Access to Heaven only by the Lord Jesus Christ

The Curse of the Law

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Curse of the Law and Redemption in Christ

Book of Galatians Chapter 3 verses 10 through 18

We must understand that to be righteous, we must live by faith!

As we continue in this Chapter, we will see that Paul continues with the example of faith by Abraham.

We cannot live in this world without faith and certainly will not have eternal life without faith in the Word of God.

Today, it takes a lot of faith just to step outside the safety of our homes and go to work or anywhere.

We must first have faith that the automobile will take us where we need to go.

When we lose faith in that car then most of us will trade it or at least get another one.

Most of us who have a weapon have one because of the lawlessness we see in this world.

Our own nation is not as safe as it used to be, and we have more laws than we ever had.

As a child, we could walk to meet our friends or walk to town and not worry about harm.

We would walk to school without worry.

Our children and grandchildren do not have this same safety, and protection becomes necessary even in the safety of our homes.

Laws are useless to those who will not obey them.

The Liberals in our nation do not understand this, yet they shield themselves from this lawlessness with walls, guards, and all sorts of weaponry that they want to deny us, the average taxpayer.

Lawlessness is increasing in our nation, and we see no end to it!

We left last week’s lesson seeing that God’s blessing comes to those who have “faith” in the Word of God.

Abraham’s righteousness came from his faith in what God had told him!

If God’s blessings come by obedience, then we can see that God’s curse will come by disobedience!

Therefore, the Laws of man put mankind under a curse just as the Laws of Moses did to the Jews.

We cannot say that these laws are all bad, it is the lawbreakers who are bad!

The word curse means; to be condemned and doomed to punishment by the righteous judgment of God.

Let’s put God’s curse into His words.

2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
2Pe 2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
2Pe 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

When does this judgment take place? At our death and it is immediate even though the final judgment will come till the end of the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

All those who deny the Lord Jesus as our Savior will wait in Hell until the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ, then they will face Him in judgment.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The thing about death is we never know when our death will come.

We live in fragile bodies of flesh, and we had better know that God the Father has both life and death in His hands.

So, why does the Law put a curse on mankind? Disobedience.

*Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Why does the Law have such a curse?

It is really simple! No one wants to keep the Law!

Many people believe they are to live as they see fit and some do.

As we have seen recently, there is a hierarchy in our Nation and our government who believe that the laws are made for the little people and not for them, they are so special.

The curse is the “mark of death”, the “mark of condemnation”, or guilt: alienation from God both in this life and throughout all eternity.

There is a righteousness that comes by the Law! This righteousness promises life to any person who can obey the Law perfectly.

If there is someone who can meet every requirement of the Law during his or her lifetime and never once falls below God’s standard, then that person can escape the penalty of sin, which is death.

Rom 10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

If you choose to live by the Law rather than faith, then there is no place for error!

The only person we know for certain who has done this is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, our perfect Savior!

Jesus secured righteousness for each of us because He lived in righteousness!

The Gospel message is that instead of claiming this right for Himself, He offered to give His perfection and His righteousness to the people of earth because He took our sins upon Himself.

Jesus Christ accomplishes the same purpose that God the Father had for the Law!

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

This verse in Ephesians 1 verse 7 is where we get that phrase, “God’s Riches At Christ Expense”.

The law is filled with cold letters with no power to give life!

We should know that the Law was only a temporary arrangement between God and man.

The law was to extend only from Moses to Jesus Christ.

Gen 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

God never intended the Law to be the way to salvation!

The Law was given to show us our guilt, our sin, and our awfulness.

We realize this once we walk in the Grace of God!

We can look back and see how awful we really were.

The law was given to show us our guilt.

Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The Law has never had the power to give life!

The Law is in fact, much inferior to God’s “Grace”.

*Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, “The just shall live by faith”.

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit said the same thing.

Hab 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Hab 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but “the just shall live by his faith”.

There is only one answer, and it is the Lord Jesus Christ!

1Jn 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

None of this is confusing so, those who hate Jesus have chosen to defy God!

No one is justified by doing the best they can because God will not excuse sin.

God does not excuse sin, but God will forgive sin under the right condition and that condition is recognizing the work that Jesus has done for us for our salvation.

Once we have truly trusted God, we can be justified because the just shall live by “faith”.

We can only have life by the principle of faith, not the principle of works!

Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

When we believe in God and believe the promises God has made to us, and we do what God says, then the power of faith energizes us to live a justified life.

*Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

The Law is all about performance.

Rev 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

The Apostle Paul explains this to all the Christian Church.

The life element of the Law is not of faith, it is of work, and we simply cannot work our way to Heaven.

By “faith” we will receive the gift of God, which is salvation and eternal life in God’s House and it is a free gift.

By our work means we are trying to pay for salvation which dishonors God who has offered us His free gift to us.

The Lord Jesus Christ has “redeemed” us from the work of the Law!

*Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The word “redeemed” means ransomed; delivered from bondage, delivered from distress, delivered from liability, delivered from penalty, or from the possession of another, by payment of an equivalent.

In the Scriptures the Greek word used for ransomed (exagorazo) meant, to buy up that is ransom, to rescue from loss, redeem.

In reality, the work that the Lord Jesus did on that cross freed every believer from the dominion of the Mosaic Law and that price was His death!
We must also realize that the Lord Jesus died for all the sins of this world by all people!

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Our Lord Jesus Christ substituted Himself, His perfect life, for our sinful life.

What did God tell Abraham?

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

When we stand before God, we will stand in the righteousness of our Savior, perfect because Jesus was perfect!

When we see that word cursed, it does not mean that a man is cursed because he is executed upon a tree.

It means that man was cursed because he was judged as a lawbreaker.

This is the curse that Jesus Christ took in our place.

We were lawbreakers but Jesus led a perfect life according to all those 613 Jewish laws.

Rom_10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

It is because He did this that He opened the door to the blessings of God to all mankind, but we must believe.

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

This is how God the Father kept His promise to Abraham for God will never break a promise.

This is where the Muslim break rank with the Jews, but still try to cling to Abraham and it does not work that way.

All those who believe in Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, will receive the promise of God’s Holy Spirit which is the answer to the promise of a “divine nature”.

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

This is the answer to God’s Promise of a “new birth”!

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

This is the promise of being made a new creature. (a new creation of God).

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

This is the answer to the promise of being made into a new man.

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Without being a home to the Holy Spirit none of these things can take place!

So, when we hear people say, just be the best you can be and God will accept you, we know that this could never be true.
So, when we hear people say, there is more than one way to get to Heaven, we know that this could never be true.
So, when we hear people say that God will never break His promises, we can know that this is the greatest truth of the Bible.

*Gal 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

Promises, Promises, Promises.

God has given us a permanent covenant, that is lasting.

A covenant is an agreement between two parties, a special relationship.

We should understand that once a covenant has been made and executed, it stands, it stands forever.

It cannot be annulled or added to!

God seals His covenant with us with promises, so He cannot ever break His promises!

God and Abraham’s seed are bound to keep their word to one another.

We can now see the meat of this covenant.

*Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

God made this covenant with Himself!

What the Apostle Paul was teaching these Galatians was that trying to get saved according to the Law would only end in death and eternal separation from God.

That seed of Abraham to which the promises were made is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gen 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
Gen 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

We see the word “seed” is singular and not plural and that seed is Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the descendant who was to inherit the land promised to Abraham.

We see the land of Canaan belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. And he will settle with israel for one thousand years.

Canaan of course is a type of the New Heavens and New Earth. Which will be the home where the Bride of Christ will be located.

Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Jesus Christ and His descendants will receive the Promised Land which are the New Heaven and New Jerusalem.

Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Heb 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Those who do not think Abraham was looking for the same things that all believers are looking for today are wrong and there are many others who also believed the Gospel before Christ came.

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

*Gal 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

How do we know that we are justified by faith alone?

God gave His covenant of “faith” four hundred and thirty years before He gave Moses the law for the Jews.

1) When the Law was given the Promise of Faith to Abraham had not yet been fulfilled so the Law could not make the promise to Abraham void.

The promise to Abraham and his descendant Jesus Christ still stood.

Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

2) The covenant made with Abraham told mankind how he was to follow God to receive the promises of God, “that is by faith”.

The Law was given for a different purpose entirely!

The command to follow God had already been given and established by the covenant of faith to Abraham.

By the Law no man can be justified, but only “by faith” in the Promises of God!

God’s Covenant of Faith by the Grace of God is sure!

It cannot be revoked or changed!

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and the work that He has done for our salvation, we shall inherit the promises made to Abraham and the Lord Jesus Christ.

These things are not that complicated if you accept the Bible for what it says and the promises God has made, still knowing that God can never break a promise and still be God.

Luk 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

*Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

How do we know that a person is justified by faith alone?

Because God gave His covenant and His inheritance by Promise and not by the Law!

All through the writings of the Apostle Paul he came back to make this same point in every church and every group of believers because it is the truth.

The inheritance given to Abraham by Promise is that of “righteousness” which is being accepted by God and given the privilege of living with Him forever.

God does not accept righteousness in any other fashion than the Word he has given to us.

Who would not want that?

Who would not give all they have for such a promise, but God offers it for free just for “Faith”?

God would not break a promise because it would go against His nature and His character.

It is a great privilege to be offered a chance to live with the Almighty God forever throughout eternity.

Jesus said:

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; “that where I am, there ye may be also”.

Jesus would not have said this if it were not true!

Amen

Contend For Our Faith

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Servant’s Commandments

Book of Mark Chapter 12

We should not forget that the Lord Jesus is in His last week before He faces His physical death at Mount Calvary.

Spiritually, Jesus is in every Saint of God at all times and will be forever!

Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Another thing we must understand is, that the Word of God is a Book of Commandments and not a book of suggestions.

Many today are doing their very best to discredit the Word of God and the translation to English that we have today, the KJV.

In reality, just as our lesson states, we must contend for our faith.

Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

To contend, is to struggle in opposition to those who discredit the Word of God!

To contend, is to use earnest efforts to obtain, to defend, and to preserve the Word of God.

The Lord promises us that His Word will always be with us so, we must do our part to contend for our faith in the things He has said to us!

Mat_24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

We are judged according to the Word of God!

The Word of God will judge this world!

Joh_12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

Joh_12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Those that reject the Word of God will be judged by the same words they reject in the day of their judgment!

At the beginning of the last week before the murder of our Lord Jesus, the Sanhedrin had plotted how they might find things against the Lord Jesus.

The head of the Sanhedrin was always the High Priest of that day and he was a wicked man who held that position because he sided with Rome.

He was not in that position by the Laws of Moses, nether was the King of Israel at that time.

There were a few of the Sanhedrin who were not enemies of Jesus Christ but it was very few.

We know of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea and there may have been others, but they all were afraid to speak up in favor of Jesus Christ.

*****Mar 12:13 And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

The Pharisees were strict religionists.

The Pharisees were a group that started out for the good of Judaism to save the Jewish religion by practicing the Jewish law in the strictest sense.

They felt that by carrying out every detail of the Jewish Law and by teaching others to do the same they could save Jewish religion.

They were the orthodox of their day!

They were strict literalists.

This caused the Jewish Law to be expanded into thousands of little rules and regulations by the Scribes.

These things became known as the Oral Law and these things grew to take more than fifty volumes of books to hold all those regulations.

They became zealous religionists.

They were self-righteous, heartless, and hypocritical!

These men were the main opponents of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Herodians were not religious at all. They were the political party of King Herod.

They supported Rome and compromised on everything they could to preserve their power and influence.

They had even allowed pagan temples in Judah.

They were made up of Sadducees and therefore they opposed all Messianic claims.

They insisted that taxes must be paid to Rome before tithes were paid to Jehovah God.

These are the people who thought they could catch the Lord Jesus Christ in His words.

Until the Lord Jesus Christ came as a Babe in Bethlehem, the average person did not know these things about any of these religious groups.

What a joke they were!

*****Mar 12:14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

The Pharisees believed all loyalty should be shown to God, which is right, but it must be done in God’s way which they refused to do.

They were strongly against paying taxes to a foreign king!

They said paying taxes to a secular government was an infringement upon God’s right.

The Herodians, which most were Sadducees was that the state is supreme.

They believe that taxes should be paid to Caesar rather than to God.

These two groups were enemies to each other but joined together to get rid of the Lord Jesus Christ.

They actually thought that they could trip up Jesus using His own words.

This is a character of Satan and we have seen how Satan used a twisted-up version of the Word of God to try to trip up Our Lord Jesus.

Both of these groups hated Jesus.

This was no innocent question they had asked the Lord!

If Jesus chose the side of the Sadducees, He would be called a traitor and the people would have abandoned Him.

If Jesus chose the side of the Pharisees, He would have been labeled an insurrectionist, arrested, and killed.

This is the charge that was eventually used to murder the Lord Jesus.

They at first tried to use flattery to cause Jesus to think they were sincere, but Jesus knew what they were attempting to do because He knew it was hypocritical flattery.

They would never honor the Lord Jesus as the Messiah even if they knew for certain that He was.

We have already seen that selfish ambition can lead to all sorts of sin and we see it here.

We see that it was the religionist who were the greatest enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ, just as it is in America today and most of this world that reject the truth of the Word of God.

Religionists will cause you to go to Hell!

But we see the goal of religionist is to paint Christians as the enemy of government and cause the government to try to silence the Christian saying Christians are the true enemy of the state and we see this play out right before our eyes today right here in the America we love.

As Christians, we have no choice but to defend the Word of God at all costs, because we are commanded to do so or we sin against the One True God.

We can stand on the Word of God because we know that this battle is the Lord’s, and He will solve this issue also according to the Word of God.

Eph_6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph_6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

It is these same things that cause confusion in the general public which the government relies on along with the lies of religionists.

Deception is the main character that the Antichrist will use when he presents himself and he may be on the scene today and probably is.

First, everything they said about the Lord Jesus was very true.

Jesus is certainly the Master teacher being Master and Lord of this entire universe.

Jesus is certainly the most truthful person to have ever lived.

Jesus did certainly teach the way of God.

Jesus certainly did not care what men said about Him, they were already condemned.

Jesus certainly does not regard any man’s person; He never shows favoritism or partiality to anyone.

These men did not mean a word that they were saying.

The one thing they missed is, that Jesus cannot be fooled by anyone because He is God!

Psa 5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

Pro 29:5 A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.

Was it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?

*****Mar 12:15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.

Mar 12:16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s.

We must understand that our life in this world and our necessities, depend upon God.

This is seen in the fact that Jesus did not even have a penny.

If Rome was taking care of its people, then why did Jesus not have a penny.

We could ask this same thing today about America.

The fact that there are people starving in America shows that our government does not have its own people on their mind.

It is only shameful to our government that there are people starving in America!

Jesus was living in the state of Israel and Israel was under the rule of Rome.

It seemed that Jesus was a citizen of two governments, yet He still did not have a penny so what was the benefit of this?

We know that the life of Jesus rested in the hands of God just like it is for the Church here today.

Our government is not necessary for life, but God is!

Our government could help us, but it is not necessary because we do not live by bread alone.

We will not have an abundant life without the Lord Jesus Christ!

With the Lord we will have purpose!

Without the Lord we have no purpose!

What is God promise?

Deu 11:13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,

Deu 11:14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

Deu 11:15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.

A penny was shown to the Lord Jesus.

Keep in mind that a penny in that day and time was the wages paid for a day’s labor.

*****Mar 12:16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s.

Mar 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.

We know that governments are ordained of God.

Those governments are to provide law and order, community services, and protection for its citizens.

No man is an island within the state so, we are to pay a share to the state to provide these things.

Citizenship also has its own responsibilities.

In other words, we should pay our taxes simply because it is a command of God!

The Lord Jesus proves to us that when we are questioned by our government, we need to understand why they are asking a question before we respond to it.

Most of the time we just answer too quickly without thinking about the reason for the question.

With the image on this coin being of Caesar it was obvious that it belonged to the government of Rome.

We may owe taxes and other things to the government for services rendered, but we owe our worship to the Lord Jesus Christ the God of the Bible.

Our obligations are to God first and the things of God second.

In reality, the entire earth belongs to God, therefore all we possess belongs to the Lord, but the only portion that is valuable to God is our souls.

After this our bodies and our time have importance.

When we withhold these things from God, we are committing sin.

As we join the Church, which is also a command of God, then we owe the performance of our duties to the other members of the Church.

These are also things we owe to our families.

There are things a husband owes to his wife and vice versa.

As Christians we also have a dual citizenship.

We are citizens of Heaven.

We are citizens of this world.

If we use the benefits of the government, then we have an obligation to that government.

Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

As citizens of Heaven, we owe our Born-Again life to the Lord.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

These things are not that hard to understand.

The government is limited in its power but God is not limited in anything!

God is due the things that are His!

The Herodians in most ways worshipped the Roman government, but Jesus pointed out to them the fact of a spiritual world.

God is real and God’s rule is supreme and everlasting!

Act 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Act 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Act 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

We are never to forget the Lord God who saved us.

Psa 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psa 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Having closed the mouths of the Pharisees, then came the Sadducees.

*****Mar 12:18 Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

Mar 12:19 Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

Mar 12:20 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.

Mar 12:21 And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.

Mar 12:22 And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.

Mar 12:23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

Why is this world working so hard to discredit the Lord Jesus Christ?

Why is this world working so hard to discredit the Word of God?

If what the Lord Jesus says is true then:

All the teachings of evolution are lies.

All the teachings of climate change are lies.

All the insistence of transgender movement are lies.

All the man-made laws of the Pharisees are lies.

All the teachings of the Sadducees are lies.

All the teachings of a true interpretation of the Scriptures are the truth!

Then the Koran is wrong.

Then the books a of Hindu are wrong.

And it goes on and on with all false religions.

Every book on religion without Jesus Christ is wrong!

Guess what, the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ are true and He is God!

The Sadducees were the religious and political liberals in the day of Jesus Christ.

They were wealthy.

They were the aristocrats.

They were the governing class of leaders in Israel.

These things sound so familiar today here in America.

Today we call them Democrats and people like Soros and others who finance socialism and immorality.

The Chief Priest himself was usually a Sadducee in the times of Roman domination.

It was the Chief Priest who was the leader of the Sanhedrin and the Sanhedrin ruled the people on behalf of the Roman government and not the laws of God.

The Roman government made sure the Sadducees were placed in all positions of leadership in Israel.

What had Moses written?

Deu 25:5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.

Deu 25:6 And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.

This law assured that the line of that family would continue and that the property holdings would stay in the hands of that family as according to the Laws of Moses.

The Sadducees used this law to try to catch Jesus off guard.

Remember the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

If the Lord Jesus would not be resurrected, then He could not return to take us home to Heaven.

They were just mocking the Lord Jesus and He knew it, because they did not understand the truth of the Scriptures.

You cannot fool God!

You will not mock God for very long!

*****Mar 12:24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

What is the major problem with those who are lost?

They do not understand the Scriptures and they cannot understand them without the Holy Spirit!

The resurrection is based on the Scriptures and the power of God!

The Lord Jesus tells those who deny the power of God that they are in error.

The Scriptures leave no doubt that there is a spiritual world and that a resurrection into that spiritual world will take place!

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

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

People, even God’s people, do not study the Scriptures as they should.

So many, in this world just do not believe what the Word of God says.

So many, just do not take the Word of God literally for what it says.

Most all of this world believes the lies of evolution and deny the power of God.

They are ignorant of God.

Some do not believe God nor His power.

Some believe but they believe He is a weak God because they see so much evil in this world.

It is a fact that the Spiritual world is perplexing to the natural man and even to some so-called Christians.

Because of a belief in evolution, the world does not understand the makeup of mankind.

We are a body, a soul, and a spirit!

Not some descendant of an ape or any other animal.

It is the Word of God that reveals to us the reality of the spirit world and the fact that of the resurrection of our bodies will take place after our death, to join our soul that is already in Heaven or in Hell.

God offers us a chance to avoid Hell!

If we study the Scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will trust the Word of God and the Power of God!

This resurrection will take place!

*****Mar 12:25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

The Sadducees did not know anything about the Scriptures!

Our future in the glory world will exceed all earthly relationships including marriage.

This future life will be like that of the angels and the Lord.

The Sadducees did not believe in angels.

There is nothing in Heaven that will resemble our present mortal existence!

1Co 15:40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

Our love will be perfected and that love will be directed toward the Lord first, and then to each other on a much higher plain than marriage.

Angels are already above that plain and angels do not marry and angels are not and have not been involved with humans in an immoral way no matter what some teach.

That would only show a weakness that God does not have.

Selfishness and sin will not exist.

Jealousy will not exist.

Immorality will not exist.

All the things that cause relationship problems will be non-existent!

All our relationships in Heaven will be eternal!

God will change our brief time we have together now, into an eternal time for us to be together.

Will we recognize each other?

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Yes, we will be known as we are known now but on a higher plane than resemblance and knowledge of each other.

It is that giving love that will prevail in Heaven!

1Co 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

1Co 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

We are mistaken and in error when we try to materialize Heaven!

We are mistaken and in error when we try to humanize eternal life!

Heaven is much more than just a glorified world!

With our glorified body we will be on a higher plane than even the angels.

If you can see it here in this lifetime, you will not see that thing in Heaven!

As touching the dead:

*****Mar 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

Mar 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

We should understand that our resurrection is a living relationship that cannot be broken!

God’s relationships are with all His children that have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior!

There is no other way to have a relationship with God other than through the Lord Jesus Christ!

There are no other Gods!

God is eternal and God maintains active eternal relationships!

When we arrive in Heaven, God will say I have been expecting you at any moment because time is a human necessity.

Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac are not dead but more alive than they have ever been and so are all those who have gone on before us as believers in Christ Jesus.

God is the God of the living not the God of the dead!

God is not the God of decaying corpse.

There will be a resurrection!

Questions, questions, questions.

*****Mar 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

The Bible is a book of commandments and not a book of suggestions.

These scribes are sometimes called lawyers.

Maybe he was beginning to understand the truth of the Scriptures that he had made so many copies of.

Through the years the Jews had six hundred and thirteen commandments.

So to ask such a question would be reasonable.

So many people get stuck on commandments and miss the truth of the Scriptures.

One could say which commands are more important than the others.

What is that answer? James writes:

Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Jas 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

Now Jesus will explain that royal law.

*****Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

It is that law of love, the love we will live by in Heaven that should be leading us now, if you have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

These are the laws that will guide us in Heaven but on a much greater plain of love!

The Lord our God is one Lord!

This is the foundation of the first commandment and truly all commandments are based upon this first commandment.

The Lord our God, the God of all men is one God. He, through three persons, forms the unity of the One True God!

1Jn 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

1Jn 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

1Jn 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

We owe all our love to Him!

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deu 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

The Lord Jesus quotes the first commandment as containing the principle of all commandments.

God simply says not to love pleasure but to love Him!

If we do not take time to seek the Lord, we will spend too much time feeding our body and satisfying our appetite for sin.

Without our love for God, we are no more than animals as evolution teaches.

With the love of God, we are more like the angels who serve God without questioning Him.

Those confined to man-made religion do not understand that we are to love God with all our heart.

The Lord must be the focus and concentration of our life!

The Lord must be the only subject of our devotion!

The Lord is the One God who come and will live within each believer!

Eph 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The Lord God is our Creator!

Isa 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

Our Lord God is to be loved!

A loving relationship involves commitment and loyalty!

True love does not allow lustful behavior.

It is lustful behavior that drives sin in our world today.

Abortion, HIV, and many other things and many other diseases are driven by lustful behavior and this behavior has consequences that foolish people think of as rights.

True love of God leads to a desire to be united and joined to God.

True love of God leads to obeying the Will of God.

True love of God leads to joy and delight in the duties of worship and of service.

This love is only possible through the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is Christ who reveals to us the Almighty, Incomprehensible, Creator!

It is the love of God that teaches us how to love one another!

This love should extend throughout all God’s creation.

This love extends to our families, our friends, our neighbors (all mankind), our countrymen, and our planet.

This love also extends to our enemies.

How can we lead a lost soul to the Lord if we cannot show love to them, our enemies?

A loving relationship involves trust and respect for all those God says to love.

Remember, this is a command of the Lord Jesus Christ and our love begins with Him.

The Lord Jesus demands that we love our neighbors as ourselves!

Love is an action word.

The Lord tells us to love the Lord God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and all our strength and we prove this to Him when we love our neighbors as ourselves.

God Himself demonstrated this command for us!

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

We can love ourselves once we realize that we are the object of God’s love!

In all these things showing the Love of God to others is showing God’s Mercy to us all!

How did this scribe react?

*****Mar 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

Mar 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Mar 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

The religion of this scribe had been tied up into offerings and sacrifice and he had dedicated his life to these things and he had never given thought to the command of love even though he knew Scripture.

When we are settled on the fact of God’s love, then how can we not live for Him.

Jesus told this scribe that by understanding the love of God it gets us real close to salvation.

The thing lacking to him “accepting the work of the Lord Jesus” as the means of our salvation, and this love the Lord Jesus described to us, is our means of salvation and our only means of salvation.

If all those who are so tied up in religion would understand the love of God, they would not be far from salvation, lacking only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pro_3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Remember, God looks into the heart and what He is looking for is to see if there is love in that heart.

Most of us have a filthy heart and the Lord Jesus is the only one who can solve this problem.

Psa_26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

Rom_10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

We have to be open and honest in our relationship with God, to be part of His family and that family has the Lord Jesus Christ as the first-born Son.

Amen

The Lord Jesus Is In the Saving Business

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Servant’s Mission

Book of Mark Chapter 2

As we go through these lesson’s this quarter, we are going to see our Lord Jesus Christ as a Faithful Servant.

As the Lord Jesus is our example in so many things, He is also our example of how to be a servant of God.

He loves us as His dear children, but He expects us to serve Him, not as slaves but out of love and obedience.

We always seem to forget our disobedience is our greatest sin. Just ask Adam.

Before the Lord Jesus ascended back to Heaven, He gave us a job to do.

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This is the same job our Lord was doing before He went back to Heaven!

What is a servant?

A servant is a person who attends to another person for the purpose of performing menial tasks, at least that is the meaning used by the secular world.

The liberal side of America would tell us that all servants are slaves when a servant is a volunteer to do some work.

A child of God, who is also His servant, is someone who volunteers to get involved in the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the Gospels that teach us how our Lord came here to serve His Father in Heaven, and give us the example we are to follow.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

The Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior, but He is also our loving Master!

Eph 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

We can be servants to the Lord Jesus because we know we are more than servants, we are in the family of God, His brothers, and sisters in Christ.

Somewhat like families, who follow in the footsteps of a parent who has done well, we are to follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, it is a family thing! We do the work that our family does that our Father in Heaven has decided, and His Son Jesus has shown us how to do it right!

Our Father in Heaven “is in the saving business” and we are to follow Him and be in His saving business.

The first part of chapter two teaches us the healing powers of our Lord, as He heals a man who was paralyzed.

This miracle is so great, not just because this paralyzed man walked under his own power, but we see that word immediately, which means old muscles that had not been used and joints that had not had to do any work, all immediately began to work in this body that had been paralyzed.

As this chapter continues our Lord Jesus takes a walk on the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee, but not just a leisurely stroll because Jesus had a purpose behind everything that He did.

*Mar 2:13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

By this time, the crowds that followed Jesus were too large to be contained in one home.

By this time, some of the synagogues were closing their doors to the Lord, because He spoke with authority and His message was a message of truth.

This same thing happens in America today, the government and the media decide what is right even when they are wrong and close the doors to the real truth. This is corruption at its highest!

Mar 2:6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
Mar 2:7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

The people knew better and they flocked to Jesus to hear more about this coming kingdom He spoke of.

When these people had questions, our Lord Jesus could answer them because He knows all.

As a Servant to His Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus took every opportunity to teach the truth of the Scriptures.

And then, the Lord was also in the process of choosing the twelve disciples who would later become the twelve Apostles at least eleven of them would. One was a traitor!

*Mar 2:14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

As the Lord Jesus walked and taught, He passed by a tax collector.

We can see that the Romans had a tax on just about everything like we have today.

Matthew was set up to tax the fishermen for their catch of that day.

Today there is a tax on rainwater in many places, and a coming tax on the methane gas that comes our farm animals, among other taxes to pay for our free spending governments.

In fact climate change is more about taxes than it is the truth!

Yes, the climate is changing, it has been changing since the Lord created it.

The greatest of all climate changes is the flood in the days of Noah.

Yet there is a greater climate change coming and it will be by fire and it will be devastating.

Climate change is then caused by sin more than anything else!

Yes, to live as humans we do produce some things that could harm our environment.

Yes we could do a much better job taking care of our world.

In fact it will be humans who will destroy our world. We are that foolish. Some governments are bound and determined to destroy our world.

No, it is not humans who are causing the climate change that we are see today.

It is natural elements that drive climate change just as they always have.

At least Rome was building roads to every nation that could be used to spread the Gospel.

We cannot get our own governments to fix the existing roads with the money dedicated for that purpose.

Our government is already plotting some sort of tax on electric vehicles to make up for road taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel that will be lost.

There was this man named Levi who was a tax collector who we know as Matthew.

The Israelites considered all tax collectors as traitors and sinners. They were bitterly hated.

They were looked upon as people who had sold their souls out to Rome.

Most of them were cheats and extortioners who lined their own pockets while collecting taxes for Rome and Rome did not care as long as Rome got what Rome demanded.

Most of them became wealthy off the backs of the people of their own nation.

We can believe that Matthew was this type of tax collector.

We can also believe that the Lord Jesus was always looking for an opportunity to save a lost soul.

Levi was an outcast and hated by those around him, but the Lord loved him as He did everyone else.

After loving on him for a moment, Jesus simply says, “Follow Me” and Matthew left the taxing table and followed the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew lived a life of being hated by those around him no matter where he went.

Matthew was surely craving forgiveness!

Jesus tells us all:

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

This is the same Matthew who wrote the Gospel that bears his name.

Most people called him Levi, even Mark and Luke, but Jesus called him Matthew and so, this is the name he chose for himself.

The name Matthew means “gift of Jehovah”. From then on, Matthew stressed God’s great mercy upon him.

Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

The Lord invited Himself to dinner at Matthew’s house, and many more tax collectors were there and we see that the Israelites referred to them as “publicans”.

*Mar 2:15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

There were many such men as Levi who were considered outcasts to society, but many of them were like Levi they wanted forgiveness for what they had done.

This dinner became a huge feast.

Luk 5:29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

Matthew had discovered a peace and a comfort that he had never known, and he reached out to his friends who were like him, so they could learn of the peace that comes from forgiveness.

This world will not show forgiveness unless

It is a life-changing experience when we have a meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus gladly accepted the opportunity to meet with these sinners and Jesus took His own disciples with Him, even though they were wary of being associated with publicans.

Anyone who is willing to confess their sins has a willing ear to listen to them, when that ear belongs to Jesus Christ.

Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

What this modern generation does not understand, especially those who are transgender or gay, is that the Lord Jesus Christ cannot help anyone who is unwilling to confess their sins and repent!

The Church is open to all comers no matter their sin but all those who know the Lord as their Savior have repented and been Born Again.

What did Jesus teach?

Joh_3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

The self-righteous, the self-sufficient, the self-dependent, feel like they have no need to confess their sins and repent of them.

Our Lord Jesus did not ever act above or act better than anyone and this is a great lesson for us all.

Our Lord Jesus also did never compromise His message of repentance!

The Church cannot compromise today or more people will go to Hell because they think they have no need to repent!

The Church must open the doors to all who would enter, no matter their walk in this life, but to be forgiven we must all yield to the Lord’s message of confession and repentance.

Our faith must be in the Lord Jesus Christ and the work that He has done for our salvation, and then, we can confess our sins and begin that work of repentance with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Those unwilling to repent will find that they are not saved and in the end the Lord will say “I Never Knew You”.

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Only after confessing the knowledge of the work the Messiah has done for our salvation and repenting of our sinful life, can we become that new person, being “Born Again” into a new life!

Those who are self-righteous will never understand these things!

*Mar 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
Mar 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

If we have noticed the things that are happening in America, we must understand that the sins that America winks at are much worse than those that are already condemned.

Self-delusion, that we have no sin, is the sin that cannot be forgiven because it rejects the reason the Lord came in the first place!

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

There is no one in this world today who is not a sinner!

We can also know that we are to reach out to all sinners outside the Church, but we are not to run with them and partake in their sinful ways.

It is the sinner who can become a disciple and follow the Lord Jesus, and not the other way around.

You see, a religionist who is respectful of the ways of society, will become a judge to those who are trying to reach that society with the Gospel.

Christianity is not a religion; Christianity is medicine for the sin sick soul!

Religion is philosophy, Christianity is the truth of God!

The Lord Jesus expects us to change, but He also knows we need the help of the Holy Spirit to make that change!

It is the sick person (sinner) who knows he needs a doctor (Savior) because he knows he is sick (a sinner).

Those who do not know they are sick (a sinner) will not go to the doctor. (the Savior)

All those who have made themselves self-righteous will never repent!

Rom 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

This is where the American society is failing today!

This is where the compromising Church is failing today!

Those who live in their own righteousness will not answer the call of Jesus Christ!

It is Jesus Christ who is the “Great Physician”!

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Those religionists just will not give up and they can ask some really foolish questions.

*Mar 2:18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

What is fasting all about?

Fasting is the laying aside of food for a period of time when we are seeking to know the Lord in a deeper experience.

Fasting is to be done with the object of seeking to know the Lord in a deeper experience!

There are three types of fasting:

1) Normal fasting involves the total abstinence of food but not water. The Lord Jesus fasted forty days.

Luk 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luk 4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

2) There is the absolute fast for about three days.

Act 9:9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

3) There is the partial fast where there is just a restriction of diet.

Dan 10:3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
There are some physical benefits to this type of fast. It would be similar to dieting.

Daniel chose bread, meat, and grape juice to do without.

Remember all these fasts were done to get closer to the Lord!

When the early Church wanted to know the mind of God, there was a time of fasting and prayer and most all the church took part in this fast.

Very little fasting is done today!

What was the answer from the Lord Jesus?

*Mar 2:19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
Mar 2:20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

How could the disciples fast to get them closer to the Lord, when He was with them every day at this time?

The religious Jews fasted twice a week but for what purpose, we do not know because they were not getting closer to God.

They fasted simply because of religion. It was just another ritual for most of them! It was just another tradition with no real meaning! It was just something else they could brag about.

The disciples of John the Baptist also fasted twice a week just as the religious Jews because they did not have a clear meaning of the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ even though the Messiah was amongst them and John had pointed them to this fact.

They did not have the Holy Spirit until they understood the work of the Messiah.

What was the purpose of their fasting, it was just a ritual!

They should have been fasting for the release of John the Baptist, but it was time for John to cease and for the Messiah to step forward and John had also pointed this out to them.

They should have understood the purposes of the Messiah. They had little faith.

If fasting is not used to seek a closer relationship with the Lord, it has no purpose other than dieting to lose weight or for health.

Yes, we can fast for an answer to a prayer but if we do not have a close relationship with the Lord, how can we expect an answer to that prayer?

These religionists were just mocking the Lord Jesus asking, how could the true Messiah not teach faithfulness to religion.

Religion will not get you to Heaven! Only the Messiah can get us to Heaven!

If God had wanted John the Baptist out of prison, then he would be out of prison.

The time of John the Baptist had ended so, there would be no confusion about the true Messiah.

John was a powerful preacher whose message had been fulfilled.

Jesus simply stated there is a right way and a wrong way to fast.

In fact, Jesus again, as our example states, we must not judge others for keeping religious rituals.

Censuring and condemning others is uncalled for!

We must understand that all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ are condemned already.

We need to show them the only way to be redeemed and pardoned.

We will not be judged according to whether we keep or not keep religious rituals!

Only the Lord Jesus Christ can judge these things!

Rom 14:3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Rom 14:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Rom 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

Jesus Himself said there were two reasons to fast.

1) Sometimes, we just do not feel the presence of the Lord, then, it is a suitable time to fast.
2) Sometimes, we feel we need that special empowering of the Lord to meet a special need, then, it is a suitable time to fast.

This fast must be sincere and we must lay out the rules of our fast with the Lord and the reason for our fast, and this fast must include sincere prayer.

We must understand that we are going to suffer in this world and it is going to get worse before we go home to be with the Lord!

We must also understand that the Lord is not trying to patch up our old way of life, but we will be “Born Again” into a new life, our old life passed away!

The Lord Jesus is not out to reform an old religious life, but He will regenerate us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

*Mar 2:21  No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. 
Mar 2:22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

God says, if you want to alter the habits of some other person, we must begin by changing their principles.

If we are to plant the Gospel Seed into a rotten heart of some sinner and there must be some sign of progress.

To be a Christian is to be a new kingdom. That old life cannot be patched.

This is the downfall of many places of worship today. They are trying to patch up an old life and God says we must be Born Again into something entirely new.

There will be a New Heaven!
There will be a New Jerusalem!
The persons in both these places will be a New Person, the Born Again children of God.

2Co_5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Rev_21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

A patched up sinner will be worse than he was!

The word bottles in this Scripture means wine skins.

A new bottle made of an animal skin would be elastic enough to expand as the gases of fermentation built of pressure.

Old skins that had already been used would be hardened and they could not take the pressure of the fermenting process and that old bottle would burst.

Jesus said that He was bringing a new life built upon expansion and a new excitement for eternal life. A life never ending!

Our old sin nature cannot be repaired!

Just like corruption, it must be removed!

We must understand that all those old forms of religion in this world will one day perish and the only thing left will be Christianity.

The true foundation of life is the Lord Jesus Christ, and our “Born Again” new life will be clothed in the “Righteousness” of our Lord!

2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

We cannot be fixed in our own ways; we must be elastic and expandable in the life that Jesus offers to us!

Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Amen

The Christian Testimony

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Paul Shares His Testimony

Book of Acts Chapter 22

How important is our testimony?

Our testimony should reveal to others the truth of what God has done in our lives.

The opportunity to testify about the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation that comes only by Him, often happens in unexpected places and under a variety of circumstances.

We should take a look at our own testimony and refine it to keep it short and to the point, keeping it full of the truth of our own lives.

We must always be prepared to give our testimony because we will be asked, “how is your life different today because you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior”?

We should lead a noticeably different lifestyle than we had prior to the meeting the Lord and our testimony should include this change!

How we came to trust the Lord as our Savior is important to mention.

What difference Jesus has made in our lives is important to mention.

God will use our testimony if we allow Him to do so!

In our lesson today, the Apostle Paul had come to this place where God caused him to give his testimony to strangers.

Even before a riotous mob is a good time to give our testimony!

We will see that Paul’s defense of his character became his offence as he witnessed to the things the Lord Jesus had done for him.

*Act 22:1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
Act 22:2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

Here we have an innocent man, the Apostle Paul, who could not be heard because of the noise of this mob finally get a chance to defend himself before being carried off by these Roman guards.

We should know that these Roman Soldiers main job was to protect the Temple and the grounds of the Temple.

Antonio Fortress was located on the northwest corner and connected to the wall of the Temple, and someone would always be on guard to see what was going on at the Temple.

It was King Herod who had caused this to happen. This was Herod’s Temple, (the second Temple) in many views because he had spent so much money to rebuild this Temple into a showcase in Israel.

Disturbances in the Temple were sometimes dealt with harshly.

Paul was an innocent man of the things he was accused.

Paul was trying to appease the elders of the church in Jerusalem by compromising his own beliefs and it was not working out very well for him.

Notice it was not the local Jews who had stirred up this people, it was some trouble makers from out of town.

Paul loved this people.

Paul spoke in the local language which this crowd was not expecting, and these Roman soldiers would not understand much of what he said.

It is a fact that Paul would have been murdered had it not been for the work of these soldiers and this crowd could have easily overcome these few soldiers that came to put an end to this riotous mob.

The Apostle Paul was willing to face death, if it would be cause for some these Jews to be saved.

What did Paul have to say?

*Act 22:3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
Act 22:4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

In Paul’s testimony he began with what he used to be.

We all as Christians have a life that we used to be.

“We are no longer used to be s”!

It had now been about twenty-five years since Paul, at that time called by the name Saul, met the Lord Jesus Christ upon the Damascus Road.

There may have been a few that recognized Paul from those early days, but most of them would not have known anything about the Apostle Paul, past, or at that present time.

Paul wanted them to know that he was a Jew and Jerusalem had been his home for many years.
Paul wanted them to know he was just as much a Jew as any of them were.
Paul was born in Tarsus but he was raised in Jerusalem. His mother, and his grandmother were Jews, which made him a Jew.
Paul had come to Jerusalem at a very young age because his mother and his grandmother knew it was at Jerusalem where the best schools were located.

Act 26:4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

Paul was educated on the strictest laws of the Jews and became a Pharisee.

Act 26:5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

Paul was now being judged by certain trouble-making Jews, because he believed all the Word of God.

Those same laws taught of the coming Messiah, which Paul believed had already come as the Lord Jesus Christ as promised by Jehovah.

Act 26:6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

Paul had always been zealous in keeping of the Law and had never forsaken it!

Paul claimed he had never forsaken the practice and the customs of the Mosaic Law and he had not.

Paul claimed he was as much a practicing Jew as those who accused him.

Paul even shared that part of his life which was hostile to the Church.

Many of those present knew this to be true of the Jewish High priests and the elders of Jerusalem, who had also been a part of the persecution of the Church.

*Act 22:5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

The High Priests knew these things to be true!

Remember how the position of the High Priest had remained in one family since before the days of Jesus and was still in that family, none of them being the descendants of Aaron.

The High Priest was no more than a politician who remained friendly to Rome.

Those elders were all members of the Sanhedrin court and they could have acknowledged that what Paul was saying was the truth, but they refused to do so.

Act 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
Act 9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

Paul explained that with his religious training and zealous devotion, only a radical, supernatural event could have altered him to what he was on that day, a child of God.

Some of same mob that was ready to stone Paul was now ready to embrace him.

Paul describes his meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ adding to his testimony.

*Act 22:6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
Act 22:7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

There is only One who can save and He is the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Lord Jesus will get personal with us if we allow Him to.

The Lord Jesus will aways seek us out to save us!

The reason that the “noon” time is mentioned is because it seems the sun is always brightest at noon time.

Yet, the Lord Jesus Christ will outshine the sun.

2Pe_1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

The Lord Jesus Christ is the “Day Star”!

The Lord Jesus Christ is a Nazarene not because of some pledge that was made, but because for a while He made Nazareth His home.

Joh_1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Joh 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
Joh 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Joh 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Paul said he was overwhelmed by the things that were taking place around him that day, and he fell to the ground and it was then that he heard the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, the “Voice” of God.

The Lord Jesus has always been the “Voice” of God!

Notice how the Lord Jesus addressed Paul by name.

Notice that all sin is against our Savior. He is the One who commands us to live righteously.

In fact, this is what the Mosaic Laws were all about, God’s directions for living righteously. Our School Master.

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Paul was not sure until that Heavenly Voice said “why persecutest thou me”?

Try to explain these things to the Lord and you will find that you cannot!

Why do we treat our Creator like we do?

In today’s world God is rejected.

Climate Change is all about rebelling against God.

God has said we will have all four of the seasons until He returns.

There were many witnesses to this event the only thing they did not understand was the “Voice” of God.

They heard the “Voice” but they could not understand what was being said.

This world has not changed much since that day.

God is speaking through His many voices and His many Scriptures, but the world knows He is speaking but they have chosen to close their ears to understanding.

Eph 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

*Act 22:9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
Act 22:10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
Act 22:11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

We know that the Lord Jesus addresses each of us personally, so it is not unusual for those around Paul not to hear what was said.

We know that the Holy Spirit had been working on Paul since the day that Stephen was murdered.

Paul had not cast a single stone, but he had held the coats of those that did.

We also know that when God saves us He does not remove us from our surroundings, He just gives us a new purpose and a new hope.

This is why it is called “faith”! We must trust God’s plan for us!

We have to make our own trip to a spiritual Damascus.

Paul had to finish his trip to Damascus to know God’s plan for him.

Paul had spent three years opposing Christianity and he would spend the rest of his life promoting Christianity.

We should not have to spend the rest of our days defending our actions while serving the Lord with all our heart.

Those traveling with Paul could not know the truth of what was happening.

All they saw was something they could not explain.

Paul continued on to Damascus, led there because he could not see for the Glory of that Light called Jesus.

God had already explained these things to a man named Ananias, who had a fear of Paul because of Paul’s reputation.

Paul had seen these things in a vision because he could not see with his eyes.

Act 9:12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Act 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
Act 9:14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
Act 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

So Paul went to Damascus.

Paul was a chosen vessel to bear the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and some of those people would be Gentiles in many nations.

Some those people would be kings and those in the governments of many nations.

Some of those people would be the children of Israel who had been scattered in many nations because they had rebelled against Jehovah God.

Act 26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Act 26:17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
Act 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

The Lord Jesus had made a remarkable promise to His Apostles when He forewarned them of some things they would encounter when serving Him.

Serving the Lord will not always be easy.

God told His Apostles that when they were delivered up to councils, and rulers, and kings, for His sake, to take no thought of what they should speak, but that the Holy Spirit would speak at that time.

Mar 13:9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
Mar 13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
Mar 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

This too is a sign proving we are in the last days!

Paul may have been the beginning of these things as he stood on the stairs leading to the castle of Herod at Antonio’s Fortress.

A Jewish mob even caused fear in these Roman soldiers who were greatly outnumbered.

They would be throwing dirt up into the air and ripping their clothing, surely acting like true heathens.

We could say Paul was lucky to have escaped them if we did not recognize the providence of God in all situations.

Paul was now a prisoner in the hands of heathen masters in the very unhappy country of Israel.

Paul, not a very big man, was loaded down with the chains of this world, yet he asked for a moment to speak to this unruly mob.

Surely the Holy Spirit was leading Paul to speak and he began this speech by giving his own testimony.

This is how important it is for us to have our testimony prepared for the day or the days it will become necessary.

Paul apologized for the persecution he had caused to the Church.

Paul had nothing to hide for his actions and he did not try to. These things were well known by many in this crowd he was speaking to.

Paul could have stopped with these things, but Paul had also made a promise to his Redeemer.

The church at Jerusalem needed to know that the Gospel would be preached to Gentiles throughout this world and that the Jews and the Gentile were to become one in Christ Jesus.

Paul spoke in simplicity, because the message of the Gospel is a simple message, but what could be seen is that Paul now had a great zeal for the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation of all men in every nation.

We sometimes forget that we are all in this thing together and it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that unites all Christians.

What we witness in our nation today is the fact, there is a close connection between ignorance and violence.

Those in power today try to rule without righteousness!

Paul was a true Jew, and he loved his Jewish heritage, but it would be the fact that he was also a Roman that would benefit him the most for him now.

The conflict we see in America today is not between Christianity and political power, but it is between the truth of Christianity and false religion.

Corrupt so-called Christianity must be swept out of the way so the truth of the Gospel can take its stand and continue to stand until the Lord returns.

It is the Gospel that must reach all around the world to each individual, before the Lord can return because this is what the Lord has said.

Amen