the master and He will come to you and aid you. He gave Himself for you and lives in you to aid you.
You must trust and you must obey to grow as a believer, will you?
September 12
Ideas have consequences and many have found the consequences costlier in the decisions they made during the last election. Ideas can cause fear and almost choke those who might respond but because of the fear of ostracism and alienation which come with speaking your mind today many have lost the courage of their convictions. Many people today have found out that freedom is costly. Many today have forgotten those brave patriots of many years ago who paid a very dear price for advocating for freedom from the tyrannical rule of the King of England. We are relearning that nothing worth anything is ever free, but dear to those who would fight to preserve it.
This fear combined with deception, and more lies being presented daily for consumption to the general public is creating more fear and uncertainty. Whether it is our cowardly withdrawal, or COVID vaccinations which are now according to the CDC are only shots. Or the election results which are proving more and more that hoaxes were played on the gullible masses, or the destructive economic agenda, the border crisis, schools and language or whatever America is now being deconstructed. The damage is heartrending and accelerating.
Christians have become fearful and are being marginalized and this should not be happening. Yes, I said it should not be happening. Jesus is not just an idea He is God and He is a real person. You and I need to start living the book of Acts. What do you mean living the book of Acts? Well to begin with living in the midst of persecution did not slow them down it sped them up. Yes early Christians called the “way” were the original counterculture being a minority was not an issue they had Jesus. So because we are no longer the dominant emphasis in the good ole USA does not mean we should pack up, put our tail between our legs and go home. You know what the early Christians did when persecuted, in Acts, they prayed for more boldness. They prayed to be counted worthy to suffer as Christ did, enduring persecution, suffering and death. We have a lot to relearn.
A few years back I remember a story from Korean Christians. The Churches in Korea could see with spiritual eyes the weakness in the American churches. We have had it so soft for so many years that the American believers had no drive, no fire, no motivation for salvation for believers, no persistence or perseverance in prayer. Korean churches were so worried they began to do two things. First, they began to prepare to send Missionaries to America for revival, repentance and renewal. Second, they began to pray for America that we would begin to suffer persecution. This was to bring America back to its original heritage and dependence upon God not wealth. They reasoned what was good in America was that pulpits rang with the truth of God’s Word and the people learned and pursued God’s word and practiced the fear of the Lord. There is no fear of the LORD in America today, nor are the churches evangelizing and pealing the bell for righteousness across this land. Why are we not pealing the bell – fear?
So where are you today fearful or embolden? I desire that you be emboldened on the basis of the power in the Word of God.
Turn in your bibles to Colossians Chapter 2 and verse 2
2that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, [b]both of the Father and of Christ,
{understanding the fulness of salvation marks mature believers who enjoy the assurance of salvation, shared love of Christ in them}the mystery is God incarnate now in them forever.}
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
{false teachers then and now threaten they have hidden wisdom, not true in Christ is all truth, wisdom and life}
4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.
{Paul wanted none to be deceived}
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing [c]to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
{though absent and a prisoner Paul delighted in their almost military good order and disciple as Christ followers.}
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding [d]in it with thanksgiving.
{Spiritual maturity develops from the discipline of daily living and dependence on Christ. Daily we are to follow the Holy Spirit’s teaching and guidance as He applies Jesus truths from the Bible in our circumstances.}
8 Beware lest anyone [e]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
{Here is a clear statement of our daily problem in this world today. What is being taught is meant to rob you of the potential for fulness in Christ and deliver you to the kingdom of Satan not just now but for eternity. This is what you find on MSDNC and the various three letter networks who impose their empty philosophy, lies and deceit in our world today. This is a worldview of death for those who believe and worship at its altar. This type of worldly thinking is from below and initiated by the Prince of the Power of darkness.}
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead [f]bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all [g]principality and power.
{This is the counter punch to the dependence upon worldly thinking. God knows the truth, Jesus is the Truth and God’s word presents the Truth. The Holy Spirit enables the truth to penetrate our hearts and leads us to the spiritual truth, which requires us to be reborn. And after being reborn, we must continually renew our minds to be transformed in the image of Christ. From Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit the leadership and power of God is displaying in us and we become complete in Him.}
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body [h]of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
{Circumcision is the symbol of man’s need to be cleansed in his heart and mind and the outward sign of having faith in God. At the point of salvation, circumcision is the process of transformation from sins of the flesh to faith in God.}
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
{You who were so hopelessly bound by the flesh, the devil and sin have no spiritual life and therefore no ability to recognize your condition or help yourselves have been made alive in Him. Only Jesus Christ has the ability to set the captives free- there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby one can be saved and raised to new life}
14 having wiped out the [i]handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
{all people born under sin owe God an unpayable debt for violating His law and are therefore under the sentence of death eternally. Paul compares God’s forgiveness of believers’ sins to wiping the ink off a piece of parchment. Jesus’ sacrificial death payed it all, all to Him I owe. A crimson payment written in red for all who believe, trust and confess Jesus as Lord.}
15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a [j]festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the [k]substance is of Christ.
{False teachers, liars and false prophets are about to bring many false regulations for diets, health and for other things. Christians are not obligated to believe but test the spirits for evil and falsehoods. Those who walk in mature faith will be able to discern deception and refute the powers of darkness who come against them. Are you walking in the power and authority God has promised you or are you a spiritual baby still unable to discern?
You may know some of the truth but your ignorance of God’s word may not just imperil you but those you love the most. Beware and be obedient today. Amen
Let’s Pray God’s deliverance and mercy upon us today and for our nation. Amen
Ideas have consequences and many have found the consequences costlier in the decisions they made during the last election. Ideas can cause fear and almost choke those who might respond but because of the fear of ostracism and alienation which come with speaking your mind today many have lost the courage of their convictions. Many people today have found out that freedom is costly. Many today have forgotten those brave patriots of many years ago who paid a very dear price for advocating for freedom from the tyrannical rule of the King of England. We are relearning that nothing worth anything is ever free, but dear to those who would fight to preserve it.
This fear combined with deception, and more lies being presented daily for consumption to the general public is creating more fear and uncertainty. Whether it is our cowardly withdrawal, or COVID vaccinations which are now according to the CDC are only shots. Or the election results which are proving more and more that hoaxes were played on the gullible masses, or the destructive economic agenda, the border crisis, schools and language or whatever America is now being deconstructed. The damage is heartrending and accelerating.
Christians have become fearful and are being marginalized and this should not be happening. Yes, I said it should not be happening. Jesus is not just an idea He is God and He is a real person. You and I need to start living the book of Acts. What do you mean living the book of Acts? Well to begin with living in the midst of persecution did not slow them down it sped them up. Yes early Christians called the “way” were the original counterculture being a minority was not an issue they had Jesus. So because we are no longer the dominant emphasis in the good ole USA does not mean we should pack up, put our tail between our legs and go home. You know what the early Christians did when persecuted, in Acts, they prayed for more boldness. They prayed to be counted worthy to suffer as Christ did, enduring persecution, suffering and death. We have a lot to relearn.
A few years back I remember a story from Korean Christians. The Churches in Korea could see with spiritual eyes the weakness in the American churches. We have had it so soft for so many years that the American believers had no drive, no fire, no motivation for salvation for believers, no persistence or perseverance in prayer. Korean churches were so worried they began to do two things. First, they began to prepare to send Missionaries to America for revival, repentance and renewal. Second, they began to pray for America that we would begin to suffer persecution. This was to bring America back to its original heritage and dependence upon God not wealth. They reasoned what was good in America was that pulpits rang with the truth of God’s Word and the people learned and pursued God’s word and practiced the fear of the Lord. There is no fear of the LORD in America today, nor are the churches evangelizing and pealing the bell for righteousness across this land. Why are we not pealing the bell – fear?
So where are you today fearful or embolden? I desire that you be emboldened on the basis of the power in the Word of God.
Turn in your bibles to Colossians Chapter 2 and verse 2
2that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, [b]both of the Father and of Christ,
{understanding the fulness of salvation marks mature believers who enjoy the assurance of salvation, shared love of Christ in them}the mystery is God incarnate now in them forever.}
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
{false teachers then and now threaten they have hidden wisdom, not true in Christ is all truth, wisdom and life}
4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.
{Paul wanted none to be deceived}
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing [c]to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
{though absent and a prisoner Paul delighted in their almost military good order and disciple as Christ followers.}
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding [d]in it with thanksgiving.
{Spiritual maturity develops from the discipline of daily living and dependence on Christ. Daily we are to follow the Holy Spirit’s teaching and guidance as He applies Jesus truths from the Bible in our circumstances.}
8 Beware lest anyone [e]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
{Here is a clear statement of our daily problem in this world today. What is being taught is meant to rob you of the potential for fulness in Christ and deliver you to the kingdom of Satan not just now but for eternity. This is what you find on MSDNC and the various three letter networks who impose their empty philosophy, lies and deceit in our world today. This is a worldview of death for those who believe and worship at its altar. This type of worldly thinking is from below and initiated by the Prince of the Power of darkness.}
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead [f]bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all [g]principality and power.
{This is the counter punch to the dependence upon worldly thinking. God knows the truth, Jesus is the Truth and God’s word presents the Truth. The Holy Spirit enables the truth to penetrate our hearts and leads us to the spiritual truth, which requires us to be reborn. And after being reborn, we must continually renew our minds to be transformed in the image of Christ. From Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit the leadership and power of God is displaying in us and we become complete in Him.}
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body [h]of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
{Circumcision is the symbol of man’s need to be cleansed in his heart and mind and the outward sign of having faith in God. At the point of salvation, circumcision is the process of transformation from sins of the flesh to faith in God.}
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
{You who were so hopelessly bound by the flesh, the devil and sin have no spiritual life and therefore no ability to recognize your condition or help yourselves have been made alive in Him. Only Jesus Christ has the ability to set the captives free- there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby one can be saved and raised to new life}
14 having wiped out the [i]handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
{all people born under sin owe God an unpayable debt for violating His law and are therefore under the sentence of death eternally. Paul compares God’s forgiveness of believers’ sins to wiping the ink off a piece of parchment. Jesus’ sacrificial death payed it all, all to Him I owe. A crimson payment written in red for all who believe, trust and confess Jesus as Lord.}
15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a [j]festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the [k]substance is of Christ.
{False teachers, liars and false prophets are about to bring many false regulations for diets, health and for other things. Christians are not obligated to believe but test the spirits for evil and falsehoods. Those who walk in mature faith will be able to discern deception and refute the powers of darkness who come against them. Are you walking in the power and authority God has promised you or are you a spiritual baby still unable to discern?
You may know some of the truth but your ignorance of God’s word may not just imperil you but those you love the most. Beware and be obedient today. Amen
Let’s Pray God’s deliverance and mercy upon us today and for our nation. Amen
Sept 5
Today’s theme from verse 17. Galatians Chapter 4, states that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking
The gentiles and many of the Jews In Paul’s day and rejected Christ in the futility of their thinking and hardened their hearts. This is the same in modern day America, in Sept 202; and applies to many regardless of party affiliation in our nation’s capital city. They believe they are above the law and should rule you, you inbetweeners. You unwashed peasants, how dare you believe you are free.
Read with me and think about the words we are reviewing – verse 19 and following:
19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
{the gentiles) Look at what is going on in every avenue here. The economy, paying people to not work, free health care, free education and none of it is free. We are killing our grandchildren and ourselves in debt and meanwhile ruining the economy. Open borders, bringing in hundreds of thousands of unvetted aliens placing them in red or republican states and allowing them to have all the privileges of American citizens and you pay the bill. Who will all vote for the other party and permanently ensuring the continuous flow of more benefits and more money. This combined with cheating at the ballot box will ensure one party dominance perpetually.
Paul states the obvious for those who are in Christ in verse 20 and following:
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Now there is whole lot packed in these verses which we are only going to sample today. By the way I need this reminder as much as you do today. So pray Father gives us the heart and the backbone to stand in our weakness. For when we are weak we are strong.
This is what is needed in the churches of America today and we are not talking about buildings but people who sit in the pews, me included. The churches are in desperate need of Ephesians 5:26 26 that He might [a]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
We need to be restored to the purity of holiness and sanctification of our Lord, so that we might walk in His ways.
To do so verses 25 and following have strong recommendations to which we must discipline ourselves:
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. {Quit lying and being deceived by lying}
26 “In your anger do not sin”[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, (don’t remain angry}
27 and do not give the devil a foothold. {keep an open heart with God, confess you sins}
28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, {want to make a regressive red hopping mad insist on working!} doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.{thinking of others as more valuable than yourselves?
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
(this one bit me very recently. Since people are so angry today, it is so easy for hostile people to challenge even being reasonable. It is amazing} Remember you are not invulnerable either.
Verse 30 here is a very important reason to pursue God and for staying right with Him. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. He is your helper, the Spirit of Truth, the Teacher, the paraclete who is one like Christ who walks with you and beside you. He is the promise one just like Jesus who seals you unto the promised day of redemption. You and I need Him desperately to fill us, strengthen us, speak in us and through us to others.
These last two verses 31 and 32 don’t have an answer of how to successfully navigate them until you get to Chapter 5.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Successfully achieving this command requires the help of God Almighty that is why we need to go to Chapter 5 verses 1 and 2.
1Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Knowing the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord gives us the courage to be self-sacrificing and servants for Him.
You will fail if you struggle in the human sense trying your best to achieve these changes only relying on Christ and the infilling of the Holy Spirit will enable us to walk this path with our Savior. Oh how we need thee ever hour we need then. Precious lord my Savior come now and help me and each of these in Jesus name. Amen
Now you see why we need continual renewal in the body and blood of our Lord.
Today’s theme from verse 17. Galatians Chapter 4, states that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking
The gentiles and many of the Jews In Paul’s day and rejected Christ in the futility of their thinking and hardened their hearts. This is the same in modern day America, in Sept 202; and applies to many regardless of party affiliation in our nation’s capital city. They believe they are above the law and should rule you, you inbetweeners. You unwashed peasants, how dare you believe you are free.
Read with me and think about the words we are reviewing – verse 19 and following:
19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
{the gentiles) Look at what is going on in every avenue here. The economy, paying people to not work, free health care, free education and none of it is free. We are killing our grandchildren and ourselves in debt and meanwhile ruining the economy. Open borders, bringing in hundreds of thousands of unvetted aliens placing them in red or republican states and allowing them to have all the privileges of American citizens and you pay the bill. Who will all vote for the other party and permanently ensuring the continuous flow of more benefits and more money. This combined with cheating at the ballot box will ensure one party dominance perpetually.
Paul states the obvious for those who are in Christ in verse 20 and following:
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Now there is whole lot packed in these verses which we are only going to sample today. By the way I need this reminder as much as you do today. So pray Father gives us the heart and the backbone to stand in our weakness. For when we are weak we are strong.
- The truth that is in Jesus. John 14:6, Thy word is truth. John 17:17
- Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by deceitful desire
- be made new in the attitude of your minds (Romans 12:2- Be transformed)
- Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 3)
This is what is needed in the churches of America today and we are not talking about buildings but people who sit in the pews, me included. The churches are in desperate need of Ephesians 5:26 26 that He might [a]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
We need to be restored to the purity of holiness and sanctification of our Lord, so that we might walk in His ways.
To do so verses 25 and following have strong recommendations to which we must discipline ourselves:
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. {Quit lying and being deceived by lying}
26 “In your anger do not sin”[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, (don’t remain angry}
27 and do not give the devil a foothold. {keep an open heart with God, confess you sins}
28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, {want to make a regressive red hopping mad insist on working!} doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.{thinking of others as more valuable than yourselves?
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
(this one bit me very recently. Since people are so angry today, it is so easy for hostile people to challenge even being reasonable. It is amazing} Remember you are not invulnerable either.
Verse 30 here is a very important reason to pursue God and for staying right with Him. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. He is your helper, the Spirit of Truth, the Teacher, the paraclete who is one like Christ who walks with you and beside you. He is the promise one just like Jesus who seals you unto the promised day of redemption. You and I need Him desperately to fill us, strengthen us, speak in us and through us to others.
These last two verses 31 and 32 don’t have an answer of how to successfully navigate them until you get to Chapter 5.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Successfully achieving this command requires the help of God Almighty that is why we need to go to Chapter 5 verses 1 and 2.
1Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Knowing the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord gives us the courage to be self-sacrificing and servants for Him.
You will fail if you struggle in the human sense trying your best to achieve these changes only relying on Christ and the infilling of the Holy Spirit will enable us to walk this path with our Savior. Oh how we need thee ever hour we need then. Precious lord my Savior come now and help me and each of these in Jesus name. Amen
Now you see why we need continual renewal in the body and blood of our Lord.
August 29
Premise - Our God, through Jesus Christ said, He would never leave us or forsake us.
Christians in today’s world need to understand and experience the supernatural presence of God, His justice, His mercy and His love. Many people including believers, over react when they hear the word supernatural. It evokes the spooky, crawly terror filled response of the dark, destructive unknown. This is because we have been programmed and fed to respond in such a manner by the media, Hollywood and our own superstitious fear of the unknown.
The word and idea of something being Super-natural is the combination of two ideas. The word super which means to be above, over or outside of something. And the second word is nature or natural, which is the realm of this worlds flora and fauna and expresses something which is seen or understood about the earth.
But God in His very being and existence is the true expression of what it means to be supernatural. His very nature is outside the realm of our experience and His nature. He chooses to interact with His children outside of what you would expect or understand. Do you suppose the encounter of Moses at the burning bush was natural or the calling of Mary by the presence of an Angel was natural? How about when He called you? How about the whale and Jonah? That was definitely something outside what you would expect.
So God has encountered us, called upon us, fellowshipped and provided His Spirit in us and promised to be with us always. All of this has been accomplished by God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit supernaturally.
The realm of the supernatural is the realm of the impossible and that is where God operates. For with God all things are possible!
If we study scripture what can we learn about the physical presence and the supernatural presence of God?
God was physically present with Adam and Eve in the Garden- He walked with Adam in the garden in the cool of the evening.
God was physically present with Abraham and Sarah when He made the promise of the future heir coming from His body in the next year.
He was supernaturally present with Joseph throughout the many trials and tribulations of His life from the coat of many colors to the sale into slavery, the falsehood stated by Potiphar’s wife until He became the second most powerful in Egypt and was reconciled to His brothers.
He was present physically with Moses in the Burning Bush and spiritually present throughout the plagues in Egypt to the crossing at the Red Sea; including struggling against unbelief in the desert, and the resultant punishment of 40 years in the wilderness before leading to the promised land.
God was physically present with Joshua as he did his recon of Jerico and met the Commander of the Lord’s armies.
And on it goes through David, the prophets such as Isaac, Jeremiah, Daniel to Malachi. He was both present spiritually and physically to others.
In the New Testament then we come face to face with the person and physical presence of God in the incarnation – God in man in Jesus. We see Jesus interacting with temple leaders, the Jews, Gentiles and the dregs of society. Then in the
Gospel of John in chapter 16, Jesus embarks on preparing the disciples for the loss of His physical presence. Jesus who met with and led them day-by-day but now is preparing for His departure to return to His Father in Heaven.
Here in John chapter 16:7 the disciples are bemoaning His going away and He says, He is going to send “one just like Me.” He, the paraclete, the one just like Jesus, “will assist you in every way just like Me.” So Jesus then and after the crucifixion, His burial, and His resurrection will walk with us supernaturally by the presence of His Holy Spirit. He the Spirit of Truth will lead and guide you just like Jesus did. He will comfort, guide, lead, assist us in praying when we are not able. He will convict the believer of sin, righteousness and reveal things to come.
The book of Acts which is called the Acts of the Apostles is in actuality the acts of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is the activity of the Apostles in obedience to the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit in executing the will and command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the experience of the believers in completing the great commission. Jesus’ command is to go into the world and witness to others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
For you and I today then the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit is present in us just as He was throughout the entire workings of Paul, Barnabas, Thomas, John and Peter as they spread the gospel throughout the known world. Which is the story of the book of Act and the various letters to the churches in the new testament.
These books reflect and witness to the working of the Holy Spirit and God supernaturally throughout time and eternity. He is working in your life today if you will simply ask
Premise - Our God, through Jesus Christ said, He would never leave us or forsake us.
Christians in today’s world need to understand and experience the supernatural presence of God, His justice, His mercy and His love. Many people including believers, over react when they hear the word supernatural. It evokes the spooky, crawly terror filled response of the dark, destructive unknown. This is because we have been programmed and fed to respond in such a manner by the media, Hollywood and our own superstitious fear of the unknown.
The word and idea of something being Super-natural is the combination of two ideas. The word super which means to be above, over or outside of something. And the second word is nature or natural, which is the realm of this worlds flora and fauna and expresses something which is seen or understood about the earth.
But God in His very being and existence is the true expression of what it means to be supernatural. His very nature is outside the realm of our experience and His nature. He chooses to interact with His children outside of what you would expect or understand. Do you suppose the encounter of Moses at the burning bush was natural or the calling of Mary by the presence of an Angel was natural? How about when He called you? How about the whale and Jonah? That was definitely something outside what you would expect.
So God has encountered us, called upon us, fellowshipped and provided His Spirit in us and promised to be with us always. All of this has been accomplished by God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit supernaturally.
The realm of the supernatural is the realm of the impossible and that is where God operates. For with God all things are possible!
If we study scripture what can we learn about the physical presence and the supernatural presence of God?
God was physically present with Adam and Eve in the Garden- He walked with Adam in the garden in the cool of the evening.
God was physically present with Abraham and Sarah when He made the promise of the future heir coming from His body in the next year.
He was supernaturally present with Joseph throughout the many trials and tribulations of His life from the coat of many colors to the sale into slavery, the falsehood stated by Potiphar’s wife until He became the second most powerful in Egypt and was reconciled to His brothers.
He was present physically with Moses in the Burning Bush and spiritually present throughout the plagues in Egypt to the crossing at the Red Sea; including struggling against unbelief in the desert, and the resultant punishment of 40 years in the wilderness before leading to the promised land.
God was physically present with Joshua as he did his recon of Jerico and met the Commander of the Lord’s armies.
And on it goes through David, the prophets such as Isaac, Jeremiah, Daniel to Malachi. He was both present spiritually and physically to others.
In the New Testament then we come face to face with the person and physical presence of God in the incarnation – God in man in Jesus. We see Jesus interacting with temple leaders, the Jews, Gentiles and the dregs of society. Then in the
Gospel of John in chapter 16, Jesus embarks on preparing the disciples for the loss of His physical presence. Jesus who met with and led them day-by-day but now is preparing for His departure to return to His Father in Heaven.
Here in John chapter 16:7 the disciples are bemoaning His going away and He says, He is going to send “one just like Me.” He, the paraclete, the one just like Jesus, “will assist you in every way just like Me.” So Jesus then and after the crucifixion, His burial, and His resurrection will walk with us supernaturally by the presence of His Holy Spirit. He the Spirit of Truth will lead and guide you just like Jesus did. He will comfort, guide, lead, assist us in praying when we are not able. He will convict the believer of sin, righteousness and reveal things to come.
The book of Acts which is called the Acts of the Apostles is in actuality the acts of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is the activity of the Apostles in obedience to the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit in executing the will and command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the experience of the believers in completing the great commission. Jesus’ command is to go into the world and witness to others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
For you and I today then the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit is present in us just as He was throughout the entire workings of Paul, Barnabas, Thomas, John and Peter as they spread the gospel throughout the known world. Which is the story of the book of Act and the various letters to the churches in the new testament.
These books reflect and witness to the working of the Holy Spirit and God supernaturally throughout time and eternity. He is working in your life today if you will simply ask
Aug 22
Lamentations 3:20 My soul still remembers And [h]sinks within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,“Therefore I hope in Him!”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.
Introduction: This is a great passage, because it deals with one of life’s most pressing questions. As a Christian, how do you deal with sorrow? How do you cope with suffering and loss? How do you handle the emotions that accompany the difficulties you are experiencing? How should our response as Christians be different from the response of those who do not believe in or want to know the Lord?
I believe they should be and I believe that these passage in Lamentations teaches us valuable truths about dealing with loss and sorrow and experiencing the faithfulness and mercy of God. (Read Lamentations 3:19-27 and let’s pray.)
The book of Lamentations contains a series of laments concerning the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. The author, most likely Jeremiah, speaks for the nation of Israel. Throughout the book the prophet details the many losses that the Israelites suffered in the destruction of the city. He writes of the unspeakable horrors of starvation and cruelty to the people suffered in the siege leading up to the capture of the city.
Once the Babylonians took the city, they ruthlessly killed many of the people. They took the strongest and best of the survivors and marched them off as slaves into exile. They ransacked the temple; they broke down the city walls; they left the streets and houses in ruins. Everything was stripped away, and the Israelites suffered immense loss. What was even worse, the Israelites had brought all this on themselves. Sounds like what we have done in Afghanistan and what the communist progressives are trying like crazy to implement in America. This is how critical race theory will eventually play out in America if we allow it to happen. You and I must speak out against this darkness. Let’s not miss our moment!
So the Israelites and we in America have rebelled against God and defied his commands. We and they are responsible for the losses they suffered because of our sin and rebellion. America is no different and that is why God is humbling us, until we return to Him. Think on the Philistines.
The book of Lamentations was written in the aftermath of this sin and resulting incredible sorrow and loss.
So what are we to do when we are faced with sinful sorrow, regret and loss in our lives? How do you keep from sinking down under its depressing weight?
How do you keep the sorrow and troubles of the past from poisoning the present and obscuring the future? How do you find any hope to carry on? I believe we will only find that true remedy in the Word of God, the Bible. Let’s check Lamentations now.
Begin with verses 19 to 21. In these verses we find Jeremiah remembering all the sorrows that Israel had recently experienced. And the more he dwells on these sorrows, the more sorrowful he becomes. That leads us to the first truth - Dwelling on your sorrow will only increase your sorrow, frustration and discouragement.
How does it increase your sorrow? First of all, dwelling on your sorrow poisons your life with a root of bitterness. Look at verse 19: “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.” The writer remembers. He is dealing with memories. And he uses four words to describe those memories: affliction, wandering, bitterness and gall. You keep recycling your memories, guilt and shame and it causes bitterness, gall,etc.
Dwelling on your sorrow will also lead you to depression and despair. Check verse 20. As he dwells on all these bitter memories, the author writes: “I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.” This phrase “I well remember them” is unique in the Hebrew. It’s actually the word “remember” used twice – “I remember remember them.” Some of us are so good at remembering the negatives in our lives, we don’t just remember them; we relive them! This comes to dominate our thoughts. And when you twice remember your troubles, when you dwell on the sorrows in your life, that will become depressed.
We see this at the end of verse 20: “My soul is downcast within me.”
Because of bitterness and depression and all this, dwelling on your sorrows You cannot experience hope.
You can’t look up by looking down.
You can’t find hope by dwelling on your troubles. Hope is the exact opposite of despair. So to find hope there must be a turning point. This occurs in and that’s verse 21. The author writes: “Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.”
So what does the author call to mind?
A. God is faithful in his great love for you. (22-24)
1) God’s compassions never fail.
God is faithful in his great love for you. Look at verse 22. “It is because of the Lord’s great love that we are not consumed.” The word “love” here is a word which is used for God’s covenant love and loyalty to his people. It could even be translated “God’s faithful love.”
You pick that up in some translations which speak here of God’s “mercies.” It’s the same word used in the plural in Psalm 89:1 – “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.” It’s as if the word “love” in the singular is not enough to describe God’s great love for us. God’s love is so great it has to be in the plural. All of God, 3 in 1 loves you greatly.
That word consumed means “to be absolutely finished, to be at the end.” Ever been there? Ever felt like you were at the end of your rope? The end of the road? The end of everything, like you’ve got nothing left to give? That’s what the word “consumed” means. But verse 22 says that because of God’s great love you are not consumed, you are not finished, you are not at the end.
v.22 “for his compassions never fail.” The word “compassion” is a beautiful word in the Hebrew. In Hebrew it is literally the word “womb.” And so verse 22 speaks of God’s love towards us in terms of the tender, compassionate love that a mother has for her child that she carries in the womb. This is part of the breathtaking beauty of our God: his power, his might, his strength, his stern and absolute justice, and yet at the same time his tender and compassionate love for his children. Notice that this word is also used in the plural – “his compassions” – to emphasize further God’s wonderful, tender compassion and mercies.
“His compassions never fail.”
The phrase “never fail” is very powerful and has a similar meaning to the here. It signifies “to be finished, to be completed, and at an end.” So when you combine all the contexts and meanings of verse 22 united as one, it teaches us a precious truth. You may feel like you are at your end, but God is not finished. You shouldn’t say, “I’m done, I quit!” because God is never finished, and God will never quit until you are complete in His Son. He never fails, He will prevail, because His compassions never fail. Because of Him therefore you have hope. Praise the Lord!
2) God’s compassions are new every morning. (23)
God’s compassions never fail and are renewed daily. Verse 23 says, “They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness!” God’s compassions and mercies are fresh and new every morning. God never serves leftovers. His compassion never grows tired or stale. He provides fresh, new, tender love and compassion each day. God’s love is sure as the sunrise and is a sign of His faithfulness and grace.
The seasons of the year testify to God’s “great and continued faithfulness, mercy and love.” It’s like that hymn we often sing: “summer and winter, springtime and harvest,” all testify to God’s faithfulness. The renewal of the promise of each new day is a reminder of God’s faithful love: God’s compassions never fail; they are new every morning. Remember the promise of the rainbow, which has been stolen by evil men and women. God’s rainbow is the promise of continuance until He comes in final judgement. He will never again destroy the earth by a flood.
3) Do as you are told in v.24, make God your portion.
Because of God’s faithful love, the writer says here: “I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’” What is your portion? It is whatever you are waiting for. So, let me ask, what are you waiting for today? Are you waiting for a windfall? An inheritance? A change in circumstances? Whatever is causing your sorrow to go away? Or are you waiting upon the Lord? Your portion as a believer in Christ in His person. That should be your soul’s desire and your portion. Jesus Christ and the Father never fail. Their promises are new every morning. He is the Covenant keeper and He is faith
B. God is faithful in his goodness to you. (25-27)
Verses 25-27 in the original Hebrew all begin with the same word – the word “good.” And so there are three ways God is faithful in his goodness to you.
1) Learn to trust God’s character. (25)
First of all, learn to trust God’s character. v. 25: “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” God is good through and through. Thomas Brooks, a Puritan author put it this way: “God, in that He is good, can give nothing, nor do nothing, but that which is good.” Learn to trust God’s character, even when things don’t seem to be going according to your plans.
Why? Because God is good! All the time! It can be no other way. Learn to trust God’s character. “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.”
2) Learn to trust God’s timing. (26)
Secondly, learn to trust God’s timing. We see this in verse 26: “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” The word “salvation” here is a word that can mean “salvation or deliverance.” It often refers to salvation from sin, but it can also mean deliverance from anything – from sickness, from your enemies, or from whatever may be causing you sorrow or grief.
We need to learn to trust God’s timing. God’s timing is always good. God is never early, never late, always on time. But I’ve got to tell you, I sometimes find myself asking him, “Lord, couldn’t you be early just once in a while?” Learn to trust God’s timing instead of yours. “
3) Learn to trust God’s discipline. (27)
Learn to trust God’s character, His timing, and finally, learn to trust His discipline. Look at verse 27: “It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.” To bear the yoke is to learn to submit to God even in the hard times. God uses the difficult times in your life for good to build character and to impart discipline in you.
Don’t think of discipline as punishment for sin. Discipline is God’s training. The book of Hebrews says that chastisement or discipline is one of God’s proofs you are his child.
Do you see the word “man” in verse 27? It’s not the usual word for man in Hebrew. This specific word means “a strong or a mighty man or woman, a warrior.” How do you become a strong warrior for the Lord? You have to bear the yoke and take up your cross and follow Him.
Don’t fight God during the hard times.
Learn to trust God’s character. Learn to trust God’s timing. Learn to trust God’s discipline.
What do these verses teach us this day? Dwelling on your difficulties only increases your sorrow. But focusing on God brings hope.
Allow me to encourage you this morning: choose to remember God’s faithfulness.
– God is faithful in his great love for you: his compassions never fail; they are new every morning.
– God is faithful in his goodness to you: learn to trust his character, his timing and his discipline in your life.
Lamentations 3:20 My soul still remembers And [h]sinks within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,“Therefore I hope in Him!”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.
Introduction: This is a great passage, because it deals with one of life’s most pressing questions. As a Christian, how do you deal with sorrow? How do you cope with suffering and loss? How do you handle the emotions that accompany the difficulties you are experiencing? How should our response as Christians be different from the response of those who do not believe in or want to know the Lord?
I believe they should be and I believe that these passage in Lamentations teaches us valuable truths about dealing with loss and sorrow and experiencing the faithfulness and mercy of God. (Read Lamentations 3:19-27 and let’s pray.)
The book of Lamentations contains a series of laments concerning the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. The author, most likely Jeremiah, speaks for the nation of Israel. Throughout the book the prophet details the many losses that the Israelites suffered in the destruction of the city. He writes of the unspeakable horrors of starvation and cruelty to the people suffered in the siege leading up to the capture of the city.
Once the Babylonians took the city, they ruthlessly killed many of the people. They took the strongest and best of the survivors and marched them off as slaves into exile. They ransacked the temple; they broke down the city walls; they left the streets and houses in ruins. Everything was stripped away, and the Israelites suffered immense loss. What was even worse, the Israelites had brought all this on themselves. Sounds like what we have done in Afghanistan and what the communist progressives are trying like crazy to implement in America. This is how critical race theory will eventually play out in America if we allow it to happen. You and I must speak out against this darkness. Let’s not miss our moment!
So the Israelites and we in America have rebelled against God and defied his commands. We and they are responsible for the losses they suffered because of our sin and rebellion. America is no different and that is why God is humbling us, until we return to Him. Think on the Philistines.
The book of Lamentations was written in the aftermath of this sin and resulting incredible sorrow and loss.
So what are we to do when we are faced with sinful sorrow, regret and loss in our lives? How do you keep from sinking down under its depressing weight?
How do you keep the sorrow and troubles of the past from poisoning the present and obscuring the future? How do you find any hope to carry on? I believe we will only find that true remedy in the Word of God, the Bible. Let’s check Lamentations now.
Begin with verses 19 to 21. In these verses we find Jeremiah remembering all the sorrows that Israel had recently experienced. And the more he dwells on these sorrows, the more sorrowful he becomes. That leads us to the first truth - Dwelling on your sorrow will only increase your sorrow, frustration and discouragement.
How does it increase your sorrow? First of all, dwelling on your sorrow poisons your life with a root of bitterness. Look at verse 19: “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.” The writer remembers. He is dealing with memories. And he uses four words to describe those memories: affliction, wandering, bitterness and gall. You keep recycling your memories, guilt and shame and it causes bitterness, gall,etc.
Dwelling on your sorrow will also lead you to depression and despair. Check verse 20. As he dwells on all these bitter memories, the author writes: “I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.” This phrase “I well remember them” is unique in the Hebrew. It’s actually the word “remember” used twice – “I remember remember them.” Some of us are so good at remembering the negatives in our lives, we don’t just remember them; we relive them! This comes to dominate our thoughts. And when you twice remember your troubles, when you dwell on the sorrows in your life, that will become depressed.
We see this at the end of verse 20: “My soul is downcast within me.”
Because of bitterness and depression and all this, dwelling on your sorrows You cannot experience hope.
You can’t look up by looking down.
You can’t find hope by dwelling on your troubles. Hope is the exact opposite of despair. So to find hope there must be a turning point. This occurs in and that’s verse 21. The author writes: “Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.”
So what does the author call to mind?
A. God is faithful in his great love for you. (22-24)
1) God’s compassions never fail.
God is faithful in his great love for you. Look at verse 22. “It is because of the Lord’s great love that we are not consumed.” The word “love” here is a word which is used for God’s covenant love and loyalty to his people. It could even be translated “God’s faithful love.”
You pick that up in some translations which speak here of God’s “mercies.” It’s the same word used in the plural in Psalm 89:1 – “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.” It’s as if the word “love” in the singular is not enough to describe God’s great love for us. God’s love is so great it has to be in the plural. All of God, 3 in 1 loves you greatly.
That word consumed means “to be absolutely finished, to be at the end.” Ever been there? Ever felt like you were at the end of your rope? The end of the road? The end of everything, like you’ve got nothing left to give? That’s what the word “consumed” means. But verse 22 says that because of God’s great love you are not consumed, you are not finished, you are not at the end.
v.22 “for his compassions never fail.” The word “compassion” is a beautiful word in the Hebrew. In Hebrew it is literally the word “womb.” And so verse 22 speaks of God’s love towards us in terms of the tender, compassionate love that a mother has for her child that she carries in the womb. This is part of the breathtaking beauty of our God: his power, his might, his strength, his stern and absolute justice, and yet at the same time his tender and compassionate love for his children. Notice that this word is also used in the plural – “his compassions” – to emphasize further God’s wonderful, tender compassion and mercies.
“His compassions never fail.”
The phrase “never fail” is very powerful and has a similar meaning to the here. It signifies “to be finished, to be completed, and at an end.” So when you combine all the contexts and meanings of verse 22 united as one, it teaches us a precious truth. You may feel like you are at your end, but God is not finished. You shouldn’t say, “I’m done, I quit!” because God is never finished, and God will never quit until you are complete in His Son. He never fails, He will prevail, because His compassions never fail. Because of Him therefore you have hope. Praise the Lord!
2) God’s compassions are new every morning. (23)
God’s compassions never fail and are renewed daily. Verse 23 says, “They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness!” God’s compassions and mercies are fresh and new every morning. God never serves leftovers. His compassion never grows tired or stale. He provides fresh, new, tender love and compassion each day. God’s love is sure as the sunrise and is a sign of His faithfulness and grace.
The seasons of the year testify to God’s “great and continued faithfulness, mercy and love.” It’s like that hymn we often sing: “summer and winter, springtime and harvest,” all testify to God’s faithfulness. The renewal of the promise of each new day is a reminder of God’s faithful love: God’s compassions never fail; they are new every morning. Remember the promise of the rainbow, which has been stolen by evil men and women. God’s rainbow is the promise of continuance until He comes in final judgement. He will never again destroy the earth by a flood.
3) Do as you are told in v.24, make God your portion.
Because of God’s faithful love, the writer says here: “I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’” What is your portion? It is whatever you are waiting for. So, let me ask, what are you waiting for today? Are you waiting for a windfall? An inheritance? A change in circumstances? Whatever is causing your sorrow to go away? Or are you waiting upon the Lord? Your portion as a believer in Christ in His person. That should be your soul’s desire and your portion. Jesus Christ and the Father never fail. Their promises are new every morning. He is the Covenant keeper and He is faith
B. God is faithful in his goodness to you. (25-27)
Verses 25-27 in the original Hebrew all begin with the same word – the word “good.” And so there are three ways God is faithful in his goodness to you.
1) Learn to trust God’s character. (25)
First of all, learn to trust God’s character. v. 25: “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” God is good through and through. Thomas Brooks, a Puritan author put it this way: “God, in that He is good, can give nothing, nor do nothing, but that which is good.” Learn to trust God’s character, even when things don’t seem to be going according to your plans.
Why? Because God is good! All the time! It can be no other way. Learn to trust God’s character. “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.”
2) Learn to trust God’s timing. (26)
Secondly, learn to trust God’s timing. We see this in verse 26: “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” The word “salvation” here is a word that can mean “salvation or deliverance.” It often refers to salvation from sin, but it can also mean deliverance from anything – from sickness, from your enemies, or from whatever may be causing you sorrow or grief.
We need to learn to trust God’s timing. God’s timing is always good. God is never early, never late, always on time. But I’ve got to tell you, I sometimes find myself asking him, “Lord, couldn’t you be early just once in a while?” Learn to trust God’s timing instead of yours. “
3) Learn to trust God’s discipline. (27)
Learn to trust God’s character, His timing, and finally, learn to trust His discipline. Look at verse 27: “It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.” To bear the yoke is to learn to submit to God even in the hard times. God uses the difficult times in your life for good to build character and to impart discipline in you.
Don’t think of discipline as punishment for sin. Discipline is God’s training. The book of Hebrews says that chastisement or discipline is one of God’s proofs you are his child.
Do you see the word “man” in verse 27? It’s not the usual word for man in Hebrew. This specific word means “a strong or a mighty man or woman, a warrior.” How do you become a strong warrior for the Lord? You have to bear the yoke and take up your cross and follow Him.
Don’t fight God during the hard times.
Learn to trust God’s character. Learn to trust God’s timing. Learn to trust God’s discipline.
What do these verses teach us this day? Dwelling on your difficulties only increases your sorrow. But focusing on God brings hope.
Allow me to encourage you this morning: choose to remember God’s faithfulness.
– God is faithful in his great love for you: his compassions never fail; they are new every morning.
– God is faithful in his goodness to you: learn to trust his character, his timing and his discipline in your life.
Aug 1
Adonai is one of the names of God. In most English translations of the Bible it is translated as "Lord" with lower case letters, whereas the name. Adonai is a form of the word adon, which comes from a root word meaning "to rule." So adon means "lord or master." Adon was used for governing authorities such as kings (Daniel 1:10). It was used for military commanders (2 Kings 5:1), teachers or mentors (2 Kings 6:5), and even oldest brothers (Genesis 32:4). And, it was also used for employers and owners of servants and slaves (Genesis 24:65).
Adonai is a form of adon that is both plural and possessive. Since Adonai uses singular pronouns when it refers to God, we know that God is one master, not many. So rather than showing plurality of the Godhead, this plural ending is a Hebrew device used to emphasize intensity. In other words, using the plural ending conveys that God is a "very great lord master."
The possessive ending personalizes our relationship. So God is not merely "our very great lord master"—He is "MY very great lord master." It is a relationship that is personal, ongoing, and two-sided. He is my master and I am His servant. Masters had a responsibility to protect, provide for, and promote their servants to earned positions of authority. Jewish servants were considered members of their masters' households. According to Paul we are all slaves. The unsaved are slaves to sin and the redeemed are slaves to righteousness in Christ. {Romans 6-15-20}.
So since we are those who are slaves to our Master Adonai who is God and who is Christ. Maybe we should understand how to behave, honor, glorify and have faith in our Master as we begin even now living in His household of the Family of God. We should be growing in righteousness, holiness, wisdom and truth as we walk in the Spirit. So perhaps we need to bone up on why it is essential to study the Word of God and know what He says.
So the focus of our lesson today is on the Bible. But to begin with the Bible is a human word. It tends to ignore the significance of what the book represents. I believe we should more correctly refer to this book as the Word of God, depending of course on the translation. Some versions are paraphrases and are not literal translations of God’s words so we need to be careful.
Then what do we mean by the word, word in your bible’s concordance here are some of the references you will find – 937 returns but let’s concentrate on a few. If you look up Psalm 119 11Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Refers to this book and our response to what we hear. Then in John1:1 we see a reference to the Eternal Word-
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Further in John 1, we have a reference to the Word becoming flesh – 14 And the Word became 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.
So the Word also references itself as Jesus ,who is God and as presented to us by the Father as “This is My beloved Son.” With the admonition to “Hear Him.”
So perhaps we should pay attention. Since Jesus is the express image of the Father and He is Word made flesh and this is His book, do you think there might be a message to which we should be attuned?
So what is the Bible or as we should choose to revere it as the Word of God.
So we say This Word is the inspired, inerrant, infallible and holy word of God. How can we say that?
2 Tim 3:16-17 - 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [c]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Now I give you the entire relevant scripture as we will refer to it later but for the moment look at just this first phrase - 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
Now turn to 2nd Peter 1:20-21 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private [j]interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but [k]holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
You want to know what inspired by God means well here it is in 2nd Peter verse 1. God used men to write this book but make no mistake, God’s hand led each of the writers to produce this book.
God over a period of 1600 yrs. He used 40 kings, prophets, leaders, and followers of Jesus in the writing. 37 books are in the Old Testament and 29 are in the New Testament. The Word of God was written mainly in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. The Word of God has been translated today into 2, 883 languages. We have manuscripts available to check the accuracy of the written text from as early as 250 AD for the NT and as far in the past on Stone for portions of the OT from 1500 BC. Jesus is mentioned in every book, indirectly in Ester as God’s name is not mentioned but God’s sovereign hand preserves the Jews.
Last point for today is the Word is living. This is from Hebrews, Chapter 4, verses 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Do you understand this truth?
Not much more to add except that anyone who says the Word of God, is not relevant for today, does not have the Holy Spirit in their life. For if they did they would understand the living word speaks because God uses it to speak to us .
So I challenge you today are you listening and in turn praying back to the Father using to the Word of God? Remember to get a word you should immerse yourself, search and seek in His Word, before He will give you a word. There is no pat formula for seeking God.
What kind of a student of the Word are you? May God increase our desire to study and show ourselves approved as we use His word for knowing doctrine, for reproof or correction when we are in error; or for our continued growth and instruction in righteousness. May we Lord be your men and women who are complete in Your book, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Amen
Adonai is one of the names of God. In most English translations of the Bible it is translated as "Lord" with lower case letters, whereas the name. Adonai is a form of the word adon, which comes from a root word meaning "to rule." So adon means "lord or master." Adon was used for governing authorities such as kings (Daniel 1:10). It was used for military commanders (2 Kings 5:1), teachers or mentors (2 Kings 6:5), and even oldest brothers (Genesis 32:4). And, it was also used for employers and owners of servants and slaves (Genesis 24:65).
Adonai is a form of adon that is both plural and possessive. Since Adonai uses singular pronouns when it refers to God, we know that God is one master, not many. So rather than showing plurality of the Godhead, this plural ending is a Hebrew device used to emphasize intensity. In other words, using the plural ending conveys that God is a "very great lord master."
The possessive ending personalizes our relationship. So God is not merely "our very great lord master"—He is "MY very great lord master." It is a relationship that is personal, ongoing, and two-sided. He is my master and I am His servant. Masters had a responsibility to protect, provide for, and promote their servants to earned positions of authority. Jewish servants were considered members of their masters' households. According to Paul we are all slaves. The unsaved are slaves to sin and the redeemed are slaves to righteousness in Christ. {Romans 6-15-20}.
So since we are those who are slaves to our Master Adonai who is God and who is Christ. Maybe we should understand how to behave, honor, glorify and have faith in our Master as we begin even now living in His household of the Family of God. We should be growing in righteousness, holiness, wisdom and truth as we walk in the Spirit. So perhaps we need to bone up on why it is essential to study the Word of God and know what He says.
So the focus of our lesson today is on the Bible. But to begin with the Bible is a human word. It tends to ignore the significance of what the book represents. I believe we should more correctly refer to this book as the Word of God, depending of course on the translation. Some versions are paraphrases and are not literal translations of God’s words so we need to be careful.
Then what do we mean by the word, word in your bible’s concordance here are some of the references you will find – 937 returns but let’s concentrate on a few. If you look up Psalm 119 11Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Refers to this book and our response to what we hear. Then in John1:1 we see a reference to the Eternal Word-
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Further in John 1, we have a reference to the Word becoming flesh – 14 And the Word became 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.
So the Word also references itself as Jesus ,who is God and as presented to us by the Father as “This is My beloved Son.” With the admonition to “Hear Him.”
So perhaps we should pay attention. Since Jesus is the express image of the Father and He is Word made flesh and this is His book, do you think there might be a message to which we should be attuned?
So what is the Bible or as we should choose to revere it as the Word of God.
So we say This Word is the inspired, inerrant, infallible and holy word of God. How can we say that?
2 Tim 3:16-17 - 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [c]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Now I give you the entire relevant scripture as we will refer to it later but for the moment look at just this first phrase - 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
Now turn to 2nd Peter 1:20-21 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private [j]interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but [k]holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
You want to know what inspired by God means well here it is in 2nd Peter verse 1. God used men to write this book but make no mistake, God’s hand led each of the writers to produce this book.
God over a period of 1600 yrs. He used 40 kings, prophets, leaders, and followers of Jesus in the writing. 37 books are in the Old Testament and 29 are in the New Testament. The Word of God was written mainly in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. The Word of God has been translated today into 2, 883 languages. We have manuscripts available to check the accuracy of the written text from as early as 250 AD for the NT and as far in the past on Stone for portions of the OT from 1500 BC. Jesus is mentioned in every book, indirectly in Ester as God’s name is not mentioned but God’s sovereign hand preserves the Jews.
Last point for today is the Word is living. This is from Hebrews, Chapter 4, verses 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Do you understand this truth?
Not much more to add except that anyone who says the Word of God, is not relevant for today, does not have the Holy Spirit in their life. For if they did they would understand the living word speaks because God uses it to speak to us .
So I challenge you today are you listening and in turn praying back to the Father using to the Word of God? Remember to get a word you should immerse yourself, search and seek in His Word, before He will give you a word. There is no pat formula for seeking God.
What kind of a student of the Word are you? May God increase our desire to study and show ourselves approved as we use His word for knowing doctrine, for reproof or correction when we are in error; or for our continued growth and instruction in righteousness. May we Lord be your men and women who are complete in Your book, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Amen
July 25
Verse 1:
What this dying world could use is a willing Man of God
Who dares to go against the grain and works without applause;
A man who'll raise the shield of Faith, protecting what is pure;
Whose love is tough and gentle; a man whose word is sure.
Verse 2:
God doesn't need an Orator who knows just what to say;
He doesn't need authorities to reason Him away;
He doesn't need an army to guarantee a win;
He just needs a Few Good Men.
Chorus:
Men full of Compassion, who Laugh and Love and Cry-
Men who'll face Eternity and aren't afraid to die-
Men who'll fight for Freedom and Honor once again-
He just needs a Few Good Men.
Verse 3:
He calls the broken derelict whose life has been renewed;
He calls the one who has the strength to stand up for the Truth.
Enlistment lines are open and He wants you to come in-
He just needs a Few Good Men.
-Chorus 3 times
Love this song but Jesus doesn’t need a few good men who strive to be their best for Him. What He actually needs are men and women who are sold out to Jesus and walking in the Spirit as Paul tells us in Philippians and Colossians. These men and women are HOLY Spirit filled and sold out for Jesus. Here is how the walk and breath in Jesus- John 15:1-5: 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
NOTICE the conditions for fellowship with the savior. First, our position in Christ in the Kingdom - we are branches off the vine. Second, we must live or abide in Christ Jesus. There is whole lot packed in this bullet. Third, we realize and understand our absolute dependence upon Jesus and the Holy Spirits leading
Failure to meet these means we are cast out and withered- no more spiritual fruit and they are burned end of story.
Fourth, the Word of God will reside in you and you will have a burning desire for more.
Fifth, Asking or praying to the Lord will be direct, empowered and blessed of God. In fulfilling each of these activities you will glorify God and because of your obedience you will bear fruit – a great harvest because of God’s blessings.
So who is ready to sign up? Oops wait a minute what was that in the tag line in the chorus of the song-
. Men full of Compassion, who Laugh and Love and Cry-
Men who'll face Eternity and aren't afraid to die-
Men who'll fight for Freedom and Honor once again-
He just needs a Few Good Men. Yep there it is aren’t afraid to die.
This is a tough one - Men who'll face Eternity and aren't afraid to die-.
Two types of death will occur to these good men and women who God calls to stand up for Jesus. The First death will be death to self. When the Lord reveals Himself to someone, and they call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. He or she will have to die to self. Jesus say, If any man would come after Me let him deny himself and take up His cross and follow Me. Luke 9:23 Becoming God centered and no longer being self-centered is one of the first results of true conversion.
The Second death is to learn to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7), trusting in the Saviors leading. If God in Christ, via the Holy Spirit is living in you, as God chose to do with Jesus, He may ask you to give your life for Him, Are you prepared to actually pay the price and give all your physical life to Christ, by dying? As you consider this question you should ponder and remember that Jesus is your Life, for in Him, He is your life for eternity. If you have but one death to give, giving it for Jesus should be considered an honor.
If we go back to our text and look at the verses we just read, these verses gave us five conditions for fellowship. Let’s read and review our text John 15:5ff, 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Then we stated the conditions for fellowship: First, our position in Christ is we are branches off the vine. Second, we must abide completely in Christ Jesus. Third, we realize and understand our absolute dependence upon Jesus and the Holy Spirits leading
Not meeting these causes us to be cast out and withered- no more spiritual fruit and we are burned up
Fourth, the Word of God resides in you and you have a burning desire for more.
Fifth, Asking or praying to the Lord will be direct, empowered and blessed of God.
If we fulfill these activities we will glorify God and because of our obedience we will bear fruit. But step back and consider this if we fulfill these steps what will be the attitude of our heart? Will we not be willing to give all for Christ.
Walk with me now as we dig deeper starting with point #1. Jesus says He is the vine we are the branches. Jesus then is the source of our living and our life. He gives life to all who are His and to all things in our lives. You and I, if we are His children are branches in His life. But according to Jesus when He spoke to Nicodemus we have to have be born and have life in two dimensions. Jesus said, Ye must be born of water and the Spirit, Ye must be born again. {John 3}There is life in the human body which comes from natural child birth. This would be birth by water and the second life, would be spiritual birth and life in the Spirit. If we are alive in Christ we have had both water birth and birth in the Holy Spirit and become a child of the King. Can I have an Amen?
Point #2- He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. As we said before we must abide completely in Christ Jesus. If we were to parse Proverbs 3:5 and 6 or Psalm 37: 4 and 5, we might be surprised at the demand to believe and trust only in Him.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit[a] your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
If we realize that apart from Jesus we can do nothing, then delighting in the Lord and committing our way unto Him is very similar to realizing that apart from Him nothing is possible. I am continually reminded of the verse which is in Jeremiah 29:13, which might be a great definition for abiding in Christ. - 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. When I search for Jesus with all my heart then I will be abiding in Christ.
Point #3.not only do I need to abide but there is a critical dependency in my life on the activity of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is to lead me into the truth, guide my heart and mind, convict me of personal sin and call me to repentance; open my heart and understanding to apply the Word of God; direct my steps in the ways of righteousness; help me to pray and provide comfort and peace as we obey and follow Jesus. He has a big job, but so do we. We are to continually turn to Him and realize this is the One Jesus sent to the disciples and we are the continuing embodiment of the living book of Acts. For while the book chronicles the steps of the Apostles we are the following chapters as disciples of Christ in each following generation to the Acts of the Holy Spirit in us.
Points #4 and #5 - Four, the Word of God resides in you and you have a burning desire for more. And now Five, Asking or praying to the Lord will be direct, empowered and blessed of God.
So we have already given away the source of the power to enable these two when walking in the Spirit. We described the attributes of what the Holy Spirit desires to accomplish in your life and these are accomplished when you yield to the Holy Spirits leading.
One final item is that coming against you is the spirit of deceit and deception from the prince and power of the air. While defeated He still is attempting to take as many souls to hell as he can. Read 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2. Verse 3 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Delusion and deception are coming soon to a place near you from the prince of all lies and deception. So you will be tempted to be deceived and deluded but who is able to keep you from falling the Lord Jesus Christ.
Walk according to the word and in the Spirit and you will not be deluded or deceived because Christ promises to keep us apart.
God is called today for a few good men and women to sign up in the Army of God, which includes all services and members who will trust in the Lord with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding. Amen
Verse 1:
What this dying world could use is a willing Man of God
Who dares to go against the grain and works without applause;
A man who'll raise the shield of Faith, protecting what is pure;
Whose love is tough and gentle; a man whose word is sure.
Verse 2:
God doesn't need an Orator who knows just what to say;
He doesn't need authorities to reason Him away;
He doesn't need an army to guarantee a win;
He just needs a Few Good Men.
Chorus:
Men full of Compassion, who Laugh and Love and Cry-
Men who'll face Eternity and aren't afraid to die-
Men who'll fight for Freedom and Honor once again-
He just needs a Few Good Men.
Verse 3:
He calls the broken derelict whose life has been renewed;
He calls the one who has the strength to stand up for the Truth.
Enlistment lines are open and He wants you to come in-
He just needs a Few Good Men.
-Chorus 3 times
Love this song but Jesus doesn’t need a few good men who strive to be their best for Him. What He actually needs are men and women who are sold out to Jesus and walking in the Spirit as Paul tells us in Philippians and Colossians. These men and women are HOLY Spirit filled and sold out for Jesus. Here is how the walk and breath in Jesus- John 15:1-5: 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
NOTICE the conditions for fellowship with the savior. First, our position in Christ in the Kingdom - we are branches off the vine. Second, we must live or abide in Christ Jesus. There is whole lot packed in this bullet. Third, we realize and understand our absolute dependence upon Jesus and the Holy Spirits leading
Failure to meet these means we are cast out and withered- no more spiritual fruit and they are burned end of story.
Fourth, the Word of God will reside in you and you will have a burning desire for more.
Fifth, Asking or praying to the Lord will be direct, empowered and blessed of God. In fulfilling each of these activities you will glorify God and because of your obedience you will bear fruit – a great harvest because of God’s blessings.
So who is ready to sign up? Oops wait a minute what was that in the tag line in the chorus of the song-
. Men full of Compassion, who Laugh and Love and Cry-
Men who'll face Eternity and aren't afraid to die-
Men who'll fight for Freedom and Honor once again-
He just needs a Few Good Men. Yep there it is aren’t afraid to die.
This is a tough one - Men who'll face Eternity and aren't afraid to die-.
Two types of death will occur to these good men and women who God calls to stand up for Jesus. The First death will be death to self. When the Lord reveals Himself to someone, and they call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. He or she will have to die to self. Jesus say, If any man would come after Me let him deny himself and take up His cross and follow Me. Luke 9:23 Becoming God centered and no longer being self-centered is one of the first results of true conversion.
The Second death is to learn to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7), trusting in the Saviors leading. If God in Christ, via the Holy Spirit is living in you, as God chose to do with Jesus, He may ask you to give your life for Him, Are you prepared to actually pay the price and give all your physical life to Christ, by dying? As you consider this question you should ponder and remember that Jesus is your Life, for in Him, He is your life for eternity. If you have but one death to give, giving it for Jesus should be considered an honor.
If we go back to our text and look at the verses we just read, these verses gave us five conditions for fellowship. Let’s read and review our text John 15:5ff, 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Then we stated the conditions for fellowship: First, our position in Christ is we are branches off the vine. Second, we must abide completely in Christ Jesus. Third, we realize and understand our absolute dependence upon Jesus and the Holy Spirits leading
Not meeting these causes us to be cast out and withered- no more spiritual fruit and we are burned up
Fourth, the Word of God resides in you and you have a burning desire for more.
Fifth, Asking or praying to the Lord will be direct, empowered and blessed of God.
If we fulfill these activities we will glorify God and because of our obedience we will bear fruit. But step back and consider this if we fulfill these steps what will be the attitude of our heart? Will we not be willing to give all for Christ.
Walk with me now as we dig deeper starting with point #1. Jesus says He is the vine we are the branches. Jesus then is the source of our living and our life. He gives life to all who are His and to all things in our lives. You and I, if we are His children are branches in His life. But according to Jesus when He spoke to Nicodemus we have to have be born and have life in two dimensions. Jesus said, Ye must be born of water and the Spirit, Ye must be born again. {John 3}There is life in the human body which comes from natural child birth. This would be birth by water and the second life, would be spiritual birth and life in the Spirit. If we are alive in Christ we have had both water birth and birth in the Holy Spirit and become a child of the King. Can I have an Amen?
Point #2- He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. As we said before we must abide completely in Christ Jesus. If we were to parse Proverbs 3:5 and 6 or Psalm 37: 4 and 5, we might be surprised at the demand to believe and trust only in Him.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit[a] your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
If we realize that apart from Jesus we can do nothing, then delighting in the Lord and committing our way unto Him is very similar to realizing that apart from Him nothing is possible. I am continually reminded of the verse which is in Jeremiah 29:13, which might be a great definition for abiding in Christ. - 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. When I search for Jesus with all my heart then I will be abiding in Christ.
Point #3.not only do I need to abide but there is a critical dependency in my life on the activity of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is to lead me into the truth, guide my heart and mind, convict me of personal sin and call me to repentance; open my heart and understanding to apply the Word of God; direct my steps in the ways of righteousness; help me to pray and provide comfort and peace as we obey and follow Jesus. He has a big job, but so do we. We are to continually turn to Him and realize this is the One Jesus sent to the disciples and we are the continuing embodiment of the living book of Acts. For while the book chronicles the steps of the Apostles we are the following chapters as disciples of Christ in each following generation to the Acts of the Holy Spirit in us.
Points #4 and #5 - Four, the Word of God resides in you and you have a burning desire for more. And now Five, Asking or praying to the Lord will be direct, empowered and blessed of God.
So we have already given away the source of the power to enable these two when walking in the Spirit. We described the attributes of what the Holy Spirit desires to accomplish in your life and these are accomplished when you yield to the Holy Spirits leading.
One final item is that coming against you is the spirit of deceit and deception from the prince and power of the air. While defeated He still is attempting to take as many souls to hell as he can. Read 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2. Verse 3 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Delusion and deception are coming soon to a place near you from the prince of all lies and deception. So you will be tempted to be deceived and deluded but who is able to keep you from falling the Lord Jesus Christ.
Walk according to the word and in the Spirit and you will not be deluded or deceived because Christ promises to keep us apart.
God is called today for a few good men and women to sign up in the Army of God, which includes all services and members who will trust in the Lord with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding. Amen
July 18
In the name of Jesus.
Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved.”
Luke 24: 44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [l]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city[m]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: {belief}
John 20 :31 - but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (eternal life}
Acts 10:42- 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission[a] of sins.” {forgiveness}
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. {Peter and the Gentiles}{Presence of God}
Revelation, Chapter 19: 12-14 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He [a]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in [b]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.
I have provided a copy to every one of the scriptures which I will be using today as we have a lesson about the name of Jesus. but before we get into all of that I want to talk about something which most of us are familiar. It is called a power of attorney. When someone might grant you a power of attorney it is a document which grants you permission to operate in the name of the person, granting you a power to operate in their name. When I was flying over many contested areas not under U.S. control as a member of the United States Navy, I drew up an unlimited power of attorney for Cindy. Note I said an unlimited power of attorney. You see there are two types – a limited power of attorney, say to buy or sell a house or to do some specific granted thing and no other. Or an unlimited power of attorney to function in one’s name to operate in every way for the one designated in the power of attorney. Cindy was granted authority to do anything for our family as needed while I was away and in harm’s way. So Cindy could have done anything, sold the cars, sold the house, take out loans or whatever she wanted to do.
A power of attorney then designates an individual by name to function or operate for the grantor to do something either specifically as in a limited power of attorney or to have complete authority to function and operate as needed in that person’s name.
Point #1 - God’s power of Attorney has been granted to believers is an unlimited power of attorney and it is granted in the name of Jesus– Jesus name is the name above all names and in the name of Jesus all things are possible to him or her who believes.
Do you believe this? Are you living in this promise of God? If so all things are available to you in the name of Jesus our Lord. Now don’t panic there are several scriptures and depending on the Holy Spirit’s leading and teaching we will go as He leads.
Acts 4:12 gives us some specifics about this power vested in us- Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (except the name of Jesus}. The world hates this exclusivity of no other way to heaven except the name of Jesus. Salvation only comes by Him.
Jesus related some specifics about operating in His name as He spoke to His disciples in Luke Chapter 24. it is the next text on your page. : 44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [l]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city[m]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Verse 49 speaks of the Promise of My Father. That Promise is what Jesus spoke about in John 16. That He, God in Jesus Christ, would send another just like Himself. The Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Teacher who would lead us into all truth. So the Holy Spirit is the One who God gives and He the Holy Spirit grants us a new heart and anew spirit within us, to operate as His disciples and servants in executing God’s Power of Attorney in Jesus name. Without the Holy Spirit of promise there would be sinful men and women executing God’s power without restraint. Sinful men and women cannot even see the kingdom of heaven let alone complete His instructions. We proved this in the garden of Eden for we are all sinners saved by grace in Christ Jesus.
So Point #2 is very specific as stated in verse 47 - and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Now in whose name? In the name of Jesus. And what should be done and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all nations beginning in Jerusalem.
This is what believers are commissioned to do and to do so how? It says in His name, Who’s name? The name of Jesus and in His name only, according to our first scripture.
Repentance and remission or forgiveness of sins only comes from the Lord Jesus Christ for He is God and He is the expressed representation of the Father. He who has seen Jesus has seen the Father, for He and the Father are one. Do you remember hearing this text before?
I hope you are gleaning that the name of Jesus is essential for your living as a faithful believer. He alone is your salvation. He has given all the task of preaching repentance and remission of sins In His name.
Point #3 Belief in Jesus grants us to become the children of God and He is the one who grants us eternal life. Check out John, Chapter 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: {belief in Jesus makes us a part of the family of God, no longer outcasts from the family}
Belief in Jesus grants us eternal life in Christ - John 20 :31 - but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.(eternal life}
Let it be known that Jesu is the one, the one and only, from who you derive your authority and commission as a believer. He is the source of your power and He gives you new life as well as eternal life.
Point #4. We are to testify to people of His authority to Judge and only from Him can believers receive forgiveness of sins. Acts 10:42- 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission[a] of sins.” {forgiveness}
Going to the next verse in this same passage tells us something else 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. {Peter and the Gentiles}{Presence of God}.
When God empowers our witness and our preaching or proclaiming of the Word of God the Holy Spirit comes to convey us all into the presence of God. Inspired, Spirit led preaching and teaching leads us into the presence of God. This is what this nation needs today is the inspired, infallible, inerrant and precious word of God to stimulate the hearts of believers to stand fast and having done all to keep standing in the day of adversity. Not quitting but standing on the promises of God not by how we see, perceive or fell- meaning we walk by faith.
Point # 5 to the believer Jesus is the source of all power. While this is not the absolute last point, it remains very important. Jesus spoke to His disciples in the upper room stating “apart from Him you and I can do nothing.” (Jn. 15:5) but in Matthew’s gospel we find the definitive word which describes the source of our power. Turn to Matt. 28:18-20 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.
Verse 18 is one we often skip right over but it is more essential than we realize. Not only is the Jesus’ last word to His friends the disciples but it is the charge for our service to Him. Read closely in verse 18 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. And the next word in verse 19 is Go.
Jesus has just made an incredible statement – His Father has granted Jesus supreme authority over all things in heaven and earth. All things include everything .pertaining to life, death and eternity are under His sway. He was making this statement as an introduction to what He was commanding them to do next. Go. Go how? Not as many go today in weakness and fear but in the power and admonition of Jesus Christ by the authority and power in His Name.
Many of us as believers do not understand or function in this authority. Oh we believe in Jesus but He might not answer my prayer. Why might He not answer my prayer because I have not asked in faith believing? Or was I asking in selfish sin or upon my lusts. How can we believe that whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and not believe God will answer Jeremiah 33:3 – Call upon Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and [b]mighty things, which you do not know.’
We often place conditions on the word of God to give us wiggle room in case they don’t work. They don’t work means the problem is not with God but most likely with us and our lack of faith or understanding or application of His truth.
But Jesus tells us to Go and do what 19 and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you
There is no hesitancy or dilemma here, it is simple and straight forward commanding. You need to learn, as do I, to operate in the authority and power of God. Perhaps now you are just realizing this charge in Matt 28 is actually God’s granting us an unlimited Power of Attorney in the name of Jesus. Jesus has given you all power and authority function as a child of the King in fulfilling the great commission.
Question is are you operating in the power and authority of Your Lord? Do you realize your commissioning is from God and applies to us all? You are simply to share the love Jesus has for you with others so they can live with Christ in eternity. That is why we call this the Good News – that is what the gospel is – it is good news for sinners to be saved by His grace. You have an unlimited power of attorney to operate in God’s kingdom to achieve this goal. Use it for His benefit and His purposes.
Are you in the family of God, a sinner who has been saved by grace or are you unsure if you were to die tomorrow where you might live for eternity – heaven or hell? Turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. He will answer you if you ask sincerely in your heart. May Jesus turn us over and make us whole to do His will now and forever more. Amen
In the name of Jesus.
Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved.”
Luke 24: 44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [l]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city[m]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: {belief}
John 20 :31 - but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (eternal life}
Acts 10:42- 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission[a] of sins.” {forgiveness}
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. {Peter and the Gentiles}{Presence of God}
Revelation, Chapter 19: 12-14 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He [a]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in [b]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.
I have provided a copy to every one of the scriptures which I will be using today as we have a lesson about the name of Jesus. but before we get into all of that I want to talk about something which most of us are familiar. It is called a power of attorney. When someone might grant you a power of attorney it is a document which grants you permission to operate in the name of the person, granting you a power to operate in their name. When I was flying over many contested areas not under U.S. control as a member of the United States Navy, I drew up an unlimited power of attorney for Cindy. Note I said an unlimited power of attorney. You see there are two types – a limited power of attorney, say to buy or sell a house or to do some specific granted thing and no other. Or an unlimited power of attorney to function in one’s name to operate in every way for the one designated in the power of attorney. Cindy was granted authority to do anything for our family as needed while I was away and in harm’s way. So Cindy could have done anything, sold the cars, sold the house, take out loans or whatever she wanted to do.
A power of attorney then designates an individual by name to function or operate for the grantor to do something either specifically as in a limited power of attorney or to have complete authority to function and operate as needed in that person’s name.
Point #1 - God’s power of Attorney has been granted to believers is an unlimited power of attorney and it is granted in the name of Jesus– Jesus name is the name above all names and in the name of Jesus all things are possible to him or her who believes.
Do you believe this? Are you living in this promise of God? If so all things are available to you in the name of Jesus our Lord. Now don’t panic there are several scriptures and depending on the Holy Spirit’s leading and teaching we will go as He leads.
Acts 4:12 gives us some specifics about this power vested in us- Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (except the name of Jesus}. The world hates this exclusivity of no other way to heaven except the name of Jesus. Salvation only comes by Him.
Jesus related some specifics about operating in His name as He spoke to His disciples in Luke Chapter 24. it is the next text on your page. : 44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [l]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city[m]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Verse 49 speaks of the Promise of My Father. That Promise is what Jesus spoke about in John 16. That He, God in Jesus Christ, would send another just like Himself. The Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Teacher who would lead us into all truth. So the Holy Spirit is the One who God gives and He the Holy Spirit grants us a new heart and anew spirit within us, to operate as His disciples and servants in executing God’s Power of Attorney in Jesus name. Without the Holy Spirit of promise there would be sinful men and women executing God’s power without restraint. Sinful men and women cannot even see the kingdom of heaven let alone complete His instructions. We proved this in the garden of Eden for we are all sinners saved by grace in Christ Jesus.
So Point #2 is very specific as stated in verse 47 - and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Now in whose name? In the name of Jesus. And what should be done and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all nations beginning in Jerusalem.
This is what believers are commissioned to do and to do so how? It says in His name, Who’s name? The name of Jesus and in His name only, according to our first scripture.
Repentance and remission or forgiveness of sins only comes from the Lord Jesus Christ for He is God and He is the expressed representation of the Father. He who has seen Jesus has seen the Father, for He and the Father are one. Do you remember hearing this text before?
I hope you are gleaning that the name of Jesus is essential for your living as a faithful believer. He alone is your salvation. He has given all the task of preaching repentance and remission of sins In His name.
Point #3 Belief in Jesus grants us to become the children of God and He is the one who grants us eternal life. Check out John, Chapter 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: {belief in Jesus makes us a part of the family of God, no longer outcasts from the family}
Belief in Jesus grants us eternal life in Christ - John 20 :31 - but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.(eternal life}
Let it be known that Jesu is the one, the one and only, from who you derive your authority and commission as a believer. He is the source of your power and He gives you new life as well as eternal life.
Point #4. We are to testify to people of His authority to Judge and only from Him can believers receive forgiveness of sins. Acts 10:42- 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission[a] of sins.” {forgiveness}
Going to the next verse in this same passage tells us something else 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. {Peter and the Gentiles}{Presence of God}.
When God empowers our witness and our preaching or proclaiming of the Word of God the Holy Spirit comes to convey us all into the presence of God. Inspired, Spirit led preaching and teaching leads us into the presence of God. This is what this nation needs today is the inspired, infallible, inerrant and precious word of God to stimulate the hearts of believers to stand fast and having done all to keep standing in the day of adversity. Not quitting but standing on the promises of God not by how we see, perceive or fell- meaning we walk by faith.
Point # 5 to the believer Jesus is the source of all power. While this is not the absolute last point, it remains very important. Jesus spoke to His disciples in the upper room stating “apart from Him you and I can do nothing.” (Jn. 15:5) but in Matthew’s gospel we find the definitive word which describes the source of our power. Turn to Matt. 28:18-20 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.
Verse 18 is one we often skip right over but it is more essential than we realize. Not only is the Jesus’ last word to His friends the disciples but it is the charge for our service to Him. Read closely in verse 18 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. And the next word in verse 19 is Go.
Jesus has just made an incredible statement – His Father has granted Jesus supreme authority over all things in heaven and earth. All things include everything .pertaining to life, death and eternity are under His sway. He was making this statement as an introduction to what He was commanding them to do next. Go. Go how? Not as many go today in weakness and fear but in the power and admonition of Jesus Christ by the authority and power in His Name.
Many of us as believers do not understand or function in this authority. Oh we believe in Jesus but He might not answer my prayer. Why might He not answer my prayer because I have not asked in faith believing? Or was I asking in selfish sin or upon my lusts. How can we believe that whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and not believe God will answer Jeremiah 33:3 – Call upon Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and [b]mighty things, which you do not know.’
We often place conditions on the word of God to give us wiggle room in case they don’t work. They don’t work means the problem is not with God but most likely with us and our lack of faith or understanding or application of His truth.
But Jesus tells us to Go and do what 19 and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you
There is no hesitancy or dilemma here, it is simple and straight forward commanding. You need to learn, as do I, to operate in the authority and power of God. Perhaps now you are just realizing this charge in Matt 28 is actually God’s granting us an unlimited Power of Attorney in the name of Jesus. Jesus has given you all power and authority function as a child of the King in fulfilling the great commission.
Question is are you operating in the power and authority of Your Lord? Do you realize your commissioning is from God and applies to us all? You are simply to share the love Jesus has for you with others so they can live with Christ in eternity. That is why we call this the Good News – that is what the gospel is – it is good news for sinners to be saved by His grace. You have an unlimited power of attorney to operate in God’s kingdom to achieve this goal. Use it for His benefit and His purposes.
Are you in the family of God, a sinner who has been saved by grace or are you unsure if you were to die tomorrow where you might live for eternity – heaven or hell? Turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. He will answer you if you ask sincerely in your heart. May Jesus turn us over and make us whole to do His will now and forever more. Amen
Sermon July 11
Believers need to continually refresh and review the wonderful benefits God gives to His children. We need to dwell on the richness of His giving and benefitting us as we walk the narrow road- working out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).
The last days are in progress. How close we are to the Lord coming to take us away in the air, only our Heavenly Father knows. Jesus told us that fact. For us, we walk in the world, but not of the world and it is good to have some signposts along the way which reflect on the goodness of God to encourage our hearts about how our Father loves us and is working all things out according to the council of His will. (Eph.1:11).
Now a word from the word and may God give us ears to hear, minds to understand and the will to obey. In Jesus name Amen
Turn to 2 Timothy 4: 1-5 1I charge you [a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead [b]at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Verses 1 and 2 tell you. You have a job! And we are seeing in our own denomination, the people of God, the happenings in verse 3 for some are departing from the faith and want fables. That is what delusion is folks.
The mainstream media and those who rob us of the truth – call them Truth Robber Barons, just like the robber barons of ages past, railroads, unions, shipping and oil companies were all robber barons. Big money breeds in every generation the desire for control and dominance and many are swayed by it. (Lose your own soul) Remember “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (Matt 7:13)
This is also known as the way of the world but that is not our path today for we seek to look at some things that only God can do. Then specifically later our focus will be on only what God does for His children. We call this group believers, but truly we should call ourselves the Redeemed for
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
(Ps. 107:2)
So beginning in the book of Genesis here are thing only God can do.
1. God is the only one who can create out of nothing, something. We call this ex nihilo. Gen 1, verse 1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2. God is the only one who can create and sustain life. In Genesis 2. God creates and He gives life. Everything that moves and has being and function trees, plants, insects, fishes, birds, all animals and man were given life by one being and only one being that is God
3. God provides the standard for truth and justice as demonstrated in the Garden of Eden. God told Adam that they may freely eat of all things in the garden except the tree of good and evil. Sinning against God has been man’s tendency since the beginning. That is why God judged man and tried to give us the 10 commandments and gave us a conscience, But we continue to fail due to our sinful nature. But the standard for measuring good and evil comes from God and it will stand until He returns.
3. Is there anything too hard for God. The short answer is no there is nothing too hard for God. Go to Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah 32:27(promise of Redemption of Israel/Nebuchadnezzar}. There are multiple instances in scripture Old and New Testament where God changes everything by His activity and His Word.
4. God alone can provide deliverance from sins. In the Old Testament under the covenant of Blood He providing forgiveness for the nation and individual forgiveness under the use of personal sacrifices of animals. The is salvation in no other than in the name of Jesus for scripture says there is no other name under heaven whereby a man can be saved except the name of Jesus.
5. God’s love is greater than our strongest idea or concept of love. Who among us has the willingness to save a Hitler, or a Stalin or a mass murderer, a homosexual, Al caida or a terrorist, or a sexual predator or an abusive alcoholic parent, a drug dealer or a prostitute or you name the horror or sinful characteristic. In the middle of your sin, before you even knew you needed the love of God, He was reaching out to you. That is God’s love for us greater than all your sin is the love of our God for you.
Now specific to believer
6 Only God alone can save people, make them His own special people and preserve them for eternity. How often do we quickly recite John 3:16 and miss the wonder of this verse – 6 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
These verses tells us that God’s grace and lover and our faith not of ourselves provided the pathway for deliverance for all who would believe in the name of Jesus. May we continue to walk in Your ways.
7. Only God can turn your heart back to Himself. When your heart turns away and your no longer hear and you go serve and worship other Gods. In OT and NT the Israelite or the believer’s hearts turned from God to go and worship the world. Today we call this backsliding or sin if we were honest and forthright. God has a word of us it is called repentance, see Luke 15: 10, Jesus is speaking and says, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Jesus came also preaching repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
8. Only God can give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you. Oh you can put new spirits – alcohol or drugs or whatever you want within your body, but only God can make you a new creation.
9. Only God can call you to service for Himself- Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.
10. Only God can bring you to Himself after the death of your body- to absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (Paul)
11. Only the Lord can put Himself within you and give you a brand-new body to live with Him for eternity.
12. Only God could prepare a place for you in eternity which will be your heavenly home
Now I could go on infinitely talking about the many benefits of becoming and being a child of God.
I didn’t want to create an exhaustive list, because I have not added to my list of promises in years and I have pages of promises from the Scriptures and I am nowhere close to writing them all down.
What I wanted was to give you hope by looking at God’s truth. He is infinite meaning without end. The goodness of God, The love of God, the promises of God, each of these and the many other attributes of God are infinite and we are just scratching the surface. But be encouraged for His love never ends. We sing Deep and Wide
Deep and wide
Deep and wide
There's a fountain flowing deep and wide
Deep and wide
Deep and wide
There's a fountain flowing deep and wide
The fountain is Immanuel’s blood which is flowing for you and I and in it the sinner is made clean and renewed in the image of God. So be encouraged. Be strengthened in God’s love and walk in the newness and freshness that only comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
He is calling you today will you answer HIs call by faith for repentance, renewal and faith. Amen
Believers need to continually refresh and review the wonderful benefits God gives to His children. We need to dwell on the richness of His giving and benefitting us as we walk the narrow road- working out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).
The last days are in progress. How close we are to the Lord coming to take us away in the air, only our Heavenly Father knows. Jesus told us that fact. For us, we walk in the world, but not of the world and it is good to have some signposts along the way which reflect on the goodness of God to encourage our hearts about how our Father loves us and is working all things out according to the council of His will. (Eph.1:11).
Now a word from the word and may God give us ears to hear, minds to understand and the will to obey. In Jesus name Amen
Turn to 2 Timothy 4: 1-5 1I charge you [a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead [b]at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Verses 1 and 2 tell you. You have a job! And we are seeing in our own denomination, the people of God, the happenings in verse 3 for some are departing from the faith and want fables. That is what delusion is folks.
The mainstream media and those who rob us of the truth – call them Truth Robber Barons, just like the robber barons of ages past, railroads, unions, shipping and oil companies were all robber barons. Big money breeds in every generation the desire for control and dominance and many are swayed by it. (Lose your own soul) Remember “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (Matt 7:13)
This is also known as the way of the world but that is not our path today for we seek to look at some things that only God can do. Then specifically later our focus will be on only what God does for His children. We call this group believers, but truly we should call ourselves the Redeemed for
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
(Ps. 107:2)
So beginning in the book of Genesis here are thing only God can do.
1. God is the only one who can create out of nothing, something. We call this ex nihilo. Gen 1, verse 1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2. God is the only one who can create and sustain life. In Genesis 2. God creates and He gives life. Everything that moves and has being and function trees, plants, insects, fishes, birds, all animals and man were given life by one being and only one being that is God
3. God provides the standard for truth and justice as demonstrated in the Garden of Eden. God told Adam that they may freely eat of all things in the garden except the tree of good and evil. Sinning against God has been man’s tendency since the beginning. That is why God judged man and tried to give us the 10 commandments and gave us a conscience, But we continue to fail due to our sinful nature. But the standard for measuring good and evil comes from God and it will stand until He returns.
3. Is there anything too hard for God. The short answer is no there is nothing too hard for God. Go to Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah 32:27(promise of Redemption of Israel/Nebuchadnezzar}. There are multiple instances in scripture Old and New Testament where God changes everything by His activity and His Word.
4. God alone can provide deliverance from sins. In the Old Testament under the covenant of Blood He providing forgiveness for the nation and individual forgiveness under the use of personal sacrifices of animals. The is salvation in no other than in the name of Jesus for scripture says there is no other name under heaven whereby a man can be saved except the name of Jesus.
5. God’s love is greater than our strongest idea or concept of love. Who among us has the willingness to save a Hitler, or a Stalin or a mass murderer, a homosexual, Al caida or a terrorist, or a sexual predator or an abusive alcoholic parent, a drug dealer or a prostitute or you name the horror or sinful characteristic. In the middle of your sin, before you even knew you needed the love of God, He was reaching out to you. That is God’s love for us greater than all your sin is the love of our God for you.
Now specific to believer
6 Only God alone can save people, make them His own special people and preserve them for eternity. How often do we quickly recite John 3:16 and miss the wonder of this verse – 6 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
These verses tells us that God’s grace and lover and our faith not of ourselves provided the pathway for deliverance for all who would believe in the name of Jesus. May we continue to walk in Your ways.
7. Only God can turn your heart back to Himself. When your heart turns away and your no longer hear and you go serve and worship other Gods. In OT and NT the Israelite or the believer’s hearts turned from God to go and worship the world. Today we call this backsliding or sin if we were honest and forthright. God has a word of us it is called repentance, see Luke 15: 10, Jesus is speaking and says, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Jesus came also preaching repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
8. Only God can give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you. Oh you can put new spirits – alcohol or drugs or whatever you want within your body, but only God can make you a new creation.
9. Only God can call you to service for Himself- Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.
10. Only God can bring you to Himself after the death of your body- to absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (Paul)
11. Only the Lord can put Himself within you and give you a brand-new body to live with Him for eternity.
12. Only God could prepare a place for you in eternity which will be your heavenly home
Now I could go on infinitely talking about the many benefits of becoming and being a child of God.
I didn’t want to create an exhaustive list, because I have not added to my list of promises in years and I have pages of promises from the Scriptures and I am nowhere close to writing them all down.
What I wanted was to give you hope by looking at God’s truth. He is infinite meaning without end. The goodness of God, The love of God, the promises of God, each of these and the many other attributes of God are infinite and we are just scratching the surface. But be encouraged for His love never ends. We sing Deep and Wide
Deep and wide
Deep and wide
There's a fountain flowing deep and wide
Deep and wide
Deep and wide
There's a fountain flowing deep and wide
The fountain is Immanuel’s blood which is flowing for you and I and in it the sinner is made clean and renewed in the image of God. So be encouraged. Be strengthened in God’s love and walk in the newness and freshness that only comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
He is calling you today will you answer HIs call by faith for repentance, renewal and faith. Amen
Sermon July 4
Did you know you were created in the image of God? This feature is called the IMAGO DEI. Read with me in Genesis Chapter 1 verses 26 - 28. Please read 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over [g]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that [h]moves on the earth.
So here is the dilemma we face. Every person on the earth has been created in the image of God both male and female. That means that every person whether good or evil has been created by God and stamped with their image. Remember the three in one that is why it is they created us. So whether it is a physical or spiritual likeness we cannot say exactly but we have all been marked by God. Now this means every person ever created has intrinsic worth. In themselves they have worth or value because of the stamp of God.
Each person also has value whether male or female that is how we are created and when we go to the basic building blocks of Gender the DNA and Chromosomes prove it. No matter how you might rearrange the externals of a person you always remain true to your biological self. Adding confusion to gender identity is just a way of trying to divide us from ourselves and create hate.
Next the IMAGO DEI in us gives us dominion over all living things and this planet. Do you see why there is a big push for the green new deal – it will destroy our civilization and allow us to be conquered by others who have the will to take. Trust me that day of destruction and turmoil is coming.
Now given these ideas which are contained in the first Chapter of Genesis, how are we to treat one another? How are we to behave towards God’s creation? How is life to be lived?
Before we answer these questions perhaps we should review some history. Who was the first murderer? Cain. Who was the first martyr and victim? Abel. So even in the beginning and finally culminating in Noah, it says in Genesis 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
So sin wreaks havoc in lives of men and from then to today nothing has changed. Even those you might detest and disrespect to the maximum are to be treated as if they belong to God for they were expressly created by Him, in their image and according to His plan and purpose. We have a dilemma as believers which we must face, how are we to live and function with those who choose to ignore and show disrespect and detest the God of heaven? According to Jesus, But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ...(Matt 5:43--48
Here it is a real moral dilemma. It is so easy to hate and to show disrespect but Jesus says no you are to bless, do good and pray for them. That’s right love them to heaven if you are able. How is this even possible for believers? In yourself nothing is possible but according to Jesus all things are possible with God. So God has made it possible for you to by giving you a new heart and a new spirit within you. A heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone, and a new spirit the Holy Spirit, who the world cant receive but you can as a born again believer. So He gives you who have the IMAGO DEI salvation, which is to change your status with God and to give you a future and a hope through Jesus Christ. In the book of Hebrews it says,
so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
What is the purpose of your salvation? Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John, Chapter 17:3, what exactly is the goal of salvation And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. So the goal of salvation is to know God. The chief end of Man is to glorify God and live in His presence forever (Shorter Catechism.)
As we study our Bibles we know there are at least two major goals in salvation or as some call it redemption. At first glance they may seem unrelated.
One is found in the Book of Romans:
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28,29)
God’s goal for us is that we might be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ so that Christ is the firstborn among many brothers. He in us and we in Him united in mind purpose and function.
A second major goal of salvation is found in the third chapter of the Book of Philippians:
“To attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Or as we might think about it eternal life. However, as I consider the first goal, that of being conformed to the likeness of Christ, I wonder if both of goals might be the same.
To be conformed to the likeness of God’s Son is to attain to the resurrection. By this I mean, we continue pressing forward in Christ until every element of our personality is a part of our New Life in Christ. Every part of us is made new in Christ.
Notice how both of these goals are contained in the Galatians 2:20:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)
The second goal is that Christ lives in me and now I live by faith in Him.
Salvation changes us into the image of Christ, and attaining to the living in Him, at least it should. We often use this verse saying, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is I no longer I who live.”
Here, Paul has been crucified and He no longer lives.
What does it mean to live? To live is to think, to speak, and to act. When Paul no longer is living it means Paul no longer thinks; Paul no longer speaks; and Paul no longer acts for Himself but is now spiritually minded. He says, “Christ lives in me.” What does that mean? Christ live is now present within me and His thinking is in me. Christ is speaking in and to me. Christ is acting in me.
Wouldn’t this mean that Paul was being conformed to the likeness of Christ? Wouldn’t it mean also that Paul was living his life filled with the resurrection power?
Notice that living in the image of Christ and experiencing the new life is not focused on going to Heaven to live. Rather going to heaven is an outcome of living the life of Christ which is being directed by the Holy Spirit operating in your heart.
Living in the resurrection Life of the Lord Jesus Christ has to do with our relationship to God and Christ, and has little to do with our current physical location.
Our new life is radically important both to us and to those around us, listen to this-
“The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” This is a radical transformation- My thinking, my speaking, and my acting are now led by faith in the Son of God. This means that as I go about my daily business, my internal and external actions are performed as I look to Jesus. I do everything in His Presence, having faith that He has taken charge of me and is directing me to eternal righteousness, love, joy, and peace.
If Christ offered Himself on the cross for us, He certainly can be trusted to guide our thinking, speaking, and acting so that we continually are reaping the rewards of the fruit of the Spirt such as righteousness, love, joy, and peace.
Then being conformed to the likeness of Christ and being filled with the Spirit are God’s goals for us; but our personal desires for righteousness, love, joy, and peace are our individual goals which are produced as the Holy Spirit manifests Himself within us. So desiring to be conformed to the image of His Son and yielding to the working of the Holy Spirit within us are how God continues His work within us.
Now let us now consider the messaging of today’s Gospel. Many teach in today’s Gospel, that Jesus has done it all and all we are to do is to identify ourselves with Him, is good news for the natural man. This is not good news from God’s perspective, in that God wants sons in the image of His Son that God’s will may be accomplished throughout all creation. It also conflicts with the idea that God saves, and whom God saves, and whom God saves, God justifies, and who God justifies, He also sanctifies. And who God sanctifies He also glorifies. In other words God is at work both to will and to work for His good pleasure. And make no mistake it is God who comes and does the work.
We can see at once that the idea we are to do nothing but become pew sitters because Jesus has done it all for us is a lie, we are going to be dismayed when we die. Instead of being welcomed by Jesus we will be rebuked sternly because we did not use the talents He gave us to build His kingdom
.
Let’s think about what we need to do.
Learning to live as believers who have been changed by the power of God, who are being conformed to the image of God daily, means we are learning to practice the Presence of Christ daily. We continually, throughout the day and night, are looking to the Lord for His advice. We walk in an attitude of prayer, speaking to Him all the time, giving thanks, asking for wisdom, strength, healing whatever we need. We pray as it says without ceasing.
In addition we must spend some time in prayer each day if at all possible. We must set aside time so we can hear what God saying to us. Also, there must be a time each day to read the words of life, if a Bible is available.
If we are too busy then there is no time for prayer of Bible reading, then we need to ask Jesus to assist us in having the time. To try to go through life without daily prayer and Bible reading will hinder our growth and our delay our progress in being conformed to the image of Christ.
Some today say, if Christ is in us we do not need to pray and read our Bible each day, especially if we do not feel like it. This personal lack of discipline is common among Americans, including Christians, and is preventing us from coming to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
God does not coddle or enjoy lazy people.
Jesus said, “Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?”
Who was it who said if we do what He has commanded, we are building our house on the solid rock and the storms of life or temptation will not be able to wash it away?
Nor, must we allow ourselves to be swayed by the world. We must rely on Jesus and the activity of the Holy Spirit to remove from us dependence and over-involvement in worldly pursuits. This is difficult in America because we are so materialistic and the Spirit of Antichrist is ever present. Satan is always enticing us with the interesting and lustful aspects of our culture.
The development and fixation of us on electronic devices is increasing at a breathtaking rate. The result of such devices is to bring people together. The end result will be a world which is self-focused, hedonistic and will enable the creation of a one-world government ruled by people who deny willfully and do not want to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Self-centered people full of sin who have no knowledge of sin have a desire to come together and to throw off any attempt to govern or lead them. The coming one-world government will be listening to the demands of people and Satan. The leaders will understand and will reject any attempts to instill Christian or even wholesome values in people will be rejected. Future governments of this world will not rule in the fear and admonition of the Lord, but according to the will of man. {Deception and confusion will be everywhere}
Believers are going to have to recognize that whoever is a friend of the world makes himself or herself an enemy of God. Begin conformed to the image of His Son will allows us to discern and function as believers while rejecting the world and its systems.
Secondly, we are to follow the Spirit of God closely at all times. One of the Holy Spirit’s main responsibilities is to convict us of sin and allow us to have a heart for God. Sin identified and pointed out, must be confessed specifically Only absolute and cleansing repentance will enable us to walk in integrity each day. Christ will help us with these resolutions, forgiving us and strengthening us until we are totally free from these dark areas of sin.
As we confess and renounce our sins, turning away from them with determination, we are fed spiritually As His will increases in us we are able to live more completely in the Life of Christ.
The third step we must take if we are to be conformed to the image of Christ and attain to this new Life is to serve patiently where we have been placed.
God has commissioned us to serve where we have been planted by His will. Christ send sends the Holy Spirit to enable us to serve and learn where He has caused us to grow.
Christ commands we walk by faith and not by sight and to remember we build our treasure in heaven where moss and rust do not corrupt and where thieves cannot break in and steal. This we must do by faith. God promises that we will be enjoy wonders in heaven. I believe they will be greater than anything you may have sacrificed here on this earth. We need our eyes on Jesus.
We should remember our self-will is a horrible monster that dwells in the deepest caves of our heart. It is not that God wants to remove our will, He wants to conform it to His will. God says that if we will choose to delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart.
Seek Him with all your heart and He will give you the desires of your heart. Amen
Did you know you were created in the image of God? This feature is called the IMAGO DEI. Read with me in Genesis Chapter 1 verses 26 - 28. Please read 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over [g]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that [h]moves on the earth.
So here is the dilemma we face. Every person on the earth has been created in the image of God both male and female. That means that every person whether good or evil has been created by God and stamped with their image. Remember the three in one that is why it is they created us. So whether it is a physical or spiritual likeness we cannot say exactly but we have all been marked by God. Now this means every person ever created has intrinsic worth. In themselves they have worth or value because of the stamp of God.
Each person also has value whether male or female that is how we are created and when we go to the basic building blocks of Gender the DNA and Chromosomes prove it. No matter how you might rearrange the externals of a person you always remain true to your biological self. Adding confusion to gender identity is just a way of trying to divide us from ourselves and create hate.
Next the IMAGO DEI in us gives us dominion over all living things and this planet. Do you see why there is a big push for the green new deal – it will destroy our civilization and allow us to be conquered by others who have the will to take. Trust me that day of destruction and turmoil is coming.
Now given these ideas which are contained in the first Chapter of Genesis, how are we to treat one another? How are we to behave towards God’s creation? How is life to be lived?
Before we answer these questions perhaps we should review some history. Who was the first murderer? Cain. Who was the first martyr and victim? Abel. So even in the beginning and finally culminating in Noah, it says in Genesis 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
So sin wreaks havoc in lives of men and from then to today nothing has changed. Even those you might detest and disrespect to the maximum are to be treated as if they belong to God for they were expressly created by Him, in their image and according to His plan and purpose. We have a dilemma as believers which we must face, how are we to live and function with those who choose to ignore and show disrespect and detest the God of heaven? According to Jesus, But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ...(Matt 5:43--48
Here it is a real moral dilemma. It is so easy to hate and to show disrespect but Jesus says no you are to bless, do good and pray for them. That’s right love them to heaven if you are able. How is this even possible for believers? In yourself nothing is possible but according to Jesus all things are possible with God. So God has made it possible for you to by giving you a new heart and a new spirit within you. A heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone, and a new spirit the Holy Spirit, who the world cant receive but you can as a born again believer. So He gives you who have the IMAGO DEI salvation, which is to change your status with God and to give you a future and a hope through Jesus Christ. In the book of Hebrews it says,
so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
What is the purpose of your salvation? Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John, Chapter 17:3, what exactly is the goal of salvation And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. So the goal of salvation is to know God. The chief end of Man is to glorify God and live in His presence forever (Shorter Catechism.)
As we study our Bibles we know there are at least two major goals in salvation or as some call it redemption. At first glance they may seem unrelated.
One is found in the Book of Romans:
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28,29)
God’s goal for us is that we might be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ so that Christ is the firstborn among many brothers. He in us and we in Him united in mind purpose and function.
A second major goal of salvation is found in the third chapter of the Book of Philippians:
“To attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Or as we might think about it eternal life. However, as I consider the first goal, that of being conformed to the likeness of Christ, I wonder if both of goals might be the same.
To be conformed to the likeness of God’s Son is to attain to the resurrection. By this I mean, we continue pressing forward in Christ until every element of our personality is a part of our New Life in Christ. Every part of us is made new in Christ.
Notice how both of these goals are contained in the Galatians 2:20:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)
The second goal is that Christ lives in me and now I live by faith in Him.
Salvation changes us into the image of Christ, and attaining to the living in Him, at least it should. We often use this verse saying, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is I no longer I who live.”
Here, Paul has been crucified and He no longer lives.
What does it mean to live? To live is to think, to speak, and to act. When Paul no longer is living it means Paul no longer thinks; Paul no longer speaks; and Paul no longer acts for Himself but is now spiritually minded. He says, “Christ lives in me.” What does that mean? Christ live is now present within me and His thinking is in me. Christ is speaking in and to me. Christ is acting in me.
Wouldn’t this mean that Paul was being conformed to the likeness of Christ? Wouldn’t it mean also that Paul was living his life filled with the resurrection power?
Notice that living in the image of Christ and experiencing the new life is not focused on going to Heaven to live. Rather going to heaven is an outcome of living the life of Christ which is being directed by the Holy Spirit operating in your heart.
Living in the resurrection Life of the Lord Jesus Christ has to do with our relationship to God and Christ, and has little to do with our current physical location.
Our new life is radically important both to us and to those around us, listen to this-
“The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” This is a radical transformation- My thinking, my speaking, and my acting are now led by faith in the Son of God. This means that as I go about my daily business, my internal and external actions are performed as I look to Jesus. I do everything in His Presence, having faith that He has taken charge of me and is directing me to eternal righteousness, love, joy, and peace.
If Christ offered Himself on the cross for us, He certainly can be trusted to guide our thinking, speaking, and acting so that we continually are reaping the rewards of the fruit of the Spirt such as righteousness, love, joy, and peace.
Then being conformed to the likeness of Christ and being filled with the Spirit are God’s goals for us; but our personal desires for righteousness, love, joy, and peace are our individual goals which are produced as the Holy Spirit manifests Himself within us. So desiring to be conformed to the image of His Son and yielding to the working of the Holy Spirit within us are how God continues His work within us.
Now let us now consider the messaging of today’s Gospel. Many teach in today’s Gospel, that Jesus has done it all and all we are to do is to identify ourselves with Him, is good news for the natural man. This is not good news from God’s perspective, in that God wants sons in the image of His Son that God’s will may be accomplished throughout all creation. It also conflicts with the idea that God saves, and whom God saves, and whom God saves, God justifies, and who God justifies, He also sanctifies. And who God sanctifies He also glorifies. In other words God is at work both to will and to work for His good pleasure. And make no mistake it is God who comes and does the work.
We can see at once that the idea we are to do nothing but become pew sitters because Jesus has done it all for us is a lie, we are going to be dismayed when we die. Instead of being welcomed by Jesus we will be rebuked sternly because we did not use the talents He gave us to build His kingdom
.
Let’s think about what we need to do.
Learning to live as believers who have been changed by the power of God, who are being conformed to the image of God daily, means we are learning to practice the Presence of Christ daily. We continually, throughout the day and night, are looking to the Lord for His advice. We walk in an attitude of prayer, speaking to Him all the time, giving thanks, asking for wisdom, strength, healing whatever we need. We pray as it says without ceasing.
In addition we must spend some time in prayer each day if at all possible. We must set aside time so we can hear what God saying to us. Also, there must be a time each day to read the words of life, if a Bible is available.
If we are too busy then there is no time for prayer of Bible reading, then we need to ask Jesus to assist us in having the time. To try to go through life without daily prayer and Bible reading will hinder our growth and our delay our progress in being conformed to the image of Christ.
Some today say, if Christ is in us we do not need to pray and read our Bible each day, especially if we do not feel like it. This personal lack of discipline is common among Americans, including Christians, and is preventing us from coming to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
God does not coddle or enjoy lazy people.
Jesus said, “Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?”
Who was it who said if we do what He has commanded, we are building our house on the solid rock and the storms of life or temptation will not be able to wash it away?
Nor, must we allow ourselves to be swayed by the world. We must rely on Jesus and the activity of the Holy Spirit to remove from us dependence and over-involvement in worldly pursuits. This is difficult in America because we are so materialistic and the Spirit of Antichrist is ever present. Satan is always enticing us with the interesting and lustful aspects of our culture.
The development and fixation of us on electronic devices is increasing at a breathtaking rate. The result of such devices is to bring people together. The end result will be a world which is self-focused, hedonistic and will enable the creation of a one-world government ruled by people who deny willfully and do not want to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Self-centered people full of sin who have no knowledge of sin have a desire to come together and to throw off any attempt to govern or lead them. The coming one-world government will be listening to the demands of people and Satan. The leaders will understand and will reject any attempts to instill Christian or even wholesome values in people will be rejected. Future governments of this world will not rule in the fear and admonition of the Lord, but according to the will of man. {Deception and confusion will be everywhere}
Believers are going to have to recognize that whoever is a friend of the world makes himself or herself an enemy of God. Begin conformed to the image of His Son will allows us to discern and function as believers while rejecting the world and its systems.
Secondly, we are to follow the Spirit of God closely at all times. One of the Holy Spirit’s main responsibilities is to convict us of sin and allow us to have a heart for God. Sin identified and pointed out, must be confessed specifically Only absolute and cleansing repentance will enable us to walk in integrity each day. Christ will help us with these resolutions, forgiving us and strengthening us until we are totally free from these dark areas of sin.
As we confess and renounce our sins, turning away from them with determination, we are fed spiritually As His will increases in us we are able to live more completely in the Life of Christ.
The third step we must take if we are to be conformed to the image of Christ and attain to this new Life is to serve patiently where we have been placed.
God has commissioned us to serve where we have been planted by His will. Christ send sends the Holy Spirit to enable us to serve and learn where He has caused us to grow.
Christ commands we walk by faith and not by sight and to remember we build our treasure in heaven where moss and rust do not corrupt and where thieves cannot break in and steal. This we must do by faith. God promises that we will be enjoy wonders in heaven. I believe they will be greater than anything you may have sacrificed here on this earth. We need our eyes on Jesus.
We should remember our self-will is a horrible monster that dwells in the deepest caves of our heart. It is not that God wants to remove our will, He wants to conform it to His will. God says that if we will choose to delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart.
Seek Him with all your heart and He will give you the desires of your heart. Amen
Sermon June 27
In the quest for personal sanctity and to live more righteously we need help. How does this happen. Well our journey as Christians or believers begins by coming to a knowledge of personal sin and because of the activity of the Holy Spirit we come to understand how grievous this is to God. Because of the convicting presence of God and just an iota of faith, we cry out and God hears our desire for repentance. By grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 3:8-9, but don’t stop there for verse 10 adds, for we are His workmanship created unto good works which God has ordained before that we should accomplish them. So after God saves us the journey begins to become God’s workmanship unto the works which He has planned for your life. Pretty amazing stuff and this agrees with Jeremiah 29:11 about God having a plan for your life.
So to get from your sinful self to where God wants you to be can’t happen without the intervention of God. This same thing was true for the disciples. Without the coming of Pentecost and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the disciples would never have achieved all that God was calling them to do. So in our age of hate and political correctness, lies and the deconstruction of America by the regressives and the reintroduction of race theory to prove how corrupt we are, we need help to navigate the hurdles. He is here and He is God and He is the Holy Spirit. Let’s begin. Our beginning and base verse for this lesson is John 14:16-18, but it will lead us to other scriptures which we will be using. Just a heads up this is an outline approach and is not an exhaustive study. We can do that later if so desired. We begin on the night when Jesus was going to betrayed. In John Chapter 14 Jesus is pouring out His heart to His disciples trying to prepare them for things to come. But Jesus knew they could not live this life on their own they would need help and reassurance along the way. Let’s turn to the text in John, chapter 14:16 and read:
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will {a promise}give you another [e]Helper, that He may abide with you forever—{a promise}
(This is different than the Old Testament- the Holy Spirit came upon/overshadowed in the New Testament a distinction -abides in you forever.) 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Stop at Spirit of Truth who is God- who John 16:7- 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. The Holy Spirit is your helper More in verse 13 of Chapter 16:13 -13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Help pt.#1 The Holy Spirit will guide you into all Truth-God’s Word, the person of Christ. He who knows the truth is set free and whom Jesus frees is free indeed
Help pt. #2 The truth revealed by the Holy Spirit leads us into the righteousness of Christ – by taking heed according to His word.
Back to John 14:17-18 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. Notice the emphasis of Jesus -He, the Holy Spirit lives, abides, takes up permanent residence within you and will remain in you. Paul reinforces this point in Romans 8:16 -16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
We need to understand that the permanent residence of the Spirit of God within us is the testimony to the continued fulfillment of the promises of God made in Jeremiah and Ezekiel 36. We in fact become the children of God. This is confirmed in the Romans 8:15 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba,[e] Father.” God makes Himself known to those who are His and He confirms it with His Spirit inside you.
Help pt.#3 – He adopted you as a child of God, a child of the King.
Help pt.#4 – grants you access to the Kingdom of Heaven . As a child of the King you have been granted access to the Kingdom of Heaven (Christ) and to the very throne room of Heaven – the abode of the Father (Heb 4:16). Think about this for a moment
Help pt.#5 – granted helps in our weaknesses. Go to Romans 8:26- 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession [g]for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
When we are weak He is strong, He helps us to pray. Helps when we are not able - 1Cor. 10:13 when we are tempted He provides a means of escape: illuminates our hearts and convicts us of our sins. Holy Spirit creates a desire in us to live righteously.
Help pt.#6 – the Holy Spirit creates hope and joy in your hearts. Romans 15:13 - 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. Paul prayed for the believers in Rome and elsewhere that the Holy Spirits presence in you and with you would fill you and give you hope instead of despair, joy and peace instead of fear. To be filled with the Spirit means to be indwelt with hope, joy and peace and the veritable presence of God.
We are not done yet, but we are inbound to final destination – continue with me for
Help pt.#7 the presence of the Holy Spirit would cause you to abound in Hope. Now back to the second part of Romans 15:13 that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. So God gives Himself to aid you in overcoming disappointments by hope, because the love of God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
God in Christ, has basically give us a new nature, but are we really enjoying this fellowship today, as believers? Do you show joy and optimism in each day God has given you? To make this point we are all to live day by day “in Christ.” Are we? John the disciple who Jesus loved and by another name John the Revelator wrote a letter to the churches it’s called 1st John. If you would turn to that book Chapter 4, verse 13 there John reminds us something important. Read with me- verse 13 - 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
The veritable presence of the Holy Spirit in us is confirmation by God that we belong to the kingdom of Heaven. Is not in what we say that is important about going to heaven. It is the verified presence of the Holy Spirit personally in us that confirms we belong to God’s family
So God provides all sorts of Helps to the Children of the living God to help us walk in these days. Now one more Help for you to consider back to our core verse where we began in John 14. Check out verse 18 - 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
This is the Son of God making a big promise to you and I. He said He would not leave you as orphans but He would come to you. This corresponds to multiple verses in the Old Testament but check Joshua 1:9 – where God tells Joshua “I will never leave you or forsake you.
The personal care and provision of God is made available to every believer. This is a promise of God. He goes with you wherever you go.
Now may the God of peace Himself, sanctify you and give you peace, now and forever more Amen.
God we pray your blessings upon us Lord cause us to attend to Your Word and Your Truth for they are one. Cause us to desire what You desire for our lives and to live it truly. Amen
Invitation to all who need to come to come to the altar and pray.
In the quest for personal sanctity and to live more righteously we need help. How does this happen. Well our journey as Christians or believers begins by coming to a knowledge of personal sin and because of the activity of the Holy Spirit we come to understand how grievous this is to God. Because of the convicting presence of God and just an iota of faith, we cry out and God hears our desire for repentance. By grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 3:8-9, but don’t stop there for verse 10 adds, for we are His workmanship created unto good works which God has ordained before that we should accomplish them. So after God saves us the journey begins to become God’s workmanship unto the works which He has planned for your life. Pretty amazing stuff and this agrees with Jeremiah 29:11 about God having a plan for your life.
So to get from your sinful self to where God wants you to be can’t happen without the intervention of God. This same thing was true for the disciples. Without the coming of Pentecost and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the disciples would never have achieved all that God was calling them to do. So in our age of hate and political correctness, lies and the deconstruction of America by the regressives and the reintroduction of race theory to prove how corrupt we are, we need help to navigate the hurdles. He is here and He is God and He is the Holy Spirit. Let’s begin. Our beginning and base verse for this lesson is John 14:16-18, but it will lead us to other scriptures which we will be using. Just a heads up this is an outline approach and is not an exhaustive study. We can do that later if so desired. We begin on the night when Jesus was going to betrayed. In John Chapter 14 Jesus is pouring out His heart to His disciples trying to prepare them for things to come. But Jesus knew they could not live this life on their own they would need help and reassurance along the way. Let’s turn to the text in John, chapter 14:16 and read:
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will {a promise}give you another [e]Helper, that He may abide with you forever—{a promise}
(This is different than the Old Testament- the Holy Spirit came upon/overshadowed in the New Testament a distinction -abides in you forever.) 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Stop at Spirit of Truth who is God- who John 16:7- 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. The Holy Spirit is your helper More in verse 13 of Chapter 16:13 -13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Help pt.#1 The Holy Spirit will guide you into all Truth-God’s Word, the person of Christ. He who knows the truth is set free and whom Jesus frees is free indeed
Help pt. #2 The truth revealed by the Holy Spirit leads us into the righteousness of Christ – by taking heed according to His word.
Back to John 14:17-18 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. Notice the emphasis of Jesus -He, the Holy Spirit lives, abides, takes up permanent residence within you and will remain in you. Paul reinforces this point in Romans 8:16 -16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
We need to understand that the permanent residence of the Spirit of God within us is the testimony to the continued fulfillment of the promises of God made in Jeremiah and Ezekiel 36. We in fact become the children of God. This is confirmed in the Romans 8:15 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba,[e] Father.” God makes Himself known to those who are His and He confirms it with His Spirit inside you.
Help pt.#3 – He adopted you as a child of God, a child of the King.
Help pt.#4 – grants you access to the Kingdom of Heaven . As a child of the King you have been granted access to the Kingdom of Heaven (Christ) and to the very throne room of Heaven – the abode of the Father (Heb 4:16). Think about this for a moment
Help pt.#5 – granted helps in our weaknesses. Go to Romans 8:26- 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession [g]for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
When we are weak He is strong, He helps us to pray. Helps when we are not able - 1Cor. 10:13 when we are tempted He provides a means of escape: illuminates our hearts and convicts us of our sins. Holy Spirit creates a desire in us to live righteously.
Help pt.#6 – the Holy Spirit creates hope and joy in your hearts. Romans 15:13 - 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. Paul prayed for the believers in Rome and elsewhere that the Holy Spirits presence in you and with you would fill you and give you hope instead of despair, joy and peace instead of fear. To be filled with the Spirit means to be indwelt with hope, joy and peace and the veritable presence of God.
We are not done yet, but we are inbound to final destination – continue with me for
Help pt.#7 the presence of the Holy Spirit would cause you to abound in Hope. Now back to the second part of Romans 15:13 that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. So God gives Himself to aid you in overcoming disappointments by hope, because the love of God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
God in Christ, has basically give us a new nature, but are we really enjoying this fellowship today, as believers? Do you show joy and optimism in each day God has given you? To make this point we are all to live day by day “in Christ.” Are we? John the disciple who Jesus loved and by another name John the Revelator wrote a letter to the churches it’s called 1st John. If you would turn to that book Chapter 4, verse 13 there John reminds us something important. Read with me- verse 13 - 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
The veritable presence of the Holy Spirit in us is confirmation by God that we belong to the kingdom of Heaven. Is not in what we say that is important about going to heaven. It is the verified presence of the Holy Spirit personally in us that confirms we belong to God’s family
So God provides all sorts of Helps to the Children of the living God to help us walk in these days. Now one more Help for you to consider back to our core verse where we began in John 14. Check out verse 18 - 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
This is the Son of God making a big promise to you and I. He said He would not leave you as orphans but He would come to you. This corresponds to multiple verses in the Old Testament but check Joshua 1:9 – where God tells Joshua “I will never leave you or forsake you.
The personal care and provision of God is made available to every believer. This is a promise of God. He goes with you wherever you go.
Now may the God of peace Himself, sanctify you and give you peace, now and forever more Amen.
God we pray your blessings upon us Lord cause us to attend to Your Word and Your Truth for they are one. Cause us to desire what You desire for our lives and to live it truly. Amen
Invitation to all who need to come to come to the altar and pray.
Sermon June 20
What does it mean to be New in Christ?
I am sure if you asked the average Christian this might result is a puzzled answer or response. I don’t think we have instructed our “spiritual children” well enough for them to be able to determine what does it mean to be new in Christ. Just for grins and to refresh my memory, I took a look at my bible’s index and looked up the word “new” and here are the headings I found: new message, new person, new covenant, new Jerusalem, new life, new nature and new testament to name a few of headers and sub-headers listed.
I am not sure why the Lord is leading in this direction but He is and I believe it is because we are ignorant of what God has done for us and He wants us to realize the heritage He has provided for us so that we can do all things in Christ. Until we the church being to practice by living the truth of God’s Word and His provision, when that happens you will see the church of Jesus Christ assume its rightful place in this culture and God will fill His people with His presence and His Spirit so the world will know that God is alive and present in this sinful world. Further they will recognize the Love of God in obedience and prayer. Gifts will be exhibited and healings and salivation will flow from the throne of God to others via His people.
While our scripture comes from Chapter 6 of Romans we actually need to begin in Chapter 5 where Paul contrasts the death that was wrought by Adam and the life that is granted in Jesus Christ.
Allow me to give you as summary of the two because this is what is new to believers in Jesus Christ which isn’t available anywhere else- Jesus tells Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came by night. ”you must be born again of water and the Spirit, you must be born again.” This was not just true of believers in the - first century but all through time. Whosoever wills may come to Christ only by the new birth and the new baptism in Christ. So you and I must be born again. This means we have been made new in Christ. To be born again means to have this new life, a new heart, a new spirt within you. God’s Holy Spirit is now in you and you have moved from death to life. This transformation occurs because you have reached out to God and believe that He is the only one who can save you from eternal death and the Father gave us Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin.
So in Romans Chapter 5 from verse 9 to 20 that as Adam’s children we have the following: Ruin verse 9, Sin verses 1, 15, and 21. Death is shown in verses 12, 16 and 21; separation from God in verses 5 and 18; disobedience in verses 12 and 19; judgement in verse 18 and the law in verse 20. All in all, what we have as heirs in our body and the spirit from our great ancestor Adam is nothing good, basically sin and death.
But Paul in Roman’s 5 also contrasted our inheritance from Jesus Christ to what we have from Adam. This is the result of having a “new birth relationship as God’s children” with Jesus Christ. We have Rescue from death verse 8, Righteousness in Christ verse 18, Eternal life in heaven verses 17 and 21; a restored relationship with God in verses 11 and 19; a desire for obedience in verse 19; Reconciliation from sin and death in verses 10 and 11; and God’s grace instead of Justice in verse 20. All the things that God has given to us in our new life relationship with Jesus Christ.
Chapter 6 them delves deeply into deliverance from sin’s grasp. Perhaps this is you or I today. Maybe, God wants us to life a more fruitful and rich life in His presence beginning today.
Father I pray you will open the windows of heaven today and touch my heart and the hearts of those around me to meet their person mental and physical needs right now. We need your fresh touch to purge and bring us to repentance and renewal right now. Wash us by the washing by the water of the word. Your word is truth. Amen And your word is life help us to walk in the light. Amen
So what is new in Christ Roman’s Chapter 6:1-14? I will prove to you in these verses you have been given:
6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be [a]done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been [b]freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, [c]reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as [d]instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, {free}for you are not under law but under grace.
Verse
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
First you have new life in Christ
II. Not only do I have new life within me and options available to choose life as a believer I also have been given a New nature. Begin examining this New nature truth by looking at verses 5 and 11.
New life and new nature should mean I have New Freedoms in Christ.
It is so important to understand all the choices are yours including obedience. You are free to choose but remember God has made ever provision in the heavenlies for your salvation and deliverance, but understood I hope you now have clarity. You have God’s help in every spiritual endeavor to follow Him. Christ’s blood has broken the power of sin to be blinded and not understand.
God loves and cares for you and wants you to be free and yet without sin. Will you respond to him right now? Only Trust Him now, He will save you, He will save you, He will save you now! Come every soul by sin oppressed there is mercy with the Lord. He will save you He will save you save you now.
What does it mean to be New in Christ?
I am sure if you asked the average Christian this might result is a puzzled answer or response. I don’t think we have instructed our “spiritual children” well enough for them to be able to determine what does it mean to be new in Christ. Just for grins and to refresh my memory, I took a look at my bible’s index and looked up the word “new” and here are the headings I found: new message, new person, new covenant, new Jerusalem, new life, new nature and new testament to name a few of headers and sub-headers listed.
I am not sure why the Lord is leading in this direction but He is and I believe it is because we are ignorant of what God has done for us and He wants us to realize the heritage He has provided for us so that we can do all things in Christ. Until we the church being to practice by living the truth of God’s Word and His provision, when that happens you will see the church of Jesus Christ assume its rightful place in this culture and God will fill His people with His presence and His Spirit so the world will know that God is alive and present in this sinful world. Further they will recognize the Love of God in obedience and prayer. Gifts will be exhibited and healings and salivation will flow from the throne of God to others via His people.
While our scripture comes from Chapter 6 of Romans we actually need to begin in Chapter 5 where Paul contrasts the death that was wrought by Adam and the life that is granted in Jesus Christ.
Allow me to give you as summary of the two because this is what is new to believers in Jesus Christ which isn’t available anywhere else- Jesus tells Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came by night. ”you must be born again of water and the Spirit, you must be born again.” This was not just true of believers in the - first century but all through time. Whosoever wills may come to Christ only by the new birth and the new baptism in Christ. So you and I must be born again. This means we have been made new in Christ. To be born again means to have this new life, a new heart, a new spirt within you. God’s Holy Spirit is now in you and you have moved from death to life. This transformation occurs because you have reached out to God and believe that He is the only one who can save you from eternal death and the Father gave us Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin.
So in Romans Chapter 5 from verse 9 to 20 that as Adam’s children we have the following: Ruin verse 9, Sin verses 1, 15, and 21. Death is shown in verses 12, 16 and 21; separation from God in verses 5 and 18; disobedience in verses 12 and 19; judgement in verse 18 and the law in verse 20. All in all, what we have as heirs in our body and the spirit from our great ancestor Adam is nothing good, basically sin and death.
But Paul in Roman’s 5 also contrasted our inheritance from Jesus Christ to what we have from Adam. This is the result of having a “new birth relationship as God’s children” with Jesus Christ. We have Rescue from death verse 8, Righteousness in Christ verse 18, Eternal life in heaven verses 17 and 21; a restored relationship with God in verses 11 and 19; a desire for obedience in verse 19; Reconciliation from sin and death in verses 10 and 11; and God’s grace instead of Justice in verse 20. All the things that God has given to us in our new life relationship with Jesus Christ.
Chapter 6 them delves deeply into deliverance from sin’s grasp. Perhaps this is you or I today. Maybe, God wants us to life a more fruitful and rich life in His presence beginning today.
Father I pray you will open the windows of heaven today and touch my heart and the hearts of those around me to meet their person mental and physical needs right now. We need your fresh touch to purge and bring us to repentance and renewal right now. Wash us by the washing by the water of the word. Your word is truth. Amen And your word is life help us to walk in the light. Amen
So what is new in Christ Roman’s Chapter 6:1-14? I will prove to you in these verses you have been given:
- New life verses 2-6;
- a New nature in verses 5 and 11,
- and New freedoms in verses 12 -16.
6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be [a]done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been [b]freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, [c]reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as [d]instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, {free}for you are not under law but under grace.
Verse
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
First you have new life in Christ
- Verses 2 and 3 sins power is broken -let’s read - ? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
- Your sin loving nature is buried in Christ see verse 4 - 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. We should walk as Christ walked among others.
- With new life in Christ you are no longer under sin’s control - 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be [a]done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. We have a choice of remaining or departing from our sin. This new life give us freedom to live in the shadow of the Almighty God.
- From God’s activity not ours we should understand the power of cancelled sin there is no power if we are surrendered to Jesus.
II. Not only do I have new life within me and options available to choose life as a believer I also have been given a New nature. Begin examining this New nature truth by looking at verses 5 and 11.
- Go to verse 5 first_ 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. This verse describes the practical nature of the new birth, for we share in the new life with Jesus Christ. This is a shared brotherhood in the Lord Jesus . The result of our new life and new nature should cause us to be unresponsive to the old powers of temptation that so easily surrounds us.
- Verse 11 now- . 11 Likewise you also, [c]reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Given this truth we should consider ourselves dead to sin’s persuasive sway and replace it with being alive to God
New life and new nature should mean I have New Freedoms in Christ.
- Verse 12 says, Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey the lusts thereof. (my memory verses from years gone by.) You do not have to let sin control your actions or choices. Therefore, means because of your new nature and your new life, you do not have to be captured by the sin of your old life. According to scripture you have been set free from the law of sin and death (6:18, 22).
- Verse 13 following 12 reinforces this idea for it says, 13 And do not present your members as [d]instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Give yourself completely over to God, don’t let your body be used for evil for God hates evil, when you are His child.
- Now comes the kicker but you have to walk into its truth by faith verse 14 - 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, {free}for you are not under law but under grace. God has already mandated that sin should have no dominion or rule over you – you have been set free, you are free indeed. John 8:36 says,
- The last freedom is in another verse, verse 16 which we have not read, but will read it now – verse 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
It is so important to understand all the choices are yours including obedience. You are free to choose but remember God has made ever provision in the heavenlies for your salvation and deliverance, but understood I hope you now have clarity. You have God’s help in every spiritual endeavor to follow Him. Christ’s blood has broken the power of sin to be blinded and not understand.
God loves and cares for you and wants you to be free and yet without sin. Will you respond to him right now? Only Trust Him now, He will save you, He will save you, He will save you now! Come every soul by sin oppressed there is mercy with the Lord. He will save you He will save you save you now.
Sermon June 6
A new charter is given by Jesus to the disciples 2000+ years ago. But it should not be a new charter to our eyes and ears for it has been repeated generation by generation to bring salvation to the earth. It began there in Jerusalem before Pentecost and was actually a fulfillment of prophecy seen in Acts Chapter 3, when God has given His men and women a new heart and a new spirit as promised in Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s books.
But for some reason we have seemed to have forgotten the truths that Jesus was imparting as His first set of disciples which we call the Apostles. These men were commissioned and setting out to allow God to use them to move in the hearts of the people He was calling to Himself. We need some refreshing as we reorient ourselves to God and His divine plan and power to move in us to accomplish His will for redemption, renewal and revival across America and in the pulpits of God’s power. When the church gets the message and starts responding in faith to the message of His truth then God will flex His might power by using us.
Allow us to be reset O God as you renew our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ our Lord. And Father visit us today we pray and lead us in the way everlasting to your glory and power Amen
Go to Matthew chapter 10:16-31to begin our reorientation:
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless[f] as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house [g]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
{Now Jesus teaches us about the Fear of God}:
27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [h]hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [i]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Amen – may God add His blessing to the reading of His Word.
There is a key verse in this text and I would like to begin there – verse 28 _28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [h]hell.
If there is anything which should cause a believer to tremble, it is the wrath of God, against the children of disobedience. The world should not cause us to fear, for Jesus has overcome the world. We should not fear men, or their words, or twitter feeds, or Facebook censoring, or loss of job or loss of prestige or whatever in our lives gives us meaning apart from God. We should fear God.
Then I get this rebuttal from others, well you don’t know my problems; 3 kids all in diapers, a sick mom, or wife or kid or a disease or a or a or a….. No I have none of these. But here is where we have to ask ourselves where is our faith in God? What are we relying upon? Ourselves, our parents, our 401K/investment is that what we are trusting in these last days?
As I tell others today all our money is so much paper whether it is stuffed in your mattress or it is in the bank. It is nothing but paper and the only reason it is currently valuable is that everyone mutually agrees to accept it in exchange for goods and services. When and once that changes your current green and white papers will be worthless. This day will approach us in the near future, when exactly I have no clue. What will you do then, Trust God or trust yourself? Jesus in these words gave us our priority, to fear and trust God, beginning and unto the end.
I. Where Jesus is sending His people – verses 16 – 19, 16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless[f] as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
God is sending us out into the world. No hiding in our churches. Opting out is not going to be an option for the believer in Christ. You will be harassed and challenged as it says in this text to stand firm and be obedient unto the end. The end is not what you think but whatever God chooses for you. Remember He is sovereign and a sovereign Lord has life and death privileges over those who have sworn fealty to the master.
Rev 21:8 reminds us that the cowardly – those who choose not to respond to Christ’s call of obedience because of fear may share in the second death in the eternal lake of fire. That is not something I wish to experience, so I think you should be prepared to make up your mind right now that you really should fear God who has the ability to cast your soul into hell.
II. All worldly elements are coming after believers – government is mobilizing – all directorates and all other IC agencies are gearing up. Radicalization of the military is in progress and in a few years those wonderful heroes of yore will be tearing up the First and Second Amendments to the Bill of Right to get you and I. After all you are the genesis of all problems in America today. Your white privilege, whiteness and racist philosophy enabled the creation of this slave focused, prejudiced and unwoke nation, how blind can you be. You need to undo all this hateful nation has made. The exalted unleader and past president says so. As a conservative you are hated because you are the bedrock of this country. You should be hiding, personally repentant and humbled as you must now must pay reparations for your behavior. This is the woke party line today. As we used to say in the past – can you dig it baby?
Anyhow Jesus has the answer before we can ask the question of how can I speak truth into this culture of hate and repression. For according to this tune I am done before I begin.
Jesus says, in verse 19 - 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
God is planning to use you right where you are. Does this scare you? This challenges our faith to the core if we are honest. Whether it is state, federal, local or the mobs who hate and yearn for violence – God says I am in you and will give you the words.
III. God’s growth principle. There is a principle here working in you and I which we need to remember. 3 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Phil.2:13). When you became a whosover will, who calls upon the name of Lord and are saved. He began His work in you to become like His Son, each of us is being patterned after Jesus. This growth principle never ends until you are made perfect. So then God is always at work in you and around you. He knows where you are and if knows where you are and you willingly respond, do you think you know the outcome? Paul and Silas in jail singing? Did they think revival would begin in a jail cell? Peter locked in the stocks beaten and arrested – did you ever think that God would make it seem like a dream as an angel went with him and unlocked chains, doors and walking past guards to freedom. The outcome is in the hands of the Lord
IV. Next you will suffer persecution - 21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. None of us will like these days but what are we to do, quit, hide no! We are directed to go fleeing and spreading the word of God! Look who else is coming after us – family so don’t be surprised when it happens, for it is already happening today.
V. Why is this happening to Christ’s disciples? - 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house [g]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
Because you are in Christ the world will hate you because they hated men. But don’t fear for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Maybe not right now but soon God will judge all the living and the dead.
Now get a grip of this and hold on to this truth – verse 27 says, 27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. God says He will speak to you and use you. You don’t even have to go to seminary God will use you as a chose vessel to speak anywhere He wishes and He will guide you in all things – all things that is His promise. Do you count Him as faithful? What then is the truth? - 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [i]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. God values your life exceedingly, would He waste it if you simply give it to Him completely? After all He sent His very best to you will you not give your all for Jesus if He asks?
Only trust Him now He will save you He will save you He will save you now.
Come for salvation or come for repentance to walk fully in His word today right now
Only trust Him now. He will save you now!
A new charter is given by Jesus to the disciples 2000+ years ago. But it should not be a new charter to our eyes and ears for it has been repeated generation by generation to bring salvation to the earth. It began there in Jerusalem before Pentecost and was actually a fulfillment of prophecy seen in Acts Chapter 3, when God has given His men and women a new heart and a new spirit as promised in Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s books.
But for some reason we have seemed to have forgotten the truths that Jesus was imparting as His first set of disciples which we call the Apostles. These men were commissioned and setting out to allow God to use them to move in the hearts of the people He was calling to Himself. We need some refreshing as we reorient ourselves to God and His divine plan and power to move in us to accomplish His will for redemption, renewal and revival across America and in the pulpits of God’s power. When the church gets the message and starts responding in faith to the message of His truth then God will flex His might power by using us.
Allow us to be reset O God as you renew our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ our Lord. And Father visit us today we pray and lead us in the way everlasting to your glory and power Amen
Go to Matthew chapter 10:16-31to begin our reorientation:
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless[f] as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house [g]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
{Now Jesus teaches us about the Fear of God}:
27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [h]hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [i]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Amen – may God add His blessing to the reading of His Word.
There is a key verse in this text and I would like to begin there – verse 28 _28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [h]hell.
If there is anything which should cause a believer to tremble, it is the wrath of God, against the children of disobedience. The world should not cause us to fear, for Jesus has overcome the world. We should not fear men, or their words, or twitter feeds, or Facebook censoring, or loss of job or loss of prestige or whatever in our lives gives us meaning apart from God. We should fear God.
Then I get this rebuttal from others, well you don’t know my problems; 3 kids all in diapers, a sick mom, or wife or kid or a disease or a or a or a….. No I have none of these. But here is where we have to ask ourselves where is our faith in God? What are we relying upon? Ourselves, our parents, our 401K/investment is that what we are trusting in these last days?
As I tell others today all our money is so much paper whether it is stuffed in your mattress or it is in the bank. It is nothing but paper and the only reason it is currently valuable is that everyone mutually agrees to accept it in exchange for goods and services. When and once that changes your current green and white papers will be worthless. This day will approach us in the near future, when exactly I have no clue. What will you do then, Trust God or trust yourself? Jesus in these words gave us our priority, to fear and trust God, beginning and unto the end.
I. Where Jesus is sending His people – verses 16 – 19, 16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless[f] as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
God is sending us out into the world. No hiding in our churches. Opting out is not going to be an option for the believer in Christ. You will be harassed and challenged as it says in this text to stand firm and be obedient unto the end. The end is not what you think but whatever God chooses for you. Remember He is sovereign and a sovereign Lord has life and death privileges over those who have sworn fealty to the master.
Rev 21:8 reminds us that the cowardly – those who choose not to respond to Christ’s call of obedience because of fear may share in the second death in the eternal lake of fire. That is not something I wish to experience, so I think you should be prepared to make up your mind right now that you really should fear God who has the ability to cast your soul into hell.
II. All worldly elements are coming after believers – government is mobilizing – all directorates and all other IC agencies are gearing up. Radicalization of the military is in progress and in a few years those wonderful heroes of yore will be tearing up the First and Second Amendments to the Bill of Right to get you and I. After all you are the genesis of all problems in America today. Your white privilege, whiteness and racist philosophy enabled the creation of this slave focused, prejudiced and unwoke nation, how blind can you be. You need to undo all this hateful nation has made. The exalted unleader and past president says so. As a conservative you are hated because you are the bedrock of this country. You should be hiding, personally repentant and humbled as you must now must pay reparations for your behavior. This is the woke party line today. As we used to say in the past – can you dig it baby?
Anyhow Jesus has the answer before we can ask the question of how can I speak truth into this culture of hate and repression. For according to this tune I am done before I begin.
Jesus says, in verse 19 - 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
God is planning to use you right where you are. Does this scare you? This challenges our faith to the core if we are honest. Whether it is state, federal, local or the mobs who hate and yearn for violence – God says I am in you and will give you the words.
III. God’s growth principle. There is a principle here working in you and I which we need to remember. 3 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Phil.2:13). When you became a whosover will, who calls upon the name of Lord and are saved. He began His work in you to become like His Son, each of us is being patterned after Jesus. This growth principle never ends until you are made perfect. So then God is always at work in you and around you. He knows where you are and if knows where you are and you willingly respond, do you think you know the outcome? Paul and Silas in jail singing? Did they think revival would begin in a jail cell? Peter locked in the stocks beaten and arrested – did you ever think that God would make it seem like a dream as an angel went with him and unlocked chains, doors and walking past guards to freedom. The outcome is in the hands of the Lord
IV. Next you will suffer persecution - 21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. None of us will like these days but what are we to do, quit, hide no! We are directed to go fleeing and spreading the word of God! Look who else is coming after us – family so don’t be surprised when it happens, for it is already happening today.
V. Why is this happening to Christ’s disciples? - 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house [g]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
Because you are in Christ the world will hate you because they hated men. But don’t fear for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Maybe not right now but soon God will judge all the living and the dead.
Now get a grip of this and hold on to this truth – verse 27 says, 27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. God says He will speak to you and use you. You don’t even have to go to seminary God will use you as a chose vessel to speak anywhere He wishes and He will guide you in all things – all things that is His promise. Do you count Him as faithful? What then is the truth? - 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [i]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. God values your life exceedingly, would He waste it if you simply give it to Him completely? After all He sent His very best to you will you not give your all for Jesus if He asks?
Only trust Him now He will save you He will save you He will save you now.
Come for salvation or come for repentance to walk fully in His word today right now
Only trust Him now. He will save you now!
Sermon May 23
Do we really understand and recognize our role as believers and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Your role follows in accordance with the focus scripture we continue to study, which is – Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men. (Matt. 4:19). Now I tend to add the admonition of the word to Come to follow Me, but to be accurate the direction and actual wording is to Follow Me meaning Christ.
So what am I poking at here? Well there is a tendency in our society and in our churches to import the philosophies of the world into our Christian culture. We suffer from and because of this. We see this may times in the elevation of the self above the teachings of God. Now exactly what are we talking about.
Well let’s see: when abortion becomes a woman’s choice, which is really murder: when multiple types of sexual sin get marketed as gay rights, there is nothing gay about sin; when lying and cheating at the polls and suppressing the rights of Christ followers is labeled the equality act or a For America plan in whatever version we are trying to make America a socialist nation. Critical race theory is another manifestation of destroying what God has created. Not just some lives but all lives are valued before God.
So if we look more precisely at the items we just listed in each we find a rejection and a perversion of what God has created. All life begins at conception and it is not man’s right to call it choice and destroy it. That is same as in the Old Testament of offering your children to the fire of Moloch.
Sexual perversion is a sin against what God created as male and female. It is called an abomination before God and brings the fruity of destruction within the person.
When God created this nation through the founding fathers there was a description from the Bible of unalienable rights. These rights are given by God and no man has the right to take them away – generally they are referred to in the preamble as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Detailed descriptions of these rights are in the Bill of Rights. These rights come from God when was the last time you looked at them. Do you even know what is being stripped from you by these upcoming bills and legislation? Change voting, change how bills are to be approved. Force Christians to stop hate speech which is quoting the Bible and forcing Christians to accept what the world wants in our churches. Just check out Canada if you want to see where America will be in 5 – 10 years or sooner. They are arresting pastors Study folks to show thyselves approved.
Then we have Critical Race Theory which denies the creation of God as one, race with multiple colors and hues, each person with intrinsic value, none better than the other, all to be treated with dignity and respect. But no we choose to sow division in our grade schools, high schools and universities, businesses and industry and it is in the congress with all the Democrats speaking this hate speech. This also violates God’s creation for this nation did not begin as racist and the 1619 Revisionist History being taught in our schools is division and a lie. When are you going to get angry and do something about the hate being manufactured by liberal revisionists in our schools?
So what is a servant to do according to the word of God? Just sit back and let God handle it? Do nothing just wait? Or should we be seeking the path of just what would God have you do to counter the culture in this day and age?
Luke 17:3 - 10
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins [c]against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns [d]to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded [e]him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”
As we read this we are amazed. In this passage Jesus makes it clear there are two roles interplaying here. The role of the master as He is leading and the role of servant who is following.
The master, on the other hand, gives directions. The master does not tell the servant to develop a vision that will guide the master. Remember Moses and Joshua. God’s instruction to Moses was that He was sending Moses to set His people free. Moses was to simply complete what God was leading Him to do. Genesis Chapter 3:16-17 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”
God said in Joshua Chapter 1 vs. 2 -5 : 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage,
These are two strong examples of servant leaders listening to and for the call of God on their lives and living it out daily.
you search for Me with all your heart. This must become our way of life as a servant believer to God and become our daily striving.
God is the Master, We are His servants. We as sinners although saved by grace, have as sinners a distinct and propitious tendency to try to and reverse this! Because of self and sin we can pursue the wrong course where we want to be in charge and His becomes our servant. You understand Jesus and God the Father will never condone or support this behavior. The remains a condition of the heart problems and may well result in God removing the one who so grievously sins against God. We see many Kings of Israel and some in Judah who demonstrated this inversion and personal sin again against God. Ahab and Jezebel are two prime exemplars of wickedness and rebellion against God.
When the Master speaks He is God. God’s revelation of Himself, His purposes, and His ways depends directly upon our personal obedience. He often will not reveal today His intentions for the next five years, but He will tell us what our next step should be. We have already looked at John 14:21, obedience to all God has spoken to us no matter how minor in our consideration it may think it to be. Moses disobeyed God in one minor thing and cost him from entering the promised land. This is the tough part of obeying – Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
As servants we respond to God’s {0ur Masters) revelation, He will accomplish what He desires, and He will be the One who receives the glory. The servant receives no benefit, or particular benefit in begin a servant. His job is to reflect the glory and honor to His master
Our fulfillment then as a servant comes from serving our master.
The world will encourage you to strive for positions of authority and power. God wants you to take the role of a servant. This was Jesus’ role as He came from heaven to obey. Paul in Philippians Chapter 2 reminds of how far Jesus came from the gory of heaven to become obedient as a man and suffer death on the cross. Jesus on the night He was betrayed washed the disciple’s feet. He said, as I have done so should you. As God’s servant you and I should have no other agenda than to be obedient to whatever He tells us.
So in the end, God does not need you to dream great dreams for your life, your family, your business, or your church. He simply asks for obedience. He has plans that would dwarf yours in comparison (Eph. 3:20 says, 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
God’s desire is for you to know Jesus Christ so intimately that you know Him and obey Him completely. Do you even know this Jesus who died on the cross for your sin? He stands arisen and at the right hand of the Father with His arms stretched out like He did on the cross saying to whosoever will – Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Jesus says Come and is willing to give you the power of the Resurrection to help you live in Him today.
Amen
Do we really understand and recognize our role as believers and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Your role follows in accordance with the focus scripture we continue to study, which is – Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men. (Matt. 4:19). Now I tend to add the admonition of the word to Come to follow Me, but to be accurate the direction and actual wording is to Follow Me meaning Christ.
So what am I poking at here? Well there is a tendency in our society and in our churches to import the philosophies of the world into our Christian culture. We suffer from and because of this. We see this may times in the elevation of the self above the teachings of God. Now exactly what are we talking about.
Well let’s see: when abortion becomes a woman’s choice, which is really murder: when multiple types of sexual sin get marketed as gay rights, there is nothing gay about sin; when lying and cheating at the polls and suppressing the rights of Christ followers is labeled the equality act or a For America plan in whatever version we are trying to make America a socialist nation. Critical race theory is another manifestation of destroying what God has created. Not just some lives but all lives are valued before God.
So if we look more precisely at the items we just listed in each we find a rejection and a perversion of what God has created. All life begins at conception and it is not man’s right to call it choice and destroy it. That is same as in the Old Testament of offering your children to the fire of Moloch.
Sexual perversion is a sin against what God created as male and female. It is called an abomination before God and brings the fruity of destruction within the person.
When God created this nation through the founding fathers there was a description from the Bible of unalienable rights. These rights are given by God and no man has the right to take them away – generally they are referred to in the preamble as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Detailed descriptions of these rights are in the Bill of Rights. These rights come from God when was the last time you looked at them. Do you even know what is being stripped from you by these upcoming bills and legislation? Change voting, change how bills are to be approved. Force Christians to stop hate speech which is quoting the Bible and forcing Christians to accept what the world wants in our churches. Just check out Canada if you want to see where America will be in 5 – 10 years or sooner. They are arresting pastors Study folks to show thyselves approved.
Then we have Critical Race Theory which denies the creation of God as one, race with multiple colors and hues, each person with intrinsic value, none better than the other, all to be treated with dignity and respect. But no we choose to sow division in our grade schools, high schools and universities, businesses and industry and it is in the congress with all the Democrats speaking this hate speech. This also violates God’s creation for this nation did not begin as racist and the 1619 Revisionist History being taught in our schools is division and a lie. When are you going to get angry and do something about the hate being manufactured by liberal revisionists in our schools?
So what is a servant to do according to the word of God? Just sit back and let God handle it? Do nothing just wait? Or should we be seeking the path of just what would God have you do to counter the culture in this day and age?
Luke 17:3 - 10
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins [c]against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns [d]to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded [e]him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”
As we read this we are amazed. In this passage Jesus makes it clear there are two roles interplaying here. The role of the master as He is leading and the role of servant who is following.
- The servant carries out the master’s will.
- The servant doesn’t tell the master what to do.
- The servant has no intrinsic rights to claim for himself
- The servant is totally and completely dependent upon the master for everything including his life
- There are no limits on the obedience of the servant for loving, for forgiving, for doing and for following. God can choose to treat you like Paul or preserve you like He did John. His choice not yours.
- The servant does not choose which tasks to perform for the master, nor does the servant suggest days or times when it would be convenient to serve the master.
- Obedience is required and not optional to complete the will of the Master
The master, on the other hand, gives directions. The master does not tell the servant to develop a vision that will guide the master. Remember Moses and Joshua. God’s instruction to Moses was that He was sending Moses to set His people free. Moses was to simply complete what God was leading Him to do. Genesis Chapter 3:16-17 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”
God said in Joshua Chapter 1 vs. 2 -5 : 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage,
These are two strong examples of servant leaders listening to and for the call of God on their lives and living it out daily.
- So the servant’s role is to hear and obey and stay on course without veering away.
you search for Me with all your heart. This must become our way of life as a servant believer to God and become our daily striving.
- The servant’s role is to understand the vision and seek where the Master is at work and join Him
God is the Master, We are His servants. We as sinners although saved by grace, have as sinners a distinct and propitious tendency to try to and reverse this! Because of self and sin we can pursue the wrong course where we want to be in charge and His becomes our servant. You understand Jesus and God the Father will never condone or support this behavior. The remains a condition of the heart problems and may well result in God removing the one who so grievously sins against God. We see many Kings of Israel and some in Judah who demonstrated this inversion and personal sin again against God. Ahab and Jezebel are two prime exemplars of wickedness and rebellion against God.
When the Master speaks He is God. God’s revelation of Himself, His purposes, and His ways depends directly upon our personal obedience. He often will not reveal today His intentions for the next five years, but He will tell us what our next step should be. We have already looked at John 14:21, obedience to all God has spoken to us no matter how minor in our consideration it may think it to be. Moses disobeyed God in one minor thing and cost him from entering the promised land. This is the tough part of obeying – Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
As servants we respond to God’s {0ur Masters) revelation, He will accomplish what He desires, and He will be the One who receives the glory. The servant receives no benefit, or particular benefit in begin a servant. His job is to reflect the glory and honor to His master
Our fulfillment then as a servant comes from serving our master.
The world will encourage you to strive for positions of authority and power. God wants you to take the role of a servant. This was Jesus’ role as He came from heaven to obey. Paul in Philippians Chapter 2 reminds of how far Jesus came from the gory of heaven to become obedient as a man and suffer death on the cross. Jesus on the night He was betrayed washed the disciple’s feet. He said, as I have done so should you. As God’s servant you and I should have no other agenda than to be obedient to whatever He tells us.
So in the end, God does not need you to dream great dreams for your life, your family, your business, or your church. He simply asks for obedience. He has plans that would dwarf yours in comparison (Eph. 3:20 says, 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
God’s desire is for you to know Jesus Christ so intimately that you know Him and obey Him completely. Do you even know this Jesus who died on the cross for your sin? He stands arisen and at the right hand of the Father with His arms stretched out like He did on the cross saying to whosoever will – Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Jesus says Come and is willing to give you the power of the Resurrection to help you live in Him today.
Amen
Sermon May 16
Do we really understand and recognize our role as believers and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Your role follows in accordance with the focus scripture we continue to study, which is – Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men. (Matt. 4:19). Now I tend to add the admonition of the word to Come to follow Me, but to be accurate the direction and actual wording is to Follow Me meaning Christ.
So what am I poking at here? Well there is a tendency in our society and in our churches to import the philosophies of the world into our Christian culture. We suffer from and because of this. We see this may times in the elevation of the self above the teachings of God. Now exactly what are we talking about.
Well let’s see: when abortion becomes a woman’s choice, which is really murder: when multiple types of sexual sin get marketed as gay rights, there is nothing gay about sin; when lying and cheating at the polls and suppressing the rights of Christ followers is labeled the equality act or a For America plan in whatever version we are trying to make America a socialist nation. Critical race theory is another manifestation of destroying what God has created. Not just some lives but all lives are valued before God.
So if we look more precisely at the items we just listed in each we find a rejection and a perversion of what God has created. All life begins at conception and it is not man’s right to call it choice and destroy it. That is same as in the Old Testament of offering your children to the fire of Moloch.
Sexual perversion is a sin against what God created as male and female. It is called an abomination before God and brings the fruity of destruction within the person.
When God created this nation through the founding fathers there was a description from the Bible of unalienable rights. These rights are given by God and no man has the right to take them away – generally they are referred to in the preamble as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Detailed descriptions of these rights are in the Bill of Rights. These rights come from God when was the last time you looked at them. Do you even know what is being stripped from you by these upcoming bills and legislation? Change voting, change how bills are to be approved. Force Christians to stop hate speech which is quoting the Bible and forcing Christians to accept what the world wants in our churches. Just check out Canada if you want to see where America will be in 5 – 10 years or sooner. They are arresting pastors Study folks to show thyselves approved.
Then we have Critical Race Theory which denies the creation of God as one, race with multiple colors and hues, each person with intrinsic value, none better than the other, all to be treated with dignity and respect. But no we choose to sow division in our grade schools, high schools and universities, businesses and industry and it is in the congress with all the Democrats speaking this hate speech. This also violates God’s creation for this nation did not begin as racist and the 1619 Revisionist History being taught in our schools is division and a lie. When are you going to get angry and do something about the hate being manufactured by liberal revisionists in our schools?
So what is a servant to do according to the word of God? Just sit back and let God handle it? Do nothing just wait? Or should we be seeking the path of just what would God have you do to counter the culture in this day and age?
Luke 17:3 - 10
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins [c]against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns [d]to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded [e]him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”
As we read this we are amazed. In this passage Jesus makes it clear there are two roles interplaying here. The role of the master as He is leading and the role of servant who is following.
The master, on the other hand, gives directions. The master does not tell the servant to develop a vision that will guide the master. Remember Moses and Joshua. God’s instruction to Moses was that He was sending Moses to set His people free. Moses was to simply complete what God was leading Him to do. Genesis Chapter 3:16-17 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”
God said in Joshua Chapter 1 vs. 2 -5 : 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage,
These are two strong examples of servant leaders listening to and for the call of God on their lives and living it out daily.
you search for Me with all your heart. This must become our way of life as a servant believer to God and become our daily striving.
God is the Master, We are His servants. We as sinners although saved by grace, have as sinners a distinct and propitious tendency to try to and reverse this! Because of self and sin we can pursue the wrong course where we want to be in charge and His becomes our servant. You understand Jesus and God the Father will never condone or support this behavior. The remains a condition of the heart problems and may well result in God removing the one who so grievously sins against God. We see many Kings of Israel and some in Judah who demonstrated this inversion and personal sin again against God. Ahab and Jezebel are two prime exemplars of wickedness and rebellion against God.
When the Master speaks He is God. God’s revelation of Himself, His purposes, and His ways depends directly upon our personal obedience. He often will not reveal today His intentions for the next five years, but He will tell us what our next step should be. We have already looked at John 14:21, obedience to all God has spoken to us no matter how minor in our consideration it may think it to be. Moses disobeyed God in one minor thing and cost him from entering the promised land. This is the tough part of obeying – Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
As servants we respond to God’s {0ur Masters) revelation, He will accomplish what He desires, and He will be the One who receives the glory. The servant receives no benefit, or particular benefit in begin a servant. His job is to reflect the glory and honor to His master
Our fulfillment then as a servant comes from serving our master.
The world will encourage you to strive for positions of authority and power. God wants you to take the role of a servant. This was Jesus’ role as He came from heaven to obey. Paul in Philippians Chapter 2 reminds of how far Jesus came from the gory of heaven to become obedient as a man and suffer death on the cross. Jesus on the night He was betrayed washed the disciple’s feet. He said, as I have done so should you. As God’s servant you and I should have no other agenda than to be obedient to whatever He tells us.
So in the end, God does not need you to dream great dreams for your life, your family, your business, or your church. He simply asks for obedience. He has plans that would dwarf yours in comparison (Eph. 3:20 says, 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
God’s desire is for you to know Jesus Christ so intimately that you know Him and obey Him completely. Do you even know this Jesus who died on the cross for your sin? He stands arisen and at the right hand of the Father with His arms stretched out like He did on the cross saying to whosoever will – Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Jesus says Come and is willing to give you the power of the Resurrection to help you live in Him today.
Amen
Do we really understand and recognize our role as believers and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Your role follows in accordance with the focus scripture we continue to study, which is – Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men. (Matt. 4:19). Now I tend to add the admonition of the word to Come to follow Me, but to be accurate the direction and actual wording is to Follow Me meaning Christ.
So what am I poking at here? Well there is a tendency in our society and in our churches to import the philosophies of the world into our Christian culture. We suffer from and because of this. We see this may times in the elevation of the self above the teachings of God. Now exactly what are we talking about.
Well let’s see: when abortion becomes a woman’s choice, which is really murder: when multiple types of sexual sin get marketed as gay rights, there is nothing gay about sin; when lying and cheating at the polls and suppressing the rights of Christ followers is labeled the equality act or a For America plan in whatever version we are trying to make America a socialist nation. Critical race theory is another manifestation of destroying what God has created. Not just some lives but all lives are valued before God.
So if we look more precisely at the items we just listed in each we find a rejection and a perversion of what God has created. All life begins at conception and it is not man’s right to call it choice and destroy it. That is same as in the Old Testament of offering your children to the fire of Moloch.
Sexual perversion is a sin against what God created as male and female. It is called an abomination before God and brings the fruity of destruction within the person.
When God created this nation through the founding fathers there was a description from the Bible of unalienable rights. These rights are given by God and no man has the right to take them away – generally they are referred to in the preamble as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Detailed descriptions of these rights are in the Bill of Rights. These rights come from God when was the last time you looked at them. Do you even know what is being stripped from you by these upcoming bills and legislation? Change voting, change how bills are to be approved. Force Christians to stop hate speech which is quoting the Bible and forcing Christians to accept what the world wants in our churches. Just check out Canada if you want to see where America will be in 5 – 10 years or sooner. They are arresting pastors Study folks to show thyselves approved.
Then we have Critical Race Theory which denies the creation of God as one, race with multiple colors and hues, each person with intrinsic value, none better than the other, all to be treated with dignity and respect. But no we choose to sow division in our grade schools, high schools and universities, businesses and industry and it is in the congress with all the Democrats speaking this hate speech. This also violates God’s creation for this nation did not begin as racist and the 1619 Revisionist History being taught in our schools is division and a lie. When are you going to get angry and do something about the hate being manufactured by liberal revisionists in our schools?
So what is a servant to do according to the word of God? Just sit back and let God handle it? Do nothing just wait? Or should we be seeking the path of just what would God have you do to counter the culture in this day and age?
Luke 17:3 - 10
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins [c]against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns [d]to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded [e]him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”
As we read this we are amazed. In this passage Jesus makes it clear there are two roles interplaying here. The role of the master as He is leading and the role of servant who is following.
- The servant carries out the master’s will.
- The servant doesn’t tell the master what to do.
- The servant has no intrinsic rights to claim for himself
- The servant is totally and completely dependent upon the master for everything including his life
- There are no limits on the obedience of the servant for loving, for forgiving, for doing and for following. God can choose to treat you like Paul or preserve you like He did John. His choice not yours.
- The servant does not choose which tasks to perform for the master, nor does the servant suggest days or times when it would be convenient to serve the master.
- Obedience is required and not optional to complete the will of the Master
The master, on the other hand, gives directions. The master does not tell the servant to develop a vision that will guide the master. Remember Moses and Joshua. God’s instruction to Moses was that He was sending Moses to set His people free. Moses was to simply complete what God was leading Him to do. Genesis Chapter 3:16-17 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”
God said in Joshua Chapter 1 vs. 2 -5 : 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage,
These are two strong examples of servant leaders listening to and for the call of God on their lives and living it out daily.
- So the servant’s role is to hear and obey and stay on course without veering away.
you search for Me with all your heart. This must become our way of life as a servant believer to God and become our daily striving.
- The servant’s role is to understand the vision and seek where the Master is at work and join Him
God is the Master, We are His servants. We as sinners although saved by grace, have as sinners a distinct and propitious tendency to try to and reverse this! Because of self and sin we can pursue the wrong course where we want to be in charge and His becomes our servant. You understand Jesus and God the Father will never condone or support this behavior. The remains a condition of the heart problems and may well result in God removing the one who so grievously sins against God. We see many Kings of Israel and some in Judah who demonstrated this inversion and personal sin again against God. Ahab and Jezebel are two prime exemplars of wickedness and rebellion against God.
When the Master speaks He is God. God’s revelation of Himself, His purposes, and His ways depends directly upon our personal obedience. He often will not reveal today His intentions for the next five years, but He will tell us what our next step should be. We have already looked at John 14:21, obedience to all God has spoken to us no matter how minor in our consideration it may think it to be. Moses disobeyed God in one minor thing and cost him from entering the promised land. This is the tough part of obeying – Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
As servants we respond to God’s {0ur Masters) revelation, He will accomplish what He desires, and He will be the One who receives the glory. The servant receives no benefit, or particular benefit in begin a servant. His job is to reflect the glory and honor to His master
Our fulfillment then as a servant comes from serving our master.
The world will encourage you to strive for positions of authority and power. God wants you to take the role of a servant. This was Jesus’ role as He came from heaven to obey. Paul in Philippians Chapter 2 reminds of how far Jesus came from the gory of heaven to become obedient as a man and suffer death on the cross. Jesus on the night He was betrayed washed the disciple’s feet. He said, as I have done so should you. As God’s servant you and I should have no other agenda than to be obedient to whatever He tells us.
So in the end, God does not need you to dream great dreams for your life, your family, your business, or your church. He simply asks for obedience. He has plans that would dwarf yours in comparison (Eph. 3:20 says, 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
God’s desire is for you to know Jesus Christ so intimately that you know Him and obey Him completely. Do you even know this Jesus who died on the cross for your sin? He stands arisen and at the right hand of the Father with His arms stretched out like He did on the cross saying to whosoever will – Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Jesus says Come and is willing to give you the power of the Resurrection to help you live in Him today.
Amen
Sermon May 9
Happy Mother’s Day
A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away.
As he got out of the car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I wanted to buy a rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents and a rose costs two dollars.”
He bought the little girl a rose and then ordered his own mother’s flowers.
As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home.
She said, “Yes, please. You can take me to my mother.”
She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.
The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house.
But the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor. 13:
The word love appears 504 times in the bible and is in most of the books of scripture, not all but most. Love is mentioned 267 times in the Old Testament and 237 times in the New Testament.
The word love inspires several topics of interest other than the word love by itself. This includes love is patient, etc.: love one another, love your neighbor, love the Lord your God, love the Lord, love your enemies, love is kind, love God and love the Lord your God.
The command to love begins first and foremost with loving God. Out of the love of God and confidence in Him and His love we draw strength to first forgive and love ourselves. The ability to accept yourself and your own irregularities begin with focusing on God. Out of the abundance of love which we find in God then, allows us to love others and one another. But the relationship of love in God and in Jesus Christ His Son does not end there. For from our relationship of love in the Father, and in the Son and in the Holy Ghost we are commanded to love other in the Church, even as Christ loves us. There should never be a spirit of unforgiveness in us or in giving love to one another.
Remember how much we are to love the Lord your God, with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. In Mark 12 Jesus states this principle – read.. 28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, [i]perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the [j]first commandment of all?”
29 Jesus answered him, “The [k]first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ [l]This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Notice this request what is the greatest commands of all. How is it possible to love when we live in the world which we do today? With all the ungodly, unholy and unrighteous living, sinning and with unrestraint and the hate which is poured out against believers and lovers of Christ, how is it possible to love and love others. First if we look at this scripture love is not optional, it is commanded. But it begins again with what we said before in our love relationship with Christ. When we consider the Love of God in Christ Jesus and what He did to enable us to have forgiveness and if we are honest in our own hearts – How much has He forgiven you?
So Let’s get personal and remember when we were saved by the love of God. Do you remember that day and if you do ask your heart and soul this question?
If He has forgiven you in your depths of sin, and we love Him; how can we not forgive others because we keep our eyes on the love of God. Go back and read verse 30. Do you love your neighbor as yourself? You must answer this question by checking your heart and seeing if God’s Holy Spirit is confirming in your spirit that you are obedient to the command.
The Word of God has more to say on love especially in the gospel of Luke Chapter 10, beginning in verse 21
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 22 All[g] things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
Perhaps you do not realize how special you are to God? We think of ourselves as one solitary life, how am I of significance to God? How many solitary lives has God and the Lord Christ touched? Who knows, but when God touches your life it is no longer ordinary but super ordinary. I would even say it is supernatural – meaning above the design of nature – God is you! Incredible. and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” But He has touched your life. So are you going to remain ordinary or will you allow God to make you into His creation, useful to Him in every good work. Keep reading just wanted to remind mothers and all others here today How much God loves you for He has granted for you to know the hidden things of God. What a privilege to know the love of God. Verse 23 now..
23 Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” Then He relates the Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 And behold, a certain [h]lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
{remember this verse is from the OT]
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” {This question is relevant to us today}
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among [i]thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, [j]when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
So for you and I if we extend this verse what does it tell us? “Go and do likewise.”
So in this parable we see a collection of attitudes: To the lawyer, who asks the question the wounded man is just a matter for theoretical discussion. To the thieves, the man who they wounded, was just a mark, not a person, someone who they could exploit and use. To the religious men, the Priest/Pharisee and the Levite {worker in the temple}, the wounded man was a problem to be avoided. To the innkeeper, the wounded man was money for profit, dead or alive. To the Samaritan, the wounded man was a human being worth being cared for and loved, despite his dreadful condition {sounds like Jesus doesn’t it when He saves us – Romans 5:8. And the last perspective is from Jesus who was telling the parable to them. To Jesus despite each of their individual short comings and sin, all of them were worth dying for on a cruel cross. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.
Jesus applied this story to confront our hearts about our attitudes towards the needs of others and not ourselves., You see this story causes our hearts and minds to react and makes clear the attitude of our heart. All those around Jesus were challenged by this story. How could God use a dreaded and filthy Samaritan? The most despised of all people by the Jews. He was righteous before the supposed holy and saintly people church people of the day. If we are honest we can look at this story and find ourselves in many of the different characters and their responses based upon our attitudes at a particular time. Jesus parable is saying we are to be different that where our attitudes lead us. We are not to be bound by traditions, emotions and attitudes but by the will of God.
From this parable we learn three principles about loving our neighbor.
1. Lack of love is often easy to justify, but it is no excuse. You say to me, if you only knew what this person did or said or lied or whatever hate filled actions another took against you or is taking currently against you. If you only knew the trouble I seen. According to Jesus you are to Love your enemies and those who despitefully use you. So there is no excuse because you are to keep your eyes on Jesus and remember to love your neighbor as yourself.
2. Our neighbor is anyone of any race (remember we are of one race according to the Bible, the human race) so whatever color, creed or social, economic background. These are our neighbors who have physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Most of the time we try to meet the physical needs not sensing that there are deeper spiritual needs which need to be met. Remember – II Cor. 10: 3-6 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Sometimes our biggest enemy is getting by self. That is why placing the love of God first orients us to the right relationship as primary and cental to all we do.
3. Love means acting to meet another’s needs despite the personal cost. And in many cases there is no real reason to refuse to help. Not all needs are financial, some just required time and a listening ear. Learning to be compassionate is a lesson where many of us need to improve. Being different as a Samaritan, a hated class of people to some, He showed compassion on one who was in need. He could have treated the Jew in the street as an enemy, but He didn’t. In the man’s need he sowed grace, love and mercy.
That is why the end of I Corinthians 13 ends with the statement the greatest of these is love. Jesus stated the same thing when He died for us on the tree. Romans 5:7-9 says, 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Jesus died for you. Will you live and love others for Him and be His hands and feet today serving others? He calls you to service today. Will you obey?
Amen.
Happy Mother’s Day
A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away.
As he got out of the car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I wanted to buy a rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents and a rose costs two dollars.”
He bought the little girl a rose and then ordered his own mother’s flowers.
As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home.
She said, “Yes, please. You can take me to my mother.”
She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.
The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house.
But the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor. 13:
The word love appears 504 times in the bible and is in most of the books of scripture, not all but most. Love is mentioned 267 times in the Old Testament and 237 times in the New Testament.
The word love inspires several topics of interest other than the word love by itself. This includes love is patient, etc.: love one another, love your neighbor, love the Lord your God, love the Lord, love your enemies, love is kind, love God and love the Lord your God.
The command to love begins first and foremost with loving God. Out of the love of God and confidence in Him and His love we draw strength to first forgive and love ourselves. The ability to accept yourself and your own irregularities begin with focusing on God. Out of the abundance of love which we find in God then, allows us to love others and one another. But the relationship of love in God and in Jesus Christ His Son does not end there. For from our relationship of love in the Father, and in the Son and in the Holy Ghost we are commanded to love other in the Church, even as Christ loves us. There should never be a spirit of unforgiveness in us or in giving love to one another.
Remember how much we are to love the Lord your God, with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. In Mark 12 Jesus states this principle – read.. 28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, [i]perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the [j]first commandment of all?”
29 Jesus answered him, “The [k]first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ [l]This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Notice this request what is the greatest commands of all. How is it possible to love when we live in the world which we do today? With all the ungodly, unholy and unrighteous living, sinning and with unrestraint and the hate which is poured out against believers and lovers of Christ, how is it possible to love and love others. First if we look at this scripture love is not optional, it is commanded. But it begins again with what we said before in our love relationship with Christ. When we consider the Love of God in Christ Jesus and what He did to enable us to have forgiveness and if we are honest in our own hearts – How much has He forgiven you?
So Let’s get personal and remember when we were saved by the love of God. Do you remember that day and if you do ask your heart and soul this question?
If He has forgiven you in your depths of sin, and we love Him; how can we not forgive others because we keep our eyes on the love of God. Go back and read verse 30. Do you love your neighbor as yourself? You must answer this question by checking your heart and seeing if God’s Holy Spirit is confirming in your spirit that you are obedient to the command.
The Word of God has more to say on love especially in the gospel of Luke Chapter 10, beginning in verse 21
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 22 All[g] things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
Perhaps you do not realize how special you are to God? We think of ourselves as one solitary life, how am I of significance to God? How many solitary lives has God and the Lord Christ touched? Who knows, but when God touches your life it is no longer ordinary but super ordinary. I would even say it is supernatural – meaning above the design of nature – God is you! Incredible. and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” But He has touched your life. So are you going to remain ordinary or will you allow God to make you into His creation, useful to Him in every good work. Keep reading just wanted to remind mothers and all others here today How much God loves you for He has granted for you to know the hidden things of God. What a privilege to know the love of God. Verse 23 now..
23 Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” Then He relates the Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 And behold, a certain [h]lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
{remember this verse is from the OT]
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” {This question is relevant to us today}
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among [i]thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, [j]when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
So for you and I if we extend this verse what does it tell us? “Go and do likewise.”
So in this parable we see a collection of attitudes: To the lawyer, who asks the question the wounded man is just a matter for theoretical discussion. To the thieves, the man who they wounded, was just a mark, not a person, someone who they could exploit and use. To the religious men, the Priest/Pharisee and the Levite {worker in the temple}, the wounded man was a problem to be avoided. To the innkeeper, the wounded man was money for profit, dead or alive. To the Samaritan, the wounded man was a human being worth being cared for and loved, despite his dreadful condition {sounds like Jesus doesn’t it when He saves us – Romans 5:8. And the last perspective is from Jesus who was telling the parable to them. To Jesus despite each of their individual short comings and sin, all of them were worth dying for on a cruel cross. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.
Jesus applied this story to confront our hearts about our attitudes towards the needs of others and not ourselves., You see this story causes our hearts and minds to react and makes clear the attitude of our heart. All those around Jesus were challenged by this story. How could God use a dreaded and filthy Samaritan? The most despised of all people by the Jews. He was righteous before the supposed holy and saintly people church people of the day. If we are honest we can look at this story and find ourselves in many of the different characters and their responses based upon our attitudes at a particular time. Jesus parable is saying we are to be different that where our attitudes lead us. We are not to be bound by traditions, emotions and attitudes but by the will of God.
From this parable we learn three principles about loving our neighbor.
1. Lack of love is often easy to justify, but it is no excuse. You say to me, if you only knew what this person did or said or lied or whatever hate filled actions another took against you or is taking currently against you. If you only knew the trouble I seen. According to Jesus you are to Love your enemies and those who despitefully use you. So there is no excuse because you are to keep your eyes on Jesus and remember to love your neighbor as yourself.
2. Our neighbor is anyone of any race (remember we are of one race according to the Bible, the human race) so whatever color, creed or social, economic background. These are our neighbors who have physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Most of the time we try to meet the physical needs not sensing that there are deeper spiritual needs which need to be met. Remember – II Cor. 10: 3-6 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Sometimes our biggest enemy is getting by self. That is why placing the love of God first orients us to the right relationship as primary and cental to all we do.
3. Love means acting to meet another’s needs despite the personal cost. And in many cases there is no real reason to refuse to help. Not all needs are financial, some just required time and a listening ear. Learning to be compassionate is a lesson where many of us need to improve. Being different as a Samaritan, a hated class of people to some, He showed compassion on one who was in need. He could have treated the Jew in the street as an enemy, but He didn’t. In the man’s need he sowed grace, love and mercy.
That is why the end of I Corinthians 13 ends with the statement the greatest of these is love. Jesus stated the same thing when He died for us on the tree. Romans 5:7-9 says, 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Jesus died for you. Will you live and love others for Him and be His hands and feet today serving others? He calls you to service today. Will you obey?
Amen.
Sermon May 2
II Timothy 4: 1-5: 1I charge you [a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead [b]at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5
Last week we began by studying most of 2 Timothy Chapter 3 – ending as it were with the 5 verses in Chapter 4. I am not sure we are finished with what we began last week and need to cap it off again here in Chapter 4, using the first 5 verses.
To accomplish this, we will need to remember and refresh ourselves on the 4 basic principles we discovered about the times we live in and what God Almighty allows in our lives. Without a firm appreciation of these 3 principles we will have difficulty in maintaining our faith in God, as the last days approach.
So quit hemming and hawing and tells us what are these three-core faith building principles.
1. First, whatever God wants in our lives is best.
2. Second whatever God purposes for your life, He has the power and authority to accomplish it.
3. Third the Holy Spirit is in you and will be with you, as you by faith complete His assignment
From the study of God’s word as you walk with Him, He will give and fill you with faith, hope and love in the journey, as your feet step into the water. This similar to the Priests In Joshua’s day, stepping into the Jordan during flood stage and God stopping the waters and setting them on dry ground after 40 years of wandering in the Wilderness.
In God’s word there are clear parallels with what is occurring today and what happened in Israel when the Jew’s rejected God and departed from His teachings. { if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, Deut 30:17}
- Today’s Christians for the most part want relief from all these pestering pagans who deny God and are trying to bring darkness of sin across everywhere.
We see them in the media controlling thoughts and spewing lies. We see them in State and National Leadership calling Good evil and Evil good just like it says in Isaiah 5:20. We see unrestrained sin and abortion on demand increasing and the forces of preserving what is good totally ineffective. It appears that God’s restraining holy Spirit is no longer restraining and that God has given us over to our sin. We see the deterioration of responsibility, accountability and of just plain common sense, with the accelerated increase of wickedness across the good ole USA. We see no justice in the courtroom to the Supreme Court. We see elimination or for the most part complete ignorance or just plain denial of what is in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Who can help us?
Brethren, we should not be shocked as we observe After all God is simply reflecting our wishes since we no longer want Him in our homes, or in our daily lives, or in our courtroom. We have told God that schools need to be free of His restricting influences. Better education will make better citizens, produce more responsible parents and release us from our desires to kill one another. After all in the World’s eyes men are basically good.
Perhaps if our source of information were no longer the world and what we think is best and we turn to the Bible and rely on God’s Son we might have a completely different perspective. Let’s reread our text from II Timothy 4: 1-5: 1I charge you [a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead [b]at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Verse 1 is just a simple fact we are told we have a charge from God
Verse 2-2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. Your task is this!
Verse 3 & 4 - 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. The environment
Verse 5 - But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry
If there is one thing the Bible makes clear about the last days it is this: a lot will be happening! There will be intense opposition to God’s people and purposes. Believers will be forced to endure afflictions. Multifarious heresies and false doctrines will abound. We are being inundated with temptation and ungodly values. Rumors and fables will pervade people’s discussions. So much for the truth it will be debated, on what is truth. Sounds like Pontius Pilate discussing the truth with Jesus, is the Truth.
In such a time, we must be watchful. And, there will be many things to be watching. We will certainly need to be alert to the many dangers close at hand. We’ll also need to be aware of those who would delight to trip us up or rob us of our hope and joy. We will also need to be careful about the insidious lies and deceptions that could so easily lead us astray, and can entraps us easily as we grow careless.
But more importantly we need to be watching for God’s activity. Even as Satan and his evil forces are insidiously working, God and His kingdom will be much on the move. It will be and is a glorious time to be an evangelist! For, even as time draws to a close, we will have the enormous privilege of collaborating with God in snatching people from the brink of destruction and Hell, as we allow God to use us to lead them to Christ.
In such now in such a time as this, it is crucial that we fulfill the ministry to which God has called us. Others will suffer incredibly more if and when we fail to fulfill our divine calling. We live in crucial days.
The Questions is - Are you fully living out the life God called you to? We need to carry with us the 3 core principles we have studied to allow God to use us in these days.
Walk in and with God.
II Timothy 4: 1-5: 1I charge you [a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead [b]at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5
Last week we began by studying most of 2 Timothy Chapter 3 – ending as it were with the 5 verses in Chapter 4. I am not sure we are finished with what we began last week and need to cap it off again here in Chapter 4, using the first 5 verses.
To accomplish this, we will need to remember and refresh ourselves on the 4 basic principles we discovered about the times we live in and what God Almighty allows in our lives. Without a firm appreciation of these 3 principles we will have difficulty in maintaining our faith in God, as the last days approach.
So quit hemming and hawing and tells us what are these three-core faith building principles.
1. First, whatever God wants in our lives is best.
2. Second whatever God purposes for your life, He has the power and authority to accomplish it.
3. Third the Holy Spirit is in you and will be with you, as you by faith complete His assignment
From the study of God’s word as you walk with Him, He will give and fill you with faith, hope and love in the journey, as your feet step into the water. This similar to the Priests In Joshua’s day, stepping into the Jordan during flood stage and God stopping the waters and setting them on dry ground after 40 years of wandering in the Wilderness.
In God’s word there are clear parallels with what is occurring today and what happened in Israel when the Jew’s rejected God and departed from His teachings. { if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, Deut 30:17}
- Today’s Christians for the most part want relief from all these pestering pagans who deny God and are trying to bring darkness of sin across everywhere.
We see them in the media controlling thoughts and spewing lies. We see them in State and National Leadership calling Good evil and Evil good just like it says in Isaiah 5:20. We see unrestrained sin and abortion on demand increasing and the forces of preserving what is good totally ineffective. It appears that God’s restraining holy Spirit is no longer restraining and that God has given us over to our sin. We see the deterioration of responsibility, accountability and of just plain common sense, with the accelerated increase of wickedness across the good ole USA. We see no justice in the courtroom to the Supreme Court. We see elimination or for the most part complete ignorance or just plain denial of what is in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Who can help us?
Brethren, we should not be shocked as we observe After all God is simply reflecting our wishes since we no longer want Him in our homes, or in our daily lives, or in our courtroom. We have told God that schools need to be free of His restricting influences. Better education will make better citizens, produce more responsible parents and release us from our desires to kill one another. After all in the World’s eyes men are basically good.
Perhaps if our source of information were no longer the world and what we think is best and we turn to the Bible and rely on God’s Son we might have a completely different perspective. Let’s reread our text from II Timothy 4: 1-5: 1I charge you [a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead [b]at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Verse 1 is just a simple fact we are told we have a charge from God
Verse 2-2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. Your task is this!
Verse 3 & 4 - 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. The environment
Verse 5 - But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry
If there is one thing the Bible makes clear about the last days it is this: a lot will be happening! There will be intense opposition to God’s people and purposes. Believers will be forced to endure afflictions. Multifarious heresies and false doctrines will abound. We are being inundated with temptation and ungodly values. Rumors and fables will pervade people’s discussions. So much for the truth it will be debated, on what is truth. Sounds like Pontius Pilate discussing the truth with Jesus, is the Truth.
In such a time, we must be watchful. And, there will be many things to be watching. We will certainly need to be alert to the many dangers close at hand. We’ll also need to be aware of those who would delight to trip us up or rob us of our hope and joy. We will also need to be careful about the insidious lies and deceptions that could so easily lead us astray, and can entraps us easily as we grow careless.
But more importantly we need to be watching for God’s activity. Even as Satan and his evil forces are insidiously working, God and His kingdom will be much on the move. It will be and is a glorious time to be an evangelist! For, even as time draws to a close, we will have the enormous privilege of collaborating with God in snatching people from the brink of destruction and Hell, as we allow God to use us to lead them to Christ.
In such now in such a time as this, it is crucial that we fulfill the ministry to which God has called us. Others will suffer incredibly more if and when we fail to fulfill our divine calling. We live in crucial days.
The Questions is - Are you fully living out the life God called you to? We need to carry with us the 3 core principles we have studied to allow God to use us in these days.
Walk in and with God.
Sermon April 25
I want you to understand that for you to stand by yourself as a Christian believer in these coming last days may be difficult, if not impossible. I will tell you now, you just might find it impossible in your own strength. Echoing in the back of your minds if you are a believer should be Jesus’ words in John 15:5 -apart from Me ye can do nothing. As our Bible tells us the disciples found out many times as they worked in their own strength they could do nothing apart from Him. Remember their inability to cast out the demons in the young boy after the mount of transfiguration. Jesus rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith.
If Jesus‘ original call to His disciples and this includes you by the way, was to come follow Me, are you following Jesus? You are a believer, if you have asked Christ in your heart, you are His disciple. This will be confirmed in your heart, mind and spirit by the Holy Spirit’s imparting peace to you. Not the peace the world gives but the Peace which passeth all understand and it comes for Jesus our Lord. If this is true in you, then you need to do just what He said to His disciples, “Come follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
How critical then to your faith is your following and relationship with your Lord Jesus? I am finding and as all Christians have found through the ages, the quality of my relationship with Jesus is indicative of how well I am keeping my eyes on and being obedient to Jesus. Are your eyes on Jesus or have they drifted to just the problems you are dealing with?
Following Jesus should be our prime purpose as we walk day by day. Learning to surrender our decisions and purposes to His will is a decision we need to make not just daily but moment by moment. We need to focus on the fact that everything Jesus purposes for us has three considerations.
First whatever He wants for our lives is best. Sometimes it is hard for us to understand this in the midst of a trial, a test or a difficulty. After all He is God and He sees our lives from end to end. We see as it says in ! Corinthians 13, through a glass darkly. His vision is beyond 20/20, it is perfect and He is all knowing.
Second whatever God purposes for our lives He has the power and authority to accomplish it. Whatever God directs into our lives and asks of us He has already seen the end result and He will enable you to do it. What God purposes He will achieve. Just ask Jonah as He was pursued by God and He enabled Him to do it. Or Moses who told God He must have the wrong guy, for who was He to move Pharaoh to release the Children of God – the Jews. In each of the cases and in your life, God goes with you to enable you to complete His works.
Third His presence is in you and will be with you to complete His assignment and to give you faith, hope and love. Paul said the love of God compels us. He also said, These three remain faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. One of the greatest statements for us as believers is one we tend to gloss over. It is in Matt. 28. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen. It is the same promise that He made to Joshua and others that His presence would go with us and He would never depart from us. Yes, we may sin and depart by quenching or defying the Holy Spirit, that is the only way we become separated from God.
So in today’s dissembling, disastrous and denying the truth counter culture you need by faith to understand how you have been equipped to survive and even prosper. No, not financially, socially or necessarily physically, but spiritually and to engage the enemy of our souls in spiritual warfare. First you are a child of the King. He is undefeated and remains so. Man’s attempts to defy and deny God cause Him to laugh in the heavens read Psalm 2. Because people deny the truth of there is a God does not invalidate the fact that God reigns in heaven and earth. Point # two, How do I know this? the Bible tells me so and I know this is the truth for Holy Spirit confirms the truth and only the truth in my heart.
The religion being preached in America today is nothing more than radical, socialistic communism and it is taking wealth from you to redistribute to others who deserve if more. The rabid intolerance of those who claim to be tolerant are the proof of their evil and harmful intent. If you must control thought, and repress those who have differing opinions then something is wrong. What is being taught in your schools and to your children is critical race theory. It is mean to create separation by race and cause hate and discontent across our nation. There is nothing unifying. If you look closely at this material and go back to what was being taught by the communist‘s it is derived from Hegel and Mark’s theory of the dialectic, which advocates class warfare. Simply by substituting race instead of class warfare that is what is being taught. It is evil, seditionist and does not reflect the truth. America was not racist in its creation – it reflects the idea that all men are created equal. It has taken 100 plus years to realize this truth but are you racist just because of the color of your skin? Go back to the basics. God created one race it is called man. God created man and woman. God created sex and called all these good. God created marriage and the family. Without God all these foundational elements are what you must choose to promote and live by as a child of the King
But we need Help. God knows us and our individual weaknesses. So let’s mine and consider what He has to tell us for encouragement in Second Timothy using parts of Chapter 3 and the first few verses of Chapter 4.
Pray with me as we study His Word to us the Bible. Father help us to discern the truth. Open our eyes to the presence of the Holy Spirit as He leads, teaches and directs our hearts and our minds to obedience. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
Let’s walk through this text and discuss it as we go.
Start with Chapter 3, verse 1: But know this, that in the last days [a]perilous times will come: {why will they be perilous? Because man as they have done so many times in the past, tries to cast off the restraints of God. So what is the outcome. Look at the results of no restraint see these in verse 2}2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, [b]unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. {have you seen these behaviors this week. Look at the George Floyd trial, look at this police officer who saved the life of another black woman being castigated and dissed by our media; our supposed hero athletes and others in the media especially the New York Slimes, or the Washington Compost. Hear how the President of the United States is supporting BLM and the rioters and fostering hate across our nation. It is despicable. Look at the behavior of our children. Where is the church is this conversation – we are missing in action. Where are Catholics, Baptists speaking into the culture? They have a form of godliness but are denying that the only answer is Christ.}
{So what are we told ?} And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
{Here is the characteristic of carnal Christians. Carnal Christians are those with one foot in heaven and one foot in the world -7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Key here is knowledge of the truth. What should be the outcome of learning? The outcome of learning should be in applying it. So going out and using it somehow is why we get knowledge and training. What is the mindset of those who are continual students, always going to school but never going into business, industry or having a profession. Their goal is to remain as a perpetual student. After all why work when I can just keep doing school work to get another degree?}
Go now to verse 11 in Chapter 3 11what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. {read this verse carefully, here is some critical truth - And out of them all the Lord delivered me. What a statement from Paul, maybe you can list all the difficulties God allowed in his path, yet Paul understood – God was at work in each of them. It also says, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. This is truth as well for Jesus said the same thing in both Matthew and Mark’s gospels and the Apostles elsewhere in Acts, Romans, Corinthians and Galatians. But guess what if you don’t want the suffering and persecution, all you have to do is not desire to live a Godly life. I shudder to think what that may mean for you the day you step into eternity. I prefer the fact if I desire to live Godly life God will walk with Me and strengthen Me as I keep following Jesus. For me I pray this would be the desire of my heart. Please Lord make it so, not self.}
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 … you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
{Now here is where we separate the first team from the substitutes. Combat and Spiritual warfare are tough there is no easy way folks. As you seeing and hearing in the news every day this truth - But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. What should be your response to this deception and lying? You and I must be striving to be more dedicated and serious about our faith and our relationship with God. There must be a growing certainty in your trust and understanding of the Scriptures for only in them and with the leading, guiding and nurturing of the Holy Spirit will you have the degree of assurance and willingness to submit and practice what you have been taught}. Do you remember the three rules we discussed at the beginning?
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [c]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. {What a powerful verse for your heart and mind. Only God could put 66 books together with multiple authors and have mysteries which relate to other books and continuity of thought and purpose far beyond any human mind. God inspired, God breathed – a love letter for learning how to live and walk as a man or woman of God.}The scriptures always point to the author. In His word He speaks to us. Teaches us and assures us of His love and goodness. Seek Him there.
Now moving to the final steps in Chapter 4 - The teaching which Paul was giving to Timothy in this last letter, which he wrote. We believe h write this before he was executed, and includes something which must be done with fail, so Timothy is charged with doing it as you and I are. Chapter 4, verse 1
4 1I charge you [a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead [b]at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Folks this is today for us in America verse 3 and 4 . 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables
If you don’t believe me watch the Syndicated Channels and what do you see?
But for you and I, 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
We have a duty to fulfill what we saw earlier in Matthew 28, 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen
Now in the quietness of this moment with ever head bowed and every eye closed will you allow the Holy Spirit to convict you of where you are with the Lord? Are you where He wants you to be or are you still of two opinions of who God is and what He wants for you? His command is to trust and obey will you do this in this quiet moment before His word.
Invitation and Hymn.
I want you to understand that for you to stand by yourself as a Christian believer in these coming last days may be difficult, if not impossible. I will tell you now, you just might find it impossible in your own strength. Echoing in the back of your minds if you are a believer should be Jesus’ words in John 15:5 -apart from Me ye can do nothing. As our Bible tells us the disciples found out many times as they worked in their own strength they could do nothing apart from Him. Remember their inability to cast out the demons in the young boy after the mount of transfiguration. Jesus rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith.
If Jesus‘ original call to His disciples and this includes you by the way, was to come follow Me, are you following Jesus? You are a believer, if you have asked Christ in your heart, you are His disciple. This will be confirmed in your heart, mind and spirit by the Holy Spirit’s imparting peace to you. Not the peace the world gives but the Peace which passeth all understand and it comes for Jesus our Lord. If this is true in you, then you need to do just what He said to His disciples, “Come follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
How critical then to your faith is your following and relationship with your Lord Jesus? I am finding and as all Christians have found through the ages, the quality of my relationship with Jesus is indicative of how well I am keeping my eyes on and being obedient to Jesus. Are your eyes on Jesus or have they drifted to just the problems you are dealing with?
Following Jesus should be our prime purpose as we walk day by day. Learning to surrender our decisions and purposes to His will is a decision we need to make not just daily but moment by moment. We need to focus on the fact that everything Jesus purposes for us has three considerations.
First whatever He wants for our lives is best. Sometimes it is hard for us to understand this in the midst of a trial, a test or a difficulty. After all He is God and He sees our lives from end to end. We see as it says in ! Corinthians 13, through a glass darkly. His vision is beyond 20/20, it is perfect and He is all knowing.
Second whatever God purposes for our lives He has the power and authority to accomplish it. Whatever God directs into our lives and asks of us He has already seen the end result and He will enable you to do it. What God purposes He will achieve. Just ask Jonah as He was pursued by God and He enabled Him to do it. Or Moses who told God He must have the wrong guy, for who was He to move Pharaoh to release the Children of God – the Jews. In each of the cases and in your life, God goes with you to enable you to complete His works.
Third His presence is in you and will be with you to complete His assignment and to give you faith, hope and love. Paul said the love of God compels us. He also said, These three remain faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. One of the greatest statements for us as believers is one we tend to gloss over. It is in Matt. 28. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen. It is the same promise that He made to Joshua and others that His presence would go with us and He would never depart from us. Yes, we may sin and depart by quenching or defying the Holy Spirit, that is the only way we become separated from God.
So in today’s dissembling, disastrous and denying the truth counter culture you need by faith to understand how you have been equipped to survive and even prosper. No, not financially, socially or necessarily physically, but spiritually and to engage the enemy of our souls in spiritual warfare. First you are a child of the King. He is undefeated and remains so. Man’s attempts to defy and deny God cause Him to laugh in the heavens read Psalm 2. Because people deny the truth of there is a God does not invalidate the fact that God reigns in heaven and earth. Point # two, How do I know this? the Bible tells me so and I know this is the truth for Holy Spirit confirms the truth and only the truth in my heart.
The religion being preached in America today is nothing more than radical, socialistic communism and it is taking wealth from you to redistribute to others who deserve if more. The rabid intolerance of those who claim to be tolerant are the proof of their evil and harmful intent. If you must control thought, and repress those who have differing opinions then something is wrong. What is being taught in your schools and to your children is critical race theory. It is mean to create separation by race and cause hate and discontent across our nation. There is nothing unifying. If you look closely at this material and go back to what was being taught by the communist‘s it is derived from Hegel and Mark’s theory of the dialectic, which advocates class warfare. Simply by substituting race instead of class warfare that is what is being taught. It is evil, seditionist and does not reflect the truth. America was not racist in its creation – it reflects the idea that all men are created equal. It has taken 100 plus years to realize this truth but are you racist just because of the color of your skin? Go back to the basics. God created one race it is called man. God created man and woman. God created sex and called all these good. God created marriage and the family. Without God all these foundational elements are what you must choose to promote and live by as a child of the King
But we need Help. God knows us and our individual weaknesses. So let’s mine and consider what He has to tell us for encouragement in Second Timothy using parts of Chapter 3 and the first few verses of Chapter 4.
Pray with me as we study His Word to us the Bible. Father help us to discern the truth. Open our eyes to the presence of the Holy Spirit as He leads, teaches and directs our hearts and our minds to obedience. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
Let’s walk through this text and discuss it as we go.
Start with Chapter 3, verse 1: But know this, that in the last days [a]perilous times will come: {why will they be perilous? Because man as they have done so many times in the past, tries to cast off the restraints of God. So what is the outcome. Look at the results of no restraint see these in verse 2}2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, [b]unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. {have you seen these behaviors this week. Look at the George Floyd trial, look at this police officer who saved the life of another black woman being castigated and dissed by our media; our supposed hero athletes and others in the media especially the New York Slimes, or the Washington Compost. Hear how the President of the United States is supporting BLM and the rioters and fostering hate across our nation. It is despicable. Look at the behavior of our children. Where is the church is this conversation – we are missing in action. Where are Catholics, Baptists speaking into the culture? They have a form of godliness but are denying that the only answer is Christ.}
{So what are we told ?} And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
{Here is the characteristic of carnal Christians. Carnal Christians are those with one foot in heaven and one foot in the world -7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Key here is knowledge of the truth. What should be the outcome of learning? The outcome of learning should be in applying it. So going out and using it somehow is why we get knowledge and training. What is the mindset of those who are continual students, always going to school but never going into business, industry or having a profession. Their goal is to remain as a perpetual student. After all why work when I can just keep doing school work to get another degree?}
Go now to verse 11 in Chapter 3 11what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. {read this verse carefully, here is some critical truth - And out of them all the Lord delivered me. What a statement from Paul, maybe you can list all the difficulties God allowed in his path, yet Paul understood – God was at work in each of them. It also says, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. This is truth as well for Jesus said the same thing in both Matthew and Mark’s gospels and the Apostles elsewhere in Acts, Romans, Corinthians and Galatians. But guess what if you don’t want the suffering and persecution, all you have to do is not desire to live a Godly life. I shudder to think what that may mean for you the day you step into eternity. I prefer the fact if I desire to live Godly life God will walk with Me and strengthen Me as I keep following Jesus. For me I pray this would be the desire of my heart. Please Lord make it so, not self.}
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 … you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
{Now here is where we separate the first team from the substitutes. Combat and Spiritual warfare are tough there is no easy way folks. As you seeing and hearing in the news every day this truth - But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. What should be your response to this deception and lying? You and I must be striving to be more dedicated and serious about our faith and our relationship with God. There must be a growing certainty in your trust and understanding of the Scriptures for only in them and with the leading, guiding and nurturing of the Holy Spirit will you have the degree of assurance and willingness to submit and practice what you have been taught}. Do you remember the three rules we discussed at the beginning?
- whatever He wants for our lives is best.
- whatever God purposes for our lives
- He has the power and authority to accomplish His work in you. For His presence is in you and will be with you to complete His assignment and to give you faith, hope and love
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [c]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. {What a powerful verse for your heart and mind. Only God could put 66 books together with multiple authors and have mysteries which relate to other books and continuity of thought and purpose far beyond any human mind. God inspired, God breathed – a love letter for learning how to live and walk as a man or woman of God.}The scriptures always point to the author. In His word He speaks to us. Teaches us and assures us of His love and goodness. Seek Him there.
Now moving to the final steps in Chapter 4 - The teaching which Paul was giving to Timothy in this last letter, which he wrote. We believe h write this before he was executed, and includes something which must be done with fail, so Timothy is charged with doing it as you and I are. Chapter 4, verse 1
4 1I charge you [a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead [b]at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Folks this is today for us in America verse 3 and 4 . 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables
If you don’t believe me watch the Syndicated Channels and what do you see?
But for you and I, 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
We have a duty to fulfill what we saw earlier in Matthew 28, 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen
Now in the quietness of this moment with ever head bowed and every eye closed will you allow the Holy Spirit to convict you of where you are with the Lord? Are you where He wants you to be or are you still of two opinions of who God is and what He wants for you? His command is to trust and obey will you do this in this quiet moment before His word.
Invitation and Hymn.
Sermon April 18
But since when has the Party in power cared what you or other voters want? Our government is supposed to take its power from the consent of the governed, but the party in power doesn’t give a rip about you or the Constitution. This is an outright power grab. We know voters want IDs to be able to vote. They don’t want thousands of people pouring over the southern border or rampant disease. They don’t want police departments defunded –- or disbanded –- with violence escalating and cities burning. Court-packing is another terrible idea. So in order to get it past the voters who really don’t want it, Democrats are trying to reframe the discussion and confuse them as to exactly what “court-packing” is. To fool them this is where we are living now.
Perhaps this turmoil has got you down or you are having trouble in your Spirit, then perhaps you are not living a victorious Christian life. So let’s examine principles for living a truly victorious life as a believer, not disregarding what is happening around us but being able to navigate in it daily.
There are 4 principles for attaining victory in the Christian life- these include· a provision (salvation),· a purpose (Canaan),· a problem (flesh),· and a principle (the victory is God-given)Let’s begin at the beginning – Our text is taken from the 17th chapter of the Book of Exodus, and I’d like you to turn there. And, while you’re turning, I want to tell you something about a church member that I had difficulty with. As a matter of fact, I’ve had difficulty with this church member for a number of years. Really, he’s given me a lot of trouble, and he has disappointed me many, many times. And, I have had to expend a lot of energy with this particular church member who really—frankly, we are a loving congregation—but this member has given me much, much sorrow and heartache. Maybe I ought to tell you his name. I think I will: Jim Ayers. You’re looking at the guy who has given me a lot of trouble. You know, my biggest enemy is my own self. Yes you might remember I have used this example before. But, I use this for a reason as you will see.
Have you found this true? We have an enemy inside the fort called self. Sometimes the Bible calls this the old man. Sometimes the Bible calls this the flesh, but we’re all in a battle. You see, we have three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Now, we’re going to be talking about that center enemy, the flesh; and, when I’m talking about the flesh, I’m not talking about your Physical body. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. It is crafted of God, and it is to be wholly dedicated to Him. But, when I’m talking about the flesh, I’m talking about the lower nature that we inherited from our parents, who got it from Adam. It is a disposition against the things of God. The Bible tells us, in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 17, that “the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these two are contrary one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that ye would” (Galatians 5:17).
So what does that have to do with Exodus chapter 17? Today’s less is a lesson about living the life of conquest or victory. Remember that, at one time, the Jewish people were in Egypt were slaves. Now, Egypt represents the world, Just like them, we’ve been called out of the world, but God called them out of Egypt. Pharaoh as the king of Egypt represents the devil. Then, they were headed toward Canaan, a land of oil, and wine, and corn, and figs, and pomegranates, and milk, and honey, and rivers, and trees, and valleys, and hills, brass, and iron. They were called into Canaan. What does Canaan represent? Not Heaven someday.--Canaan represents victory. Canaan represents the Spirit-filled life as you live it day by day. This is what is available to each of us as believers. 1 Corinthians 10, verse says, “all of these things happened unto them for examples” to us. So the word of God is our teacher to lead us into the paths of righteousness.
So, as Christians, we have come out of Egypt. We’re coming through a wilderness, but we’re headed toward Canaan; and, we ought to already be there, so Canaan represents the Spirit-filled life. Egypt—the world; Pharaoh—the devil; Canaan—the victorious life. But, we’re going to meet somebody now, in just a moment, who represents the flesh—that member I’ve been having such difficulty with.
Go to the text and read from Exodus 17, verse 8, verse 8: “Then came Amalek…”—Amalek represents the flesh—“Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.” “But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands”—that is, “held up his hands”—“the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek…”—that’s just a fancy way of saying, “He whooped him”—“Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (Exodus 17:8–13).
Now, you might, right now, say, “Well, I’ve come out of Egypt, but I surely haven’t gone into Canaan. I have been struggling in this desert.” Well, let me tell you how you can change your life now—sincerely—from the monotonous to the momentous, from failure to victory. And, before you get to Heaven, you can bring experience victory on Earth.
Step I of Victory - Receive a Gracious Provision: Salvation. You need to receive a gracious provision—receive a gracious provision— and that provision is salvation. Now, go back, if you will, to the first verse of this chapter: “And all the congregation of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched”—that is, they set up their tents—“in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses,”—they scolded him—“and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do you tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” (Exodus 17:1–3). Friend, I’ve been there, to this place. You talk about a barren, desolate place; it is indeed a barren, and a desolate, and a dry place
Get this picture They’re out there in the barren land; they’re dying of thirst. And then, Moses says, “God, what shall I do?” God says, “You take the elders of Israel, and you take a rock; you take a rod, and you go to this rock, and you—with that rod—you smite that rock; and, when you do, water will come from the rock.”
This is a glorious illustration of our salvation. Go to 1 Corinthians 10: 4 says, “And [they] did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” The rock pictures the Lord Jesus Christ—the Rock of ages, smitten for us. Isaiah 53: 4 says, “We did esteem him stricken, smitten of God.” Jesus, the Rock of ages, was smitten for us; and, because Jesus was smitten for us, out of His riven side, came forth water. And, that water represents the Holy Spirit, which is the water of life. And, you and I have… because the rock was smitten, so long ago, when Jesus hung in agony and blood upon that cross, and He died. Our Rock died for us. Out of His side has come that refreshment, that Holy Spirit that is to me, and you, right now. Thank God for His blessed, precious Holy Spirit. Amen. If you have received Him then you have received His Gracious provision, which is salvation. Perhaps not then you will never be able to live the Victorious Christian life? Without Him I can do nothing>
Step II of achieving Victory is You must realize a grand purpose, because being saved is wonderful, but God has more—much more—for you. You see, God’s plan for His people was not merely that they come out of Egypt and go into the wilderness of Sinai; God’s plan for His people was that they go into the land of Canaan. I’m not talking about pie in the sky; I’m talking about victory, right now. God brought them out, that He might bring them in.
If you go back earlier in Chapter 17 to the first few verses and read, there God says, “Look, I brought you out, that I might bring you in.” Now, God says, “When you get into the land,”—notice, the land flowing with milk and honey—“then I want you to celebrate; then I want you to keep the feast of the Passover. I want you to keep the feast of unleavened bread. I want you to celebrate; and, when you celebrate the feast, your son’s going to come to you, and your son’s going to say, ‘Dad, what does all this mean?’ And, you can tell your children, ‘we are celebrating what God did for us when God brought us out of Egypt and God brought us into this land.’”
I want to ask you a question: Why is it that the devil is getting the kids of the best families in our churches today? I’m talking about people who are faithful. There are people—and some of them sitting here, this morning, Baptists who have come out of Egypt, but they’ve never gone into Canaan. You know what they had in Canaan in the wilderness to eat? In the wilderness they ate Manna. Do you know how long they ate it? Forty years. Now, manna was not meant to satisfy them; it was only meant to sustain them until they got into the land that flowed with milk, and honey. But for 40 long years they ate manna as they struggled every day and night in the Wilderness. But the promise is that they would eat richly in their future home.
But, because of personal unbelief, they’re continued going around, and around, and around in the desert, not believing God. They’ve come out of Egypt, but they’ve never gone into Canaan, but they’re stayed in the wilderness. This is true in our churches which are the lives of believers today. Step 2 of achieving victory means stepping by faith in the purposes of God for your life. Are you now walking in His faith, trusting in His purposes for your life?
Step III of achieving Victory is to Respect a Grievous Problem: the Flesh. Go back to our text, now, in Exodus 17—and, look, if you will, in verse 8: “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel” (Exodus 17:8). What is Amalek? Who is Amalek? Amalek was a king, but he was the grandson of Esau. And, who was Esau? Well, Esau, you remember, was the man who sold his birthright for a mess of soup. The Bible calls Esau, in Hebrews chapter 12, “a profane person…who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright” (Hebrews 12:16). Further the Bible also teaches, in Malachi verses 1 through 4, that God has a perpetual warfare declared upon Esau.
So when God says I hate Esau, in our case Esau is represented by Amalek. What then does Amalek represent? Amalek represents what all of us have in us, and it is the flesh. Say that word flesh—flesh. Say, “my flesh”—that’s your enemy.
Remember there was a church member I have a lot of difficulty with? Friend, there’s an Amalek in you; he’s the grandson of Esau, and you have this. If you look in your Bible @ Romans chapter 8:6-7”: “To be carnally minded”—that word :earthly minded”—“is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” And then, Galatians 5, verse 17: “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). There is that principle that will come against you—the flesh. You say to yourself, I’m over here in Egypt and I’m going to give my heart to Jesus Christ and be saved. So I trust and believe on Christ,” and you give your heart to Him; and, as soon as you drink of that water, as soon as that Rock is smitten for you, as soon as that water comes to refresh you, then the Bible says, “Then came Amalek” (Exodus 17:8). Immediately, when you come out of Egypt, the flesh comes and says, “You are going no further. You are not going to get into Canaan”: “Then came Amalek and you have not gone into the promised land.
Step IV of achieving Victory is to Remember a Glorious Principle: the Victory is God-Given.
Now, how are we going to have victory—not over the world, not over the devil, but over the flesh? We all have that enemy with us, day by day. So let’s fast-forward here. Here’s the next thing I want you to notice; and, very quickly, if you would, you must remember a glorious—a glorious—principle. What is the principle?
Look again, beginning in verse 9 of this chapter: “And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Exodus 17:9–12).
What is the principle IV again? Here’s the glorious principle: our victory is God-given. How am I going to overcome the old Jim, that church member that I have the most difficulty with? By rededicating my life, by struggling? No! There is a perpetual warfare. That flesh is in me, in you; and, when you get saved, the flesh is not eradicated. But, thank God, you can have victory, and that victory is God-given.
God said, “Moses, you take that rod.” Now remember, it is the rod of God; it represents the power of God. It is the rod that opened up the Red Sea. It is the rod that smote the rock and sent forth water—and the rod that led them out of bondage. The rod that led them out of barrenness now is the rod that is going to lead them into battle. He says, “Take that rod; go up to the mountaintop; hold that rod up; and, when you hold that rod up, Amalek will be defeated.” Listen. The victory—the victory over Amalek, over your flesh—is a God-given victory. The Bible says, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of your flesh” (Galatians 5:16). If I’ve learned one thing as a Christian, it is this: holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness. Now, I’m not playing with words. He says, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
So victory over your flesh is a God-given victory—that’s the only way that you’re going to come out of Egypt, through the wilderness, into Canaan, because there’s an Amalek within you that stands against you to keep you from living in victory.
But, thank God—hallelujah! Praise God there is a victory—when you take the rod of God, which is the Word of God, the power of God, the Spirit of God, and you hold that high. Now, that’s the reason we need to pray one for another and help one another. For the battle is won in prayer and not done in the flesh.
Let’s bow our heads now in prayer. Father God, seal the message to our hearts. Lord, there’s so much here. Lord, help us to understand it, and help us, moment by moment, and day by day, to walk in the Spirit, and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. So if you’re tired of Egypt and you say, “I want to come out of Egypt; I’m tired—sick and tired—of Pharaoh {the devil}telling me how high to jump; I’m tired of being beat up by the devil; I want liberty; I want victory,” if you’re thirsty and you need a drink from that Rock, His name is Jesus, and I want to offer you a drink from the Rock today. Would you continue praying with me a quiet prayer for forgiveness, repentance and salvation—in Jesus Name? Amen.
Reference Adrian Rogers
But since when has the Party in power cared what you or other voters want? Our government is supposed to take its power from the consent of the governed, but the party in power doesn’t give a rip about you or the Constitution. This is an outright power grab. We know voters want IDs to be able to vote. They don’t want thousands of people pouring over the southern border or rampant disease. They don’t want police departments defunded –- or disbanded –- with violence escalating and cities burning. Court-packing is another terrible idea. So in order to get it past the voters who really don’t want it, Democrats are trying to reframe the discussion and confuse them as to exactly what “court-packing” is. To fool them this is where we are living now.
Perhaps this turmoil has got you down or you are having trouble in your Spirit, then perhaps you are not living a victorious Christian life. So let’s examine principles for living a truly victorious life as a believer, not disregarding what is happening around us but being able to navigate in it daily.
There are 4 principles for attaining victory in the Christian life- these include· a provision (salvation),· a purpose (Canaan),· a problem (flesh),· and a principle (the victory is God-given)Let’s begin at the beginning – Our text is taken from the 17th chapter of the Book of Exodus, and I’d like you to turn there. And, while you’re turning, I want to tell you something about a church member that I had difficulty with. As a matter of fact, I’ve had difficulty with this church member for a number of years. Really, he’s given me a lot of trouble, and he has disappointed me many, many times. And, I have had to expend a lot of energy with this particular church member who really—frankly, we are a loving congregation—but this member has given me much, much sorrow and heartache. Maybe I ought to tell you his name. I think I will: Jim Ayers. You’re looking at the guy who has given me a lot of trouble. You know, my biggest enemy is my own self. Yes you might remember I have used this example before. But, I use this for a reason as you will see.
Have you found this true? We have an enemy inside the fort called self. Sometimes the Bible calls this the old man. Sometimes the Bible calls this the flesh, but we’re all in a battle. You see, we have three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Now, we’re going to be talking about that center enemy, the flesh; and, when I’m talking about the flesh, I’m not talking about your Physical body. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. It is crafted of God, and it is to be wholly dedicated to Him. But, when I’m talking about the flesh, I’m talking about the lower nature that we inherited from our parents, who got it from Adam. It is a disposition against the things of God. The Bible tells us, in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 17, that “the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these two are contrary one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that ye would” (Galatians 5:17).
So what does that have to do with Exodus chapter 17? Today’s less is a lesson about living the life of conquest or victory. Remember that, at one time, the Jewish people were in Egypt were slaves. Now, Egypt represents the world, Just like them, we’ve been called out of the world, but God called them out of Egypt. Pharaoh as the king of Egypt represents the devil. Then, they were headed toward Canaan, a land of oil, and wine, and corn, and figs, and pomegranates, and milk, and honey, and rivers, and trees, and valleys, and hills, brass, and iron. They were called into Canaan. What does Canaan represent? Not Heaven someday.--Canaan represents victory. Canaan represents the Spirit-filled life as you live it day by day. This is what is available to each of us as believers. 1 Corinthians 10, verse says, “all of these things happened unto them for examples” to us. So the word of God is our teacher to lead us into the paths of righteousness.
So, as Christians, we have come out of Egypt. We’re coming through a wilderness, but we’re headed toward Canaan; and, we ought to already be there, so Canaan represents the Spirit-filled life. Egypt—the world; Pharaoh—the devil; Canaan—the victorious life. But, we’re going to meet somebody now, in just a moment, who represents the flesh—that member I’ve been having such difficulty with.
Go to the text and read from Exodus 17, verse 8, verse 8: “Then came Amalek…”—Amalek represents the flesh—“Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.” “But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands”—that is, “held up his hands”—“the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek…”—that’s just a fancy way of saying, “He whooped him”—“Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (Exodus 17:8–13).
Now, you might, right now, say, “Well, I’ve come out of Egypt, but I surely haven’t gone into Canaan. I have been struggling in this desert.” Well, let me tell you how you can change your life now—sincerely—from the monotonous to the momentous, from failure to victory. And, before you get to Heaven, you can bring experience victory on Earth.
Step I of Victory - Receive a Gracious Provision: Salvation. You need to receive a gracious provision—receive a gracious provision— and that provision is salvation. Now, go back, if you will, to the first verse of this chapter: “And all the congregation of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched”—that is, they set up their tents—“in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses,”—they scolded him—“and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do you tempt the LORD? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” (Exodus 17:1–3). Friend, I’ve been there, to this place. You talk about a barren, desolate place; it is indeed a barren, and a desolate, and a dry place
Get this picture They’re out there in the barren land; they’re dying of thirst. And then, Moses says, “God, what shall I do?” God says, “You take the elders of Israel, and you take a rock; you take a rod, and you go to this rock, and you—with that rod—you smite that rock; and, when you do, water will come from the rock.”
This is a glorious illustration of our salvation. Go to 1 Corinthians 10: 4 says, “And [they] did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” The rock pictures the Lord Jesus Christ—the Rock of ages, smitten for us. Isaiah 53: 4 says, “We did esteem him stricken, smitten of God.” Jesus, the Rock of ages, was smitten for us; and, because Jesus was smitten for us, out of His riven side, came forth water. And, that water represents the Holy Spirit, which is the water of life. And, you and I have… because the rock was smitten, so long ago, when Jesus hung in agony and blood upon that cross, and He died. Our Rock died for us. Out of His side has come that refreshment, that Holy Spirit that is to me, and you, right now. Thank God for His blessed, precious Holy Spirit. Amen. If you have received Him then you have received His Gracious provision, which is salvation. Perhaps not then you will never be able to live the Victorious Christian life? Without Him I can do nothing>
Step II of achieving Victory is You must realize a grand purpose, because being saved is wonderful, but God has more—much more—for you. You see, God’s plan for His people was not merely that they come out of Egypt and go into the wilderness of Sinai; God’s plan for His people was that they go into the land of Canaan. I’m not talking about pie in the sky; I’m talking about victory, right now. God brought them out, that He might bring them in.
If you go back earlier in Chapter 17 to the first few verses and read, there God says, “Look, I brought you out, that I might bring you in.” Now, God says, “When you get into the land,”—notice, the land flowing with milk and honey—“then I want you to celebrate; then I want you to keep the feast of the Passover. I want you to keep the feast of unleavened bread. I want you to celebrate; and, when you celebrate the feast, your son’s going to come to you, and your son’s going to say, ‘Dad, what does all this mean?’ And, you can tell your children, ‘we are celebrating what God did for us when God brought us out of Egypt and God brought us into this land.’”
I want to ask you a question: Why is it that the devil is getting the kids of the best families in our churches today? I’m talking about people who are faithful. There are people—and some of them sitting here, this morning, Baptists who have come out of Egypt, but they’ve never gone into Canaan. You know what they had in Canaan in the wilderness to eat? In the wilderness they ate Manna. Do you know how long they ate it? Forty years. Now, manna was not meant to satisfy them; it was only meant to sustain them until they got into the land that flowed with milk, and honey. But for 40 long years they ate manna as they struggled every day and night in the Wilderness. But the promise is that they would eat richly in their future home.
But, because of personal unbelief, they’re continued going around, and around, and around in the desert, not believing God. They’ve come out of Egypt, but they’ve never gone into Canaan, but they’re stayed in the wilderness. This is true in our churches which are the lives of believers today. Step 2 of achieving victory means stepping by faith in the purposes of God for your life. Are you now walking in His faith, trusting in His purposes for your life?
Step III of achieving Victory is to Respect a Grievous Problem: the Flesh. Go back to our text, now, in Exodus 17—and, look, if you will, in verse 8: “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel” (Exodus 17:8). What is Amalek? Who is Amalek? Amalek was a king, but he was the grandson of Esau. And, who was Esau? Well, Esau, you remember, was the man who sold his birthright for a mess of soup. The Bible calls Esau, in Hebrews chapter 12, “a profane person…who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright” (Hebrews 12:16). Further the Bible also teaches, in Malachi verses 1 through 4, that God has a perpetual warfare declared upon Esau.
So when God says I hate Esau, in our case Esau is represented by Amalek. What then does Amalek represent? Amalek represents what all of us have in us, and it is the flesh. Say that word flesh—flesh. Say, “my flesh”—that’s your enemy.
Remember there was a church member I have a lot of difficulty with? Friend, there’s an Amalek in you; he’s the grandson of Esau, and you have this. If you look in your Bible @ Romans chapter 8:6-7”: “To be carnally minded”—that word :earthly minded”—“is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” And then, Galatians 5, verse 17: “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). There is that principle that will come against you—the flesh. You say to yourself, I’m over here in Egypt and I’m going to give my heart to Jesus Christ and be saved. So I trust and believe on Christ,” and you give your heart to Him; and, as soon as you drink of that water, as soon as that Rock is smitten for you, as soon as that water comes to refresh you, then the Bible says, “Then came Amalek” (Exodus 17:8). Immediately, when you come out of Egypt, the flesh comes and says, “You are going no further. You are not going to get into Canaan”: “Then came Amalek and you have not gone into the promised land.
Step IV of achieving Victory is to Remember a Glorious Principle: the Victory is God-Given.
Now, how are we going to have victory—not over the world, not over the devil, but over the flesh? We all have that enemy with us, day by day. So let’s fast-forward here. Here’s the next thing I want you to notice; and, very quickly, if you would, you must remember a glorious—a glorious—principle. What is the principle?
Look again, beginning in verse 9 of this chapter: “And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Exodus 17:9–12).
What is the principle IV again? Here’s the glorious principle: our victory is God-given. How am I going to overcome the old Jim, that church member that I have the most difficulty with? By rededicating my life, by struggling? No! There is a perpetual warfare. That flesh is in me, in you; and, when you get saved, the flesh is not eradicated. But, thank God, you can have victory, and that victory is God-given.
God said, “Moses, you take that rod.” Now remember, it is the rod of God; it represents the power of God. It is the rod that opened up the Red Sea. It is the rod that smote the rock and sent forth water—and the rod that led them out of bondage. The rod that led them out of barrenness now is the rod that is going to lead them into battle. He says, “Take that rod; go up to the mountaintop; hold that rod up; and, when you hold that rod up, Amalek will be defeated.” Listen. The victory—the victory over Amalek, over your flesh—is a God-given victory. The Bible says, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of your flesh” (Galatians 5:16). If I’ve learned one thing as a Christian, it is this: holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness. Now, I’m not playing with words. He says, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
So victory over your flesh is a God-given victory—that’s the only way that you’re going to come out of Egypt, through the wilderness, into Canaan, because there’s an Amalek within you that stands against you to keep you from living in victory.
But, thank God—hallelujah! Praise God there is a victory—when you take the rod of God, which is the Word of God, the power of God, the Spirit of God, and you hold that high. Now, that’s the reason we need to pray one for another and help one another. For the battle is won in prayer and not done in the flesh.
Let’s bow our heads now in prayer. Father God, seal the message to our hearts. Lord, there’s so much here. Lord, help us to understand it, and help us, moment by moment, and day by day, to walk in the Spirit, and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. So if you’re tired of Egypt and you say, “I want to come out of Egypt; I’m tired—sick and tired—of Pharaoh {the devil}telling me how high to jump; I’m tired of being beat up by the devil; I want liberty; I want victory,” if you’re thirsty and you need a drink from that Rock, His name is Jesus, and I want to offer you a drink from the Rock today. Would you continue praying with me a quiet prayer for forgiveness, repentance and salvation—in Jesus Name? Amen.
Reference Adrian Rogers
Sermon April 11
Encountering the resurrected Christ can result in many changes and the opening of new possibilities in one’s life. Let’s repeat that - true encounters with the risen Christ even today, may result in changes and the discovery of new possibilities in one’s life. Allow us to use the example of the disciples and their cowering between fear and faith in the upper room, you might then be able to grasp and see this directly.
As the Holy Spirit instructs and reminds us as we study this lesson let’s center on and use as key verses - Psalm 37: 4-5, Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.5 Commit[a] your way unto the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. Carry this with us now.
Meeting Jesus can initiate changes in our hearts, or in our minds and perhaps in our understanding of exactly what our risen Lord has in mind for us whose hearts are His or who are being led by the Holy Spirit. We will look today at what occurred in the Upper Room after the Resurrection of Jesus and in the days leading up to His Ascension on high. Are you prepared to encounter the Resurrected Christ in His Word this morning? I pray your heart is prepared and is made up of good soil. So that when the word of truth is planted there by today by the Holy Spirit you will desire to bring forth fruit some 30, 60 and a hundred-fold, in accordance with Jesus’ parable.
Now we like the disciples can choose to cower in fear, questioning our faith in these days where everything appears to be changing against Christians. Yes, the appearance of directed hate in America is shocking. Never before in the land of the free have we seen the advancement of evil, which is clearly intent on suppressing our inalienable rights and in the denial of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We have had warnings since the beginning of our American Republic that to keep the Republic we must be a Christian nation where citizens care about one another. President Regan stated we are always just one generation away from losing our heritage. Brethren we are there. The schools have been coopted by regressive liberals and we are now teaching our children to hate America and Judeo-Christian values. This has bled over to Universities and schools of advanced education, polluting our state and local governments and is now reflected in the composition of the Federal Legislature.
This began before 1963, but accelerated after this date, when we abandoned the teaching and use of the Bible in our schools, eliminated prayer from the public square and forbid the display of the Ten Commandment, no longer trusting in “In God we Trust.” We have become a nation of individuals separated by race, color, creed and financial abilities. E plurubis Unum – means out of many one. This is God’s principal for taking many nations in America and creating a melting pot of peoples and making them one. Understand, America was never perfect. But it is a place where we make tragic mistakes like slavery, but we work unitedly to improve going ever forward.
This is how the bible teaches us to think- we are all one in Christ, new creations, old things have passed away, looking and pressing forward to the upper calling in Christ our Lord. Can I have a witness?
The Bible says God created one race – the human race, many colors, many ethnicities and many differences in appearance externally, but all internally built and operate the same. All sinners needing a savior. What we are seeing evident today in our physical world is the emergence of what has for years been hidden in the darkness. God created man and woman for marriage and happiness, perversion has put sin between men and women and now we have all sorts of sick behaviors, none of which are new but all were present is Sodom and Gomorrah. God destroyed this nation because of their perversions and willingness to sacrifice their children to Moloch, which we are willing to do today. Abortion!
Why are we surprised in America today? We thought we had a guaranteed survivability plan – the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. But guess what, the Bible is replete with nations collapsing inward because of sin and filth, having pledged for God. Christ warned us and as we have just reviewed our history from Jefferson to Regan up to today - we have been warned. Jesus specifically said that we would experience tribulation and to beware of sin it is ever crouching at the door.
That is our background and where we live today. Are you going to live like the disciples in the upper room quavering between two opinions? One of fear of what tomorrow will bring, or One of faith trusting in God and giving tomorrow to Him? Go back now to the upper room in our chosen text and let’s see if Jesus cannot strengthen the weak in heart, in faith and change frighten men into warriors and paladins for Himself.
Please stand and read with me from Luke 24 beginning in verse 36:
36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
40 [j]When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish [k]and some honeycomb. 43 And He took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [l]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city [m]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple [n]praising and blessing God. [o]Amen.
Father, visit our hearts now O Lord and cause us to experience you and the Holy Spirit moving in us your disciples just as you did then. Dispelling fear and doubt and graciously giving grace and mercy to us, the slow in heart and doubting – in Jesus name, for your glory and honor. Amen
Verse 36 Jesus came to the disciples after meeting and breaking bread with the two who were on the road to Emmaus. Those two from Emmaus had just returned, when Jesus showed up. Encountering Jesus we find the opportunity to experience peace. Jesus brings peace to the soul which trusts in Him. His first words upon appearing in their presence is “Peace to you.” But they were terribly frightened and terrified and supposing they had seen a spirit. Verse 38 Jesus asks a good question- “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.
Here I am check me out and oh by the way got anything to eat. If I am dead I can’t eat. He wasn’t dead but He was transformed and had a resurrected body, capable of moving through time and space at will. So Jesus graciously showed restraint and mercy in teaching His disciples.
Verse 41 provides the truth of what Jesus knewq about His disciples. The verse reports - 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, The disciples were still of two between fear and faith for they had no joy but fear still and yet they were beginning to know it was Jesus for they marveled. This is demonstrating our Lord’s restraint and grace in giving us transforming understanding in the midst of this trial
Now Jesus brings to them the lesson of why this was absolutely necessary for us all. He reminds them of this in verse 44 44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me
Hey guys remember what I told you before this past Friday? Everything which happened was foretold as written in the Law, Prophets and Psalms. I came to fulfill it and none of it will pass away. I am the Lamb which takes away the sin of the world. Jesus knew that all men were sinners; that there were none righteous, no not one, who sought after God. And because of their sin deserved death and hell eternally for this was the wages of sin.
In Verses 46-48 Jesus provides a history lesson and refresher on what the will and purpose of God was towards men in the midst of sin and evil. Beginning in Verse 46 -46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [l]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.
Let’s begin with It is written- Jesus has absolute trust in the authority and authorship of the Bible. We see Jesus quoting the truth of His Word in many places but He begins on the absolute authority of Scripture and so should you. In parsing this verse we discover verbs which are the type which have an on-going or infinity type of use. It is much easier in the Greek to look for verbs which are infinitives or never--ending verbs. So I have found them for you, they are:
to suffer, to rise and to be{which is understood as} preached.
To suffer -Three time in Luke’s gospel alone Jesus warned His disciples that the Son of Man or God had to suffer and to be given over to sinful men and to be killed or slain. This was necessary for Jesus represents the sinless Passover lamb, who was absolute perfection, and who was slain once and for all for sin, for Jew and Gentile. This is in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 specifically as foretelling the Messiah’s path to salvation for all. The suffering of Jesus as an infinitive verb means His suffering was sufficient and to continue for all time, sufficient to pay for past present and future sins.
To rise – now this seems to bring all to a surprise, His resurrection was predicted and prophesied previously. In Psalm 16:9-11 and Isaiah 53,10-11each of these verses foretells of His resurrection and His restoration. John 11:25.
To be preached in His name to all nations is given here and in the great commission in Matthew 28 and in Acts Chapter 1.
But something was different here than before when Jesus spoke to the disciples- please note with care and importance -verse 45. He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. We need Jesus to do the same thing with us. Earlier in this same Chapter we have the meeting of Jesus with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus did the same with them. He opened the scriptures to them. What was their comment? – “didn’t our hearts burn within us when He spoke to them of how the savior had to come and be given as an offering of sin.” In our day we need this same unction of the Spirit upon us.
So how does this happen? I’m glad you asked go to verses 48 and 49 -48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city [m]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
This coming or the advent of equipping and giving understanding promised in the Holy Spirit came as Jesus was calling them to be His servants. Servants who would be obedient to the call as His witnesses to others. If they would do so then 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you.
The Holy Spirit started giving the disciples insight immediately after Jesus granted them access to this anointing. Access means understanding the truth and at the same time allowing the Holy Spirit access to their heart, mind and your spirit. For us to walk amidst the hate and discontent of today we need to be yielded and filled with Spirit to carry out the intent of reaching around the world to all nations for the hope that lives within you.
This is how the disciples moved from fear to faith. No it wasn’t immediate but it began and bore fruit 50 days after the ascension at Pentecost. We need to repent and seek this same indwelling today. We need to move from fear to faith to confront the world’s direction to tell them of the Love of God and His Son, who gave His life as a ransom for many.
Are you prepared to give Him your life today? If so, then commit your way unto God, trust only in Him and He will bring it to pass. Remember Jesus promises us peace and power as we walk with Him.
Encountering the resurrected Christ can result in many changes and the opening of new possibilities in one’s life. Let’s repeat that - true encounters with the risen Christ even today, may result in changes and the discovery of new possibilities in one’s life. Allow us to use the example of the disciples and their cowering between fear and faith in the upper room, you might then be able to grasp and see this directly.
As the Holy Spirit instructs and reminds us as we study this lesson let’s center on and use as key verses - Psalm 37: 4-5, Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.5 Commit[a] your way unto the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. Carry this with us now.
Meeting Jesus can initiate changes in our hearts, or in our minds and perhaps in our understanding of exactly what our risen Lord has in mind for us whose hearts are His or who are being led by the Holy Spirit. We will look today at what occurred in the Upper Room after the Resurrection of Jesus and in the days leading up to His Ascension on high. Are you prepared to encounter the Resurrected Christ in His Word this morning? I pray your heart is prepared and is made up of good soil. So that when the word of truth is planted there by today by the Holy Spirit you will desire to bring forth fruit some 30, 60 and a hundred-fold, in accordance with Jesus’ parable.
Now we like the disciples can choose to cower in fear, questioning our faith in these days where everything appears to be changing against Christians. Yes, the appearance of directed hate in America is shocking. Never before in the land of the free have we seen the advancement of evil, which is clearly intent on suppressing our inalienable rights and in the denial of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We have had warnings since the beginning of our American Republic that to keep the Republic we must be a Christian nation where citizens care about one another. President Regan stated we are always just one generation away from losing our heritage. Brethren we are there. The schools have been coopted by regressive liberals and we are now teaching our children to hate America and Judeo-Christian values. This has bled over to Universities and schools of advanced education, polluting our state and local governments and is now reflected in the composition of the Federal Legislature.
This began before 1963, but accelerated after this date, when we abandoned the teaching and use of the Bible in our schools, eliminated prayer from the public square and forbid the display of the Ten Commandment, no longer trusting in “In God we Trust.” We have become a nation of individuals separated by race, color, creed and financial abilities. E plurubis Unum – means out of many one. This is God’s principal for taking many nations in America and creating a melting pot of peoples and making them one. Understand, America was never perfect. But it is a place where we make tragic mistakes like slavery, but we work unitedly to improve going ever forward.
This is how the bible teaches us to think- we are all one in Christ, new creations, old things have passed away, looking and pressing forward to the upper calling in Christ our Lord. Can I have a witness?
The Bible says God created one race – the human race, many colors, many ethnicities and many differences in appearance externally, but all internally built and operate the same. All sinners needing a savior. What we are seeing evident today in our physical world is the emergence of what has for years been hidden in the darkness. God created man and woman for marriage and happiness, perversion has put sin between men and women and now we have all sorts of sick behaviors, none of which are new but all were present is Sodom and Gomorrah. God destroyed this nation because of their perversions and willingness to sacrifice their children to Moloch, which we are willing to do today. Abortion!
Why are we surprised in America today? We thought we had a guaranteed survivability plan – the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. But guess what, the Bible is replete with nations collapsing inward because of sin and filth, having pledged for God. Christ warned us and as we have just reviewed our history from Jefferson to Regan up to today - we have been warned. Jesus specifically said that we would experience tribulation and to beware of sin it is ever crouching at the door.
That is our background and where we live today. Are you going to live like the disciples in the upper room quavering between two opinions? One of fear of what tomorrow will bring, or One of faith trusting in God and giving tomorrow to Him? Go back now to the upper room in our chosen text and let’s see if Jesus cannot strengthen the weak in heart, in faith and change frighten men into warriors and paladins for Himself.
Please stand and read with me from Luke 24 beginning in verse 36:
36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
40 [j]When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish [k]and some honeycomb. 43 And He took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [l]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city [m]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple [n]praising and blessing God. [o]Amen.
Father, visit our hearts now O Lord and cause us to experience you and the Holy Spirit moving in us your disciples just as you did then. Dispelling fear and doubt and graciously giving grace and mercy to us, the slow in heart and doubting – in Jesus name, for your glory and honor. Amen
Verse 36 Jesus came to the disciples after meeting and breaking bread with the two who were on the road to Emmaus. Those two from Emmaus had just returned, when Jesus showed up. Encountering Jesus we find the opportunity to experience peace. Jesus brings peace to the soul which trusts in Him. His first words upon appearing in their presence is “Peace to you.” But they were terribly frightened and terrified and supposing they had seen a spirit. Verse 38 Jesus asks a good question- “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.
Here I am check me out and oh by the way got anything to eat. If I am dead I can’t eat. He wasn’t dead but He was transformed and had a resurrected body, capable of moving through time and space at will. So Jesus graciously showed restraint and mercy in teaching His disciples.
Verse 41 provides the truth of what Jesus knewq about His disciples. The verse reports - 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, The disciples were still of two between fear and faith for they had no joy but fear still and yet they were beginning to know it was Jesus for they marveled. This is demonstrating our Lord’s restraint and grace in giving us transforming understanding in the midst of this trial
Now Jesus brings to them the lesson of why this was absolutely necessary for us all. He reminds them of this in verse 44 44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me
Hey guys remember what I told you before this past Friday? Everything which happened was foretold as written in the Law, Prophets and Psalms. I came to fulfill it and none of it will pass away. I am the Lamb which takes away the sin of the world. Jesus knew that all men were sinners; that there were none righteous, no not one, who sought after God. And because of their sin deserved death and hell eternally for this was the wages of sin.
In Verses 46-48 Jesus provides a history lesson and refresher on what the will and purpose of God was towards men in the midst of sin and evil. Beginning in Verse 46 -46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [l]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.
Let’s begin with It is written- Jesus has absolute trust in the authority and authorship of the Bible. We see Jesus quoting the truth of His Word in many places but He begins on the absolute authority of Scripture and so should you. In parsing this verse we discover verbs which are the type which have an on-going or infinity type of use. It is much easier in the Greek to look for verbs which are infinitives or never--ending verbs. So I have found them for you, they are:
to suffer, to rise and to be{which is understood as} preached.
To suffer -Three time in Luke’s gospel alone Jesus warned His disciples that the Son of Man or God had to suffer and to be given over to sinful men and to be killed or slain. This was necessary for Jesus represents the sinless Passover lamb, who was absolute perfection, and who was slain once and for all for sin, for Jew and Gentile. This is in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 specifically as foretelling the Messiah’s path to salvation for all. The suffering of Jesus as an infinitive verb means His suffering was sufficient and to continue for all time, sufficient to pay for past present and future sins.
To rise – now this seems to bring all to a surprise, His resurrection was predicted and prophesied previously. In Psalm 16:9-11 and Isaiah 53,10-11each of these verses foretells of His resurrection and His restoration. John 11:25.
To be preached in His name to all nations is given here and in the great commission in Matthew 28 and in Acts Chapter 1.
But something was different here than before when Jesus spoke to the disciples- please note with care and importance -verse 45. He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. We need Jesus to do the same thing with us. Earlier in this same Chapter we have the meeting of Jesus with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus did the same with them. He opened the scriptures to them. What was their comment? – “didn’t our hearts burn within us when He spoke to them of how the savior had to come and be given as an offering of sin.” In our day we need this same unction of the Spirit upon us.
So how does this happen? I’m glad you asked go to verses 48 and 49 -48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city [m]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
This coming or the advent of equipping and giving understanding promised in the Holy Spirit came as Jesus was calling them to be His servants. Servants who would be obedient to the call as His witnesses to others. If they would do so then 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you.
The Holy Spirit started giving the disciples insight immediately after Jesus granted them access to this anointing. Access means understanding the truth and at the same time allowing the Holy Spirit access to their heart, mind and your spirit. For us to walk amidst the hate and discontent of today we need to be yielded and filled with Spirit to carry out the intent of reaching around the world to all nations for the hope that lives within you.
This is how the disciples moved from fear to faith. No it wasn’t immediate but it began and bore fruit 50 days after the ascension at Pentecost. We need to repent and seek this same indwelling today. We need to move from fear to faith to confront the world’s direction to tell them of the Love of God and His Son, who gave His life as a ransom for many.
Are you prepared to give Him your life today? If so, then commit your way unto God, trust only in Him and He will bring it to pass. Remember Jesus promises us peace and power as we walk with Him.
Sermon April 4
Good Morning Happy Resurrection Day. The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Come on again with vigor - The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed.
I ask this morning – How important is the Resurrection to your life as a believer? How important is the Resurrection for Christian’s in comparison to all other world religions?
If you are not aware then you should be for Christianity and I use the term Christianity intentionally is unique in comparison to all other religions for we serve a Risen Savior who is Christ the Lord. No other religion in the world or cult can make this same justifiable claim of having a living breathing Savior. That is why all world religions hate Christianity for it is exclusive in this fact. All other religious leaders Buddha, Mohammed, Brahma and all others are dead and buried. Let’s go to the Scripture in Mark Chapter 16. Now I know some do not like this text because part of it from verse 9 on, isn’t in some of the earlier texts and it is disputed for originality. But its information is confirmed by other Gospels and testimony from others. I say press on. I believe it is useful in defending our points on the resurrection of Jesus. Let’s read beginning in verse 5:
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going [a]before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
8 So they went out [b]quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
9 [c]Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. {Road to Emmaus Luke 24:13ff}
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. {1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul’s witness}
May God add His blessing to the application and our understanding and may His Holy Spirit instruct us in the way we should go. And Father thank you for Jesus and His indescribable gift. Amen
I pulled out my Systematic Theology book to see what it had to say about the resurrection and of course it was extensive. Some of Norm Geissler’s points are summarized in our following discussion.
Many today question the Death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus, knowing if they can introduce doubt into the truth of this event they can destroy confidence in the Christian faith. So why should you believe the story about Jesus’ passion week? Was there a real Jesus or is He fiction? What proofs are there concerning His death and resurrection? Did He really die and are there other “proofs if you will that Jesus was who He says He is – the Son of God? Lots of questions.
First - So why should you believe the story about Jesus’ passion week? And was there a real Jesus or is He fiction? These two questions are basically asking the same question was there a real historical Jesus Christ 2000+ years ago. The overwhelming answer is Jesus There was multiple proof beyond the New Testament in multiple historical texts of that era documenting the life and death of Jesus Christ. There are multiple scholarly works which can be accessed today if you are interested.
Second – was Jesus really crucified and is it documented that He actually died? Yes, the Roman historians documented the crucifixion of Jesus is there annals. Now did He die? According to the witnesses on the scene John and women, the centurion who led the crucifixion detail, the soldier who pierced His side and Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who buried Him. He was dead. Remember Pilate was surprised He was dead already and asked the Centurion if this was true before he released the body of Jesus to be buried. Two specific proofs stand out which confirm Jesus death. First the blood loss associated with the flogging and 6 hrs. on a cross during noon time would have killed many healthy people. The piercing of His side would have penetrated the lining around the heart, his lung and His abdomen so if he was not dead He would have died in the tomb. Anatomically he was dead because the water which came from this piercing was a separation of His blood as a result of the cross. There was no swooning or alive in the tomb burial as some say. The AMA did a study a number of years back documenting the pathology of dying on a cross and the evidences present in the New Testament and they confirm His actual death
Third - What proofs are there concerning His resurrection? We just read a few of these proofs which document the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are actually 12 specific instances documented from 1 person- Mary, to all the disciples in several instance and to 500 in another. I still believe the greatest proof is what happens in the life of individuals even today when Jesus gives them new life in Himself. Just ask brother Paul in his letters, he gives great credence to Jesus’ resurrection and His life changing power.
To finalize our discussion, I believe the strongest proof of the resurrection of Jesus is this – the Men who saw Jesus then and through history were willing to die to preserve this truth. Many of the original disciples and people who saw Jesus died for this very belief. Even today in China, Iran where Christianity is flourishing people are willing to die for this truth. Men will not willingly die for a lie, but will die for the truth. I heard a replay the other day from Chuck Colson and this was his convincing argument. If 12 of the most powerful men in America serving in the White House could not sit on a lie for 4 weeks without Gordon Liddy spilling the beans, how could the disciples maintain a lie? The result of their telling the truth was their death. BUT THEY HAD SEEN JESUS ALIVE. This was the convicting argument then and now. They had seen Jesus. He is Risen, He is Risen indeed in our hearts Amen
Now we will remember our living risen savior who sits on the right hand of the Father by celebrating the Lord’s supper. Halleluiah.
Good Morning Happy Resurrection Day. The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Come on again with vigor - The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed.
I ask this morning – How important is the Resurrection to your life as a believer? How important is the Resurrection for Christian’s in comparison to all other world religions?
If you are not aware then you should be for Christianity and I use the term Christianity intentionally is unique in comparison to all other religions for we serve a Risen Savior who is Christ the Lord. No other religion in the world or cult can make this same justifiable claim of having a living breathing Savior. That is why all world religions hate Christianity for it is exclusive in this fact. All other religious leaders Buddha, Mohammed, Brahma and all others are dead and buried. Let’s go to the Scripture in Mark Chapter 16. Now I know some do not like this text because part of it from verse 9 on, isn’t in some of the earlier texts and it is disputed for originality. But its information is confirmed by other Gospels and testimony from others. I say press on. I believe it is useful in defending our points on the resurrection of Jesus. Let’s read beginning in verse 5:
5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going [a]before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
8 So they went out [b]quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
9 [c]Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. {Road to Emmaus Luke 24:13ff}
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. {1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul’s witness}
May God add His blessing to the application and our understanding and may His Holy Spirit instruct us in the way we should go. And Father thank you for Jesus and His indescribable gift. Amen
I pulled out my Systematic Theology book to see what it had to say about the resurrection and of course it was extensive. Some of Norm Geissler’s points are summarized in our following discussion.
Many today question the Death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus, knowing if they can introduce doubt into the truth of this event they can destroy confidence in the Christian faith. So why should you believe the story about Jesus’ passion week? Was there a real Jesus or is He fiction? What proofs are there concerning His death and resurrection? Did He really die and are there other “proofs if you will that Jesus was who He says He is – the Son of God? Lots of questions.
First - So why should you believe the story about Jesus’ passion week? And was there a real Jesus or is He fiction? These two questions are basically asking the same question was there a real historical Jesus Christ 2000+ years ago. The overwhelming answer is Jesus There was multiple proof beyond the New Testament in multiple historical texts of that era documenting the life and death of Jesus Christ. There are multiple scholarly works which can be accessed today if you are interested.
Second – was Jesus really crucified and is it documented that He actually died? Yes, the Roman historians documented the crucifixion of Jesus is there annals. Now did He die? According to the witnesses on the scene John and women, the centurion who led the crucifixion detail, the soldier who pierced His side and Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who buried Him. He was dead. Remember Pilate was surprised He was dead already and asked the Centurion if this was true before he released the body of Jesus to be buried. Two specific proofs stand out which confirm Jesus death. First the blood loss associated with the flogging and 6 hrs. on a cross during noon time would have killed many healthy people. The piercing of His side would have penetrated the lining around the heart, his lung and His abdomen so if he was not dead He would have died in the tomb. Anatomically he was dead because the water which came from this piercing was a separation of His blood as a result of the cross. There was no swooning or alive in the tomb burial as some say. The AMA did a study a number of years back documenting the pathology of dying on a cross and the evidences present in the New Testament and they confirm His actual death
Third - What proofs are there concerning His resurrection? We just read a few of these proofs which document the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are actually 12 specific instances documented from 1 person- Mary, to all the disciples in several instance and to 500 in another. I still believe the greatest proof is what happens in the life of individuals even today when Jesus gives them new life in Himself. Just ask brother Paul in his letters, he gives great credence to Jesus’ resurrection and His life changing power.
To finalize our discussion, I believe the strongest proof of the resurrection of Jesus is this – the Men who saw Jesus then and through history were willing to die to preserve this truth. Many of the original disciples and people who saw Jesus died for this very belief. Even today in China, Iran where Christianity is flourishing people are willing to die for this truth. Men will not willingly die for a lie, but will die for the truth. I heard a replay the other day from Chuck Colson and this was his convincing argument. If 12 of the most powerful men in America serving in the White House could not sit on a lie for 4 weeks without Gordon Liddy spilling the beans, how could the disciples maintain a lie? The result of their telling the truth was their death. BUT THEY HAD SEEN JESUS ALIVE. This was the convicting argument then and now. They had seen Jesus. He is Risen, He is Risen indeed in our hearts Amen
Now we will remember our living risen savior who sits on the right hand of the Father by celebrating the Lord’s supper. Halleluiah.
March 28 Sermon
I will ask you today to use your imagination. Pretend for the next few minutes you are a Jew in Jerusalem and you have heard these amazing stories about this man called Jesus. Some even dare call Him a prophet. It is whispered that some of the men who follow Him call Him the Son of God. But regardless the rumors are amazing and here He is boldly coming into town on a white donkey like the prophecies out of the TORAH. More amazingly He goes to the temple, kicks out the money changers and the says the strangest things. My House shall be called a House of Pray – again right out the Torah. Then He confronts the Pharisees after He has been healing all sorts of sickness right there in the Temple. Oh you hadn’t heard the rumors, where here is a first-hand account from one of his followers. A guy who used to collect our taxes but now follows Jesus, remember his name was Matthew. How could this man use a tax collector anyhow let’s read? In your Bible turn to Matthew 21, verse1
21 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to [a]Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4 [b]All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, [c]and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” 11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” 12 Then Jesus went into the temple [d]of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were [e]indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?”
What do you think about that? Well let’s talk about this thing we call the Triumphant entry. Jerusalem is in Passover preparation. High holy days for the Priests and Pharisees and here comes this ne’r do well called Jesus, who can’t be anything after all He is from Nazareth. And you know that no good thing such as a prophet ever came out of Nazareth.
OK time to get out of character and address realities. Layered on top of all these activities but which is not overtly stated in the activity of Satan in attempting to kill the heir, the Son of God. Who has Satan recruited: First political leadership in terms of Rome – Pilate - and His appointed Jewish governor – Herod. Also recruited is the Jewish religious leadership is deluded is so far separated from the Word of God they wouldn’t know it if the fell over the Truth. Lastly recruited are the Jewish people who have been lied to over the ages, Because they have not actively sought the truth as a people they have been spoon fed lies by the leadership and the media mob, and the local politicians. Does this sound familiar? There are direct parallels to our day and we need to recognize them. However, you should not be so readily swayed for you are at least exposed to the truth. Whether you believe it and are trying to live it and spread it is a different story. Do you who not will be permitted into heaven – cowards! Read Rev 21:9- the cowardly will not reap heavenly rewards. This causes me to tremble. Perhaps you should also.
Exactly, then what was Jesus response to the opposition, hatred and unbelief He experienced? He showered them to the end with healing, forgiveness and Love. One of Jesus’ great statements from the cross is-Father forgive them for they know not what they do. It that is not the love of God? It is nothing like man’s love or brotherly love. Love is the important ingredient that Jesus had which He was demonstrating to His followers, especially His disciples. They were going to be expected to: love others even as I have loved you. If you consider the last week of Jesus life it was a complete expression of the love of God. This expression included the cleansing of the temple, as Jesus wanted it to be – a House of Prayer. A place where God can draw men to seek and know Him and discover His truths through His Spirit who was soon to be poured.
Alright you say so Love was a big deal so what. Well our understanding of love which each of us carries is different than everyone else’s. So unless we apply the same ruler or definition or explanation of what love is then most likely we will not agree. I happen to know where the greatest expression and explanation of love is written so we can examine it. Yes, you can also say the greatest demonstration of love was the Son of God who is also Son of Man on the cross.
So where do we find this definition – 1 Corinthians 13. In 13 verses God provides a clear explanation of what love is and how love is expressed and what behavior occur because of love. Let’s read it allow God to guide our approach to understand what is love. 1 Corinthians 13, let us read the entire chapter, please.
13 1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [b]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [c]thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is [d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Parsing the text beginning with verses 1-3, what do we learn. Well if 2 Tim 3:16 is true, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; then it says a lot. But if you treat it as just something well-rehearsed dogma, then you will miss God speaking though His book. In summary if you have oratorical skills, understand all science and all mysteries and sacrificially give everything you have to the poor, you are nothing without love. Why? Because the greatest gift that God has given you is His love in His Son. On the cross Jesus spread His arms wide to give you His love. From His love emanates forgiveness, grace, mercy, justice and this gift of love in you will be in you an everlasting and perpetual asset forever. Read verse 13- 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Read verses 4 - 7 Today, we in America confuse love with lust. Unlike lust God’s love is directed outwardly towards others, not inwardly to ourselves. His type of love is contrary to our human nature. It is only possible to practice His agape love if God helps us abide in His truths by the power of the Holy Spirit. Agape love is God’s love to man, the greater to the lesser and displaying love in the midst of sin. His love enables us, when we walk in it, to give love freely expecting nothing in return. That is God’s special brand of love. You can only give this type of love when it overflows from the love of God indwelling in you. So the more we grow and walk In Christ are we able to share it consistently with others. This is the absolute definition of what will be required of us in these final days on earth. With sin abounding, grace must abound all the more.
Verses 5 through 9 describes the character and nature of God’s love which is almost impossible for you and I to achieve without an anointing from above, in the grace of the Holy Spirit. His imparting of Spiritual gifts on earth is to be used to build up and serve the body of Christ here on earth. One of these gifts if you remember is love. In eternity future, when we are perfected in heaven we will no longer need spiritual gifts and so they will be done away. But love will remain and it is the greatest gift.
Go now to verses 11 and 12 – Paul gives us a glimpse into the future of what it will be like to be complete and perfected. Notice we will have new bodies for we will see God and He will see us. In our sinful state on earth if you read the encounters with God, we could not see His face and live. Our bodies will have to be redeemed totally to be able to stand in His presence without sin. In that day you will have complete understanding to the limits of your capacity to know, love and do. It will never be equivalent to God’s capacity of love and understand us. Then you will see face to face. To know and to be known will work in us wonderfully.
Now in summary and applying our learning to verse 13, morally and socially and in all other ways, our practice and understanding of love has become confused, mixed up and we have little capacity for sharing with others.
While love is potentially one of our greatest qualities, it is highly suspect in our humanness, when tainted with sin. Our tendency is to be concerned with just ourselves. Remember love is part of the inherent character of God Himself. We want to look at love, as just as our part. What we need to remember is our definition of love must contain the idea in parallel with God’s nature that love is the willingness to give unselfish service to others. Unselfish service gives evidence of God in us. Unselfish service demonstrates that love means we care about others
According to this last verse there then are only three productive traits which will endure in men - faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these three remaining is love. For love is part of the nature of God Himself. Faith then is the foundation upon which God builds our trust leading to obedience in His truths. Hope is the eternal focus and attitude of heart, mind and spirit leading us to God. Where Love is the actionable outcome. Jesus healings, life and enduring the cross have demonstrate all three as He gave all to us. But all stem from the Love of God which is the root.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin has left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Amen
I will ask you today to use your imagination. Pretend for the next few minutes you are a Jew in Jerusalem and you have heard these amazing stories about this man called Jesus. Some even dare call Him a prophet. It is whispered that some of the men who follow Him call Him the Son of God. But regardless the rumors are amazing and here He is boldly coming into town on a white donkey like the prophecies out of the TORAH. More amazingly He goes to the temple, kicks out the money changers and the says the strangest things. My House shall be called a House of Pray – again right out the Torah. Then He confronts the Pharisees after He has been healing all sorts of sickness right there in the Temple. Oh you hadn’t heard the rumors, where here is a first-hand account from one of his followers. A guy who used to collect our taxes but now follows Jesus, remember his name was Matthew. How could this man use a tax collector anyhow let’s read? In your Bible turn to Matthew 21, verse1
21 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to [a]Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4 [b]All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, [c]and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” 11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” 12 Then Jesus went into the temple [d]of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were [e]indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?”
What do you think about that? Well let’s talk about this thing we call the Triumphant entry. Jerusalem is in Passover preparation. High holy days for the Priests and Pharisees and here comes this ne’r do well called Jesus, who can’t be anything after all He is from Nazareth. And you know that no good thing such as a prophet ever came out of Nazareth.
OK time to get out of character and address realities. Layered on top of all these activities but which is not overtly stated in the activity of Satan in attempting to kill the heir, the Son of God. Who has Satan recruited: First political leadership in terms of Rome – Pilate - and His appointed Jewish governor – Herod. Also recruited is the Jewish religious leadership is deluded is so far separated from the Word of God they wouldn’t know it if the fell over the Truth. Lastly recruited are the Jewish people who have been lied to over the ages, Because they have not actively sought the truth as a people they have been spoon fed lies by the leadership and the media mob, and the local politicians. Does this sound familiar? There are direct parallels to our day and we need to recognize them. However, you should not be so readily swayed for you are at least exposed to the truth. Whether you believe it and are trying to live it and spread it is a different story. Do you who not will be permitted into heaven – cowards! Read Rev 21:9- the cowardly will not reap heavenly rewards. This causes me to tremble. Perhaps you should also.
Exactly, then what was Jesus response to the opposition, hatred and unbelief He experienced? He showered them to the end with healing, forgiveness and Love. One of Jesus’ great statements from the cross is-Father forgive them for they know not what they do. It that is not the love of God? It is nothing like man’s love or brotherly love. Love is the important ingredient that Jesus had which He was demonstrating to His followers, especially His disciples. They were going to be expected to: love others even as I have loved you. If you consider the last week of Jesus life it was a complete expression of the love of God. This expression included the cleansing of the temple, as Jesus wanted it to be – a House of Prayer. A place where God can draw men to seek and know Him and discover His truths through His Spirit who was soon to be poured.
Alright you say so Love was a big deal so what. Well our understanding of love which each of us carries is different than everyone else’s. So unless we apply the same ruler or definition or explanation of what love is then most likely we will not agree. I happen to know where the greatest expression and explanation of love is written so we can examine it. Yes, you can also say the greatest demonstration of love was the Son of God who is also Son of Man on the cross.
So where do we find this definition – 1 Corinthians 13. In 13 verses God provides a clear explanation of what love is and how love is expressed and what behavior occur because of love. Let’s read it allow God to guide our approach to understand what is love. 1 Corinthians 13, let us read the entire chapter, please.
13 1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [b]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [c]thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is [d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Parsing the text beginning with verses 1-3, what do we learn. Well if 2 Tim 3:16 is true, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; then it says a lot. But if you treat it as just something well-rehearsed dogma, then you will miss God speaking though His book. In summary if you have oratorical skills, understand all science and all mysteries and sacrificially give everything you have to the poor, you are nothing without love. Why? Because the greatest gift that God has given you is His love in His Son. On the cross Jesus spread His arms wide to give you His love. From His love emanates forgiveness, grace, mercy, justice and this gift of love in you will be in you an everlasting and perpetual asset forever. Read verse 13- 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Read verses 4 - 7 Today, we in America confuse love with lust. Unlike lust God’s love is directed outwardly towards others, not inwardly to ourselves. His type of love is contrary to our human nature. It is only possible to practice His agape love if God helps us abide in His truths by the power of the Holy Spirit. Agape love is God’s love to man, the greater to the lesser and displaying love in the midst of sin. His love enables us, when we walk in it, to give love freely expecting nothing in return. That is God’s special brand of love. You can only give this type of love when it overflows from the love of God indwelling in you. So the more we grow and walk In Christ are we able to share it consistently with others. This is the absolute definition of what will be required of us in these final days on earth. With sin abounding, grace must abound all the more.
Verses 5 through 9 describes the character and nature of God’s love which is almost impossible for you and I to achieve without an anointing from above, in the grace of the Holy Spirit. His imparting of Spiritual gifts on earth is to be used to build up and serve the body of Christ here on earth. One of these gifts if you remember is love. In eternity future, when we are perfected in heaven we will no longer need spiritual gifts and so they will be done away. But love will remain and it is the greatest gift.
Go now to verses 11 and 12 – Paul gives us a glimpse into the future of what it will be like to be complete and perfected. Notice we will have new bodies for we will see God and He will see us. In our sinful state on earth if you read the encounters with God, we could not see His face and live. Our bodies will have to be redeemed totally to be able to stand in His presence without sin. In that day you will have complete understanding to the limits of your capacity to know, love and do. It will never be equivalent to God’s capacity of love and understand us. Then you will see face to face. To know and to be known will work in us wonderfully.
Now in summary and applying our learning to verse 13, morally and socially and in all other ways, our practice and understanding of love has become confused, mixed up and we have little capacity for sharing with others.
While love is potentially one of our greatest qualities, it is highly suspect in our humanness, when tainted with sin. Our tendency is to be concerned with just ourselves. Remember love is part of the inherent character of God Himself. We want to look at love, as just as our part. What we need to remember is our definition of love must contain the idea in parallel with God’s nature that love is the willingness to give unselfish service to others. Unselfish service gives evidence of God in us. Unselfish service demonstrates that love means we care about others
According to this last verse there then are only three productive traits which will endure in men - faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these three remaining is love. For love is part of the nature of God Himself. Faith then is the foundation upon which God builds our trust leading to obedience in His truths. Hope is the eternal focus and attitude of heart, mind and spirit leading us to God. Where Love is the actionable outcome. Jesus healings, life and enduring the cross have demonstrate all three as He gave all to us. But all stem from the Love of God which is the root.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin has left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Amen
March 21 Sermon
There are a myriad of major distractions happening around us these days. Just to list a few – the total lies being spewed by our state-controlled media about the pandemic; social etiquette concerning distancing and mask wearing; how wonderful all this new legislation is and how it is going to benefit you and America from the horrors of the prior administration. How the Pandemic relief bill for 2 Trillion dollars will save us and provide much needed relief across America- Only 9% of which is actual relief payments of $1400; And in the next breath we are told we need to raise taxes to pay for improvements needed in the infrastructure (bridges, roads and buildings.). But in reality, the monies will be given to pay for the green new deal. Meanwhile, we will pay even higher fuel costs; Congress also intends to rescind the tax cuts by Trump and gas is already costing you more for we will …..etc. etc., etc. and it never ends.
We can become so consumed and so focused on the injustices, inequalities and just plain ignorance and stupidity, but I say that with such evil being perpetuated against us that we can easily lose focus on the important things. What important things? – like Jesus and His crucifixion and resurrection. We can become so intent that all we see is the party in power doing things to consolidate and gain more power. Which is what they are doing. And they are doing this so that there will be no more freedom of thought, speech, worship of pursuit of happiness- creating a socialist utopia. If we are so consumed in these events we fail to realize what Jesus came to do and did. We will miss the love of God shone out across all people for forgiveness, redemption and the opportunity for heaven eternally and not share it with others
Yes let’s be concerned about what is happening here and now, but let us not forget that Christ lived in one of the most hostile environments ever. The Roman occupation of a religious nation. A religious nation that had turned their back on their God and worshiped the works of men instead of the Word of God. This was a world full of hate, sin, whose breadth was ruled by Satan.
Jesus willingly departed heaven to deliver you from sin. He gave up heaven - His holy, pure, undefiled, majestic location and all His power and authority to be born a human. All of God and all of man in one body. He came to live in a sin infested, filthy, hate filled world, so you could receive Him and become His child.
You do realize He lived with the Jews in Israel, walked among the demon possessed, the diseased of body and mind. He dealt with the religious rulers who had disregarded the teachings of His heavenly Father. Mixed with local politicians, discussed the issues of the day and all the hate between Jews, Romans, Samaritans, Greeks and all other racial and ethnic problems. He discussed the news of His day – remember the tower that fell and killed a number of Jews? So His life and existence here on earth parallels our own. Correct, they didn’t have the internet, or spacecraft, or trains, buses and cars, but many issues of health, hygiene, relationships, kindness, courtesy and love were the same in there as now.
So as we exist in our culture let’s look at the words of Jesus as He approached the cross and see if there is wisdom for us living in our today. Perhaps there is a lesson or two for us as we consider His words. Go to Matthew Chapter 23: 1-13
23 1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [14] [b]
In these days of difficulties we need to concentrate on our faith in God, one His goodness and mercy and on our testimony of how we are living in this age. So you see what Jesus was saying to those He was teaching? He was using the religious rulers as a teaching tool. He was telling those who would be His disciples and follower here is how not to behave and here is what you should be doing to advance the Kingdom of Heaven in these difficult and tortuous days leading up to His taking the church away. Let’s review Jesus’s words and intent as we are able.
Begin with verses 2 and 3 together -2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Looking at the Pharisee they sit in the lawgiver’s seat. The seat originally given to Moses to apply the law to the people. Jesus says to you as believers must keep the law and the prophet and do what is written in the law. But don’t follow their example for they have sold out to their own line of thinking about the Word of God and do not obey the spiritual intent of God’s law. If they did they would recognize me for I came from the Father and they call Me hateful names and do not know I come from the Father. For they don’t practice what the actually preach. They are hypocrites and they are not of Me or My Father, but of the devil their father. So do not do what they do or live the way they live for they are phony.
There is a second point here which is not stated. The Pharisees had a low opinion of God and because of their low opinion of God they had no fear of sinning against Him. This is always what happens when there is no fear of God. Sin is found acceptable to men because men do not honor the rightful position of God. Where if there were a high opinion of God there would be a fear of God and sin would not be found acceptable but would be hated as an offense to God. In this day of Jesus and in our day, there is no fear of God in many pastors, churches, courthouses, statehouses and in the Congress. The US Congress does not honor “in God we trust” or in the power of God to reign judgement on a people who continue to kill hundreds of children daily. God is not mocked we will reap what we have sown.
Verse 5 and 6 fulfills the remainder of the picture- 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
Is your worship and your living out of your faith in God done for people to see or is it done because you truly believe in God and want to honor and obey His commandments and love for you? The Pharisees practiced a visual and auditory lifestyle, which proclaimed their supposed holiness and sanctity towards God but there was sin in the camp. Jesus’s words proclaim it was all done for show – for people to see. Their desire was not to honor God but to have people honor and praise them. The Pharisee’s were stuck on self. Self-centeredness and pride are terrible destructive forces which God tells us to beware of. God hates the pride of men because it causes them to sin. James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Now to Verse 7 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
Here is the issue. They wanted, not what did God demand and they became obedient. No it was what they wanted. They wanted to be greeted outside the temple in the city square or marketplaces and be called “Teacher – Rabbi.” This was to exalt themselves in the eyes of men. What did we just say about the fear of the Lord. A high view of God leads to fear of His justice and to honor Him. He puts us in jobs not we ourselves.
Verse 8 -10 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Now we get to some specifics for those us are the children of faith in the Lord Jesus. You are not to be called Rabbi for you are all brothers. Don’t call anyone the honorific – father, for you have only one Father in Heaven – the Lord God Almighty. You don’t have an exalted position as an instructor for your instructor is Jesus Christ and He will send one just like Him to be your Teacher/Instructor and He is the Holy Spirit. Here is the key for us all. You are where you are because this is where God placed you. You didn’t pull yourself up by your bootstraps to obtains some exalted position in life. Did you expend effort yes but it is God who granted you favor? Read the words and weep -those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Finally, there are seven woes to the Pharisees but I want believers to concentrate on verse 13 alone 13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
The life you live as a believer can do one of two things. Your life can be used of God to draw others to Christ or your life can cause others to die in their sins. That is what verse 13 is leading us to. Your living as a hypocrite Christian can lead others to reject God, reject Christ, cause confusion in those who are seeking such that they turn away and no longer seek after God. Perhaps you have known some who supposedly were believers but, in the end, discouraged others in their faith and gave Christians a bad name. Don’t let that be you.
So yes times are tough but Jesus says, Follow Me and I will make you fishers of Men. And in Matt 11 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Did you know - In the midst of the storm Jesus is in your boat. He says Come, He says Follow Me. He called the disciples to come walk with Him and see. He asks you the same today will you be obedient to keep your eyes on Him and Him alone – in the eye of the storm?
Amen – Blessings answer the call.
There are a myriad of major distractions happening around us these days. Just to list a few – the total lies being spewed by our state-controlled media about the pandemic; social etiquette concerning distancing and mask wearing; how wonderful all this new legislation is and how it is going to benefit you and America from the horrors of the prior administration. How the Pandemic relief bill for 2 Trillion dollars will save us and provide much needed relief across America- Only 9% of which is actual relief payments of $1400; And in the next breath we are told we need to raise taxes to pay for improvements needed in the infrastructure (bridges, roads and buildings.). But in reality, the monies will be given to pay for the green new deal. Meanwhile, we will pay even higher fuel costs; Congress also intends to rescind the tax cuts by Trump and gas is already costing you more for we will …..etc. etc., etc. and it never ends.
We can become so consumed and so focused on the injustices, inequalities and just plain ignorance and stupidity, but I say that with such evil being perpetuated against us that we can easily lose focus on the important things. What important things? – like Jesus and His crucifixion and resurrection. We can become so intent that all we see is the party in power doing things to consolidate and gain more power. Which is what they are doing. And they are doing this so that there will be no more freedom of thought, speech, worship of pursuit of happiness- creating a socialist utopia. If we are so consumed in these events we fail to realize what Jesus came to do and did. We will miss the love of God shone out across all people for forgiveness, redemption and the opportunity for heaven eternally and not share it with others
Yes let’s be concerned about what is happening here and now, but let us not forget that Christ lived in one of the most hostile environments ever. The Roman occupation of a religious nation. A religious nation that had turned their back on their God and worshiped the works of men instead of the Word of God. This was a world full of hate, sin, whose breadth was ruled by Satan.
Jesus willingly departed heaven to deliver you from sin. He gave up heaven - His holy, pure, undefiled, majestic location and all His power and authority to be born a human. All of God and all of man in one body. He came to live in a sin infested, filthy, hate filled world, so you could receive Him and become His child.
You do realize He lived with the Jews in Israel, walked among the demon possessed, the diseased of body and mind. He dealt with the religious rulers who had disregarded the teachings of His heavenly Father. Mixed with local politicians, discussed the issues of the day and all the hate between Jews, Romans, Samaritans, Greeks and all other racial and ethnic problems. He discussed the news of His day – remember the tower that fell and killed a number of Jews? So His life and existence here on earth parallels our own. Correct, they didn’t have the internet, or spacecraft, or trains, buses and cars, but many issues of health, hygiene, relationships, kindness, courtesy and love were the same in there as now.
So as we exist in our culture let’s look at the words of Jesus as He approached the cross and see if there is wisdom for us living in our today. Perhaps there is a lesson or two for us as we consider His words. Go to Matthew Chapter 23: 1-13
23 1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [14] [b]
In these days of difficulties we need to concentrate on our faith in God, one His goodness and mercy and on our testimony of how we are living in this age. So you see what Jesus was saying to those He was teaching? He was using the religious rulers as a teaching tool. He was telling those who would be His disciples and follower here is how not to behave and here is what you should be doing to advance the Kingdom of Heaven in these difficult and tortuous days leading up to His taking the church away. Let’s review Jesus’s words and intent as we are able.
Begin with verses 2 and 3 together -2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Looking at the Pharisee they sit in the lawgiver’s seat. The seat originally given to Moses to apply the law to the people. Jesus says to you as believers must keep the law and the prophet and do what is written in the law. But don’t follow their example for they have sold out to their own line of thinking about the Word of God and do not obey the spiritual intent of God’s law. If they did they would recognize me for I came from the Father and they call Me hateful names and do not know I come from the Father. For they don’t practice what the actually preach. They are hypocrites and they are not of Me or My Father, but of the devil their father. So do not do what they do or live the way they live for they are phony.
There is a second point here which is not stated. The Pharisees had a low opinion of God and because of their low opinion of God they had no fear of sinning against Him. This is always what happens when there is no fear of God. Sin is found acceptable to men because men do not honor the rightful position of God. Where if there were a high opinion of God there would be a fear of God and sin would not be found acceptable but would be hated as an offense to God. In this day of Jesus and in our day, there is no fear of God in many pastors, churches, courthouses, statehouses and in the Congress. The US Congress does not honor “in God we trust” or in the power of God to reign judgement on a people who continue to kill hundreds of children daily. God is not mocked we will reap what we have sown.
Verse 5 and 6 fulfills the remainder of the picture- 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
Is your worship and your living out of your faith in God done for people to see or is it done because you truly believe in God and want to honor and obey His commandments and love for you? The Pharisees practiced a visual and auditory lifestyle, which proclaimed their supposed holiness and sanctity towards God but there was sin in the camp. Jesus’s words proclaim it was all done for show – for people to see. Their desire was not to honor God but to have people honor and praise them. The Pharisee’s were stuck on self. Self-centeredness and pride are terrible destructive forces which God tells us to beware of. God hates the pride of men because it causes them to sin. James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Now to Verse 7 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
Here is the issue. They wanted, not what did God demand and they became obedient. No it was what they wanted. They wanted to be greeted outside the temple in the city square or marketplaces and be called “Teacher – Rabbi.” This was to exalt themselves in the eyes of men. What did we just say about the fear of the Lord. A high view of God leads to fear of His justice and to honor Him. He puts us in jobs not we ourselves.
Verse 8 -10 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Now we get to some specifics for those us are the children of faith in the Lord Jesus. You are not to be called Rabbi for you are all brothers. Don’t call anyone the honorific – father, for you have only one Father in Heaven – the Lord God Almighty. You don’t have an exalted position as an instructor for your instructor is Jesus Christ and He will send one just like Him to be your Teacher/Instructor and He is the Holy Spirit. Here is the key for us all. You are where you are because this is where God placed you. You didn’t pull yourself up by your bootstraps to obtains some exalted position in life. Did you expend effort yes but it is God who granted you favor? Read the words and weep -those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Finally, there are seven woes to the Pharisees but I want believers to concentrate on verse 13 alone 13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
The life you live as a believer can do one of two things. Your life can be used of God to draw others to Christ or your life can cause others to die in their sins. That is what verse 13 is leading us to. Your living as a hypocrite Christian can lead others to reject God, reject Christ, cause confusion in those who are seeking such that they turn away and no longer seek after God. Perhaps you have known some who supposedly were believers but, in the end, discouraged others in their faith and gave Christians a bad name. Don’t let that be you.
So yes times are tough but Jesus says, Follow Me and I will make you fishers of Men. And in Matt 11 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Did you know - In the midst of the storm Jesus is in your boat. He says Come, He says Follow Me. He called the disciples to come walk with Him and see. He asks you the same today will you be obedient to keep your eyes on Him and Him alone – in the eye of the storm?
Amen – Blessings answer the call.
March 7
In the midst of chaos, immorality, mental sickness, perverseness and just plain destructive evil hatred for Jews and Christians, how can we survive? There is only one way and that is to have the mind of Christ. You really should take to heart Romans 8:29 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Oh you read it but do you believe it?
Well, the disciples and the early Christians had to survive and thrive in the midst of the Roman Empire and God enabled them to make it. Paul’s letters are vivid proof of their surviving and sustaining the new life given to them from above
Today as we face the changing landscape of sin and depravity on an epic scale here in America with increasing hatred being demonstrated by the left, we should not be surprised or intimidated by what we are experiencing day by day. Our Lord has established Himself for this very day and hour and so we should not be discouraged but encouraged. He is with us. Remember the words from Jesus about the coming tribulation in Matt 24: 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the [c]elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.24 For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
How does this happen. Simply put, God allows the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit to be withdrawn so that man is turned over to his own inherent sinfulness. We are seeing fruits of this daily. God proves again to men that “all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. And no there is not one righteous in and of himself and there is no one in all of time who seeks Him. All the philosophies of this world try to prove that man is basically good. Well, seek the truth and the truth is there is nothing good in men.
Alright so what should we do in our day. Same thing they did back in Paul’s day, this is nothing new. If they persecuted Jesus, then the early church does it surprise us they would not persecute us? Didn’t Jesus say that to His disciples. You should look it up (John 15:20)
A good book to study is the book of Philippians for it relates to us today for encouragement and direction of how to live in these last days of America, unless Jesus enables revival, repentance and renewal across the states and cities. Oh that America the beautiful would be renewed in the hearts of men and women today. Oops sorry, those terms have been nixed by the regressives.
Go with me to the first Chapter of Philippians. We will seek today in this lesson to first clarify the Circumstances which are occurring in Philippi. Then discover the Charge which Paul gives to the Philippian church and finally the Conditions Paul defines for completing the Charge.
So three objectives for today
Here it is straight forward- stand fast in the with one mind striving for faith in the gospel, not terrified…and it has been given to you to suffer for His sake. Having the same conflict that Paul is experiencing.
Point # II. Now we need to Understand the Charge to the church at Philippi and to us. See Philippians Chapter 4, verse 1: 1Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
This is a charge to stand fast and is repeated in Corinthians, Galatians , again in Philippians and Thessalonians. In Ephesians Chapter 6 the charge is having done all is to stand in the evil day. This is relevant for our day. So God being very practical provides a clear way of defining exactly what it means to stand fast.
So to Point # III. Learn the Conditions for completing of the charge is provided in Chapter 4 beginning in verse 5 and following:
First is to be gentle in these last days see verse 5 Let your [b]gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Psalm 18.35 – You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great
Second Be anxious of nothing - 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Third 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
(He-God) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (how to remain faithful is to depend on Christ- Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men – (Matt 4:19)
Next you are to meditate, that is to center your mind on
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Then put them into practice what you have heard – see verse 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice.
And God will be with you - And the God of peace will be with you. Amen
In the midst of chaos, immorality, mental sickness, perverseness and just plain destructive evil hatred for Jews and Christians, how can we survive? There is only one way and that is to have the mind of Christ. You really should take to heart Romans 8:29 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Oh you read it but do you believe it?
Well, the disciples and the early Christians had to survive and thrive in the midst of the Roman Empire and God enabled them to make it. Paul’s letters are vivid proof of their surviving and sustaining the new life given to them from above
Today as we face the changing landscape of sin and depravity on an epic scale here in America with increasing hatred being demonstrated by the left, we should not be surprised or intimidated by what we are experiencing day by day. Our Lord has established Himself for this very day and hour and so we should not be discouraged but encouraged. He is with us. Remember the words from Jesus about the coming tribulation in Matt 24: 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the [c]elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.24 For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
How does this happen. Simply put, God allows the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit to be withdrawn so that man is turned over to his own inherent sinfulness. We are seeing fruits of this daily. God proves again to men that “all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. And no there is not one righteous in and of himself and there is no one in all of time who seeks Him. All the philosophies of this world try to prove that man is basically good. Well, seek the truth and the truth is there is nothing good in men.
Alright so what should we do in our day. Same thing they did back in Paul’s day, this is nothing new. If they persecuted Jesus, then the early church does it surprise us they would not persecute us? Didn’t Jesus say that to His disciples. You should look it up (John 15:20)
A good book to study is the book of Philippians for it relates to us today for encouragement and direction of how to live in these last days of America, unless Jesus enables revival, repentance and renewal across the states and cities. Oh that America the beautiful would be renewed in the hearts of men and women today. Oops sorry, those terms have been nixed by the regressives.
Go with me to the first Chapter of Philippians. We will seek today in this lesson to first clarify the Circumstances which are occurring in Philippi. Then discover the Charge which Paul gives to the Philippian church and finally the Conditions Paul defines for completing the Charge.
So three objectives for today
- Discover the Circumstances occurring in the church.
- Understand the Charge to the church and then to
- Learn the Conditions for Completion of the charge
Here it is straight forward- stand fast in the with one mind striving for faith in the gospel, not terrified…and it has been given to you to suffer for His sake. Having the same conflict that Paul is experiencing.
Point # II. Now we need to Understand the Charge to the church at Philippi and to us. See Philippians Chapter 4, verse 1: 1Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
This is a charge to stand fast and is repeated in Corinthians, Galatians , again in Philippians and Thessalonians. In Ephesians Chapter 6 the charge is having done all is to stand in the evil day. This is relevant for our day. So God being very practical provides a clear way of defining exactly what it means to stand fast.
So to Point # III. Learn the Conditions for completing of the charge is provided in Chapter 4 beginning in verse 5 and following:
First is to be gentle in these last days see verse 5 Let your [b]gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Psalm 18.35 – You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great
Second Be anxious of nothing - 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Third 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
(He-God) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (how to remain faithful is to depend on Christ- Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men – (Matt 4:19)
Next you are to meditate, that is to center your mind on
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Then put them into practice what you have heard – see verse 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice.
And God will be with you - And the God of peace will be with you. Amen
Feb28
We are as in the days of Noah. Every evil abounds across our land and the wickedness of man has and shows no restraint.
Even in our hearts we sometimes see and sense this wickedness drawing us but are repelled because of the power of God working in us by His Holy Spirit.
The word of God says that in the last days even some of the elect may be tempted and fall away, so we need to be prepared. Now with the coming Equality Act and the coming restructuring of our nation by all this evil legislation, persecution will inevitably be legislated and directed against us. Those regressives who supposedly are looking out for our welfare are in fact consolidating power and authority around themselves. They are attempting to justify themselves and make others believe they are creatures of light when in fact incredible darkness, perversity and evil surrounds them.
This is what happens when a covenant people and a covenant nation depart from the living God. If you have not been studying Deuteronomy Chapters 29-31 then you are missing what God was telling Israel they would do after they had promised to obey God, as His covenant people, moving into the promised land. But God knows the heart of men. He has seen us at our worst. That is why I say, we are as in the days of Noah.
But, remember what God said about Noah in Genesis Chapter 6, verse 9, This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
So today in March 2021 we should practice and know,
I. Who are we?
What do we believe? And then, how are we to behave and function in this Day? Now we have already discussed and have seen a behavior model for our times and that was Noah. Repeating what God’s word says about him, This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
We know from Genesis, Noah was not perfect for he had some personal flaws, just like us. But, God used him to save and perpetuate mankind. So not only are we related to Adam, but Noah as well as, progenitors. Meaning those who preceded us in our DNA and physical make up. That is why I want to reinforce and state and will continue to state, that there is one race and that is humankind. There are many colors, flavors and shapes but on the inside, there is no difference. And there are only male and female as God created them. Our confusion in this day, is part of the delusion of sin from our evil deceiver, who will use anything, including the modern term of critical race theory to separate us. You do understand this is just repackaging of old lies under a new banner. These racial ideas was used in the 1930’s about the Jews by Hitler and then by Stalin and now in 2020 by the Chinese in the persecution of Magyar Christians. It is coming to America via the lies of regressives, who title themselves as progressives. Yes, it is here now and coming to a place near you.
I. So this is part of Who we are, but not all. We need to understand that America has a Godly and Biblical heritage and would not have existed except for the hand of God. I repeat and want you to remember, the Continental Congress after inauguration of George Washington went to Saint Paul’s chapel and established a Biblical covenant with God which parallels the covenant relationship the Jews had with God in Israel. Why did the congress come and meet here at this Chapel and establish this covenant with God? Quite simply if you read George Washington’s writings and many of those who experienced the revolutionary war -there was no way this ragtag Army of less than 6% of those living in America could have or should have been able to defeat the British under General Cornwallis.
George Washington and many of those in the continental congress believed that God was the one who enabled this victory and protected the Continental Army and gave them the victory. Washington and those who were the founders, despite what our modern regressive interpretation, believed it was their calling and destiny to establish America as a place for freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom of thought. Those simple words of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were from God’s word and permeated all conversation and prayers made by the Congress. You need to engrave this same purpose in your heart and mind today.
Here is a foundational principal for you today- God providentially provides crucial men and women at critical times and uses them to make a difference. This is as true in our day as in Noah’s or Daniel’s or David’s or Paul’s time. William Emerson a 32-year-old Pastor in Concord, New Hampshire reflects what Pastor’s preached from the pulpits is his day. This came from critical study and prayer over a particular scripture- 2nd Chronicles 13: 1-12- God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm…
Preaching from this text, Pastor Emerson preached an established theme, which we should pray about and take for our own today. Preachers in that day held a high view of God’s providential interaction with the colonists and believed that God placed them in America for a divine purpose. Correct, today you are here for a divine purpose and calling. It is not random or far from you, but very near and comes from the word and mouth of God (Deut 29: 11-14, Duet 30). Preaching in 1775 they feared an attack on the general populace by General Gage. A militia was formed and as the Pastor prayed, God spoke to his heart and he related his interpretation of the text in 2nd Chronicles to read “and behold, God Himself is with us for our captain.” The pastor’s word would have a profound impact on the people and He was aware of a choice of either war or pacifism. He believed in the divine mandate of God and a clear calling of the providence of God upon himself and his people to obey God and not men.
This pastor also understood this also, and so should we, the strength of the army or resistance lay not in their weapons or numbers but in the moral and spiritual resolve of the people. He believed from the text that “the Lord will cover your head in the day of battle and carry you from victory to victory.” Is this who we are or are we depending upon numbers and strength of arms? Do you actually believe you have and we have a mandate from God for the reestablishment of a divine covenant over America today? Perhaps Christians need to go to St. Paul’s to repent and pray and replant the Sycamore tree after seeking God’s face and then standing up to our divine calling?
This is who we should be in the Lord, standing on the word of God for it is Holy ground.
II. Point # two is What do we believe?
Do we believe in God’s word and His provision? Or are we just spectators on the side lines of life, watching it all go by? I believe that we need to enlist the next generations to stand in this day for the truth of God and for America. You see the convictions of your heart begin with your relationship to God and are demonstrated by your behavior. Now don’t just believe me but let’s look at our text in Acts, chapter 5 beginning with verse 17. If you look at the earlier parts of this chapter in Acts, you see God executing judgement against those who would choose to lie and deceive the Holy Spirit. Then we see beginning in verse 12 the power of God in signs and wonders demonstrated in the early church.
Now go to verse 17 with this understanding, the Jewish religious establishment were understandably jealous and hostile to the preaching of the salvation by grace in Jesus Christ and wanted it to stop. Verse 17 - 17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with [a]indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” (bold and empowered in the midst of hostility and reproof.} 21 And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the [b]council together, with all the [c]elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23 saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing [d]outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 24 Now when [e]the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25 So one came and told them, [f]saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”
26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence {notice this please}, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
This should be our belief as well! Obeying God rather than men and that we are His witnesses in this day before men of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit who God has given us.
Point # III. Last point but this is very important – not only is this who we are in Christ, but we have a divine mandate here in America to claim this nation and this people for the Lord in this day and to obey these principles.
We should obey God rather than men and to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit as the disciples did. Just as God enabled Noah in do so his day.
Secondly, we are to witness to our divine heritage first in Christ and to His claim on this nation in this day. We need to stand forth without retreating in the heat of the prejudice of the left and their evil. We need to understand just as the colonist did, we don’t win these battles because of superior numbers or superior weapons, but just as Israel and Joshua learned. We win by the hand of the Lord. Look around you today! Believers have nothing else to lean upon but God. There is no president, there is no political party and there is no genie in the bottle to make our wishes come true. Only God is able to win this battle. As He told many in Israel, Kings and the people – the battle is the Lord’s. We are to be armed with His word in His power.
God has his people right where He wants us. We need to understand in the very depths of our being that God is, God is right. God is the justifier and redeemer of many and He will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy. But those who in our day traipse in lies and deceit, and sell out will be punished and I don’t want to be the one to receive this. So as a watchman I am warning us this is how we need to walk and live in the Spirit. The time is short and we need to go into the fields for the are white unto harvest.
Will you freely receive and understand the calling of God upon your life today? It belongs to God and He has a divine mandate for you today. Receive it with gladness and thanksgiving and allow God to use you to pass it to others. AMEN
We are as in the days of Noah. Every evil abounds across our land and the wickedness of man has and shows no restraint.
Even in our hearts we sometimes see and sense this wickedness drawing us but are repelled because of the power of God working in us by His Holy Spirit.
The word of God says that in the last days even some of the elect may be tempted and fall away, so we need to be prepared. Now with the coming Equality Act and the coming restructuring of our nation by all this evil legislation, persecution will inevitably be legislated and directed against us. Those regressives who supposedly are looking out for our welfare are in fact consolidating power and authority around themselves. They are attempting to justify themselves and make others believe they are creatures of light when in fact incredible darkness, perversity and evil surrounds them.
This is what happens when a covenant people and a covenant nation depart from the living God. If you have not been studying Deuteronomy Chapters 29-31 then you are missing what God was telling Israel they would do after they had promised to obey God, as His covenant people, moving into the promised land. But God knows the heart of men. He has seen us at our worst. That is why I say, we are as in the days of Noah.
But, remember what God said about Noah in Genesis Chapter 6, verse 9, This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
So today in March 2021 we should practice and know,
I. Who are we?
What do we believe? And then, how are we to behave and function in this Day? Now we have already discussed and have seen a behavior model for our times and that was Noah. Repeating what God’s word says about him, This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
We know from Genesis, Noah was not perfect for he had some personal flaws, just like us. But, God used him to save and perpetuate mankind. So not only are we related to Adam, but Noah as well as, progenitors. Meaning those who preceded us in our DNA and physical make up. That is why I want to reinforce and state and will continue to state, that there is one race and that is humankind. There are many colors, flavors and shapes but on the inside, there is no difference. And there are only male and female as God created them. Our confusion in this day, is part of the delusion of sin from our evil deceiver, who will use anything, including the modern term of critical race theory to separate us. You do understand this is just repackaging of old lies under a new banner. These racial ideas was used in the 1930’s about the Jews by Hitler and then by Stalin and now in 2020 by the Chinese in the persecution of Magyar Christians. It is coming to America via the lies of regressives, who title themselves as progressives. Yes, it is here now and coming to a place near you.
I. So this is part of Who we are, but not all. We need to understand that America has a Godly and Biblical heritage and would not have existed except for the hand of God. I repeat and want you to remember, the Continental Congress after inauguration of George Washington went to Saint Paul’s chapel and established a Biblical covenant with God which parallels the covenant relationship the Jews had with God in Israel. Why did the congress come and meet here at this Chapel and establish this covenant with God? Quite simply if you read George Washington’s writings and many of those who experienced the revolutionary war -there was no way this ragtag Army of less than 6% of those living in America could have or should have been able to defeat the British under General Cornwallis.
George Washington and many of those in the continental congress believed that God was the one who enabled this victory and protected the Continental Army and gave them the victory. Washington and those who were the founders, despite what our modern regressive interpretation, believed it was their calling and destiny to establish America as a place for freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom of thought. Those simple words of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were from God’s word and permeated all conversation and prayers made by the Congress. You need to engrave this same purpose in your heart and mind today.
Here is a foundational principal for you today- God providentially provides crucial men and women at critical times and uses them to make a difference. This is as true in our day as in Noah’s or Daniel’s or David’s or Paul’s time. William Emerson a 32-year-old Pastor in Concord, New Hampshire reflects what Pastor’s preached from the pulpits is his day. This came from critical study and prayer over a particular scripture- 2nd Chronicles 13: 1-12- God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm…
Preaching from this text, Pastor Emerson preached an established theme, which we should pray about and take for our own today. Preachers in that day held a high view of God’s providential interaction with the colonists and believed that God placed them in America for a divine purpose. Correct, today you are here for a divine purpose and calling. It is not random or far from you, but very near and comes from the word and mouth of God (Deut 29: 11-14, Duet 30). Preaching in 1775 they feared an attack on the general populace by General Gage. A militia was formed and as the Pastor prayed, God spoke to his heart and he related his interpretation of the text in 2nd Chronicles to read “and behold, God Himself is with us for our captain.” The pastor’s word would have a profound impact on the people and He was aware of a choice of either war or pacifism. He believed in the divine mandate of God and a clear calling of the providence of God upon himself and his people to obey God and not men.
This pastor also understood this also, and so should we, the strength of the army or resistance lay not in their weapons or numbers but in the moral and spiritual resolve of the people. He believed from the text that “the Lord will cover your head in the day of battle and carry you from victory to victory.” Is this who we are or are we depending upon numbers and strength of arms? Do you actually believe you have and we have a mandate from God for the reestablishment of a divine covenant over America today? Perhaps Christians need to go to St. Paul’s to repent and pray and replant the Sycamore tree after seeking God’s face and then standing up to our divine calling?
This is who we should be in the Lord, standing on the word of God for it is Holy ground.
II. Point # two is What do we believe?
Do we believe in God’s word and His provision? Or are we just spectators on the side lines of life, watching it all go by? I believe that we need to enlist the next generations to stand in this day for the truth of God and for America. You see the convictions of your heart begin with your relationship to God and are demonstrated by your behavior. Now don’t just believe me but let’s look at our text in Acts, chapter 5 beginning with verse 17. If you look at the earlier parts of this chapter in Acts, you see God executing judgement against those who would choose to lie and deceive the Holy Spirit. Then we see beginning in verse 12 the power of God in signs and wonders demonstrated in the early church.
Now go to verse 17 with this understanding, the Jewish religious establishment were understandably jealous and hostile to the preaching of the salvation by grace in Jesus Christ and wanted it to stop. Verse 17 - 17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with [a]indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” (bold and empowered in the midst of hostility and reproof.} 21 And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the [b]council together, with all the [c]elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23 saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing [d]outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 24 Now when [e]the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25 So one came and told them, [f]saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”
26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence {notice this please}, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
This should be our belief as well! Obeying God rather than men and that we are His witnesses in this day before men of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit who God has given us.
Point # III. Last point but this is very important – not only is this who we are in Christ, but we have a divine mandate here in America to claim this nation and this people for the Lord in this day and to obey these principles.
We should obey God rather than men and to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit as the disciples did. Just as God enabled Noah in do so his day.
Secondly, we are to witness to our divine heritage first in Christ and to His claim on this nation in this day. We need to stand forth without retreating in the heat of the prejudice of the left and their evil. We need to understand just as the colonist did, we don’t win these battles because of superior numbers or superior weapons, but just as Israel and Joshua learned. We win by the hand of the Lord. Look around you today! Believers have nothing else to lean upon but God. There is no president, there is no political party and there is no genie in the bottle to make our wishes come true. Only God is able to win this battle. As He told many in Israel, Kings and the people – the battle is the Lord’s. We are to be armed with His word in His power.
God has his people right where He wants us. We need to understand in the very depths of our being that God is, God is right. God is the justifier and redeemer of many and He will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy. But those who in our day traipse in lies and deceit, and sell out will be punished and I don’t want to be the one to receive this. So as a watchman I am warning us this is how we need to walk and live in the Spirit. The time is short and we need to go into the fields for the are white unto harvest.
Will you freely receive and understand the calling of God upon your life today? It belongs to God and He has a divine mandate for you today. Receive it with gladness and thanksgiving and allow God to use you to pass it to others. AMEN
Feb 14
In these end times do we really understand the awesome power of God? The God of all creation, the God of all power. El Shaddai is Elohim. He who is self-sufficient and has life within Himself, He is God. We need to believe in the resurrection power of an infinite being who is able to do all things, beyond anything we can think or imagine. Not only do we need to understand His power and His incredible authority, but we need to understand He gives us life. As a believer I should no longer be carnal, or a natural man, meaning of the earth, and viewing things as one who has no hope. But God has given me new life in Jesus Christ. He has given me a new spiritual nature. I should be sensing and knowing the God who has given me His new life, because of my new nature. So then I should not be discouraged by the appearance of the events of the day, for God is working within me and working in the world. Yes this is my Father’s world even thought is doesn’t look like it.
Oh yes, the events are discouraging but all the more according to Jesus’ messages to me. I need to turn my eyes upon Jesus. I should be renewing my mind and heart in Christ Jesus as I sense the day approaching.
Then the crisis events in our world today are not to be ignored, but understood from a different and biblical perspective and that the fields or nations of the earth are white unto harvest for souls. God has told us to send workers into the fields to harvest and bring souls into His kingdom which is the fruit which remains. So as a spiritual man or woman my heart should be on the things above, but aware of the world in which I live and seeking to bring others into His life and His kingdom.
The question which confronts us today is, am I really understanding these concepts? And if I understand them, do I really believe and walk in the truth that He who hath begun a good work in me will continue to work in me until the day of Christ Jesus? For it is God who works in you.
And, am I studying, praying and seeking to allow Him to make me into a soul winner; courageous but not without fear and trembling, but trusting by faith in each of His provisions? Let’s discover if these suppositions are true in the word of God. Many of you might say in your heart I hear what you are saying, but I don’t sense God at work in me today, if I am being honest. Then, just maybe this lesson will challenge you to know and understand more completely how God is at work in your life And how He is preparing you to operate as His paladin in His world today.
Please go to the second letter from Paul to the church at Corinth, Chapter three verses three through six.
2 Cor. 3:3-6 Paul continues speaking in this passage about those who have come to God but faith are letters of God, or as he says epistles for God in Christ. Please begin reading now in verse 3.
3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the [a]Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Some very interesting concepts are contained in these three verses related to the calling, election and functioning of God’s people. If you would choose to have a separate study time, you might read and grasp the very explicit truths contained in Romans 8:1-9, which will parallel our discussions today.
As we begin, I have a key verse also written by Paul to the church at Philippi which you may want as a reference. Phil. 2:13- For it is God who is at work in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13).
Understand that God is working in us, and He is guiding us by His will to achieve His pleasure meaning for His purposes. This is key to understanding our situation today and will be explained more completely by going to our verses in 2nd Corinthians 3. Now verse by verse beginning with verse 3. 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
You are and epistle of Christ. When Christ came to you and you received Him, your life became His. Your life now is a reflection and as Paul said, an epistle or a letter representing Christ in you. Amen. God is now in your life. Your actions and your behaviors should reflect God’s activity by the Holy Spirit moving and indwelling in your life.
Written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God. God, the Holy Spirit, is now resident in the temple of your body ( 1 Cor. 6:19-20). He cleansed the temple of your heart and made you new. He gave you new life when the Holy Spirit took up residence, taking your sin and giving you the righteousness of Christ. You say you repeat this a lot pastor and you are correct. This is called the great exchange and is so important to understand His life in you newly planted. This exchange means all things have become new in you, and you no longer have to live and think the way you always have to this point.
Let’s keep going – written not with ink. You may not feel any different but the reality is God is now at home in you. His power, the power of the resurrection and creation, has created in you a new life to live. Your destination is no longer hell but is heaven and you need to learn to live a new way. Amen in Christ is how we are to live.
not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
This is the promise coming from the Old Testament in Ezekiel 36:26 where God will give us each a new heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone. God gave Moses the law on tablets of stone, but the heart of the people was far from God. They had not faith in God, and they would have preferred to have stayed in Egypt. They were not prepared to worship God. This is true of us before we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He is to be more than just a Savior, as one who rescues you. He is now the One who should command your life. That is the new heart God gives us at the very moment of salvation. Does this describe your heart today, right now?
Verse 4 and 5 go together for they complement and allow us to understand the mind of Christ. Read 4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. {confidence/faith in God in what He is doing} 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
First who is We? These are believers who have truly believed by faith that Jesus is risen from the dead and confessed with their mouths the Lord Jesus. This should also include you and I, who have been saved by Christ from eternal death.
we have such trust through Christ toward God. {confidence/faith in God in what He is doing} 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves
So to allay all fears -our confidence, our trust and our faith through Christ is not of our own ability or our own sufficiency to meet every need but trusting in Jesus Christ for all things. Remember Jesus taught His disciples in John 15:5 – apart from Me, Ye (you) can do nothing. If we are to function as true disciples then we have no options but to trust in Jesus to meet all our needs. Paul tells us this truth in Phil 4:13 – I can do all things in Christ which strengthens me.
Verse 5 confirms this in no uncertain terms - 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves. Our spiritual life and ability now is not to function as natural men and live life by or in ourselves. Our life and our daily living must come from seeking Jesus. We have been given spiritual life so we are insufficient in ourselves to live apart. Our spiritual life is the beginning of us seeing and living toward the Kingdom of God. This ability only comes from new life in Jesus.
Our conversion and our planting and our new life come directly from the intervention of God. We only received what He offered by faith. We did not save ourselves and therefore, we can live the new life in Christ ourselves. We must live our lives in fellowship with God. Or new life is a working of God’s Holy Spirit. This new life in Christ gives us the ability to humbly confess that credit for this work and living the new life is totally dependent upon God and His working it out individually in each of us. God is at work right now to conform you to the image of His Son. Trust and obey for there is no other way.
No human being is competent or capable of carrying out God’s will apart from His guidance. All accomplishments in this life are learning to lean and obey the will of God as He moves and directs. Is this truth present in your life today? This is why when we worship we need to give Him all praise and glory for He has done great things and we must walk with Him, humbly and dependent.
Read verse 6 to confirm this truth - 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant. To live “in Christ” as Paul tells us is to recognize that He made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant. We have no individual skills or capabilities to assist God. Only He can make us sufficient as ministers. Not only did He call us, He ordained us and He enable us to tell the good news and minister according to the gifts He has given us.
Are you continually doubting that God is working in and through your life? Then maybe you have not understood your new life comes from God. He has a plan for your life. And He is working it out for His good pleasure, as He conforms you to the image of His Son. Now if you needed some Good News in the middle of sickness, national dishonor and perversity, lying, misinformation and misfortune. This is it. God loves you and has provided all things sufficient for your continued growth and maturation as a Christian.
So in the midst of despair and heartache and in every event, God is working out His will. Those young Hebrew boys who were being sent to Babylon probably had great despair and heartache as they walked away from Israel in a slave caravan. Wondering where was God is the midst of their lives. But lo, God was using adversity to forge warriors who would stand for God in the midst of all hell breaking loose around them. But in those 4 boys, 3 of which stood in a fiery furnace and declared - if they died they would not bow their knee to Nebuchadnezzar. And there was Daniel who would stand in the midst of Kings for God almighty.
Do you have a clue for how God could use you to change the course of a nation? Are you seeking to know His plan for your life? God wants to walk with you as He works out all things according to His will in your life. May it begin today as you yield to God.
God says, Fear not for I will never leave you for forsake you. Be strong and of good courage. Do not be discouraged or dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go! Learn to walk by faith not doubting His activity. He is at work in you.
Pray for America and seek Jesus, ask how He can use you in the future. If you don’t know Jesus Christ come to Him today (See John 3:16 and Romans 10:9-10 in your Bible). Be encouraged, for our vision should not be limited by the events of today but should seek to learn and know the spiritual truths that can only come from God by
knowing Him personally and individually. Amen
Additional meditation is available in Romans 8: 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, (sanctified is included) these He also glorified.
In these end times do we really understand the awesome power of God? The God of all creation, the God of all power. El Shaddai is Elohim. He who is self-sufficient and has life within Himself, He is God. We need to believe in the resurrection power of an infinite being who is able to do all things, beyond anything we can think or imagine. Not only do we need to understand His power and His incredible authority, but we need to understand He gives us life. As a believer I should no longer be carnal, or a natural man, meaning of the earth, and viewing things as one who has no hope. But God has given me new life in Jesus Christ. He has given me a new spiritual nature. I should be sensing and knowing the God who has given me His new life, because of my new nature. So then I should not be discouraged by the appearance of the events of the day, for God is working within me and working in the world. Yes this is my Father’s world even thought is doesn’t look like it.
Oh yes, the events are discouraging but all the more according to Jesus’ messages to me. I need to turn my eyes upon Jesus. I should be renewing my mind and heart in Christ Jesus as I sense the day approaching.
Then the crisis events in our world today are not to be ignored, but understood from a different and biblical perspective and that the fields or nations of the earth are white unto harvest for souls. God has told us to send workers into the fields to harvest and bring souls into His kingdom which is the fruit which remains. So as a spiritual man or woman my heart should be on the things above, but aware of the world in which I live and seeking to bring others into His life and His kingdom.
The question which confronts us today is, am I really understanding these concepts? And if I understand them, do I really believe and walk in the truth that He who hath begun a good work in me will continue to work in me until the day of Christ Jesus? For it is God who works in you.
And, am I studying, praying and seeking to allow Him to make me into a soul winner; courageous but not without fear and trembling, but trusting by faith in each of His provisions? Let’s discover if these suppositions are true in the word of God. Many of you might say in your heart I hear what you are saying, but I don’t sense God at work in me today, if I am being honest. Then, just maybe this lesson will challenge you to know and understand more completely how God is at work in your life And how He is preparing you to operate as His paladin in His world today.
Please go to the second letter from Paul to the church at Corinth, Chapter three verses three through six.
2 Cor. 3:3-6 Paul continues speaking in this passage about those who have come to God but faith are letters of God, or as he says epistles for God in Christ. Please begin reading now in verse 3.
3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. 4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the [a]Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Some very interesting concepts are contained in these three verses related to the calling, election and functioning of God’s people. If you would choose to have a separate study time, you might read and grasp the very explicit truths contained in Romans 8:1-9, which will parallel our discussions today.
As we begin, I have a key verse also written by Paul to the church at Philippi which you may want as a reference. Phil. 2:13- For it is God who is at work in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13).
Understand that God is working in us, and He is guiding us by His will to achieve His pleasure meaning for His purposes. This is key to understanding our situation today and will be explained more completely by going to our verses in 2nd Corinthians 3. Now verse by verse beginning with verse 3. 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
You are and epistle of Christ. When Christ came to you and you received Him, your life became His. Your life now is a reflection and as Paul said, an epistle or a letter representing Christ in you. Amen. God is now in your life. Your actions and your behaviors should reflect God’s activity by the Holy Spirit moving and indwelling in your life.
Written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God. God, the Holy Spirit, is now resident in the temple of your body ( 1 Cor. 6:19-20). He cleansed the temple of your heart and made you new. He gave you new life when the Holy Spirit took up residence, taking your sin and giving you the righteousness of Christ. You say you repeat this a lot pastor and you are correct. This is called the great exchange and is so important to understand His life in you newly planted. This exchange means all things have become new in you, and you no longer have to live and think the way you always have to this point.
Let’s keep going – written not with ink. You may not feel any different but the reality is God is now at home in you. His power, the power of the resurrection and creation, has created in you a new life to live. Your destination is no longer hell but is heaven and you need to learn to live a new way. Amen in Christ is how we are to live.
not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
This is the promise coming from the Old Testament in Ezekiel 36:26 where God will give us each a new heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone. God gave Moses the law on tablets of stone, but the heart of the people was far from God. They had not faith in God, and they would have preferred to have stayed in Egypt. They were not prepared to worship God. This is true of us before we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He is to be more than just a Savior, as one who rescues you. He is now the One who should command your life. That is the new heart God gives us at the very moment of salvation. Does this describe your heart today, right now?
Verse 4 and 5 go together for they complement and allow us to understand the mind of Christ. Read 4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. {confidence/faith in God in what He is doing} 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
First who is We? These are believers who have truly believed by faith that Jesus is risen from the dead and confessed with their mouths the Lord Jesus. This should also include you and I, who have been saved by Christ from eternal death.
we have such trust through Christ toward God. {confidence/faith in God in what He is doing} 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves
So to allay all fears -our confidence, our trust and our faith through Christ is not of our own ability or our own sufficiency to meet every need but trusting in Jesus Christ for all things. Remember Jesus taught His disciples in John 15:5 – apart from Me, Ye (you) can do nothing. If we are to function as true disciples then we have no options but to trust in Jesus to meet all our needs. Paul tells us this truth in Phil 4:13 – I can do all things in Christ which strengthens me.
Verse 5 confirms this in no uncertain terms - 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves. Our spiritual life and ability now is not to function as natural men and live life by or in ourselves. Our life and our daily living must come from seeking Jesus. We have been given spiritual life so we are insufficient in ourselves to live apart. Our spiritual life is the beginning of us seeing and living toward the Kingdom of God. This ability only comes from new life in Jesus.
Our conversion and our planting and our new life come directly from the intervention of God. We only received what He offered by faith. We did not save ourselves and therefore, we can live the new life in Christ ourselves. We must live our lives in fellowship with God. Or new life is a working of God’s Holy Spirit. This new life in Christ gives us the ability to humbly confess that credit for this work and living the new life is totally dependent upon God and His working it out individually in each of us. God is at work right now to conform you to the image of His Son. Trust and obey for there is no other way.
No human being is competent or capable of carrying out God’s will apart from His guidance. All accomplishments in this life are learning to lean and obey the will of God as He moves and directs. Is this truth present in your life today? This is why when we worship we need to give Him all praise and glory for He has done great things and we must walk with Him, humbly and dependent.
Read verse 6 to confirm this truth - 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant. To live “in Christ” as Paul tells us is to recognize that He made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant. We have no individual skills or capabilities to assist God. Only He can make us sufficient as ministers. Not only did He call us, He ordained us and He enable us to tell the good news and minister according to the gifts He has given us.
Are you continually doubting that God is working in and through your life? Then maybe you have not understood your new life comes from God. He has a plan for your life. And He is working it out for His good pleasure, as He conforms you to the image of His Son. Now if you needed some Good News in the middle of sickness, national dishonor and perversity, lying, misinformation and misfortune. This is it. God loves you and has provided all things sufficient for your continued growth and maturation as a Christian.
So in the midst of despair and heartache and in every event, God is working out His will. Those young Hebrew boys who were being sent to Babylon probably had great despair and heartache as they walked away from Israel in a slave caravan. Wondering where was God is the midst of their lives. But lo, God was using adversity to forge warriors who would stand for God in the midst of all hell breaking loose around them. But in those 4 boys, 3 of which stood in a fiery furnace and declared - if they died they would not bow their knee to Nebuchadnezzar. And there was Daniel who would stand in the midst of Kings for God almighty.
Do you have a clue for how God could use you to change the course of a nation? Are you seeking to know His plan for your life? God wants to walk with you as He works out all things according to His will in your life. May it begin today as you yield to God.
God says, Fear not for I will never leave you for forsake you. Be strong and of good courage. Do not be discouraged or dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go! Learn to walk by faith not doubting His activity. He is at work in you.
Pray for America and seek Jesus, ask how He can use you in the future. If you don’t know Jesus Christ come to Him today (See John 3:16 and Romans 10:9-10 in your Bible). Be encouraged, for our vision should not be limited by the events of today but should seek to learn and know the spiritual truths that can only come from God by
knowing Him personally and individually. Amen
Additional meditation is available in Romans 8: 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, (sanctified is included) these He also glorified.
Feb 7
Character Matters to God
Do you believe character matters to God? Look at the OT, it took God years to mold the character of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph to lead the people of God. Moses required major retrofitting and Joshua was in training with Moses almost his whole life. Noah was the only one righteous in the whole generation that God was able to save and continue the existence of the human race.
The character of Eli the Priest, because of his failure to discipline his two sons, and that of King Saul to be obedient to the commands of God, disqualified them from being acceptable before God and He punished them and their descendants. The same could be said of Sampson but in his death, God granted him a measure of redemption.
Now this is not to say that the other characters in the bible are perfect, the answer is no they were not. God presents to us the fact that all are flawed. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The is none righteous no not one! Only by grace are you and I saved in Christ by faith alone.
Therefore we can conclude, the character of a nation’s leaders, both religious and political/social, is generally a reflection of the character of the people and the nation from which they are drawn. We see this when we research and study in First and Second Kings, Chronicles and in the New Testament with the Pharisees and Sadducees. When the depravity and sinfulness of the leaders is clearly evident, it is reflected clearly in the people and within the people it becomes the characteristic of that nation. Why do you suppose that Jonah hated Nineveh? Because the sadistic and barbarous character and hatefulness of the nation was reflected in how they destroyed and punished nations they conquered. And their demonstrated character was how they lived generally. Jonah wanted them punished.
Take this understanding and apply it to what you are seeing reflected in the leadership of America today. Our behavior reflects the character of we the people and is fueled by our leaders in general. This is what happens to any nation which departs from God. Again God’s Bible doesn’t mince words, nor fail to show all the warts and pimples of the people it reports on. And the central focus of this book is supposedly on the godliest nation the Jews, and subsequently Christians, not the most depraved which are many.
Well guess what, what was true in the old testament in the book of Deuteronomy is true today. When the heart of a nation or it’s people or the nation as a whole turn away, and they no longer hear, and they go and serve other gods, and then they worship them. This is what you are seeing displayed across the world is the depraved sinfulness of and unrepentant and God denying nation, call it America post-election 2020.
Americans rejected God after WWII and God sent Korea. We stepped further away in the early 1950s and we had Viet Nam. We killed a president in 1960’s. Beginning in 1963 the Priests in the high court (the black robes of the Supreme court} of our country, told us that self was more important that God. Then education was now free to assume the role of interpreting moral leadership in our schools. God’s absolute truth was no longer functioning as the moral authority for our nation. Then it was deemed that truth was no longer required in the courtroom nor that pesky standard of those outdated moral epitaphs the Ten commandments. After all man is basically good and just needed better circumstances, better living conditions and better health to be all He or she could be.
Self if trained under the right conditions was going to be self-regulated. Well I think we know how well that experiment has worked out without God.
IN THAT same period we became covenant breakers and finally with the accelerating moral depravity God said enough and terminated His covenant on 9/11- Read the Harbinger book to know this is true. The straw which is breaking our back is our unparalleled access and acceptance of abortion. This was the final straw in Israel and also in America. The supreme stamp of total moral depravity is the willingness to accept the death of the helpless on the altar of self. We conveniently label this choice which is an abomination to God. Self-worship is putting ourselves before God. Remember the first commandment # 1 !
Our rejection of God’s standard for marriage and our convenient disregard for this sacrament comes because we do not honor His righteous standard. The same is true for schools and so on and on.
Then, God gave us, as He did with Israel, 19 years to repent and return. But our nation further sinned and raced, not walked, but raced, apart from God. What was true with Israel has now became true in America and the reaping was shown when God chose to allow the total corruption, hate and deceitfulness demonstrated during and after the election of 2020. Oh, by the way COVID is pestilence and it came upon us as part of His judgement for our sin. China may be the vector to enable it to happen, but make no mistake about the hand of God allowing this to take place.
Now under our new leader we have been dictated to in 47 perverse, illegal and unconstitutional executive orders. He is bypassing the constitution, established legal code and acting as a dictator. In this elected President and his handlers we are seeing the total depravity and unraveling of the blessings given to us by God. Inalienable rights given and mandated by God no longer exist in this nation and the fascists are coming after believers. Controlling the media and limiting our ability to communicate freely of what is truth. There will no longer be freedom because of the technocracy.
So we have seen now and are experiencing the corruption and control of what used to be the 4th estate.{the press/News} Control is being instituted and codified by the bureaucracy of unelected officials who are government workers. We call them the swamp. The multiple failures of democracy in the nation of France over the past hundred years is directly attributed to the bureaucracy which was called then and should be continued -the Fifth Estate- the swamp. Unelected, unaccountable, public officials who are intent on punishing the enemies of the state which they define is you - Christian. Basically they have the power to say who is right and who is wrong. Not your not elected officials but the bureaucracy establishes life and death.
So what does God say about all of this mess? In Isaiah 59 He says quite a lot. You are welcome to read the entire chapter but I will comment and use selected verses. Let’s begin with verses 1-4
59 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated
you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are stained with blood,
your fingers with guilt.
Your lips have spoken falsely,
and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4 No one calls for justice;
no one pleads a case with integrity.
They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.
Verses1 & 2 – God is still able to save and cleanse His people, His power never changes. And despite what all are saying, He is able to hear the cries of His people (Ex. 3). But because of your sin, you individually and you as a nation, have separated yourselves from God. He will not hear and He will do no mighty works because of unbelief. His face is hidden.
Verse 3- you have killed the innocent, your own blood and remain unrepentant – the guilt is still upon your hands. You lie, you blaspheme against God and the knowledge of the true God is denied. Oh by the way you worship other Gods in disobedience to His direct command and you kill (murder innocents). And on top of this you lie about it and you mouths speak obscenities toward God and His holy people.
Verse 4 – There is no righteous judgement available within the land (think courts). Does this strike a note within America’s court systems. The rule of law is non-existent, judges do what is right in their own eyes. Integrity of character is missing in all elements of justice – in the prosecution, in the defense, in the execution of justice decisions within the confines of the law. Everything is perverted and despicable. All our arguments are empty of truth. They are all prejudiced to evil not righteousness. The net result is evil unleashed across the land. How about abortion as just one example.
Don’t you see, Isaiah was written 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, but God knows the hearts of men. Nothing has changed, for without Christ there is no heart change in man. We will continue an ever-expanding sinfulness and depravity.
We have brought the curses of God upon America which are contained in Deuteronomy 28 beginning after verse 14. We are reaping these today.
Not stopping there go to verses 11-16 and read: 11We all growl like bears;
we moan mournfully like doves.
We look for justice, but find none;
for deliverance, but it is far away.
12 For our offenses are many in your sight,
and our sins testify against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities:
13 rebellion and treachery against the Lord,
turning our backs on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,
uttering lies our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice is driven back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm achieved salvation for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him.
Verse 11- we all complain about the sinfulness which surround us bears or coo like doves. There is no human deliverance from sinfulness or depravity in the hearts of men. We want justice but without God for we no longer hear, we have turned away and are sinful.
Verse 12 could easily be said as it is in the New Testament in Romans, Chapter 3 which I will just highlight here. Look up verses 10-19 and read it all if the Holy Spirit leads you. But the abbreviated versions says this-
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
no one understands;
no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
all have ether become worthless;
no one who does good,
not even one.”[b]
13 “throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15 “are swift to shed blood;
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f]
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]
This is where we are in America just think about what you have been watching over the last few months and weeks. We are a sinful people. The church as the priesthood of the believer needs to repent for the sin of all America. Priests need to intercede. Does your heart sense God’s grief over our nation? If it doesn’t then you have missed the heart of God. He is counting on your character to cause you to repent individually and then corporately for this nation. America must repent and so must the churches repent to see the heart of God. Why, because as stated in verse 14, there is no justice and righteousness is far off. Without God none of these exist.
As in verse 15 - Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. Isn’t this the cancel culture? You speak out for God and boom you are wacked. You are not entitled or qualified to be part of the market square. Your religion and your opinion is irrelevant.
So God did something because of His hate for sin and evil – See last part of verse 15 and 16:
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.
The only cure for sinful men is the righteousness of Christ II Corinthians 5: 21 says, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Justice, grace, mercy, peace and righteousness all come from God. Apart from God there is only sin. The churches in America must become the ‘priesthood of the believer” and repent and intercede with God.
Will you commit to praying, fasting and interceding with God today? We need God and His righteous right hand in our land. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Amen.
Please pray and fast today to have truth and righteousness restored. Which only God can do.
Character Matters to God
Do you believe character matters to God? Look at the OT, it took God years to mold the character of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph to lead the people of God. Moses required major retrofitting and Joshua was in training with Moses almost his whole life. Noah was the only one righteous in the whole generation that God was able to save and continue the existence of the human race.
The character of Eli the Priest, because of his failure to discipline his two sons, and that of King Saul to be obedient to the commands of God, disqualified them from being acceptable before God and He punished them and their descendants. The same could be said of Sampson but in his death, God granted him a measure of redemption.
Now this is not to say that the other characters in the bible are perfect, the answer is no they were not. God presents to us the fact that all are flawed. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The is none righteous no not one! Only by grace are you and I saved in Christ by faith alone.
Therefore we can conclude, the character of a nation’s leaders, both religious and political/social, is generally a reflection of the character of the people and the nation from which they are drawn. We see this when we research and study in First and Second Kings, Chronicles and in the New Testament with the Pharisees and Sadducees. When the depravity and sinfulness of the leaders is clearly evident, it is reflected clearly in the people and within the people it becomes the characteristic of that nation. Why do you suppose that Jonah hated Nineveh? Because the sadistic and barbarous character and hatefulness of the nation was reflected in how they destroyed and punished nations they conquered. And their demonstrated character was how they lived generally. Jonah wanted them punished.
Take this understanding and apply it to what you are seeing reflected in the leadership of America today. Our behavior reflects the character of we the people and is fueled by our leaders in general. This is what happens to any nation which departs from God. Again God’s Bible doesn’t mince words, nor fail to show all the warts and pimples of the people it reports on. And the central focus of this book is supposedly on the godliest nation the Jews, and subsequently Christians, not the most depraved which are many.
Well guess what, what was true in the old testament in the book of Deuteronomy is true today. When the heart of a nation or it’s people or the nation as a whole turn away, and they no longer hear, and they go and serve other gods, and then they worship them. This is what you are seeing displayed across the world is the depraved sinfulness of and unrepentant and God denying nation, call it America post-election 2020.
Americans rejected God after WWII and God sent Korea. We stepped further away in the early 1950s and we had Viet Nam. We killed a president in 1960’s. Beginning in 1963 the Priests in the high court (the black robes of the Supreme court} of our country, told us that self was more important that God. Then education was now free to assume the role of interpreting moral leadership in our schools. God’s absolute truth was no longer functioning as the moral authority for our nation. Then it was deemed that truth was no longer required in the courtroom nor that pesky standard of those outdated moral epitaphs the Ten commandments. After all man is basically good and just needed better circumstances, better living conditions and better health to be all He or she could be.
Self if trained under the right conditions was going to be self-regulated. Well I think we know how well that experiment has worked out without God.
IN THAT same period we became covenant breakers and finally with the accelerating moral depravity God said enough and terminated His covenant on 9/11- Read the Harbinger book to know this is true. The straw which is breaking our back is our unparalleled access and acceptance of abortion. This was the final straw in Israel and also in America. The supreme stamp of total moral depravity is the willingness to accept the death of the helpless on the altar of self. We conveniently label this choice which is an abomination to God. Self-worship is putting ourselves before God. Remember the first commandment # 1 !
Our rejection of God’s standard for marriage and our convenient disregard for this sacrament comes because we do not honor His righteous standard. The same is true for schools and so on and on.
Then, God gave us, as He did with Israel, 19 years to repent and return. But our nation further sinned and raced, not walked, but raced, apart from God. What was true with Israel has now became true in America and the reaping was shown when God chose to allow the total corruption, hate and deceitfulness demonstrated during and after the election of 2020. Oh, by the way COVID is pestilence and it came upon us as part of His judgement for our sin. China may be the vector to enable it to happen, but make no mistake about the hand of God allowing this to take place.
Now under our new leader we have been dictated to in 47 perverse, illegal and unconstitutional executive orders. He is bypassing the constitution, established legal code and acting as a dictator. In this elected President and his handlers we are seeing the total depravity and unraveling of the blessings given to us by God. Inalienable rights given and mandated by God no longer exist in this nation and the fascists are coming after believers. Controlling the media and limiting our ability to communicate freely of what is truth. There will no longer be freedom because of the technocracy.
So we have seen now and are experiencing the corruption and control of what used to be the 4th estate.{the press/News} Control is being instituted and codified by the bureaucracy of unelected officials who are government workers. We call them the swamp. The multiple failures of democracy in the nation of France over the past hundred years is directly attributed to the bureaucracy which was called then and should be continued -the Fifth Estate- the swamp. Unelected, unaccountable, public officials who are intent on punishing the enemies of the state which they define is you - Christian. Basically they have the power to say who is right and who is wrong. Not your not elected officials but the bureaucracy establishes life and death.
So what does God say about all of this mess? In Isaiah 59 He says quite a lot. You are welcome to read the entire chapter but I will comment and use selected verses. Let’s begin with verses 1-4
59 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated
you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are stained with blood,
your fingers with guilt.
Your lips have spoken falsely,
and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4 No one calls for justice;
no one pleads a case with integrity.
They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.
Verses1 & 2 – God is still able to save and cleanse His people, His power never changes. And despite what all are saying, He is able to hear the cries of His people (Ex. 3). But because of your sin, you individually and you as a nation, have separated yourselves from God. He will not hear and He will do no mighty works because of unbelief. His face is hidden.
Verse 3- you have killed the innocent, your own blood and remain unrepentant – the guilt is still upon your hands. You lie, you blaspheme against God and the knowledge of the true God is denied. Oh by the way you worship other Gods in disobedience to His direct command and you kill (murder innocents). And on top of this you lie about it and you mouths speak obscenities toward God and His holy people.
Verse 4 – There is no righteous judgement available within the land (think courts). Does this strike a note within America’s court systems. The rule of law is non-existent, judges do what is right in their own eyes. Integrity of character is missing in all elements of justice – in the prosecution, in the defense, in the execution of justice decisions within the confines of the law. Everything is perverted and despicable. All our arguments are empty of truth. They are all prejudiced to evil not righteousness. The net result is evil unleashed across the land. How about abortion as just one example.
Don’t you see, Isaiah was written 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, but God knows the hearts of men. Nothing has changed, for without Christ there is no heart change in man. We will continue an ever-expanding sinfulness and depravity.
We have brought the curses of God upon America which are contained in Deuteronomy 28 beginning after verse 14. We are reaping these today.
Not stopping there go to verses 11-16 and read: 11We all growl like bears;
we moan mournfully like doves.
We look for justice, but find none;
for deliverance, but it is far away.
12 For our offenses are many in your sight,
and our sins testify against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities:
13 rebellion and treachery against the Lord,
turning our backs on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,
uttering lies our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice is driven back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm achieved salvation for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him.
Verse 11- we all complain about the sinfulness which surround us bears or coo like doves. There is no human deliverance from sinfulness or depravity in the hearts of men. We want justice but without God for we no longer hear, we have turned away and are sinful.
Verse 12 could easily be said as it is in the New Testament in Romans, Chapter 3 which I will just highlight here. Look up verses 10-19 and read it all if the Holy Spirit leads you. But the abbreviated versions says this-
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
no one understands;
no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
all have ether become worthless;
no one who does good,
not even one.”[b]
13 “throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15 “are swift to shed blood;
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f]
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]
This is where we are in America just think about what you have been watching over the last few months and weeks. We are a sinful people. The church as the priesthood of the believer needs to repent for the sin of all America. Priests need to intercede. Does your heart sense God’s grief over our nation? If it doesn’t then you have missed the heart of God. He is counting on your character to cause you to repent individually and then corporately for this nation. America must repent and so must the churches repent to see the heart of God. Why, because as stated in verse 14, there is no justice and righteousness is far off. Without God none of these exist.
As in verse 15 - Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. Isn’t this the cancel culture? You speak out for God and boom you are wacked. You are not entitled or qualified to be part of the market square. Your religion and your opinion is irrelevant.
So God did something because of His hate for sin and evil – See last part of verse 15 and 16:
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.
The only cure for sinful men is the righteousness of Christ II Corinthians 5: 21 says, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Justice, grace, mercy, peace and righteousness all come from God. Apart from God there is only sin. The churches in America must become the ‘priesthood of the believer” and repent and intercede with God.
Will you commit to praying, fasting and interceding with God today? We need God and His righteous right hand in our land. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Amen.
Please pray and fast today to have truth and righteousness restored. Which only God can do.
January 31
Today as we should always do is to open with the Word of God. Opening with God’s Word allows us to gain God’s perspective before we begin to assess our own personal and world events. We need to repeatedly do this to gain God’s perspective, as we approach the times we live in today.
So as we begin let us start with a root or base verse, upon which to focus and build our lesson, as we begin today. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Now did you catch the main idea? We are not to be fearful or panicking about our lives or our circumstances but to trust in, and to have hope in Christ. The reason is God has given us the Holy Spirit and His great and wonderful promises. His Word and His character and His power stand behind every promise made in our Bibles. Question is do you know what they are? If you are not standing on promises, yes that is right standing on the promises of God, then you are missing your birthright as a believer and you will not truly experience all he love and power available in God to you and in having a sound mind. Read on for more.
Turn with me to Second Peter Chapter 1, verse 1 let’s read, Simon Peter, a bondservant and aapostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have 1obtained blike 2precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 cGrace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His ddivine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ewho called us by glory and virtue, 4 fby which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be gpartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. {You must work to attain the following:}
5 But also for this very reason, hgiving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue iknowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control 4perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and jto brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither 5barren knor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is lshort sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Pray with me! May this word of God dwell richly in you and we grow thereby. Amen
Historically, we need to remember and understand the perspective of the Holy Spirit of God as He expressed these truths through Peter. Peter like Paul at this time of his writing was shortly to become a martyr for his faith in Jesus. His execution was imminent and Peter was facing death. If you remember He was to be crucified and not right side up like Jesus but upside down.
In the history books, the period from 64-67 AD was a time when Nero caused massive persecution of Christians. night lights, gospel exploding. Faith of some lapsed in front of some believers. Romans hated the exclusivity of the worship of Jesus. They did not hate other religions, as long as there were many Gods. This of Christ alone was a hated concept especially since the Roman Caesars declared themselves as Gods on earth.
So what can we learn from our text. Well to begin with we need to go to verse 13 for some added perspective
Peter’s Approaching Death
13 Yes, I think it is right, pas long as I am in this 6tent,qto stir you up by reminding you, 14 rknowing that shortly I must 7put off my tent, just as sour Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my 8decease.
Paul is writing to remind the believers who will remain after his death to understand, he has hope and that others should have hope and confidence even in the midst of the trials which they were facing. So the message for today is there is hope. Hope in the one and only, who has defeated death, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s now jump into His letter -
Paul identifies himself as the writer and is a letter to those in what we call today – Turkey. As an apostle Peter went in the authority of God to deliver a message to those in Jerusalem ( his home), Judea (his neighbors and relations), Samaria (those on the other side of the tracks, them heathens over there) and to the utter most parts of the earth (any outside of Israel and the accepted community of believers). I have to tell you this is our mission field as well. Now many believers fled the disaster and hate which was being spawned by Rome, but because the known world was ruled by Rome for the most part it was difficult if not impossible to escape.
Have obtained a like and precious faith by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter is reinforcing the fact that he has the same faith that you do if you have trusted in the Son of God as your Lord and Savior. You have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to believe in and on the name of Jesus Christ. The righteousness of Jesus is now yours. This reflects Peter’s confession to Jesus the “thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” in John 6:69. And Peter is reminding you and I that we have a “like” or similar faith. The source is the same.
Peter requests and bequeaths the blessings of grace and peace which only can come from a relationship with the Father and His Son. Where we start getting into the meat is in verse 3 3 as His ddivine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ewho called us by glory and virtue
His divine power- what power? God’s great creation and redemptions power displayed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is God’s power which enable creation, Creation of the world and recreation of you and as a new person in Christ our Lord. Remember old things has passed away. Behold all things have become new. Romans 1:16 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. God’s divine power is working in you today. Do you recognize His activity?
Now to the second part of the sentence, His divine power, has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. All things that pertain to life and godliness- what might that be? Do you think there is a reason God in Christ gave you a bible? Do you actually read it and study its words? Over and over again He tells you He loves you and He wants you to have life. He tells us in the Old Testament – therefore choose life- how my studying and meditating on the Word of God. In the NT – Jesus tells us, The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63). So to have everything that relates to life and Godliness where might they be – in the Bible. Second part of this is not only does God give you His Word and His words are life and lead to godliness but He gives you Himself. The Holy Spirit of God takes the word of God as you study and moves it from your mind to your heart and then will enable you to walk in it and be obedient to it. So the Teacher, the Spirit of Truth guides you into all truth. And Jesus word is truth for He is the Truth. Amen
Verse 4 and if we get no further than verse 4 you got the meat and you need to chew and digest it.
4 fby which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be gpartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. {You must work to attain the following:}
So class I ask you a question where do you find the great and precious promises of God? That’s right in the Bible, but you must read it and study it. If you don’t read the warranty or the rule book or the parts manual you don’t know how things work. If you really want to do more than survive this life and prosper as a child of the King you must know what is says. Capiche? 2 Cor 3:18 says, 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as [b]by the Spirit of the Lord.
Because of God’s presence in us we are gpartakers of the divine nature, and because of His activity in our lives have escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. You see God in us and God giving us a new nature and the refining presence of the Holy Spirt working in us is transforming us. But constant exposure to the Word of God, prayer and fellowship are needed to enable us to fully realize what He wants us to become. That is why Peter expresses the idea in verse 5 of having diligence you may add to your faith. Read with me in verse 5 -5 But also for this very reason, hgiving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue iknowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control 4perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and jto brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither 5barren knor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is lshort sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Notice Peter is not afraid of death for back in verse 4 he has escaped the corruption in the world. And still God in Christ is building him up in the faith.
Take away – regardless of your circumstances today God is at work, but you must yield to His presence in obedience and work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
Today as we should always do is to open with the Word of God. Opening with God’s Word allows us to gain God’s perspective before we begin to assess our own personal and world events. We need to repeatedly do this to gain God’s perspective, as we approach the times we live in today.
So as we begin let us start with a root or base verse, upon which to focus and build our lesson, as we begin today. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Now did you catch the main idea? We are not to be fearful or panicking about our lives or our circumstances but to trust in, and to have hope in Christ. The reason is God has given us the Holy Spirit and His great and wonderful promises. His Word and His character and His power stand behind every promise made in our Bibles. Question is do you know what they are? If you are not standing on promises, yes that is right standing on the promises of God, then you are missing your birthright as a believer and you will not truly experience all he love and power available in God to you and in having a sound mind. Read on for more.
Turn with me to Second Peter Chapter 1, verse 1 let’s read, Simon Peter, a bondservant and aapostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have 1obtained blike 2precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 cGrace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His ddivine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ewho called us by glory and virtue, 4 fby which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be gpartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. {You must work to attain the following:}
5 But also for this very reason, hgiving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue iknowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control 4perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and jto brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither 5barren knor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is lshort sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Pray with me! May this word of God dwell richly in you and we grow thereby. Amen
Historically, we need to remember and understand the perspective of the Holy Spirit of God as He expressed these truths through Peter. Peter like Paul at this time of his writing was shortly to become a martyr for his faith in Jesus. His execution was imminent and Peter was facing death. If you remember He was to be crucified and not right side up like Jesus but upside down.
In the history books, the period from 64-67 AD was a time when Nero caused massive persecution of Christians. night lights, gospel exploding. Faith of some lapsed in front of some believers. Romans hated the exclusivity of the worship of Jesus. They did not hate other religions, as long as there were many Gods. This of Christ alone was a hated concept especially since the Roman Caesars declared themselves as Gods on earth.
So what can we learn from our text. Well to begin with we need to go to verse 13 for some added perspective
Peter’s Approaching Death
13 Yes, I think it is right, pas long as I am in this 6tent,qto stir you up by reminding you, 14 rknowing that shortly I must 7put off my tent, just as sour Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my 8decease.
Paul is writing to remind the believers who will remain after his death to understand, he has hope and that others should have hope and confidence even in the midst of the trials which they were facing. So the message for today is there is hope. Hope in the one and only, who has defeated death, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s now jump into His letter -
Paul identifies himself as the writer and is a letter to those in what we call today – Turkey. As an apostle Peter went in the authority of God to deliver a message to those in Jerusalem ( his home), Judea (his neighbors and relations), Samaria (those on the other side of the tracks, them heathens over there) and to the utter most parts of the earth (any outside of Israel and the accepted community of believers). I have to tell you this is our mission field as well. Now many believers fled the disaster and hate which was being spawned by Rome, but because the known world was ruled by Rome for the most part it was difficult if not impossible to escape.
Have obtained a like and precious faith by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter is reinforcing the fact that he has the same faith that you do if you have trusted in the Son of God as your Lord and Savior. You have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to believe in and on the name of Jesus Christ. The righteousness of Jesus is now yours. This reflects Peter’s confession to Jesus the “thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” in John 6:69. And Peter is reminding you and I that we have a “like” or similar faith. The source is the same.
Peter requests and bequeaths the blessings of grace and peace which only can come from a relationship with the Father and His Son. Where we start getting into the meat is in verse 3 3 as His ddivine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ewho called us by glory and virtue
His divine power- what power? God’s great creation and redemptions power displayed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is God’s power which enable creation, Creation of the world and recreation of you and as a new person in Christ our Lord. Remember old things has passed away. Behold all things have become new. Romans 1:16 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. God’s divine power is working in you today. Do you recognize His activity?
Now to the second part of the sentence, His divine power, has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. All things that pertain to life and godliness- what might that be? Do you think there is a reason God in Christ gave you a bible? Do you actually read it and study its words? Over and over again He tells you He loves you and He wants you to have life. He tells us in the Old Testament – therefore choose life- how my studying and meditating on the Word of God. In the NT – Jesus tells us, The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63). So to have everything that relates to life and Godliness where might they be – in the Bible. Second part of this is not only does God give you His Word and His words are life and lead to godliness but He gives you Himself. The Holy Spirit of God takes the word of God as you study and moves it from your mind to your heart and then will enable you to walk in it and be obedient to it. So the Teacher, the Spirit of Truth guides you into all truth. And Jesus word is truth for He is the Truth. Amen
Verse 4 and if we get no further than verse 4 you got the meat and you need to chew and digest it.
4 fby which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be gpartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. {You must work to attain the following:}
So class I ask you a question where do you find the great and precious promises of God? That’s right in the Bible, but you must read it and study it. If you don’t read the warranty or the rule book or the parts manual you don’t know how things work. If you really want to do more than survive this life and prosper as a child of the King you must know what is says. Capiche? 2 Cor 3:18 says, 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as [b]by the Spirit of the Lord.
Because of God’s presence in us we are gpartakers of the divine nature, and because of His activity in our lives have escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. You see God in us and God giving us a new nature and the refining presence of the Holy Spirt working in us is transforming us. But constant exposure to the Word of God, prayer and fellowship are needed to enable us to fully realize what He wants us to become. That is why Peter expresses the idea in verse 5 of having diligence you may add to your faith. Read with me in verse 5 -5 But also for this very reason, hgiving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue iknowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control 4perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and jto brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither 5barren knor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is lshort sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Notice Peter is not afraid of death for back in verse 4 he has escaped the corruption in the world. And still God in Christ is building him up in the faith.
Take away – regardless of your circumstances today God is at work, but you must yield to His presence in obedience and work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
January 24
Today as we should always do is to open with the Word of God. Opening with God’s Word allows us to gain God’s perspective before we begin to assess our own personal and world events. We need to repeatedly do this to gain God’s perspective, as we approach the times we live in today.
So as we begin let us start with a root or base verse, upon which to focus and build our lesson, as we begin today. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Now did you catch the main idea? We are not to be fearful or panicking about our lives or our circumstances but to trust in, and to have hope in Christ. The reason is God has given us the Holy Spirit and His great and wonderful promises. His Word and His character and His power stand behind every promise made in our Bibles. Question is do you know what they are? If you are not standing on promises, yes that is right standing on the promises of God, then you are missing your birthright as a believer and you will not truly experience all he love and power available in God to you and in having a sound mind. Read on for more.
Turn with me to Second Peter Chapter 1, verse 1 let’s read, Simon Peter, a bondservant and aapostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have 1obtained blike 2precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 cGrace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His ddivine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ewho called us by glory and virtue, 4 fby which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be gpartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. {You must work to attain the following:}
5 But also for this very reason, hgiving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue iknowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control 4perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and jto brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither 5barren knor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is lshort sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Pray with me! May this word of God dwell richly in you and we grow thereby. Amen
Historically, we need to remember and understand the perspective of the Holy Spirit of God as He expressed these truths through Peter. Peter like Paul at this time of his writing was shortly to become a martyr for his faith in Jesus. His execution was imminent and Peter was facing death. If you remember He was to be crucified and not right side up like Jesus but upside down.
In the history books, the period from 64-67 AD was a time when Nero caused massive persecution of Christians. night lights, gospel exploding. Faith of some lapsed in front of some believers. Romans hated the exclusivity of the worship of Jesus. They did not hate other religions, as long as there were many Gods. This of Christ alone was a hated concept especially since the Roman Caesars declared themselves as Gods on earth.
So what can we learn from our text. Well to begin with we need to go to verse 13 for some added perspective
Peter’s Approaching Death
13 Yes, I think it is right, pas long as I am in this 6tent,qto stir you up by reminding you, 14 rknowing that shortly I must 7put off my tent, just as sour Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my 8decease.
Paul is writing to remind the believers who will remain after his death to understand, he has hope and that others should have hope and confidence even in the midst of the trials which they were facing. So the message for today is there is hope. Hope in the one and only, who has defeated death, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s now jump into His letter -
Paul identifies himself as the writer and is a letter to those in what we call today – Turkey. As an apostle Peter went in the authority of God to deliver a message to those in Jerusalem ( his home), Judea (his neighbors and relations), Samaria (those on the other side of the tracks, them heathens over there) and to the utter most parts of the earth (any outside of Israel and the accepted community of believers). I have to tell you this is our mission field as well. Now many believers fled the disaster and hate which was being spawned by Rome, but because the known world was ruled by Rome for the most part it was difficult if not impossible to escape.
Have obtained a like and precious faith by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter is reinforcing the fact that he has the same faith that you do if you have trusted in the Son of God as your Lord and Savior. You have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to believe in and on the name of Jesus Christ. The righteousness of Jesus is now yours. This reflects Peter’s confession to Jesus the “thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” in John 6:69. And Peter is reminding you and I that we have a “like” or similar faith. The source is the same.
Peter requests and bequeaths the blessings of grace and peace which only can come from a relationship with the Father and His Son. Where we start getting into the meat is in verse 3 3 as His ddivine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ewho called us by glory and virtue
His divine power- what power? God’s great creation and redemptions power displayed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is God’s power which enable creation, Creation of the world and recreation of you and as a new person in Christ our Lord. Remember old things has passed away. Behold all things have become new. Romans 1:16 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. God’s divine power is working in you today. Do you recognize His activity?
Now to the second part of the sentence, His divine power, has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. All things that pertain to life and godliness- what might that be? Do you think there is a reason God in Christ gave you a bible? Do you actually read it and study its words? Over and over again He tells you He loves you and He wants you to have life. He tells us in the Old Testament – therefore choose life- how my studying and meditating on the Word of God. In the NT – Jesus tells us, The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63). So to have everything that relates to life and Godliness where might they be – in the Bible. Second part of this is not only does God give you His Word and His words are life and lead to godliness but He gives you Himself. The Holy Spirit of God takes the word of God as you study and moves it from your mind to your heart and then will enable you to walk in it and be obedient to it. So the Teacher, the Spirit of Truth guides you into all truth. And Jesus word is truth for He is the Truth. Amen
Verse 4 and if we get no further than verse 4 you got the meat and you need to chew and digest it.
4 fby which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be gpartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. {You must work to attain the following:}
So class I ask you a question where do you find the great and precious promises of God? That’s right in the Bible, but you must read it and study it. If you don’t read the warranty or the rule book or the parts manual you don’t know how things work. If you really want to do more than survive this life and prosper as a child of the King you must know what is says. Capiche? 2 Cor 3:18 says, 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as [b]by the Spirit of the Lord.
Because of God’s presence in us we are gpartakers of the divine nature, and because of His activity in our lives have escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. You see God in us and God giving us a new nature and the refining presence of the Holy Spirt working in us is transforming us. But constant exposure to the Word of God, prayer and fellowship are needed to enable us to fully realize what He wants us to become. That is why Peter expresses the idea in verse 5 of having diligence you may add to your faith. Read with me in verse 5 -5 But also for this very reason, hgiving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue iknowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control 4perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and jto brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither 5barren knor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is lshort sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Notice Peter is not afraid of death for back in verse 4 he has escaped the corruption in the world. And still God in Christ is building him up in the faith.
Take away – regardless of your circumstances today God is at work, but you must yield to His presence in obedience and work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
Today as we should always do is to open with the Word of God. Opening with God’s Word allows us to gain God’s perspective before we begin to assess our own personal and world events. We need to repeatedly do this to gain God’s perspective, as we approach the times we live in today.
So as we begin let us start with a root or base verse, upon which to focus and build our lesson, as we begin today. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Now did you catch the main idea? We are not to be fearful or panicking about our lives or our circumstances but to trust in, and to have hope in Christ. The reason is God has given us the Holy Spirit and His great and wonderful promises. His Word and His character and His power stand behind every promise made in our Bibles. Question is do you know what they are? If you are not standing on promises, yes that is right standing on the promises of God, then you are missing your birthright as a believer and you will not truly experience all he love and power available in God to you and in having a sound mind. Read on for more.
Turn with me to Second Peter Chapter 1, verse 1 let’s read, Simon Peter, a bondservant and aapostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have 1obtained blike 2precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 cGrace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His ddivine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ewho called us by glory and virtue, 4 fby which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be gpartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. {You must work to attain the following:}
5 But also for this very reason, hgiving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue iknowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control 4perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and jto brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither 5barren knor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is lshort sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Pray with me! May this word of God dwell richly in you and we grow thereby. Amen
Historically, we need to remember and understand the perspective of the Holy Spirit of God as He expressed these truths through Peter. Peter like Paul at this time of his writing was shortly to become a martyr for his faith in Jesus. His execution was imminent and Peter was facing death. If you remember He was to be crucified and not right side up like Jesus but upside down.
In the history books, the period from 64-67 AD was a time when Nero caused massive persecution of Christians. night lights, gospel exploding. Faith of some lapsed in front of some believers. Romans hated the exclusivity of the worship of Jesus. They did not hate other religions, as long as there were many Gods. This of Christ alone was a hated concept especially since the Roman Caesars declared themselves as Gods on earth.
So what can we learn from our text. Well to begin with we need to go to verse 13 for some added perspective
Peter’s Approaching Death
13 Yes, I think it is right, pas long as I am in this 6tent,qto stir you up by reminding you, 14 rknowing that shortly I must 7put off my tent, just as sour Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my 8decease.
Paul is writing to remind the believers who will remain after his death to understand, he has hope and that others should have hope and confidence even in the midst of the trials which they were facing. So the message for today is there is hope. Hope in the one and only, who has defeated death, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s now jump into His letter -
Paul identifies himself as the writer and is a letter to those in what we call today – Turkey. As an apostle Peter went in the authority of God to deliver a message to those in Jerusalem ( his home), Judea (his neighbors and relations), Samaria (those on the other side of the tracks, them heathens over there) and to the utter most parts of the earth (any outside of Israel and the accepted community of believers). I have to tell you this is our mission field as well. Now many believers fled the disaster and hate which was being spawned by Rome, but because the known world was ruled by Rome for the most part it was difficult if not impossible to escape.
Have obtained a like and precious faith by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter is reinforcing the fact that he has the same faith that you do if you have trusted in the Son of God as your Lord and Savior. You have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to believe in and on the name of Jesus Christ. The righteousness of Jesus is now yours. This reflects Peter’s confession to Jesus the “thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” in John 6:69. And Peter is reminding you and I that we have a “like” or similar faith. The source is the same.
Peter requests and bequeaths the blessings of grace and peace which only can come from a relationship with the Father and His Son. Where we start getting into the meat is in verse 3 3 as His ddivine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ewho called us by glory and virtue
His divine power- what power? God’s great creation and redemptions power displayed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is God’s power which enable creation, Creation of the world and recreation of you and as a new person in Christ our Lord. Remember old things has passed away. Behold all things have become new. Romans 1:16 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. God’s divine power is working in you today. Do you recognize His activity?
Now to the second part of the sentence, His divine power, has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. All things that pertain to life and godliness- what might that be? Do you think there is a reason God in Christ gave you a bible? Do you actually read it and study its words? Over and over again He tells you He loves you and He wants you to have life. He tells us in the Old Testament – therefore choose life- how my studying and meditating on the Word of God. In the NT – Jesus tells us, The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63). So to have everything that relates to life and Godliness where might they be – in the Bible. Second part of this is not only does God give you His Word and His words are life and lead to godliness but He gives you Himself. The Holy Spirit of God takes the word of God as you study and moves it from your mind to your heart and then will enable you to walk in it and be obedient to it. So the Teacher, the Spirit of Truth guides you into all truth. And Jesus word is truth for He is the Truth. Amen
Verse 4 and if we get no further than verse 4 you got the meat and you need to chew and digest it.
4 fby which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be gpartakers of the divine nature, having escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. {You must work to attain the following:}
So class I ask you a question where do you find the great and precious promises of God? That’s right in the Bible, but you must read it and study it. If you don’t read the warranty or the rule book or the parts manual you don’t know how things work. If you really want to do more than survive this life and prosper as a child of the King you must know what is says. Capiche? 2 Cor 3:18 says, 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as [b]by the Spirit of the Lord.
Because of God’s presence in us we are gpartakers of the divine nature, and because of His activity in our lives have escaped the 3corruption that is in the world through lust. You see God in us and God giving us a new nature and the refining presence of the Holy Spirt working in us is transforming us. But constant exposure to the Word of God, prayer and fellowship are needed to enable us to fully realize what He wants us to become. That is why Peter expresses the idea in verse 5 of having diligence you may add to your faith. Read with me in verse 5 -5 But also for this very reason, hgiving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue iknowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control 4perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and jto brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither 5barren knor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is lshort sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Notice Peter is not afraid of death for back in verse 4 he has escaped the corruption in the world. And still God in Christ is building him up in the faith.
Take away – regardless of your circumstances today God is at work, but you must yield to His presence in obedience and work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
Jan 17
Does America know now that she is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked?
The answer is no! America is in accelerating rebellion to our God. Do American Christians yet realize that God is serious and He has said “Enough” to the rebellion of people here? 9/11 should have been an adequate wake-up call but it was not enough. So now 19 years later, God has continued His judgement and we shall not be released until we repent. Our land was in covenant by the founding fathers to God, just as was Israel. Our History parallels Israel and so what God said to Israel about remaining faithful remains true to us today. The Glory of God has departed from our Land, just as He did in Israel. The covenant has been broken. We are a wicked nation – wickedness abounds! Ok Jim you say this but prove it to me. Just how is America wicked.
I. There is an absence of truth in America– the word of God is being restricted in the schools, in the courts, in the Congress and in the hearts of men and women. Truth is not being spoken in any of these domains men and women do what is right in their own eyes.
II. The schools in America do not teach truth and indoctrinate our children in sedition and rebellion. Parents rights are being trampled by the schools and teachers’ unions who supposedly know how to instruct our children better than you do
III. The Justice department no longer dispenses Justice but denies the truth of the constitution and does not bring democratic party operatives to justice but protects them from the laws of the country. The deep state is ruling supreme and is allowing the unelected elites to direct our country.
IV. American courts from the Supreme Court and all other courts to the local level no longer use the rule of law and the constitution as the basis for dispensing real justice. The is no justice for they fear the political elites and are paid lackeys of their masters. We have seen this when depositions, physical evidence and explicit videos are ignored and no court is willing to uphold the constitution for it might “disenfranchise some group of voters.”
V. There is no federal or state legislative body that has the courage to protect the rights stated and proclaimed in current state and federal constitutions. There are no rights guaranteed anymore except what the privileged few will be granted to themselves but not to you peons and deplorables.
VI. There are only fragmented church in America standing united against this tyranny and willing to take on the state in being salt and light, willing to stand as the vision set forth by our founders as “A City on the Hill.” Christians are not united in repentance or standing in the gap to defeat this wickedness in the heavenlies which is now firmly established at all levels in our country. We have abandoned the calling and commissioning of our Lord and our God.
The final blow against America is our willingness to allow our children to be sacrificed on the altar of “choice.” God is judging America now just as He did in the Old Testament because we are passing our children over the fire and murdering them. I just don’t think we understand the heart of God concerning the Children He gives us. Modern women grow up now with this attitude that they can freely have sex and use abortion as birth control. This comes from liberated women, the media and our supposed cultural norms. Do you realize this view casts God out the window? There is no place for the understanding that all new life comes from Him and is given even in sinful sexual relations, and in rape or incest which is less that 1% of all abortions in America today. God hated Israel for child sacrifice. Choice is child sacrifice and there is no way of sugar coating it.
Walk with me now as we look at the term wickedness as we move over the course of History and what God has shown us about wickedness
I will summarize a litany of inputs on Wickedness as we walk through Bible History - in Genesis 6:5, it says, The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. After this God destroyed all flesh with a Flood, save a remnant in Noah, for he was righteous of all those who remained.
Further in Gen 18:25 before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham asked God about the destruction of the Wicked;
Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do, right?”
Because of our wickedness in Lev 16:21 God provided a blood sacrifice for paying for the wickedness of the nation. It says there, (the priest) He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. This was the sin offering for the nation.
But what we learned in Genesis returns in full measure in 1 Kings 21:25, where it says, But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.
Proverbs 13:6 reminds us that Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, But wickedness overtakes him who is not, And elsewhere Proverbs {14:34}it says
Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people
Wickedness is also presented in the New Testament by the Apostle Paul in Eph 6:13 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the [a]wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [b]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
So we should not be surprised by current events which display wickedness and exalt killing by choice in America. Abortion is big money and big business. We all pay for abortion by the US Government budgeting money for Planned Parenthood.
What you are seeing and have seeing in this Presidency, in the media and in this election the uncovering of hostility in rejecting all things of God and acceptance across the board of wickedness, evil and perversity.
We are in judgement before God and America does not know it. The church need to stand and recognize the truth of Scripture On the basis of God’s Word in the book of Revelation our churches are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. There is lip service paid to the knowledge of God and the requirements of His Word for righteousness and holiness. We are told to set ourselves apart, but many believers have become welded to this culture and ownership of things. The first commandment God gave Moses is “to have no other Gods before Him and to only worship Him.” We have not been obedient to His call. Because we have not availed ourselves to Him and chosen life as it says in Deuteronomy 29, we have fallen away. Now all the curses of Deuteronomy 28:15 and beyond. Don’t believe me go there tonight and read through the curses God promises upon those who forsake Him. Cursed are your cities. Cursed is your nation. Your enemies no longer flee you and you are defeated. Cursed is you garden. Cursed are you in health - pestilence and disease shall strike you and on and on. Foreigners will assault you and oppress you and, in some instances, tear your nation apart, just like they did with the nation of Israel. There are some 40+ verses concerning what God brings to those who depart.
So this could be a very depressing message for some to realize the hand of God is strongly against America. I t has been for me for I have been in mourning all week as my heart is heavy with God’s hatred of sin. And finally recognizing that abortion of our children was and remains the final straw in God’s withholding Judgement on this country. How could He not judge us? Oh yes, He is merciful but this is willful disobedience and disregard. This is heart far from God. Let Me show you.
Deuteronomy 30 - 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
How did we in America go wrong? And is there anything which can be done? I will give you the quick answer it is yes but let’s answer the first question then how is God calling us. I this verse is the clear and concise answer - 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish;
We as Christians have turned away, we have now chosen not to hear; we no longer draw near to God, we serve the God of self, prosperity and things; and we serve the prince of the power of the air. If we continue God will cause us to perish.
1. Repent, humble and pray - II Chronicles 7:15
2. Fulfill Ezekiel 33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will [a]save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.
So Repent and become a dedicated watchman – pray and proclaim God’s truth to and where God will lead you.
Does America know now that she is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked?
The answer is no! America is in accelerating rebellion to our God. Do American Christians yet realize that God is serious and He has said “Enough” to the rebellion of people here? 9/11 should have been an adequate wake-up call but it was not enough. So now 19 years later, God has continued His judgement and we shall not be released until we repent. Our land was in covenant by the founding fathers to God, just as was Israel. Our History parallels Israel and so what God said to Israel about remaining faithful remains true to us today. The Glory of God has departed from our Land, just as He did in Israel. The covenant has been broken. We are a wicked nation – wickedness abounds! Ok Jim you say this but prove it to me. Just how is America wicked.
I. There is an absence of truth in America– the word of God is being restricted in the schools, in the courts, in the Congress and in the hearts of men and women. Truth is not being spoken in any of these domains men and women do what is right in their own eyes.
II. The schools in America do not teach truth and indoctrinate our children in sedition and rebellion. Parents rights are being trampled by the schools and teachers’ unions who supposedly know how to instruct our children better than you do
III. The Justice department no longer dispenses Justice but denies the truth of the constitution and does not bring democratic party operatives to justice but protects them from the laws of the country. The deep state is ruling supreme and is allowing the unelected elites to direct our country.
IV. American courts from the Supreme Court and all other courts to the local level no longer use the rule of law and the constitution as the basis for dispensing real justice. The is no justice for they fear the political elites and are paid lackeys of their masters. We have seen this when depositions, physical evidence and explicit videos are ignored and no court is willing to uphold the constitution for it might “disenfranchise some group of voters.”
V. There is no federal or state legislative body that has the courage to protect the rights stated and proclaimed in current state and federal constitutions. There are no rights guaranteed anymore except what the privileged few will be granted to themselves but not to you peons and deplorables.
VI. There are only fragmented church in America standing united against this tyranny and willing to take on the state in being salt and light, willing to stand as the vision set forth by our founders as “A City on the Hill.” Christians are not united in repentance or standing in the gap to defeat this wickedness in the heavenlies which is now firmly established at all levels in our country. We have abandoned the calling and commissioning of our Lord and our God.
The final blow against America is our willingness to allow our children to be sacrificed on the altar of “choice.” God is judging America now just as He did in the Old Testament because we are passing our children over the fire and murdering them. I just don’t think we understand the heart of God concerning the Children He gives us. Modern women grow up now with this attitude that they can freely have sex and use abortion as birth control. This comes from liberated women, the media and our supposed cultural norms. Do you realize this view casts God out the window? There is no place for the understanding that all new life comes from Him and is given even in sinful sexual relations, and in rape or incest which is less that 1% of all abortions in America today. God hated Israel for child sacrifice. Choice is child sacrifice and there is no way of sugar coating it.
Walk with me now as we look at the term wickedness as we move over the course of History and what God has shown us about wickedness
I will summarize a litany of inputs on Wickedness as we walk through Bible History - in Genesis 6:5, it says, The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. After this God destroyed all flesh with a Flood, save a remnant in Noah, for he was righteous of all those who remained.
Further in Gen 18:25 before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham asked God about the destruction of the Wicked;
Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do, right?”
Because of our wickedness in Lev 16:21 God provided a blood sacrifice for paying for the wickedness of the nation. It says there, (the priest) He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. This was the sin offering for the nation.
But what we learned in Genesis returns in full measure in 1 Kings 21:25, where it says, But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.
Proverbs 13:6 reminds us that Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, But wickedness overtakes him who is not, And elsewhere Proverbs {14:34}it says
Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people
Wickedness is also presented in the New Testament by the Apostle Paul in Eph 6:13 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the [a]wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [b]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
So we should not be surprised by current events which display wickedness and exalt killing by choice in America. Abortion is big money and big business. We all pay for abortion by the US Government budgeting money for Planned Parenthood.
What you are seeing and have seeing in this Presidency, in the media and in this election the uncovering of hostility in rejecting all things of God and acceptance across the board of wickedness, evil and perversity.
We are in judgement before God and America does not know it. The church need to stand and recognize the truth of Scripture On the basis of God’s Word in the book of Revelation our churches are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. There is lip service paid to the knowledge of God and the requirements of His Word for righteousness and holiness. We are told to set ourselves apart, but many believers have become welded to this culture and ownership of things. The first commandment God gave Moses is “to have no other Gods before Him and to only worship Him.” We have not been obedient to His call. Because we have not availed ourselves to Him and chosen life as it says in Deuteronomy 29, we have fallen away. Now all the curses of Deuteronomy 28:15 and beyond. Don’t believe me go there tonight and read through the curses God promises upon those who forsake Him. Cursed are your cities. Cursed is your nation. Your enemies no longer flee you and you are defeated. Cursed is you garden. Cursed are you in health - pestilence and disease shall strike you and on and on. Foreigners will assault you and oppress you and, in some instances, tear your nation apart, just like they did with the nation of Israel. There are some 40+ verses concerning what God brings to those who depart.
So this could be a very depressing message for some to realize the hand of God is strongly against America. I t has been for me for I have been in mourning all week as my heart is heavy with God’s hatred of sin. And finally recognizing that abortion of our children was and remains the final straw in God’s withholding Judgement on this country. How could He not judge us? Oh yes, He is merciful but this is willful disobedience and disregard. This is heart far from God. Let Me show you.
Deuteronomy 30 - 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
How did we in America go wrong? And is there anything which can be done? I will give you the quick answer it is yes but let’s answer the first question then how is God calling us. I this verse is the clear and concise answer - 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish;
We as Christians have turned away, we have now chosen not to hear; we no longer draw near to God, we serve the God of self, prosperity and things; and we serve the prince of the power of the air. If we continue God will cause us to perish.
1. Repent, humble and pray - II Chronicles 7:15
2. Fulfill Ezekiel 33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will [a]save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.
So Repent and become a dedicated watchman – pray and proclaim God’s truth to and where God will lead you.
Jan 2
Christ the Lord was born 2000 plus years ago and even before that in the Old Testament as far back as Cain and Abel, there has been this idea that abiding in the laws and structure of God is restrictive and punitive.
Think on this for a moment – what was the downfall of Adam and Eve, besides Adam not exercising leadership when that is what God created? Well, Satan’s temptation was related to “hath God said?” Satan’s idea was to put into the heads of the first man and woman that the God who lovingly created them and who set them in the Garden was withholding something from them that would make them ”as gods.” The idea again being that God was restricting them somehow and that there was something being kept back from them.
Cain’s hatred of Abel and his offering was caused supposedly because because God favored Abel, not that Cain had a problem. Cain could not fathom that God’s reference and warning to him about sin crouching at his door was a warning of the consequences of his hatred toward Abel and the hardness of his heart. The Farther wanted to keep Cain from making bad choices but Cain could not understand because of his sinful and rebellious heart. He had a heart condition.
Because of our sin and the hardness of men’s hearts, this would include the religious leaders of yesterday and today, many view the commandments of God as restrictive and punitive and potentially unfillable by human standards. Our statements and rationalizations are that temptation is just too great and God doesn’t understand our “human condition.” To put this in simpler terms we object because we think if we have to give up everything God’s laws and commandments demands, we will have no pleasure, fun and will miss all this world has to offer. Sounds a lot like Adam and Eve to me – we might miss something. Notice this, Satan has not changed his tune in the thousands of years he has been tempting men and women on planet earth. Oh, the packaging is different and the words today are “woke”, so that we think this is something new and different, but it remains the same temptation and questioning about the nature and character of our creator God. Do we believe that God looks out for our good and only wants what is best for us?
Looking at contemporary culture and our current world we have obviously bought into this lie completely. We can’t teach the bible in public schools, it might offend someone. The same with prayer, especially prayer in the name of Jesus. We can’t have people swearing on the bible in court – separation of church and state. Of course there are many others, but now, because there is no current standard of moral behavior except what you or I think, then I do what I think is right and as I want in our society. We did not believe that what God had in mind for us was what was best. Looking back on it now, maybe we chose the wrong path, for we see we are reaping what we have sown. We care nothing about babies in the womb. Animals have more protections than some humans do. Murder is up between 400 and higher percent in some cities, as is theft, rape, child abuse and pornography/sex trafficking. Yes people we have rejected the best God has for us and we have reaped the whirlwind.
I believe it is time we all had a lesson in reviewing the truth of God’s word and begin reapplying it our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren. We all need to pray that God will bring revival in us as a people who hunger for the word of God. Not to just hear the word of God, but to know it and live it. We need to understand that our job is to make disciples of all nations that includes our children/grandchildren. If you don’t have a burden for the Word of God and for God to bring teachers and teaching to OBC then you are missing what God is saying to the churches.
Here is what needs to be taught – one basic principle: Being in Christ includes and gives us freedom and deliverance from the strife and evil in this world. This requires obedience o God’s Word and dependence on the Holy Spirit. God’s promise beginning with Adam and Eve and continuing through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit today is that He loves you, only want what is best for you, has a plan for you and will enable you to live this out beginning today and every day thereafter. This is what I am trying to summarize by using the title of this message as “Included in Christ.” There are many scriptures which we could reference to stress these points and reinforce these attributes of God. However I have been led to Hebrews Chapter 1, verses 1 through 13 for today.
Our Lesson begins- Chapter 1, verse 1 God, who [a]at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the [b]worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had [c]by Himself [d]purged [e]our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
The Son Exalted Above Angels
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: {To none of the Angels created beings}
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?
And again:
“I will be to Him a Father,
And He shall be to Me a Son”?
6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:
“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But to the Son He says:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A [f]scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
10 And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, {Jesus did this}
And the heavens are the work of Your hands. {Yes Jesus did this}
11 They will perish, but You remain; {everlasting God}
And they will all grow old like a garment;
12 Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.”
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, {finished work}
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?
So let us parse these scriptures and see what God has revealed to us in each portion. Now before we begin I want you to know that all these verses in this opening chapter have a legacy in some cases word for word from the Old Testament. So this is not some babbling from the author but truth, remember this and you will be amazed.
Verse 1 says, God spoke through history and used different means and methods including a donkey, angels, dreams various signs and events to speak and encounter menfd.
Verse 2 - in these last days I have revealed myself by and through My Son by what He is and what He has accomplished or done. Jesus is the Son and so He inherits all things. And because His inheritance is eternal as Son of God and His inheritance is universal as it includes all things, persons. His Son has dominion over all things and He made the worlds and worlds can also mean ages in Greek. Thus all space, time and creation are His as is History, since it is His story we are talking about; and He is the mediator of the new covenant under the Father
Verse 3 – Jesus is the brightness of God’s glory and His radiance comes from God’s essential glory. This is not a reflected brightness but an inherited brightness since He is one with the Father in essence. Jesus’ brightness comes from His purity and His divinity. He is an exact representation of the Father who together with the Father is worshiped and glorified- the expressed image means the exact character or representation of His being. Jesus is one with the Father and is by definition God. Jesus said in John 14, He who has seen Me has seen the Father. Jesus by His word is the sustainer and maintainer of the Universe. So in addition to creating the Universe He directs and maintains all aspects of this world. The laws of nature are His laws which He put into effect. Now here is an interesting word purged, which means cleansed or purified. Do you realize the glory of redemptions is greater than the glory of creation? Jesus came not just to receive our sin but to purge it from God’s sight behind His back. And with that contrary to the Human earthly high Priest Jesus sat down for His work was now completed. Can you not grasp here that Jesus loves you and paid a high price for your cleansing to make you acceptable to God? Being included in Christ means being protected from the onslaught of all sin and evil by His love and compassion. This is just the opposite of what the world tries to tell you about being a Christian.
Verse 4 - the Son is better that the Angels, meaning higher than for they were created beings He is not. He existed before time began. Because of He is seated at the right hand of the Father and He accomplished redemptions He is esteemed above all Angels.
Verse 5 - today I have begotten you refers to the day Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father after His becoming our Messiah. I will be to Him a Father quotes the passage in 2 Sam 7:14 when He completed His mission on earth
Verse 6 – when He again brings is a reference to His second coming. Firstborn means He is first of those who are to come as a result of His work. He ranks above all others because of His service and sacrifice
Verse 7 - He is worshiped as God and is superior, the Angels are ministered Spirits and are servants
Verse 8 – Jesus is recognized for who He is. He is God
Verse 9 – Companions are close associates or partners. We {Christians}are included here with Christ as partners in His work. Praise God for His sovereignty and graciousness grant us favor before Him.
Verses 10 – 12 This text comes from Psalm 102, verses 12 -16, Jesus is the Lord who has come once and He will appear again in the future. Jesus is the only one who was God incarnate in Man. He is the second person of the Trinity, He is the one and only one to become a man. The universe will change but the Son of Man will remain forever unchanged.
Verse 13 - Christ remains at the right hand of God until His enemies are defeated. He is the Word incarnate even now.
Because of Jesus Christ you will inherit salvation and God will keep you in His presence until you have fulfilled your mission or until He calls us all home. All of what we have read is rendered unto those who have believed and have been persuaded that Jesus is Lord and He is God. God’s rules and orders are meant for your protection and not your harm. Only Satan could pervert and deceive men to reverse the truth of God and make it a lie. Satan was and remains a deceiver and will reap eternal punishment for his actions. We need to teach our children and our disciples the truth.
Father. we pray give us more to serve and to help in Jesus name .We ask humbly to use Oakland Baptist Church to glorify You and
Christ the Lord was born 2000 plus years ago and even before that in the Old Testament as far back as Cain and Abel, there has been this idea that abiding in the laws and structure of God is restrictive and punitive.
Think on this for a moment – what was the downfall of Adam and Eve, besides Adam not exercising leadership when that is what God created? Well, Satan’s temptation was related to “hath God said?” Satan’s idea was to put into the heads of the first man and woman that the God who lovingly created them and who set them in the Garden was withholding something from them that would make them ”as gods.” The idea again being that God was restricting them somehow and that there was something being kept back from them.
Cain’s hatred of Abel and his offering was caused supposedly because because God favored Abel, not that Cain had a problem. Cain could not fathom that God’s reference and warning to him about sin crouching at his door was a warning of the consequences of his hatred toward Abel and the hardness of his heart. The Farther wanted to keep Cain from making bad choices but Cain could not understand because of his sinful and rebellious heart. He had a heart condition.
Because of our sin and the hardness of men’s hearts, this would include the religious leaders of yesterday and today, many view the commandments of God as restrictive and punitive and potentially unfillable by human standards. Our statements and rationalizations are that temptation is just too great and God doesn’t understand our “human condition.” To put this in simpler terms we object because we think if we have to give up everything God’s laws and commandments demands, we will have no pleasure, fun and will miss all this world has to offer. Sounds a lot like Adam and Eve to me – we might miss something. Notice this, Satan has not changed his tune in the thousands of years he has been tempting men and women on planet earth. Oh, the packaging is different and the words today are “woke”, so that we think this is something new and different, but it remains the same temptation and questioning about the nature and character of our creator God. Do we believe that God looks out for our good and only wants what is best for us?
Looking at contemporary culture and our current world we have obviously bought into this lie completely. We can’t teach the bible in public schools, it might offend someone. The same with prayer, especially prayer in the name of Jesus. We can’t have people swearing on the bible in court – separation of church and state. Of course there are many others, but now, because there is no current standard of moral behavior except what you or I think, then I do what I think is right and as I want in our society. We did not believe that what God had in mind for us was what was best. Looking back on it now, maybe we chose the wrong path, for we see we are reaping what we have sown. We care nothing about babies in the womb. Animals have more protections than some humans do. Murder is up between 400 and higher percent in some cities, as is theft, rape, child abuse and pornography/sex trafficking. Yes people we have rejected the best God has for us and we have reaped the whirlwind.
I believe it is time we all had a lesson in reviewing the truth of God’s word and begin reapplying it our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren. We all need to pray that God will bring revival in us as a people who hunger for the word of God. Not to just hear the word of God, but to know it and live it. We need to understand that our job is to make disciples of all nations that includes our children/grandchildren. If you don’t have a burden for the Word of God and for God to bring teachers and teaching to OBC then you are missing what God is saying to the churches.
Here is what needs to be taught – one basic principle: Being in Christ includes and gives us freedom and deliverance from the strife and evil in this world. This requires obedience o God’s Word and dependence on the Holy Spirit. God’s promise beginning with Adam and Eve and continuing through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit today is that He loves you, only want what is best for you, has a plan for you and will enable you to live this out beginning today and every day thereafter. This is what I am trying to summarize by using the title of this message as “Included in Christ.” There are many scriptures which we could reference to stress these points and reinforce these attributes of God. However I have been led to Hebrews Chapter 1, verses 1 through 13 for today.
Our Lesson begins- Chapter 1, verse 1 God, who [a]at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the [b]worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had [c]by Himself [d]purged [e]our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
The Son Exalted Above Angels
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: {To none of the Angels created beings}
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?
And again:
“I will be to Him a Father,
And He shall be to Me a Son”?
6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:
“Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But to the Son He says:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A [f]scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
10 And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, {Jesus did this}
And the heavens are the work of Your hands. {Yes Jesus did this}
11 They will perish, but You remain; {everlasting God}
And they will all grow old like a garment;
12 Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.”
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, {finished work}
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?
So let us parse these scriptures and see what God has revealed to us in each portion. Now before we begin I want you to know that all these verses in this opening chapter have a legacy in some cases word for word from the Old Testament. So this is not some babbling from the author but truth, remember this and you will be amazed.
Verse 1 says, God spoke through history and used different means and methods including a donkey, angels, dreams various signs and events to speak and encounter menfd.
Verse 2 - in these last days I have revealed myself by and through My Son by what He is and what He has accomplished or done. Jesus is the Son and so He inherits all things. And because His inheritance is eternal as Son of God and His inheritance is universal as it includes all things, persons. His Son has dominion over all things and He made the worlds and worlds can also mean ages in Greek. Thus all space, time and creation are His as is History, since it is His story we are talking about; and He is the mediator of the new covenant under the Father
Verse 3 – Jesus is the brightness of God’s glory and His radiance comes from God’s essential glory. This is not a reflected brightness but an inherited brightness since He is one with the Father in essence. Jesus’ brightness comes from His purity and His divinity. He is an exact representation of the Father who together with the Father is worshiped and glorified- the expressed image means the exact character or representation of His being. Jesus is one with the Father and is by definition God. Jesus said in John 14, He who has seen Me has seen the Father. Jesus by His word is the sustainer and maintainer of the Universe. So in addition to creating the Universe He directs and maintains all aspects of this world. The laws of nature are His laws which He put into effect. Now here is an interesting word purged, which means cleansed or purified. Do you realize the glory of redemptions is greater than the glory of creation? Jesus came not just to receive our sin but to purge it from God’s sight behind His back. And with that contrary to the Human earthly high Priest Jesus sat down for His work was now completed. Can you not grasp here that Jesus loves you and paid a high price for your cleansing to make you acceptable to God? Being included in Christ means being protected from the onslaught of all sin and evil by His love and compassion. This is just the opposite of what the world tries to tell you about being a Christian.
Verse 4 - the Son is better that the Angels, meaning higher than for they were created beings He is not. He existed before time began. Because of He is seated at the right hand of the Father and He accomplished redemptions He is esteemed above all Angels.
Verse 5 - today I have begotten you refers to the day Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father after His becoming our Messiah. I will be to Him a Father quotes the passage in 2 Sam 7:14 when He completed His mission on earth
Verse 6 – when He again brings is a reference to His second coming. Firstborn means He is first of those who are to come as a result of His work. He ranks above all others because of His service and sacrifice
Verse 7 - He is worshiped as God and is superior, the Angels are ministered Spirits and are servants
Verse 8 – Jesus is recognized for who He is. He is God
Verse 9 – Companions are close associates or partners. We {Christians}are included here with Christ as partners in His work. Praise God for His sovereignty and graciousness grant us favor before Him.
Verses 10 – 12 This text comes from Psalm 102, verses 12 -16, Jesus is the Lord who has come once and He will appear again in the future. Jesus is the only one who was God incarnate in Man. He is the second person of the Trinity, He is the one and only one to become a man. The universe will change but the Son of Man will remain forever unchanged.
Verse 13 - Christ remains at the right hand of God until His enemies are defeated. He is the Word incarnate even now.
Because of Jesus Christ you will inherit salvation and God will keep you in His presence until you have fulfilled your mission or until He calls us all home. All of what we have read is rendered unto those who have believed and have been persuaded that Jesus is Lord and He is God. God’s rules and orders are meant for your protection and not your harm. Only Satan could pervert and deceive men to reverse the truth of God and make it a lie. Satan was and remains a deceiver and will reap eternal punishment for his actions. We need to teach our children and our disciples the truth.
Father. we pray give us more to serve and to help in Jesus name .We ask humbly to use Oakland Baptist Church to glorify You and
Dec 20
Well Christmas is just around the corner and I wonder are you prepared for the presence of the Lord? Mary in her address to the Angel about becoming the birth Mother of the Son of God utters this disclaimer “How can this be…for I know not a man?”
Read with me beginning in Luke Chapter 1 and verse 28 - 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; [e]blessed are you among women!”
29 But [f]when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I [g]do not know a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
It appears from our reading that even though Mary asks the question – How can this be? That she was prepared for being in the Presence of the Lord.
Let’s pause for a moment and consider Mary’s question. It was quite radically the best question asked by any human about this event until Paul and the other disciples and writers penned the New Testament. Mary’s question rolls down the ages for since the book of Malachi it had been 400 years since God spoke to Israel. They had been in a famine for the active word of God alive in Israel, for 400 long years. Mary’s question reflects on the entire events- from the Prophetic utterances about the savior, the messiah some 700-800 years previously, to this birth. Then as events will unfold over the next 30 some years to the ministry, to the trial, to the punishments by the Jews and the Romans of Jesus, to His death on the cross, to the tomb and then to the Resurrection – How could this be? But the questions keeps being pondered into the book of Act of the Holy Spirit down the centuries to today. How can this be? There is one and only one answer and it Is the activity and power of the word of God. Isaiah 55 10-11 tells us, 10“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me [c]void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
You see the answer to Mary’s question is that God spoke and sent His Son who is His living and physical Word. According to what we just read the in verse 11 - 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me [c]void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
When God speaks it is so, and when He speaks His word shall complete what God pleased to send to us and it shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it. Now if you remember Jesus said to those around Him. ”I have not come to do my own will but the will of Him who sent Me.” So God completes what He begins by sending Jesus and He is not done yet. Not until the last day of this current earth and it is consumed in fire.
To give you a point of reference consider the creation in Genesis 1, God spoke and it was good and even today with the sin and evil around us God’s word still prevails. The sun rises and set, the tides go in and out. The old earth continues as He created it, as do the rains, the seasons – spring, summer, fall and winter; in spite of ever-increasing sin and rebellion of His greatest creation – you and I.
But exactly what did God send? Well our prophet Isaiah did a good job of describing what God was going to do and the scope of it was high improbable and met provides us with the answers as to ”How can this be!” Go with me there and we will read.
Isaiah 42 beginning at verse 1
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My [a]Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And [b]smoking flax He will not [c]quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
5 Thus says God the Lord,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Beginning in verse 1-“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My [a]Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles
v.1 Behold – awaken and be aware My servant, My elect in who My Spirit dwells shall come to you. This is the servant of God Jesus Christ only He can bring about what is forecast in the following verses. The Spirit of God was resident upon and in Jesus which occurred at His baptism and He is the light unto the gentiles bringing redemption in His wings. He is the one who brings righteousness and redemption to the gentiles and to those of Israel who would believe on Him.
v.2 Cry out means to cry out in distress or cause His voice to be heard in the street is in suggestive to His rejection by the rulers and the people of the nation of Israel. He will not respond by weeping and wailing in the streets. He knows before He came of the hardness of men’s hearts yet He still came knowing without Him there could be no salvation or satisfaction to the sin between God and Man
V.3 A bruised reed refers to the poor and needy. The phrase not break is a negative statement meaning He will mend and restore those who have been bruised or hurt. A smoking flax refers to those who have almost lost their faith or their faith has faltered in the Lord. His righteous servant will come in power and authority to restore and to remedy the discouraged and disheartened.
v.4 He will not fail nor be discouraged. He will establish the new Covenant and will be greater than their father Abraham or Moses and the Law. He will bring grace and mercy.
v.5 Here the Lord God introduces Himself in majesty and in glory for all be has done. God is our source of all physical and spiritual life. Our very existence and opportunity for eternal life comes from He. The Servant is the one who frees His people from death and spiritual darkness – Jesus is not only Immanuel God with us, But He is the Light of the World.
v.6 The key words called, hold, keep and give besides relating back to verse 1.contrasts the one who brings righteousness., deliverance from Cyrus the King who gave them political and social deliverance. The Servant, who institutes the New Covenant, is the one who by this covenant conveys peace, creates an everlasting covenant and establishes a new covenant in His holy purified blood. For He is the sinless, perfect sacrifice. Here the phrase ‘the people” refers to the Gentiles. The light which illuminates the Gentiles is the Light of the World – Jesus Christ.
v. 7 As Light of the World, Jesus ,the Servant referenced here gives spiritual sight to the blind making it clear, He can give light to whosoever will that may come to call upon His name.
v. 8 Here God reveals Himself by sharing His name, which is clearly demonstrating His grace. His glory is in reference to His presence among His people.
In v.9 God is revealing new prophesies about His salvation by His Servant. Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
So what was Jesus Gifts to us at His birth? He reminds us we have been called and set apart to be God’s servants through His life. We also know being a servant means you are obedient to what the Master commands, where the Master commands and when the Master commands it. In the middle of America’s increasing hate and persecution of believers, in the middle of a nation which has lost its moral compass and is collapsing is deviant sin all around us, in the middle of the plague of the China Virus or Covid, we are to walk in love and respect and shed these abroad just as our savior did. We are to stand up for what is right and true- we are the city on a hill - Christians. We need not worry about what men may think or our Fathers, Mothers, children, best friends or whomever. We are to honor Christ with our lives. Prayer - O God give us the strength of moral courage to do what is on Your heart and not our own as we see the days getting darker and sicker. Help us to remember 2 Tim 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. And God you promise to uphold us so that nothing can bring us down, increase our faith. This we plead in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Well Christmas is just around the corner and I wonder are you prepared for the presence of the Lord? Mary in her address to the Angel about becoming the birth Mother of the Son of God utters this disclaimer “How can this be…for I know not a man?”
Read with me beginning in Luke Chapter 1 and verse 28 - 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; [e]blessed are you among women!”
29 But [f]when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I [g]do not know a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
It appears from our reading that even though Mary asks the question – How can this be? That she was prepared for being in the Presence of the Lord.
Let’s pause for a moment and consider Mary’s question. It was quite radically the best question asked by any human about this event until Paul and the other disciples and writers penned the New Testament. Mary’s question rolls down the ages for since the book of Malachi it had been 400 years since God spoke to Israel. They had been in a famine for the active word of God alive in Israel, for 400 long years. Mary’s question reflects on the entire events- from the Prophetic utterances about the savior, the messiah some 700-800 years previously, to this birth. Then as events will unfold over the next 30 some years to the ministry, to the trial, to the punishments by the Jews and the Romans of Jesus, to His death on the cross, to the tomb and then to the Resurrection – How could this be? But the questions keeps being pondered into the book of Act of the Holy Spirit down the centuries to today. How can this be? There is one and only one answer and it Is the activity and power of the word of God. Isaiah 55 10-11 tells us, 10“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me [c]void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
You see the answer to Mary’s question is that God spoke and sent His Son who is His living and physical Word. According to what we just read the in verse 11 - 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me [c]void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
When God speaks it is so, and when He speaks His word shall complete what God pleased to send to us and it shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it. Now if you remember Jesus said to those around Him. ”I have not come to do my own will but the will of Him who sent Me.” So God completes what He begins by sending Jesus and He is not done yet. Not until the last day of this current earth and it is consumed in fire.
To give you a point of reference consider the creation in Genesis 1, God spoke and it was good and even today with the sin and evil around us God’s word still prevails. The sun rises and set, the tides go in and out. The old earth continues as He created it, as do the rains, the seasons – spring, summer, fall and winter; in spite of ever-increasing sin and rebellion of His greatest creation – you and I.
But exactly what did God send? Well our prophet Isaiah did a good job of describing what God was going to do and the scope of it was high improbable and met provides us with the answers as to ”How can this be!” Go with me there and we will read.
Isaiah 42 beginning at verse 1
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My [a]Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And [b]smoking flax He will not [c]quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
5 Thus says God the Lord,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Beginning in verse 1-“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My [a]Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles
v.1 Behold – awaken and be aware My servant, My elect in who My Spirit dwells shall come to you. This is the servant of God Jesus Christ only He can bring about what is forecast in the following verses. The Spirit of God was resident upon and in Jesus which occurred at His baptism and He is the light unto the gentiles bringing redemption in His wings. He is the one who brings righteousness and redemption to the gentiles and to those of Israel who would believe on Him.
v.2 Cry out means to cry out in distress or cause His voice to be heard in the street is in suggestive to His rejection by the rulers and the people of the nation of Israel. He will not respond by weeping and wailing in the streets. He knows before He came of the hardness of men’s hearts yet He still came knowing without Him there could be no salvation or satisfaction to the sin between God and Man
V.3 A bruised reed refers to the poor and needy. The phrase not break is a negative statement meaning He will mend and restore those who have been bruised or hurt. A smoking flax refers to those who have almost lost their faith or their faith has faltered in the Lord. His righteous servant will come in power and authority to restore and to remedy the discouraged and disheartened.
v.4 He will not fail nor be discouraged. He will establish the new Covenant and will be greater than their father Abraham or Moses and the Law. He will bring grace and mercy.
v.5 Here the Lord God introduces Himself in majesty and in glory for all be has done. God is our source of all physical and spiritual life. Our very existence and opportunity for eternal life comes from He. The Servant is the one who frees His people from death and spiritual darkness – Jesus is not only Immanuel God with us, But He is the Light of the World.
v.6 The key words called, hold, keep and give besides relating back to verse 1.contrasts the one who brings righteousness., deliverance from Cyrus the King who gave them political and social deliverance. The Servant, who institutes the New Covenant, is the one who by this covenant conveys peace, creates an everlasting covenant and establishes a new covenant in His holy purified blood. For He is the sinless, perfect sacrifice. Here the phrase ‘the people” refers to the Gentiles. The light which illuminates the Gentiles is the Light of the World – Jesus Christ.
v. 7 As Light of the World, Jesus ,the Servant referenced here gives spiritual sight to the blind making it clear, He can give light to whosoever will that may come to call upon His name.
v. 8 Here God reveals Himself by sharing His name, which is clearly demonstrating His grace. His glory is in reference to His presence among His people.
In v.9 God is revealing new prophesies about His salvation by His Servant. Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
So what was Jesus Gifts to us at His birth? He reminds us we have been called and set apart to be God’s servants through His life. We also know being a servant means you are obedient to what the Master commands, where the Master commands and when the Master commands it. In the middle of America’s increasing hate and persecution of believers, in the middle of a nation which has lost its moral compass and is collapsing is deviant sin all around us, in the middle of the plague of the China Virus or Covid, we are to walk in love and respect and shed these abroad just as our savior did. We are to stand up for what is right and true- we are the city on a hill - Christians. We need not worry about what men may think or our Fathers, Mothers, children, best friends or whomever. We are to honor Christ with our lives. Prayer - O God give us the strength of moral courage to do what is on Your heart and not our own as we see the days getting darker and sicker. Help us to remember 2 Tim 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. And God you promise to uphold us so that nothing can bring us down, increase our faith. This we plead in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Dec 13
You know what I need a little Christmas cheer. Yes, I need some cheering up. This week, and this season over the past few years, has been unpleasant and difficult to say the least. After a series of difficult events that keep on coming, I was the beginning of get discouraged. So there is nothing like getting out of oneself and turning to the true word of God and seeking a little Christmas cheer. Instead of dwelling on our immediate and share family issues we need to look to what God has given us at Christmas. So, let’s share a little Christmas cheer and put some light on the darkness which wants us to curse the light and look into the loves pure light. Let’s share a lesson about -There is the Light of Life in Christmas.
No matter where you turn in God's Word, you’ll find that Christmas is about light, for Jesus is the Light of the world! We love to sing "Silent Night, Holy Night," but this great carol is not about night or darkness. It's about the light. "Son of God, / love's pure light / Radiant beams from Thy holy face, / with the dawn of redeeming grace."
Also when we sing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," we say, “Hail the Son of righteousness! / Light and life to all He brings, / risen with healing in His wings."
We sing at Christmas because we have something to sing about! Light has come into the world, and we need never walk in darkness again. In John 1:1-5, one of the richest passages of Scripture, explains why.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. 4In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness overcame it not.” (John 1:1-5)
What we learn from this text is Light Is A Wonderful Picture Of The Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s examine in greater detail some elements of Jesus as the light
I. First Jesus Is the Pure Light
Jesus life causes sin to be exposed, but He was never contaminated by sin. He could touch sinners, but sin never touched Jesus. He was undefiled and that means He was pure. When the Bible designates Jesus as the "light of the world," it's a signal which emphasizes Him as the sinless, stainless pure Son of God.
The Bible says He was "in the world" (John 1:10), but He was not of this world. Jesus did not have His origin here. Think about this: His birth in Bethlehem was not the beginning of His life! For in eternity past, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit always existed and were living. There was never a time when “God in three Persons, Blessed Trinity…” did not exist. Jesus together with the Father and the Holy Spirit have no beginning and there is no end. They are self-existent, meaning having life in themselves. We, you and I, are created beings
Therefore, because Jesus was not of this world, He is the pure, incorruptible Light. Jesus was the only Person who could look others in the face and say, "Which of you convicts Me of sin?" (John 8:46). The baby born in Bethlehem was the "true Light" (John 1:9), the pure light of heaven.
II. Next, Jesus Is the Constant Light
In our natural world, the speed of light is a constant. Albert Einstein said the reason he was able to construct his famous Theory of Relativity was because there is one thing in the world that is constant — the speed of light. Everything else is relative.
Jesus Is Our Constant in the Spiritual Realm
The sun will not shine for eternity. Its energy is slowly being used up. Even the sun will one day cease to shine, but the light of Jesus will illumine heaven throughout eternity! He is self existant and has life within Himself. He gives life and we get our life from Him.
III. Jesus Is the Source of all Light
What will be our light source in the Holy city in heaven in our future eternal home? Here is what the word of God says,
“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did illumine it, and the Lamb [the Lord Jesus Christ] is the light thereof.” (Revelation 21:23)
In our future heavenly home we will have no need for light switches, fuses, batteries, or utility companies, for He Himself will be our source of light. We will bask in the direct rays of His glorious light forever.
IV. Jesus Is the Vital Light
“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
In Jesus the Light and life are inextricably interwoven. From Science we know you cannot have life without light. When God brought life out of chaos in Creation, He said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), and the seas began to swarm with life. The seeds of earth began to bud and blossom. The activity of Light enables photosynthesis — which causes plants to produce food. The very abundance of life itself is built on the basis of sunlight. Without the presence of light, our world would become cold, dark and dead. If our world was slightly in miles in orbit either closer to or farther away around the sun we would either be incinerated or frozen solid. Only by God’s hand was the orbit of earth made exactly and precisely correct.
When Jesus the Son of God was born in Bethlehem, He came from heaven to give men and women life. When the Holy Spirit shined the light of the Gospel into our hearts, a divine photosynthesis took place, producing spiritual life where before there was only death.
The word of God says, “The entrance of Your words gives light.” (Psalm 119:130) Jesus is that very Light which shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Do you know that everywhere Jesus went during His earthly ministry, He brought land by definition it gave life? Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
V. Conclusion. So today if you need some Christmas cheer, allow Jesus to bring His Light — and Life — Into your personal Christmas.
We need to praise God for His perfect, changeless, constant light in the Lord Jesus Christ! No matter how cold and dark your world may seem, it can be brought back to life when the glorious light of the Son of God shines into your heart. There is no life without light.
The life and the light departed from Adam's race when he sinned in the Garden of Eden. But Jesus is the Light of the world. When we make Jesus Christ both Lord and Savior, the One who entered time and space as that little Babe in Bethlehem comes in, turns the light on, and life begins for us. He gives eternal life and eternal light to all who come to Him. In your need and in your want, Jesus invites you to come to Him – Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. That is exactly what the call was from the Angels- “Peace on earth, Good will to men.” Amen
Topic and subject materials modified from the preaching ministry of Adrian Rogers.
You know what I need a little Christmas cheer. Yes, I need some cheering up. This week, and this season over the past few years, has been unpleasant and difficult to say the least. After a series of difficult events that keep on coming, I was the beginning of get discouraged. So there is nothing like getting out of oneself and turning to the true word of God and seeking a little Christmas cheer. Instead of dwelling on our immediate and share family issues we need to look to what God has given us at Christmas. So, let’s share a little Christmas cheer and put some light on the darkness which wants us to curse the light and look into the loves pure light. Let’s share a lesson about -There is the Light of Life in Christmas.
No matter where you turn in God's Word, you’ll find that Christmas is about light, for Jesus is the Light of the world! We love to sing "Silent Night, Holy Night," but this great carol is not about night or darkness. It's about the light. "Son of God, / love's pure light / Radiant beams from Thy holy face, / with the dawn of redeeming grace."
Also when we sing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," we say, “Hail the Son of righteousness! / Light and life to all He brings, / risen with healing in His wings."
We sing at Christmas because we have something to sing about! Light has come into the world, and we need never walk in darkness again. In John 1:1-5, one of the richest passages of Scripture, explains why.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. 4In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness overcame it not.” (John 1:1-5)
What we learn from this text is Light Is A Wonderful Picture Of The Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s examine in greater detail some elements of Jesus as the light
I. First Jesus Is the Pure Light
Jesus life causes sin to be exposed, but He was never contaminated by sin. He could touch sinners, but sin never touched Jesus. He was undefiled and that means He was pure. When the Bible designates Jesus as the "light of the world," it's a signal which emphasizes Him as the sinless, stainless pure Son of God.
The Bible says He was "in the world" (John 1:10), but He was not of this world. Jesus did not have His origin here. Think about this: His birth in Bethlehem was not the beginning of His life! For in eternity past, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit always existed and were living. There was never a time when “God in three Persons, Blessed Trinity…” did not exist. Jesus together with the Father and the Holy Spirit have no beginning and there is no end. They are self-existent, meaning having life in themselves. We, you and I, are created beings
Therefore, because Jesus was not of this world, He is the pure, incorruptible Light. Jesus was the only Person who could look others in the face and say, "Which of you convicts Me of sin?" (John 8:46). The baby born in Bethlehem was the "true Light" (John 1:9), the pure light of heaven.
II. Next, Jesus Is the Constant Light
In our natural world, the speed of light is a constant. Albert Einstein said the reason he was able to construct his famous Theory of Relativity was because there is one thing in the world that is constant — the speed of light. Everything else is relative.
Jesus Is Our Constant in the Spiritual Realm
The sun will not shine for eternity. Its energy is slowly being used up. Even the sun will one day cease to shine, but the light of Jesus will illumine heaven throughout eternity! He is self existant and has life within Himself. He gives life and we get our life from Him.
III. Jesus Is the Source of all Light
What will be our light source in the Holy city in heaven in our future eternal home? Here is what the word of God says,
“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did illumine it, and the Lamb [the Lord Jesus Christ] is the light thereof.” (Revelation 21:23)
In our future heavenly home we will have no need for light switches, fuses, batteries, or utility companies, for He Himself will be our source of light. We will bask in the direct rays of His glorious light forever.
IV. Jesus Is the Vital Light
“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
In Jesus the Light and life are inextricably interwoven. From Science we know you cannot have life without light. When God brought life out of chaos in Creation, He said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), and the seas began to swarm with life. The seeds of earth began to bud and blossom. The activity of Light enables photosynthesis — which causes plants to produce food. The very abundance of life itself is built on the basis of sunlight. Without the presence of light, our world would become cold, dark and dead. If our world was slightly in miles in orbit either closer to or farther away around the sun we would either be incinerated or frozen solid. Only by God’s hand was the orbit of earth made exactly and precisely correct.
When Jesus the Son of God was born in Bethlehem, He came from heaven to give men and women life. When the Holy Spirit shined the light of the Gospel into our hearts, a divine photosynthesis took place, producing spiritual life where before there was only death.
The word of God says, “The entrance of Your words gives light.” (Psalm 119:130) Jesus is that very Light which shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Do you know that everywhere Jesus went during His earthly ministry, He brought land by definition it gave life? Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
V. Conclusion. So today if you need some Christmas cheer, allow Jesus to bring His Light — and Life — Into your personal Christmas.
We need to praise God for His perfect, changeless, constant light in the Lord Jesus Christ! No matter how cold and dark your world may seem, it can be brought back to life when the glorious light of the Son of God shines into your heart. There is no life without light.
The life and the light departed from Adam's race when he sinned in the Garden of Eden. But Jesus is the Light of the world. When we make Jesus Christ both Lord and Savior, the One who entered time and space as that little Babe in Bethlehem comes in, turns the light on, and life begins for us. He gives eternal life and eternal light to all who come to Him. In your need and in your want, Jesus invites you to come to Him – Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. That is exactly what the call was from the Angels- “Peace on earth, Good will to men.” Amen
Topic and subject materials modified from the preaching ministry of Adrian Rogers.
Welcome to COVID Christmas 2020 in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ – We are here in the midst of the Pandemic to lift up and to celebrate the name, person and ministry of our Savior. For He is our Christ and our Sin-Bearing Messiah. Amen
Let’s set the stage-In the midst of all the current fear, hatred, lying, dishonesty and spiritual darkness being sown by the forces of evil on earth and in the heavenly places, comes the Light of Heaven descending to the earth. The signature of His coming seen in Matthew and Luke is the light shining into the darkness. John’s Gospel records in Chapter 1 saying, “the light shines in the darkness and darkness comprehended it not.” That light is the Light of the World and His name is Jesus. The signature needed in America today is truth, not just any truth, but the truth of what is currently being hidden in the darkness. Now the light that illuminates the hearts of men and changes their spiritual destiny and produces new life is in Jesus Christ, as He is the Light shining in the darkness. Look, our basic and continuing problem is sin; it has corrupted the hearts of men. Assuming that even if the election is overturned, will that correct the problem of the sinful human heart? The clear answer is no.
Well if you thought it was bad before the election if the election is overturned there will be no end of the hate and discontent in America. Another term with Trump as President will cause the media and the far-left fascists to go apoplectic. More hate will be generated. Why, simply because hearts will not have changed. But there is one who can change everything and God has proven through time that He is able. Today in our lesson we need to concentrate on who Jesus is and what He did. We will do that by comparing what is said in Isaiah 53 verses 1 through 5, with what we He has accomplished. For Jesus is the only one who has ever changed the human heart and cleansed it and made it whole. As we turn our hearts to this lesson let us quietly be praying our God would meet the needs and hopes of everyone here and in Christian America today. Go with me now please to Isaiah 53 and let’s read. Our theme today is Christ is the gift at Christmas. Let us discover what He has given us.
Isaiah 53 -Jesus is our Sin-Bearing Messiah
1Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no [a]form or [b]comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no [c]beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and [d]rejected by men,
A Man of [e]sorrows and acquainted with [f]grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our [g]griefs
And carried our [h]sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
[j]Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded[k] for our transgressions,
He was [l]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes[m] we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord [n]has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Our Key verse and focus for this lesson is and will be on the first part of verse 2 - 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
We actually will begin with explaining this key verse and then move through the remainder of the verses looking at the gifts which Christ has given at Christmas. I hope you will see what wonderful and precious gifts our savior has provided. The Old Testament Book of Isaiah is the promise of His coming. The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the testament or the testimonies, affidavits, or witnesses, if you will, of His coming to earth.
The need of that day 2000+ years ago was for someone who is coud grow something out of dry, hardened and infertile ground.
This same need is present today such as in the disaster of this election and the deceit and deception surrounding it.
As the verse states, Jesus coming in that day was like a tender plant in the midst of parched hardened dry concrete. This type of ground offers no hope for nourishment and little or no hope for development and growth or for just survival. The soil is too hard and too dry to enable even the plants to penetrate the clay and crust. Yet in this prophecy Jesus was prophesied as a tender plant that would and could break through the hostile soil and overcome the dry, hopeless, lifeless environment to bring life, where the was none available.
How did this happen you might ask? When the birth of Jesus occurred it had been 400 years since there had been a spoken revelation God’s word to the people. They had been living in a famine of the word of God. God’s people were actually so hardened to the word of God they were unable to recognize Him when He stood in their midst. There had been no written record of God having spoken or said anything directly to His people, since Malachi. The leaders in the synagogues had had studied and memorized the Scriptures, but the words of these ancient texts were lifeless to them. So hostile had they become to the truth, that when God’s Son came and stood in there, they killed Him. The priests had become hostile to God and this was transmitted to the people despite. The Leader and Teachers of the Law had departed and their hearts had turned away. Despite all this Jesus’ arrival, life, death, burial and resurrection brought new life and new liberty given by God as a free gift to the earth. God still saw the in time and eternity that man was worth redeeming and that He has a plan and purpose for our lives, if we would accept His gift.
Jesus is the only One sent by God the Father, to deliver men and women, boys and girls out the dry, hardened, sinful ground of earth; and to set them free from sin in the spiritual realm and the heavenly places. This washing and conversion is called regeneration and only the pure, holy blood of Jesus Christ enables us to be cleansed and made whole. Jesus coming at Christmas is delivering on God’s promise in Isaiah for the salvation of Men. The only person able to renew sinful hearts is the Light of the World, the Christ child born in a humble manager for deliverance of sinful people and children out of darkness into His incredible light. This is the promise of Christmas and the babe in the manger. This light is our greatest need today, and for this we should pray earnestly and witness this in the middle of all this deception and lying. Our need is not better voting machines or a more fool proof process. Our greatest need in change heart out of dry ground and only Jesus can do this. He represents the power to cancel sin and forgive.
Let’s look now at this description made 8 centuries before the arrival of Jesus and marvel at the witness of God, who accomplishes His purposes and His will through time. We think we have it tough today, guess what? We were made for such a time as this- See the book of Esther. Now to the verses-
53:verse 1 Who has believed our report? The question implied that, in spite of these and other prophecies, only a few would recognize the Servant when He appeared. This anticipation found literal fulfillment at Christ’s first coming. Israel did not welcome Him at His first advent (John 1:9–11; 12:38). Paul applied the same prophecy to the world at large (Rom. 10:16). the arm of the LORD. At His first coming, the nation of Israel did not recognize the mighty, incarnate power and hand of God in the person of Jesus, their Deliverer.
53:2 before Him. Though unrecognized by the world (v. 1), Messiah Jesus was observed and groomed carefully by God, who ordered there and now every minute circumstance of His life. dry ground . . . no beauty that we should desire Him. Here we understand that the Servant will arise in lowly conditions and wear none of the usual emblems of royalty, making His true identity visible only to the discerning eye of faith.
53:3 despised . . . rejected . . . despised. Here Isaiah foresees the complete hatred and rejection by mankind toward the Messiah/God’s Servant, who suffered not only external abuse, but also internal pain and grief over the huge lack of response from those He came to save. This was a true burden who has a heart filled with the love of God (e.g., Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34). we hid . . . we did not esteem. Here in this part and by using the first person, the prophet spoke for his unbelieving nation’s aversion to receive and have faith in a crucified Messiah. This shows the depth of depravity, hardness of their heart and tot their lack of respect for the incarnate Son of God.
So Jesus gifted us in sin bearing despite our sinful selves. Despite who we are Jesus was looking to who we could be cleansed by His blood
53:4 borne . . . carried. Cf. vv. 11, 12. Even though the verbs are past tense, they predict happenings future to Isaiah’s time, i.e., “prophetic perfects” in Heb. here and elsewhere in this Servant-song. Isaiah was saying that the Messiah would bear the consequences of the sins of men, namely the griefs and sorrows of life, though incredibly the Jews who watched Him die thought He was being punished by God for His own sins. Matthew found an analogical fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ healing ministry (see notes on Matt. 8:16, 17), because sickness results from sin for which the Servant paid with His life (vv. 7, 8; cf. 1 Pet. 2:24). In eternity, all sickness will be removed, so ultimately it from the atonement.
53:5 wounded for our transgressions . . . bruised for our iniquities. This verse is filled with the language of substitution. Jesus is our substitute. The Servant suffered not for His own sin, since He was sinless (cf. Heb. 4:15; 7:26), but as the substitute for sinners. The emphasis is on Jesus being the substitute and the recipient of God’s wrath for sinners (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:3, 4; Heb. 10:9, 10). chastisement for our peace. He suffered the chastisement {the punishment} of God in order to purchase our peace with God. by His stripes we are healed. The stripe (the Heb. noun is singular) that caused His death has brought salvation to those for whose sins He died. Peter confirms this in 1 Pet. 2:24. This is the ultimate healing of God given to us from the gift of His Life
This is why Jesus is Immanuel God with us and in us forever and ever Amen. Have you opened the best gift you could ever be given? He gives you life, therefore choose life today!!!
Let’s set the stage-In the midst of all the current fear, hatred, lying, dishonesty and spiritual darkness being sown by the forces of evil on earth and in the heavenly places, comes the Light of Heaven descending to the earth. The signature of His coming seen in Matthew and Luke is the light shining into the darkness. John’s Gospel records in Chapter 1 saying, “the light shines in the darkness and darkness comprehended it not.” That light is the Light of the World and His name is Jesus. The signature needed in America today is truth, not just any truth, but the truth of what is currently being hidden in the darkness. Now the light that illuminates the hearts of men and changes their spiritual destiny and produces new life is in Jesus Christ, as He is the Light shining in the darkness. Look, our basic and continuing problem is sin; it has corrupted the hearts of men. Assuming that even if the election is overturned, will that correct the problem of the sinful human heart? The clear answer is no.
Well if you thought it was bad before the election if the election is overturned there will be no end of the hate and discontent in America. Another term with Trump as President will cause the media and the far-left fascists to go apoplectic. More hate will be generated. Why, simply because hearts will not have changed. But there is one who can change everything and God has proven through time that He is able. Today in our lesson we need to concentrate on who Jesus is and what He did. We will do that by comparing what is said in Isaiah 53 verses 1 through 5, with what we He has accomplished. For Jesus is the only one who has ever changed the human heart and cleansed it and made it whole. As we turn our hearts to this lesson let us quietly be praying our God would meet the needs and hopes of everyone here and in Christian America today. Go with me now please to Isaiah 53 and let’s read. Our theme today is Christ is the gift at Christmas. Let us discover what He has given us.
Isaiah 53 -Jesus is our Sin-Bearing Messiah
1Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no [a]form or [b]comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no [c]beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and [d]rejected by men,
A Man of [e]sorrows and acquainted with [f]grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our [g]griefs
And carried our [h]sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
[j]Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded[k] for our transgressions,
He was [l]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes[m] we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord [n]has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Our Key verse and focus for this lesson is and will be on the first part of verse 2 - 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
We actually will begin with explaining this key verse and then move through the remainder of the verses looking at the gifts which Christ has given at Christmas. I hope you will see what wonderful and precious gifts our savior has provided. The Old Testament Book of Isaiah is the promise of His coming. The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the testament or the testimonies, affidavits, or witnesses, if you will, of His coming to earth.
The need of that day 2000+ years ago was for someone who is coud grow something out of dry, hardened and infertile ground.
This same need is present today such as in the disaster of this election and the deceit and deception surrounding it.
As the verse states, Jesus coming in that day was like a tender plant in the midst of parched hardened dry concrete. This type of ground offers no hope for nourishment and little or no hope for development and growth or for just survival. The soil is too hard and too dry to enable even the plants to penetrate the clay and crust. Yet in this prophecy Jesus was prophesied as a tender plant that would and could break through the hostile soil and overcome the dry, hopeless, lifeless environment to bring life, where the was none available.
How did this happen you might ask? When the birth of Jesus occurred it had been 400 years since there had been a spoken revelation God’s word to the people. They had been living in a famine of the word of God. God’s people were actually so hardened to the word of God they were unable to recognize Him when He stood in their midst. There had been no written record of God having spoken or said anything directly to His people, since Malachi. The leaders in the synagogues had had studied and memorized the Scriptures, but the words of these ancient texts were lifeless to them. So hostile had they become to the truth, that when God’s Son came and stood in there, they killed Him. The priests had become hostile to God and this was transmitted to the people despite. The Leader and Teachers of the Law had departed and their hearts had turned away. Despite all this Jesus’ arrival, life, death, burial and resurrection brought new life and new liberty given by God as a free gift to the earth. God still saw the in time and eternity that man was worth redeeming and that He has a plan and purpose for our lives, if we would accept His gift.
Jesus is the only One sent by God the Father, to deliver men and women, boys and girls out the dry, hardened, sinful ground of earth; and to set them free from sin in the spiritual realm and the heavenly places. This washing and conversion is called regeneration and only the pure, holy blood of Jesus Christ enables us to be cleansed and made whole. Jesus coming at Christmas is delivering on God’s promise in Isaiah for the salvation of Men. The only person able to renew sinful hearts is the Light of the World, the Christ child born in a humble manager for deliverance of sinful people and children out of darkness into His incredible light. This is the promise of Christmas and the babe in the manger. This light is our greatest need today, and for this we should pray earnestly and witness this in the middle of all this deception and lying. Our need is not better voting machines or a more fool proof process. Our greatest need in change heart out of dry ground and only Jesus can do this. He represents the power to cancel sin and forgive.
Let’s look now at this description made 8 centuries before the arrival of Jesus and marvel at the witness of God, who accomplishes His purposes and His will through time. We think we have it tough today, guess what? We were made for such a time as this- See the book of Esther. Now to the verses-
53:verse 1 Who has believed our report? The question implied that, in spite of these and other prophecies, only a few would recognize the Servant when He appeared. This anticipation found literal fulfillment at Christ’s first coming. Israel did not welcome Him at His first advent (John 1:9–11; 12:38). Paul applied the same prophecy to the world at large (Rom. 10:16). the arm of the LORD. At His first coming, the nation of Israel did not recognize the mighty, incarnate power and hand of God in the person of Jesus, their Deliverer.
53:2 before Him. Though unrecognized by the world (v. 1), Messiah Jesus was observed and groomed carefully by God, who ordered there and now every minute circumstance of His life. dry ground . . . no beauty that we should desire Him. Here we understand that the Servant will arise in lowly conditions and wear none of the usual emblems of royalty, making His true identity visible only to the discerning eye of faith.
53:3 despised . . . rejected . . . despised. Here Isaiah foresees the complete hatred and rejection by mankind toward the Messiah/God’s Servant, who suffered not only external abuse, but also internal pain and grief over the huge lack of response from those He came to save. This was a true burden who has a heart filled with the love of God (e.g., Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34). we hid . . . we did not esteem. Here in this part and by using the first person, the prophet spoke for his unbelieving nation’s aversion to receive and have faith in a crucified Messiah. This shows the depth of depravity, hardness of their heart and tot their lack of respect for the incarnate Son of God.
So Jesus gifted us in sin bearing despite our sinful selves. Despite who we are Jesus was looking to who we could be cleansed by His blood
53:4 borne . . . carried. Cf. vv. 11, 12. Even though the verbs are past tense, they predict happenings future to Isaiah’s time, i.e., “prophetic perfects” in Heb. here and elsewhere in this Servant-song. Isaiah was saying that the Messiah would bear the consequences of the sins of men, namely the griefs and sorrows of life, though incredibly the Jews who watched Him die thought He was being punished by God for His own sins. Matthew found an analogical fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ healing ministry (see notes on Matt. 8:16, 17), because sickness results from sin for which the Servant paid with His life (vv. 7, 8; cf. 1 Pet. 2:24). In eternity, all sickness will be removed, so ultimately it from the atonement.
53:5 wounded for our transgressions . . . bruised for our iniquities. This verse is filled with the language of substitution. Jesus is our substitute. The Servant suffered not for His own sin, since He was sinless (cf. Heb. 4:15; 7:26), but as the substitute for sinners. The emphasis is on Jesus being the substitute and the recipient of God’s wrath for sinners (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:3, 4; Heb. 10:9, 10). chastisement for our peace. He suffered the chastisement {the punishment} of God in order to purchase our peace with God. by His stripes we are healed. The stripe (the Heb. noun is singular) that caused His death has brought salvation to those for whose sins He died. Peter confirms this in 1 Pet. 2:24. This is the ultimate healing of God given to us from the gift of His Life
This is why Jesus is Immanuel God with us and in us forever and ever Amen. Have you opened the best gift you could ever be given? He gives you life, therefore choose life today!!!
Dec 6
Welcome to COVID Christmas 2020 in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ – We are here in the midst of the Pandemic to lift up and to celebrate the name, person and ministry of our Savior. For He is our Christ and our Sin-Bearing Messiah. Amen
Let’s set the stage-In the midst of all the current fear, hatred, lying, dishonesty and spiritual darkness being sown by the forces of evil on earth and in the heavenly places, comes the Light of Heaven descending to the earth. The signature of His coming seen in Matthew and Luke is the light shining into the darkness. John’s Gospel records in Chapter 1 saying, “the light shines in the darkness and darkness comprehended it not.” That light is the Light of the World and His name is Jesus. The signature needed in America today is truth, not just any truth, but the truth of what is currently being hidden in the darkness. Now the light that illuminates the hearts of men and changes their spiritual destiny and produces new life is in Jesus Christ, as He is the Light shining in the darkness. Look, our basic and continuing problem is sin; it has corrupted the hearts of men. Assuming that even if the election is overturned, will that correct the problem of the sinful human heart? The clear answer is no.
Well if you thought it was bad before the election if the election is overturned there will be no end of the hate and discontent in America. Another term with Trump as President will cause the media and the far-left fascists to go apoplectic. More hate will be generated. Why, simply because hearts will not have changed. But there is one who can change everything and God has proven through time that He is able. Today in our lesson we need to concentrate on who Jesus is and what He did. We will do that by comparing what is said in Isaiah 53 verses 1 through 5, with what we He has accomplished. For Jesus is the only one who has ever changed the human heart and cleansed it and made it whole. As we turn our hearts to this lesson let us quietly be praying our God would meet the needs and hopes of everyone here and in Christian America today. Go with me now please to Isaiah 53 and let’s read. Our theme today is Christ is the gift at Christmas. Let us discover what He has given us.
Isaiah 53 -Jesus is our Sin-Bearing Messiah
1Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no [a]form or [b]comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no [c]beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and [d]rejected by men,
A Man of [e]sorrows and acquainted with [f]grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our [g]griefs
And carried our [h]sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
[j]Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded[k] for our transgressions,
He was [l]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes[m] we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord [n]has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Our Key verse and focus for this lesson is and will be on the first part of verse 2 - 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
We actually will begin with explaining this key verse and then move through the remainder of the verses looking at the gifts which Christ has given at Christmas. I hope you will see what wonderful and precious gifts our savior has provided. The Old Testament Book of Isaiah is the promise of His coming. The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the testament or the testimonies, affidavits, or witnesses, if you will, of His coming to earth.
The need of that day 2000+ years ago was for someone who is coud grow something out of dry, hardened and infertile ground.
This same need is present today such as in the disaster of this election and the deceit and deception surrounding it.
As the verse states, Jesus coming in that day was like a tender plant in the midst of parched hardened dry concrete. This type of ground offers no hope for nourishment and little or no hope for development and growth or for just survival. The soil is too hard and too dry to enable even the plants to penetrate the clay and crust. Yet in this prophecy Jesus was prophesied as a tender plant that would and could break through the hostile soil and overcome the dry, hopeless, lifeless environment to bring life, where the was none available.
How did this happen you might ask? When the birth of Jesus occurred it had been 400 years since there had been a spoken revelation God’s word to the people. They had been living in a famine of the word of God. God’s people were actually so hardened to the word of God they were unable to recognize Him when He stood in their midst. There had been no written record of God having spoken or said anything directly to His people, since Malachi. The leaders in the synagogues had had studied and memorized the Scriptures, but the words of these ancient texts were lifeless to them. So hostile had they become to the truth, that when God’s Son came and stood in there, they killed Him. The priests had become hostile to God and this was transmitted to the people despite. The Leader and Teachers of the Law had departed and their hearts had turned away. Despite all this Jesus’ arrival, life, death, burial and resurrection brought new life and new liberty given by God as a free gift to the earth. God still saw the in time and eternity that man was worth redeeming and that He has a plan and purpose for our lives, if we would accept His gift.
Jesus is the only One sent by God the Father, to deliver men and women, boys and girls out the dry, hardened, sinful ground of earth; and to set them free from sin in the spiritual realm and the heavenly places. This washing and conversion is called regeneration and only the pure, holy blood of Jesus Christ enables us to be cleansed and made whole. Jesus coming at Christmas is delivering on God’s promise in Isaiah for the salvation of Men. The only person able to renew sinful hearts is the Light of the World, the Christ child born in a humble manager for deliverance of sinful people and children out of darkness into His incredible light. This is the promise of Christmas and the babe in the manger. This light is our greatest need today, and for this we should pray earnestly and witness this in the middle of all this deception and lying. Our need is not better voting machines or a more fool proof process. Our greatest need in change heart out of dry ground and only Jesus can do this. He represents the power to cancel sin and forgive.
Let’s look now at this description made 8 centuries before the arrival of Jesus and marvel at the witness of God, who accomplishes His purposes and His will through time. We think we have it tough today, guess what? We were made for such a time as this- See the book of Esther. Now to the verses-
53:verse 1 Who has believed our report? The question implied that, in spite of these and other prophecies, only a few would recognize the Servant when He appeared. This anticipation found literal fulfillment at Christ’s first coming. Israel did not welcome Him at His first advent (John 1:9–11; 12:38). Paul applied the same prophecy to the world at large (Rom. 10:16). the arm of the LORD. At His first coming, the nation of Israel did not recognize the mighty, incarnate power and hand of God in the person of Jesus, their Deliverer.
53:2 before Him. Though unrecognized by the world (v. 1), Messiah Jesus was observed and groomed carefully by God, who ordered there and now every minute circumstance of His life. dry ground . . . no beauty that we should desire Him. Here we understand that the Servant will arise in lowly conditions and wear none of the usual emblems of royalty, making His true identity visible only to the discerning eye of faith.
53:3 despised . . . rejected . . . despised. Here Isaiah foresees the complete hatred and rejection by mankind toward the Messiah/God’s Servant, who suffered not only external abuse, but also internal pain and grief over the huge lack of response from those He came to save. This was a true burden who has a heart filled with the love of God (e.g., Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34). we hid . . . we did not esteem. Here in this part and by using the first person, the prophet spoke for his unbelieving nation’s aversion to receive and have faith in a crucified Messiah. This shows the depth of depravity, hardness of their heart and tot their lack of respect for the incarnate Son of God.
So Jesus gifted us in sin bearing despite our sinful selves. Despite who we are Jesus was looking to who we could be cleansed by His blood
53:4 borne . . . carried. Cf. vv. 11, 12. Even though the verbs are past tense, they predict happenings future to Isaiah’s time, i.e., “prophetic perfects” in Heb. here and elsewhere in this Servant-song. Isaiah was saying that the Messiah would bear the consequences of the sins of men, namely the griefs and sorrows of life, though incredibly the Jews who watched Him die thought He was being punished by God for His own sins. Matthew found an analogical fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ healing ministry (see notes on Matt. 8:16, 17), because sickness results from sin for which the Servant paid with His life (vv. 7, 8; cf. 1 Pet. 2:24). In eternity, all sickness will be removed, so ultimately it from the atonement.
53:5 wounded for our transgressions . . . bruised for our iniquities. This verse is filled with the language of substitution. Jesus is our substitute. The Servant suffered not for His own sin, since He was sinless (cf. Heb. 4:15; 7:26), but as the substitute for sinners. The emphasis is on Jesus being the substitute and the recipient of God’s wrath for sinners (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:3, 4; Heb. 10:9, 10). chastisement for our peace. He suffered the chastisement {the punishment} of God in order to purchase our peace with God. by His stripes we are healed. The stripe (the Heb. noun is singular) that caused His death has brought salvation to those for whose sins He died. Peter confirms this in 1 Pet. 2:24. This is the ultimate healing of God given to us from the gift of His Life
This is why Jesus is Immanuel God with us and in us forever and ever Amen. Have you opened the best gift you could ever be given? He gives you life, therefore choose life today!!!
Welcome to COVID Christmas 2020 in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ – We are here in the midst of the Pandemic to lift up and to celebrate the name, person and ministry of our Savior. For He is our Christ and our Sin-Bearing Messiah. Amen
Let’s set the stage-In the midst of all the current fear, hatred, lying, dishonesty and spiritual darkness being sown by the forces of evil on earth and in the heavenly places, comes the Light of Heaven descending to the earth. The signature of His coming seen in Matthew and Luke is the light shining into the darkness. John’s Gospel records in Chapter 1 saying, “the light shines in the darkness and darkness comprehended it not.” That light is the Light of the World and His name is Jesus. The signature needed in America today is truth, not just any truth, but the truth of what is currently being hidden in the darkness. Now the light that illuminates the hearts of men and changes their spiritual destiny and produces new life is in Jesus Christ, as He is the Light shining in the darkness. Look, our basic and continuing problem is sin; it has corrupted the hearts of men. Assuming that even if the election is overturned, will that correct the problem of the sinful human heart? The clear answer is no.
Well if you thought it was bad before the election if the election is overturned there will be no end of the hate and discontent in America. Another term with Trump as President will cause the media and the far-left fascists to go apoplectic. More hate will be generated. Why, simply because hearts will not have changed. But there is one who can change everything and God has proven through time that He is able. Today in our lesson we need to concentrate on who Jesus is and what He did. We will do that by comparing what is said in Isaiah 53 verses 1 through 5, with what we He has accomplished. For Jesus is the only one who has ever changed the human heart and cleansed it and made it whole. As we turn our hearts to this lesson let us quietly be praying our God would meet the needs and hopes of everyone here and in Christian America today. Go with me now please to Isaiah 53 and let’s read. Our theme today is Christ is the gift at Christmas. Let us discover what He has given us.
Isaiah 53 -Jesus is our Sin-Bearing Messiah
1Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no [a]form or [b]comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no [c]beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and [d]rejected by men,
A Man of [e]sorrows and acquainted with [f]grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our [g]griefs
And carried our [h]sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
[j]Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded[k] for our transgressions,
He was [l]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes[m] we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord [n]has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Our Key verse and focus for this lesson is and will be on the first part of verse 2 - 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
We actually will begin with explaining this key verse and then move through the remainder of the verses looking at the gifts which Christ has given at Christmas. I hope you will see what wonderful and precious gifts our savior has provided. The Old Testament Book of Isaiah is the promise of His coming. The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the testament or the testimonies, affidavits, or witnesses, if you will, of His coming to earth.
The need of that day 2000+ years ago was for someone who is coud grow something out of dry, hardened and infertile ground.
This same need is present today such as in the disaster of this election and the deceit and deception surrounding it.
As the verse states, Jesus coming in that day was like a tender plant in the midst of parched hardened dry concrete. This type of ground offers no hope for nourishment and little or no hope for development and growth or for just survival. The soil is too hard and too dry to enable even the plants to penetrate the clay and crust. Yet in this prophecy Jesus was prophesied as a tender plant that would and could break through the hostile soil and overcome the dry, hopeless, lifeless environment to bring life, where the was none available.
How did this happen you might ask? When the birth of Jesus occurred it had been 400 years since there had been a spoken revelation God’s word to the people. They had been living in a famine of the word of God. God’s people were actually so hardened to the word of God they were unable to recognize Him when He stood in their midst. There had been no written record of God having spoken or said anything directly to His people, since Malachi. The leaders in the synagogues had had studied and memorized the Scriptures, but the words of these ancient texts were lifeless to them. So hostile had they become to the truth, that when God’s Son came and stood in there, they killed Him. The priests had become hostile to God and this was transmitted to the people despite. The Leader and Teachers of the Law had departed and their hearts had turned away. Despite all this Jesus’ arrival, life, death, burial and resurrection brought new life and new liberty given by God as a free gift to the earth. God still saw the in time and eternity that man was worth redeeming and that He has a plan and purpose for our lives, if we would accept His gift.
Jesus is the only One sent by God the Father, to deliver men and women, boys and girls out the dry, hardened, sinful ground of earth; and to set them free from sin in the spiritual realm and the heavenly places. This washing and conversion is called regeneration and only the pure, holy blood of Jesus Christ enables us to be cleansed and made whole. Jesus coming at Christmas is delivering on God’s promise in Isaiah for the salvation of Men. The only person able to renew sinful hearts is the Light of the World, the Christ child born in a humble manager for deliverance of sinful people and children out of darkness into His incredible light. This is the promise of Christmas and the babe in the manger. This light is our greatest need today, and for this we should pray earnestly and witness this in the middle of all this deception and lying. Our need is not better voting machines or a more fool proof process. Our greatest need in change heart out of dry ground and only Jesus can do this. He represents the power to cancel sin and forgive.
Let’s look now at this description made 8 centuries before the arrival of Jesus and marvel at the witness of God, who accomplishes His purposes and His will through time. We think we have it tough today, guess what? We were made for such a time as this- See the book of Esther. Now to the verses-
53:verse 1 Who has believed our report? The question implied that, in spite of these and other prophecies, only a few would recognize the Servant when He appeared. This anticipation found literal fulfillment at Christ’s first coming. Israel did not welcome Him at His first advent (John 1:9–11; 12:38). Paul applied the same prophecy to the world at large (Rom. 10:16). the arm of the LORD. At His first coming, the nation of Israel did not recognize the mighty, incarnate power and hand of God in the person of Jesus, their Deliverer.
53:2 before Him. Though unrecognized by the world (v. 1), Messiah Jesus was observed and groomed carefully by God, who ordered there and now every minute circumstance of His life. dry ground . . . no beauty that we should desire Him. Here we understand that the Servant will arise in lowly conditions and wear none of the usual emblems of royalty, making His true identity visible only to the discerning eye of faith.
53:3 despised . . . rejected . . . despised. Here Isaiah foresees the complete hatred and rejection by mankind toward the Messiah/God’s Servant, who suffered not only external abuse, but also internal pain and grief over the huge lack of response from those He came to save. This was a true burden who has a heart filled with the love of God (e.g., Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34). we hid . . . we did not esteem. Here in this part and by using the first person, the prophet spoke for his unbelieving nation’s aversion to receive and have faith in a crucified Messiah. This shows the depth of depravity, hardness of their heart and tot their lack of respect for the incarnate Son of God.
So Jesus gifted us in sin bearing despite our sinful selves. Despite who we are Jesus was looking to who we could be cleansed by His blood
53:4 borne . . . carried. Cf. vv. 11, 12. Even though the verbs are past tense, they predict happenings future to Isaiah’s time, i.e., “prophetic perfects” in Heb. here and elsewhere in this Servant-song. Isaiah was saying that the Messiah would bear the consequences of the sins of men, namely the griefs and sorrows of life, though incredibly the Jews who watched Him die thought He was being punished by God for His own sins. Matthew found an analogical fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ healing ministry (see notes on Matt. 8:16, 17), because sickness results from sin for which the Servant paid with His life (vv. 7, 8; cf. 1 Pet. 2:24). In eternity, all sickness will be removed, so ultimately it from the atonement.
53:5 wounded for our transgressions . . . bruised for our iniquities. This verse is filled with the language of substitution. Jesus is our substitute. The Servant suffered not for His own sin, since He was sinless (cf. Heb. 4:15; 7:26), but as the substitute for sinners. The emphasis is on Jesus being the substitute and the recipient of God’s wrath for sinners (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 1:3, 4; Heb. 10:9, 10). chastisement for our peace. He suffered the chastisement {the punishment} of God in order to purchase our peace with God. by His stripes we are healed. The stripe (the Heb. noun is singular) that caused His death has brought salvation to those for whose sins He died. Peter confirms this in 1 Pet. 2:24. This is the ultimate healing of God given to us from the gift of His Life
This is why Jesus is Immanuel God with us and in us forever and ever Amen. Have you opened the best gift you could ever be given? He gives you life, therefore choose life today!!!
Nov 29
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven’. Acts 1:10-11
Christ’s return and our ultimate heavenly destiny will be unbelievably magnificent. It is easy to focus on the cessation of our earthly suffering and hardship; and fascinating to imagine what it will be like to be gathered with all the saints of history before the awesome throne of God as we worship Him for eternity. Knowing that Christ will one day judge the living and the dead ought to give us hope and scare us as well. But we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves!
God did not create us for time but for eternity. We will only spend a very small fraction of our life on earth. For most of our existence we’ll live in heaven. That’s why for the short time we have on earth, we must do that which we can only do there: witness for Christ and expand God’s kingdom. In heaven, there will be no unbelievers. In paradise, God’s kingdom will be absolute. Our primary calling then will be to worship with the other saints.
In this life, there are unique opportunities. So don’t waste your time gazing into heaven. Serve the Lord faithfully on earth now. What you do here now has a dramatic impact throughout eternity. Be thankful this is your moment. make the most of your opportunity. Let’s not miss our moment!
In this year of treachery and hate filled media, political fake news and biased discussions how are you thankful? Despite all the rancor, craziness in the elections and the nastiness are you thankful? I pray you are but if not, then let’s see what Jesus can shed light on what we should be thanking God for as we live.
Prayer - God help us now to fix our eyes on Jesus and help us to be truly thankful this day and this year for Your live in us and what You have given us. Give us ears to hear and a mind to obey. Amen
Turn to the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5 read:
Luke 5 17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present [c]to heal them. 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”
Before this particular event Luke’s gospel reveals several miraculous encounters, which Jesus had leading up to the event which we just read.
After fishing all night Jesus preached for some time in Peter’s boat and when He was finished He told Peter to “cast out into the deep.” Peter’s initial response was no but he relented and said at your word I will cast out into the deep. Such an amazing catch the fisherman left their boats to follow Jesus.
Next a leper comes to Jesus and says, If you will you can make me whole. Jesus encountering his faith says, I will and touches Him. An unheard-of event in that day in Jewish culture and even today.
Now we come to our story.
Jesus has been demonstrating His unique abilities in signs and wonders and now He will demonstrate these gifts before the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law.
Now let’s walk through the verses but let’s begin with vs.15 - However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
So the more Jesus ministry was revealed publicly, the more He needed to spend quite time with His Father in Heaven. He needed prayer to stay on task with His mission to save a lost and dying people who lacked the knowledge of God. Now to verse 17
17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present [c]to heal them.
Who now in the audience, as He was teaching, were Pharisees and Teachers of the law from all over Israel. And is says that the power of the Lord was present (in Jesus) to heal them. Gives you pause to understand that Jesus had the power to heal the Pharisees and teachers of the law as well as “the physically sick.’ I am thankful today that Jesus has the power to heal all types of people, with multiple needs both spiritual and physical as He has already demonstrated.
If you are saved and a child of the King today then you should be thankful for the salvation which has come and for what was promised in the future without end.
Move to verse 18 - 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus
Sometimes there are those among us who are in need, and are lost, but looking for some sort of help in finding something or someone, but who really need Jesus. In fact they also may be absolutely paralyzed by sin, by fear, by shame or something and it keeps them from seeking Jesus. But, I am thankful for those who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to go find the lost sheep and bring them to Jesus; like Andrew and these four men.
This man was physically paralyzed and could not search after a healer. These four men were certain they knew the only one able to help was this man called Jesus. They were determined to bring Him to the one they had heard about who has the power to heal. Despite the obstacles to be overcome- aren’t you thankful that Jesus enabled these men to be persistent. They were overcomers in getting to Jesus, by digging through the roof of a house reputed to be Peter’s?
Next verse - 20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
Jesus didn’t respond to the sick man directly, even though there was a need, but He responded to and rewarded their faith. Aren’t you thankful that God rewards our small mustard seed of faith. Can I have a witness! He understood they had to persevere and still keep the faith despite being unable to access Jesus.
Now Jesus forgave the man’s sins. Here is the miracle that we should be thankful for that Jesus has the power of cancelling sin. Let’s read on- 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” {That’s right Jesus is God}
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Here is the key the Pharisee’s and Teachers of the law being wise unto the world and not unto God automatically rejected Jesus as God. But Jesus who knew and created man knew we desperately needed a savior to be forgiven and end the enmity between God and men.
Isn’t it interesting that God did so love the world that He sent His Son to die on a cross, gave us these words for Christmas from the Angels on high- Luke Chapter 2: 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a [d]manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill[e] toward men!” God sees us in sin yet knowing what we will do He still sends His Son while saying And on earth peace, goodwill[e] toward men!”. He is offering man salvation in His Son despite the hate and sin we exhibit. How is God able, who is both Holy and pure, and who hates sins, be willing to offer His Son to pay our sin debt? Because He knows there is none other who could possibly pay the full penalty for sin demanded by God. Aren’t you thankful that God offers an exclusive one-way, opportunity for salvation, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved except the name of Jesus His Son. Amen
These are some of things I am Thankful for as we consider the miraculous gift God has given us with the birth of His Son in Bethlehem of Judea. King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He shall reign forever and ever. Amen. Are you part of the family of God, do you know Jesus as savior and Lord? Or have you been waiting for some special event?? Well today is the day of salvation, Now is the acceptable time of the Lord. No need to wait or wonder. Call upon HIs name today and be saved.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven’. Acts 1:10-11
Christ’s return and our ultimate heavenly destiny will be unbelievably magnificent. It is easy to focus on the cessation of our earthly suffering and hardship; and fascinating to imagine what it will be like to be gathered with all the saints of history before the awesome throne of God as we worship Him for eternity. Knowing that Christ will one day judge the living and the dead ought to give us hope and scare us as well. But we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves!
God did not create us for time but for eternity. We will only spend a very small fraction of our life on earth. For most of our existence we’ll live in heaven. That’s why for the short time we have on earth, we must do that which we can only do there: witness for Christ and expand God’s kingdom. In heaven, there will be no unbelievers. In paradise, God’s kingdom will be absolute. Our primary calling then will be to worship with the other saints.
In this life, there are unique opportunities. So don’t waste your time gazing into heaven. Serve the Lord faithfully on earth now. What you do here now has a dramatic impact throughout eternity. Be thankful this is your moment. make the most of your opportunity. Let’s not miss our moment!
In this year of treachery and hate filled media, political fake news and biased discussions how are you thankful? Despite all the rancor, craziness in the elections and the nastiness are you thankful? I pray you are but if not, then let’s see what Jesus can shed light on what we should be thanking God for as we live.
Prayer - God help us now to fix our eyes on Jesus and help us to be truly thankful this day and this year for Your live in us and what You have given us. Give us ears to hear and a mind to obey. Amen
Turn to the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5 read:
Luke 5 17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present [c]to heal them. 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”
Before this particular event Luke’s gospel reveals several miraculous encounters, which Jesus had leading up to the event which we just read.
After fishing all night Jesus preached for some time in Peter’s boat and when He was finished He told Peter to “cast out into the deep.” Peter’s initial response was no but he relented and said at your word I will cast out into the deep. Such an amazing catch the fisherman left their boats to follow Jesus.
Next a leper comes to Jesus and says, If you will you can make me whole. Jesus encountering his faith says, I will and touches Him. An unheard-of event in that day in Jewish culture and even today.
Now we come to our story.
Jesus has been demonstrating His unique abilities in signs and wonders and now He will demonstrate these gifts before the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law.
Now let’s walk through the verses but let’s begin with vs.15 - However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
So the more Jesus ministry was revealed publicly, the more He needed to spend quite time with His Father in Heaven. He needed prayer to stay on task with His mission to save a lost and dying people who lacked the knowledge of God. Now to verse 17
17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present [c]to heal them.
Who now in the audience, as He was teaching, were Pharisees and Teachers of the law from all over Israel. And is says that the power of the Lord was present (in Jesus) to heal them. Gives you pause to understand that Jesus had the power to heal the Pharisees and teachers of the law as well as “the physically sick.’ I am thankful today that Jesus has the power to heal all types of people, with multiple needs both spiritual and physical as He has already demonstrated.
If you are saved and a child of the King today then you should be thankful for the salvation which has come and for what was promised in the future without end.
Move to verse 18 - 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus
Sometimes there are those among us who are in need, and are lost, but looking for some sort of help in finding something or someone, but who really need Jesus. In fact they also may be absolutely paralyzed by sin, by fear, by shame or something and it keeps them from seeking Jesus. But, I am thankful for those who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to go find the lost sheep and bring them to Jesus; like Andrew and these four men.
This man was physically paralyzed and could not search after a healer. These four men were certain they knew the only one able to help was this man called Jesus. They were determined to bring Him to the one they had heard about who has the power to heal. Despite the obstacles to be overcome- aren’t you thankful that Jesus enabled these men to be persistent. They were overcomers in getting to Jesus, by digging through the roof of a house reputed to be Peter’s?
Next verse - 20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
Jesus didn’t respond to the sick man directly, even though there was a need, but He responded to and rewarded their faith. Aren’t you thankful that God rewards our small mustard seed of faith. Can I have a witness! He understood they had to persevere and still keep the faith despite being unable to access Jesus.
Now Jesus forgave the man’s sins. Here is the miracle that we should be thankful for that Jesus has the power of cancelling sin. Let’s read on- 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” {That’s right Jesus is God}
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Here is the key the Pharisee’s and Teachers of the law being wise unto the world and not unto God automatically rejected Jesus as God. But Jesus who knew and created man knew we desperately needed a savior to be forgiven and end the enmity between God and men.
Isn’t it interesting that God did so love the world that He sent His Son to die on a cross, gave us these words for Christmas from the Angels on high- Luke Chapter 2: 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a [d]manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill[e] toward men!” God sees us in sin yet knowing what we will do He still sends His Son while saying And on earth peace, goodwill[e] toward men!”. He is offering man salvation in His Son despite the hate and sin we exhibit. How is God able, who is both Holy and pure, and who hates sins, be willing to offer His Son to pay our sin debt? Because He knows there is none other who could possibly pay the full penalty for sin demanded by God. Aren’t you thankful that God offers an exclusive one-way, opportunity for salvation, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved except the name of Jesus His Son. Amen
These are some of things I am Thankful for as we consider the miraculous gift God has given us with the birth of His Son in Bethlehem of Judea. King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He shall reign forever and ever. Amen. Are you part of the family of God, do you know Jesus as savior and Lord? Or have you been waiting for some special event?? Well today is the day of salvation, Now is the acceptable time of the Lord. No need to wait or wonder. Call upon HIs name today and be saved.
Nov 22
All you who regularly attend or read this lesson will recognize there is a major repeating them in all these discussions, study and teaching. It revolves around the simple verse from Prov. 3:5-6-the quick words of scripture -Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.
In these current days of trial and tribulation we need the perspective of our Lord and our God to navigate the wiles of the devil and the people who are so easily deceived. These types of people dismiss God as a fictional and irrelevant impossibility, yet want to save the environment and go back 1500 years into the dark ages. Our culture is so fractured, dishonest and immoral that if we discovered a truly righteous person we would be affronted and try to wreck their persona, for we could not stand to be in their presence. Now you know why the mobs wanted to kill Peter, Jesus and the other disciples. Darkness hates the light for it illuminates the darkness.
But none of this catches God or the Lord Jesus by surprise for they have seen all this before and they knew this would happen before our history began. Yet miracle of miracles they decided to go forward with this great experiment called Earth and create these beings called men, who inhabited it. The grace, power, mercy and forbearance of God despite His hate for sin is a gift of love beyond all measure. How can we comprehend a love so amazing, so pure and so unselfish? I have a hard time even thinking about the decision to allow men to live, knowing the hate, irrationality and sinfulness of men down through history.
Now with all that divides us as a nation and the increasing hatred for Christians there is nothing but more and more discord being sown bushel by bushel. All we hear is controlled by the media and does not reflect reality but more than 50% of the population believes the published lies. This experiment in a republic as American’s is dying because of the dishonest teaching in our schools, the advent of moral relativism where there is not standard and the Bible is rejected as a hoax. After all the philosophy of this world is that man is basically good. Well history reputes this but unfortunately, we have forgotten this. Correction in the cancel culture we are erasing our history, as good Marxists are inclined to do.
So as believers how are we to navigate this time. We have already established one rule – Trust in the Lord with all your heart. But Jesus also told His disciples to love your enemies and to do good to those who despitefully use you. He also said, we are to heap coals upon our enemies by – if they ask you to go one mile, go two. And if they, ask for your coat, give them your cloak also.
How do we do that well to do so requires work on our parts to be good students of the word of God and to allow the Holy Spirit to access our hearts – a simple scripture we should know put this in focus.
2 Tim 2:15 (KJV) says-15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Hint the key is to be a workman that studies and allows the Teacher – the Holy Spirit – to instruct us and teach us in the way we should go.
Well, I heard a discussion this week concerning the scripture text which we are about to study. It was so convicting to me that I believed this is the message the Lord would give to encourage us in this our hour of need. But it builds on the idea of faith and trust. Who or in what do you actually believe?
Go with me to Psalm 37, verses 1– 13
We begin here in the first 11 verses. These first verses focus on the perspective of how those who have faith are supposed to live. As believers we would call those who live by faith – the righteous. Why? Because in scripture it is says the just shall live or another way the just shall walk by faith.
Let’s read - 1Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart. {careful taking this verse out of context, doesn’t stand alone}
5 Commit[a] your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, {one of today’s key verses relates + Prov. 3}
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, {Do I trust Him to do so?}
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret--it only causes harm.
9 For evildoers shall be [b]cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
Ok make a quick table and call it -
Table 1. The righteous man or woman
1. No fretting, nor be envious
2. Trust and feed on God’s faithfulness
3. Be delighted in the Lord
4. Be committed to the Lord- He brings things to pass
5. Rest in Lord, waiting patiently, also includes the perspective of verses 9 and 10
6. Cease being angry, don’t seek payback or wrath. Includes verse 11 “the meek shall inherit the earth.
Now go to the remaining two verses. Here David begins to describe the wicked. Who are the wicked? The ones who refuse to honor and recognize God and choose to live for themselves. The wicked are those who propose evil in their hearts against the knowledge of God and against their fellow human beings. We will only study two verses here but the remaining verses in Psalm 37 show the interplay for the wicked and how God will treat them and how He will care for the righteous. So if you are discouraged today, know that what you may judge as unfairness to those “who get away with” evil. That is not so. Their judgement day is soon to come. That is why God is not willing that any should perish, except those who choose to do so of their own free will. Yes, the wicked choose to live that way for they reject the knowledge of God.
12 The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming
OK for those of us who are given the strength to live and endure, there is living to do if we wish to endure to the end and remain faithful. Begin with by remembering 2 Tim 2:15- Study to show thyself approved to God. To God and not to men that is the work. He knows if you are doing your homework to become a faithful workman who can rightly divine the word of Truth. Also we are to choose to do some new things as part of our personal discipline for 2020 remaining and the year to come. Like -
All you who regularly attend or read this lesson will recognize there is a major repeating them in all these discussions, study and teaching. It revolves around the simple verse from Prov. 3:5-6-the quick words of scripture -Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.
In these current days of trial and tribulation we need the perspective of our Lord and our God to navigate the wiles of the devil and the people who are so easily deceived. These types of people dismiss God as a fictional and irrelevant impossibility, yet want to save the environment and go back 1500 years into the dark ages. Our culture is so fractured, dishonest and immoral that if we discovered a truly righteous person we would be affronted and try to wreck their persona, for we could not stand to be in their presence. Now you know why the mobs wanted to kill Peter, Jesus and the other disciples. Darkness hates the light for it illuminates the darkness.
But none of this catches God or the Lord Jesus by surprise for they have seen all this before and they knew this would happen before our history began. Yet miracle of miracles they decided to go forward with this great experiment called Earth and create these beings called men, who inhabited it. The grace, power, mercy and forbearance of God despite His hate for sin is a gift of love beyond all measure. How can we comprehend a love so amazing, so pure and so unselfish? I have a hard time even thinking about the decision to allow men to live, knowing the hate, irrationality and sinfulness of men down through history.
Now with all that divides us as a nation and the increasing hatred for Christians there is nothing but more and more discord being sown bushel by bushel. All we hear is controlled by the media and does not reflect reality but more than 50% of the population believes the published lies. This experiment in a republic as American’s is dying because of the dishonest teaching in our schools, the advent of moral relativism where there is not standard and the Bible is rejected as a hoax. After all the philosophy of this world is that man is basically good. Well history reputes this but unfortunately, we have forgotten this. Correction in the cancel culture we are erasing our history, as good Marxists are inclined to do.
So as believers how are we to navigate this time. We have already established one rule – Trust in the Lord with all your heart. But Jesus also told His disciples to love your enemies and to do good to those who despitefully use you. He also said, we are to heap coals upon our enemies by – if they ask you to go one mile, go two. And if they, ask for your coat, give them your cloak also.
How do we do that well to do so requires work on our parts to be good students of the word of God and to allow the Holy Spirit to access our hearts – a simple scripture we should know put this in focus.
2 Tim 2:15 (KJV) says-15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Hint the key is to be a workman that studies and allows the Teacher – the Holy Spirit – to instruct us and teach us in the way we should go.
Well, I heard a discussion this week concerning the scripture text which we are about to study. It was so convicting to me that I believed this is the message the Lord would give to encourage us in this our hour of need. But it builds on the idea of faith and trust. Who or in what do you actually believe?
Go with me to Psalm 37, verses 1– 13
We begin here in the first 11 verses. These first verses focus on the perspective of how those who have faith are supposed to live. As believers we would call those who live by faith – the righteous. Why? Because in scripture it is says the just shall live or another way the just shall walk by faith.
Let’s read - 1Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart. {careful taking this verse out of context, doesn’t stand alone}
5 Commit[a] your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, {one of today’s key verses relates + Prov. 3}
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, {Do I trust Him to do so?}
And your justice as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret--it only causes harm.
9 For evildoers shall be [b]cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
Ok make a quick table and call it -
Table 1. The righteous man or woman
1. No fretting, nor be envious
2. Trust and feed on God’s faithfulness
3. Be delighted in the Lord
4. Be committed to the Lord- He brings things to pass
5. Rest in Lord, waiting patiently, also includes the perspective of verses 9 and 10
6. Cease being angry, don’t seek payback or wrath. Includes verse 11 “the meek shall inherit the earth.
Now go to the remaining two verses. Here David begins to describe the wicked. Who are the wicked? The ones who refuse to honor and recognize God and choose to live for themselves. The wicked are those who propose evil in their hearts against the knowledge of God and against their fellow human beings. We will only study two verses here but the remaining verses in Psalm 37 show the interplay for the wicked and how God will treat them and how He will care for the righteous. So if you are discouraged today, know that what you may judge as unfairness to those “who get away with” evil. That is not so. Their judgement day is soon to come. That is why God is not willing that any should perish, except those who choose to do so of their own free will. Yes, the wicked choose to live that way for they reject the knowledge of God.
12 The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming
OK for those of us who are given the strength to live and endure, there is living to do if we wish to endure to the end and remain faithful. Begin with by remembering 2 Tim 2:15- Study to show thyself approved to God. To God and not to men that is the work. He knows if you are doing your homework to become a faithful workman who can rightly divine the word of Truth. Also we are to choose to do some new things as part of our personal discipline for 2020 remaining and the year to come. Like -
- Not fretting, nor being envious- Quit worrying about others, be concerned with how you are growing in the Lord. Don’t fret or concern yourselves with what God has given others. Be thankful for what He is doing in your life.
- Trust and feed on God’s faithfulness. This is so important. We must learn to lean on, trust in and be reliant on God and His faithfulness. As He told Israel, choose life and as Jesus told us His Word is our life. Our life is learning to trust Christ with our very lives.
- Be delighted in the Lord- How do you delight yourself in the Lord? This can’t and won’t happen unless you do step 2 first – you must trust and feed on God’s faithfulness before this can be a reality in your life
- Be committed to the Lord- He brings events to pass as He says He would. Being committed is an active use of your will to achieve an outcome. It is like choosing to do what is right over what is embarrassing or hurtful to yourself and which you might want to hid desperately from the eyes of another
- Rest in Lord, waiting patiently, also includes believing that our Father who loves and cares for you will handle those who seek evil and create hate about you. Your job is to stay on task seeking Him with what.
- Cease being angry, don’t seek payback or exhibit wrath for actions taken against you because of your faith. Remember we are to rejoice when we are persecuted for HIs name and sake. He told us that truth. Included here in verse 11 is the idea that “the meek shall inherit the earth.” This means we are to strength under control that is what meekness is. God is the final arbitrator and He say His word will not come back to Him void but will accomplish that for which it was sent. You can trust Him today. Will you or are you trusting Him by faith today. If not, you can and should. God’s word says, “By grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For you are his workmanship, created unto to good works which God has ordained beforehand, that you should accomplish them. Gal. 2:8-10
- If this is true then trust Him. He convicts, He saves and He delivers unto the end of time. Amen
Nov 15
We have time today only for a short message which you will need to carry in your hearts as this business in our nation proceeds. I don’t know about you but somedays my heart hurts for this nation and the sin which is so obvious in our land.
I sense in my spirit there is no shame nor is there any fear of God based upon their behavior in front of anyone and everyone. And therein we see what happens when God allows men to go unrestrained into sin and depravity. there is no limit to the depths to the evil which they will allow and enable, as well as boast of it to others. It’s in your face folks.
We need to face it moral turpitude or wickedness has ensnared our people and our nation. What we would never have dared do in the darkness of night is seen boldly declared in the light of day. Lies are spoken with no blanching almost if people actually believed the lie was truth. Amazing.
In this setting recently you may have been watching Christian television stations or listening on the radio to Christian stations which have Biblical values and heard them quoting the following text:
Proverbs 14:33-34
33Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a [a]reproach to any people.
The contrast shown in this proverb presents wisdom as residing in the heart of a man who has clearly understand of life and sin and His nature. This is contrasted with the heart filled with a lack of understanding, which leads to demonstrating their foolishness. You may have seen a few of these about recently on TV as supposed candidates for office and those more recently defending failed practices for election integrity for their vote counting practices.
But the outcome of fools impact the next verse, verse 34-34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a [a]reproach to any people
The outcome or result of unwise application of knowledge is sin. Sin, which is a reproach to any nation and especially our nation which hides nothing to the world. Our sin and our reproach is visible to the entire world. The Bible says the sin which is done in darkness will be made visible to the entire world and it has been these last few days. If you are so naïve to believe that the events which you see on you TV screen concerning voter fraud and lying is fiction then you have been made delusional together with all those who now call Good evil and evil good. We have displayed how corrupt we are what used to be done in secret is now shouted gleefully from the rooftops as in your face baby.
With deception so prevalent that God’s truth is obscured and with our sin so evident, is it no wonder there is no restraint even toward our President and our Congress? Senators and Congressmen are demonstrating moral degeneration and outright evil. Christians need to repent and pray for our individual and collective sinfulness and cause us to seek repentance.
Next point, go with me to 1 Samuel 12:15-16, ESV -
14 If you will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.
Look with me a couple of items
1. First there is instruction to us individually as His people - If you will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice -underline the word you. If you and I will choose to fear and serve the Lord; and if you obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord. A clear choice to fear and serve Him which leads to obeying.
In the book of 1st Samuel Chapter 15:22 Samuel is delivering the rejection of God to King Saul because of his direct disobedience to the commands of God and here is the last part of what Samuel says, Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
Obedience is what God wants from us and this is what is demanded of servants of a Righteous Nation. America has been far from obedient to God and we are reaping the fruits of our disobedience in what is happening in our cities, our states and now in our National election.
That’s just the first part, the second part or instruction is to the people and to the king/ruler over us. This could be the president, a tsar, a dictator or whomever. Here is what it says, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.
Together is we both, you and I and the King follow the Lord your God, it will be well for us. See, here is a direct relationship between the obedience of the people and the obedience of the king or ruler. If the people are walking close to God and our ruler or king or whomever is drawing close to God, then all will be well for both of us you and your king.
Part three is the kicker, so recommend you pay attention - 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.
So if you and I, individually and collectively as God’s people defy, disobey and disregard His voice, His commandments, His statutes and direction given by God we are in serious jeopardy. For our sin and our disobedience has consequences far over and beyond ourselves. Your sin can cripple no only your life, but your family’s life, the life of your church and what it says here the King or the ruler over you. Now you see you sin impacts not just you but all things in your life, the nation and your rulers.
We are all interrelated in the Kingdom of God, now and forevermore. Sin does nothing to exalt a nation it only drags it down and shows the reproach upon our country due to evil.
II Chronicles 20:1-
It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites,[a] came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from [b]Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set [c]himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name,
Here I am deviating from the text to give us the context of you now being the temple and sanctuary the holy place of God. This is stated precisely in 1 Cor. 6: 19-20-19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [g]and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Now back to II Chronicles 20: 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
This is trusting in the Lord and waiting upon Him. We must do this today as the sin of America is so egregious and believers each have wounded spirits and hurting hearts because of this oppression which is being unleashed on all of us this week. This is evil which we sense is demonically inspired spiritual warfare and we must guard our hearts.
(Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.)
Again, back to II Chronicles 20 - 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them.
So the battle is not your or ours but of the Lord. What does this mean? – if you believe that God is on His throne and that He answers the prayers of His people and that we are praying this prayer back to God and asking for His intervention, then our work is to pray and remain constant in faith the God will and is already responding to the needs of His people. Do you believe the battle is not yours, but God’s?
The Spirt of the Lord now instructs the people in II Chronicles 20 to 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’
God spoke to His people again that you don’t need to fight but as with Moses he says Behold the salvation of the Lord. Our hearts and our eyes must be towards Him by faith.
But the testimony of God was not completed as we see further into Chapter 2. In verse 20 - 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”
22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
So this battle which we fight in the Spirit is God’s and He prepares us, He leads us and He fights for us and with us today. Do you trust the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent master of the Universe and your soul? He only wants what is best for you now and forever more. He is our God and He will work all things out according to the council of His will. Amen
Have faith in God
Have faith in God, He's on His throne,
Have faith in God, He watches over His own;
He cannot fail, He must prevail,
Have faith in God, Have faith in God.
Our faith is being tested in the crucible of hate and despair brought about by this stolen election of deception and identity politics. The battle is God’s but He asks us to walk in faith and pray. Will you make this a matter of prayer every day this week?
Amen
We have time today only for a short message which you will need to carry in your hearts as this business in our nation proceeds. I don’t know about you but somedays my heart hurts for this nation and the sin which is so obvious in our land.
I sense in my spirit there is no shame nor is there any fear of God based upon their behavior in front of anyone and everyone. And therein we see what happens when God allows men to go unrestrained into sin and depravity. there is no limit to the depths to the evil which they will allow and enable, as well as boast of it to others. It’s in your face folks.
We need to face it moral turpitude or wickedness has ensnared our people and our nation. What we would never have dared do in the darkness of night is seen boldly declared in the light of day. Lies are spoken with no blanching almost if people actually believed the lie was truth. Amazing.
In this setting recently you may have been watching Christian television stations or listening on the radio to Christian stations which have Biblical values and heard them quoting the following text:
Proverbs 14:33-34
33Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a [a]reproach to any people.
The contrast shown in this proverb presents wisdom as residing in the heart of a man who has clearly understand of life and sin and His nature. This is contrasted with the heart filled with a lack of understanding, which leads to demonstrating their foolishness. You may have seen a few of these about recently on TV as supposed candidates for office and those more recently defending failed practices for election integrity for their vote counting practices.
But the outcome of fools impact the next verse, verse 34-34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a [a]reproach to any people
The outcome or result of unwise application of knowledge is sin. Sin, which is a reproach to any nation and especially our nation which hides nothing to the world. Our sin and our reproach is visible to the entire world. The Bible says the sin which is done in darkness will be made visible to the entire world and it has been these last few days. If you are so naïve to believe that the events which you see on you TV screen concerning voter fraud and lying is fiction then you have been made delusional together with all those who now call Good evil and evil good. We have displayed how corrupt we are what used to be done in secret is now shouted gleefully from the rooftops as in your face baby.
With deception so prevalent that God’s truth is obscured and with our sin so evident, is it no wonder there is no restraint even toward our President and our Congress? Senators and Congressmen are demonstrating moral degeneration and outright evil. Christians need to repent and pray for our individual and collective sinfulness and cause us to seek repentance.
Next point, go with me to 1 Samuel 12:15-16, ESV -
14 If you will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.
Look with me a couple of items
1. First there is instruction to us individually as His people - If you will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice -underline the word you. If you and I will choose to fear and serve the Lord; and if you obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord. A clear choice to fear and serve Him which leads to obeying.
In the book of 1st Samuel Chapter 15:22 Samuel is delivering the rejection of God to King Saul because of his direct disobedience to the commands of God and here is the last part of what Samuel says, Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
Obedience is what God wants from us and this is what is demanded of servants of a Righteous Nation. America has been far from obedient to God and we are reaping the fruits of our disobedience in what is happening in our cities, our states and now in our National election.
That’s just the first part, the second part or instruction is to the people and to the king/ruler over us. This could be the president, a tsar, a dictator or whomever. Here is what it says, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.
Together is we both, you and I and the King follow the Lord your God, it will be well for us. See, here is a direct relationship between the obedience of the people and the obedience of the king or ruler. If the people are walking close to God and our ruler or king or whomever is drawing close to God, then all will be well for both of us you and your king.
Part three is the kicker, so recommend you pay attention - 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.
So if you and I, individually and collectively as God’s people defy, disobey and disregard His voice, His commandments, His statutes and direction given by God we are in serious jeopardy. For our sin and our disobedience has consequences far over and beyond ourselves. Your sin can cripple no only your life, but your family’s life, the life of your church and what it says here the King or the ruler over you. Now you see you sin impacts not just you but all things in your life, the nation and your rulers.
We are all interrelated in the Kingdom of God, now and forevermore. Sin does nothing to exalt a nation it only drags it down and shows the reproach upon our country due to evil.
II Chronicles 20:1-
It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites,[a] came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from [b]Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set [c]himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name,
Here I am deviating from the text to give us the context of you now being the temple and sanctuary the holy place of God. This is stated precisely in 1 Cor. 6: 19-20-19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [g]and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Now back to II Chronicles 20: 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
This is trusting in the Lord and waiting upon Him. We must do this today as the sin of America is so egregious and believers each have wounded spirits and hurting hearts because of this oppression which is being unleashed on all of us this week. This is evil which we sense is demonically inspired spiritual warfare and we must guard our hearts.
(Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.)
Again, back to II Chronicles 20 - 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them.
So the battle is not your or ours but of the Lord. What does this mean? – if you believe that God is on His throne and that He answers the prayers of His people and that we are praying this prayer back to God and asking for His intervention, then our work is to pray and remain constant in faith the God will and is already responding to the needs of His people. Do you believe the battle is not yours, but God’s?
The Spirt of the Lord now instructs the people in II Chronicles 20 to 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’
God spoke to His people again that you don’t need to fight but as with Moses he says Behold the salvation of the Lord. Our hearts and our eyes must be towards Him by faith.
But the testimony of God was not completed as we see further into Chapter 2. In verse 20 - 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”
22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
So this battle which we fight in the Spirit is God’s and He prepares us, He leads us and He fights for us and with us today. Do you trust the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent master of the Universe and your soul? He only wants what is best for you now and forever more. He is our God and He will work all things out according to the council of His will. Amen
Have faith in God
Have faith in God, He's on His throne,
Have faith in God, He watches over His own;
He cannot fail, He must prevail,
Have faith in God, Have faith in God.
Our faith is being tested in the crucible of hate and despair brought about by this stolen election of deception and identity politics. The battle is God’s but He asks us to walk in faith and pray. Will you make this a matter of prayer every day this week?
Amen
Sermon Nov 8
We have time today only for a short message which you will need to carry in your hearts as this business in our nation proceeds. I don’t know about you but somedays my heart hurts for this nation and the sin which is so obvious in our land.
I sense in my spirit there is no shame nor is there any fear of God based upon their behavior in front of anyone and everyone. And therein we see what happens when God allows men to go unrestrained into sin and depravity. there is no limit to the depths to the evil which they will allow and enable, as well as boast of it to others. It’s in your face folks.
We need to face it moral turpitude or wickedness has ensnared our people and our nation. What we would never have dared do in the darkness of night is seen boldly declared in the light of day. Lies are spoken with no blanching almost if people actually believed the lie was truth. Amazing.
In this setting recently you may have been watching Christian television stations or listening on the radio to Christian stations which have Biblical values and heard them quoting the following text:
Proverbs 14:33-34
33Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a [a]reproach to any people.
The contrast shown in this proverb presents wisdom as residing in the heart of a man who has clearly understand of life and sin and His nature. This is contrasted with the heart filled with a lack of understanding, which leads to demonstrating their foolishness. You may have seen a few of these about recently on TV as supposed candidates for office and those more recently defending failed practices for election integrity for their vote counting practices.
But the outcome of fools impact the next verse, verse 34-34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a [a]reproach to any people
The outcome or result of unwise application of knowledge is sin. Sin, which is a reproach to any nation and especially our nation which hides nothing to the world. Our sin and our reproach is visible to the entire world. The Bible says the sin which is done in darkness will be made visible to the entire world and it has been these last few days. If you are so naïve to believe that the events which you see on you TV screen concerning voter fraud and lying is fiction then you have been made delusional together with all those who now call Good evil and evil good. We have displayed how corrupt we are what used to be done in secret is now shouted gleefully from the rooftops as in your face baby.
With deception so prevalent that God’s truth is obscured and with our sin so evident, is it no wonder there is no restraint even toward our President and our Congress? Senators and Congressmen are demonstrating moral degeneration and outright evil. Christians need to repent and pray for our individual and collective sinfulness and cause us to seek repentance.
Next point, go with me to 1 Samuel 12:15-16, ESV -
14 If you will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.
Look with me a couple of items
1. First there is instruction to us individually as His people - If you will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice -underline the word you. If you and I will choose to fear and serve the Lord; and if you obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord. A clear choice to fear and serve Him which leads to obeying.
In the book of 1st Samuel Chapter 15:22 Samuel is delivering the rejection of God to King Saul because of his direct disobedience to the commands of God and here is the last part of what Samuel says, Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
Obedience is what God wants from us and this is what is demanded of servants of a Righteous Nation. America has been far from obedient to God and we are reaping the fruits of our disobedience in what is happening in our cities, our states and now in our National election.
That’s just the first part, the second part or instruction is to the people and to the king/ruler over us. This could be the president, a tsar, a dictator or whomever. Here is what it says, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.
Together is we both, you and I and the King follow the Lord your God, it will be well for us. See, here is a direct relationship between the obedience of the people and the obedience of the king or ruler. If the people are walking close to God and our ruler or king or whomever is drawing close to God, then all will be well for both of us you and your king.
Part three is the kicker, so recommend you pay attention - 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.
So if you and I, individually and collectively as God’s people defy, disobey and disregard His voice, His commandments, His statutes and direction given by God we are in serious jeopardy. For our sin and our disobedience has consequences far over and beyond ourselves. Your sin can cripple no only your life, but your family’s life, the life of your church and what it says here the King or the ruler over you. Now you see you sin impacts not just you but all things in your life, the nation and your rulers.
We are all interrelated in the Kingdom of God, now and forevermore. Sin does nothing to exalt a nation it only drags it down and shows the reproach upon our country due to evil.
II Chronicles 20:1-
It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites,[a] came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from [b]Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set [c]himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name,
Here I am deviating from the text to give us the context of you now being the temple and sanctuary the holy place of God. This is stated precisely in 1 Cor. 6: 19-20-19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [g]and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Now back to II Chronicles 20: 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
This is trusting in the Lord and waiting upon Him. We must do this today as the sin of America is so egregious and believers each have wounded spirits and hurting hearts because of this oppression which is being unleashed on all of us this week. This is evil which we sense is demonically inspired spiritual warfare and we must guard our hearts.
(Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.)
Again, back to II Chronicles 20 - 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them.
So the battle is not your or ours but of the Lord. What does this mean? – if you believe that God is on His throne and that He answers the prayers of His people and that we are praying this prayer back to God and asking for His intervention, then our work is to pray and remain constant in faith the God will and is already responding to the needs of His people. Do you believe the battle is not yours, but God’s?
The Spirt of the Lord now instructs the people in II Chronicles 20 to 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’
God spoke to His people again that you don’t need to fight but as with Moses he says Behold the salvation of the Lord. Our hearts and our eyes must be towards Him by faith.
But the testimony of God was not completed as we see further into Chapter 2. In verse 20 - 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”
22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
So this battle which we fight in the Spirit is God’s and He prepares us, He leads us and He fights for us and with us today. Do you trust the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent master of the Universe and your soul? He only wants what is best for you now and forever more. He is our God and He will work all things out according to the council of His will. Amen
Have faith in God
Have faith in God, He's on His throne,
Have faith in God, He watches over His own;
He cannot fail, He must prevail,
Have faith in God, Have faith in God.
Our faith is being tested in the crucible of hate and despair brought about by this stolen election of deception and identity politics. The battle is God’s but He asks us to walk in faith and pray. Will you make this a matter of prayer every day this week?
Amen
We have time today only for a short message which you will need to carry in your hearts as this business in our nation proceeds. I don’t know about you but somedays my heart hurts for this nation and the sin which is so obvious in our land.
I sense in my spirit there is no shame nor is there any fear of God based upon their behavior in front of anyone and everyone. And therein we see what happens when God allows men to go unrestrained into sin and depravity. there is no limit to the depths to the evil which they will allow and enable, as well as boast of it to others. It’s in your face folks.
We need to face it moral turpitude or wickedness has ensnared our people and our nation. What we would never have dared do in the darkness of night is seen boldly declared in the light of day. Lies are spoken with no blanching almost if people actually believed the lie was truth. Amazing.
In this setting recently you may have been watching Christian television stations or listening on the radio to Christian stations which have Biblical values and heard them quoting the following text:
Proverbs 14:33-34
33Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a [a]reproach to any people.
The contrast shown in this proverb presents wisdom as residing in the heart of a man who has clearly understand of life and sin and His nature. This is contrasted with the heart filled with a lack of understanding, which leads to demonstrating their foolishness. You may have seen a few of these about recently on TV as supposed candidates for office and those more recently defending failed practices for election integrity for their vote counting practices.
But the outcome of fools impact the next verse, verse 34-34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a [a]reproach to any people
The outcome or result of unwise application of knowledge is sin. Sin, which is a reproach to any nation and especially our nation which hides nothing to the world. Our sin and our reproach is visible to the entire world. The Bible says the sin which is done in darkness will be made visible to the entire world and it has been these last few days. If you are so naïve to believe that the events which you see on you TV screen concerning voter fraud and lying is fiction then you have been made delusional together with all those who now call Good evil and evil good. We have displayed how corrupt we are what used to be done in secret is now shouted gleefully from the rooftops as in your face baby.
With deception so prevalent that God’s truth is obscured and with our sin so evident, is it no wonder there is no restraint even toward our President and our Congress? Senators and Congressmen are demonstrating moral degeneration and outright evil. Christians need to repent and pray for our individual and collective sinfulness and cause us to seek repentance.
Next point, go with me to 1 Samuel 12:15-16, ESV -
14 If you will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.
Look with me a couple of items
1. First there is instruction to us individually as His people - If you will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice -underline the word you. If you and I will choose to fear and serve the Lord; and if you obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord. A clear choice to fear and serve Him which leads to obeying.
In the book of 1st Samuel Chapter 15:22 Samuel is delivering the rejection of God to King Saul because of his direct disobedience to the commands of God and here is the last part of what Samuel says, Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
Obedience is what God wants from us and this is what is demanded of servants of a Righteous Nation. America has been far from obedient to God and we are reaping the fruits of our disobedience in what is happening in our cities, our states and now in our National election.
That’s just the first part, the second part or instruction is to the people and to the king/ruler over us. This could be the president, a tsar, a dictator or whomever. Here is what it says, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.
Together is we both, you and I and the King follow the Lord your God, it will be well for us. See, here is a direct relationship between the obedience of the people and the obedience of the king or ruler. If the people are walking close to God and our ruler or king or whomever is drawing close to God, then all will be well for both of us you and your king.
Part three is the kicker, so recommend you pay attention - 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.
So if you and I, individually and collectively as God’s people defy, disobey and disregard His voice, His commandments, His statutes and direction given by God we are in serious jeopardy. For our sin and our disobedience has consequences far over and beyond ourselves. Your sin can cripple no only your life, but your family’s life, the life of your church and what it says here the King or the ruler over you. Now you see you sin impacts not just you but all things in your life, the nation and your rulers.
We are all interrelated in the Kingdom of God, now and forevermore. Sin does nothing to exalt a nation it only drags it down and shows the reproach upon our country due to evil.
II Chronicles 20:1-
It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites,[a] came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from [b]Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set [c]himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name,
Here I am deviating from the text to give us the context of you now being the temple and sanctuary the holy place of God. This is stated precisely in 1 Cor. 6: 19-20-19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [g]and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Now back to II Chronicles 20: 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
This is trusting in the Lord and waiting upon Him. We must do this today as the sin of America is so egregious and believers each have wounded spirits and hurting hearts because of this oppression which is being unleashed on all of us this week. This is evil which we sense is demonically inspired spiritual warfare and we must guard our hearts.
(Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.)
Again, back to II Chronicles 20 - 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them.
So the battle is not your or ours but of the Lord. What does this mean? – if you believe that God is on His throne and that He answers the prayers of His people and that we are praying this prayer back to God and asking for His intervention, then our work is to pray and remain constant in faith the God will and is already responding to the needs of His people. Do you believe the battle is not yours, but God’s?
The Spirt of the Lord now instructs the people in II Chronicles 20 to 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’
God spoke to His people again that you don’t need to fight but as with Moses he says Behold the salvation of the Lord. Our hearts and our eyes must be towards Him by faith.
But the testimony of God was not completed as we see further into Chapter 2. In verse 20 - 20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”
22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
So this battle which we fight in the Spirit is God’s and He prepares us, He leads us and He fights for us and with us today. Do you trust the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent master of the Universe and your soul? He only wants what is best for you now and forever more. He is our God and He will work all things out according to the council of His will. Amen
Have faith in God
Have faith in God, He's on His throne,
Have faith in God, He watches over His own;
He cannot fail, He must prevail,
Have faith in God, Have faith in God.
Our faith is being tested in the crucible of hate and despair brought about by this stolen election of deception and identity politics. The battle is God’s but He asks us to walk in faith and pray. Will you make this a matter of prayer every day this week?
Amen
Sermon Nov 1
Three Scriptures to tune our focus
Joshua 24:15-15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
1Kings 18: 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
But the people said nothing.
John 6: 40And 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.”
Follow the words closely - Choose this day whom you will serve; How long will you waver between two opinions? And finally the words of Jesus- everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life. And if we understand to believe in Jesus means to choose Him to have life.
Choice is what is before us simply on the one hand to choose life we have to choose God. The other choice is to reject God. Pretty simple choice if we look at it correctly.
· Historically, when we look back at the nation of Israel after they left Egypt and crossed over the Red Sea, until they went into and conquered the land and went through 3 Kings and then had divided Kingdoms when did they get in trouble? When they did not choose the Lord God of their Fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Let’s now apply this truth to us today. The idea for these United States which we will call America, began as a desire from people of many heritages who desired freedom to worship God. They came to this land from many countries, many cultures and many languages. Without the divine intervention of God bringing the brilliance and devotion of the founding fathers to these shores; having a leader who was prayed was protected by and honored God and also led the armies divinely into battles, there would be no America. Further the writers of the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Articles of Confederation were except for 6 individuals, men of God. And upon approval of these document by the Continental Congress in New York, they adjourned to a Chapel nearby and prayed to God to establish a covenant for America, similar to the covenant of Israel.
America was to be a light on the hill for God. A beacon into the world of darkness to show forth God’s love and salvation.
Move to today the same Choice is before us. On Tuesday of this week men and women will go into a voting booth and will be voting for more than Joe Biden or Donald Trump. What they will be most likely voting for is either a party, a personality or a platform of rules.
Buried deeply beneath all the hoopla, chaos in the cities, harassment by Antifa and Black Lives Matter, Advertisements, propaganda lies on the internet, TV and talking heads is the choice between righteousness and unrighteousness. But it is far greater than that and we have been anesthetized. Yes, it is a choice between good and evil, the gravity is far greater yet. It is the choice between choosing God or choosing Satan. And going back to Jeremiah 29- we, the people of God must choose life or we die.
Looking at Israel gives us the story of departing or falling away from God and the results are always disastrous for the people and the leaders. We are so blind, we have 2 days to pursue God to intervene dramatically because we failed to recognize the hour of our testing. Have we been crying out to God O God our Father hear us in our hour of need?
Father we humbly ask you for help when we have none for this is your land, and we are your people O God. Rescue us for we desire the promise of your Son
to have everlasting life but to preserve for our children and grandchildren this covenant. Father restore us back to you as only you can do Amen
Romans 1:16-25 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel [c]of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
First, after the introduction in Chapter 1, we encounter from Paul, as led by the Holy Spirit, a statement about salvation, remembering that salvation results from faith. Eph 2:8-9
For by {God’s}grace {to send}are you saved through faith {He gave you faith}, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created unto good works, which God has ordained beforehand, that we should walk in them. {totally amazing we are God’s work}. This is the believer now contrast this with unbelief, and especially to the one who says I never had the chance to know God. Statement is not true according to this.
Then back to Romans 1, 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who [d]suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is [e]manifest [f]in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and [g]Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Look at the results of dark hearts of those who reject God- verse 22
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like [h]corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Death is the result of rejecting salvation and God. Not just physical death which will happen to most of us but for these who have rejected righteous salvation in the blood of Christ, will experience the second death spoken of in the book of Revelation. That death is eternal death and torment in hell for all time with no possibility of release.
This vote which we are taking on Tuesday is literally for the soul of a nation. If we reject God then judgement will follow and it may occur swiftly. If we choose God by voting for the truth and righteousness it may be a difficult path as God purged the nation in the wilderness because of Israel’s unbelief in God. If God chooses to save us then trust Him this will not be an easy time. He will first begin pruning and purging in the House of God. But if He does choose to rescue America, praise His Holy name for He has blessed us.
May Hebrews 12:6 be the people’s choice on Tuesday 3 November 2020-For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
May we be blessed in being chastened Amen Let it be so dear Jesus!!
Now may Jesus Christ be praised as we are fortified for the journey by sharing in the LORD’s table today 1 Corinthians 11:23
Three Scriptures to tune our focus
Joshua 24:15-15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
1Kings 18: 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
But the people said nothing.
John 6: 40And 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.”
Follow the words closely - Choose this day whom you will serve; How long will you waver between two opinions? And finally the words of Jesus- everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life. And if we understand to believe in Jesus means to choose Him to have life.
Choice is what is before us simply on the one hand to choose life we have to choose God. The other choice is to reject God. Pretty simple choice if we look at it correctly.
· Historically, when we look back at the nation of Israel after they left Egypt and crossed over the Red Sea, until they went into and conquered the land and went through 3 Kings and then had divided Kingdoms when did they get in trouble? When they did not choose the Lord God of their Fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Let’s now apply this truth to us today. The idea for these United States which we will call America, began as a desire from people of many heritages who desired freedom to worship God. They came to this land from many countries, many cultures and many languages. Without the divine intervention of God bringing the brilliance and devotion of the founding fathers to these shores; having a leader who was prayed was protected by and honored God and also led the armies divinely into battles, there would be no America. Further the writers of the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Articles of Confederation were except for 6 individuals, men of God. And upon approval of these document by the Continental Congress in New York, they adjourned to a Chapel nearby and prayed to God to establish a covenant for America, similar to the covenant of Israel.
America was to be a light on the hill for God. A beacon into the world of darkness to show forth God’s love and salvation.
Move to today the same Choice is before us. On Tuesday of this week men and women will go into a voting booth and will be voting for more than Joe Biden or Donald Trump. What they will be most likely voting for is either a party, a personality or a platform of rules.
Buried deeply beneath all the hoopla, chaos in the cities, harassment by Antifa and Black Lives Matter, Advertisements, propaganda lies on the internet, TV and talking heads is the choice between righteousness and unrighteousness. But it is far greater than that and we have been anesthetized. Yes, it is a choice between good and evil, the gravity is far greater yet. It is the choice between choosing God or choosing Satan. And going back to Jeremiah 29- we, the people of God must choose life or we die.
Looking at Israel gives us the story of departing or falling away from God and the results are always disastrous for the people and the leaders. We are so blind, we have 2 days to pursue God to intervene dramatically because we failed to recognize the hour of our testing. Have we been crying out to God O God our Father hear us in our hour of need?
Father we humbly ask you for help when we have none for this is your land, and we are your people O God. Rescue us for we desire the promise of your Son
to have everlasting life but to preserve for our children and grandchildren this covenant. Father restore us back to you as only you can do Amen
Romans 1:16-25 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel [c]of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
First, after the introduction in Chapter 1, we encounter from Paul, as led by the Holy Spirit, a statement about salvation, remembering that salvation results from faith. Eph 2:8-9
For by {God’s}grace {to send}are you saved through faith {He gave you faith}, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created unto good works, which God has ordained beforehand, that we should walk in them. {totally amazing we are God’s work}. This is the believer now contrast this with unbelief, and especially to the one who says I never had the chance to know God. Statement is not true according to this.
Then back to Romans 1, 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who [d]suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is [e]manifest [f]in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and [g]Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Look at the results of dark hearts of those who reject God- verse 22
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like [h]corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Death is the result of rejecting salvation and God. Not just physical death which will happen to most of us but for these who have rejected righteous salvation in the blood of Christ, will experience the second death spoken of in the book of Revelation. That death is eternal death and torment in hell for all time with no possibility of release.
This vote which we are taking on Tuesday is literally for the soul of a nation. If we reject God then judgement will follow and it may occur swiftly. If we choose God by voting for the truth and righteousness it may be a difficult path as God purged the nation in the wilderness because of Israel’s unbelief in God. If God chooses to save us then trust Him this will not be an easy time. He will first begin pruning and purging in the House of God. But if He does choose to rescue America, praise His Holy name for He has blessed us.
May Hebrews 12:6 be the people’s choice on Tuesday 3 November 2020-For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
May we be blessed in being chastened Amen Let it be so dear Jesus!!
Now may Jesus Christ be praised as we are fortified for the journey by sharing in the LORD’s table today 1 Corinthians 11:23
Sermon October 25
How would Jesus cause us to choose to respond in today’s marketplace given the outright malice shown against Him: given the chaos and sickness of sin in our days in 2020? A quick refresher from last week to bring a few things to our remembrance from last week.
Part 1. First things first who exactly is this Jesus who we hold so precious? I don’t believe Jesus we live is the same Jesus the world believes He is. In my opinion and based upon the word of God, I don’t believe He would be the milksop, milk toast, plain vanilla version of Jesus that today’s liberals espouse. He is not the all forgiving, easy believism, no problem with your sin person who would allow you to sin anyway you wanted, and then, just let you waltz into heaven because you are just so amazing. Besides and after all you are giving Him a whole hour on Sunday and He should be grateful for the pleasure of being in your company for this one whole hour. No that is not the Jesus I read about in the Bible.
Looking into the New Testament we gain a different view and understanding of who Jesus was and is. Now for those who don’t believe there actually was a Jesus, there is more than enough historical evidence on the historicity of Jesus. He was and now is a real person make no mistake. Also, He is not one who overlooked sin or unbelief and said it was OK.
I believe it would be the Jesus, who said 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set[j] a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ (Matt 10)
I believe it would be the Jesus who stood boldly as the Prince of Truth before Pilate proclaiming - My Kingdom is not of this world, and in Him the truth was present and active in front of Pilate.
I believe it would be the Jesus who would shortly and after the resurrection remind the disciples that “All power and authority in heaven and earth has been given unto Me,” then tell them to, “ Go, and Make disciples of all nations. ” (Matt. 28:19-20).
I believe it would be the Jesus who knew at the beginning of His ministry what awaited at the end, and yet who told His disciples to love one another and to love your enemies as yourself. Jesus was a tough but loving person who set His face like flint despising the shame set before Him and endured the cross so that you and I would not have to die eternal death. What a savior. Amen?
Part II. In this section of the lesson last week we wondered what did it take in our nation and churches to get in this terrible situation in the first place where good is called evil and evil is good (Isaiah 5)? We discovered that our problems in this world all originated in the book and story contained in Genesis. Correct, everything sin related in today’s world originates there. But people in the world do not believe it. Today’s liberals and self-describing intellectuals consider this stuff in Genesis as mythological storytelling. Meaning that according to their learning and understanding it could never have happened this way. In scripture it says the creature in his arrogance cannot and does not choose to recognize the Creator. See Romans 1:25, where it says {men}who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
All men’s problems on earth began with a lie, which they bought into. It started with the slithery words of Satan asking Eve, hath God said? This question created doubt and uncertainty in the minds of Adam and Eve.
All sin originated for Adam sin as described in Romans and this includes death. So the first sin was a lack of faith in God it is called unbelief. In Genesis God established standards
In America we kill our unborn in the name of a Woman’s right to choose. And in God’s eyes that is correct it is a woman’s choice to choose sin and ultimately death.
Root cause of many problems in our lives is we don’t know God really, and because we don’t know Him intimately. We don’t fear God because we don’t really believe and commit to the truths written for us in His Word the Bible; and we don’t teach them to our children.
Wonder why we are having so many problems with our children? We ask others to teach them and there are many who have no truth in them. We lack discernment because we are not really students of the Word We should wail and lament as it says in James, Chapter 4:7-9. Because we must repent and submit to God. We have failed, but take hope, for God says in these same verses Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. You see every time man fails, God provides opportunities for repentance and renewal for you.
So we are where we are today because we have chosen to remove God from our homes and teach our children as we are commanded.
Because we have taken God out of the schoolhouse, the courthouse, the public square and out of our bedrooms. That is why we are where we are today.
Now to Part III. Believers should know and believe that Jesus is coming soon, and this is in accordance whit His Word and His word is Truth.
Perhaps we should pay attention to Matthew Chapter 10, where Jesus gives clear instructions to His disciples knowing what would happen once He sent them to reach others apart from Himself.
Please read with me- beginning in Verse 16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep {He knows us}in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless[f] as doves.{He gives wisdom} 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, {God is with you in your obedience} as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. {The Holy Spirit in you}
21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. {remember why people hate you} But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house [g]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
In these verses there are wise principles to follow which you and I should embrace and we will review them shortly but let’s go back to the very beginning. Why did Jesus come to earth? To save men and reconcile them to the Father through His blood? He was bring them to a new covenant in His Blood. The blood of the sinless Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
The new covenant speaks to a new relationship in Jesus Christ which replaces the one established by the blood of sacrifice in the Old Testament. But each feast and each festival and the sacrifices, all pointed to the one who was to come in the name of the Lord – Jesus. One of the beautiful Christmas carols we sing is, O Come O Come Emmanuel. The word Emmanuel means God with us.
God is with us in Christ, Jesus wants us to be with Him and in Him. We need to hide this truth deeply in our hearts.
Here is what we need to remember - Emmanuel God is with us, so
1. Do not be afraid
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
2. You are worth more
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[b] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
3. Walk in Love -’Matt. 5 44 [o]But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
4. Be Wise as serpents and harmless as doves
5. Trust only in God’s Wisdom - Don’t trust the wisdom of Men not led by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.
6. Speak as you are led. Allow the Holy Spirit after prayer and Bible study
7. Endure as a good soldier and servant,
trusting in your Commanding Officer -Jeshua Ha Mashiach. And to be strong in the Lord and in his power of His might, putting on the full Armor of God, as we read in Ephesians 6:10 -17
Summary, In these days and times it is important again to realize who is God.
He is the one who chose to put you here for this time and this place from eternity past. He knows your future. What and where He has you is what is best for your life – Ask yourself, do you believe this? Do you believe that God only wants what is best for our lives?
If you believe this is true then Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in you own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. Where will He direct your path, in the way everlasting, and for His name sake.
You need to make a conscious decision to Trust by faith in His life in you today whether you are a believer or one seeking to receive Him in your life today. It is the best decision you could ever make, In Jesus Name, Amen
How would Jesus cause us to choose to respond in today’s marketplace given the outright malice shown against Him: given the chaos and sickness of sin in our days in 2020? A quick refresher from last week to bring a few things to our remembrance from last week.
Part 1. First things first who exactly is this Jesus who we hold so precious? I don’t believe Jesus we live is the same Jesus the world believes He is. In my opinion and based upon the word of God, I don’t believe He would be the milksop, milk toast, plain vanilla version of Jesus that today’s liberals espouse. He is not the all forgiving, easy believism, no problem with your sin person who would allow you to sin anyway you wanted, and then, just let you waltz into heaven because you are just so amazing. Besides and after all you are giving Him a whole hour on Sunday and He should be grateful for the pleasure of being in your company for this one whole hour. No that is not the Jesus I read about in the Bible.
Looking into the New Testament we gain a different view and understanding of who Jesus was and is. Now for those who don’t believe there actually was a Jesus, there is more than enough historical evidence on the historicity of Jesus. He was and now is a real person make no mistake. Also, He is not one who overlooked sin or unbelief and said it was OK.
I believe it would be the Jesus, who said 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set[j] a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ (Matt 10)
I believe it would be the Jesus who stood boldly as the Prince of Truth before Pilate proclaiming - My Kingdom is not of this world, and in Him the truth was present and active in front of Pilate.
I believe it would be the Jesus who would shortly and after the resurrection remind the disciples that “All power and authority in heaven and earth has been given unto Me,” then tell them to, “ Go, and Make disciples of all nations. ” (Matt. 28:19-20).
I believe it would be the Jesus who knew at the beginning of His ministry what awaited at the end, and yet who told His disciples to love one another and to love your enemies as yourself. Jesus was a tough but loving person who set His face like flint despising the shame set before Him and endured the cross so that you and I would not have to die eternal death. What a savior. Amen?
Part II. In this section of the lesson last week we wondered what did it take in our nation and churches to get in this terrible situation in the first place where good is called evil and evil is good (Isaiah 5)? We discovered that our problems in this world all originated in the book and story contained in Genesis. Correct, everything sin related in today’s world originates there. But people in the world do not believe it. Today’s liberals and self-describing intellectuals consider this stuff in Genesis as mythological storytelling. Meaning that according to their learning and understanding it could never have happened this way. In scripture it says the creature in his arrogance cannot and does not choose to recognize the Creator. See Romans 1:25, where it says {men}who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
All men’s problems on earth began with a lie, which they bought into. It started with the slithery words of Satan asking Eve, hath God said? This question created doubt and uncertainty in the minds of Adam and Eve.
- If you read the account you realize Adam was right there with Eve and did not defend her. Satan’s question raised doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve thinking God was withholding something which they deserved{pride.}They believed the lie and ate the apple in disobedience to the command of God and sin became the eternal blight and birth destiny of all those born of man and women.
All sin originated for Adam sin as described in Romans and this includes death. So the first sin was a lack of faith in God it is called unbelief. In Genesis God established standards
- In the beginning God created
- He created only one human race – Blacks and Whites are the same inside, our DNA and gene samples come from a single gene source. (Answer A&E)
- There are only Male and Female
- Created and mandated the family as husbands and wives to cleave to each other and become one flesh. We are to be fruitful and multiply
- Who created people and who created them after themselves and made them male and female? - Genesis
- No gender confusion in the book
- Sex was to be in marriage not in homosexuality.
- When did He know you, {before the worlds began} where did He know you ?{mother’s womb, secret places }Psalm 139?
- There is no escape from God.
- Abortion is an abomination to God. He is the life giver.
In America we kill our unborn in the name of a Woman’s right to choose. And in God’s eyes that is correct it is a woman’s choice to choose sin and ultimately death.
Root cause of many problems in our lives is we don’t know God really, and because we don’t know Him intimately. We don’t fear God because we don’t really believe and commit to the truths written for us in His Word the Bible; and we don’t teach them to our children.
Wonder why we are having so many problems with our children? We ask others to teach them and there are many who have no truth in them. We lack discernment because we are not really students of the Word We should wail and lament as it says in James, Chapter 4:7-9. Because we must repent and submit to God. We have failed, but take hope, for God says in these same verses Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. You see every time man fails, God provides opportunities for repentance and renewal for you.
So we are where we are today because we have chosen to remove God from our homes and teach our children as we are commanded.
Because we have taken God out of the schoolhouse, the courthouse, the public square and out of our bedrooms. That is why we are where we are today.
Now to Part III. Believers should know and believe that Jesus is coming soon, and this is in accordance whit His Word and His word is Truth.
Perhaps we should pay attention to Matthew Chapter 10, where Jesus gives clear instructions to His disciples knowing what would happen once He sent them to reach others apart from Himself.
Please read with me- beginning in Verse 16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep {He knows us}in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless[f] as doves.{He gives wisdom} 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, {God is with you in your obedience} as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. {The Holy Spirit in you}
21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. {remember why people hate you} But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house [g]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
In these verses there are wise principles to follow which you and I should embrace and we will review them shortly but let’s go back to the very beginning. Why did Jesus come to earth? To save men and reconcile them to the Father through His blood? He was bring them to a new covenant in His Blood. The blood of the sinless Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
The new covenant speaks to a new relationship in Jesus Christ which replaces the one established by the blood of sacrifice in the Old Testament. But each feast and each festival and the sacrifices, all pointed to the one who was to come in the name of the Lord – Jesus. One of the beautiful Christmas carols we sing is, O Come O Come Emmanuel. The word Emmanuel means God with us.
God is with us in Christ, Jesus wants us to be with Him and in Him. We need to hide this truth deeply in our hearts.
Here is what we need to remember - Emmanuel God is with us, so
1. Do not be afraid
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
2. You are worth more
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[b] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
3. Walk in Love -’Matt. 5 44 [o]But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
4. Be Wise as serpents and harmless as doves
5. Trust only in God’s Wisdom - Don’t trust the wisdom of Men not led by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.
6. Speak as you are led. Allow the Holy Spirit after prayer and Bible study
7. Endure as a good soldier and servant,
trusting in your Commanding Officer -Jeshua Ha Mashiach. And to be strong in the Lord and in his power of His might, putting on the full Armor of God, as we read in Ephesians 6:10 -17
Summary, In these days and times it is important again to realize who is God.
He is the one who chose to put you here for this time and this place from eternity past. He knows your future. What and where He has you is what is best for your life – Ask yourself, do you believe this? Do you believe that God only wants what is best for our lives?
If you believe this is true then Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in you own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. Where will He direct your path, in the way everlasting, and for His name sake.
You need to make a conscious decision to Trust by faith in His life in you today whether you are a believer or one seeking to receive Him in your life today. It is the best decision you could ever make, In Jesus Name, Amen
Sermon October 18
What is needed in this hour wisdom is needed in this hour to be able to exercise discernment of good and evil
Thank God He promise to give us another Helper, to be with us forever (Jn. 14:16) and He is the Spirit of Truth who will lead us in the everlasting truth which is the wisdom of God. To be led you must demonstrate obedience or the Spirit cannot lead for you will deny the Holy Spirit and He will be quenched and unavailable. So you say to me why do we need the Holy Spirit. I give you the following for a national publication and daily newsletter (Huckaby)-The title is "NORMALIZED" - The Liberal, communist, democratic party, left has in these latter days “normalized” marijuana; supported and approved the burning of the American flag; endorsed and sponsored rioting, looting, racism (yes, anti- white racism is OK); kneeling during the National Anthem; attacking the police; got their cronies and pals to authorize censorship of the Internet; has enabled politicizing movies, sports and TV (all in the direction of liberalism/socialism and especially communism); approved segregation again; and the banning of free speech on campus; dictated and approved abortion up to and beyond birth; and entitled kiddie porn on Netflixs. So how could they possibly sink any lower? How about by trying to “normalize” Satan himself, witchcraft and Satanism as forms of legitimate worship? Yes, it is happening here in the good ole USA.So based upon these indicators it is my estimation that we have a major problem and we need wisdom which leads us to discernment.Discernment is being able to distinguish right from what is nearly right - SpurgeonIn this areaHebrews 5:9-149 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” {God of Peace and righteousness}11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the [b]oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. {the Spirit of God is the discerner} He will lead you into all truth. He has brought you here for just this time. Let”s no miss our moment for which He has called us.Points verse by verse- follow me please!In Verses 9 and 10 the writer wanted to tell these Hebrew peoples about the King called Melchizedek. This King who is a forerunner of Christ is both the king of righteousness and the king of Salem or peace. Both of these characteristics and specifically unique and are demonstrated in the life, death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But because of the problems with the people he must stop and point our problems which need correctionVerse 11 – we have much to say but you have become dull of hearing. There is a whole lot of meaning built into these words – dull of hearing. Specifically, how did they become dull of hearing? From what the writer says here and later the previously knew what was right and true. We have been using a verse from the OT which provides a clear answer - Deut 30:17 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, Dull of hearing means just that, they no longer hear with the same intensity which they did previously, their hearts have turned away and they are being drawn continually into further sin. Jesus provided a similar commentary for those in the New Testament in Matt 13:13 - Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.Verse 12 – you should be teachers by now based upon the time and teaching you have received, but you have fallen so far away that you are spiritual babies. The had devolved in learning instead of maturing and now needed to be refed the bottle of milk instead of the meat of the word of God. Spiritual food comes from the word of God and is necessary for growth.Verse 13 reinforces this stating your babies and not mature. You say you want the truth but bottom line – you can’t handle the truth! 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 2 Tim 2:15 _ 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Verse 14 _ 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. The application of discernment and wisdom by a believer comes from those who practice what they preach. An athlete understands that to have continued exceptional use of their muscles requires practice and continued repetition. No pain no gain or ability to maintain. So for you and I there is no other way but to study, and pray and meditate on the Word of God. We should be able to minister to others using the ingrafted word of God which is able to save to the uttermost.It is time for the Paladins of the Lord to stand having girded themselves with all that is in Jesus Christ. And having done all to be able to stand in the evil day, fully armed and prepared for the battle who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Discernment the ability to tell the difference between the truth and what almost is the truth. Amen In the name of Yeshua Hamashiach.
Yeshua Hamashiach means "Jesus the Messiah." The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which is the shortened form of the name Yehoshua. From this Hebrew word we also get the name Joshua (Joshua 5:15) or Hoshea (Numbers 13:8; Deuteronomy 33:44). The name means "salvation"
Another newsflash. This game is called you choose or you lose – NBA or USA, NFL or USA, MLB or USA? I choose the USA, how about you? Will you join or allow others to join in the cult of the selfish individual. Being frightfully unaware of the danger behind their cultish adoration of China as their puppet master and the death that will result from their worship at the feet of money. I choose the land of the free and the brave. There is always a price for freedom are we willing to pay the cost of obedience?
What is needed in this hour wisdom is needed in this hour to be able to exercise discernment of good and evil
Thank God He promise to give us another Helper, to be with us forever (Jn. 14:16) and He is the Spirit of Truth who will lead us in the everlasting truth which is the wisdom of God. To be led you must demonstrate obedience or the Spirit cannot lead for you will deny the Holy Spirit and He will be quenched and unavailable. So you say to me why do we need the Holy Spirit. I give you the following for a national publication and daily newsletter (Huckaby)-The title is "NORMALIZED" - The Liberal, communist, democratic party, left has in these latter days “normalized” marijuana; supported and approved the burning of the American flag; endorsed and sponsored rioting, looting, racism (yes, anti- white racism is OK); kneeling during the National Anthem; attacking the police; got their cronies and pals to authorize censorship of the Internet; has enabled politicizing movies, sports and TV (all in the direction of liberalism/socialism and especially communism); approved segregation again; and the banning of free speech on campus; dictated and approved abortion up to and beyond birth; and entitled kiddie porn on Netflixs. So how could they possibly sink any lower? How about by trying to “normalize” Satan himself, witchcraft and Satanism as forms of legitimate worship? Yes, it is happening here in the good ole USA.So based upon these indicators it is my estimation that we have a major problem and we need wisdom which leads us to discernment.Discernment is being able to distinguish right from what is nearly right - SpurgeonIn this areaHebrews 5:9-149 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” {God of Peace and righteousness}11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the [b]oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. {the Spirit of God is the discerner} He will lead you into all truth. He has brought you here for just this time. Let”s no miss our moment for which He has called us.Points verse by verse- follow me please!In Verses 9 and 10 the writer wanted to tell these Hebrew peoples about the King called Melchizedek. This King who is a forerunner of Christ is both the king of righteousness and the king of Salem or peace. Both of these characteristics and specifically unique and are demonstrated in the life, death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But because of the problems with the people he must stop and point our problems which need correctionVerse 11 – we have much to say but you have become dull of hearing. There is a whole lot of meaning built into these words – dull of hearing. Specifically, how did they become dull of hearing? From what the writer says here and later the previously knew what was right and true. We have been using a verse from the OT which provides a clear answer - Deut 30:17 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, Dull of hearing means just that, they no longer hear with the same intensity which they did previously, their hearts have turned away and they are being drawn continually into further sin. Jesus provided a similar commentary for those in the New Testament in Matt 13:13 - Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.Verse 12 – you should be teachers by now based upon the time and teaching you have received, but you have fallen so far away that you are spiritual babies. The had devolved in learning instead of maturing and now needed to be refed the bottle of milk instead of the meat of the word of God. Spiritual food comes from the word of God and is necessary for growth.Verse 13 reinforces this stating your babies and not mature. You say you want the truth but bottom line – you can’t handle the truth! 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 2 Tim 2:15 _ 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Verse 14 _ 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. The application of discernment and wisdom by a believer comes from those who practice what they preach. An athlete understands that to have continued exceptional use of their muscles requires practice and continued repetition. No pain no gain or ability to maintain. So for you and I there is no other way but to study, and pray and meditate on the Word of God. We should be able to minister to others using the ingrafted word of God which is able to save to the uttermost.It is time for the Paladins of the Lord to stand having girded themselves with all that is in Jesus Christ. And having done all to be able to stand in the evil day, fully armed and prepared for the battle who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Discernment the ability to tell the difference between the truth and what almost is the truth. Amen In the name of Yeshua Hamashiach.
Yeshua Hamashiach means "Jesus the Messiah." The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which is the shortened form of the name Yehoshua. From this Hebrew word we also get the name Joshua (Joshua 5:15) or Hoshea (Numbers 13:8; Deuteronomy 33:44). The name means "salvation"
Another newsflash. This game is called you choose or you lose – NBA or USA, NFL or USA, MLB or USA? I choose the USA, how about you? Will you join or allow others to join in the cult of the selfish individual. Being frightfully unaware of the danger behind their cultish adoration of China as their puppet master and the death that will result from their worship at the feet of money. I choose the land of the free and the brave. There is always a price for freedom are we willing to pay the cost of obedience?
Sermon October 11
You might recognize this scene from your own life: You’ve been to God’s house and you’ve received the proclamation of the Word of God and stood in the presence and power of the Spirit of God. You departed on a “spiritual high,” sensing and feeling good in your soul and spirit because you have experienced the goodness of your Lord. You may have even said what a mighty God we serve. And you sensed that He is real and present today and, in your life, and you were joyous and encouraged!
Then, you returned to your life outside the glory house, and it seemed as if the bottom is pulled out from under you – an event or an attack that you didn’t see coming. It could have been an unforeseen event, or even an individual, but something happens that abruptly makes you feel as if the enemy has rushed in like a flood. And before you know it, all the glory, the presence of God, and the blessing are but a distant memory because you responded to some this event in an ungodly way because you were caught off guard and were unprepared. All those heartfelt promises you made to God about trusting Him, and telling the Lord that you would never do or respond this or that way again – they all seem to have gone down the drain in one fell swoop, leaving you feeling spiritually spent, disheartened, hopeless, frustrated and terribly ashamed of your failure.
This happened to me this week. I wonder now this has never ever happened to you, has it? Or perhaps the recent tidal wave of events of lying and mistruth in the news and on TV and the negative actions of the enemy either at the state, local or national level have gotten under your skin. And now you’re coping an attitude that it seems that God is absent and just is not where He should be? Believe me this happens to many believers.
Let’s get some biblical perspective on this for a moment to allow God’s word to direct us.
Many times after an extreme spiritual and emotional victory, or close encounter and while being in the presence and activity and physical moving of God, these things happen. We find this in described scripture in the Book of 1st Kings Chapters 16-18 where God called Elijah, the prophet. In chapter 18, after 3 and one-half years of drought, Elijah challenges King Ahab and the prophets of Asherah and Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel. We read in verse 20 - 20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. We just like the nation of Israel must choose even in the middle of famine and drought what we believe about God. He challenges us in our faith in Him. Do you believe that God always does what is best in your life?
Then, after experiencing the infinite power, presence and person of God, where He consumed the sacrifice of Elijah and the He used the people to slew the prophets, and following this it began to rain. He was thrown into the grips of a depression that only God was capable of enabling his recovery. Elijah’s experience teaches us several simple, but valuable lessons we all need to remember as we walk with the Lord in these troubling times. In 1 Kings 18:46, we read that the hand of the Lord was upon Elijah.
“And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”
Elijah had been granted supernatural wisdom and strength to defeat the prophets of Baal as well as being given added strength to run ahead of Ahab, who was in a chariot – a distance of nearly twenty miles.
When Ahab arrives at his residence, he informs Jezebel of what had taken place on Mount Carmel. This is where things begin to go wrong for Elijah:
“So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, ‘May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them’” (1 Kings 19:2).
Here Scripture says, “So Jezebel,” it might as well say, “So Satan.” The first and simplest lesson we learn here is that Satan uses people to threaten frighten and attack us. This is not to say that those he uses are possessed, but it does mean that they are useful compliant and easily managed in his hands. And in the sovereign will of God He allow it, just like with Job. Satan will use people to instigate, frustrate, foment and propagate lies against you and dirty the truth in some manner. He is able to employ family, friends, and foes alike. Jezebel wanted revenge for the deaths of the 450 prophets of Baal by taking Elijah’s life. (Sounds a lot like what we see in the news day-by- day doesn’t it?)
Note this truth also Elisha could accomplish how much apart from God? – according to Jesus, apart from Me ye can do nothing (Jn. 15:5)
Enemy Intimidation
Another lesson we should learn is Satan seeks to intimidate you. Satan will attempt to overemphasize his power by lying to you. While destroying us is what he would like to do, it is not what he is able to do! Satan is aware of the hedge of protection which God has placed around his you and I. He can bark, but he cannot bite; he can roar, but we should not run. He is a defeated enemy
“‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’ Satan replied. ‘Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land’” (Job 1:9-10). God has a sphere of protection within and about you. If you are The presence of the God in the Holy Spirit lives within you and He protects you.
The Relentless Enemy
Elijah may have thought that because of God’s power displayed on Mount Carmel, the problem of Ahab and Jezebel would be solved. There is another lesson here that we need to remember: Satan is relentless. Jezebel was angry and began her program of intimidation, and this threat promised threw Elijah into a tailspin — he ran for his life. So what did he do? (1 Kings 19:3-4).
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors’”.
This is the prophet of God, who is now being challenged in his faith. God is about to help u Elijah recover as He will aid you in your distress.
So what are we told to do ?– We are told to stand our ground
Have you ever been bullied, intimidated or harassed, like Antifa is doing to people today? How about breaking into your home in the middle of the night in a small town in the middle of nowhere? Have you been made to fear for your life or just wanted to flee to avoid a fight or pain? In the face of intimidation we need to learn now not to ever run from the battle or the enemy. James says: submit to God, resist the devil and He will flee from you. (James 4:7-9). God is our rock and our strength, our redeemer and our Lord. We need to remember He always precedes unto into every battle and engagement and He is our Savior. There is nothing too hard for Him
Paul in the first letter to the church at Corinth says this, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
In the throes of the battleground which is the Christian life, we are called, as soldiers, to stand and having done all preparations to stand. {Eph 6:14ff) Though there will definitely be times when may waver, and our arms become heavy, we must never forget the command to stand firm. We must be able to put on the full armor of God to stand in His love and grace.
Next, we need to continually go to the Rock of Ages
So what has happened to our prophet, he like we have feet of clay? Isn’t it amazing that our Father shows us that Elijah is no different than we are? Elijah has fallen into a depression; he has become a victim, who is almost hopeless. The Queen is after me and what am I to do, he thinks? He then requests the worst for himself: death. Notice his words, he said, “I have had enough.” Elijah seems to be overwhelmed. What ought you to do when you are overwhelmed, and you feel as though you can’t take any more? Scripture says,
“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2).
We learn we are to go to the Rock. Looking at our circumstances through the eyes of depression distorts reality, and drives victory away. The psalmist tells us what we should do:
“I lift up my eyes to the hills from whence commeth my help? My help commeth from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).
You and I Cannot Do God’s beckoning alone.“Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’ Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, ‘Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you’” (1 Kings 19:5-7).
When we find ourselves at our lowest point, God sends help, here it was the Angel of the Lord. In our case He might send the Holy Spirit. Or He may send an angel in the form of a word from God, or a song, or even a gesture. God will minister and can use an angel who will touch us, and encourage us to continue. The Angel of Lord implies this is an appearance of the pre- incarnate Christ. Here He comforts Elijah with words imploring him to rise and be nurtured, because the journey is too great for him. We were not meant to live this life in this self-imposed vacuum. We must never attempt to live this life in Christ in our own strength. We must always look to the Lord in our times of trouble, knowing that His strength will lift us up.
#4 There is absolute strength in the Food of the Lord
“So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God” (1 Kings 19:8). Horeb was 200 miles away, where Moses met God on the mountain. That’s over unforgiving terrain and limited to no water in the hot, dry, desert.
Elijah was able to complete this journey because he obeyed the words of the Angel, “Arise and eat.” He was then sustained and able to continue because of the strength which he received from that food. You and I will also receive strength for our journey as we gain the power and are nurtured by the food of the Word of God:
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
(Hebrews 5:13-14).
Do you remember these verses from last week? God’s Word, the Word of righteousness, is our strong food. Are you partaking of it to gain strength and spiritual nourishment for your journey with the Lord? Today, rise up and partake of His Word, and go on in the power it gives.
Elijah would go on and face more challenges along the way, as we all will. But with the Lord at his side, and a desire to fulfill God’s will in His heart, he would complete his work, and be taken into glory. Stand up child of God! Move forward in the power and name of the Lord! When you put on the whole armor of God you having done all can stand. Then you can be walk as Paul commended Eph 6:10 Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Amen,
May God bless His word to us, in us and use us for His glory forever Amen.
You might recognize this scene from your own life: You’ve been to God’s house and you’ve received the proclamation of the Word of God and stood in the presence and power of the Spirit of God. You departed on a “spiritual high,” sensing and feeling good in your soul and spirit because you have experienced the goodness of your Lord. You may have even said what a mighty God we serve. And you sensed that He is real and present today and, in your life, and you were joyous and encouraged!
Then, you returned to your life outside the glory house, and it seemed as if the bottom is pulled out from under you – an event or an attack that you didn’t see coming. It could have been an unforeseen event, or even an individual, but something happens that abruptly makes you feel as if the enemy has rushed in like a flood. And before you know it, all the glory, the presence of God, and the blessing are but a distant memory because you responded to some this event in an ungodly way because you were caught off guard and were unprepared. All those heartfelt promises you made to God about trusting Him, and telling the Lord that you would never do or respond this or that way again – they all seem to have gone down the drain in one fell swoop, leaving you feeling spiritually spent, disheartened, hopeless, frustrated and terribly ashamed of your failure.
This happened to me this week. I wonder now this has never ever happened to you, has it? Or perhaps the recent tidal wave of events of lying and mistruth in the news and on TV and the negative actions of the enemy either at the state, local or national level have gotten under your skin. And now you’re coping an attitude that it seems that God is absent and just is not where He should be? Believe me this happens to many believers.
Let’s get some biblical perspective on this for a moment to allow God’s word to direct us.
Many times after an extreme spiritual and emotional victory, or close encounter and while being in the presence and activity and physical moving of God, these things happen. We find this in described scripture in the Book of 1st Kings Chapters 16-18 where God called Elijah, the prophet. In chapter 18, after 3 and one-half years of drought, Elijah challenges King Ahab and the prophets of Asherah and Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel. We read in verse 20 - 20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. We just like the nation of Israel must choose even in the middle of famine and drought what we believe about God. He challenges us in our faith in Him. Do you believe that God always does what is best in your life?
Then, after experiencing the infinite power, presence and person of God, where He consumed the sacrifice of Elijah and the He used the people to slew the prophets, and following this it began to rain. He was thrown into the grips of a depression that only God was capable of enabling his recovery. Elijah’s experience teaches us several simple, but valuable lessons we all need to remember as we walk with the Lord in these troubling times. In 1 Kings 18:46, we read that the hand of the Lord was upon Elijah.
“And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”
Elijah had been granted supernatural wisdom and strength to defeat the prophets of Baal as well as being given added strength to run ahead of Ahab, who was in a chariot – a distance of nearly twenty miles.
When Ahab arrives at his residence, he informs Jezebel of what had taken place on Mount Carmel. This is where things begin to go wrong for Elijah:
“So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, ‘May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them’” (1 Kings 19:2).
Here Scripture says, “So Jezebel,” it might as well say, “So Satan.” The first and simplest lesson we learn here is that Satan uses people to threaten frighten and attack us. This is not to say that those he uses are possessed, but it does mean that they are useful compliant and easily managed in his hands. And in the sovereign will of God He allow it, just like with Job. Satan will use people to instigate, frustrate, foment and propagate lies against you and dirty the truth in some manner. He is able to employ family, friends, and foes alike. Jezebel wanted revenge for the deaths of the 450 prophets of Baal by taking Elijah’s life. (Sounds a lot like what we see in the news day-by- day doesn’t it?)
Note this truth also Elisha could accomplish how much apart from God? – according to Jesus, apart from Me ye can do nothing (Jn. 15:5)
Enemy Intimidation
Another lesson we should learn is Satan seeks to intimidate you. Satan will attempt to overemphasize his power by lying to you. While destroying us is what he would like to do, it is not what he is able to do! Satan is aware of the hedge of protection which God has placed around his you and I. He can bark, but he cannot bite; he can roar, but we should not run. He is a defeated enemy
“‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’ Satan replied. ‘Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land’” (Job 1:9-10). God has a sphere of protection within and about you. If you are The presence of the God in the Holy Spirit lives within you and He protects you.
The Relentless Enemy
Elijah may have thought that because of God’s power displayed on Mount Carmel, the problem of Ahab and Jezebel would be solved. There is another lesson here that we need to remember: Satan is relentless. Jezebel was angry and began her program of intimidation, and this threat promised threw Elijah into a tailspin — he ran for his life. So what did he do? (1 Kings 19:3-4).
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors’”.
This is the prophet of God, who is now being challenged in his faith. God is about to help u Elijah recover as He will aid you in your distress.
So what are we told to do ?– We are told to stand our ground
Have you ever been bullied, intimidated or harassed, like Antifa is doing to people today? How about breaking into your home in the middle of the night in a small town in the middle of nowhere? Have you been made to fear for your life or just wanted to flee to avoid a fight or pain? In the face of intimidation we need to learn now not to ever run from the battle or the enemy. James says: submit to God, resist the devil and He will flee from you. (James 4:7-9). God is our rock and our strength, our redeemer and our Lord. We need to remember He always precedes unto into every battle and engagement and He is our Savior. There is nothing too hard for Him
Paul in the first letter to the church at Corinth says this, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
In the throes of the battleground which is the Christian life, we are called, as soldiers, to stand and having done all preparations to stand. {Eph 6:14ff) Though there will definitely be times when may waver, and our arms become heavy, we must never forget the command to stand firm. We must be able to put on the full armor of God to stand in His love and grace.
Next, we need to continually go to the Rock of Ages
So what has happened to our prophet, he like we have feet of clay? Isn’t it amazing that our Father shows us that Elijah is no different than we are? Elijah has fallen into a depression; he has become a victim, who is almost hopeless. The Queen is after me and what am I to do, he thinks? He then requests the worst for himself: death. Notice his words, he said, “I have had enough.” Elijah seems to be overwhelmed. What ought you to do when you are overwhelmed, and you feel as though you can’t take any more? Scripture says,
“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2).
We learn we are to go to the Rock. Looking at our circumstances through the eyes of depression distorts reality, and drives victory away. The psalmist tells us what we should do:
“I lift up my eyes to the hills from whence commeth my help? My help commeth from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).
You and I Cannot Do God’s beckoning alone.“Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’ Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, ‘Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you’” (1 Kings 19:5-7).
When we find ourselves at our lowest point, God sends help, here it was the Angel of the Lord. In our case He might send the Holy Spirit. Or He may send an angel in the form of a word from God, or a song, or even a gesture. God will minister and can use an angel who will touch us, and encourage us to continue. The Angel of Lord implies this is an appearance of the pre- incarnate Christ. Here He comforts Elijah with words imploring him to rise and be nurtured, because the journey is too great for him. We were not meant to live this life in this self-imposed vacuum. We must never attempt to live this life in Christ in our own strength. We must always look to the Lord in our times of trouble, knowing that His strength will lift us up.
#4 There is absolute strength in the Food of the Lord
“So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God” (1 Kings 19:8). Horeb was 200 miles away, where Moses met God on the mountain. That’s over unforgiving terrain and limited to no water in the hot, dry, desert.
Elijah was able to complete this journey because he obeyed the words of the Angel, “Arise and eat.” He was then sustained and able to continue because of the strength which he received from that food. You and I will also receive strength for our journey as we gain the power and are nurtured by the food of the Word of God:
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
(Hebrews 5:13-14).
Do you remember these verses from last week? God’s Word, the Word of righteousness, is our strong food. Are you partaking of it to gain strength and spiritual nourishment for your journey with the Lord? Today, rise up and partake of His Word, and go on in the power it gives.
Elijah would go on and face more challenges along the way, as we all will. But with the Lord at his side, and a desire to fulfill God’s will in His heart, he would complete his work, and be taken into glory. Stand up child of God! Move forward in the power and name of the Lord! When you put on the whole armor of God you having done all can stand. Then you can be walk as Paul commended Eph 6:10 Brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Amen,
May God bless His word to us, in us and use us for His glory forever Amen.
Sermon October 4
What is needed in this hour wisdom is needed in this hour to be able to exercise discernment of good and evil
Thank God He promise to give us another Helper, to be with us forever (Jn. 14:16) and He is the Spirit of Truth who will lead us in the everlasting truth which is the wisdom of God. To be led you must demonstrate obedience or the Spirit cannot lead for you will deny the Holy Spirit and He will be quenched and unavailable. So you say to me why do we need the Holy Spirit. I give you the following for a national publication and daily newsletter (Huckaby)-The title is "NORMALIZED" - The Liberal, communist, democratic party, left has in these latter days “normalized” marijuana; supported and approved the burning of the American flag; endorsed and sponsored rioting, looting, racism (yes, anti- white racism is OK); kneeling during the National Anthem; attacking the police; got their cronies and pals to authorize censorship of the Internet; has enabled politicizing movies, sports and TV (all in the direction of liberalism/socialism and especially communism); approved segregation again; and the banning of free speech on campus; dictated and approved abortion up to and beyond birth; and entitled kiddie porn on Netflixs. So how could they possibly sink any lower? How about by trying to “normalize” Satan himself, witchcraft and Satanism as forms of legitimate worship? Yes, it is happening here in the good ole USA.So based upon these indicators it is my estimation that we have a major problem and we need wisdom which leads us to discernment.Discernment is being able to distinguish right from what is nearly right - SpurgeonIn this areaHebrews 5:9-149 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” {God of Peace and righteousness}11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the [b]oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. {the Spirit of God is the discerner} He will lead you into all truth. He has brought you here for just this time. Let”s no miss our moment for which He has called us.Points verse by verse- follow me please!In Verses 9 and 10 the writer wanted to tell these Hebrew peoples about the King called Melchizedek. This King who is a forerunner of Christ is both the king of righteousness and the king of Salem or peace. Both of these characteristics and specifically unique and are demonstrated in the life, death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But because of the problems with the people he must stop and point our problems which need correctionVerse 11 – we have much to say but you have become dull of hearing. There is a whole lot of meaning built into these words – dull of hearing. Specifically, how did they become dull of hearing? From what the writer says here and later the previously knew what was right and true. We have been using a verse from the OT which provides a clear answer - Deut 30:17 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, Dull of hearing means just that, they no longer hear with the same intensity which they did previously, their hearts have turned away and they are being drawn continually into further sin. Jesus provided a similar commentary for those in the New Testament in Matt 13:13 - Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.Verse 12 – you should be teachers by now based upon the time and teaching you have received, but you have fallen so far away that you are spiritual babies. The had devolved in learning instead of maturing and now needed to be refed the bottle of milk instead of the meat of the word of God. Spiritual food comes from the word of God and is necessary for growth.Verse 13 reinforces this stating your babies and not mature. You say you want the truth but bottom line – you can’t handle the truth! 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 2 Tim 2:15 _ 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Verse 14 _ 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. The application of discernment and wisdom by a believer comes from those who practice what they preach. An athlete understands that to have continued exceptional use of their muscles requires practice and continued repetition. No pain no gain or ability to maintain. So for you and I there is no other way but to study, and pray and meditate on the Word of God. We should be able to minister to others using the ingrafted word of God which is able to save to the uttermost.It is time for the Paladins of the Lord to stand having girded themselves with all that is in Jesus Christ. And having done all to be able to stand in the evil day, fully armed and prepared for the battle who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Discernment the ability to tell the difference between the truth and what almost is the truth. Amen In the name of Yeshua Hamashiach.
Yeshua Hamashiach means "Jesus the Messiah." The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which is the shortened form of the name Yehoshua. From this Hebrew word we also get the name Joshua (Joshua 5:15) or Hoshea (Numbers 13:8; Deuteronomy 33:44). The name means "salvation"
Another newsflash. This game is called you choose or you lose – NBA or USA, NFL or USA, MLB or USA? I choose the USA, how about you? Will you join or allow others to join in the cult of the selfish individual. Being frightfully unaware of the danger behind their cultish adoration of China as their puppet master and the death that will result from their worship at the feet of money. I choose the land of the free and the brave. There is always a price for freedom are we willing to pay the cost of obedience?
What is needed in this hour wisdom is needed in this hour to be able to exercise discernment of good and evil
Thank God He promise to give us another Helper, to be with us forever (Jn. 14:16) and He is the Spirit of Truth who will lead us in the everlasting truth which is the wisdom of God. To be led you must demonstrate obedience or the Spirit cannot lead for you will deny the Holy Spirit and He will be quenched and unavailable. So you say to me why do we need the Holy Spirit. I give you the following for a national publication and daily newsletter (Huckaby)-The title is "NORMALIZED" - The Liberal, communist, democratic party, left has in these latter days “normalized” marijuana; supported and approved the burning of the American flag; endorsed and sponsored rioting, looting, racism (yes, anti- white racism is OK); kneeling during the National Anthem; attacking the police; got their cronies and pals to authorize censorship of the Internet; has enabled politicizing movies, sports and TV (all in the direction of liberalism/socialism and especially communism); approved segregation again; and the banning of free speech on campus; dictated and approved abortion up to and beyond birth; and entitled kiddie porn on Netflixs. So how could they possibly sink any lower? How about by trying to “normalize” Satan himself, witchcraft and Satanism as forms of legitimate worship? Yes, it is happening here in the good ole USA.So based upon these indicators it is my estimation that we have a major problem and we need wisdom which leads us to discernment.Discernment is being able to distinguish right from what is nearly right - SpurgeonIn this areaHebrews 5:9-149 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” {God of Peace and righteousness}11 of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the [b]oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. {the Spirit of God is the discerner} He will lead you into all truth. He has brought you here for just this time. Let”s no miss our moment for which He has called us.Points verse by verse- follow me please!In Verses 9 and 10 the writer wanted to tell these Hebrew peoples about the King called Melchizedek. This King who is a forerunner of Christ is both the king of righteousness and the king of Salem or peace. Both of these characteristics and specifically unique and are demonstrated in the life, death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But because of the problems with the people he must stop and point our problems which need correctionVerse 11 – we have much to say but you have become dull of hearing. There is a whole lot of meaning built into these words – dull of hearing. Specifically, how did they become dull of hearing? From what the writer says here and later the previously knew what was right and true. We have been using a verse from the OT which provides a clear answer - Deut 30:17 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, Dull of hearing means just that, they no longer hear with the same intensity which they did previously, their hearts have turned away and they are being drawn continually into further sin. Jesus provided a similar commentary for those in the New Testament in Matt 13:13 - Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.Verse 12 – you should be teachers by now based upon the time and teaching you have received, but you have fallen so far away that you are spiritual babies. The had devolved in learning instead of maturing and now needed to be refed the bottle of milk instead of the meat of the word of God. Spiritual food comes from the word of God and is necessary for growth.Verse 13 reinforces this stating your babies and not mature. You say you want the truth but bottom line – you can’t handle the truth! 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 2 Tim 2:15 _ 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Verse 14 _ 14 But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. The application of discernment and wisdom by a believer comes from those who practice what they preach. An athlete understands that to have continued exceptional use of their muscles requires practice and continued repetition. No pain no gain or ability to maintain. So for you and I there is no other way but to study, and pray and meditate on the Word of God. We should be able to minister to others using the ingrafted word of God which is able to save to the uttermost.It is time for the Paladins of the Lord to stand having girded themselves with all that is in Jesus Christ. And having done all to be able to stand in the evil day, fully armed and prepared for the battle who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Discernment the ability to tell the difference between the truth and what almost is the truth. Amen In the name of Yeshua Hamashiach.
Yeshua Hamashiach means "Jesus the Messiah." The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which is the shortened form of the name Yehoshua. From this Hebrew word we also get the name Joshua (Joshua 5:15) or Hoshea (Numbers 13:8; Deuteronomy 33:44). The name means "salvation"
Another newsflash. This game is called you choose or you lose – NBA or USA, NFL or USA, MLB or USA? I choose the USA, how about you? Will you join or allow others to join in the cult of the selfish individual. Being frightfully unaware of the danger behind their cultish adoration of China as their puppet master and the death that will result from their worship at the feet of money. I choose the land of the free and the brave. There is always a price for freedom are we willing to pay the cost of obedience?
Sermon September 27
God keeps shaking the Church and there is an interesting statement in 1st Chronicles 12- verse 32 - 32 of the sons of Issachar who understood the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command; This is an amazing verse which God flows us - Of all the tribes of Israel, special mentions is made of the tribe of Issachar who understood the times, to know what Israel ought to do…and all their brethren were at their command. In the prophetic book of Hosea Chapter 4, verse 6 God’s word says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”From these scriptures we can draw two conclusion - First that Gods people perish for a lack of knowledge not because they don’t have an opportunity to know truth but because they reject the truth. But God wants and values a people who are like the sons of Issachar who understand the times and apply the truth of God’s word to know the truth and to use it. And the scripture says to when given this trust and blessing all our brethren should listen and apply their commands. I believe God want us as sons of Issachar today.So if you catch the meaning, God’s people have departed from God, and have rejected Him and from knowing the truth. Similar to Israel, America, our nation is just not spiraling away from God it is accelerating rapidly. And just when you think there couldn’t be more confusion in a messy market place God terminates the life of Ruth Vader Ginsburg and takes her away. And you think that God didn’t know this was to happen. Folks there is no uncertainty here or in heaven except in our minds - God is in control of the events on this earth. So where should the church be - they should be the sons of Issachar who understood the times, to know what Israel ought to do. Notice in Hosea 4. the people perish for a lack of knowledge but it isn’t because there is no knowledge but they have rejected knowledge and because of this they are destroyed. So you should be informed for you, if you are a believer, you should have knowledge and wisdom. Are you truly yielded to the Holy Spirit? He is the Teacher and will give you all truth. And when He speaks, He speaks right from the throne room of Heaven. (Romans 8:27)Prophetically, in History our times today parallels what happened in the days of Elisha. It is called spiritual rebellion; the Nation had turned away. The Israelites called good evil and evil good and sacrificed their children to Moloch. Because of this rebellion God sent hard times and prophets to proclaim His truth to the people. God also sent sickness, plagues, conquest by foreign nations - Assyria, Greece, Rome and others just like He promised in the 28th chapter of the Deuteronomy that He would follow through on either blessings or cursing’s based upon their heartfelt devotion to God.So God proceeds to warn the people and to draw them back to Himself, even in their most difficult and terrible sins. He sends prophets with testimonies, instructions and assistance Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah includes Hosea, and deliverers the nation to plagues, sickness but maybe today God will serve to wake up to God’s activity. These are the days of Elisha. We are in the days or repent or perish because we have turned away.Wake up you are living in America, you are living in the days of Elisha today for it is God calling to His people to Return. Return to Me- Zechariah 1:3 says. Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. In Historically, There have been two nations specifically founded by God. In the Old Testament He called Israel to be His people and In the New Testament God has established a covenant people in America. If you have read the Harbinger you know the story of the covenant established her by the founding fathers. The hand of God was deeply upon the revolution and the establishment of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. That is the truth of our History no matter what lies are told today. Both Nations have a founding covenant, but America’s founding is derived from the founding of Israel. Now who establishes Covenants? God does we don’t. As God used men and the Holy covenant of Abraham He built the nation of Israel. The Abramic covenant has been extended to America by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The foundation of the principles of separation of powers into three branches of government is from the Bible and was put there by leaders who were biblical scholars and chosen by God. Do you suppose the picture of George Washington in Valley Forge was put there by accident? America was to be a city set on a Hill, it was to be a people distinctly used by God. And it has been - we became a world power not because of greatness and goodness but because it was God’s design to counter evil. We have lost our way. One of the reasons for the separation of powers in the constitution was because the founders understood the sin in man’s heart.America was used of God in the new world and it has been, until the early 1950’s. If we are to be the Sons of Issachar we need to know that God works to draw a people back to Himself. As since we have spiraled away from God and departed, God have begun using measures of Judgement and discipline to draw us back to Himself. One of the prophetic steps of God is to remove His protective hand from His people and since the 1960’s we have more rapidly departed. God struck the land at the gates of His people in past times and 9/11/ 2001, was God striking the gates of America. When God brought a nation against Israel, they struck the gates of Jerusalem. New York is where the covenant was sealed and established. God removed His hand from the gates of New York and you must realize at the gate of the covenant cities there were two towers set up. 9/11 struck the twin towers and there was an immediate quick turning back to God. Churches were full and the people cried out to God, but there was no long-term repentance by the people. We quickly turned back to our continuing sins.Since then there has been a period of 19 years since the Twin Towers which is prophetically proclaimed using a time table established in the Old Testament. In that 19 years our sinfulness has accelerated because the people of God have not repented and turned back to God. Brethren if we continue to miss the harbingers which God has been sending then perhaps we have finally found one we can recognize. It is COVID -19. God sent another harbinger the plague- a shaking of His people and according to how God functions there is a 7-year cycle which God uses to punish our nation. The financial disaster initiated by the COVID -19 disaster is part of God calling us back to redemption, are you listening?So to be sons of Issachar we need to depend on God’s word to lead us go to II Chronicles 7:14, but begin first with verse 13 - 13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Repent or perish is the call from God and He gives us the method and the practice needed to discover Himself and return to Him. We must return - 9/11/2001 was the call to return when God struck the land. Yes there was movement and people went to church and prayed but there has been no genuine repentance and returning to God by His people. Remember this is the principle God uses His church to build a nation. Where are the churches of God? I see Southern Baptists being more concerned with homosexual rights, the social gospel and Black Lives matter that the things of God. We are departed and our hearts are far from God. Quickly after a few weeks we returned to what we had been doing before. You say what are we supposed to do? God told us what to do 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. To turn back to God, is to repent and to devote yourself to His call, to give Him all your heart and soul and mind and strength. This begins with humbling yourselves before God and praying in repentance. Where is our heart today? Are we really the people of God? Are we seeking Him is penitent, persistent and petitioning prayer? Prayer Father is where your power is. Remember those in the upper room were all in one accord and they received power in prayer.Ezekiel 33:11 says - 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’Joel 2:1 says - Blow the [a]trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the Lord is coming,
For it is at hand:
Joel 1:14-15 says Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
Into the house of the Lord your God,
And cry out to the Lord.
15 Alas for the day!
For the day of the Lord is at hand;
It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
Brethren this is Old Testament and I don’t believe it relates to the final coming and ultimate destruction of all kingdoms and powers. These calamities came to the Kingdoms of Israel northern and southern because of the stubbornness of their hearts and desire to worship other Gods. This may be what is happening in America today. That is why I believe we need to do what is says in Joel. To repent and call for a solemn assembly to pray and fast and seek God for His provisions. What we are seeing are signs of Judgement upon the land and upon the people. Go back to II Chronicles 7:13 and reread this verse. Do you realize this is happening today in our world -13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,There has been unprecedented drought in the world today. Yes, we have seen torrential rains and destruction by powerful storms across our nation. There are locusts in increasing numbers across our world- News flash - 450 billion locusts have been killed this year, but devastating swarms still ravage Africa, India and the Middle East.Another news flash - The Central American Locust: another plague threatening Mexico. Drought in Colorado, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Africa, and all over the world.Do you suppose God is calling His people by shaking the foundations? Yes that is God. While President Trump is not a deep man of God, God is using Him to forestall final judgement and deliverance. Sons and children of Issachar must see and know what God is doing. But first we have to recognize the Hand of God. This shaking created by God has manifested in COVID 19. The root word for Covid has the meaning for the word crown. The shaking and intervention of God has been His hand to call for His people to repent and arise.Some of God’s people are responding to the call for a Solemn Assembly, some are responding to the call for the Prayer Walk sponsored by Franklin Graham - God is stirring the heart of His people.Remember this point when the people of God depart and their heart turns away and they no longer hear, they begin to worship and then finally serve other Gods. God beings to chastise, then discipline and then finally judge His people. These interventions into the life of the nation, these shakings including the 2016 election reflects God’s activity and follows His ways. But these don’t cease until the people repent or perish. The first step in repentance is to cry out to God for His help and His mercy. We need to remember who we serve. He has defeated all the enemies of Israel past and present. Every nation that has attacked Israel no long exist. He has used America as an ally of Israel. He has defeated all enemies including death. He is God and He is good and He is love and He has yesterday, today and tomorrow in His hands. He is God and He is real and He demands that His people who are called by His name to not only worship, but praise and more importantly serve Him. Will you repent and call out to Him right now. He is calling you to walk with Him by faith, not sight and He holds the future. Trust and Obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Amen
God keeps shaking the Church and there is an interesting statement in 1st Chronicles 12- verse 32 - 32 of the sons of Issachar who understood the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command; This is an amazing verse which God flows us - Of all the tribes of Israel, special mentions is made of the tribe of Issachar who understood the times, to know what Israel ought to do…and all their brethren were at their command. In the prophetic book of Hosea Chapter 4, verse 6 God’s word says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”From these scriptures we can draw two conclusion - First that Gods people perish for a lack of knowledge not because they don’t have an opportunity to know truth but because they reject the truth. But God wants and values a people who are like the sons of Issachar who understand the times and apply the truth of God’s word to know the truth and to use it. And the scripture says to when given this trust and blessing all our brethren should listen and apply their commands. I believe God want us as sons of Issachar today.So if you catch the meaning, God’s people have departed from God, and have rejected Him and from knowing the truth. Similar to Israel, America, our nation is just not spiraling away from God it is accelerating rapidly. And just when you think there couldn’t be more confusion in a messy market place God terminates the life of Ruth Vader Ginsburg and takes her away. And you think that God didn’t know this was to happen. Folks there is no uncertainty here or in heaven except in our minds - God is in control of the events on this earth. So where should the church be - they should be the sons of Issachar who understood the times, to know what Israel ought to do. Notice in Hosea 4. the people perish for a lack of knowledge but it isn’t because there is no knowledge but they have rejected knowledge and because of this they are destroyed. So you should be informed for you, if you are a believer, you should have knowledge and wisdom. Are you truly yielded to the Holy Spirit? He is the Teacher and will give you all truth. And when He speaks, He speaks right from the throne room of Heaven. (Romans 8:27)Prophetically, in History our times today parallels what happened in the days of Elisha. It is called spiritual rebellion; the Nation had turned away. The Israelites called good evil and evil good and sacrificed their children to Moloch. Because of this rebellion God sent hard times and prophets to proclaim His truth to the people. God also sent sickness, plagues, conquest by foreign nations - Assyria, Greece, Rome and others just like He promised in the 28th chapter of the Deuteronomy that He would follow through on either blessings or cursing’s based upon their heartfelt devotion to God.So God proceeds to warn the people and to draw them back to Himself, even in their most difficult and terrible sins. He sends prophets with testimonies, instructions and assistance Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah includes Hosea, and deliverers the nation to plagues, sickness but maybe today God will serve to wake up to God’s activity. These are the days of Elisha. We are in the days or repent or perish because we have turned away.Wake up you are living in America, you are living in the days of Elisha today for it is God calling to His people to Return. Return to Me- Zechariah 1:3 says. Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. In Historically, There have been two nations specifically founded by God. In the Old Testament He called Israel to be His people and In the New Testament God has established a covenant people in America. If you have read the Harbinger you know the story of the covenant established her by the founding fathers. The hand of God was deeply upon the revolution and the establishment of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. That is the truth of our History no matter what lies are told today. Both Nations have a founding covenant, but America’s founding is derived from the founding of Israel. Now who establishes Covenants? God does we don’t. As God used men and the Holy covenant of Abraham He built the nation of Israel. The Abramic covenant has been extended to America by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The foundation of the principles of separation of powers into three branches of government is from the Bible and was put there by leaders who were biblical scholars and chosen by God. Do you suppose the picture of George Washington in Valley Forge was put there by accident? America was to be a city set on a Hill, it was to be a people distinctly used by God. And it has been - we became a world power not because of greatness and goodness but because it was God’s design to counter evil. We have lost our way. One of the reasons for the separation of powers in the constitution was because the founders understood the sin in man’s heart.America was used of God in the new world and it has been, until the early 1950’s. If we are to be the Sons of Issachar we need to know that God works to draw a people back to Himself. As since we have spiraled away from God and departed, God have begun using measures of Judgement and discipline to draw us back to Himself. One of the prophetic steps of God is to remove His protective hand from His people and since the 1960’s we have more rapidly departed. God struck the land at the gates of His people in past times and 9/11/ 2001, was God striking the gates of America. When God brought a nation against Israel, they struck the gates of Jerusalem. New York is where the covenant was sealed and established. God removed His hand from the gates of New York and you must realize at the gate of the covenant cities there were two towers set up. 9/11 struck the twin towers and there was an immediate quick turning back to God. Churches were full and the people cried out to God, but there was no long-term repentance by the people. We quickly turned back to our continuing sins.Since then there has been a period of 19 years since the Twin Towers which is prophetically proclaimed using a time table established in the Old Testament. In that 19 years our sinfulness has accelerated because the people of God have not repented and turned back to God. Brethren if we continue to miss the harbingers which God has been sending then perhaps we have finally found one we can recognize. It is COVID -19. God sent another harbinger the plague- a shaking of His people and according to how God functions there is a 7-year cycle which God uses to punish our nation. The financial disaster initiated by the COVID -19 disaster is part of God calling us back to redemption, are you listening?So to be sons of Issachar we need to depend on God’s word to lead us go to II Chronicles 7:14, but begin first with verse 13 - 13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Repent or perish is the call from God and He gives us the method and the practice needed to discover Himself and return to Him. We must return - 9/11/2001 was the call to return when God struck the land. Yes there was movement and people went to church and prayed but there has been no genuine repentance and returning to God by His people. Remember this is the principle God uses His church to build a nation. Where are the churches of God? I see Southern Baptists being more concerned with homosexual rights, the social gospel and Black Lives matter that the things of God. We are departed and our hearts are far from God. Quickly after a few weeks we returned to what we had been doing before. You say what are we supposed to do? God told us what to do 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. To turn back to God, is to repent and to devote yourself to His call, to give Him all your heart and soul and mind and strength. This begins with humbling yourselves before God and praying in repentance. Where is our heart today? Are we really the people of God? Are we seeking Him is penitent, persistent and petitioning prayer? Prayer Father is where your power is. Remember those in the upper room were all in one accord and they received power in prayer.Ezekiel 33:11 says - 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’Joel 2:1 says - Blow the [a]trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the Lord is coming,
For it is at hand:
Joel 1:14-15 says Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
Into the house of the Lord your God,
And cry out to the Lord.
15 Alas for the day!
For the day of the Lord is at hand;
It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
Brethren this is Old Testament and I don’t believe it relates to the final coming and ultimate destruction of all kingdoms and powers. These calamities came to the Kingdoms of Israel northern and southern because of the stubbornness of their hearts and desire to worship other Gods. This may be what is happening in America today. That is why I believe we need to do what is says in Joel. To repent and call for a solemn assembly to pray and fast and seek God for His provisions. What we are seeing are signs of Judgement upon the land and upon the people. Go back to II Chronicles 7:13 and reread this verse. Do you realize this is happening today in our world -13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,There has been unprecedented drought in the world today. Yes, we have seen torrential rains and destruction by powerful storms across our nation. There are locusts in increasing numbers across our world- News flash - 450 billion locusts have been killed this year, but devastating swarms still ravage Africa, India and the Middle East.Another news flash - The Central American Locust: another plague threatening Mexico. Drought in Colorado, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Africa, and all over the world.Do you suppose God is calling His people by shaking the foundations? Yes that is God. While President Trump is not a deep man of God, God is using Him to forestall final judgement and deliverance. Sons and children of Issachar must see and know what God is doing. But first we have to recognize the Hand of God. This shaking created by God has manifested in COVID 19. The root word for Covid has the meaning for the word crown. The shaking and intervention of God has been His hand to call for His people to repent and arise.Some of God’s people are responding to the call for a Solemn Assembly, some are responding to the call for the Prayer Walk sponsored by Franklin Graham - God is stirring the heart of His people.Remember this point when the people of God depart and their heart turns away and they no longer hear, they begin to worship and then finally serve other Gods. God beings to chastise, then discipline and then finally judge His people. These interventions into the life of the nation, these shakings including the 2016 election reflects God’s activity and follows His ways. But these don’t cease until the people repent or perish. The first step in repentance is to cry out to God for His help and His mercy. We need to remember who we serve. He has defeated all the enemies of Israel past and present. Every nation that has attacked Israel no long exist. He has used America as an ally of Israel. He has defeated all enemies including death. He is God and He is good and He is love and He has yesterday, today and tomorrow in His hands. He is God and He is real and He demands that His people who are called by His name to not only worship, but praise and more importantly serve Him. Will you repent and call out to Him right now. He is calling you to walk with Him by faith, not sight and He holds the future. Trust and Obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Amen
Sermon September 13
Today we begin a personal and profound spiritual journey to reconnect with God, our Father. You say what is this? I have not departed from God at least I don’t think I have departed from Him, so why are you intimating that we, that is you and I have. It is plain before your face, look at what is happening here in America. Yes, we look at the circumstances and we may be tempted to say it is Spiritual Warfare as we have discussed beforehand. And there is definitely elements of spiritual warfare involved in our personal battles. But, before you and I make a definitive judgement about what we are experiencing in America and personally, perhaps we should check out what the Word of God indicates.12 times in the Old Testament there are times when the people departed from God and God pricked the heart of a leader to cause the people to return to Him. You can begin in Exodus and go through the book of Joel, including 1st and 2nd Kings and Chronicles and all the prophets of God, major prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah; Ezekiel and all the minor prophets discuss the actions of God and His response when His people descend into depravity. Go with me now and let’s discuss what happens when the people drift away and gradually depart from God. Now mind you this has been happening here in America since the late 1950’s, more evidenced in the 1960’s and later by multiple Supreme Court decisions about prayer, use of Bible in the classroom and courtroom, until today where you have gross sexual sin openly displayed in Child pornography, gender issues, and free range on abortion and foul language tolerated in the streets. Tolerance for pornography on television and in the movies and all sorts of murder and killing is a daily thing. Now we are specifically focusing on how God’s people respond in the midst of this mess.So how do we depart it is quite simple, write these down these steps in departing -1. Initially God Himself calls a people to be on mission with Him - redeem a lost world2. Depart - His people gradually fall and substitute other things for His presence, His purposes and His ways. This is a self-destructive condition3. God brings discipline His people to lead them back to Himself because of His love for us. He can use anything natural disasters, health problems, relationship issues, economic or social problems to discipline us even foreign armies, pestilence and calamities.4.God’s people cry out for Him to help. The intensity of what we face will increase until God’s people cry out and begin to return to Him. It gets to a point where His people can no longer ignore Him or what He is saying check out Deut. 28:15-68. We see this same process and end result played out when we look repeated at the parable of the prodigal son in the New Testament in Luke 15. When the Son comes to full repentance and awareness of His sin He confesses and, in that confession, prepares Himself to come back to His Father. We see the results when we look at verses 17-23- 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’22 “But the father said to his servants, [f]‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’Here we see recognition of his condition only after his circumstances were abominable and he had no friends, or resources to draw up. So how did he get in this condition lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and pride of life are always the way we depart.5. God calls His people to repent and return to Him or perish. This has happened several times in scripture where the nation of Israel, whether northern or southern kingdom were destroyed. Yes there remained a remnant but never to glory once held before. If we do not repent, we perish.6. If God’s people repent, He brings revival by restoring them to a right relationship with Himself. 12 times God revived His people in the OT under Moses, under David, under Asa, Hezekiah, under Jehosephat and others. And when God brings revival to His people like His did at Pentecost with those praying in the upper room a 7th event occurs. If they don’t repent they perish.7.Those who have been revived by Jesus Christ see God draw unbelievers to Himself for salvationWhere might we be today in these 7 steps? I believe we are in step 3, God is bringing discipline against His people for the purpose of bringing us to revival. But to have revival you must awaken and become aware of what is happening. You cannot be revived if you are unaware of your fetid condition before God. If you continue in your attitude and sin you will surely perish. You need to remember that God pursues a continuing love relationship for His stubborn, arrogant and foolish people who are unaware of what He is doing. Only recognition of the love of his father caused the prodigal son to repent. It is the same with us. Until we recognize that God relentlessly pursues us to draw us unto Himself we have limited awareness of His activity. Jeremiah 7:13 tells us that God pursues us even when we would not answer back.1 Peter 2:9 says, 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;This is where our Father wants us to be. He wants us in right relationship with Himself. Hebrews 3:12-13 should give us caution however, 12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but [b]exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.When our hearts become hardened is when we depart. Look at how America has turned our back on God in the Court cases and rejection by a political party, we have seen rendered against God being part of our nation and our heritage. We should be affronted not on the basis of what we have lost but because our God has been dishonored and His great name disparaged. And the people called by His name don’t’ appear to care or understand. If not why?Do you suppose there might be a problem? Our hearts have turned away and we no longer hear and we have gone off and worshiped something else and are now serving them. Let’s be honest before God - we are not where we need to be before Him. Many of us have substituted religious activity for a genuine relationship with our God. We find many substitutes for God look at the woman at the well in John 4. She substituted sexual relations for a real relationship. She was starving and yet when she replied to Jesus she brought up religious activity and other actions which were substitutes for God’s activity. Until Jesus reached her she did not know her need which was for a savior.Anger, backsliding, pornography are all means of backsliding away from God and His provision. They are spiritual indicators of issues within the person which can lead to an outright rejection of God caused by accumulated sin and our hardness of heart. Sin and the hard-human heart are the problem.Yes sin in our is the problem. Do we think that all this disaster, distress and on-coming persecution is the result of a personal attack from Satan, or is this perhaps the discipline of the Lord? Repeat the question. Understand, when we sin and we walk away from God if our hearts are hardened and we have departed from Him we may believe that our distress is spiritual warfare when in fact it is the discipline of God upon us, drawing us back to Himself. Think about it deeply.In the Old Testament book of 1st Kings 17, we have the story of King Ahab and his corrupt wife Jezebel. They worshiped Baal and believed he was the one who brought the rain crucial for harvesting and prospering the nation. Offerings were made to Baal to ensure the rains would come and to ask for bumper crops. God responded to the apostacy of His people by sending a famine for 3.5 years, for God’s people had abandoned Him. Elijah was the prophet of God who announced this disciple and judgement given by God upon the people. Do you think that the God who is the same perpetually has changed in these latter days? Open your eyes and behold the hand of the Lord who has removed His protective hand upon our country and allowed the removal of all restraint to happen After 3.5 years of unproductive Baal worship and failure to provide the needed offerings God sent Elijah to the people to demonstrate His power; make them aware of His person and His position as deliverer. You can use the words of Joshua to state the question which Elisha was asking --- choose today whom you will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. They were to chooseGod in Elijah had a great victory that day for God prevented the sacrifice of the priests of Baal upon their altar and Elijah mocked them in front of 50K+ Israelites. God then in spite of all the water on the bull consumed the sacrifice with a blue flame. Then God removed the evil in the land for 400 prophets of Baal and 450 others were slain below Mt. Carmel. God uses civil unrest, wars, plagues, all sorts of natural disasters, fevers leprosy and personal conflict to bring judgement and discipline upon his people.God may also hide His presence and cause a famine for the Word of God, not speaking to His chosen people. God may allow your loved ones to suffer the consequences of your sin by removing the hedge of protection He has provided. Your personal sin is also a hard barrier. Check out Isaiah 59:1-3 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with [a]blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.Your sin separates you from God. So how about an honest assessment - have you seriously pursued your love relationship and been obedient to all that God has called you to do? Or has there been a great lull in hearing the voice of God. Do you sense God speaking to you from His word? Is there a need for a fresh encounter? You can meet Him today at the altar in prayer and He will do business with you right now. Are you prepared to meet Him? He is a consuming fire.Will you covenant to meet with God for 10 days of prayer and fasting in preparation for a solemn assembly on Saturday 26 September 2020?
Today we begin a personal and profound spiritual journey to reconnect with God, our Father. You say what is this? I have not departed from God at least I don’t think I have departed from Him, so why are you intimating that we, that is you and I have. It is plain before your face, look at what is happening here in America. Yes, we look at the circumstances and we may be tempted to say it is Spiritual Warfare as we have discussed beforehand. And there is definitely elements of spiritual warfare involved in our personal battles. But, before you and I make a definitive judgement about what we are experiencing in America and personally, perhaps we should check out what the Word of God indicates.12 times in the Old Testament there are times when the people departed from God and God pricked the heart of a leader to cause the people to return to Him. You can begin in Exodus and go through the book of Joel, including 1st and 2nd Kings and Chronicles and all the prophets of God, major prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah; Ezekiel and all the minor prophets discuss the actions of God and His response when His people descend into depravity. Go with me now and let’s discuss what happens when the people drift away and gradually depart from God. Now mind you this has been happening here in America since the late 1950’s, more evidenced in the 1960’s and later by multiple Supreme Court decisions about prayer, use of Bible in the classroom and courtroom, until today where you have gross sexual sin openly displayed in Child pornography, gender issues, and free range on abortion and foul language tolerated in the streets. Tolerance for pornography on television and in the movies and all sorts of murder and killing is a daily thing. Now we are specifically focusing on how God’s people respond in the midst of this mess.So how do we depart it is quite simple, write these down these steps in departing -1. Initially God Himself calls a people to be on mission with Him - redeem a lost world2. Depart - His people gradually fall and substitute other things for His presence, His purposes and His ways. This is a self-destructive condition3. God brings discipline His people to lead them back to Himself because of His love for us. He can use anything natural disasters, health problems, relationship issues, economic or social problems to discipline us even foreign armies, pestilence and calamities.4.God’s people cry out for Him to help. The intensity of what we face will increase until God’s people cry out and begin to return to Him. It gets to a point where His people can no longer ignore Him or what He is saying check out Deut. 28:15-68. We see this same process and end result played out when we look repeated at the parable of the prodigal son in the New Testament in Luke 15. When the Son comes to full repentance and awareness of His sin He confesses and, in that confession, prepares Himself to come back to His Father. We see the results when we look at verses 17-23- 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’22 “But the father said to his servants, [f]‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’Here we see recognition of his condition only after his circumstances were abominable and he had no friends, or resources to draw up. So how did he get in this condition lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and pride of life are always the way we depart.5. God calls His people to repent and return to Him or perish. This has happened several times in scripture where the nation of Israel, whether northern or southern kingdom were destroyed. Yes there remained a remnant but never to glory once held before. If we do not repent, we perish.6. If God’s people repent, He brings revival by restoring them to a right relationship with Himself. 12 times God revived His people in the OT under Moses, under David, under Asa, Hezekiah, under Jehosephat and others. And when God brings revival to His people like His did at Pentecost with those praying in the upper room a 7th event occurs. If they don’t repent they perish.7.Those who have been revived by Jesus Christ see God draw unbelievers to Himself for salvationWhere might we be today in these 7 steps? I believe we are in step 3, God is bringing discipline against His people for the purpose of bringing us to revival. But to have revival you must awaken and become aware of what is happening. You cannot be revived if you are unaware of your fetid condition before God. If you continue in your attitude and sin you will surely perish. You need to remember that God pursues a continuing love relationship for His stubborn, arrogant and foolish people who are unaware of what He is doing. Only recognition of the love of his father caused the prodigal son to repent. It is the same with us. Until we recognize that God relentlessly pursues us to draw us unto Himself we have limited awareness of His activity. Jeremiah 7:13 tells us that God pursues us even when we would not answer back.1 Peter 2:9 says, 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;This is where our Father wants us to be. He wants us in right relationship with Himself. Hebrews 3:12-13 should give us caution however, 12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but [b]exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.When our hearts become hardened is when we depart. Look at how America has turned our back on God in the Court cases and rejection by a political party, we have seen rendered against God being part of our nation and our heritage. We should be affronted not on the basis of what we have lost but because our God has been dishonored and His great name disparaged. And the people called by His name don’t’ appear to care or understand. If not why?Do you suppose there might be a problem? Our hearts have turned away and we no longer hear and we have gone off and worshiped something else and are now serving them. Let’s be honest before God - we are not where we need to be before Him. Many of us have substituted religious activity for a genuine relationship with our God. We find many substitutes for God look at the woman at the well in John 4. She substituted sexual relations for a real relationship. She was starving and yet when she replied to Jesus she brought up religious activity and other actions which were substitutes for God’s activity. Until Jesus reached her she did not know her need which was for a savior.Anger, backsliding, pornography are all means of backsliding away from God and His provision. They are spiritual indicators of issues within the person which can lead to an outright rejection of God caused by accumulated sin and our hardness of heart. Sin and the hard-human heart are the problem.Yes sin in our is the problem. Do we think that all this disaster, distress and on-coming persecution is the result of a personal attack from Satan, or is this perhaps the discipline of the Lord? Repeat the question. Understand, when we sin and we walk away from God if our hearts are hardened and we have departed from Him we may believe that our distress is spiritual warfare when in fact it is the discipline of God upon us, drawing us back to Himself. Think about it deeply.In the Old Testament book of 1st Kings 17, we have the story of King Ahab and his corrupt wife Jezebel. They worshiped Baal and believed he was the one who brought the rain crucial for harvesting and prospering the nation. Offerings were made to Baal to ensure the rains would come and to ask for bumper crops. God responded to the apostacy of His people by sending a famine for 3.5 years, for God’s people had abandoned Him. Elijah was the prophet of God who announced this disciple and judgement given by God upon the people. Do you think that the God who is the same perpetually has changed in these latter days? Open your eyes and behold the hand of the Lord who has removed His protective hand upon our country and allowed the removal of all restraint to happen After 3.5 years of unproductive Baal worship and failure to provide the needed offerings God sent Elijah to the people to demonstrate His power; make them aware of His person and His position as deliverer. You can use the words of Joshua to state the question which Elisha was asking --- choose today whom you will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. They were to chooseGod in Elijah had a great victory that day for God prevented the sacrifice of the priests of Baal upon their altar and Elijah mocked them in front of 50K+ Israelites. God then in spite of all the water on the bull consumed the sacrifice with a blue flame. Then God removed the evil in the land for 400 prophets of Baal and 450 others were slain below Mt. Carmel. God uses civil unrest, wars, plagues, all sorts of natural disasters, fevers leprosy and personal conflict to bring judgement and discipline upon his people.God may also hide His presence and cause a famine for the Word of God, not speaking to His chosen people. God may allow your loved ones to suffer the consequences of your sin by removing the hedge of protection He has provided. Your personal sin is also a hard barrier. Check out Isaiah 59:1-3 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with [a]blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.Your sin separates you from God. So how about an honest assessment - have you seriously pursued your love relationship and been obedient to all that God has called you to do? Or has there been a great lull in hearing the voice of God. Do you sense God speaking to you from His word? Is there a need for a fresh encounter? You can meet Him today at the altar in prayer and He will do business with you right now. Are you prepared to meet Him? He is a consuming fire.Will you covenant to meet with God for 10 days of prayer and fasting in preparation for a solemn assembly on Saturday 26 September 2020?
Sermon September 6
In today’s market place we are to contend for the truth. Our truth is in a person who is the TRUTH – His name is Jesus Christ. In addition to the Truth, He is the Way to salvation and deliverance from sin; and He is the life for today and for eternity, for without Him there is no life except in Christ.With all the hostility and anger being expressed in today’s media and in all the protests, you sometimes wonder how can we function. And to make matters worse there is an absolute test case of liberals, who hate the church in the state of California. If you think this is a one off and it is not going to come to a church near you just wait. If Biden wins the election AOC will shut down churches nationwide in an absolute heartbeat because of your hate for equality and justice and the non- inclusiveness of you homophobic sanctimonious fools. But in the middle of all this Jesus has a message for you - Pray for them who despitefully use you. Jesus told His disciples in Mark 13:11 - But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.Jesus further promises that He will never leave you or forsake you. That where you are He is with you. We can become so focused on those who taunt, curse and shout at us to the point where we become angry and wish to retaliate and ensure justice is done on these perpetrators. Now some people actually hate you and what you represent, but many are just plain lost sheep and following the herd. Why, because they are dumb sheep, as Jesus told us, who have no Shepherd; especially a Good Shepherd who desires to lead them in paths of righteousness for His Names sake. Even to lead us in the valley of the shadow of death, there He desires to comfort them.So God wants us to remember who is the enemy of our souls - Satan, and who is the perpetrator of deception upon those who are disoriented to God. But God is always at workThis week I heard the testimony of Starr Parker a wonderful Christian witness who was saved out of drugs, disease, and sexual sin, because someone confronted her with the fact that God hated her life style. Here is a black woman in the depths of sin, who is challenged at the very point of her sin as she was trying to get Christian business people to augment her welfare check under the table and they would not do it. She was told her lifestyle was unacceptable and she challenged them. Wo doesn’t like my lifestyle and the answer was God doesn’t like your lifestyle. She never considered there was a God in heaven who actually cared about how she lived. Because of this question and the persistence of these men calling her to come to church - she found she was a sinner, who God loved and He was calling her to salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ. She became a whosoever will, who called upon the name of the Lord to be saved and she received a savior and salvation. This was because of a hard question and statement about her sin filled lifestyle. AmenIt says in 1 Peter 3:15,- that you and I should; always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;Did you hear this word for you and I. So how do we prepare for combat. That’s right warfare and serious it is. More serious than you know. As many of us can testify we believe there is renewed urgency because the time is short and we are called to go, for today is the day of salvation. So what do we need to do - turn to the Word of God.II Corinthians 10:1-6 - The Spiritual War1Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal {earthly} but mighty in God {of the Holy Spirit} for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God {internal and external}, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. {personal requirement for obedience}We must understand 4 truths from this passageI. We do not walk according to our flesh- if we do we fail {verse 3}II. Our Weapons are not carnal or earthly, but are of the Holy Spirit {verse 4}III. Applying these weapons we are to tear down {strongholds and arguments} everything internally and externally which exalts itself against what we are to know about God. {verse 5}IV. Bring every thought captive to Christ until our personal requirement for obedience is fulfilled {verse 6}So, how is this done? It begins with a desire in the heart of the believer to do what we are commanded “Be ye holy” as Christ is holy and righteous.This urge from God may require you to repent. Here is what I have found - as I walk closer to Christ each day I discover how far away I am from His standard of perfection. At the same time that standard of perfection is His desire for my life, yet I am not able to achieve it without surrendering myself, my life my all to Him. This sounds difficult and it is but it isn’t at the same time. Foliow along and see if this makes senseThe promise of God In James 5 is this: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.I guess the basic question is how to draw close to God? Well I can give you the standard formula of prayer, bible study, worship and fellowship. But to many this means nothing so try this one Eph 6:Step 1 recognize the battleground and your enemy 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Step 2 Know you must make preparations for combat . Begin by understanding to stand in the evil day will take work and practice 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.Step 3 use the Word of God to surround your life and be armed with Christ’s righteousness by learning from God the Father’s book the Bible 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, Step 4 Understand your battle plan is the exact opposite of Human battleplans 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; This battle plan is God’s plan of peace through strengthStep 5 will require you to walk by faith and not by sight- meaning you should expect this to happen. You should also remember that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God - 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Step 6 requires alertness and awareness of what is happening around you and praying with the understanding that as a child of God you have access by the Holy Spirit to the Heavenlies, praying as God leads you17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— Remember you have been saved by grace through faith, Christ is your salvation in Him alone, by faith alone and He is at work in you to achieve His purposes.This all begins with repentance and the need for personal revival are you committed to being obedient?
In today’s market place we are to contend for the truth. Our truth is in a person who is the TRUTH – His name is Jesus Christ. In addition to the Truth, He is the Way to salvation and deliverance from sin; and He is the life for today and for eternity, for without Him there is no life except in Christ.With all the hostility and anger being expressed in today’s media and in all the protests, you sometimes wonder how can we function. And to make matters worse there is an absolute test case of liberals, who hate the church in the state of California. If you think this is a one off and it is not going to come to a church near you just wait. If Biden wins the election AOC will shut down churches nationwide in an absolute heartbeat because of your hate for equality and justice and the non- inclusiveness of you homophobic sanctimonious fools. But in the middle of all this Jesus has a message for you - Pray for them who despitefully use you. Jesus told His disciples in Mark 13:11 - But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.Jesus further promises that He will never leave you or forsake you. That where you are He is with you. We can become so focused on those who taunt, curse and shout at us to the point where we become angry and wish to retaliate and ensure justice is done on these perpetrators. Now some people actually hate you and what you represent, but many are just plain lost sheep and following the herd. Why, because they are dumb sheep, as Jesus told us, who have no Shepherd; especially a Good Shepherd who desires to lead them in paths of righteousness for His Names sake. Even to lead us in the valley of the shadow of death, there He desires to comfort them.So God wants us to remember who is the enemy of our souls - Satan, and who is the perpetrator of deception upon those who are disoriented to God. But God is always at workThis week I heard the testimony of Starr Parker a wonderful Christian witness who was saved out of drugs, disease, and sexual sin, because someone confronted her with the fact that God hated her life style. Here is a black woman in the depths of sin, who is challenged at the very point of her sin as she was trying to get Christian business people to augment her welfare check under the table and they would not do it. She was told her lifestyle was unacceptable and she challenged them. Wo doesn’t like my lifestyle and the answer was God doesn’t like your lifestyle. She never considered there was a God in heaven who actually cared about how she lived. Because of this question and the persistence of these men calling her to come to church - she found she was a sinner, who God loved and He was calling her to salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ. She became a whosoever will, who called upon the name of the Lord to be saved and she received a savior and salvation. This was because of a hard question and statement about her sin filled lifestyle. AmenIt says in 1 Peter 3:15,- that you and I should; always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;Did you hear this word for you and I. So how do we prepare for combat. That’s right warfare and serious it is. More serious than you know. As many of us can testify we believe there is renewed urgency because the time is short and we are called to go, for today is the day of salvation. So what do we need to do - turn to the Word of God.II Corinthians 10:1-6 - The Spiritual War1Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal {earthly} but mighty in God {of the Holy Spirit} for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God {internal and external}, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. {personal requirement for obedience}We must understand 4 truths from this passageI. We do not walk according to our flesh- if we do we fail {verse 3}II. Our Weapons are not carnal or earthly, but are of the Holy Spirit {verse 4}III. Applying these weapons we are to tear down {strongholds and arguments} everything internally and externally which exalts itself against what we are to know about God. {verse 5}IV. Bring every thought captive to Christ until our personal requirement for obedience is fulfilled {verse 6}So, how is this done? It begins with a desire in the heart of the believer to do what we are commanded “Be ye holy” as Christ is holy and righteous.This urge from God may require you to repent. Here is what I have found - as I walk closer to Christ each day I discover how far away I am from His standard of perfection. At the same time that standard of perfection is His desire for my life, yet I am not able to achieve it without surrendering myself, my life my all to Him. This sounds difficult and it is but it isn’t at the same time. Foliow along and see if this makes senseThe promise of God In James 5 is this: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.I guess the basic question is how to draw close to God? Well I can give you the standard formula of prayer, bible study, worship and fellowship. But to many this means nothing so try this one Eph 6:Step 1 recognize the battleground and your enemy 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of [c]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Step 2 Know you must make preparations for combat . Begin by understanding to stand in the evil day will take work and practice 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.Step 3 use the Word of God to surround your life and be armed with Christ’s righteousness by learning from God the Father’s book the Bible 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, Step 4 Understand your battle plan is the exact opposite of Human battleplans 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; This battle plan is God’s plan of peace through strengthStep 5 will require you to walk by faith and not by sight- meaning you should expect this to happen. You should also remember that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God - 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Step 6 requires alertness and awareness of what is happening around you and praying with the understanding that as a child of God you have access by the Holy Spirit to the Heavenlies, praying as God leads you17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— Remember you have been saved by grace through faith, Christ is your salvation in Him alone, by faith alone and He is at work in you to achieve His purposes.This all begins with repentance and the need for personal revival are you committed to being obedient?
Sermon August 30
Is there fear of the Lord in America? Apparently, there is none is the U.S. Senate nor in the U.S. House of Representatives. Stenny Hoyer the other day opened a meeting by reciting the Pledge Allegiance to the flag, only omitting “under God.” The same thing was done by a House chairman in opening a committee meeting in the House of Reps. The Democrats evince no respect for God or America. If we reject God now we will be in serious trouble nationally.
Here is some addition things happening in our country. Our president just tweeted that “he was honored to be the most active and supportive gay president ever?” What do you think of that statement. Do we not know there is a great conflict between what
God days and what men choose to do? God declares LBGT activities whatever as sin. Despite what Liberals theologians and the media preach and say. And we continue to kill babies despite the Pandemic shutdown- oh in case you didn’t know Abortion clinics hardly ever shut down to preserve women’s right to death. Oh excuse me that pro-choice.
What is happening in America-there is extreme delusion on many people, including our President. That is why we have been commanded to pray for those in authority over us. Especially for those in the House of Representatives who are all in for abortion. It is apparent from the behavior in the Leadership there is No fear of God, no respect for God and outright hate for Christians as demonstrated by mayors and governors in 9 states that forbid worship, prayer and meeting with God.
So what should believers be doing. First understand what God’s word says about these days specifically related to Fear of the Lord. Let’s sample a few OT references and orient ourselves to His teaching.
Proverbs 1:7 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
2 Kings 17: 24-26 says the following: 24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. 25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.”
The ravaging of Portland, New York, San Francisco and LA are the fruits of our desolation, rejection of God and lack of fear of God. 9/11 was a wake-up call which we have basically ignored. We need to be aware God is allowing all this to happen. You do not need to fear but prayerful, unafraid and aiding others who are provoking and involved with this destruction. Remember we are to pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you. (Matt 5:44)
2 Chronicles 2 1:
And the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. God gives protection to the people that fear and honor Him. If we do not fear and honor the Lord on who He calls His people He will discipline and judge us just like the nation of Israel/Judah. God will bless those who fear Him
Psalm 33:8
Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Are Christians believing this word of God or are we paying lip service to God and His activities
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. I challenge you to believe and to trust God for all things beyond what you are currently doing. So how should we respond to God? We can begin by understanding and doing what we have been commanded to do in Him. Let’s look first at :
Proverbs 8:3 - The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
So as we walk through the Scripture God’s word is very plain, there are actions which our Lord despise and actions which we should be developing.
Read Deuteronomy 10: 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your [f]good? 15 The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their [g]descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. 16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked[h] no longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. 18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. Here are multiple activities which we could review in depth to explore what the Spirit of God today for all believers is assisting us growing in wisdom and grace of the Lord
You have probably been drowning in the recent hype over well you name it and it has been trashed in the media. A some would call it the foolishness de jour. Isaiah29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths. And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
Our behavior is a direct result of hard heartedness toward of Lord and our God. This is what is in the heart of people today and there is no fear because people don’t really know the God of Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. Yet despite their hate and anger many are thirsty and just don’t know it because of their hearts are far from Him
So what should the activity of believers in the churches be doing to enable the church to prosper? Let’s take our cue from Acts 9:31-Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.Our problem is orienting ourselves to the activity and actions of God and not of men. The church has always been and will continue until the end. Jesus told Peter about His church in Matt.16:18 - and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So no matter what activities are happening in your world which seem cataclysmic and terminal; and no matter what men may say and think Jesus will preserve His church against all comers. Maybe the church may not be in the form we know it now but maybe in house churches or tents or caves our however we need to gather and meet. We are commanded to Not forsake{ing} the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Heb. 10:25)So how are Christians to cope in the days which follow knowing the folly of men and the sin which so easily besets us? Begin by reminding yourselves with the help of the Helper, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth and the one who lives in you the truth packed into these verses and then where do they lead. First Eph 2:8-10 – 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.God’s Grace is extended to save us and give us enough faith to believe in the Lord Jesus. This is totally a gift from God. No way can we work for it and earn it. Then an amazing statement – for we are His workmanship created in Jesus for His good works. And He chose us and set us apart to do this work and we should accomplish them according to His will.Now all these gifts are from above and come down from the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. So God has gifted us to become His and now we know that each and every gift we receive comes down from Him. (James 1:17). So we begin to understand that God is working this out and into us by His activity. But are you starting to get the point this begins in your heart with the fear of the Lord.Then we run smack into this portion of scripture and it scares us, for it says as a believer, (Phil. 2:12-13) but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; How can I work out my salvation if Jesus is gone or Paul or the Apostles? Each of us is different, so there is no rubber stamp but the Holy Spirit is the person who enables us to grow. Now read verse 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Growth for the one who has a heart with the fear of the Lord is the one God develops and grows. It is God’s will and God’s work to grow you according to His desires and pleasure that is why He is sovereign and Lord. Our FatherTo gain the mind of Christ you will have to allow God to transform your heart and mind. Consider this if we are to worship Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength (Mark 12:30) then He needs to have a means of changing you from what you are to His child. This is what spiritual rebirth is about creating a newborn child of God.Paul in Romans reminds us we need continued renewal, remembrance and revitalization as we walk in Christ. He tells the church in Rome to present their bodies as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God and to not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Transformed beyond just understanding the truth of God’s word but to be radically changed and have your mind continually renewed.Where does this happen and when does this happen? If we have the fear the Lord in our hearts, this happens every time we encounter Him in our prayer time; or in a time of intense bible study or challenging fellowship with other believers. Or it could be when we sense God moving in our lives to fill us with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ. Wisdom is granted to those who seek Jesus Christ and He works to change our attitudes and give us a reverent fear for God.Good things comes to those who wait upon the Lord. Our Hymns tell us to – Let every soul by sin oppressed come to the Lord and He will surely give you rest by trusting in the Lord. Only trust Him Only trust Him only trust Him now. He will save you! He will save you! He will save you now!A change of pace from serious to sanity and laughter – a story for you- A kindergarten teacher was telling her students about different kinds of animals. Whales are the largest, she said, “but they cannot swallow people, because their throats are too small.” “But in the Bible, it say that Jonah was swallowed by a whale,” said a little girl.“You can’t always believe what you read, the teacher replied.” “Well, when I go to heaven”, said the little girl, “I’ll ask Jonah.” “And if Jonah didn’t go to heaven?”“Then you can ask him.”
Is there fear of the Lord in America? Apparently, there is none is the U.S. Senate nor in the U.S. House of Representatives. Stenny Hoyer the other day opened a meeting by reciting the Pledge Allegiance to the flag, only omitting “under God.” The same thing was done by a House chairman in opening a committee meeting in the House of Reps. The Democrats evince no respect for God or America. If we reject God now we will be in serious trouble nationally.
Here is some addition things happening in our country. Our president just tweeted that “he was honored to be the most active and supportive gay president ever?” What do you think of that statement. Do we not know there is a great conflict between what
God days and what men choose to do? God declares LBGT activities whatever as sin. Despite what Liberals theologians and the media preach and say. And we continue to kill babies despite the Pandemic shutdown- oh in case you didn’t know Abortion clinics hardly ever shut down to preserve women’s right to death. Oh excuse me that pro-choice.
What is happening in America-there is extreme delusion on many people, including our President. That is why we have been commanded to pray for those in authority over us. Especially for those in the House of Representatives who are all in for abortion. It is apparent from the behavior in the Leadership there is No fear of God, no respect for God and outright hate for Christians as demonstrated by mayors and governors in 9 states that forbid worship, prayer and meeting with God.
So what should believers be doing. First understand what God’s word says about these days specifically related to Fear of the Lord. Let’s sample a few OT references and orient ourselves to His teaching.
Proverbs 1:7 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
2 Kings 17: 24-26 says the following: 24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. 25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.”
The ravaging of Portland, New York, San Francisco and LA are the fruits of our desolation, rejection of God and lack of fear of God. 9/11 was a wake-up call which we have basically ignored. We need to be aware God is allowing all this to happen. You do not need to fear but prayerful, unafraid and aiding others who are provoking and involved with this destruction. Remember we are to pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you. (Matt 5:44)
2 Chronicles 2 1:
And the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. God gives protection to the people that fear and honor Him. If we do not fear and honor the Lord on who He calls His people He will discipline and judge us just like the nation of Israel/Judah. God will bless those who fear Him
Psalm 33:8
Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Are Christians believing this word of God or are we paying lip service to God and His activities
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. I challenge you to believe and to trust God for all things beyond what you are currently doing. So how should we respond to God? We can begin by understanding and doing what we have been commanded to do in Him. Let’s look first at :
Proverbs 8:3 - The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
So as we walk through the Scripture God’s word is very plain, there are actions which our Lord despise and actions which we should be developing.
Read Deuteronomy 10: 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your [f]good? 15 The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their [g]descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. 16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked[h] no longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. 18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. Here are multiple activities which we could review in depth to explore what the Spirit of God today for all believers is assisting us growing in wisdom and grace of the Lord
You have probably been drowning in the recent hype over well you name it and it has been trashed in the media. A some would call it the foolishness de jour. Isaiah29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths. And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
Our behavior is a direct result of hard heartedness toward of Lord and our God. This is what is in the heart of people today and there is no fear because people don’t really know the God of Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. Yet despite their hate and anger many are thirsty and just don’t know it because of their hearts are far from Him
So what should the activity of believers in the churches be doing to enable the church to prosper? Let’s take our cue from Acts 9:31-Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.Our problem is orienting ourselves to the activity and actions of God and not of men. The church has always been and will continue until the end. Jesus told Peter about His church in Matt.16:18 - and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So no matter what activities are happening in your world which seem cataclysmic and terminal; and no matter what men may say and think Jesus will preserve His church against all comers. Maybe the church may not be in the form we know it now but maybe in house churches or tents or caves our however we need to gather and meet. We are commanded to Not forsake{ing} the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Heb. 10:25)So how are Christians to cope in the days which follow knowing the folly of men and the sin which so easily besets us? Begin by reminding yourselves with the help of the Helper, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth and the one who lives in you the truth packed into these verses and then where do they lead. First Eph 2:8-10 – 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.God’s Grace is extended to save us and give us enough faith to believe in the Lord Jesus. This is totally a gift from God. No way can we work for it and earn it. Then an amazing statement – for we are His workmanship created in Jesus for His good works. And He chose us and set us apart to do this work and we should accomplish them according to His will.Now all these gifts are from above and come down from the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. So God has gifted us to become His and now we know that each and every gift we receive comes down from Him. (James 1:17). So we begin to understand that God is working this out and into us by His activity. But are you starting to get the point this begins in your heart with the fear of the Lord.Then we run smack into this portion of scripture and it scares us, for it says as a believer, (Phil. 2:12-13) but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; How can I work out my salvation if Jesus is gone or Paul or the Apostles? Each of us is different, so there is no rubber stamp but the Holy Spirit is the person who enables us to grow. Now read verse 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Growth for the one who has a heart with the fear of the Lord is the one God develops and grows. It is God’s will and God’s work to grow you according to His desires and pleasure that is why He is sovereign and Lord. Our FatherTo gain the mind of Christ you will have to allow God to transform your heart and mind. Consider this if we are to worship Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength (Mark 12:30) then He needs to have a means of changing you from what you are to His child. This is what spiritual rebirth is about creating a newborn child of God.Paul in Romans reminds us we need continued renewal, remembrance and revitalization as we walk in Christ. He tells the church in Rome to present their bodies as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God and to not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Transformed beyond just understanding the truth of God’s word but to be radically changed and have your mind continually renewed.Where does this happen and when does this happen? If we have the fear the Lord in our hearts, this happens every time we encounter Him in our prayer time; or in a time of intense bible study or challenging fellowship with other believers. Or it could be when we sense God moving in our lives to fill us with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ. Wisdom is granted to those who seek Jesus Christ and He works to change our attitudes and give us a reverent fear for God.Good things comes to those who wait upon the Lord. Our Hymns tell us to – Let every soul by sin oppressed come to the Lord and He will surely give you rest by trusting in the Lord. Only trust Him Only trust Him only trust Him now. He will save you! He will save you! He will save you now!A change of pace from serious to sanity and laughter – a story for you- A kindergarten teacher was telling her students about different kinds of animals. Whales are the largest, she said, “but they cannot swallow people, because their throats are too small.” “But in the Bible, it say that Jonah was swallowed by a whale,” said a little girl.“You can’t always believe what you read, the teacher replied.” “Well, when I go to heaven”, said the little girl, “I’ll ask Jonah.” “And if Jonah didn’t go to heaven?”“Then you can ask him.”
Sermon Aug 23
Is there fear of the Lord in America? Apparently, there is none is the U.S. Senate nor in the U.S. House of Representatives. Stenny Hoyer the other day opened a meeting by reciting the Pledge Allegiance to the flag, only omitting “under God.” The same thing was done by a House chairman in opening a committee meeting in the House of Reps. The Democrats evince no respect for God or America. If we reject God now we will be in serious trouble nationally.
Here is some addition things happening in our country. Our president just tweeted that “he was honored to be the most active and supportive gay president ever?” What do you think of that statement. Do we not know there is a great conflict between what
God days and what men choose to do? God declares LBGT activities whatever as sin. Despite what Liberals theologians and the media preach and say. And we continue to kill babies despite the Pandemic shutdown- oh in case you didn’t know Abortion clinics hardly ever shut down to preserve women’s right to death. Oh excuse me that pro-choice.
What is happening in America-there is extreme delusion on many people, including our President. That is why we have been commanded to pray for those in authority over us. Especially for those in the House of Representatives who are all in for abortion. It is apparent from the behavior in the Leadership there is No fear of God, no respect for God and outright hate for Christians as demonstrated by mayors and governors in 9 states that forbid worship, prayer and meeting with God.
So what should believers be doing. First understand what God’s word says about these days specifically related to Fear of the Lord. Let’s sample a few OT references and orient ourselves to His teaching.
Proverbs 1:7 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
2 Kings 17: 24-26 says the following: 24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. 25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.”
The ravaging of Portland, New York, San Francisco and LA are the fruits of our desolation, rejection of God and lack of fear of God. 9/11 was a wake-up call which we have basically ignored. We need to be aware God is allowing all this to happen. You do not need to fear but prayerful, unafraid and aiding others who are provoking and involved with this destruction. Remember we are to pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you. (Matt 5:44)
2 Chronicles 2 1:
And the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. God gives protection to the people that fear and honor Him. If we do not fear and honor the Lord on who He calls His people He will discipline and judge us just like the nation of Israel/Judah. God will bless those who fear Him
Psalm 33:8
Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Are Christians believing this word of God or are we paying lip service to God and His activities
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. I challenge you to believe and to trust God for all things beyond what you are currently doing. So how should we respond to God? We can begin by understanding and doing what we have been commanded to do in Him. Let’s look first at :
Proverbs 8:3 - The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
So as we walk through the Scripture God’s word is very plain, there are actions which our Lord despise and actions which we should be developing.
Read Deuteronomy 10: 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your [f]good? 15 The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their [g]descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. 16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked[h] no longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. 18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. Here are multiple activities which we could review in depth to explore what the Spirit of God today for all believers is assisting us growing in wisdom and grace of the Lord
You have probably been drowning in the recent hype over well you name it and it has been trashed in the media. A some would call it the foolishness de jour. Isaiah29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths. And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
Our behavior is a direct result of hard heartedness toward of Lord and our God. This is what is in the heart of people today and there is no fear because people don’t really know the God of Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. Yet despite their hate and anger many are thirsty and just don’t know it because of their hearts are far from Him
So what should the activity of believers in the churches be doing to enable the church to prosper? Let’s take our cue from Acts 9:31-Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.Our problem is orienting ourselves to the activity and actions of God and not of men. The church has always been and will continue until the end. Jesus told Peter about His church in Matt.16:18 - and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So no matter what activities are happening in your world which seem cataclysmic and terminal; and no matter what men may say and think Jesus will preserve His church against all comers. Maybe the church may not be in the form we know it now but maybe in house churches or tents or caves our however we need to gather and meet. We are commanded to Not forsake{ing} the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Heb. 10:25)So how are Christians to cope in the days which follow knowing the folly of men and the sin which so easily besets us? Begin by reminding yourselves with the help of the Helper, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth and the one who lives in you the truth packed into these verses and then where do they lead. First Eph 2:8-10 – 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.God’s Grace is extended to save us and give us enough faith to believe in the Lord Jesus. This is totally a gift from God. No way can we work for it and earn it. Then an amazing statement – for we are His workmanship created in Jesus for His good works. And He chose us and set us apart to do this work and we should accomplish them according to His will.Now all these gifts are from above and come down from the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. So God has gifted us to become His and now we know that each and every gift we receive comes down from Him. (James 1:17). So we begin to understand that God is working this out and into us by His activity. But are you starting to get the point this begins in your heart with the fear of the Lord.Then we run smack into this portion of scripture and it scares us, for it says as a believer, (Phil. 2:12-13) but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; How can I work out my salvation if Jesus is gone or Paul or the Apostles? Each of us is different, so there is no rubber stamp but the Holy Spirit is the person who enables us to grow. Now read verse 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Growth for the one who has a heart with the fear of the Lord is the one God develops and grows. It is God’s will and God’s work to grow you according to His desires and pleasure that is why He is sovereign and Lord. Our FatherTo gain the mind of Christ you will have to allow God to transform your heart and mind. Consider this if we are to worship Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength (Mark 12:30) then He needs to have a means of changing you from what you are to His child. This is what spiritual rebirth is about creating a newborn child of God.Paul in Romans reminds us we need continued renewal, remembrance and revitalization as we walk in Christ. He tells the church in Rome to present their bodies as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God and to not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Transformed beyond just understanding the truth of God’s word but to be radically changed and have your mind continually renewed.Where does this happen and when does this happen? If we have the fear the Lord in our hearts, this happens every time we encounter Him in our prayer time; or in a time of intense bible study or challenging fellowship with other believers. Or it could be when we sense God moving in our lives to fill us with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ. Wisdom is granted to those who seek Jesus Christ and He works to change our attitudes and give us a reverent fear for God.Good things comes to those who wait upon the Lord. Our Hymns tell us to – Let every soul by sin oppressed come to the Lord and He will surely give you rest by trusting in the Lord. Only trust Him Only trust Him only trust Him now. He will save you! He will save you! He will save you now!A change of pace from serious to sanity and laughter – a story for you- A kindergarten teacher was telling her students about different kinds of animals. Whales are the largest, she said, “but they cannot swallow people, because their throats are too small.” “But in the Bible, it say that Jonah was swallowed by a whale,” said a little girl.“You can’t always believe what you read, the teacher replied.” “Well, when I go to heaven”, said the little girl, “I’ll ask Jonah.” “And if Jonah didn’t go to heaven?”“Then you can ask him.”
Is there fear of the Lord in America? Apparently, there is none is the U.S. Senate nor in the U.S. House of Representatives. Stenny Hoyer the other day opened a meeting by reciting the Pledge Allegiance to the flag, only omitting “under God.” The same thing was done by a House chairman in opening a committee meeting in the House of Reps. The Democrats evince no respect for God or America. If we reject God now we will be in serious trouble nationally.
Here is some addition things happening in our country. Our president just tweeted that “he was honored to be the most active and supportive gay president ever?” What do you think of that statement. Do we not know there is a great conflict between what
God days and what men choose to do? God declares LBGT activities whatever as sin. Despite what Liberals theologians and the media preach and say. And we continue to kill babies despite the Pandemic shutdown- oh in case you didn’t know Abortion clinics hardly ever shut down to preserve women’s right to death. Oh excuse me that pro-choice.
What is happening in America-there is extreme delusion on many people, including our President. That is why we have been commanded to pray for those in authority over us. Especially for those in the House of Representatives who are all in for abortion. It is apparent from the behavior in the Leadership there is No fear of God, no respect for God and outright hate for Christians as demonstrated by mayors and governors in 9 states that forbid worship, prayer and meeting with God.
So what should believers be doing. First understand what God’s word says about these days specifically related to Fear of the Lord. Let’s sample a few OT references and orient ourselves to His teaching.
Proverbs 1:7 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
2 Kings 17: 24-26 says the following: 24 Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria and dwelt in its cities. 25 And it was so, at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have removed and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the rituals of the God of the land; therefore He has sent lions among them, and indeed, they are killing them because they do not know the rituals of the God of the land.”
The ravaging of Portland, New York, San Francisco and LA are the fruits of our desolation, rejection of God and lack of fear of God. 9/11 was a wake-up call which we have basically ignored. We need to be aware God is allowing all this to happen. You do not need to fear but prayerful, unafraid and aiding others who are provoking and involved with this destruction. Remember we are to pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you. (Matt 5:44)
2 Chronicles 2 1:
And the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. God gives protection to the people that fear and honor Him. If we do not fear and honor the Lord on who He calls His people He will discipline and judge us just like the nation of Israel/Judah. God will bless those who fear Him
Psalm 33:8
Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Are Christians believing this word of God or are we paying lip service to God and His activities
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. I challenge you to believe and to trust God for all things beyond what you are currently doing. So how should we respond to God? We can begin by understanding and doing what we have been commanded to do in Him. Let’s look first at :
Proverbs 8:3 - The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
So as we walk through the Scripture God’s word is very plain, there are actions which our Lord despise and actions which we should be developing.
Read Deuteronomy 10: 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your [f]good? 15 The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their [g]descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. 16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked[h] no longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. 18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. Here are multiple activities which we could review in depth to explore what the Spirit of God today for all believers is assisting us growing in wisdom and grace of the Lord
You have probably been drowning in the recent hype over well you name it and it has been trashed in the media. A some would call it the foolishness de jour. Isaiah29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths. And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
Our behavior is a direct result of hard heartedness toward of Lord and our God. This is what is in the heart of people today and there is no fear because people don’t really know the God of Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. Yet despite their hate and anger many are thirsty and just don’t know it because of their hearts are far from Him
So what should the activity of believers in the churches be doing to enable the church to prosper? Let’s take our cue from Acts 9:31-Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.Our problem is orienting ourselves to the activity and actions of God and not of men. The church has always been and will continue until the end. Jesus told Peter about His church in Matt.16:18 - and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. So no matter what activities are happening in your world which seem cataclysmic and terminal; and no matter what men may say and think Jesus will preserve His church against all comers. Maybe the church may not be in the form we know it now but maybe in house churches or tents or caves our however we need to gather and meet. We are commanded to Not forsake{ing} the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Heb. 10:25)So how are Christians to cope in the days which follow knowing the folly of men and the sin which so easily besets us? Begin by reminding yourselves with the help of the Helper, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth and the one who lives in you the truth packed into these verses and then where do they lead. First Eph 2:8-10 – 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.God’s Grace is extended to save us and give us enough faith to believe in the Lord Jesus. This is totally a gift from God. No way can we work for it and earn it. Then an amazing statement – for we are His workmanship created in Jesus for His good works. And He chose us and set us apart to do this work and we should accomplish them according to His will.Now all these gifts are from above and come down from the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. So God has gifted us to become His and now we know that each and every gift we receive comes down from Him. (James 1:17). So we begin to understand that God is working this out and into us by His activity. But are you starting to get the point this begins in your heart with the fear of the Lord.Then we run smack into this portion of scripture and it scares us, for it says as a believer, (Phil. 2:12-13) but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; How can I work out my salvation if Jesus is gone or Paul or the Apostles? Each of us is different, so there is no rubber stamp but the Holy Spirit is the person who enables us to grow. Now read verse 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Growth for the one who has a heart with the fear of the Lord is the one God develops and grows. It is God’s will and God’s work to grow you according to His desires and pleasure that is why He is sovereign and Lord. Our FatherTo gain the mind of Christ you will have to allow God to transform your heart and mind. Consider this if we are to worship Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength (Mark 12:30) then He needs to have a means of changing you from what you are to His child. This is what spiritual rebirth is about creating a newborn child of God.Paul in Romans reminds us we need continued renewal, remembrance and revitalization as we walk in Christ. He tells the church in Rome to present their bodies as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God and to not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Transformed beyond just understanding the truth of God’s word but to be radically changed and have your mind continually renewed.Where does this happen and when does this happen? If we have the fear the Lord in our hearts, this happens every time we encounter Him in our prayer time; or in a time of intense bible study or challenging fellowship with other believers. Or it could be when we sense God moving in our lives to fill us with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ. Wisdom is granted to those who seek Jesus Christ and He works to change our attitudes and give us a reverent fear for God.Good things comes to those who wait upon the Lord. Our Hymns tell us to – Let every soul by sin oppressed come to the Lord and He will surely give you rest by trusting in the Lord. Only trust Him Only trust Him only trust Him now. He will save you! He will save you! He will save you now!A change of pace from serious to sanity and laughter – a story for you- A kindergarten teacher was telling her students about different kinds of animals. Whales are the largest, she said, “but they cannot swallow people, because their throats are too small.” “But in the Bible, it say that Jonah was swallowed by a whale,” said a little girl.“You can’t always believe what you read, the teacher replied.” “Well, when I go to heaven”, said the little girl, “I’ll ask Jonah.” “And if Jonah didn’t go to heaven?”“Then you can ask him.”
Sermon August 9
There is an urgency in this hour for those who are being called of God. What is the urgency, I would suggest it is the same calling that has been since eternity and that is to be about our Father’s business? What is that? To do what Jesus said, Matthew 28, 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.
But in our day do you suppose that God is caught unaware of the peril of the hour.
No I don’t believe there is any panic in heaven, but being about our Father’s business of redeeming His people and applying what He has already told us in His Book – The word of God. Panic only exists if we don’t trust in God. Was their panic while the plagues were occurring in Egypt by the Israelites? Was their panic while sitting at the edge of the Red Sea with the horde of Egypt’s army was riding down on the nation? Yes there was until God spoke through Moses and showed the people the hand of God. God’s people were not in jeopardy.
Do plagues, world wars, cancer, hate and cursing’s impact God’s will for His children? The answer is no. History is just that, this life is His Story. He writes the pages of life and death, He controls the hours and seasons. He set the path of the moon and the stars and He established when you would be born and where. The is no fate, there is no kismet, there is no happenstance there is only God and His timing. When will we learn that He is God and there is nothing too hard for Him.
So in the midst of the Coronavirus Meltdown of planet earth do you suppose this was a random event, a mistake, or was this in God’s planning to slow everyone down. God has a way of interrupting our everyday lives. What about the plagues that struck in Moses day, or the bubonic plague? God has allowed these events whether we like it or not. Modern, plugged in, woke, liberated, sophisticated, mobile and cool men and women want to discount that there is a God might find a new reality as they see death surrounding them in horrible events and wake up.
In the economy of God then He is working His timeline and His events bringing things to a close. He reminded His people years ago of His dissatisfaction with their rejection of Him through the prophet Malachi. Remember Malachi means My messenger and after He preached these words 400 years of silence reigned until the coming of Christ in Bethlehem. The 30 years until Jesus ministry began in full as revealed in the Gospels of the New Testament.
Because of the hardness of heart which has been enabled by sin the people turned away and were not obedient to the commands of Leviticus, Deuteronomy, including the 10 commandments but worshiped other Gods and served them. They refused to give freewill offerings to God, denied the truths found in the book, didn’t teach their children, intermarried and actually began child sacrifice to other Gods. Can you believe it? What do you suppose abortion is – child sacrifice to a woman’s choice? What do you suppose the NBA, NFL, Baseball and all the others are? To some people they are Gods, to the players I thinks some of themselves think they are Gods, who hate the freedoms they have been given and never earned. We have banned God and prayer from schools, our courthouses and our homes because of political correctness. We have denied the sanctity of marriage, define race as black and white when there is only the human race. We have also denied the family and male and female as the only genders when God said He made them male and female. Don’t blame me for what God’s truth as presented in Holy Scriptures.
Now in the verses we are about to read God is saying something is coming and we should be prepared but the people of Malachi’s day didn’t think it would be 400 years plus until it arrived.
Let’s ask God to guide us in the study of His word. Father open our eyes and clear our ears and give us hearts to receive your truth. In Jesus name we ask this Amen.
Read with me from Malachi 3: 1-3
Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
2 “But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [a]purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
May God add His blessing to the reading of His word.
I believe this is the time we are in right now. God is bringing the refiners fire to us and the people of God. His word says 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thes. 2).
I believe the falling away is in progress and the Coronavirus is being used as a sifter of men’s souls. Those who were of God’s church but not really part of the fellowship are now given an excuse to depart, be drawn away, so they no longer hear and to worship and serve other Gods. I believe this is really happening in America today. Why should a church the size of Andy Stanley’s decide to not open until 2021? People can claim they are afraid of the virus and have medical exemptions but God knows the heart. And who knows if this is not the first of many trials.
Also look at what is going on in many states – California, Nevada, Michigan, Maryland and to some extent in Virginia. There is a great experiment in progress. GOV. Newsom in CA has mandated no church and the Mayor of LA is his henchman, threatening to cut off power and water to churches who disobey. Bet that happens today across LA. This is to see if Christians will really fight or just give in. The days of easy Christianity in America have ended, the battle lines have been drawn. That is why I believe that the falling away is in progress and that events are proceeded for the revelation of the son of perdition. He is the one who is going to solve the world’s problems and bring Hell on earth, Satan’s minion and servant.
Simultaneously, I believe God is bringing the Holy Spirit to enable the refining of His people. Remember what happened at Pentecost – tongues of fire rested on each one, gifts of tongues and speech were given for every tribe and ever nation to hear the truth of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior of the world proclaimed
God sent, Jesus and then the promised Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Truth, given as the Paraclete to be present and in each believer as they walked with God on mission to spread the gospel of peace.
But the active presence of the Holy Spirit requires cleansing and Jesus came to the disciples after the resurrection and said receive the Holy Spirit. They had already been cleansed by Jesus because of they were already clean because of the word which Jesus had spoken to them. But the Spirit did not come until Pentecost and they had been in extended prayer in the upper room.
The text makes several points going back to Malachi. Verse 2 – who can endure the day of His coming? (only those who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb)Who can stand when He appears (the redeemed of the blood of the Lamb; those who have clean hands and a pure heart)?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [a]purge them as gold and silver,
You know how metals are purified correct? By superheating and burning off the dross metals. That is what the Holy Spirit will do. How can He achieve this? The process of refinement is both an internal and an external process. Internal to the life of the believer and externally as God allows life’s events and experiences to temper and refine your life. That’s right God uses and will continue to use the Virus and many other circumstances, bank failures, diseases, droughts, famines of the word of God and food famines to bring all this to pass to refine us and make us like Jesus.
So who is the Holy Spirit? Well first He is God’s Helper and He is our Helper as well, John 14:26-27: 26 But the [g]Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Have memory problems God has a helper for you and He will teach you all things. He brings peace and confidence without fear is His activity.
His roles is to bring scripture to memory and assist is in living it out. He takes verses like John 15:5-6 and enable us to learn it, think on it and actually accomplish it. He also Helps us know the truth of it
John 15: - 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
John 15:26 But the job of the Holy Spirit is to testify of who is Jesus and to remind us He comes from God - 26 “But when the [c]Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
The Holy Spirit is the refiners fire and He is coming and is present today to convict us of Sin, our sin; righteousness- His Righteousness; and judgement – our Judgement (John 16:7ff). Repentance and the desire to confess and repent does not exist in the heart and breast of man, without God’s direct intervention. Recall John the Baptist and Jesus beginning word for preaching – Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Encountering Jesus is encountering God. He is God. And without the Holy Spirit’s activity there would be no awareness of sin, no crying out in pain because we have offended and dishonored God by how we are living. We have no understanding of holiness and righteousness with God intervening in our lives. Praise God in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. He came, He saw we were sheep without a shepherd.
So not only internally but externally God is walking this world toward end times.
What should happen then is when God confronts us with His truth, the Holy Spirit who is the refiner’s fire should open our hearts to His truth and it should penetrate our hearts and minds to understand God wants holiness in all of us. Every corner of our lives should be touched and absolutely exposed to Him to whom we must give an account.
So you look at me and ask me, when does God desire you to come to Him? I would suggest that every time He speaks to you is when He wants you to come. In your quiet time, your prayer time, your times of worship, bible study, when a song or someone else’s prayer touches your life. Actually if you think about it according to the psalmist and the word of God, everything in life should turn you to God.
Let’s get real if your heart is hard and is filled with external noise - you will walk into His presence with your mind filled with those things. You will miss God and it will never bother you. There will be no grief, no sorrow you will just turn it off. Is that where you are right now then stop and think – delusion.
Is your heart and mind now causing you to understand this dilemma? Are you understanding He is calling us to faithfulness in all things- God wants faithful servants, if as you apply the word of God and we don’t see God responding the way Scripture says He will. Hold fast, God is not the problem!! We are.
Isaiah 66:2 says, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. Is this your heart today? If not come to Jesus Christ now!
There is an urgency in this hour for those who are being called of God. What is the urgency, I would suggest it is the same calling that has been since eternity and that is to be about our Father’s business? What is that? To do what Jesus said, Matthew 28, 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.
But in our day do you suppose that God is caught unaware of the peril of the hour.
No I don’t believe there is any panic in heaven, but being about our Father’s business of redeeming His people and applying what He has already told us in His Book – The word of God. Panic only exists if we don’t trust in God. Was their panic while the plagues were occurring in Egypt by the Israelites? Was their panic while sitting at the edge of the Red Sea with the horde of Egypt’s army was riding down on the nation? Yes there was until God spoke through Moses and showed the people the hand of God. God’s people were not in jeopardy.
Do plagues, world wars, cancer, hate and cursing’s impact God’s will for His children? The answer is no. History is just that, this life is His Story. He writes the pages of life and death, He controls the hours and seasons. He set the path of the moon and the stars and He established when you would be born and where. The is no fate, there is no kismet, there is no happenstance there is only God and His timing. When will we learn that He is God and there is nothing too hard for Him.
So in the midst of the Coronavirus Meltdown of planet earth do you suppose this was a random event, a mistake, or was this in God’s planning to slow everyone down. God has a way of interrupting our everyday lives. What about the plagues that struck in Moses day, or the bubonic plague? God has allowed these events whether we like it or not. Modern, plugged in, woke, liberated, sophisticated, mobile and cool men and women want to discount that there is a God might find a new reality as they see death surrounding them in horrible events and wake up.
In the economy of God then He is working His timeline and His events bringing things to a close. He reminded His people years ago of His dissatisfaction with their rejection of Him through the prophet Malachi. Remember Malachi means My messenger and after He preached these words 400 years of silence reigned until the coming of Christ in Bethlehem. The 30 years until Jesus ministry began in full as revealed in the Gospels of the New Testament.
Because of the hardness of heart which has been enabled by sin the people turned away and were not obedient to the commands of Leviticus, Deuteronomy, including the 10 commandments but worshiped other Gods and served them. They refused to give freewill offerings to God, denied the truths found in the book, didn’t teach their children, intermarried and actually began child sacrifice to other Gods. Can you believe it? What do you suppose abortion is – child sacrifice to a woman’s choice? What do you suppose the NBA, NFL, Baseball and all the others are? To some people they are Gods, to the players I thinks some of themselves think they are Gods, who hate the freedoms they have been given and never earned. We have banned God and prayer from schools, our courthouses and our homes because of political correctness. We have denied the sanctity of marriage, define race as black and white when there is only the human race. We have also denied the family and male and female as the only genders when God said He made them male and female. Don’t blame me for what God’s truth as presented in Holy Scriptures.
Now in the verses we are about to read God is saying something is coming and we should be prepared but the people of Malachi’s day didn’t think it would be 400 years plus until it arrived.
Let’s ask God to guide us in the study of His word. Father open our eyes and clear our ears and give us hearts to receive your truth. In Jesus name we ask this Amen.
Read with me from Malachi 3: 1-3
Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
2 “But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [a]purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
May God add His blessing to the reading of His word.
I believe this is the time we are in right now. God is bringing the refiners fire to us and the people of God. His word says 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thes. 2).
I believe the falling away is in progress and the Coronavirus is being used as a sifter of men’s souls. Those who were of God’s church but not really part of the fellowship are now given an excuse to depart, be drawn away, so they no longer hear and to worship and serve other Gods. I believe this is really happening in America today. Why should a church the size of Andy Stanley’s decide to not open until 2021? People can claim they are afraid of the virus and have medical exemptions but God knows the heart. And who knows if this is not the first of many trials.
Also look at what is going on in many states – California, Nevada, Michigan, Maryland and to some extent in Virginia. There is a great experiment in progress. GOV. Newsom in CA has mandated no church and the Mayor of LA is his henchman, threatening to cut off power and water to churches who disobey. Bet that happens today across LA. This is to see if Christians will really fight or just give in. The days of easy Christianity in America have ended, the battle lines have been drawn. That is why I believe that the falling away is in progress and that events are proceeded for the revelation of the son of perdition. He is the one who is going to solve the world’s problems and bring Hell on earth, Satan’s minion and servant.
Simultaneously, I believe God is bringing the Holy Spirit to enable the refining of His people. Remember what happened at Pentecost – tongues of fire rested on each one, gifts of tongues and speech were given for every tribe and ever nation to hear the truth of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior of the world proclaimed
God sent, Jesus and then the promised Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Truth, given as the Paraclete to be present and in each believer as they walked with God on mission to spread the gospel of peace.
But the active presence of the Holy Spirit requires cleansing and Jesus came to the disciples after the resurrection and said receive the Holy Spirit. They had already been cleansed by Jesus because of they were already clean because of the word which Jesus had spoken to them. But the Spirit did not come until Pentecost and they had been in extended prayer in the upper room.
The text makes several points going back to Malachi. Verse 2 – who can endure the day of His coming? (only those who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb)Who can stand when He appears (the redeemed of the blood of the Lamb; those who have clean hands and a pure heart)?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [a]purge them as gold and silver,
You know how metals are purified correct? By superheating and burning off the dross metals. That is what the Holy Spirit will do. How can He achieve this? The process of refinement is both an internal and an external process. Internal to the life of the believer and externally as God allows life’s events and experiences to temper and refine your life. That’s right God uses and will continue to use the Virus and many other circumstances, bank failures, diseases, droughts, famines of the word of God and food famines to bring all this to pass to refine us and make us like Jesus.
So who is the Holy Spirit? Well first He is God’s Helper and He is our Helper as well, John 14:26-27: 26 But the [g]Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Have memory problems God has a helper for you and He will teach you all things. He brings peace and confidence without fear is His activity.
His roles is to bring scripture to memory and assist is in living it out. He takes verses like John 15:5-6 and enable us to learn it, think on it and actually accomplish it. He also Helps us know the truth of it
John 15: - 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
John 15:26 But the job of the Holy Spirit is to testify of who is Jesus and to remind us He comes from God - 26 “But when the [c]Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
The Holy Spirit is the refiners fire and He is coming and is present today to convict us of Sin, our sin; righteousness- His Righteousness; and judgement – our Judgement (John 16:7ff). Repentance and the desire to confess and repent does not exist in the heart and breast of man, without God’s direct intervention. Recall John the Baptist and Jesus beginning word for preaching – Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Encountering Jesus is encountering God. He is God. And without the Holy Spirit’s activity there would be no awareness of sin, no crying out in pain because we have offended and dishonored God by how we are living. We have no understanding of holiness and righteousness with God intervening in our lives. Praise God in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. He came, He saw we were sheep without a shepherd.
So not only internally but externally God is walking this world toward end times.
What should happen then is when God confronts us with His truth, the Holy Spirit who is the refiner’s fire should open our hearts to His truth and it should penetrate our hearts and minds to understand God wants holiness in all of us. Every corner of our lives should be touched and absolutely exposed to Him to whom we must give an account.
So you look at me and ask me, when does God desire you to come to Him? I would suggest that every time He speaks to you is when He wants you to come. In your quiet time, your prayer time, your times of worship, bible study, when a song or someone else’s prayer touches your life. Actually if you think about it according to the psalmist and the word of God, everything in life should turn you to God.
Let’s get real if your heart is hard and is filled with external noise - you will walk into His presence with your mind filled with those things. You will miss God and it will never bother you. There will be no grief, no sorrow you will just turn it off. Is that where you are right now then stop and think – delusion.
Is your heart and mind now causing you to understand this dilemma? Are you understanding He is calling us to faithfulness in all things- God wants faithful servants, if as you apply the word of God and we don’t see God responding the way Scripture says He will. Hold fast, God is not the problem!! We are.
Isaiah 66:2 says, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. Is this your heart today? If not come to Jesus Christ now!
Sermon July 19
As I come before you I want you to know that I must allow the word of God to wash over my life before presenting it to you. God is serious about His servants and His message and He wants our hearts available and open as He leads. Recently, He has been leading a more rigorous path for me. He has and is calling me to be called and accountable as a Highway of Holiness. That means I cannot halfheartedly respond to His urgings. If there is no change in the lives and behavior of the people of God then that reflects upon me as the servant of God. I take this very seriously. I believe that our church has not understood the righteousness or holiness of God and what He expects. To be what God demands this church to be, begin with me anew prayerfully and let’s allow God to call us all to biblical accountability.
The called according to His purpose phrase comes from Romans 8:28, which as we know begins with all things work together for good, to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose.
To further refine our focus let’s go back to the theme from last week – which is God desires that your life become a highway of Holiness of which God can use to reach and draw others into the Kingdom of Heaven and this comes from the Old Testament Isaiah 35:8 – 10.
In 1996 there was a deep and penetrating revival in Brownwood Texas, Holiness was evident there The people who were present there absolutely could not stand in the holiness of God but constantly confessed enormous sin – in setting that would not be normal for them. People came to the pastor’s door the day after stating “I’ve just got to repent.” Great dimensions of people’s lives were radically changed. That Sunday night possibly 20 different kinds of churches closed their services and came to be where God was moving. “If you were to ask them why they came they would be unable to tell you why they came.” God had drawn them and as the invitation was given simultaneously, such weeping and utter brokenness erupted before the Lord. Despite different denominations it was as if one people had come before the Lord in His presence and sin was exposed.
Could I dare say to you that wherever else you are, you are not in the presence of God if sin is not being exposed? You may simply be practicing religion if sin is not exposed. You will know when a Word from God is being shared as opposed to a sermon. When God’s word is shared it is different as in the scripture when Jesus shared a word as opposed to the Pharisees and Sadducees. Remember the comments from the New testament where it says He taught as one with authority.
You know when you stand in the presence of the living Word of God and it is shared, it is different because the Spirit of God, takes the Word of God as a sword, the Spirit of God is swift, and powerful and divides the soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow. He divines the absolute thoughts and intents of our hearts (Heb. 4.12) Trust me you know when God is wielding His Word.
God is holding my life accountable to Himself and His Word. My work is to be obedient and allow God to examine my heart freely. I need to periodically allow His word to course over and through my heart. If my life is to be a Highway of Holiness over which God can use to reach others and sin remains in their lives then the problem is not with them, but me. Hear this if God’s word is true then the conviction of the power of God should be happening if it is not functioning according to the Word of God, then the problem is with the messenger. This is what it means to be called and accountable not just for me but for us all.
If the word of God you are applying, preaching or praying is not changing others, answering prayer or meeting needs, the problem is not with God’s word, He never changes but we have. His word never fails, we have departed and we are not being consistent with God as His servants. We have fallen away. Scripture says when God builds a highway, it is a highway of Holiness. Is God requiring of you to be a Highway of Holiness for Himself.
Let’s re-read the text Isaiah 35:8-10
A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
But it shall be for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a fool,
Shall not go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it;
It shall not be found there.
But the redeemed shall walk there,
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Let’s highlight the first verse - A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
In examining this text let’s remember the end portion, not only is God building a Highway in the life of His church but it is a Highway of holiness. Whose Holiness are we discussing? God’s holiness is building in our lives as we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. He is the one. But note what it says the unclean shall not pass over it. Now you may be saying that’s not me after all I am part of the redeemed. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, born by water and the blood in the Holy Spirit and have confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. Then you’re indeed saved and part of the redeemed. But just as part of Israel was under the blood some became unclean. Christians if you have departed from God and are coveting secret sins then you are unclean before your God. Why else would scripture say Repent therefore and return that your sins may be washed away in order that times of refreshing can come from being in the presence of the Lord (Acts 3.19) Believers can depart from God and do.
The promise of God is that the unclean and cannot be on the Highway of holiness because they have and are sinning against the truth which God’s Truth not mans. Wonder why your prayers aren’t answered, wonder why there is not joy in your worship, how hard it is to hear a word from God, how the preaching is screeching and you think the pastor is long winded. You see no value is coming Wednesday nights, it’s just a waste of time you have better things to do. There is not joy in giving your time, your talents or your money- after all, that church only wants my money. Or those sermons they are never relevant to my life and they are boring, too long, too weak, too demeaning, too difficult to understand.
Have you heard these types of comments before or recently? Maybe you are the ones who made them?
My friend Henry relates that an 88-year-old woman came forward with tears in her eyes during a revival session at Howard Payne University where he was preaching and leading a teaching on Highway of Holiness. As the session progressed God moved as in a refiners’ fire upon the participants and people all over began to cry out and acknowledge that they had sinned grievously against God. She came forward with canes, tears streaming, saying, “I am and 88-year-old woman and I desire purity before God more than anything in the world. Do you think God can make me clean and use me at 88?”
This is the power of the Word of God when applied by one who walks cleansed on the Highway of Holiness and is in sweet fellowship with Jesus Christ. And is a person in whom the Holy Spirit is fully operating. You see the unclean cannot walk on it. They will not, it is for others. It is for those who rightly related and understand the holiness of God. Many today do not operate in this environment because they have no experience with the absolute surrender, crying out and holiness demanded by God for our lives as His children. We are prisoners of easy believism, not fear of God, no major consequences from sin after all it is God’s job to forgive and we are all going to heaven. These are absolute lies, fake news, from the father of lies the Devil.
Further we are experiencing a generation with no reference points for God’s cleansing or the purity which God achieves in revival.
Our generations are deluded beyond measure both in our expectations of God, and in: COVID 19 cases- lies as to the number, distribution. Mail is ballots – fraud the democrats are intending to steal the elections and if you allow it the you deserve the destruction of America. JB will transform America- lies. He will destroy it. Socialism fat chance, Communism will take your money, lands and make you dependent upon the government for everything. Big brother will tell you all you need to know. You must do something now
So if we are deluded about these then we won’t really believe the word of God has the power it does. Let’s take an example if we read Hebrews 4:12-13 - 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Now if God’s word is true then according to this text, if the servant of God’s heart is a highway of Holiness over which God can reach, then what should be happening when you and I are exposed to these truths?
What should happen then is when God confronts us with His truth, the Holy Spirit who is the refiner’s fire should open our hearts to His truth and it should penetrate our hearts and minds to understand God wants holiness in our inward parts, not partial but total. Every corner of our lives should be touched and absolutely exposed to Him to whom we must give an account.
So you look at me and ask me, when does God desire you to come to Him? I would suggest that every time He speaks to you is when He wants you to come. In your quiet time, your prayer time, your times of worship, bible study, when a song or someone else’s prayer touches your life. Actually if you think about it according to the psalmist and the word of God, everything in life should turn you to God.
Let’s get real if your heart is hard and is filled with external noise - video games, work, hobbies, sex, drugs, alcohol, you will walk into His presence with your mind filled with those things. You will miss God and it will never bother you. There will be no grief, no sorrow you will just turn it off. Is that where you are right now then stop and think – delusion.
Is your heart and mind now causing you to understand this dilemma? Are you understanding He is calling us to faithfulness in all things- with all our hearts and soul, and mind and strength (Mk 12.30). God wants faithful servants, if as you apply the word of God and we don’t see God responding the way Scripture says He will. Hold fast, God is not the problem!! We are.
Isaiah 66:2 says, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
I don’t know if you are sensing the urgency of the hour but the time is short not just for America which is in extreme peril but for this world. As the church goes so goes the nation and for that matter our world. Jesus instituted and called us together as the church to be the agent for redemption in this time and in this world. We have a choice and we cannot be of two minds. We cannot be doubleminded, for if we are we will miss the time for which we are called. Lt’s become the Highway of Holiness which God can use, remember no unclean are there.
Malachi 3: 1-3
Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
2 “But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [a]purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
The refiners fire is coming soon to you!
As I come before you I want you to know that I must allow the word of God to wash over my life before presenting it to you. God is serious about His servants and His message and He wants our hearts available and open as He leads. Recently, He has been leading a more rigorous path for me. He has and is calling me to be called and accountable as a Highway of Holiness. That means I cannot halfheartedly respond to His urgings. If there is no change in the lives and behavior of the people of God then that reflects upon me as the servant of God. I take this very seriously. I believe that our church has not understood the righteousness or holiness of God and what He expects. To be what God demands this church to be, begin with me anew prayerfully and let’s allow God to call us all to biblical accountability.
The called according to His purpose phrase comes from Romans 8:28, which as we know begins with all things work together for good, to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose.
To further refine our focus let’s go back to the theme from last week – which is God desires that your life become a highway of Holiness of which God can use to reach and draw others into the Kingdom of Heaven and this comes from the Old Testament Isaiah 35:8 – 10.
In 1996 there was a deep and penetrating revival in Brownwood Texas, Holiness was evident there The people who were present there absolutely could not stand in the holiness of God but constantly confessed enormous sin – in setting that would not be normal for them. People came to the pastor’s door the day after stating “I’ve just got to repent.” Great dimensions of people’s lives were radically changed. That Sunday night possibly 20 different kinds of churches closed their services and came to be where God was moving. “If you were to ask them why they came they would be unable to tell you why they came.” God had drawn them and as the invitation was given simultaneously, such weeping and utter brokenness erupted before the Lord. Despite different denominations it was as if one people had come before the Lord in His presence and sin was exposed.
Could I dare say to you that wherever else you are, you are not in the presence of God if sin is not being exposed? You may simply be practicing religion if sin is not exposed. You will know when a Word from God is being shared as opposed to a sermon. When God’s word is shared it is different as in the scripture when Jesus shared a word as opposed to the Pharisees and Sadducees. Remember the comments from the New testament where it says He taught as one with authority.
You know when you stand in the presence of the living Word of God and it is shared, it is different because the Spirit of God, takes the Word of God as a sword, the Spirit of God is swift, and powerful and divides the soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow. He divines the absolute thoughts and intents of our hearts (Heb. 4.12) Trust me you know when God is wielding His Word.
God is holding my life accountable to Himself and His Word. My work is to be obedient and allow God to examine my heart freely. I need to periodically allow His word to course over and through my heart. If my life is to be a Highway of Holiness over which God can use to reach others and sin remains in their lives then the problem is not with them, but me. Hear this if God’s word is true then the conviction of the power of God should be happening if it is not functioning according to the Word of God, then the problem is with the messenger. This is what it means to be called and accountable not just for me but for us all.
If the word of God you are applying, preaching or praying is not changing others, answering prayer or meeting needs, the problem is not with God’s word, He never changes but we have. His word never fails, we have departed and we are not being consistent with God as His servants. We have fallen away. Scripture says when God builds a highway, it is a highway of Holiness. Is God requiring of you to be a Highway of Holiness for Himself.
Let’s re-read the text Isaiah 35:8-10
A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
But it shall be for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a fool,
Shall not go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it;
It shall not be found there.
But the redeemed shall walk there,
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Let’s highlight the first verse - A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
In examining this text let’s remember the end portion, not only is God building a Highway in the life of His church but it is a Highway of holiness. Whose Holiness are we discussing? God’s holiness is building in our lives as we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. He is the one. But note what it says the unclean shall not pass over it. Now you may be saying that’s not me after all I am part of the redeemed. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, born by water and the blood in the Holy Spirit and have confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. Then you’re indeed saved and part of the redeemed. But just as part of Israel was under the blood some became unclean. Christians if you have departed from God and are coveting secret sins then you are unclean before your God. Why else would scripture say Repent therefore and return that your sins may be washed away in order that times of refreshing can come from being in the presence of the Lord (Acts 3.19) Believers can depart from God and do.
The promise of God is that the unclean and cannot be on the Highway of holiness because they have and are sinning against the truth which God’s Truth not mans. Wonder why your prayers aren’t answered, wonder why there is not joy in your worship, how hard it is to hear a word from God, how the preaching is screeching and you think the pastor is long winded. You see no value is coming Wednesday nights, it’s just a waste of time you have better things to do. There is not joy in giving your time, your talents or your money- after all, that church only wants my money. Or those sermons they are never relevant to my life and they are boring, too long, too weak, too demeaning, too difficult to understand.
Have you heard these types of comments before or recently? Maybe you are the ones who made them?
My friend Henry relates that an 88-year-old woman came forward with tears in her eyes during a revival session at Howard Payne University where he was preaching and leading a teaching on Highway of Holiness. As the session progressed God moved as in a refiners’ fire upon the participants and people all over began to cry out and acknowledge that they had sinned grievously against God. She came forward with canes, tears streaming, saying, “I am and 88-year-old woman and I desire purity before God more than anything in the world. Do you think God can make me clean and use me at 88?”
This is the power of the Word of God when applied by one who walks cleansed on the Highway of Holiness and is in sweet fellowship with Jesus Christ. And is a person in whom the Holy Spirit is fully operating. You see the unclean cannot walk on it. They will not, it is for others. It is for those who rightly related and understand the holiness of God. Many today do not operate in this environment because they have no experience with the absolute surrender, crying out and holiness demanded by God for our lives as His children. We are prisoners of easy believism, not fear of God, no major consequences from sin after all it is God’s job to forgive and we are all going to heaven. These are absolute lies, fake news, from the father of lies the Devil.
Further we are experiencing a generation with no reference points for God’s cleansing or the purity which God achieves in revival.
Our generations are deluded beyond measure both in our expectations of God, and in: COVID 19 cases- lies as to the number, distribution. Mail is ballots – fraud the democrats are intending to steal the elections and if you allow it the you deserve the destruction of America. JB will transform America- lies. He will destroy it. Socialism fat chance, Communism will take your money, lands and make you dependent upon the government for everything. Big brother will tell you all you need to know. You must do something now
So if we are deluded about these then we won’t really believe the word of God has the power it does. Let’s take an example if we read Hebrews 4:12-13 - 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Now if God’s word is true then according to this text, if the servant of God’s heart is a highway of Holiness over which God can reach, then what should be happening when you and I are exposed to these truths?
What should happen then is when God confronts us with His truth, the Holy Spirit who is the refiner’s fire should open our hearts to His truth and it should penetrate our hearts and minds to understand God wants holiness in our inward parts, not partial but total. Every corner of our lives should be touched and absolutely exposed to Him to whom we must give an account.
So you look at me and ask me, when does God desire you to come to Him? I would suggest that every time He speaks to you is when He wants you to come. In your quiet time, your prayer time, your times of worship, bible study, when a song or someone else’s prayer touches your life. Actually if you think about it according to the psalmist and the word of God, everything in life should turn you to God.
Let’s get real if your heart is hard and is filled with external noise - video games, work, hobbies, sex, drugs, alcohol, you will walk into His presence with your mind filled with those things. You will miss God and it will never bother you. There will be no grief, no sorrow you will just turn it off. Is that where you are right now then stop and think – delusion.
Is your heart and mind now causing you to understand this dilemma? Are you understanding He is calling us to faithfulness in all things- with all our hearts and soul, and mind and strength (Mk 12.30). God wants faithful servants, if as you apply the word of God and we don’t see God responding the way Scripture says He will. Hold fast, God is not the problem!! We are.
Isaiah 66:2 says, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
I don’t know if you are sensing the urgency of the hour but the time is short not just for America which is in extreme peril but for this world. As the church goes so goes the nation and for that matter our world. Jesus instituted and called us together as the church to be the agent for redemption in this time and in this world. We have a choice and we cannot be of two minds. We cannot be doubleminded, for if we are we will miss the time for which we are called. Lt’s become the Highway of Holiness which God can use, remember no unclean are there.
Malachi 3: 1-3
Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
2 “But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [a]purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
The refiners fire is coming soon to you!
Sermon July 12
We have looked in the past times at why the church of today has failed in its due diligence to God in America. We have looked at the church from a human perspective and not from God’s perspective. Tragically, the church in America has gone the way the nation of Israel has gone in the Old Testament. We have departed from God.
I repeat a several verses to refresh our memories and to bring us to where God wants us to be start with
Deuteronomy 30:16 – 20, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
Key verses are 17- 18: 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish.
There is nothing that needs interpretation in these verses – if your heart turns away you shall surely perish; so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them. Pretty simple to understand for each one of us. We perish.
We have also asked ourselves, why has the church, and remember we are not talking about a building, but the people of God, not been able to complete God’s purposes?
I. We have identified and discussed one element – there is no fear of God in great detail. And because there is no fear of God we treat sin casually with no regard for the holiness and majesty of our God. We have fallen away from true fear and the awesome wonder of our Father and His Son. We have discussed that the sin is the churches sometimes is greater than it is in the general population. Do you know that 38 % of those who have abortions claim that they are believers? And do you know why they don’t come to the church for aid? They say all the churches will do is condemn and criticize and not help? Is this true of Oakland Baptist Church are you reaching out to the unborn and to unwed mothers through your prayer and giving?
II. The Second element of why the church is weak stems also from the lack of fear of God is we have not looked at sin from God’s perspective. To see sin from God’s perspective should cause us to tremble. Sin is the persistent, perennial and perpetual antagonist to all who call themselves human and live on planet earth. None escapes from this vile disease nor from its effect. To know what this looks like we have only to turn on our TVs, read our newspaper’s and see the hate destruction and desolation which sin produces. This is never what God desired for man but it is was freely taken by the choice of Adam and Eve. We are their heritage on one hand.
Let’s quickly go back: to if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away- the Supreme Court decision in 1963 opened the flood gate for the departure of God from our education, which led to the removal of our standard for education, removal of our standard for the courtroom, and the removal of our standard in our homes. You see when the word of God is removed from His people’s hearts they turn away so that we do not hear God’s voice or seek His counsel. Then we are drawn away by our own lusts. Do you not understand if the family is no longer between a man and a woman, it can be a village? Look at our children who now rebel and seek after their own lusts - hence drugs, any kind of hook up or demand sex that we have seen and heard in our schools happens. Gangs, rapes, shootings all come from the destruction and breakdown of family, which leads to the chaos in law and order. This is what is worshiped today not God. The church is no longer the church – in many pulpits there is a famine for the word of God as promised by God Himself when hearts turn away. Why because God says if we abandon Him we will surely perish. Our nation is in death throws and we are like those in Rome wondering what that smell is, as our bright Republic burns to the ground. Think about this truth- can you refute it; can you deny it? (Amos 8:11)
Thirdly, because the church has little fear of God and has a low regard for sin from God’s perspective, then God finds us unable and unprepared to assist. Remember Romans 3:23- All have sinned. There is none righteous, no not one. Our people who call themselves Christians are not turning away from evil but embracing it and bringing it into the churches. We are an affront to God. He is looking for a bride, cleansed and ready for His bidding. But what He sees in our hearts is clinging to sin not repenting and weeping for our lives. (Read Rev. 1-3)
Read from the Old Testament what God’s desire is for the church Isaiah 35, begin with verse 5-
5Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.
Have you been rescued then perhaps you should pay attention? This is how God wants you to be available as a believer. Sure we find the same ideas embedded in Jesus’ teachings in Matt. Chapters 5 to 7
God wants us to be for Himself a Highway of Holiness over which He can use you to begin to reveal Himself and begin revival of all the church; and to have all the nations be able to come to God and meet Him in His glory. Salvation, revival, repentance and renewal is how God wants to use the church.
But, before any of this can happen, the church must come to know the Holiness of God, stand in His righteousness to repent and confess they are not anywhere near what God needs them to be. This applies to each one of us? Where are you as this word strikes your heart? Are you happy in the way you are, even knowing this is the truth? Or do you say don’t lecture me, what about the others who don’t attend any more or who don’t care.
I don’t mean to scare you but the word of God has a clear warning for those who depart after knowing the truth – it says in Heb 10 26-31
– there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” [g]says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Scripture says take heed lest you fall.
But let’s not get side tracked- the emphasis and teaching today is to alert your heart to call for your heart to be a highway of holiness for God’s use.
The Bible says the heart is desperately wicked and who can know it? God knows our hearts that’s how Samuel found David in 1st Samuel 16:7: 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have [c]refused him. For[d] the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God is inward focused.
Jesus also gave us parables about the heart with the sower and the seed and the good soil. Jesus also said, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)
So how does one get good treasure in his heart and not only how to get a good heart but how to keep and maintain it in that good condition?
Psalm 14 - Read with me - 14 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.” They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
3 They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
God has provided the cure for the human heart. Himself. In Romans 5:12, confirms this truth that in Adam came death and in Christ came Life, 12 Therefore, just as through one-man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
Life in Jesus is the cure for the human heart. How else could we say at baptism, Buried with Christ in the likeness of His death, raised in glorious likeness of His resurrection! He makes all things new in His grace.
To cure the sin problem and to cure the human heart, God hated sin so much He had to give His greatest offering possible – His only begotten Son. Salvation is the only cure for sin. So to those who by faith have been born again not by flesh and blood but by the Holy Spirit have a new nature. When will we learn to walk in the Spirit? We as the church have sought the world and not God. God cleanse us and forgive us. But God make good out of all things, so rejoice.
Acts 3:19 says Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (NASB)
But we may say how have we departed? If you say this in your heart you have a hard heart and the word of God has not touched you. If so, then Joel 2:12 – offers a Call to Repentance
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
We must turn to God, when He speaks. Now not later is when we are commanded. Today, now is the time. If we do not recognize the hour of our visitation we will miss Gods call and miss His moment for our lives. Let’s not miss our moment.
1. Listen to this counsel - Draw near to God – read you Bible seek Him, not the pages you turn to complete your reading. Seek the author.
2. Pray over a word from the Word of God.
3. Mediate on His truths – My sheep hear My voice and I call them.
Do we not understand as did Jesus when He wept over Jerusalem when they did not know the hour of their visitation and that judgement was coming swiftly? Do we as the church think we will escape judgement that’s not what my Bible says?
4. Live for Christ. We are called to be Holy as He is holy, His standard of holiness not ours. We are given His righteousness not ours – ours are as filthy rags. Do we really think living as the world lives and not taking up our crosses to serve Him will just be Ok? After all He forgives.
Do we have hope? The answer is yes!
Every day is a gift from God and He is your hope. Live for Him, with Him and in Him and all will work out for good. He is our righteousness- Amen
We have looked in the past times at why the church of today has failed in its due diligence to God in America. We have looked at the church from a human perspective and not from God’s perspective. Tragically, the church in America has gone the way the nation of Israel has gone in the Old Testament. We have departed from God.
I repeat a several verses to refresh our memories and to bring us to where God wants us to be start with
Deuteronomy 30:16 – 20, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
Key verses are 17- 18: 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish.
There is nothing that needs interpretation in these verses – if your heart turns away you shall surely perish; so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them. Pretty simple to understand for each one of us. We perish.
We have also asked ourselves, why has the church, and remember we are not talking about a building, but the people of God, not been able to complete God’s purposes?
I. We have identified and discussed one element – there is no fear of God in great detail. And because there is no fear of God we treat sin casually with no regard for the holiness and majesty of our God. We have fallen away from true fear and the awesome wonder of our Father and His Son. We have discussed that the sin is the churches sometimes is greater than it is in the general population. Do you know that 38 % of those who have abortions claim that they are believers? And do you know why they don’t come to the church for aid? They say all the churches will do is condemn and criticize and not help? Is this true of Oakland Baptist Church are you reaching out to the unborn and to unwed mothers through your prayer and giving?
II. The Second element of why the church is weak stems also from the lack of fear of God is we have not looked at sin from God’s perspective. To see sin from God’s perspective should cause us to tremble. Sin is the persistent, perennial and perpetual antagonist to all who call themselves human and live on planet earth. None escapes from this vile disease nor from its effect. To know what this looks like we have only to turn on our TVs, read our newspaper’s and see the hate destruction and desolation which sin produces. This is never what God desired for man but it is was freely taken by the choice of Adam and Eve. We are their heritage on one hand.
Let’s quickly go back: to if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away- the Supreme Court decision in 1963 opened the flood gate for the departure of God from our education, which led to the removal of our standard for education, removal of our standard for the courtroom, and the removal of our standard in our homes. You see when the word of God is removed from His people’s hearts they turn away so that we do not hear God’s voice or seek His counsel. Then we are drawn away by our own lusts. Do you not understand if the family is no longer between a man and a woman, it can be a village? Look at our children who now rebel and seek after their own lusts - hence drugs, any kind of hook up or demand sex that we have seen and heard in our schools happens. Gangs, rapes, shootings all come from the destruction and breakdown of family, which leads to the chaos in law and order. This is what is worshiped today not God. The church is no longer the church – in many pulpits there is a famine for the word of God as promised by God Himself when hearts turn away. Why because God says if we abandon Him we will surely perish. Our nation is in death throws and we are like those in Rome wondering what that smell is, as our bright Republic burns to the ground. Think about this truth- can you refute it; can you deny it? (Amos 8:11)
Thirdly, because the church has little fear of God and has a low regard for sin from God’s perspective, then God finds us unable and unprepared to assist. Remember Romans 3:23- All have sinned. There is none righteous, no not one. Our people who call themselves Christians are not turning away from evil but embracing it and bringing it into the churches. We are an affront to God. He is looking for a bride, cleansed and ready for His bidding. But what He sees in our hearts is clinging to sin not repenting and weeping for our lives. (Read Rev. 1-3)
Read from the Old Testament what God’s desire is for the church Isaiah 35, begin with verse 5-
5Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.
Have you been rescued then perhaps you should pay attention? This is how God wants you to be available as a believer. Sure we find the same ideas embedded in Jesus’ teachings in Matt. Chapters 5 to 7
God wants us to be for Himself a Highway of Holiness over which He can use you to begin to reveal Himself and begin revival of all the church; and to have all the nations be able to come to God and meet Him in His glory. Salvation, revival, repentance and renewal is how God wants to use the church.
But, before any of this can happen, the church must come to know the Holiness of God, stand in His righteousness to repent and confess they are not anywhere near what God needs them to be. This applies to each one of us? Where are you as this word strikes your heart? Are you happy in the way you are, even knowing this is the truth? Or do you say don’t lecture me, what about the others who don’t attend any more or who don’t care.
I don’t mean to scare you but the word of God has a clear warning for those who depart after knowing the truth – it says in Heb 10 26-31
– there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” [g]says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Scripture says take heed lest you fall.
But let’s not get side tracked- the emphasis and teaching today is to alert your heart to call for your heart to be a highway of holiness for God’s use.
The Bible says the heart is desperately wicked and who can know it? God knows our hearts that’s how Samuel found David in 1st Samuel 16:7: 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have [c]refused him. For[d] the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God is inward focused.
Jesus also gave us parables about the heart with the sower and the seed and the good soil. Jesus also said, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)
So how does one get good treasure in his heart and not only how to get a good heart but how to keep and maintain it in that good condition?
Psalm 14 - Read with me - 14 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.” They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
3 They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
God has provided the cure for the human heart. Himself. In Romans 5:12, confirms this truth that in Adam came death and in Christ came Life, 12 Therefore, just as through one-man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
Life in Jesus is the cure for the human heart. How else could we say at baptism, Buried with Christ in the likeness of His death, raised in glorious likeness of His resurrection! He makes all things new in His grace.
To cure the sin problem and to cure the human heart, God hated sin so much He had to give His greatest offering possible – His only begotten Son. Salvation is the only cure for sin. So to those who by faith have been born again not by flesh and blood but by the Holy Spirit have a new nature. When will we learn to walk in the Spirit? We as the church have sought the world and not God. God cleanse us and forgive us. But God make good out of all things, so rejoice.
Acts 3:19 says Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (NASB)
But we may say how have we departed? If you say this in your heart you have a hard heart and the word of God has not touched you. If so, then Joel 2:12 – offers a Call to Repentance
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
We must turn to God, when He speaks. Now not later is when we are commanded. Today, now is the time. If we do not recognize the hour of our visitation we will miss Gods call and miss His moment for our lives. Let’s not miss our moment.
1. Listen to this counsel - Draw near to God – read you Bible seek Him, not the pages you turn to complete your reading. Seek the author.
2. Pray over a word from the Word of God.
3. Mediate on His truths – My sheep hear My voice and I call them.
Do we not understand as did Jesus when He wept over Jerusalem when they did not know the hour of their visitation and that judgement was coming swiftly? Do we as the church think we will escape judgement that’s not what my Bible says?
4. Live for Christ. We are called to be Holy as He is holy, His standard of holiness not ours. We are given His righteousness not ours – ours are as filthy rags. Do we really think living as the world lives and not taking up our crosses to serve Him will just be Ok? After all He forgives.
Do we have hope? The answer is yes!
Every day is a gift from God and He is your hope. Live for Him, with Him and in Him and all will work out for good. He is our righteousness- Amen
Sermon July 5
We have looked in the past two weeks at why the church of today has failed in its due diligence in America. We have looked at the church from a human perspective and not from God’s perspective. Tragically, the church in America has gone the way the nation of Israel has gone in the Old Testament. We have departed from God.
Deuteronomy 30:16 – 20, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
The key verses here are verses 17- 18: 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish.
There is nothing that needs interpretation in these verses – if your heart turns away you shall surely perish; so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them. Pretty simple to understand for each one of us. We perish.
We have also asked ourselves, why has the church, and remember we are not talking about a building, but the people of God, not been able to complete God’s purposes? We have identified and discussed one element – there is no fear of God in great detail. And because there is no fear of God we treat sin casually with no regard for the holiness and majesty of our God. We have fallen away from true fear and the awesome wonder of our Father and His Son. We have discussed that the sin is the churches sometimes is greater than it is in the general population. Do you know that 38 % of those who have abortions claim that they are believers? And do you know why they don’t come to the church for aid? They say all the churches will do is condemn and criticize and not help? Is this true of Oakland Baptist Church are you reaching out to the unborn and to unwed mothers through your prayer and giving?
The second element of why the church is weak stems also from the lack of fear of God and is what we will delve into today –we have not looked at sin from God’s perspective. To see sin from God’s perspective should cause us to tremble.
Thirdly, because the church has little regard or fear of God and has allowed themselves to create God in their image and has no regard for sin from God’s perspective, then God cannot use us. God wants us as a Highway of Holiness over which to begin revival and have the nations meet God in His glory which is the church. Before this can happen, the church must repent and confess they are not where God wants them to be. This applies to each one of us? Do you have a heart which is from the good soil, available for new growth? Let’s see.
So how do you think God sees sin? Do you understand Genesis Chapters 1 through 3? Adam and Eve were created perfectly in the garden of Eden. Everything God created was good. God’s creation had but one temptation do not eat of the fruit of the tree or you will surely die! Everything else including the opportunity to fellowship and walk with God was given in the garden to man and woman. That’s right man and woman only. God’s standard was obedience and not to eat but man sinned. So what was God’s response to sin banishment from the garden-death. Curses upon the women in child bearing and made dependent upon the husband. Curses upon the man made to toil and sweat for his future.
The ultimate punishment was death for all men from here on in time. There are no exceptions, there is no release 100% or all will live and die.
From then all men have Sinned and come short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23 Romans 6:23 tells us the wages of our sin is death. This is eternal death not just physical death, meaning separation from God and His loving presence.
Romans 3:9 says - What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
You see, there are no exceptions for sinful men no matter how good you are, no matter how smart, wealthy, intelligent, or able, you cannot and will not be able to escape death and being held accountable for you sin.
The word of God in Romans 5:12, confirms this truth that in Adam came death and in Christ came Life. Please read with me this truth, 12 Therefore, just as through one-man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
So how does God feel about sin? Sin is first mentioned in Gen 4 after Adam and Eve began having children after the fall. Cain was envious and was thinking about killing His brother Able. God no less comes to Cain and warns Him that sin is crouching at the door, waiting to consume Him.
God is so serious about sin that there was no human being who was going to be able to pay the price for their sin. After God had called the Israelites to Him and David wrote Psalm 14 do you think God didn’t understand there was a basic flaw in man. Even in a perfect world, the first man had a flaw and it passed to ever other human being, except one and that was Jesus Christ. Here is God’s heart on Man and his sin very clearly. Read with me - 14 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.” They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3 They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
Because of God’s perfect holiness He cannot abide to be in the presence of sin, so none of us would be allowed in His presence in our current state. To pay the sin debt, God had to send a savior. A sinless, perfect offering was need to pay the penalty for our sin. Jesus was the offering, the scapegoat whose dying on the cross at Calvary payed our debt.
You want to know how God feels about sin – He hates sin. And He hates rebellion after what He has done. He hates sin so much He had to send the greatest offering possible – His only begotten Son.
That was the gift of God. But what was the awesome perfect gift- Son of God and Son of Man, the God man. He was and is perfect on every way. He lived and died on this earth and was holy and righteous in all things. He never told a lie, He never cursed, He never blew His stack completely and lost His temper. God hates sin that to save you He had to send His Son. Romans 5:16 says, And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. So the church needs to understand that God hates sin both personal and corporate as a body. Our Father is calling this body of believers to understand the depths of our sin and to know that we must repent and return to Him now. Sin must be seen from the heart of God not from our perspective.
Acts 3:19 - Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
Joel 2:12 - A Call to Repentance
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
We have looked in the past two weeks at why the church of today has failed in its due diligence in America. We have looked at the church from a human perspective and not from God’s perspective. Tragically, the church in America has gone the way the nation of Israel has gone in the Old Testament. We have departed from God.
Deuteronomy 30:16 – 20, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
The key verses here are verses 17- 18: 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish.
There is nothing that needs interpretation in these verses – if your heart turns away you shall surely perish; so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them. Pretty simple to understand for each one of us. We perish.
We have also asked ourselves, why has the church, and remember we are not talking about a building, but the people of God, not been able to complete God’s purposes? We have identified and discussed one element – there is no fear of God in great detail. And because there is no fear of God we treat sin casually with no regard for the holiness and majesty of our God. We have fallen away from true fear and the awesome wonder of our Father and His Son. We have discussed that the sin is the churches sometimes is greater than it is in the general population. Do you know that 38 % of those who have abortions claim that they are believers? And do you know why they don’t come to the church for aid? They say all the churches will do is condemn and criticize and not help? Is this true of Oakland Baptist Church are you reaching out to the unborn and to unwed mothers through your prayer and giving?
The second element of why the church is weak stems also from the lack of fear of God and is what we will delve into today –we have not looked at sin from God’s perspective. To see sin from God’s perspective should cause us to tremble.
Thirdly, because the church has little regard or fear of God and has allowed themselves to create God in their image and has no regard for sin from God’s perspective, then God cannot use us. God wants us as a Highway of Holiness over which to begin revival and have the nations meet God in His glory which is the church. Before this can happen, the church must repent and confess they are not where God wants them to be. This applies to each one of us? Do you have a heart which is from the good soil, available for new growth? Let’s see.
So how do you think God sees sin? Do you understand Genesis Chapters 1 through 3? Adam and Eve were created perfectly in the garden of Eden. Everything God created was good. God’s creation had but one temptation do not eat of the fruit of the tree or you will surely die! Everything else including the opportunity to fellowship and walk with God was given in the garden to man and woman. That’s right man and woman only. God’s standard was obedience and not to eat but man sinned. So what was God’s response to sin banishment from the garden-death. Curses upon the women in child bearing and made dependent upon the husband. Curses upon the man made to toil and sweat for his future.
The ultimate punishment was death for all men from here on in time. There are no exceptions, there is no release 100% or all will live and die.
From then all men have Sinned and come short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23 Romans 6:23 tells us the wages of our sin is death. This is eternal death not just physical death, meaning separation from God and His loving presence.
Romans 3:9 says - What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
You see, there are no exceptions for sinful men no matter how good you are, no matter how smart, wealthy, intelligent, or able, you cannot and will not be able to escape death and being held accountable for you sin.
The word of God in Romans 5:12, confirms this truth that in Adam came death and in Christ came Life. Please read with me this truth, 12 Therefore, just as through one-man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
So how does God feel about sin? Sin is first mentioned in Gen 4 after Adam and Eve began having children after the fall. Cain was envious and was thinking about killing His brother Able. God no less comes to Cain and warns Him that sin is crouching at the door, waiting to consume Him.
God is so serious about sin that there was no human being who was going to be able to pay the price for their sin. After God had called the Israelites to Him and David wrote Psalm 14 do you think God didn’t understand there was a basic flaw in man. Even in a perfect world, the first man had a flaw and it passed to ever other human being, except one and that was Jesus Christ. Here is God’s heart on Man and his sin very clearly. Read with me - 14 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.” They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3 They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
Because of God’s perfect holiness He cannot abide to be in the presence of sin, so none of us would be allowed in His presence in our current state. To pay the sin debt, God had to send a savior. A sinless, perfect offering was need to pay the penalty for our sin. Jesus was the offering, the scapegoat whose dying on the cross at Calvary payed our debt.
You want to know how God feels about sin – He hates sin. And He hates rebellion after what He has done. He hates sin so much He had to send the greatest offering possible – His only begotten Son.
That was the gift of God. But what was the awesome perfect gift- Son of God and Son of Man, the God man. He was and is perfect on every way. He lived and died on this earth and was holy and righteous in all things. He never told a lie, He never cursed, He never blew His stack completely and lost His temper. God hates sin that to save you He had to send His Son. Romans 5:16 says, And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. So the church needs to understand that God hates sin both personal and corporate as a body. Our Father is calling this body of believers to understand the depths of our sin and to know that we must repent and return to Him now. Sin must be seen from the heart of God not from our perspective.
Acts 3:19 - Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
Joel 2:12 - A Call to Repentance
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
Sermon June 14
Christ Loved Me 1 John 4:7-11
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence and knowledge in Christ's love for him; and in the offering of his love to Christ. Let’s reread out scripture text again and make some notations:
Verse 8 stands out - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
If your conscience, assuming you still have one, is bothering you concerning this statement we should relook at our roots for believing we are really a Christian. According to our text - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The cross of Jesus defines this for us. The main post or beam of the cross points us upward towards heaven. Meaning the heavenly relationship toward the Father from the Son should be a love relationship, with a full understanding of the price which was paid for your sonship with God – you have been bought with a price. The love of God should then dwell in you richly. Point being if you don’t really know the love of God, where are you? The answer is lost. The horizontal beam or crossbar is where Jesus spread His arms open to “whosoever will may come.” Remember the thief on the cross – Jesus even in death had time to minister love to others. If you have no love in you from God you will not be able to truly share with others.
You see this in the angry crowds willing to reap and destroy what doesn’t belong to them because they have no understanding of the love of God. Many of these young people have been so indoctrinated in schools all the way through higher education if you can call it that. The don’t have the same values you do, they don’t believe America is a great idea, they hate American and all it stands for today.
You know those hippies of the 60’s have taken over the schools and radical Marxism, communism and socialism are what is being taught to our children. We have allowed the radical fringe access to indoctrinate the next generations and the end product is hate.
Without prayer in schools, without the moral compass of the Bible there is a sliding scale of moralism with no fixed boundary, we must take back our children. Many Christians today ask why when our kids come back from higher education, do the reject our values. The answer is political correctness and Godless professors and teacher who are instilling them with radical ideas. This must stop. Along with defunding planned parenthood we must defund these Universities. When a college dean in making $400Km per year you now know where your tax dollars are going.
We have lost our way and we must exert a path back to this scripture. We must tell others these truths - 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
This truth needs to be taught that God loves us and sent His Son.
Do you think that God can’t change hearts? He changed yours, didn’t He? Otherwise you would not be here today. In our individual rebirths to faith, the Holy Spirit had to sets His seal upon each man and woman to enable that unique soul to say with the apostle, "Christ loved me and gave himself for me."1
Then the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts so that His love overflows and stamps upon our hearts with His gratitude and love to Jesus in return. This overflow is the only way we can make the statement "We love Him because He first loved us."2
In ages past, in our Christianity, this double mark referenced above which overflowed in our lives was clearly seen and evident in all believers in Jesus; they were men and women who knew the love of Christ and rested upon it as a man leans upon a staff whose trustiness he has proved.
This newborn love that they felt toward the Lord God was not a quiet emotion that they hid within in the secret place of their souls and that they only spoke about in private or when they met on the first day of the week and sang hymns in honor of Christ Jesus the crucified; it was a bold passion with them of such a vibrant and all-consuming energy that it was visible in all their lives, in actions, evident in their conversation, and seen in all they did and accomplished.
Love for Jesus was a flame that fed upon the core and heart of their being and therefore by its own force burned its way into their demeanor and shone there. Zeal for the Lord was evident and to honor the glorious of King Jesus was the seal and mark of every genuine Christian. Where is our zeal of the Lord today? Am I in love with Him? Is there a desperation for me to be in His presence? Am I aware of the hour of His visitation and the shortness remaining until He returns?
Am I so unaware of the changes going on around me in our culture and in the world that I miss the connection between ongoing riots, lying in the media and other events and I have to sense of being on mission with Christ. Then what is wrong? Are we like the blind Pharisees, whitewashed tombs doomed for destruction? God help us to get the message out. So what can I do? So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; Amplified Bible
For those brave Christians in the past, it was because of their dependence upon Christ's love they dared much, and because of their love for Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love.
According to the Scriptures the love of Christ constrains them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to them, and then by being made grateful, they love the Savior and seek Him with all their heart and mind and strength. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart Jer. 29:13
So, do you love Him? Jesus that’s who. Before you sleep, give an honest answer to this weighty question!
Jesus Atoning Love a Study in Isaiah 53:
53:1, 2. In these verses we see the personal Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected (v. 1); His person is refused (v. 2); and His mission is misunderstood (v. 3). Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering provides atonement for our sins (vv. 4–6); and though He suffers (v. 7) death (v. 8) and burial (v. 9), He will ultimately be exalted (vv. 10–12). To miss the fact that Jesus Christ is the central figure in this passage is to stumble in unbelief over the cornerstone and foundation of all the gospel. The rhetorical question Who hath believed our report? is more of an exclamation than an interrogation. Speaking for all the prophets, Isaiah calls attention to the world’s lack of faith in general. The arm of the Lord is the emblem of divine power (cf. 51:9; 52:10). The Servant is described as a tender plant(yōnēq, “suckling” or “shoot”) and a root out of a dry ground, which has already been described as springing from the stump of Jesse (hence the Davidic line).
No form nor comeliness denotes His humble origin rather than His personal appearance. Beauty may be read “elegance.” This description does not mean that He will be homely or ugly, but that He will not appear on the scene in the regalia of a king. He will come as one who is common. Nothing could better describe the humble appearance of Jesus as a common rabbi.
53:3–5. To provide a detailed description of His suffering, the prophet uses a series of verbs with an assumed subject (the Servant). Despised (from bazah, “to disdain or scorn”) and rejected [chadal, “abandoned”] of men. He is further described as a man of sorrows (mak’ōbōt, severe pains) and acquainted with grief (chōlî, “injuries”). Because of His severe personal suffering we hid as it were our faces from him. The description of Christ’s suffering in the New Testament Gospels clearly indicates the severity of His physical suffering: the agony in the garden, His battered face, the severe scourging, and the torture of the crucifixion itself. His substitutionary atonement is clearly taught. He hath borne our griefs (lit., “spiritual sickness”). The New Testament says that He Himself “bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). Thus He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted. We (mankind in general) thought He was judged of God. But he was wounded [or “pierced through”] for our transgressions (sins).
The verb bruised translates daka’, meaning “to be utterly crushed.”
Our iniquities (‘awōn) means moral “evils.” Chastisement [mūsar, “correction” or “discipline”] of our peace refers to that which procured our peace with God. With his stripes (or “wounds”) we are healed (rapa’, to mend or cure) refers to our spiritual condition being made whole. In Isaiah the term is always used of spiritual healing and forgiveness.
53:6, 7. All we (lit., “all of us”) are compared to sheep. .. gone astray to illustrate the desperate condition of mankind, lost, without a Shepherd (Matt. 9:36). All and every are used in parallel, emphasizing the totality of sinful humanity. Laid on him is a causative verb meaning “to strike violently.” Thus Christ propitiates {satisfies} the violent wrath of God for us. The fact that He opened not His mouth is illustrated by a lamb being brought to the slaughter. See John 1:29 and Revelation 5:6, 12.
53:10–12. It pleased the Lord to bruise [from daka’, “to crush”] him refers to the same condition in verse 5. Put him to grief reads “pierce” Him in the Dead Sea Scroll copy of the text (1 Q Is.). His seed refers to those who will come to believe in Him. An offering for sin (asham, “guilt offering”) involves the trespass offering described in Numbers 5:5–10. The phrase he shall prolong his days indicates that the Servant’s ministry will not end with His violent death, and certainly implies His resurrection. The pleasure of the Lord refers to God’s ultimate purposes which will be accomplished by the atoning death and resurrection of the Servant.
These triumphant verses end with the glorification and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord. His intercession refers to His high priestly ministry, by which He makes intercession on the basis of His own substitutionary death. He prays continually for us day and night.
Christ Loved Me 1 John 4:7-11
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence and knowledge in Christ's love for him; and in the offering of his love to Christ. Let’s reread out scripture text again and make some notations:
Verse 8 stands out - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
If your conscience, assuming you still have one, is bothering you concerning this statement we should relook at our roots for believing we are really a Christian. According to our text - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The cross of Jesus defines this for us. The main post or beam of the cross points us upward towards heaven. Meaning the heavenly relationship toward the Father from the Son should be a love relationship, with a full understanding of the price which was paid for your sonship with God – you have been bought with a price. The love of God should then dwell in you richly. Point being if you don’t really know the love of God, where are you? The answer is lost. The horizontal beam or crossbar is where Jesus spread His arms open to “whosoever will may come.” Remember the thief on the cross – Jesus even in death had time to minister love to others. If you have no love in you from God you will not be able to truly share with others.
You see this in the angry crowds willing to reap and destroy what doesn’t belong to them because they have no understanding of the love of God. Many of these young people have been so indoctrinated in schools all the way through higher education if you can call it that. The don’t have the same values you do, they don’t believe America is a great idea, they hate American and all it stands for today.
You know those hippies of the 60’s have taken over the schools and radical Marxism, communism and socialism are what is being taught to our children. We have allowed the radical fringe access to indoctrinate the next generations and the end product is hate.
Without prayer in schools, without the moral compass of the Bible there is a sliding scale of moralism with no fixed boundary, we must take back our children. Many Christians today ask why when our kids come back from higher education, do the reject our values. The answer is political correctness and Godless professors and teacher who are instilling them with radical ideas. This must stop. Along with defunding planned parenthood we must defund these Universities. When a college dean in making $400Km per year you now know where your tax dollars are going.
We have lost our way and we must exert a path back to this scripture. We must tell others these truths - 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
This truth needs to be taught that God loves us and sent His Son.
Do you think that God can’t change hearts? He changed yours, didn’t He? Otherwise you would not be here today. In our individual rebirths to faith, the Holy Spirit had to sets His seal upon each man and woman to enable that unique soul to say with the apostle, "Christ loved me and gave himself for me."1
Then the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts so that His love overflows and stamps upon our hearts with His gratitude and love to Jesus in return. This overflow is the only way we can make the statement "We love Him because He first loved us."2
In ages past, in our Christianity, this double mark referenced above which overflowed in our lives was clearly seen and evident in all believers in Jesus; they were men and women who knew the love of Christ and rested upon it as a man leans upon a staff whose trustiness he has proved.
This newborn love that they felt toward the Lord God was not a quiet emotion that they hid within in the secret place of their souls and that they only spoke about in private or when they met on the first day of the week and sang hymns in honor of Christ Jesus the crucified; it was a bold passion with them of such a vibrant and all-consuming energy that it was visible in all their lives, in actions, evident in their conversation, and seen in all they did and accomplished.
Love for Jesus was a flame that fed upon the core and heart of their being and therefore by its own force burned its way into their demeanor and shone there. Zeal for the Lord was evident and to honor the glorious of King Jesus was the seal and mark of every genuine Christian. Where is our zeal of the Lord today? Am I in love with Him? Is there a desperation for me to be in His presence? Am I aware of the hour of His visitation and the shortness remaining until He returns?
Am I so unaware of the changes going on around me in our culture and in the world that I miss the connection between ongoing riots, lying in the media and other events and I have to sense of being on mission with Christ. Then what is wrong? Are we like the blind Pharisees, whitewashed tombs doomed for destruction? God help us to get the message out. So what can I do? So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; Amplified Bible
For those brave Christians in the past, it was because of their dependence upon Christ's love they dared much, and because of their love for Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love.
According to the Scriptures the love of Christ constrains them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to them, and then by being made grateful, they love the Savior and seek Him with all their heart and mind and strength. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart Jer. 29:13
So, do you love Him? Jesus that’s who. Before you sleep, give an honest answer to this weighty question!
Jesus Atoning Love a Study in Isaiah 53:
53:1, 2. In these verses we see the personal Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected (v. 1); His person is refused (v. 2); and His mission is misunderstood (v. 3). Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering provides atonement for our sins (vv. 4–6); and though He suffers (v. 7) death (v. 8) and burial (v. 9), He will ultimately be exalted (vv. 10–12). To miss the fact that Jesus Christ is the central figure in this passage is to stumble in unbelief over the cornerstone and foundation of all the gospel. The rhetorical question Who hath believed our report? is more of an exclamation than an interrogation. Speaking for all the prophets, Isaiah calls attention to the world’s lack of faith in general. The arm of the Lord is the emblem of divine power (cf. 51:9; 52:10). The Servant is described as a tender plant(yōnēq, “suckling” or “shoot”) and a root out of a dry ground, which has already been described as springing from the stump of Jesse (hence the Davidic line).
No form nor comeliness denotes His humble origin rather than His personal appearance. Beauty may be read “elegance.” This description does not mean that He will be homely or ugly, but that He will not appear on the scene in the regalia of a king. He will come as one who is common. Nothing could better describe the humble appearance of Jesus as a common rabbi.
53:3–5. To provide a detailed description of His suffering, the prophet uses a series of verbs with an assumed subject (the Servant). Despised (from bazah, “to disdain or scorn”) and rejected [chadal, “abandoned”] of men. He is further described as a man of sorrows (mak’ōbōt, severe pains) and acquainted with grief (chōlî, “injuries”). Because of His severe personal suffering we hid as it were our faces from him. The description of Christ’s suffering in the New Testament Gospels clearly indicates the severity of His physical suffering: the agony in the garden, His battered face, the severe scourging, and the torture of the crucifixion itself. His substitutionary atonement is clearly taught. He hath borne our griefs (lit., “spiritual sickness”). The New Testament says that He Himself “bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). Thus He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted. We (mankind in general) thought He was judged of God. But he was wounded [or “pierced through”] for our transgressions (sins).
The verb bruised translates daka’, meaning “to be utterly crushed.”
Our iniquities (‘awōn) means moral “evils.” Chastisement [mūsar, “correction” or “discipline”] of our peace refers to that which procured our peace with God. With his stripes (or “wounds”) we are healed (rapa’, to mend or cure) refers to our spiritual condition being made whole. In Isaiah the term is always used of spiritual healing and forgiveness.
53:6, 7. All we (lit., “all of us”) are compared to sheep. .. gone astray to illustrate the desperate condition of mankind, lost, without a Shepherd (Matt. 9:36). All and every are used in parallel, emphasizing the totality of sinful humanity. Laid on him is a causative verb meaning “to strike violently.” Thus Christ propitiates {satisfies} the violent wrath of God for us. The fact that He opened not His mouth is illustrated by a lamb being brought to the slaughter. See John 1:29 and Revelation 5:6, 12.
53:10–12. It pleased the Lord to bruise [from daka’, “to crush”] him refers to the same condition in verse 5. Put him to grief reads “pierce” Him in the Dead Sea Scroll copy of the text (1 Q Is.). His seed refers to those who will come to believe in Him. An offering for sin (asham, “guilt offering”) involves the trespass offering described in Numbers 5:5–10. The phrase he shall prolong his days indicates that the Servant’s ministry will not end with His violent death, and certainly implies His resurrection. The pleasure of the Lord refers to God’s ultimate purposes which will be accomplished by the atoning death and resurrection of the Servant.
These triumphant verses end with the glorification and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord. His intercession refers to His high priestly ministry, by which He makes intercession on the basis of His own substitutionary death. He prays continually for us day and night.
Sermon June 7
Christ Loved Me 1 John 4:7-11
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence and knowledge in Christ's love for him; and in the offering of his love to Christ. Let’s reread out scripture text again and make some notations:
Verse 8 stands out - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
If your conscience, assuming you still have one, is bothering you concerning this statement we should relook at our roots for believing we are really a Christian. According to our text - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The cross of Jesus defines this for us. The main post or beam of the cross points us upward towards heaven. Meaning the heavenly relationship toward the Father from the Son should be a love relationship, with a full understanding of the price which was paid for your sonship with God – you have been bought with a price. The love of God should then dwell in you richly. Point being if you don’t really know the love of God, where are you? The answer is lost. The horizontal beam or crossbar is where Jesus spread His arms open to “whosoever will may come.” Remember the thief on the cross – Jesus even in death had time to minister love to others. If you have no love in you from God you will not be able to truly share with others.
You see this in the angry crowds willing to reap and destroy what doesn’t belong to them because they have no understanding of the love of God. Many of these young people have been so indoctrinated in schools all the way through higher education if you can call it that. The don’t have the same values you do, they don’t believe America is a great idea, they hate American and all it stands for today.
You know those hippies of the 60’s have taken over the schools and radical Marxism, communism and socialism are what is being taught to our children. We have allowed the radical fringe access to indoctrinate the next generations and the end product is hate.
Without prayer in schools, without the moral compass of the Bible there is a sliding scale of moralism with no fixed boundary, we must take back our children. Many Christians today ask why when our kids come back from higher education, do the reject our values. The answer is political correctness and Godless professors and teacher who are instilling them with radical ideas. This must stop. Along with defunding planned parenthood we must defund these Universities. When a college dean in making $400Km per year you now know where your tax dollars are going.
We have lost our way and we must exert a path back to this scripture. We must tell others these truths - 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
This truth needs to be taught that God loves us and sent His Son.
Do you think that God can’t change hearts? He changed yours, didn’t He? Otherwise you would not be here today. In our individual rebirths to faith, the Holy Spirit had to sets His seal upon each man and woman to enable that unique soul to say with the apostle, "Christ loved me and gave himself for me."1
Then the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts so that His love overflows and stamps upon our hearts with His gratitude and love to Jesus in return. This overflow is the only way we can make the statement "We love Him because He first loved us."2
In ages past, in our Christianity, this double mark referenced above which overflowed in our lives was clearly seen and evident in all believers in Jesus; they were men and women who knew the love of Christ and rested upon it as a man leans upon a staff whose trustiness he has proved.
This newborn love that they felt toward the Lord God was not a quiet emotion that they hid within in the secret place of their souls and that they only spoke about in private or when they met on the first day of the week and sang hymns in honor of Christ Jesus the crucified; it was a bold passion with them of such a vibrant and all-consuming energy that it was visible in all their lives, in actions, evident in their conversation, and seen in all they did and accomplished.
Love for Jesus was a flame that fed upon the core and heart of their being and therefore by its own force burned its way into their demeanor and shone there. Zeal for the Lord was evident and to honor the glorious of King Jesus was the seal and mark of every genuine Christian. Where is our zeal of the Lord today? Am I in love with Him? Is there a desperation for me to be in His presence? Am I aware of the hour of His visitation and the shortness remaining until He returns?
Am I so unaware of the changes going on around me in our culture and in the world that I miss the connection between ongoing riots, lying in the media and other events and I have to sense of being on mission with Christ. Then what is wrong? Are we like the blind Pharisees, whitewashed tombs doomed for destruction? God help us to get the message out. So what can I do? So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; Amplified Bible
For those brave Christians in the past, it was because of their dependence upon Christ's love they dared much, and because of their love for Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love.
According to the Scriptures the love of Christ constrains them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to them, and then by being made grateful, they love the Savior and seek Him with all their heart and mind and strength. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart Jer. 29:13
So, do you love Him? Jesus that’s who. Before you sleep, give an honest answer to this weighty question!
Jesus Atoning Love a Study in Isaiah 53:
53:1, 2. In these verses we see the personal Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected (v. 1); His person is refused (v. 2); and His mission is misunderstood (v. 3). Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering provides atonement for our sins (vv. 4–6); and though He suffers (v. 7) death (v. 8) and burial (v. 9), He will ultimately be exalted (vv. 10–12). To miss the fact that Jesus Christ is the central figure in this passage is to stumble in unbelief over the cornerstone and foundation of all the gospel. The rhetorical question Who hath believed our report? is more of an exclamation than an interrogation. Speaking for all the prophets, Isaiah calls attention to the world’s lack of faith in general. The arm of the Lord is the emblem of divine power (cf. 51:9; 52:10). The Servant is described as a tender plant(yōnēq, “suckling” or “shoot”) and a root out of a dry ground, which has already been described as springing from the stump of Jesse (hence the Davidic line).
No form nor comeliness denotes His humble origin rather than His personal appearance. Beauty may be read “elegance.” This description does not mean that He will be homely or ugly, but that He will not appear on the scene in the regalia of a king. He will come as one who is common. Nothing could better describe the humble appearance of Jesus as a common rabbi.
53:3–5. To provide a detailed description of His suffering, the prophet uses a series of verbs with an assumed subject (the Servant). Despised (from bazah, “to disdain or scorn”) and rejected [chadal, “abandoned”] of men. He is further described as a man of sorrows (mak’ōbōt, severe pains) and acquainted with grief (chōlî, “injuries”). Because of His severe personal suffering we hid as it were our faces from him. The description of Christ’s suffering in the New Testament Gospels clearly indicates the severity of His physical suffering: the agony in the garden, His battered face, the severe scourging, and the torture of the crucifixion itself. His substitutionary atonement is clearly taught. He hath borne our griefs (lit., “spiritual sickness”). The New Testament says that He Himself “bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). Thus He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted. We (mankind in general) thought He was judged of God. But he was wounded [or “pierced through”] for our transgressions (sins).
The verb bruised translates daka’, meaning “to be utterly crushed.”
Our iniquities (‘awōn) means moral “evils.” Chastisement [mūsar, “correction” or “discipline”] of our peace refers to that which procured our peace with God. With his stripes (or “wounds”) we are healed (rapa’, to mend or cure) refers to our spiritual condition being made whole. In Isaiah the term is always used of spiritual healing and forgiveness.
53:6, 7. All we (lit., “all of us”) are compared to sheep. .. gone astray to illustrate the desperate condition of mankind, lost, without a Shepherd (Matt. 9:36). All and every are used in parallel, emphasizing the totality of sinful humanity. Laid on him is a causative verb meaning “to strike violently.” Thus Christ propitiates {satisfies} the violent wrath of God for us. The fact that He opened not His mouth is illustrated by a lamb being brought to the slaughter. See John 1:29 and Revelation 5:6, 12.
53:10–12. It pleased the Lord to bruise [from daka’, “to crush”] him refers to the same condition in verse 5. Put him to grief reads “pierce” Him in the Dead Sea Scroll copy of the text (1 Q Is.). His seed refers to those who will come to believe in Him. An offering for sin (asham, “guilt offering”) involves the trespass offering described in Numbers 5:5–10. The phrase he shall prolong his days indicates that the Servant’s ministry will not end with His violent death, and certainly implies His resurrection. The pleasure of the Lord refers to God’s ultimate purposes which will be accomplished by the atoning death and resurrection of the Servant.
These triumphant verses end with the glorification and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord. His intercession refers to His high priestly ministry, by which He makes intercession on the basis of His own substitutionary death. He prays continually for us day and night.
Christ Loved Me 1 John 4:7-11
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence and knowledge in Christ's love for him; and in the offering of his love to Christ. Let’s reread out scripture text again and make some notations:
Verse 8 stands out - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
If your conscience, assuming you still have one, is bothering you concerning this statement we should relook at our roots for believing we are really a Christian. According to our text - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The cross of Jesus defines this for us. The main post or beam of the cross points us upward towards heaven. Meaning the heavenly relationship toward the Father from the Son should be a love relationship, with a full understanding of the price which was paid for your sonship with God – you have been bought with a price. The love of God should then dwell in you richly. Point being if you don’t really know the love of God, where are you? The answer is lost. The horizontal beam or crossbar is where Jesus spread His arms open to “whosoever will may come.” Remember the thief on the cross – Jesus even in death had time to minister love to others. If you have no love in you from God you will not be able to truly share with others.
You see this in the angry crowds willing to reap and destroy what doesn’t belong to them because they have no understanding of the love of God. Many of these young people have been so indoctrinated in schools all the way through higher education if you can call it that. The don’t have the same values you do, they don’t believe America is a great idea, they hate American and all it stands for today.
You know those hippies of the 60’s have taken over the schools and radical Marxism, communism and socialism are what is being taught to our children. We have allowed the radical fringe access to indoctrinate the next generations and the end product is hate.
Without prayer in schools, without the moral compass of the Bible there is a sliding scale of moralism with no fixed boundary, we must take back our children. Many Christians today ask why when our kids come back from higher education, do the reject our values. The answer is political correctness and Godless professors and teacher who are instilling them with radical ideas. This must stop. Along with defunding planned parenthood we must defund these Universities. When a college dean in making $400Km per year you now know where your tax dollars are going.
We have lost our way and we must exert a path back to this scripture. We must tell others these truths - 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
This truth needs to be taught that God loves us and sent His Son.
Do you think that God can’t change hearts? He changed yours, didn’t He? Otherwise you would not be here today. In our individual rebirths to faith, the Holy Spirit had to sets His seal upon each man and woman to enable that unique soul to say with the apostle, "Christ loved me and gave himself for me."1
Then the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts so that His love overflows and stamps upon our hearts with His gratitude and love to Jesus in return. This overflow is the only way we can make the statement "We love Him because He first loved us."2
In ages past, in our Christianity, this double mark referenced above which overflowed in our lives was clearly seen and evident in all believers in Jesus; they were men and women who knew the love of Christ and rested upon it as a man leans upon a staff whose trustiness he has proved.
This newborn love that they felt toward the Lord God was not a quiet emotion that they hid within in the secret place of their souls and that they only spoke about in private or when they met on the first day of the week and sang hymns in honor of Christ Jesus the crucified; it was a bold passion with them of such a vibrant and all-consuming energy that it was visible in all their lives, in actions, evident in their conversation, and seen in all they did and accomplished.
Love for Jesus was a flame that fed upon the core and heart of their being and therefore by its own force burned its way into their demeanor and shone there. Zeal for the Lord was evident and to honor the glorious of King Jesus was the seal and mark of every genuine Christian. Where is our zeal of the Lord today? Am I in love with Him? Is there a desperation for me to be in His presence? Am I aware of the hour of His visitation and the shortness remaining until He returns?
Am I so unaware of the changes going on around me in our culture and in the world that I miss the connection between ongoing riots, lying in the media and other events and I have to sense of being on mission with Christ. Then what is wrong? Are we like the blind Pharisees, whitewashed tombs doomed for destruction? God help us to get the message out. So what can I do? So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; Amplified Bible
For those brave Christians in the past, it was because of their dependence upon Christ's love they dared much, and because of their love for Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love.
According to the Scriptures the love of Christ constrains them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to them, and then by being made grateful, they love the Savior and seek Him with all their heart and mind and strength. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart Jer. 29:13
So, do you love Him? Jesus that’s who. Before you sleep, give an honest answer to this weighty question!
Jesus Atoning Love a Study in Isaiah 53:
53:1, 2. In these verses we see the personal Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected (v. 1); His person is refused (v. 2); and His mission is misunderstood (v. 3). Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering provides atonement for our sins (vv. 4–6); and though He suffers (v. 7) death (v. 8) and burial (v. 9), He will ultimately be exalted (vv. 10–12). To miss the fact that Jesus Christ is the central figure in this passage is to stumble in unbelief over the cornerstone and foundation of all the gospel. The rhetorical question Who hath believed our report? is more of an exclamation than an interrogation. Speaking for all the prophets, Isaiah calls attention to the world’s lack of faith in general. The arm of the Lord is the emblem of divine power (cf. 51:9; 52:10). The Servant is described as a tender plant(yōnēq, “suckling” or “shoot”) and a root out of a dry ground, which has already been described as springing from the stump of Jesse (hence the Davidic line).
No form nor comeliness denotes His humble origin rather than His personal appearance. Beauty may be read “elegance.” This description does not mean that He will be homely or ugly, but that He will not appear on the scene in the regalia of a king. He will come as one who is common. Nothing could better describe the humble appearance of Jesus as a common rabbi.
53:3–5. To provide a detailed description of His suffering, the prophet uses a series of verbs with an assumed subject (the Servant). Despised (from bazah, “to disdain or scorn”) and rejected [chadal, “abandoned”] of men. He is further described as a man of sorrows (mak’ōbōt, severe pains) and acquainted with grief (chōlî, “injuries”). Because of His severe personal suffering we hid as it were our faces from him. The description of Christ’s suffering in the New Testament Gospels clearly indicates the severity of His physical suffering: the agony in the garden, His battered face, the severe scourging, and the torture of the crucifixion itself. His substitutionary atonement is clearly taught. He hath borne our griefs (lit., “spiritual sickness”). The New Testament says that He Himself “bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). Thus He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted. We (mankind in general) thought He was judged of God. But he was wounded [or “pierced through”] for our transgressions (sins).
The verb bruised translates daka’, meaning “to be utterly crushed.”
Our iniquities (‘awōn) means moral “evils.” Chastisement [mūsar, “correction” or “discipline”] of our peace refers to that which procured our peace with God. With his stripes (or “wounds”) we are healed (rapa’, to mend or cure) refers to our spiritual condition being made whole. In Isaiah the term is always used of spiritual healing and forgiveness.
53:6, 7. All we (lit., “all of us”) are compared to sheep. .. gone astray to illustrate the desperate condition of mankind, lost, without a Shepherd (Matt. 9:36). All and every are used in parallel, emphasizing the totality of sinful humanity. Laid on him is a causative verb meaning “to strike violently.” Thus Christ propitiates {satisfies} the violent wrath of God for us. The fact that He opened not His mouth is illustrated by a lamb being brought to the slaughter. See John 1:29 and Revelation 5:6, 12.
53:10–12. It pleased the Lord to bruise [from daka’, “to crush”] him refers to the same condition in verse 5. Put him to grief reads “pierce” Him in the Dead Sea Scroll copy of the text (1 Q Is.). His seed refers to those who will come to believe in Him. An offering for sin (asham, “guilt offering”) involves the trespass offering described in Numbers 5:5–10. The phrase he shall prolong his days indicates that the Servant’s ministry will not end with His violent death, and certainly implies His resurrection. The pleasure of the Lord refers to God’s ultimate purposes which will be accomplished by the atoning death and resurrection of the Servant.
These triumphant verses end with the glorification and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord. His intercession refers to His high priestly ministry, by which He makes intercession on the basis of His own substitutionary death. He prays continually for us day and night.
Sermon May 31
Christ Loved Me 1 John 4:7-11
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence and knowledge in Christ's love for him; and in the offering of his love to Christ. Let’s reread out scripture text again and make some notations:
Verse 8 stands out - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
If your conscience, assuming you still have one, is bothering you concerning this statement we should relook at our roots for believing we are really a Christian. According to our text - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The cross of Jesus defines this for us. The main post or beam of the cross points us upward towards heaven. Meaning the heavenly relationship toward the Father from the Son should be a love relationship, with a full understanding of the price which was paid for your sonship with God – you have been bought with a price. The love of God should then dwell in you richly. Point being if you don’t really know the love of God, where are you? The answer is lost. The horizontal beam or crossbar is where Jesus spread His arms open to “whosoever will may come.” Remember the thief on the cross – Jesus even in death had time to minister love to others. If you have no love in you from God you will not be able to truly share with others.
You see this in the angry crowds willing to reap and destroy what doesn’t belong to them because they have no understanding of the love of God. Many of these young people have been so indoctrinated in schools all the way through higher education if you can call it that. The don’t have the same values you do, they don’t believe America is a great idea, they hate American and all it stands for today.
You know those hippies of the 60’s have taken over the schools and radical Marxism, communism and socialism are what is being taught to our children. We have allowed the radical fringe access to indoctrinate the next generations and the end product is hate.
Without prayer in schools, without the moral compass of the Bible there is a sliding scale of moralism with no fixed boundary, we must take back our children. Many Christians today ask why when our kids come back from higher education, do the reject our values. The answer is political correctness and Godless professors and teacher who are instilling them with radical ideas. This must stop. Along with defunding planned parenthood we must defund these Universities. When a college dean in making $400Km per year you now know where your tax dollars are going.
We have lost our way and we must exert a path back to this scripture. We must tell others these truths - 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
This truth needs to be taught that God loves us and sent His Son.
Do you think that God can’t change hearts? He changed yours, didn’t He? Otherwise you would not be here today. In our individual rebirths to faith, the Holy Spirit had to sets His seal upon each man and woman to enable that unique soul to say with the apostle, "Christ loved me and gave himself for me."1
Then the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts so that His love overflows and stamps upon our hearts with His gratitude and love to Jesus in return. This overflow is the only way we can make the statement "We love Him because He first loved us."2
In ages past, in our Christianity, this double mark referenced above which overflowed in our lives was clearly seen and evident in all believers in Jesus; they were men and women who knew the love of Christ and rested upon it as a man leans upon a staff whose trustiness he has proved.
This newborn love that they felt toward the Lord God was not a quiet emotion that they hid within in the secret place of their souls and that they only spoke about in private or when they met on the first day of the week and sang hymns in honor of Christ Jesus the crucified; it was a bold passion with them of such a vibrant and all-consuming energy that it was visible in all their lives, in actions, evident in their conversation, and seen in all they did and accomplished.
Love for Jesus was a flame that fed upon the core and heart of their being and therefore by its own force burned its way into their demeanor and shone there. Zeal for the Lord was evident and to honor the glorious of King Jesus was the seal and mark of every genuine Christian. Where is our zeal of the Lord today? Am I in love with Him? Is there a desperation for me to be in His presence? Am I aware of the hour of His visitation and the shortness remaining until He returns?
Am I so unaware of the changes going on around me in our culture and in the world that I miss the connection between ongoing riots, lying in the media and other events and I have to sense of being on mission with Christ. Then what is wrong? Are we like the blind Pharisees, whitewashed tombs doomed for destruction? God help us to get the message out. So what can I do? So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; Amplified Bible
For those brave Christians in the past, it was because of their dependence upon Christ's love they dared much, and because of their love for Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love.
According to the Scriptures the love of Christ constrains them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to them, and then by being made grateful, they love the Savior and seek Him with all their heart and mind and strength. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart Jer. 29:13
So, do you love Him? Jesus that’s who. Before you sleep, give an honest answer to this weighty question!
Jesus Atoning Love a Study in Isaiah 53:
53:1, 2. In these verses we see the personal Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected (v. 1); His person is refused (v. 2); and His mission is misunderstood (v. 3). Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering provides atonement for our sins (vv. 4–6); and though He suffers (v. 7) death (v. 8) and burial (v. 9), He will ultimately be exalted (vv. 10–12). To miss the fact that Jesus Christ is the central figure in this passage is to stumble in unbelief over the cornerstone and foundation of all the gospel. The rhetorical question Who hath believed our report? is more of an exclamation than an interrogation. Speaking for all the prophets, Isaiah calls attention to the world’s lack of faith in general. The arm of the Lord is the emblem of divine power (cf. 51:9; 52:10). The Servant is described as a tender plant(yōnēq, “suckling” or “shoot”) and a root out of a dry ground, which has already been described as springing from the stump of Jesse (hence the Davidic line).
No form nor comeliness denotes His humble origin rather than His personal appearance. Beauty may be read “elegance.” This description does not mean that He will be homely or ugly, but that He will not appear on the scene in the regalia of a king. He will come as one who is common. Nothing could better describe the humble appearance of Jesus as a common rabbi.
53:3–5. To provide a detailed description of His suffering, the prophet uses a series of verbs with an assumed subject (the Servant). Despised (from bazah, “to disdain or scorn”) and rejected [chadal, “abandoned”] of men. He is further described as a man of sorrows (mak’ōbōt, severe pains) and acquainted with grief (chōlî, “injuries”). Because of His severe personal suffering we hid as it were our faces from him. The description of Christ’s suffering in the New Testament Gospels clearly indicates the severity of His physical suffering: the agony in the garden, His battered face, the severe scourging, and the torture of the crucifixion itself. His substitutionary atonement is clearly taught. He hath borne our griefs (lit., “spiritual sickness”). The New Testament says that He Himself “bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). Thus He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted. We (mankind in general) thought He was judged of God. But he was wounded [or “pierced through”] for our transgressions (sins).
The verb bruised translates daka’, meaning “to be utterly crushed.”
Our iniquities (‘awōn) means moral “evils.” Chastisement [mūsar, “correction” or “discipline”] of our peace refers to that which procured our peace with God. With his stripes (or “wounds”) we are healed (rapa’, to mend or cure) refers to our spiritual condition being made whole. In Isaiah the term is always used of spiritual healing and forgiveness.
53:6, 7. All we (lit., “all of us”) are compared to sheep. .. gone astray to illustrate the desperate condition of mankind, lost, without a Shepherd (Matt. 9:36). All and every are used in parallel, emphasizing the totality of sinful humanity. Laid on him is a causative verb meaning “to strike violently.” Thus Christ propitiates {satisfies} the violent wrath of God for us. The fact that He opened not His mouth is illustrated by a lamb being brought to the slaughter. See John 1:29 and Revelation 5:6, 12.
53:10–12. It pleased the Lord to bruise [from daka’, “to crush”] him refers to the same condition in verse 5. Put him to grief reads “pierce” Him in the Dead Sea Scroll copy of the text (1 Q Is.). His seed refers to those who will come to believe in Him. An offering for sin (asham, “guilt offering”) involves the trespass offering described in Numbers 5:5–10. The phrase he shall prolong his days indicates that the Servant’s ministry will not end with His violent death, and certainly implies His resurrection. The pleasure of the Lord refers to God’s ultimate purposes which will be accomplished by the atoning death and resurrection of the Servant.
These triumphant verses end with the glorification and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord. His intercession refers to His high priestly ministry, by which He makes intercession on the basis of His own substitutionary death. He prays continually for us day and night.
Christ Loved Me 1 John 4:7-11
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence and knowledge in Christ's love for him; and in the offering of his love to Christ. Let’s reread out scripture text again and make some notations:
Verse 8 stands out - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
If your conscience, assuming you still have one, is bothering you concerning this statement we should relook at our roots for believing we are really a Christian. According to our text - 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The cross of Jesus defines this for us. The main post or beam of the cross points us upward towards heaven. Meaning the heavenly relationship toward the Father from the Son should be a love relationship, with a full understanding of the price which was paid for your sonship with God – you have been bought with a price. The love of God should then dwell in you richly. Point being if you don’t really know the love of God, where are you? The answer is lost. The horizontal beam or crossbar is where Jesus spread His arms open to “whosoever will may come.” Remember the thief on the cross – Jesus even in death had time to minister love to others. If you have no love in you from God you will not be able to truly share with others.
You see this in the angry crowds willing to reap and destroy what doesn’t belong to them because they have no understanding of the love of God. Many of these young people have been so indoctrinated in schools all the way through higher education if you can call it that. The don’t have the same values you do, they don’t believe America is a great idea, they hate American and all it stands for today.
You know those hippies of the 60’s have taken over the schools and radical Marxism, communism and socialism are what is being taught to our children. We have allowed the radical fringe access to indoctrinate the next generations and the end product is hate.
Without prayer in schools, without the moral compass of the Bible there is a sliding scale of moralism with no fixed boundary, we must take back our children. Many Christians today ask why when our kids come back from higher education, do the reject our values. The answer is political correctness and Godless professors and teacher who are instilling them with radical ideas. This must stop. Along with defunding planned parenthood we must defund these Universities. When a college dean in making $400Km per year you now know where your tax dollars are going.
We have lost our way and we must exert a path back to this scripture. We must tell others these truths - 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
This truth needs to be taught that God loves us and sent His Son.
Do you think that God can’t change hearts? He changed yours, didn’t He? Otherwise you would not be here today. In our individual rebirths to faith, the Holy Spirit had to sets His seal upon each man and woman to enable that unique soul to say with the apostle, "Christ loved me and gave himself for me."1
Then the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts so that His love overflows and stamps upon our hearts with His gratitude and love to Jesus in return. This overflow is the only way we can make the statement "We love Him because He first loved us."2
In ages past, in our Christianity, this double mark referenced above which overflowed in our lives was clearly seen and evident in all believers in Jesus; they were men and women who knew the love of Christ and rested upon it as a man leans upon a staff whose trustiness he has proved.
This newborn love that they felt toward the Lord God was not a quiet emotion that they hid within in the secret place of their souls and that they only spoke about in private or when they met on the first day of the week and sang hymns in honor of Christ Jesus the crucified; it was a bold passion with them of such a vibrant and all-consuming energy that it was visible in all their lives, in actions, evident in their conversation, and seen in all they did and accomplished.
Love for Jesus was a flame that fed upon the core and heart of their being and therefore by its own force burned its way into their demeanor and shone there. Zeal for the Lord was evident and to honor the glorious of King Jesus was the seal and mark of every genuine Christian. Where is our zeal of the Lord today? Am I in love with Him? Is there a desperation for me to be in His presence? Am I aware of the hour of His visitation and the shortness remaining until He returns?
Am I so unaware of the changes going on around me in our culture and in the world that I miss the connection between ongoing riots, lying in the media and other events and I have to sense of being on mission with Christ. Then what is wrong? Are we like the blind Pharisees, whitewashed tombs doomed for destruction? God help us to get the message out. So what can I do? So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; Amplified Bible
For those brave Christians in the past, it was because of their dependence upon Christ's love they dared much, and because of their love for Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love.
According to the Scriptures the love of Christ constrains them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to them, and then by being made grateful, they love the Savior and seek Him with all their heart and mind and strength. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart Jer. 29:13
So, do you love Him? Jesus that’s who. Before you sleep, give an honest answer to this weighty question!
Jesus Atoning Love a Study in Isaiah 53:
53:1, 2. In these verses we see the personal Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected (v. 1); His person is refused (v. 2); and His mission is misunderstood (v. 3). Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering provides atonement for our sins (vv. 4–6); and though He suffers (v. 7) death (v. 8) and burial (v. 9), He will ultimately be exalted (vv. 10–12). To miss the fact that Jesus Christ is the central figure in this passage is to stumble in unbelief over the cornerstone and foundation of all the gospel. The rhetorical question Who hath believed our report? is more of an exclamation than an interrogation. Speaking for all the prophets, Isaiah calls attention to the world’s lack of faith in general. The arm of the Lord is the emblem of divine power (cf. 51:9; 52:10). The Servant is described as a tender plant(yōnēq, “suckling” or “shoot”) and a root out of a dry ground, which has already been described as springing from the stump of Jesse (hence the Davidic line).
No form nor comeliness denotes His humble origin rather than His personal appearance. Beauty may be read “elegance.” This description does not mean that He will be homely or ugly, but that He will not appear on the scene in the regalia of a king. He will come as one who is common. Nothing could better describe the humble appearance of Jesus as a common rabbi.
53:3–5. To provide a detailed description of His suffering, the prophet uses a series of verbs with an assumed subject (the Servant). Despised (from bazah, “to disdain or scorn”) and rejected [chadal, “abandoned”] of men. He is further described as a man of sorrows (mak’ōbōt, severe pains) and acquainted with grief (chōlî, “injuries”). Because of His severe personal suffering we hid as it were our faces from him. The description of Christ’s suffering in the New Testament Gospels clearly indicates the severity of His physical suffering: the agony in the garden, His battered face, the severe scourging, and the torture of the crucifixion itself. His substitutionary atonement is clearly taught. He hath borne our griefs (lit., “spiritual sickness”). The New Testament says that He Himself “bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). Thus He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted. We (mankind in general) thought He was judged of God. But he was wounded [or “pierced through”] for our transgressions (sins).
The verb bruised translates daka’, meaning “to be utterly crushed.”
Our iniquities (‘awōn) means moral “evils.” Chastisement [mūsar, “correction” or “discipline”] of our peace refers to that which procured our peace with God. With his stripes (or “wounds”) we are healed (rapa’, to mend or cure) refers to our spiritual condition being made whole. In Isaiah the term is always used of spiritual healing and forgiveness.
53:6, 7. All we (lit., “all of us”) are compared to sheep. .. gone astray to illustrate the desperate condition of mankind, lost, without a Shepherd (Matt. 9:36). All and every are used in parallel, emphasizing the totality of sinful humanity. Laid on him is a causative verb meaning “to strike violently.” Thus Christ propitiates {satisfies} the violent wrath of God for us. The fact that He opened not His mouth is illustrated by a lamb being brought to the slaughter. See John 1:29 and Revelation 5:6, 12.
53:10–12. It pleased the Lord to bruise [from daka’, “to crush”] him refers to the same condition in verse 5. Put him to grief reads “pierce” Him in the Dead Sea Scroll copy of the text (1 Q Is.). His seed refers to those who will come to believe in Him. An offering for sin (asham, “guilt offering”) involves the trespass offering described in Numbers 5:5–10. The phrase he shall prolong his days indicates that the Servant’s ministry will not end with His violent death, and certainly implies His resurrection. The pleasure of the Lord refers to God’s ultimate purposes which will be accomplished by the atoning death and resurrection of the Servant.
These triumphant verses end with the glorification and exaltation of the Servant of the Lord. His intercession refers to His high priestly ministry, by which He makes intercession on the basis of His own substitutionary death. He prays continually for us day and night.
May 17 Sermon
Monty Roberts’ work with horses inspired the movie called The Horse Whisperer. And during a 60 Minutes episode, Monty Roberts taught the world the secret of his horse whispering. It involves his getting into the corral with the untamed mustangs and staying as far away from the animal as possible, without leaving the enclosure. He also refuses to allow any eye contact between him and the horse. By moving slowly, but surely, away from the horse, and by keeping his eyes averted from the animal’s gaze, Monty slowly draws the horse to himself. Even though the beast is pounding the earth with his foot, and snorting and circling with great speed, Monty keeps steadily moving away from the horse. He won’t look at it. He won’t approach it. As astounding as it sounds, Monty can have a wild mustang saddled and carrying a rider quite happily. When asked about his secret, he says, “The animals need to be with others so much, they would rather befriend the enemy than be left alone.” (Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come, Hendrickson, 2003, p. 98; www.PreachingToday.com)
People will befriend even the enemy of their souls rather than be left alone. They will do things in the search for intimacy that are only self-destructive in the end. They will look for it in the bars. They will look for it in internet pornography. They will look for it in bad relationships.
But there is a better way to find intimacy. There is a better way to find the companionship we’re all looking for. There is a better way to find the fellowship and joy we all so desperately need. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 John 1, 1-4, where the Bible shows us that way.
1 John 1:1-4 - That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (ESV)
Find fellowship and joy through the Word of Life. Find the delight of intimacy in a relationship with Christ. Find the pleasure of companionship in Him.
That’s where John, the one who penned these words, says he and his friends found it. They were rugged fisherman, used to the hard life of the sea. They worked hard to earn a living, putting up with the unpredictable storms that often arose on the Sea of Galilee. Life was not easy for them.
In fact, John and his brother, James, were actually nicknamed “Sons of Thunder,” not because they were nice, easy-going fellows. No. They were the ones that wanted to call fire down from heaven on a town in Samaria that rejected Jesus. They were not woose in any sense of the word, and yet these rugged fishermen found challenges and joy in their companionship and walking with Jesus. I sense that they had a lot of experiences and challenges together.
So Who is this one whom John speaks so highly of in this text
I. Who is the HIM of whom JOHN is Speaking? -- "that which was from the beginning." What God is in His nature, persons, life, blessedness, glory, immortality, and eternity, is, and ever will be, incomprehensible (Job 11:7, 8, 9). The person of Christ was from the beginning. He was as God-man before the world, and had a glory with the Father before the world was (John 8:58). {Before Abraham was I am} This most glorious one, who was God-man before the world was, became incarnate {God became man} in the fulness of time. John lived in the days of Christ's Incarnation; he had the honor to see Christ, the Messiah, and was favored with a precious love relationship with Him. This was grace and glory inexpressible. How could God come to earth and love a sinful man and mold him into a disciple.
II. John has HEARD, HE has SEEN, HE has handled or touched Him. So had others also. These terms of hearing, seeing, looking, handling, are necessary to express the very real reality of our Lord's coming to earth as a man. Yes, He had a real body. It was a palpable one; it was seen; it was touched; it was heard. The truth of this is denied even today by heretics today; to refute which the John expresses himself, as he here does in this testimony. There was satisfaction, and such demonstration given to every sense of body and mind, that Christ had a body just like bodies, and no greater proof could be given. He was made in all things like unto us as body and soul. It was in His nature that He obeyed the Father and still did His will. He bore the sins of many in His own body on the tree. The person of Christ is a most wonderful and excellent person beyond all comparison. The Incarnation of Christ, a deep and most unfathomable and precious subject. For By His stipes and His blood we are healed. Can I have a witness for Jesus- Amen!
III. John says people had seen Him and knew Him— "which we have heard," etc. They were the apostles themselves. John speaks in his own name here, that is why it is a testimony or evidence of a real activity. Only other saints beside the disciples saw the Lord after His resurrection on earth; yet they were not called and appointed to be witnesses exactly the same way, as the individual apostles had. The evidence the apostles had of His Jesus and His life on this earth was more intimate and different from our own. They knew Jesus eye to eye. We receive Jesus today by faith and the witness of the Holy Spirit. But we all must call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. They had the evidence of their senses as truly as we have the evidence of faith. Those who come to believer hear the voice of Christ in His Word, and in hearing this word they come to life. They see Christ in the light of the gospel, and behold salvation and everlasting life in Him; but this is with the eyes of their mind. They touch, they taste, and handle Christ mystically and representatively in their fellowship with Him in the Lord’s Supper, yet this is different from what the apostle is here speaking. Yet it is as effectual to us for our souls' benefit as it theirs was to theirs.
Yet notwithstanding this, the different ends answered by the same are so essential, that they ought to be distinguished. The apostles were to give record of His life, His words, His miracles, His threatening’s, His promises, His prophecies, His holiness, His righteousness, His passion, His death, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension into heaven, His session at the right hand of the Majesty on high, His coronation in glory, and His sending down the Holy Ghost from heaven, to prove Him to be the Lord's Messiah, the Savior of the world.
Now the apostles who were to be witnesses of all this unto the people, saw God incarnate, and conversed with Him on this earth — a sight you and I may never behold. We shall see God incarnate, God-man, in heaven — we shall see Him in the state of ultimate glory, unless we are here post tribulation. We see Him now, in the everlasting gospel, as truly as the apostles did, in our measure and degree, though not as they did with their bodily eyes.
We see Him with the eye of faith, as certainly as those persons did with the eyes of their body, and as truly, yet not so clearly and fully, as saints in heaven do by sense and vision. See 1 Cor. 13:
IV. THE TITLE JOHN GIVES THIS MOST WONDERFUL ONE. He styles Him "The Word of life." The word is the index of the mind. By what is contained in the mind is expressed. So Christ, as one in the self-existing Essence, speaks from the mind of our heavenly Father. It was by His Almighty fiat the heavens and the earth were created, and all the host of them. It was by Him all the secrets of the Most High were spoken and proclaimed, and the invisible God brought out of His invisibility to be present with men. It is in Christ that the full revelation of Godhead is made known. It is in the essential Word all the mind of God is opened, all the love of God expressed, the whole of God declared.
Jesus is the essential Word, and the only begotten Son of God. He shines forth as the God-man, in His most glorious person, mediation, work, grace, and salvation, in the everlasting gospel, and enlightens His Church therewith, that they in Him and His light see light and life.
(S. E. Pierce.)
Go with me now to the next step the application of this text. You remember in Matt 28: 19-20 Jesus tells us to: 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.
Application #1 - The epistle or book of 1st John reflects the transition of this external command to go and shows us that the new life given, after we are born again, becomes internal. His life, that is Jesus Christ’s life becomes part of us and the outgrowth of that indwelling relationship is given in light and life, active and living, within us who are the believers. This is what happened at Pentecost. This was the first indwelling and not only did He immediately fill his disciples, but the upwelling flowed to all around them, the first believers who were filled with the Spirit, that group who had gathered in Jerusalem. Then as we look further in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit moved from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the World, Believers and disciples filled with the indwelling presence shared with others the love and witness of Christ.
Application # 2. A love and gift so amazing, that the most holy, Son of God would come and become like us, shedding the glories of heaven to bring redemption and forgiveness. Have we forgotten what it felt like when Jesus forgave us of our sins. When repentance and renewal were not words but what was happening inside us, how can we forget? Why do we not share this joy with others regardless of how they respond. If the Holy Spirit is leading why be timid, Jump and just do it – tell someone today!
Application #3 – go to these verses - that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Where are you today right this minute with your Lord? Did you really see and hear? If you have truly seen and heard then proclaim be a witness. Have courage that what He tells us to do, He will enable. In Experiencing God – it tells us God purse you, God calls you and invites you to join Him in His work. The invitation is to be on mission with Jesus. According to this verse part of being on mission is to have fellowship and that fellowship is with brothers and sisters who have the same Father and know Jesus as Lord. Our Lord told us He would never leave us or forsake us. The testimony of John the revelator is this is true. In John’s 60+ years since the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, he has walked many miles with his Savior. He is telling you that you too can walk confidently with Jesus in all of your life. And I would bet if we could have a word with John today, he would testify that this is true event in dying.
Today in this world we need faithful disciples who have a testimony of trusting in Jesus and telling someone what He has done in your life, just like John did by writing this letter to the churches. Will we be found faithful in obedience to the command of our Lord first to fellowship and relationship, then to sharing that love with others wherever we go in this life and in the days remaining,
You are the breath of salvation to those who need to hear about His love and grace. Remember you are His letter in the flesh to others – in 2020 you as a believer are His message of love now. Be faithful to your calling Amen.
Monty Roberts’ work with horses inspired the movie called The Horse Whisperer. And during a 60 Minutes episode, Monty Roberts taught the world the secret of his horse whispering. It involves his getting into the corral with the untamed mustangs and staying as far away from the animal as possible, without leaving the enclosure. He also refuses to allow any eye contact between him and the horse. By moving slowly, but surely, away from the horse, and by keeping his eyes averted from the animal’s gaze, Monty slowly draws the horse to himself. Even though the beast is pounding the earth with his foot, and snorting and circling with great speed, Monty keeps steadily moving away from the horse. He won’t look at it. He won’t approach it. As astounding as it sounds, Monty can have a wild mustang saddled and carrying a rider quite happily. When asked about his secret, he says, “The animals need to be with others so much, they would rather befriend the enemy than be left alone.” (Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come, Hendrickson, 2003, p. 98; www.PreachingToday.com)
People will befriend even the enemy of their souls rather than be left alone. They will do things in the search for intimacy that are only self-destructive in the end. They will look for it in the bars. They will look for it in internet pornography. They will look for it in bad relationships.
But there is a better way to find intimacy. There is a better way to find the companionship we’re all looking for. There is a better way to find the fellowship and joy we all so desperately need. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 John 1, 1-4, where the Bible shows us that way.
1 John 1:1-4 - That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (ESV)
Find fellowship and joy through the Word of Life. Find the delight of intimacy in a relationship with Christ. Find the pleasure of companionship in Him.
That’s where John, the one who penned these words, says he and his friends found it. They were rugged fisherman, used to the hard life of the sea. They worked hard to earn a living, putting up with the unpredictable storms that often arose on the Sea of Galilee. Life was not easy for them.
In fact, John and his brother, James, were actually nicknamed “Sons of Thunder,” not because they were nice, easy-going fellows. No. They were the ones that wanted to call fire down from heaven on a town in Samaria that rejected Jesus. They were not woose in any sense of the word, and yet these rugged fishermen found challenges and joy in their companionship and walking with Jesus. I sense that they had a lot of experiences and challenges together.
So Who is this one whom John speaks so highly of in this text
I. Who is the HIM of whom JOHN is Speaking? -- "that which was from the beginning." What God is in His nature, persons, life, blessedness, glory, immortality, and eternity, is, and ever will be, incomprehensible (Job 11:7, 8, 9). The person of Christ was from the beginning. He was as God-man before the world, and had a glory with the Father before the world was (John 8:58). {Before Abraham was I am} This most glorious one, who was God-man before the world was, became incarnate {God became man} in the fulness of time. John lived in the days of Christ's Incarnation; he had the honor to see Christ, the Messiah, and was favored with a precious love relationship with Him. This was grace and glory inexpressible. How could God come to earth and love a sinful man and mold him into a disciple.
II. John has HEARD, HE has SEEN, HE has handled or touched Him. So had others also. These terms of hearing, seeing, looking, handling, are necessary to express the very real reality of our Lord's coming to earth as a man. Yes, He had a real body. It was a palpable one; it was seen; it was touched; it was heard. The truth of this is denied even today by heretics today; to refute which the John expresses himself, as he here does in this testimony. There was satisfaction, and such demonstration given to every sense of body and mind, that Christ had a body just like bodies, and no greater proof could be given. He was made in all things like unto us as body and soul. It was in His nature that He obeyed the Father and still did His will. He bore the sins of many in His own body on the tree. The person of Christ is a most wonderful and excellent person beyond all comparison. The Incarnation of Christ, a deep and most unfathomable and precious subject. For By His stipes and His blood we are healed. Can I have a witness for Jesus- Amen!
III. John says people had seen Him and knew Him— "which we have heard," etc. They were the apostles themselves. John speaks in his own name here, that is why it is a testimony or evidence of a real activity. Only other saints beside the disciples saw the Lord after His resurrection on earth; yet they were not called and appointed to be witnesses exactly the same way, as the individual apostles had. The evidence the apostles had of His Jesus and His life on this earth was more intimate and different from our own. They knew Jesus eye to eye. We receive Jesus today by faith and the witness of the Holy Spirit. But we all must call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. They had the evidence of their senses as truly as we have the evidence of faith. Those who come to believer hear the voice of Christ in His Word, and in hearing this word they come to life. They see Christ in the light of the gospel, and behold salvation and everlasting life in Him; but this is with the eyes of their mind. They touch, they taste, and handle Christ mystically and representatively in their fellowship with Him in the Lord’s Supper, yet this is different from what the apostle is here speaking. Yet it is as effectual to us for our souls' benefit as it theirs was to theirs.
Yet notwithstanding this, the different ends answered by the same are so essential, that they ought to be distinguished. The apostles were to give record of His life, His words, His miracles, His threatening’s, His promises, His prophecies, His holiness, His righteousness, His passion, His death, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension into heaven, His session at the right hand of the Majesty on high, His coronation in glory, and His sending down the Holy Ghost from heaven, to prove Him to be the Lord's Messiah, the Savior of the world.
Now the apostles who were to be witnesses of all this unto the people, saw God incarnate, and conversed with Him on this earth — a sight you and I may never behold. We shall see God incarnate, God-man, in heaven — we shall see Him in the state of ultimate glory, unless we are here post tribulation. We see Him now, in the everlasting gospel, as truly as the apostles did, in our measure and degree, though not as they did with their bodily eyes.
We see Him with the eye of faith, as certainly as those persons did with the eyes of their body, and as truly, yet not so clearly and fully, as saints in heaven do by sense and vision. See 1 Cor. 13:
IV. THE TITLE JOHN GIVES THIS MOST WONDERFUL ONE. He styles Him "The Word of life." The word is the index of the mind. By what is contained in the mind is expressed. So Christ, as one in the self-existing Essence, speaks from the mind of our heavenly Father. It was by His Almighty fiat the heavens and the earth were created, and all the host of them. It was by Him all the secrets of the Most High were spoken and proclaimed, and the invisible God brought out of His invisibility to be present with men. It is in Christ that the full revelation of Godhead is made known. It is in the essential Word all the mind of God is opened, all the love of God expressed, the whole of God declared.
Jesus is the essential Word, and the only begotten Son of God. He shines forth as the God-man, in His most glorious person, mediation, work, grace, and salvation, in the everlasting gospel, and enlightens His Church therewith, that they in Him and His light see light and life.
(S. E. Pierce.)
Go with me now to the next step the application of this text. You remember in Matt 28: 19-20 Jesus tells us to: 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen.
Application #1 - The epistle or book of 1st John reflects the transition of this external command to go and shows us that the new life given, after we are born again, becomes internal. His life, that is Jesus Christ’s life becomes part of us and the outgrowth of that indwelling relationship is given in light and life, active and living, within us who are the believers. This is what happened at Pentecost. This was the first indwelling and not only did He immediately fill his disciples, but the upwelling flowed to all around them, the first believers who were filled with the Spirit, that group who had gathered in Jerusalem. Then as we look further in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit moved from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the World, Believers and disciples filled with the indwelling presence shared with others the love and witness of Christ.
Application # 2. A love and gift so amazing, that the most holy, Son of God would come and become like us, shedding the glories of heaven to bring redemption and forgiveness. Have we forgotten what it felt like when Jesus forgave us of our sins. When repentance and renewal were not words but what was happening inside us, how can we forget? Why do we not share this joy with others regardless of how they respond. If the Holy Spirit is leading why be timid, Jump and just do it – tell someone today!
Application #3 – go to these verses - that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Where are you today right this minute with your Lord? Did you really see and hear? If you have truly seen and heard then proclaim be a witness. Have courage that what He tells us to do, He will enable. In Experiencing God – it tells us God purse you, God calls you and invites you to join Him in His work. The invitation is to be on mission with Jesus. According to this verse part of being on mission is to have fellowship and that fellowship is with brothers and sisters who have the same Father and know Jesus as Lord. Our Lord told us He would never leave us or forsake us. The testimony of John the revelator is this is true. In John’s 60+ years since the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, he has walked many miles with his Savior. He is telling you that you too can walk confidently with Jesus in all of your life. And I would bet if we could have a word with John today, he would testify that this is true event in dying.
Today in this world we need faithful disciples who have a testimony of trusting in Jesus and telling someone what He has done in your life, just like John did by writing this letter to the churches. Will we be found faithful in obedience to the command of our Lord first to fellowship and relationship, then to sharing that love with others wherever we go in this life and in the days remaining,
You are the breath of salvation to those who need to hear about His love and grace. Remember you are His letter in the flesh to others – in 2020 you as a believer are His message of love now. Be faithful to your calling Amen.
May 10 Sermon
REBIRTH
“It was Jesus who first declared that spiritual rebirth was an absolute necessity for entering the kingdom of God. He declared to Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). The word unless in Jesus’ teaching signals a universally necessary condition for seeing and entering the kingdom of God. Rebirth, then, is an essential part of Christianity; without it, entrance into God’s kingdom is impossible.
Regeneration is the theological term used to describe rebirth. It refers to a new generating, a new genesis, a new beginning. It is more than “turning over a new leaf”; it marks the beginning of a new life in a radically renewed person. Peter speaks of believers having “been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23).
Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit upon those who are spiritually dead (see Eph. 2:1–10). The Spirit recreates the human heart, quickening it from spiritual death to spiritual life. Regenerate people are new creations. Where formerly they had no disposition, inclination, or desire for the things […]”
“It occurs by God’s divine initiative and is an act that is sovereign, immediate, and instantaneous. An awareness of our conversion may be gradual. Yet rebirth itself is instantaneous. No one can be partially reborn any more than a woman can be partially pregnant.
Regeneration is not the fruit or result of faith. Rather, regeneration precedes faith as the necessary condition for faith. We also do not in any way dispose ourselves toward regeneration or cooperate as coworkers with the Holy Spirit to bring it to pass. We do not decide or choose to be regenerated. God chooses to regenerate us before we will ever choose to embrace Him. To be sure, after we have been regenerated by the sovereign grace of God, we do choose, act, cooperate, and believe in Christ. God does not have faith for us. It is our own faith by which we are justified. What God does is quicken us to spiritual life, rescuing us from darkness, bondage, and spiritual death. God makes faith possible and actual for us. He quickens faith within us.”
Excerpt From: The Reformation Study Bible. “The Reformation Study Bible.” Apple Books.
Gospel of John 15:9-24
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
The World’s Hatred
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.
Father guide me and these in the study of Your word by the power of the Holy Spirit our teacher and guide. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight Oh Lord our strength and redeemer. Amen
Key verses -verse 9 & 10 - 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
One might say this is the key principle given by Jesus. These words will enable the disciples to grasp in the years to come and in the ideas that follow, how Jesus was able to abide in His Father’s love and how we will be able to abide in His love.
These words portray the wonder in the heart of Jesus - As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you. How much does God love you? As much as God loves Jesus, that is how much. Isn’t that amazing? Then Jesus adds; abide in My love. Remain in fellowship with Me, stay close to Me, continue to put your faith in Me, even when the boat is rolling and filling with water in the storm. Yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so!
Now verse 10 is no less spectacular. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. Here Jesus is claiming unbroken fellowship with God in terms of His law and in His love relationship with no sin ever, since His coming to earth. This is quite a claim. And you know it’s true because why? The resurrection proved His claim was true and His ascension proved God agrees.
Now add to that- Jesus promises you can have the same relationship with Him that He had with His Father. So then why do you and I find it so hard to take time to pray, or worship Him, or work for Him, or give to Him as He asks of us? Why because we do not abide in His love as He abided in His Father’s love. Maybe you ought to try this one on for size- who has it harder to live on Earth, your or Jesus?
Now we covered these verses last week - 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Remember as we read these verses keep verses 9 and 10 close to your heart. For as you look at these verses you can see a trend where first Jesus promises you joy in your relationship with Him. You thought you were going to have to sacrifice all your neat things you enjoy because you came to Christ. He says, I give you My Joy; remembering that the Lord God has a monopoly on joy, not as the world gives, give I joy unto you.
Next Jesus for the third time reminds us that His love is different. It is God’s sacrificial love which Jesus has demonstrated before coming to earth. He agreed in the time before creation that He would be the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. He says to His men - 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Then Jesus improves upon it by upping the value for He tells us the dimension of His love 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life. But He doesn’t stop there but adds this amazing statement - for his friends. For His friends. Here Jesus moves the bounds of relationship to a deepening fellowship with Him as a friend. We sing “what a friend we have in Jesus” not fully understanding the depth of what that means. He calls us His friends if we love one another, keep abiding in Him, and verse 14 - 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
He, the master, tells us the servants what He is doing and He has called us friends. It is conditional to be the friend of Jesus. We have to keep our Lord’s commands and abide in His love. Wow what a promise and a gift.
Now verse 16 -16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. Now this verse does not mean that the disciples, including you and I, exercised no will of our own, we have to choose to follow Him. Rather Jesus is indicating, that the first initiative, the original and saving choice is His. We would not have chosen Him unless He chose us first. His sovereign will. The call-in verse 16 is election to salvation in faith alone, in Christ alone. From salvation, in faith and abiding in Jesus comes fruit and the fruit which abides.
Next phase to look at in v. 16 is appointed you – refers to eh sovereign choice of God for you personally to be selected as belonging to Him. Then, the next word is Go, meaning to complete your work as a disciple sharing the word and love of God -evangelist. Then the last part is to bear fruit. There are 2 types of fruit – personal fruit which leads to your continued growth and sanctification and second to personal witness and evangelism. Fruit which remains is fruit that spawns from the love of God and what He purposes in your lives. As a period or as some say, full stop Jesus adds one more time -17 These things I command you, that you love one another. This is the key principle in His dealings with His children.
The World Hates -18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
Here is the great contrast between the world in verse 18 and the love of God in verse 17. Was Jesus hated because He did something wrong or evil? No. They hated Him and because the hated who He was and, they hated Him who sent Him. The love of this people was not toward God from the rulers or many of the people as it is today. Jesus was warning us that the world hates what is not just like itself. If you are in God or like Him, just like they did with the Prophets in the OT, when they spoke the word of God the citizens hated it and they in many cases killed the prophets. Read these verses again. Jesus was warning His friends now of what was to come- Judas having departed. He is telling it like it is, if they hated Me they will hate you. If they persecuted Me they will persecute you. You are not of the world, you’re different. Why do they hate you and this is a wonderful verse - but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Why, God chose you Himself and they sense it and don’t like it one bit.
Finally to verses 21 & 22 - 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. The particular sin here is the unforgivable sin of hating Jesus and hating the Father. It is quenching the Holy Spirits regenerative prompting to believe and trust in Jesus and by rejecting Jesus they have also rejected the Father.
REBIRTH
“It was Jesus who first declared that spiritual rebirth was an absolute necessity for entering the kingdom of God. He declared to Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). The word unless in Jesus’ teaching signals a universally necessary condition for seeing and entering the kingdom of God. Rebirth, then, is an essential part of Christianity; without it, entrance into God’s kingdom is impossible.
Regeneration is the theological term used to describe rebirth. It refers to a new generating, a new genesis, a new beginning. It is more than “turning over a new leaf”; it marks the beginning of a new life in a radically renewed person. Peter speaks of believers having “been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23).
Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit upon those who are spiritually dead (see Eph. 2:1–10). The Spirit recreates the human heart, quickening it from spiritual death to spiritual life. Regenerate people are new creations. Where formerly they had no disposition, inclination, or desire for the things […]”
“It occurs by God’s divine initiative and is an act that is sovereign, immediate, and instantaneous. An awareness of our conversion may be gradual. Yet rebirth itself is instantaneous. No one can be partially reborn any more than a woman can be partially pregnant.
Regeneration is not the fruit or result of faith. Rather, regeneration precedes faith as the necessary condition for faith. We also do not in any way dispose ourselves toward regeneration or cooperate as coworkers with the Holy Spirit to bring it to pass. We do not decide or choose to be regenerated. God chooses to regenerate us before we will ever choose to embrace Him. To be sure, after we have been regenerated by the sovereign grace of God, we do choose, act, cooperate, and believe in Christ. God does not have faith for us. It is our own faith by which we are justified. What God does is quicken us to spiritual life, rescuing us from darkness, bondage, and spiritual death. God makes faith possible and actual for us. He quickens faith within us.”
Excerpt From: The Reformation Study Bible. “The Reformation Study Bible.” Apple Books.
Gospel of John 15:9-24
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
The World’s Hatred
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.
Father guide me and these in the study of Your word by the power of the Holy Spirit our teacher and guide. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight Oh Lord our strength and redeemer. Amen
Key verses -verse 9 & 10 - 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
One might say this is the key principle given by Jesus. These words will enable the disciples to grasp in the years to come and in the ideas that follow, how Jesus was able to abide in His Father’s love and how we will be able to abide in His love.
These words portray the wonder in the heart of Jesus - As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you. How much does God love you? As much as God loves Jesus, that is how much. Isn’t that amazing? Then Jesus adds; abide in My love. Remain in fellowship with Me, stay close to Me, continue to put your faith in Me, even when the boat is rolling and filling with water in the storm. Yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so!
Now verse 10 is no less spectacular. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. Here Jesus is claiming unbroken fellowship with God in terms of His law and in His love relationship with no sin ever, since His coming to earth. This is quite a claim. And you know it’s true because why? The resurrection proved His claim was true and His ascension proved God agrees.
Now add to that- Jesus promises you can have the same relationship with Him that He had with His Father. So then why do you and I find it so hard to take time to pray, or worship Him, or work for Him, or give to Him as He asks of us? Why because we do not abide in His love as He abided in His Father’s love. Maybe you ought to try this one on for size- who has it harder to live on Earth, your or Jesus?
Now we covered these verses last week - 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Remember as we read these verses keep verses 9 and 10 close to your heart. For as you look at these verses you can see a trend where first Jesus promises you joy in your relationship with Him. You thought you were going to have to sacrifice all your neat things you enjoy because you came to Christ. He says, I give you My Joy; remembering that the Lord God has a monopoly on joy, not as the world gives, give I joy unto you.
Next Jesus for the third time reminds us that His love is different. It is God’s sacrificial love which Jesus has demonstrated before coming to earth. He agreed in the time before creation that He would be the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. He says to His men - 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Then Jesus improves upon it by upping the value for He tells us the dimension of His love 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life. But He doesn’t stop there but adds this amazing statement - for his friends. For His friends. Here Jesus moves the bounds of relationship to a deepening fellowship with Him as a friend. We sing “what a friend we have in Jesus” not fully understanding the depth of what that means. He calls us His friends if we love one another, keep abiding in Him, and verse 14 - 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
He, the master, tells us the servants what He is doing and He has called us friends. It is conditional to be the friend of Jesus. We have to keep our Lord’s commands and abide in His love. Wow what a promise and a gift.
Now verse 16 -16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. Now this verse does not mean that the disciples, including you and I, exercised no will of our own, we have to choose to follow Him. Rather Jesus is indicating, that the first initiative, the original and saving choice is His. We would not have chosen Him unless He chose us first. His sovereign will. The call-in verse 16 is election to salvation in faith alone, in Christ alone. From salvation, in faith and abiding in Jesus comes fruit and the fruit which abides.
Next phase to look at in v. 16 is appointed you – refers to eh sovereign choice of God for you personally to be selected as belonging to Him. Then, the next word is Go, meaning to complete your work as a disciple sharing the word and love of God -evangelist. Then the last part is to bear fruit. There are 2 types of fruit – personal fruit which leads to your continued growth and sanctification and second to personal witness and evangelism. Fruit which remains is fruit that spawns from the love of God and what He purposes in your lives. As a period or as some say, full stop Jesus adds one more time -17 These things I command you, that you love one another. This is the key principle in His dealings with His children.
The World Hates -18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
Here is the great contrast between the world in verse 18 and the love of God in verse 17. Was Jesus hated because He did something wrong or evil? No. They hated Him and because the hated who He was and, they hated Him who sent Him. The love of this people was not toward God from the rulers or many of the people as it is today. Jesus was warning us that the world hates what is not just like itself. If you are in God or like Him, just like they did with the Prophets in the OT, when they spoke the word of God the citizens hated it and they in many cases killed the prophets. Read these verses again. Jesus was warning His friends now of what was to come- Judas having departed. He is telling it like it is, if they hated Me they will hate you. If they persecuted Me they will persecute you. You are not of the world, you’re different. Why do they hate you and this is a wonderful verse - but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Why, God chose you Himself and they sense it and don’t like it one bit.
Finally to verses 21 & 22 - 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. The particular sin here is the unforgivable sin of hating Jesus and hating the Father. It is quenching the Holy Spirits regenerative prompting to believe and trust in Jesus and by rejecting Jesus they have also rejected the Father.
April 26 Sermon
In 2020 we should be striving to establish new goals for ourselves compared to how we lived in 2019. Some of our goals or aspirations could be financial, maybe they are improving our work performance; could be improving sales if that is our line of work. But as believers we should take a spiritual inventory and challenge ourselves to improve spiritually. What that may mean to you could be significantly different than what it means to me. For our improving should be led by our relationship with God. Is it hot, medium to lukewarm or is it cold. The question should be for each of us as we read the Bible, pray and seek fellowship with our Lord and one another is how is God speaking to us? Are we seeking Him and His voice or are we a lot like the Church in Revelation where Jesus tells them “you have lost your first love.”Should we not look at ourselves as believers and ask is my relationship and my fellowship today lukewarm to cold, has God changed, or have I? If we remember our scripture God is immutable, meaning He never changes, and the promises in the Bible is that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.Remember the disciples when did they enjoy the fellowship of Jesus? When they walked with Him day by day in the way. Even after the crucifixion when unknowingly Jesus walked with the brothers on the road to Emmaus, they related later – “didn’t our heart burn within us as He opened the scriptures to us? Does your heart burn or did it burn in the past for your relationship with Jesus when it was fresh and challenging? Have you lost the edge and you no longer have that eagerness to meet with Him?Folks, all the promises of God are fulfilled in Him, Amen! This means that everything you and I need to know and believe is wrapped up in the person of Jesus. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.Our relationship with Him is the key to our faith an ultimately in the quality of our fellowship. You see that is what the term abiding means. Learning to walk daily in the presence of God. Brother Lawrence not a scholar but a servant wrote to others about being called to learn how to live by Practicing the Presence of God.This is what abiding is, living in the presence of God. This is not easy nor is it simple. It requires concentration, dedication and a desire from your heart which comes from the heart of God. That what scripture says. The Holy Spirit is the one who enables and sustains this.Let’s review Jesus’ words to His disciples the night in which He would be betrayed. Here Jesus wishes to grant insight as to how important our relationship is with Him. Turn to John 15 begin in verse 1. Thanks you. Let’s pray – Oh Father lead us into the richness and a deep understanding of the words of this text. One word from You Lord can change our lives. Speak Lord, allow us to hear and obey in Jesus name. Amen Read with me!
Jesus is the True Vine15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for {apart from} without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Love and Joy is Perfected in Abiding9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
Let’s go through the verses and mine some gold for our understanding and more importantly our use. Verse 1- sets the stage of who is involved and uses references which are easily understandable about who is what. Jesus is the vine. The vinedresser is the Heavenly Father.
Verse 2 Every branch in Christ that does not bear fruit He takes away; if you are a believer and you hear this verse and there is no fruit in your life according to Christ you should be wary, even afraid. Remember what Jesus did to the fig tree which promised fruit but had none. He cursed it and it died. Out of the wonder and love which God has poured out on us there should be fruit. Fruit in your life for change; fruit in your life for witnessing and telling others about Jesus. There should be new life in Christ, new ways of thinking, new ways of problem solving. There should be a conscious change in your heart to seek and know God more completely?
Question is, is there a new heart? Even if you are half hearted the rest of the verse says if you bear some fruit even weakly or imperfectly it says He prunes you so you bear more fruit. Remember sometimes pruning hurts because it cuts away and that can be difficult.
Verse 3- If you wondered about your condition as a believer maybe this verse will put your heart to rest. An infidel who has been saved by grace and prepared for entry by His activity in washing you by the Word of God -r3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you
Verse 4 – Because He has made you clean or whole now He provides direction for abiding in Him. None of us are worthy but He has given us favor and He says 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
None of us can remain in Christ unless we devote ourselves to this pattern, there is no other way to have a relationship with Jesus than to search for Him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. This has been true since day one and remains true today.
Here is more of the story – Verse 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for {apart from} without Me you can do nothing.
This is your position in Christ. Paul gives us more depth in his discussions in the book of Corinthians about being ingrafted into Israel because of Christ’s actions. He is the vine. And the key is apart from Him nothing survives.
Verse 6 is a true verse of caution for believers - 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
What happens to a branch that fails to abide in Jesus is serious. Are you aware of others who have fallen away from Christ? Sometimes we see their lives turn bad and are consumed or just fail. Here is the reason why. Remember the Kings of Israel in the book of Kings and Chronicles where a King turns from God. What was the outcome? Do you suppose God is pleased with them?
Verses 7 and 8 go together - read with me -7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. Jesus is relating to His followers that they need to become devoted followers and there will be a cost to becoming a disciple. But there are rewards as well. Because you walk closely with Jesus and have intimate fellowship and are seeking Him with all you have – He will hear and answer your prayers and you will know what is on His heart. This is the neat thing His will becomes your will because of your love and obedience to Jesus. With this relationship in place and precious then will My Father be glorified. What is the chief end of man - The chief end of man is to glorify God, [a] and to enjoy him for ever. [b]
[a]. Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev.4:11
[b]. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4
When you do this you will bear much fruit and so you will be His disciples. Isn’t this interesting the key to fruit bearing is in the quality of our relationship with God. Perhaps each of us now needs to take a spiritual inventory and be honest before God to repentance?
Why should we do this look at verses 9-11-9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. He offers love and Joy. Do you have joy in you life today with Christ. Jn. 10:10
In 2020 we should be striving to establish new goals for ourselves compared to how we lived in 2019. Some of our goals or aspirations could be financial, maybe they are improving our work performance; could be improving sales if that is our line of work. But as believers we should take a spiritual inventory and challenge ourselves to improve spiritually. What that may mean to you could be significantly different than what it means to me. For our improving should be led by our relationship with God. Is it hot, medium to lukewarm or is it cold. The question should be for each of us as we read the Bible, pray and seek fellowship with our Lord and one another is how is God speaking to us? Are we seeking Him and His voice or are we a lot like the Church in Revelation where Jesus tells them “you have lost your first love.”Should we not look at ourselves as believers and ask is my relationship and my fellowship today lukewarm to cold, has God changed, or have I? If we remember our scripture God is immutable, meaning He never changes, and the promises in the Bible is that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.Remember the disciples when did they enjoy the fellowship of Jesus? When they walked with Him day by day in the way. Even after the crucifixion when unknowingly Jesus walked with the brothers on the road to Emmaus, they related later – “didn’t our heart burn within us as He opened the scriptures to us? Does your heart burn or did it burn in the past for your relationship with Jesus when it was fresh and challenging? Have you lost the edge and you no longer have that eagerness to meet with Him?Folks, all the promises of God are fulfilled in Him, Amen! This means that everything you and I need to know and believe is wrapped up in the person of Jesus. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.Our relationship with Him is the key to our faith an ultimately in the quality of our fellowship. You see that is what the term abiding means. Learning to walk daily in the presence of God. Brother Lawrence not a scholar but a servant wrote to others about being called to learn how to live by Practicing the Presence of God.This is what abiding is, living in the presence of God. This is not easy nor is it simple. It requires concentration, dedication and a desire from your heart which comes from the heart of God. That what scripture says. The Holy Spirit is the one who enables and sustains this.Let’s review Jesus’ words to His disciples the night in which He would be betrayed. Here Jesus wishes to grant insight as to how important our relationship is with Him. Turn to John 15 begin in verse 1. Thanks you. Let’s pray – Oh Father lead us into the richness and a deep understanding of the words of this text. One word from You Lord can change our lives. Speak Lord, allow us to hear and obey in Jesus name. Amen Read with me!
Jesus is the True Vine15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for {apart from} without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Love and Joy is Perfected in Abiding9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
Let’s go through the verses and mine some gold for our understanding and more importantly our use. Verse 1- sets the stage of who is involved and uses references which are easily understandable about who is what. Jesus is the vine. The vinedresser is the Heavenly Father.
Verse 2 Every branch in Christ that does not bear fruit He takes away; if you are a believer and you hear this verse and there is no fruit in your life according to Christ you should be wary, even afraid. Remember what Jesus did to the fig tree which promised fruit but had none. He cursed it and it died. Out of the wonder and love which God has poured out on us there should be fruit. Fruit in your life for change; fruit in your life for witnessing and telling others about Jesus. There should be new life in Christ, new ways of thinking, new ways of problem solving. There should be a conscious change in your heart to seek and know God more completely?
Question is, is there a new heart? Even if you are half hearted the rest of the verse says if you bear some fruit even weakly or imperfectly it says He prunes you so you bear more fruit. Remember sometimes pruning hurts because it cuts away and that can be difficult.
Verse 3- If you wondered about your condition as a believer maybe this verse will put your heart to rest. An infidel who has been saved by grace and prepared for entry by His activity in washing you by the Word of God -r3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you
Verse 4 – Because He has made you clean or whole now He provides direction for abiding in Him. None of us are worthy but He has given us favor and He says 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
None of us can remain in Christ unless we devote ourselves to this pattern, there is no other way to have a relationship with Jesus than to search for Him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. This has been true since day one and remains true today.
Here is more of the story – Verse 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for {apart from} without Me you can do nothing.
This is your position in Christ. Paul gives us more depth in his discussions in the book of Corinthians about being ingrafted into Israel because of Christ’s actions. He is the vine. And the key is apart from Him nothing survives.
Verse 6 is a true verse of caution for believers - 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
What happens to a branch that fails to abide in Jesus is serious. Are you aware of others who have fallen away from Christ? Sometimes we see their lives turn bad and are consumed or just fail. Here is the reason why. Remember the Kings of Israel in the book of Kings and Chronicles where a King turns from God. What was the outcome? Do you suppose God is pleased with them?
Verses 7 and 8 go together - read with me -7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. Jesus is relating to His followers that they need to become devoted followers and there will be a cost to becoming a disciple. But there are rewards as well. Because you walk closely with Jesus and have intimate fellowship and are seeking Him with all you have – He will hear and answer your prayers and you will know what is on His heart. This is the neat thing His will becomes your will because of your love and obedience to Jesus. With this relationship in place and precious then will My Father be glorified. What is the chief end of man - The chief end of man is to glorify God, [a] and to enjoy him for ever. [b]
[a]. Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev.4:11
[b]. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4
When you do this you will bear much fruit and so you will be His disciples. Isn’t this interesting the key to fruit bearing is in the quality of our relationship with God. Perhaps each of us now needs to take a spiritual inventory and be honest before God to repentance?
Why should we do this look at verses 9-11-9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. He offers love and Joy. Do you have joy in you life today with Christ. Jn. 10:10
April 19 Sermon
Focus verse is - Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8
There is a subtle temptation in today’s world that encourages Christians to be “practical.” That is, they try to do God’s work in man’s way. “Getting results” becomes the primary focus. It almost seems that we believe that the end justifies the means. Don’t be led away by the world’s reasoning. An examination of God’s Word shows that the means God uses are sometimes even more important than the results. The world tries to convince you that as long as you can accomplish something for the kingdom of God, that’s all that matters. For example, Ananias and Sapphira gave an offering to their church, which was a good thing, but they did it deceitfully. God judged them immediately, not for what they did, but for how they did it (Acts 5:1-11).
Satan tried to trap Jesus with this same temptation. Satan did not question the worthiness of Jesus’ task, but simply offered “practical” solutions to accomplish Jesus’ goal more quickly and at lesser cost. God’s ways are not like man’s ways.
“Efficiency” from man’s perspective is not prized by God.
Colossians 2:8 - Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ
In the Old Testament in Isaiah 5, beginning in verse 8 God records these thoughts –
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
What a challenging concept to have exclusive confidence in God and His Son and in the words which they have given to us in His Book – the Bible. It amazes me that to think every time you open The Bible you have direct access to the author.
This opportunity of course this assumes that you are in the right spiritual condition of clean hands and a pure heart. Sometimes in my life this preparation requires an intense adjustment performed by the person of the Holy Spirit using the washing of the water by the word of God. In other words God first uses scripture to change my heart as He speaks through the Word.
New living in Christ demands we understand and apply His words correctly. With verse8 begin with me. The verse says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
Can you understand creation, or the galaxies, or your body; life, death or why one person lives and another does not? Why there is a Satan? How much did Christ suffer to save me? Or the mystery of heaven and what lies in the future. Why is there all this hell on earth now and how it is going to become worse over time? I thought we teach in schools that man is basically good? Here is the difference and we continue to need to grasp this basic idea. God while He created you in His image is in no way like you? He is all knowing? Can you grasp that idea? He know everything. There is no math, physics, or time question that He cannot answers.
Verse 9 - 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
God is nothing like us. He knows our every way and our every need. That was one of the reasons He sent Jesus. He made Him who knew no sin to be just like us but without sin. The disease of sin was external to Jesus but He needed to be sent as a servant not as a king. He was mean to suffer and die so that no man could stand before God and shake his tiny fist at God and say, you don’t know what it is like to be human. Yes, He does. But you understand now why His ways of doing things are as important and in some cases more important that the what He is doing.
Why is the Bible so important to us because in that book God has recorded the thoughts He has given to men? And in doing so He has shown why His way of reasoning and His thoughts are higher than our own. When a believer opens the Bible the author is present to guide and direct. The author is God but His Holy Spirit is the teacher, counselor, guide the paraclete who goes with us. He is omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere and this is not a new testament concept. Psalm 139 and other verses in the New Testament, book of Romans say neither height nor depth, nor any created thing can separate us from the love {and therefore the person of God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit.}
Verses 10 and 11 finish these thoughts by giving us the understanding of:
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Nothing is able to stand against the will of God. He is all powerful. The fancy word we use is omnipotent. This means all powerful. But God is all powerful and able to accomplish all that He desires. But despite this power you have your will. You are given free will to resist Him. God respects that. So, God will not overpower your will. If you choose to join Him by faith in Him you have the option, because He is a loving God who is not willing that any should perish. But nothing in creation is able to stand against His will. Look at the Kings who rejected Him in the OT, they each came to ruin. Yes you can reject Him but you cannot overcome Him. Do not go against God or flaunt His laws there is an absolute punishment, called judgement that comes to the one who rejects God and tries to overcome Him. Satan paid this price when He rebelled against God
Verse 7 of Isaiah 55, speaks to this
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
God’s answer is always return and be forgiven before it is too late. You only have as long as you breath to make this decision. But the heart of men as it is apparent today can become so perverted and rejecting of God and His will that He wants nothing to do with God. That is the force of Anti-Christ present in America today. Only revival and returning to God will work read verse 7 and our God will have mercy and only our God will abundantly pardon.
So I ask you if you are in sin return to God and be pardoned by the blood of Jesus Christ - Amen
And Amen. If you don’t know Jesus and want to know more about Him, contact us today.
Focus verse is - Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8
There is a subtle temptation in today’s world that encourages Christians to be “practical.” That is, they try to do God’s work in man’s way. “Getting results” becomes the primary focus. It almost seems that we believe that the end justifies the means. Don’t be led away by the world’s reasoning. An examination of God’s Word shows that the means God uses are sometimes even more important than the results. The world tries to convince you that as long as you can accomplish something for the kingdom of God, that’s all that matters. For example, Ananias and Sapphira gave an offering to their church, which was a good thing, but they did it deceitfully. God judged them immediately, not for what they did, but for how they did it (Acts 5:1-11).
Satan tried to trap Jesus with this same temptation. Satan did not question the worthiness of Jesus’ task, but simply offered “practical” solutions to accomplish Jesus’ goal more quickly and at lesser cost. God’s ways are not like man’s ways.
“Efficiency” from man’s perspective is not prized by God.
- It did not seem efficient to have the children of Israel march around Jericho thirteen times and then blow their trumpets, but it brought the walls down (Josh. 6). Do you think God knew something that men didn’t?
- It did not appear wise to select the youngest of Jesse’s sons to become the next king, but God saw a man after His own heart (1 Sam. 16:11). Do you think God knew something that men didn’t?
- At first glance, it does not seem logical for Jesus to have picked the twelve disciples He did, yet through them God dramatically affected their world. {Matt, Mk, Luke, John} Do you think Jesus knew something more?
- It never appeared efficient to have important people in the life of the nation’s integrity to arrive as a “baby.”
- Moses – to be the deliverer used to lead His people to God
- Samuel – to become the priest of Judah in which a King was crowned
- John the Baptist - to prepare the way of the Lord, set paths straight
- Jesus – as a baby who in Himself is Savior, Immanuel, and a Holy Sacrifice
Colossians 2:8 - Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ
In the Old Testament in Isaiah 5, beginning in verse 8 God records these thoughts –
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
What a challenging concept to have exclusive confidence in God and His Son and in the words which they have given to us in His Book – the Bible. It amazes me that to think every time you open The Bible you have direct access to the author.
This opportunity of course this assumes that you are in the right spiritual condition of clean hands and a pure heart. Sometimes in my life this preparation requires an intense adjustment performed by the person of the Holy Spirit using the washing of the water by the word of God. In other words God first uses scripture to change my heart as He speaks through the Word.
New living in Christ demands we understand and apply His words correctly. With verse8 begin with me. The verse says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
Can you understand creation, or the galaxies, or your body; life, death or why one person lives and another does not? Why there is a Satan? How much did Christ suffer to save me? Or the mystery of heaven and what lies in the future. Why is there all this hell on earth now and how it is going to become worse over time? I thought we teach in schools that man is basically good? Here is the difference and we continue to need to grasp this basic idea. God while He created you in His image is in no way like you? He is all knowing? Can you grasp that idea? He know everything. There is no math, physics, or time question that He cannot answers.
Verse 9 - 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
God is nothing like us. He knows our every way and our every need. That was one of the reasons He sent Jesus. He made Him who knew no sin to be just like us but without sin. The disease of sin was external to Jesus but He needed to be sent as a servant not as a king. He was mean to suffer and die so that no man could stand before God and shake his tiny fist at God and say, you don’t know what it is like to be human. Yes, He does. But you understand now why His ways of doing things are as important and in some cases more important that the what He is doing.
Why is the Bible so important to us because in that book God has recorded the thoughts He has given to men? And in doing so He has shown why His way of reasoning and His thoughts are higher than our own. When a believer opens the Bible the author is present to guide and direct. The author is God but His Holy Spirit is the teacher, counselor, guide the paraclete who goes with us. He is omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere and this is not a new testament concept. Psalm 139 and other verses in the New Testament, book of Romans say neither height nor depth, nor any created thing can separate us from the love {and therefore the person of God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit.}
Verses 10 and 11 finish these thoughts by giving us the understanding of:
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Nothing is able to stand against the will of God. He is all powerful. The fancy word we use is omnipotent. This means all powerful. But God is all powerful and able to accomplish all that He desires. But despite this power you have your will. You are given free will to resist Him. God respects that. So, God will not overpower your will. If you choose to join Him by faith in Him you have the option, because He is a loving God who is not willing that any should perish. But nothing in creation is able to stand against His will. Look at the Kings who rejected Him in the OT, they each came to ruin. Yes you can reject Him but you cannot overcome Him. Do not go against God or flaunt His laws there is an absolute punishment, called judgement that comes to the one who rejects God and tries to overcome Him. Satan paid this price when He rebelled against God
Verse 7 of Isaiah 55, speaks to this
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
God’s answer is always return and be forgiven before it is too late. You only have as long as you breath to make this decision. But the heart of men as it is apparent today can become so perverted and rejecting of God and His will that He wants nothing to do with God. That is the force of Anti-Christ present in America today. Only revival and returning to God will work read verse 7 and our God will have mercy and only our God will abundantly pardon.
So I ask you if you are in sin return to God and be pardoned by the blood of Jesus Christ - Amen
And Amen. If you don’t know Jesus and want to know more about Him, contact us today.
Sermon Easter Sunday
The Miracle of Easter is the deliberate passion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to die for you and me. Is there a greater gift than a man would lay His life down for His friends? Not only was He obedient to the will of the Father but He freely gave us all things.
1 Corinthians 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
1 Peter 2:24 _ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose [g]stripes you were healed. {Isaiah 53:5}
The first verse1 Cor. 5:21 expresses the Father’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Again the verse says- For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. God made Jesus accept all our sin and the disease to cure it. The righteous Son of God pure and Holy became your sin and my sin to pay the righteous penalty for sin which is death. God’s will was done to make you and I acceptable to God by paying our sin debt for now through eternity. You are a blood bought child of the King in Jesus and because of this you now have Peace and not enmity with God. Sin no longer separates you from God if you have truly asked and become one of the whosoever would call upon the name of the Lord.
The second verse we read is that Jesus willingly died and accomplished for us what we are not able to do. Listen again to 1 Peter 2:24 -_ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose [g]stripes you were healed. {Isaiah 53:5} There was and is healing only in the wings of Jesus. And In Jesus only and exclusively have you been healed by His stripes. One and only one sacrifice is and remains sufficient for paying the penalty of my sin and that is by the blood of Jesus. There is no other name given among men whereby you can be saved, no matter what man may say. God has not and will not accept any other means of salvation for you and I, now is He likely to change His mind ever. This is why there is no other way but the one way to heaven. No other has paid this incredible price for your salvation and deliverance. So how can there be many ways to heaven. There can’t be and there are none. The One and only one who loves you is Jesus the Christ.
Having set your minds on this, just think if you had just completed some taxing and strenuous ordeal for family and friends what would you expect when you returned – accolades, a band, cheering? What did Jesus receive upon HIs return from the dead? Do you suppose the disciples finally got it? No they didn’t get it. Jesus did not have such good fortune or understanding.
Jesus comes back fully knowing He must encourage His young believers to have faith in Himself for He has proven by His return that He is God. That may be where you are today on this Resurrection Sunday. Perhaps you may need encouragement in your faith, maybe you need to be renewed or strengthened your faith in God! Or maybe you are maturing as a person of faith by understanding God’s gift to you in Jesus.
But before you can have faith you must have received Jesus to have peace with God. Sinners and those apart from the savior who really have no personal relationship with Him and have not called upon the name of the Lord, can’t be and aren’t saved. You know in your heart if Jesus is speaking to you now have peace with God.
II. Let’s examine how Jesus greets His disciples after the resurrection. Let us go to the Gospel of John, Chapter 19 vs.19 - Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
The disciples had spent the last three days in absolute terror and disappointment.
There was no release for some almost all had deserted Jesus. Judas had betrayed Jesus and Peter who swore he would defend Jesus to the death had denied Him. They were frazzled in their understanding and the Holy Spirit had not yet come to give them clear understanding of Scriptures which Jesus spoke to them. So how does Jesus enter? “Peace be with you. This is what is missing for you and I today in the midst of all that is happening in CV-19, all the political unrest and hate. Jesus says that same to you as He said to them “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Why would there be any difference? This is why we remember Easter
III. So how should Easter orient us toward our lives as Christians. Check out Philippians 3: 7 -14. To many these are words we have heard before but perhaps never understood they are for us personally. Paul writes to the church, the body of believers at Philippi- {everything I did for self.} 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ {faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love}, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[b] to the resurrection from the dead. There are what Paul values at the end. But He is not finished with life or with the purposes of God. So he says next that he is Pressing Toward the Goal. What goal read with me beginning in verse 12 -
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The Miracle of Easter is the deliberate passion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to die for you and me. Is there a greater gift than a man would lay His life down for His friends? Not only was He obedient to the will of the Father but He freely gave us all things.
1 Corinthians 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
1 Peter 2:24 _ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose [g]stripes you were healed. {Isaiah 53:5}
The first verse1 Cor. 5:21 expresses the Father’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Again the verse says- For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. God made Jesus accept all our sin and the disease to cure it. The righteous Son of God pure and Holy became your sin and my sin to pay the righteous penalty for sin which is death. God’s will was done to make you and I acceptable to God by paying our sin debt for now through eternity. You are a blood bought child of the King in Jesus and because of this you now have Peace and not enmity with God. Sin no longer separates you from God if you have truly asked and become one of the whosoever would call upon the name of the Lord.
The second verse we read is that Jesus willingly died and accomplished for us what we are not able to do. Listen again to 1 Peter 2:24 -_ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose [g]stripes you were healed. {Isaiah 53:5} There was and is healing only in the wings of Jesus. And In Jesus only and exclusively have you been healed by His stripes. One and only one sacrifice is and remains sufficient for paying the penalty of my sin and that is by the blood of Jesus. There is no other name given among men whereby you can be saved, no matter what man may say. God has not and will not accept any other means of salvation for you and I, now is He likely to change His mind ever. This is why there is no other way but the one way to heaven. No other has paid this incredible price for your salvation and deliverance. So how can there be many ways to heaven. There can’t be and there are none. The One and only one who loves you is Jesus the Christ.
Having set your minds on this, just think if you had just completed some taxing and strenuous ordeal for family and friends what would you expect when you returned – accolades, a band, cheering? What did Jesus receive upon HIs return from the dead? Do you suppose the disciples finally got it? No they didn’t get it. Jesus did not have such good fortune or understanding.
Jesus comes back fully knowing He must encourage His young believers to have faith in Himself for He has proven by His return that He is God. That may be where you are today on this Resurrection Sunday. Perhaps you may need encouragement in your faith, maybe you need to be renewed or strengthened your faith in God! Or maybe you are maturing as a person of faith by understanding God’s gift to you in Jesus.
But before you can have faith you must have received Jesus to have peace with God. Sinners and those apart from the savior who really have no personal relationship with Him and have not called upon the name of the Lord, can’t be and aren’t saved. You know in your heart if Jesus is speaking to you now have peace with God.
II. Let’s examine how Jesus greets His disciples after the resurrection. Let us go to the Gospel of John, Chapter 19 vs.19 - Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
The disciples had spent the last three days in absolute terror and disappointment.
There was no release for some almost all had deserted Jesus. Judas had betrayed Jesus and Peter who swore he would defend Jesus to the death had denied Him. They were frazzled in their understanding and the Holy Spirit had not yet come to give them clear understanding of Scriptures which Jesus spoke to them. So how does Jesus enter? “Peace be with you. This is what is missing for you and I today in the midst of all that is happening in CV-19, all the political unrest and hate. Jesus says that same to you as He said to them “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Why would there be any difference? This is why we remember Easter
III. So how should Easter orient us toward our lives as Christians. Check out Philippians 3: 7 -14. To many these are words we have heard before but perhaps never understood they are for us personally. Paul writes to the church, the body of believers at Philippi- {everything I did for self.} 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ {faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love}, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[b] to the resurrection from the dead. There are what Paul values at the end. But He is not finished with life or with the purposes of God. So he says next that he is Pressing Toward the Goal. What goal read with me beginning in verse 12 -
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Sermon April 5
From Experiencing God Day by Day Devotional.
That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 1 John 1:3-4
John the apostle never ceased to marvel at the life-changing relationship he enjoyed with his Lord. It overwhelmed him to know that, at a particular time in history, the God of the universe chose to have fellowship with him, a simple fisherman. John was so overjoyed that he earnestly wanted to share his joy with others so they, too, might experience the same joy. A special fellowship or “bonding” developed between those who had personally encountered Christ as they rejoiced together at God’s goodness to them.
Those around you desperately need to be encouraged by your latest encounter with Christ. Some have lost hope that they can experience the reality of God’s presence in their lives. They don’t need your philosophies or theological speculations. They don’t need to hear your opinions on what they should do. They need to hear from someone who has just come from a personal, life-changing encounter with the living Christ.
When you have had such an experience you will be like the apostle John, unable to contain yourself as you rush out to tell others of your amazing encounter with God. Your responsibility will not be to convince others of the reality of God, but simply to bear witness to what your Lord has said and done for you. The change in your life will be your greatest testimony of your relationship to Christ. There is nothing more appealing or convincing to a watching world than to hear the testimony of someone who has just been with Jesus.
Today’s Lesson - Palm Sunday.
I can hardly contain myself I have a word for you from our Lord “Be encouraged, be inspired and be giving praise in the middle of the battle. For God is at work, He is here and He is present to defend you, love you and care for you. Follow this narration of the events of Palm Sunday:
In the accounts of the four gospels Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem takes place in the days before the Last Supper, marking the beginning of His Passion, his time of suffering, death, and resurrection celebrated during Holy Week. We celebrate Jesus's entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which begins a week of celebrations known as Holy Week ending on Easter Sunday.
In John 12:9–11 the crowds gather around Jesus and believe in him after he raised Lazarus from the dead, and the next day the multitudes that had gathered for the feast in Jerusalem welcome Jesus as he enters the city. In Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–19, Jesus descends from the Mount of Olives towards Jerusalem, and the crowds lay their clothes on the ground to welcome him as he triumphantly enters Jerusalem.
The historical context of these events:
In the accounts of the four Gospels, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem takes place a week before his resurrection. The Gospel of John presents a timeline of these events, dated six days before the Passover (John 12:1).
Before this, Jesus talked to two of his disciples, taking to Himself using the Greek word of Lord (Κύριος, trasl. Kýrios), written with a capital letter in the original text, as a proper noun.
The raising of Lazarus is mentioned only by the Gospel of John, in the previous chapter. The Jewish calendar dates begin at sundown of the night beforehand, and conclude at nightfall.
Christians believe that the passion of Christ is captured graphically in the Old Testament: Zechariah 9:9"The Coming of Zion's King – See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey", which is quoted in the Gospels. It suggests that Jesus was declaring he was the King of Israel, to the anger of the Jewish ruling body of Pharisees and Sadducees called the Sanhedrin.
In the Gospels, Jesus Christ rode on a donkey into Jerusalem, and the celebrating people there laid down their cloaks and small branches of trees in front of him, singing part of Psalm 118: 25–26 – Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The symbolism of the donkey generally refers to the Eastern tradition that it is an animal of peace, unlike the horse which is the animal of war. A king would have ridden a white horse where he was bent on war and ridden a donkey to symbolize his arrival in peace. Jesus' entry to Jerusalem symbolizes his entry as Prince of Peace, not as a war-waging king.
"Flevit super illam" (He wept over it); by Enrique Simonet, 1892
The triumphant entry begins in Luke 19:41 as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he looks at the city and weeps over it (an event known as Flevit super illam in Latin), foretelling his coming Passion and the suffering that awaits the city in the events of the destruction of the Second Temple. 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
The Lord Jesus being fully God and simultaneously fully man at this time knew the events which were to occur at this Passover celebration. He had already warned His disciples three times that the Pharisee’s were about to kill Him on a cross. He had to chastise Peter for coming against the will of God, versus the will of Satan for Him to pay the price of the cruel cross.
But Jesus is reflecting upon the nation of Israel and all those who would eventually reject Him. He begins -“If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Jesus had come to bring salvation from sins and to give the Kingdom of Heaven to the nation of Israel. But Jesus knew the heart of man and it was far from Him. Note His appeal is personal If you, even you; and when was the appeal relevant? It was made especially in this your day. A great judgement was coming - sin was soon to be condemned and Jesus was the one to accomplish this. But Jesus had been rejected by the nation of Israel then and down through the ages it would be the same. He would come but He would be rejected.
Jesus’ great condemnation is “because you did not know the time of your visitation.” The King in the form of a man had come but because of sin in the world, the desire to do our own will over the will of God; and to be willfully obedient to the Prince of the Power of the air – Satan, we reject God even in the time of our visitation by the Son of God. But there is a great wonder. And this wonder is despite the condemnation and destruction which is to visited upon the nation of Israel in 70 AD., and upon all those who reject Jesus and die in their sin.
The wonder is this, that the purpose of the triumphant entry is the success of God’s plan from eternity past and for eternity future to defeat sin and death and set the captives free. It is and was assured by the obedience of Christ in going to the cross. You see the passion of the Christ is to complete the will of the Father. Jesus had not come to do His own will but the will of Him who sent me. The Passion of Christ was to set you, the captive, free from the law of sin and death and to provide you a future and a hope.
The world sees Jesus death as a tragedy, but God foresaw the death as the necessary payment to allow you and I to have free access and be delivered from our sins. Jesus has made available to us ever spirit in the heavenlies, all that was needed for release from the bonds of sin. The presence of the Holy Spirit was given to all who would believe in Him by faith. What an awesome and wonderful gift is the Spirit of God who takes up residence in the human heart. He gives us new life and a new Spirit dwells within us to give us a future and a hope. God’s future is to be our future and our hope becomes not what we can do but what Christ can do in us.
So despite what is happening in today’s world, so despite what appearances faith in God transcends all for the Prince of Peace, the Son of God and the Son of Man, the Lord has command of all events and He is working all things to conform to His will. While world events and the power of evil seem so strong He is the ruler yet. He will prevail. e wil He is overall. So let us praise God despite what we see and hear. Let us have faith if the God who sees me and knows me.
I pray that the LORD GOD would bless you and keep you and the power of Christ would rest upon you on this glorious day of God’s creation – Palm Sunday where God is triumphant and Son of God enters the completion of His work triumphantly. God bless you all in the coming days Amen
From Experiencing God Day by Day Devotional.
That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 1 John 1:3-4
John the apostle never ceased to marvel at the life-changing relationship he enjoyed with his Lord. It overwhelmed him to know that, at a particular time in history, the God of the universe chose to have fellowship with him, a simple fisherman. John was so overjoyed that he earnestly wanted to share his joy with others so they, too, might experience the same joy. A special fellowship or “bonding” developed between those who had personally encountered Christ as they rejoiced together at God’s goodness to them.
Those around you desperately need to be encouraged by your latest encounter with Christ. Some have lost hope that they can experience the reality of God’s presence in their lives. They don’t need your philosophies or theological speculations. They don’t need to hear your opinions on what they should do. They need to hear from someone who has just come from a personal, life-changing encounter with the living Christ.
When you have had such an experience you will be like the apostle John, unable to contain yourself as you rush out to tell others of your amazing encounter with God. Your responsibility will not be to convince others of the reality of God, but simply to bear witness to what your Lord has said and done for you. The change in your life will be your greatest testimony of your relationship to Christ. There is nothing more appealing or convincing to a watching world than to hear the testimony of someone who has just been with Jesus.
Today’s Lesson - Palm Sunday.
I can hardly contain myself I have a word for you from our Lord “Be encouraged, be inspired and be giving praise in the middle of the battle. For God is at work, He is here and He is present to defend you, love you and care for you. Follow this narration of the events of Palm Sunday:
In the accounts of the four gospels Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem takes place in the days before the Last Supper, marking the beginning of His Passion, his time of suffering, death, and resurrection celebrated during Holy Week. We celebrate Jesus's entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which begins a week of celebrations known as Holy Week ending on Easter Sunday.
In John 12:9–11 the crowds gather around Jesus and believe in him after he raised Lazarus from the dead, and the next day the multitudes that had gathered for the feast in Jerusalem welcome Jesus as he enters the city. In Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–19, Jesus descends from the Mount of Olives towards Jerusalem, and the crowds lay their clothes on the ground to welcome him as he triumphantly enters Jerusalem.
The historical context of these events:
In the accounts of the four Gospels, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem takes place a week before his resurrection. The Gospel of John presents a timeline of these events, dated six days before the Passover (John 12:1).
Before this, Jesus talked to two of his disciples, taking to Himself using the Greek word of Lord (Κύριος, trasl. Kýrios), written with a capital letter in the original text, as a proper noun.
The raising of Lazarus is mentioned only by the Gospel of John, in the previous chapter. The Jewish calendar dates begin at sundown of the night beforehand, and conclude at nightfall.
Christians believe that the passion of Christ is captured graphically in the Old Testament: Zechariah 9:9"The Coming of Zion's King – See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey", which is quoted in the Gospels. It suggests that Jesus was declaring he was the King of Israel, to the anger of the Jewish ruling body of Pharisees and Sadducees called the Sanhedrin.
In the Gospels, Jesus Christ rode on a donkey into Jerusalem, and the celebrating people there laid down their cloaks and small branches of trees in front of him, singing part of Psalm 118: 25–26 – Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The symbolism of the donkey generally refers to the Eastern tradition that it is an animal of peace, unlike the horse which is the animal of war. A king would have ridden a white horse where he was bent on war and ridden a donkey to symbolize his arrival in peace. Jesus' entry to Jerusalem symbolizes his entry as Prince of Peace, not as a war-waging king.
"Flevit super illam" (He wept over it); by Enrique Simonet, 1892
The triumphant entry begins in Luke 19:41 as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he looks at the city and weeps over it (an event known as Flevit super illam in Latin), foretelling his coming Passion and the suffering that awaits the city in the events of the destruction of the Second Temple. 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
The Lord Jesus being fully God and simultaneously fully man at this time knew the events which were to occur at this Passover celebration. He had already warned His disciples three times that the Pharisee’s were about to kill Him on a cross. He had to chastise Peter for coming against the will of God, versus the will of Satan for Him to pay the price of the cruel cross.
But Jesus is reflecting upon the nation of Israel and all those who would eventually reject Him. He begins -“If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Jesus had come to bring salvation from sins and to give the Kingdom of Heaven to the nation of Israel. But Jesus knew the heart of man and it was far from Him. Note His appeal is personal If you, even you; and when was the appeal relevant? It was made especially in this your day. A great judgement was coming - sin was soon to be condemned and Jesus was the one to accomplish this. But Jesus had been rejected by the nation of Israel then and down through the ages it would be the same. He would come but He would be rejected.
Jesus’ great condemnation is “because you did not know the time of your visitation.” The King in the form of a man had come but because of sin in the world, the desire to do our own will over the will of God; and to be willfully obedient to the Prince of the Power of the air – Satan, we reject God even in the time of our visitation by the Son of God. But there is a great wonder. And this wonder is despite the condemnation and destruction which is to visited upon the nation of Israel in 70 AD., and upon all those who reject Jesus and die in their sin.
The wonder is this, that the purpose of the triumphant entry is the success of God’s plan from eternity past and for eternity future to defeat sin and death and set the captives free. It is and was assured by the obedience of Christ in going to the cross. You see the passion of the Christ is to complete the will of the Father. Jesus had not come to do His own will but the will of Him who sent me. The Passion of Christ was to set you, the captive, free from the law of sin and death and to provide you a future and a hope.
The world sees Jesus death as a tragedy, but God foresaw the death as the necessary payment to allow you and I to have free access and be delivered from our sins. Jesus has made available to us ever spirit in the heavenlies, all that was needed for release from the bonds of sin. The presence of the Holy Spirit was given to all who would believe in Him by faith. What an awesome and wonderful gift is the Spirit of God who takes up residence in the human heart. He gives us new life and a new Spirit dwells within us to give us a future and a hope. God’s future is to be our future and our hope becomes not what we can do but what Christ can do in us.
So despite what is happening in today’s world, so despite what appearances faith in God transcends all for the Prince of Peace, the Son of God and the Son of Man, the Lord has command of all events and He is working all things to conform to His will. While world events and the power of evil seem so strong He is the ruler yet. He will prevail. e wil He is overall. So let us praise God despite what we see and hear. Let us have faith if the God who sees me and knows me.
I pray that the LORD GOD would bless you and keep you and the power of Christ would rest upon you on this glorious day of God’s creation – Palm Sunday where God is triumphant and Son of God enters the completion of His work triumphantly. God bless you all in the coming days Amen
Sermon March 22
Psalm 27:1-6
HOPE for the believer in the Battle
Intro: As we read the words of this psalm, we see the imagery of battle being portrayed in these verses. Words like “enemies” and “foes” in verse 2; “host” in verse 3; “war” in verse 3; and “enemies” in verse 6 all speak of warfare. Phrase like “though an host encamp against me”, verse 3; and “though war should rise against me”, verse 3 speak of a battle being waged against David. It appears that he is in a difficult situation. Yet, it is also very clear from reading these verses that even in the battles he is fighting, David has hope.
Hope is a powerful thing. G. K. Chesterton said, “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.” Emily Dickinson, in one of her poems said, “Hope is a thing with feathers, / That perches in the soul.” O. S. Marden said, “There is no medicine like hope . . .” Pliny the Elder wrote, “Hope is the dream of a waking man.” Martin Luther said, “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”[1]
The dictionary describes hope- “to have a wish to get or do something or for something to happen or be true, especially something that seems possible or likely.”[2] Hope, from the world’s viewpoint is just what that definition describes. The world sees hope as a wish or a desire. Hope, for the world, is a longing for something that may or may not take place.
The Bible teaches us a completely different definition of hope. Listen to the words of Jeremiah, “Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is,” Jer. 17:7. Hear also Paul, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity,” 1 Cor.13:13. The world says that hope is merely a fond wish or desire. But, the words used for hope in the Bible tell a different story. They teach us that hope is “A deep settled confidence that God keeps His promises!”
Now, I know you have battles; but do you have hope? Are you resting in the sure confidence that God will do just as He has promised He would? That is the essence of hope and hope is a possession we all need to be sure we own in large quantities. I want to look into these verses today and I want to teach about Hope In The Midst of our Battles. I want to show you, from the words of Scripture, why you and I have a reason to hope in the Lord. Let us begin with prayer.
I. v. 1-3 Our confidence in the Lord provides HOPE
(Ill. David begins his psalm of hope by declaring his personal faith in the Lord. Notice the three-fold use of the word “my” in verse 1. David has a personal relationship with God. This is the basic foundation for hope.)
A. v. 1 Confidence In The Person Of The Lord – David tells us that God is his “light”, his “salvation” and his “strength.” There is a tremendous blessing in these three titles attributed to our God.
1. As Light, God delivers His people from Darkness – “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:,”Colossians 1:13. As Light God guides our Steps – (Psa. 37:23; John 16:13; Psa. 119:105)
2. As Salvation God delivers His people from Damnation – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life,” John 5:24. As Salvation God secures our Souls – (John 10:28; 1 Pet. 1:5; John 6:37)
3. As Strength God delivers His people from Defeat – “thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1Cor.15:57. As Strength God guarantees our Success – (Rom. 8:37; 2 Cor. 2:14; Isa. 54:17)
These three great characteristics of God serve to give us hope even in the midst of battle! Because of Who our God is, we need not fear any enemy that should arise against us. Satan himself is no match for our sovereign God!
B. v. 2-3 Confidence In The Performance Of The Lord – David declares that his present hope in the Lord rests upon that which the Lord has done for him in the past. God did not fail him then, and He will not fail His child today.
This confidence is ours today! The God we serve is unchangeable, Mal.3:6;Heb.13:8. He has never, and He will never change. Because He has been faithful in the past, we can count on His present faithfulness.
(Ill. Think of all God in Christ has done; victories He has won; enemies vanquished; the mountains He has moved; the victories. Think on these things and remember that the God who performed wonders in the past is still that same God today! He gives His people hope!)
II. v. 4 OUR commitment to the LORD provides HOPE (what should we do)
(Ill. Not only does living with our faith give us hope; but also living faithful to the Lord provides a measure of hope that cannot otherwise exist. David mentions three goals in this verse. These three goals all arise from a single commitment to serve the Lord faithfully from a heart of love. Notice how David’s commitment to the Lord shows itself.)
A. David is committed to lingering near the Lord – David wants to spend his entire life in the house of the Lord. He wants to be in that place where the Lord dwells and where the Lord’s presence is real. This is a theme David repeated in Psalm 84:1-4. There, David envies the little birds that make their nests around the tabernacle. They can be near the house of God all the time, while David cannot. He has a desire to be where God is; to be in that place where God is worshiped and honored. That is his heartbeat.
That ought to be our desire as well. We need that same passion to be where the Lord is honored and where He is worshiped. Of course, we have the church and we are commanded to be in attendance, Heb. 10:25. But, I think there ought to be a desire to find that place of closeness and intimacy within us for the Lord.
If there is a genuine desire to be near Him, it will become clear by actions. There will be a commitment to prayer and to the study of the Word of God. There will be a commitment to public and private worship. Those who want to linger near the Lord will find a way. And, when we make a move toward Him, He will make a move toward us, James 4:8. (draw near to ME)
B. David is committed to loving the Lord – David wants to “behold the beauty of the Lord.” That is to “seek Him.” You see, not only is David committed to being where the Lord is; but he is also committed to worshiping the Lord. That is a goal for our lives!
This should be the goal of every believer. If we are going to worship the Lord, we are going to have to do it His way. Jesus told us how to worship in John 4:24. As we yield to the Spirit of God and worship God for Who He is as He is revealed in the Word of God, we will be engaged in the business of loving Him. How long has it been since you just loved on the Lord?
C. David is committed to leaning on the Lord – David also expresses his desire to call upon the Lord; to commune with God; and to make requests of God. This is another image of worship. David here declares his total dependence upon the Lord for all the necessities of life. David looks beyond his own abilities and sees the limitless provisions of the Lord. Therefore, he wants nothing more than to be able to call upon the Lord
My, what a limitless resource we have been given in prayer! We are invited to pray, Jer. 33:3; Matt. 11:28. We are promised that God will hear and answer our prayers, Isa. 65:24; John 14:13-14; John 16:23-24. Therefore, let us also learn to lean upon Him! Instead of worry and fear, let us learn to turn to the Lord. He will meet our needs, Phil. 4:6-7; 19.
Our commitment to Him provides hope in the day of our battles. As we Linger near Him; Love on Him and Lean on Him, we can have the absolute confidence that He will see to our needs and to the things that would cause us to worry.)
III. v. 5-6 Our comfort in the LORD provides HOPE
A. v. 5 God has A sheltered place for us – David tells us that the Lord will hide him in His pavilion. A king’s pavilion was a tent that erected in the middle of the army’s encampment. The tent was then surrounded by an army of brave soldiers. With all the host of the army camped about, the king’s pavilion was the safest place on the battlefield. Those who were fortunate enough to be allowed to enter the king’s pavilion were protected by the soldiers and entertained by the king during the battle! (Note: The word “hide” here means “to treasure away.”)
As the battles of life rage about us, we are safely tucked away in the King’s pavilion. The Bible tells us that “your life is hid with Christ in God”, Col. 3:3! Could there be a safer place in all the universe? Of course not! Those who have entered His pavilion are protected by Him and, even while the battles rage around them, they are entertained with the peace and joy of the King Himself. This is promise to those who will abide in that close place! No enemy can penetrate the defenses and enter this private place. It is protected from the enemy!
This assurance of His sheltering place allows us to weather the storms and have hope. This was what allowed David to face Goliath. This was the confidence that kept Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. This was the assurance that gripped the heart of Daniel! This was the knowledge that allowed Paul to continue, even when he suffered greatly, 2 Cor. 12:7-11.
B. v. 5 God has a secret place for us – The word “tabernacle” brings to mind the place of worship. The “secret” refers to the “holy of holies”. That place which was off limits to all but the High Priest, and he could only enter there one day per year, and the only with the blood of an innocent sacrifice. It was a place that other men entered under the penalty of death.
Yet, it is that secret place, to which God takes His friends. The Holy of Holies was a place where the very presence of God dwelt and the glory of God could be seen. It was there that God took David during the battles of his life. It was there David found himself shut up with God and shut off from the world around him.
In a king’s home, this place referred to the private apartment of the king. It was a place no one could enter unless they did so at his bidding. To do otherwise invited instant death. (Note: The word “hide” means “to conceal”.)
It is amazing that there is a place of solitude in a world filled with people. There is a place that you and I can flee to during the crushing battles that rage about us. A place that affords us quiet, peace and the profound presence of God. Those who have learned to abide in Him have been to that place and know the glory of it. It is a place where the enemy dares not follow. It is a place reserved for those who love the Lord their God. Have you ever been to that place? That place where God meets with you and you alone. That place where all else falls away and you are left with Him and Him alone? That is the place He invites those who abide to enter!
Stephen was in that place at the moment of his death, Acts 7:55-56! Paul was in that place during his life, 2 Cor. 12:1-4; Acts 27:23. It is possible for us to enter that sacred, secret place where the world dims away and God becomes larger than everything else!
C. v. 5-6a God has a secure place for us – David has the assurance that even when life threatens to overflow him, the Lord will set him on a rock, a place that is unchangeable, powerful and immovable. Of course, this Rock he refers to is none other than the Lord Himself, Psa. 40:1-2. The rock referred to in these verses is a “great craggy rock”. It is a rock that juts far above the battles below. It allows us to rise far above the storms below!
This is the gift to all those who know Him! We are promised that we have a place of refuge that will lift us far above the stormy seas that would threaten to drown us. Like the eagle, who takes refuge above the storm until it has passed; those who abide in Him are given grace that bears them higher than the storms and keeps them safe until danger has passed, Isa. 40:31. Those who wait upon the Lord and wish to rise above circumstances are given wings to do so!
(Note: Notice the passive nature of all the things mentioned in verse 5. All of these things David mentions are not things he does to himself; but they are things done to him by the Lord. The believer is required to do nothing but be in a close relationship to the Lord. These things are done by the Lord for His child.)
D. v. 6b God has a special place for us – David says that he will worship the Lord; he will praise the Lord because of the things the Lord has done for him. Because the Lord has lifted him above the battles; because the Lord has hidden him away in the secret place; because the Lord sheltered him away from the terrors of the battles; he will praise His name
What a lesson to us! When hope has turned to reality in our lives; when the Lord has come through for us again and delivered us from the enemy; we should be quick to praise Him and offer to Him the worship and adoration He deserves. When He brings us through our battles, He will put us in a special place from which we can exalt His lovely Name, Heb. 13:15!
Conc: Are you fighting some battles today? But, in the midst of these battles, do you have hope? Do you have the spiritual confidence in your soul that everything is going to be alright? If so praise the Lord, for He has already brought to that special place of blessing where you can offer praise to Him.
But, if you lack that hope today, it can be obtained. How? You can do this by Reaffirming your Confidence in the Lord; by Renewing your Commitment to the Lord; and by Resting in your Comfort in the Lord. Do you need to talk to Him about your battles and about your hope? If you do, this. altar is a good place to take care of that business!
[1] All quotes from “An Encyclopedia of Compelling Quotations.”
[2] Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2004. © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Psalm 27:1-6
HOPE for the believer in the Battle
Intro: As we read the words of this psalm, we see the imagery of battle being portrayed in these verses. Words like “enemies” and “foes” in verse 2; “host” in verse 3; “war” in verse 3; and “enemies” in verse 6 all speak of warfare. Phrase like “though an host encamp against me”, verse 3; and “though war should rise against me”, verse 3 speak of a battle being waged against David. It appears that he is in a difficult situation. Yet, it is also very clear from reading these verses that even in the battles he is fighting, David has hope.
Hope is a powerful thing. G. K. Chesterton said, “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.” Emily Dickinson, in one of her poems said, “Hope is a thing with feathers, / That perches in the soul.” O. S. Marden said, “There is no medicine like hope . . .” Pliny the Elder wrote, “Hope is the dream of a waking man.” Martin Luther said, “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”[1]
The dictionary describes hope- “to have a wish to get or do something or for something to happen or be true, especially something that seems possible or likely.”[2] Hope, from the world’s viewpoint is just what that definition describes. The world sees hope as a wish or a desire. Hope, for the world, is a longing for something that may or may not take place.
The Bible teaches us a completely different definition of hope. Listen to the words of Jeremiah, “Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is,” Jer. 17:7. Hear also Paul, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity,” 1 Cor.13:13. The world says that hope is merely a fond wish or desire. But, the words used for hope in the Bible tell a different story. They teach us that hope is “A deep settled confidence that God keeps His promises!”
Now, I know you have battles; but do you have hope? Are you resting in the sure confidence that God will do just as He has promised He would? That is the essence of hope and hope is a possession we all need to be sure we own in large quantities. I want to look into these verses today and I want to teach about Hope In The Midst of our Battles. I want to show you, from the words of Scripture, why you and I have a reason to hope in the Lord. Let us begin with prayer.
I. v. 1-3 Our confidence in the Lord provides HOPE
(Ill. David begins his psalm of hope by declaring his personal faith in the Lord. Notice the three-fold use of the word “my” in verse 1. David has a personal relationship with God. This is the basic foundation for hope.)
A. v. 1 Confidence In The Person Of The Lord – David tells us that God is his “light”, his “salvation” and his “strength.” There is a tremendous blessing in these three titles attributed to our God.
1. As Light, God delivers His people from Darkness – “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:,”Colossians 1:13. As Light God guides our Steps – (Psa. 37:23; John 16:13; Psa. 119:105)
2. As Salvation God delivers His people from Damnation – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life,” John 5:24. As Salvation God secures our Souls – (John 10:28; 1 Pet. 1:5; John 6:37)
3. As Strength God delivers His people from Defeat – “thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1Cor.15:57. As Strength God guarantees our Success – (Rom. 8:37; 2 Cor. 2:14; Isa. 54:17)
These three great characteristics of God serve to give us hope even in the midst of battle! Because of Who our God is, we need not fear any enemy that should arise against us. Satan himself is no match for our sovereign God!
B. v. 2-3 Confidence In The Performance Of The Lord – David declares that his present hope in the Lord rests upon that which the Lord has done for him in the past. God did not fail him then, and He will not fail His child today.
This confidence is ours today! The God we serve is unchangeable, Mal.3:6;Heb.13:8. He has never, and He will never change. Because He has been faithful in the past, we can count on His present faithfulness.
(Ill. Think of all God in Christ has done; victories He has won; enemies vanquished; the mountains He has moved; the victories. Think on these things and remember that the God who performed wonders in the past is still that same God today! He gives His people hope!)
II. v. 4 OUR commitment to the LORD provides HOPE (what should we do)
(Ill. Not only does living with our faith give us hope; but also living faithful to the Lord provides a measure of hope that cannot otherwise exist. David mentions three goals in this verse. These three goals all arise from a single commitment to serve the Lord faithfully from a heart of love. Notice how David’s commitment to the Lord shows itself.)
A. David is committed to lingering near the Lord – David wants to spend his entire life in the house of the Lord. He wants to be in that place where the Lord dwells and where the Lord’s presence is real. This is a theme David repeated in Psalm 84:1-4. There, David envies the little birds that make their nests around the tabernacle. They can be near the house of God all the time, while David cannot. He has a desire to be where God is; to be in that place where God is worshiped and honored. That is his heartbeat.
That ought to be our desire as well. We need that same passion to be where the Lord is honored and where He is worshiped. Of course, we have the church and we are commanded to be in attendance, Heb. 10:25. But, I think there ought to be a desire to find that place of closeness and intimacy within us for the Lord.
If there is a genuine desire to be near Him, it will become clear by actions. There will be a commitment to prayer and to the study of the Word of God. There will be a commitment to public and private worship. Those who want to linger near the Lord will find a way. And, when we make a move toward Him, He will make a move toward us, James 4:8. (draw near to ME)
B. David is committed to loving the Lord – David wants to “behold the beauty of the Lord.” That is to “seek Him.” You see, not only is David committed to being where the Lord is; but he is also committed to worshiping the Lord. That is a goal for our lives!
This should be the goal of every believer. If we are going to worship the Lord, we are going to have to do it His way. Jesus told us how to worship in John 4:24. As we yield to the Spirit of God and worship God for Who He is as He is revealed in the Word of God, we will be engaged in the business of loving Him. How long has it been since you just loved on the Lord?
C. David is committed to leaning on the Lord – David also expresses his desire to call upon the Lord; to commune with God; and to make requests of God. This is another image of worship. David here declares his total dependence upon the Lord for all the necessities of life. David looks beyond his own abilities and sees the limitless provisions of the Lord. Therefore, he wants nothing more than to be able to call upon the Lord
My, what a limitless resource we have been given in prayer! We are invited to pray, Jer. 33:3; Matt. 11:28. We are promised that God will hear and answer our prayers, Isa. 65:24; John 14:13-14; John 16:23-24. Therefore, let us also learn to lean upon Him! Instead of worry and fear, let us learn to turn to the Lord. He will meet our needs, Phil. 4:6-7; 19.
Our commitment to Him provides hope in the day of our battles. As we Linger near Him; Love on Him and Lean on Him, we can have the absolute confidence that He will see to our needs and to the things that would cause us to worry.)
III. v. 5-6 Our comfort in the LORD provides HOPE
A. v. 5 God has A sheltered place for us – David tells us that the Lord will hide him in His pavilion. A king’s pavilion was a tent that erected in the middle of the army’s encampment. The tent was then surrounded by an army of brave soldiers. With all the host of the army camped about, the king’s pavilion was the safest place on the battlefield. Those who were fortunate enough to be allowed to enter the king’s pavilion were protected by the soldiers and entertained by the king during the battle! (Note: The word “hide” here means “to treasure away.”)
As the battles of life rage about us, we are safely tucked away in the King’s pavilion. The Bible tells us that “your life is hid with Christ in God”, Col. 3:3! Could there be a safer place in all the universe? Of course not! Those who have entered His pavilion are protected by Him and, even while the battles rage around them, they are entertained with the peace and joy of the King Himself. This is promise to those who will abide in that close place! No enemy can penetrate the defenses and enter this private place. It is protected from the enemy!
This assurance of His sheltering place allows us to weather the storms and have hope. This was what allowed David to face Goliath. This was the confidence that kept Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. This was the assurance that gripped the heart of Daniel! This was the knowledge that allowed Paul to continue, even when he suffered greatly, 2 Cor. 12:7-11.
B. v. 5 God has a secret place for us – The word “tabernacle” brings to mind the place of worship. The “secret” refers to the “holy of holies”. That place which was off limits to all but the High Priest, and he could only enter there one day per year, and the only with the blood of an innocent sacrifice. It was a place that other men entered under the penalty of death.
Yet, it is that secret place, to which God takes His friends. The Holy of Holies was a place where the very presence of God dwelt and the glory of God could be seen. It was there that God took David during the battles of his life. It was there David found himself shut up with God and shut off from the world around him.
In a king’s home, this place referred to the private apartment of the king. It was a place no one could enter unless they did so at his bidding. To do otherwise invited instant death. (Note: The word “hide” means “to conceal”.)
It is amazing that there is a place of solitude in a world filled with people. There is a place that you and I can flee to during the crushing battles that rage about us. A place that affords us quiet, peace and the profound presence of God. Those who have learned to abide in Him have been to that place and know the glory of it. It is a place where the enemy dares not follow. It is a place reserved for those who love the Lord their God. Have you ever been to that place? That place where God meets with you and you alone. That place where all else falls away and you are left with Him and Him alone? That is the place He invites those who abide to enter!
Stephen was in that place at the moment of his death, Acts 7:55-56! Paul was in that place during his life, 2 Cor. 12:1-4; Acts 27:23. It is possible for us to enter that sacred, secret place where the world dims away and God becomes larger than everything else!
C. v. 5-6a God has a secure place for us – David has the assurance that even when life threatens to overflow him, the Lord will set him on a rock, a place that is unchangeable, powerful and immovable. Of course, this Rock he refers to is none other than the Lord Himself, Psa. 40:1-2. The rock referred to in these verses is a “great craggy rock”. It is a rock that juts far above the battles below. It allows us to rise far above the storms below!
This is the gift to all those who know Him! We are promised that we have a place of refuge that will lift us far above the stormy seas that would threaten to drown us. Like the eagle, who takes refuge above the storm until it has passed; those who abide in Him are given grace that bears them higher than the storms and keeps them safe until danger has passed, Isa. 40:31. Those who wait upon the Lord and wish to rise above circumstances are given wings to do so!
(Note: Notice the passive nature of all the things mentioned in verse 5. All of these things David mentions are not things he does to himself; but they are things done to him by the Lord. The believer is required to do nothing but be in a close relationship to the Lord. These things are done by the Lord for His child.)
D. v. 6b God has a special place for us – David says that he will worship the Lord; he will praise the Lord because of the things the Lord has done for him. Because the Lord has lifted him above the battles; because the Lord has hidden him away in the secret place; because the Lord sheltered him away from the terrors of the battles; he will praise His name
What a lesson to us! When hope has turned to reality in our lives; when the Lord has come through for us again and delivered us from the enemy; we should be quick to praise Him and offer to Him the worship and adoration He deserves. When He brings us through our battles, He will put us in a special place from which we can exalt His lovely Name, Heb. 13:15!
Conc: Are you fighting some battles today? But, in the midst of these battles, do you have hope? Do you have the spiritual confidence in your soul that everything is going to be alright? If so praise the Lord, for He has already brought to that special place of blessing where you can offer praise to Him.
But, if you lack that hope today, it can be obtained. How? You can do this by Reaffirming your Confidence in the Lord; by Renewing your Commitment to the Lord; and by Resting in your Comfort in the Lord. Do you need to talk to Him about your battles and about your hope? If you do, this. altar is a good place to take care of that business!
[1] All quotes from “An Encyclopedia of Compelling Quotations.”
[2] Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2004. © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.